How to Teach a Hero at the Academy

Chapter 12 Stick a Knife in the Professor's Back (2)

Monika opened her eyes.

The prosthetic arm came into her tilted view. The part corresponding to the hand was gripping the bedding tightly. Monika blinked her sleep-drenched eyes and tried to move the prosthetic arm.

Apply strength. Release.

Bend the fingers. Straighten them.

The prosthetic arm operated according to Monika's thoughts. Faithfully enough to grip the bedding in her sleep. Extremely obedient to the commands coming from her brain.

“But……”

Monika wore a faint smile.

Reaching out her left hand, she pinched a side of the prosthetic arm hard.

“I can't feel anything.”

It was natural.

The sense of touch that distinguished between softness and hardness, or detected hot or cold, was nothing more than major and minor pain points. Even a prosthetic arm made with ten thousand gold coins couldn't possibly reproduce pain. And so, Monika was relieved.

Because it's mine.

Because my pain is mine and mine alone.

Even that shouldn't be replaced by something else.

Monika sat up. As her hair flowed down and touched her shoulder blades, the unfamiliar structure of the bedroom was captured in her amber eyes.

‘……Black Swan Building.’

The dormitory for students sponsored by the House of Orléans.

Monika still hadn't gotten used to her new residence. In a matter of days, she had obtained a sleeping place with a separate living room and bedroom, and she could also freely purchase furniture within the allocated budget. The days she had spent at the funeral home felt like a dream.

‘No. The life I'm living now is probably more like a dream.’

Monika laughed hollowly as she threw open the bedroom window.

While the 20-story Black Swan Building formed a single complex,

The sunlight filtered through the protective barrier surrounding the floating island shone down.

At that moment, a knock on the front door.

Monika covered her mouth without realizing it.

‘Who is it?’

Holding her breath in response to the knock was a long-standing habit. Because there were no welcome guests who would visit her residence in the slums. Monika headed to the living room, muffling her footsteps. After unlocking the lock and opening the front door,

“Mr. Fabien?”

[Good morning, Lady Monika.]

Fabien stood in a neat attire.

[Today is your first day of school, isn't it? Congratulations on becoming a student at CIAR.]

“Thank you. But what brings you here……”

[Professor Argento ordered it. He said that since he doesn't need an assistant for now, I should serve you as my master during the day. I look forward to working with you.]

There is still plenty of time……, and.

Muttering, Fabien stood up straight in a rigid posture.

[I will wait here in the hallway. Please take your time preparing.]

“No. You don't have to wait in the hallway in such an uncomfortable position……”

[There is a need to do so.]

Fabien tilted his head towards Monika's ear.

[Most of the students at CIAR belong to wealthy families. Don't they move around the campus accompanied by escort knights or attended by servants? I am quite a valuable product. I am stronger than most escort knights, and I carry out commands more diligently than any servant.]

Do you understand, Lady Monika.

The reason why Professor Argento has handed me over.

Please use me so you won't be looked down upon due to the difference in status. I am a considerably fancy accessory.

Listening to Fabien's whisper, Monika observed the students walking down the hallway. Gazes stained with curiosity. Voices questioning the owner of the Golem. And then, a whisper lingering in Monika's ear.

- That child,

I heard she's a commoner for sure……

“……I understand.”

Monika gripped the doorknob.

“I'll show off just a little bit using you, Mr. Fabien.”

[I'm glad you think of it that way. I will wait here. Please take your time preparing.]

“I'll prepare as quickly as possible.”

It's not like my mind is at ease.

Muttering so, Monika closed the front door.

Leaning her back against the front door, which was protected by a sturdy spell and didn't need to be hung with a bunch of locks,

“I have to live.”

Monika muttered softly.

“I have to live well.”

Merely prolonging my life is not enough. To survive properly, I have to constantly save myself from this world.

So from now on, please……,

“Take care of me.”

Monika bowed her head and whispered.

She clasped her left hand, made of flesh, and her right hand, replaced by a craftsman's skill.

The left hand is survival. The right hand is opportunity.

She crossed them and shook.

She shook hands lightly.

* * *

Cia-Harphe Academy's 0th Academic Hall, also known as the ‘Professor's Tower’.

A cool breeze swirled around Monika, who had stepped onto the carpet.

‘……This is it.’

Monika stared at the sign swinging above her head.

‘Abel Argento's Class’.

Such a phrase was written on a wooden board hanging from a chain.

Students who hadn't been assigned to a class could just come to school in time for their lectures, but students belonging to a separate class had to attend the morning meeting held early in the morning.

[I will wait here.]

Fabien opened his mouth from behind Monika.

Three or four knights were scanning Fabien. They must all be the escort knights of the students belonging to Abel's class. The reason for their sharp gazes must be because of Fabien's value.

Monika knew that fact well. She had been subjected to countless stares on her way here. The latest model Golem seemed to be considered a much more valuable servant than a human.

“I'll be back.”

[Yes, Master.]

Master, how embarrassing.

Monika scratched her cheek, looking at the bowing Fabien.

Kkiiik, and.

The sound of an arched door opening.

Monika stepped inside the classroom.

Inside the classroom, neatly composed in black and white, four of the five seats were already filled. Monika cleared her throat and approached the empty seat. The black swan crest engraved on the cloak wrapped around Monika's shoulders swayed.

“Monika Lohengrin.”

A name suddenly heard.

“Nice to meet you.”

A greeting that followed.

It was a clear tone, like the sound of flower petals rubbing against each other.

A girl of the same age was looking at Monika, who had sat down. Light blue hair flowed beside her deep blue gaze. The girl wore a flower crown decorated with fresh flowers on her head. Monika opened her mouth towards the girl with a blank expression.

“How do you know my name?”

“Because you're famous.”

The girl said, propping her chin on her hand.

“Monika Lohengrin. Born in Sarrifis. While employed as a janitor at CIAR, it was determined that you are an Aura user and you were admitted as a special scholarship student. We all know about you. Because a constitution that can handle Aura innately is rare.”

The girl shrugged.

The whale crest of Sharma engraved on her cloak shone.

“I'm Fleur de Saint-Pierre.”

I'm the same age as you, and.

Fleur whispered, plucking an anemone from her flower crown.

“Will you be friends with me?”

“Yes……, no, I mean, yeah……”

The anemone that Fleur held out.

Monika held it in her hand and looked around.

The class consisted of two boys and three girls. The two boys looked like they were in a higher year, and the other girl besides Monika and Fleur was……,

‘……What is she doing?’

She was rummaging behind the curtain with a mischievous smile. Looking closely, it seemed she was tending to some incomprehensible mechanical device.

“Roberta Sinclair. She's a 3rd year.”

Fleur said, tilting her head towards Monika.

“Do you know about the Sinclair family?”

“That is……”

Monika pouted her lips and sank into thought.

She thought she had heard of it. In the chatter among the drunk weapon merchants in the slums……,

“The finest weapon forging family in the empire……, was it.”

“That's right. You're smart, Monika.”

Fleur's gaze curved into a smile.

“Roberta is preparing a trap right now.”

“A trap?”

“Yeah. That child is very mischievous. She sets up traps under the pretext of testing the professors' skills. She came to the classroom first today too and was doing that.”

Monika took a good look at Roberta. After checking the magic scrolls hidden under the circular carpet, Roberta twirled her vermilion hair and headed to her seat.

‘It won't work.’

Monika thought, puffing out one cheek.

As someone who had witnessed Abel's combat, she couldn't imagine a sight where such a monstrous person would fall for a trap.

“Actually, several professors have been caught by Roberta……”

And, as Fleur's explanation continued,

With a clatter,

The arched door was thrown open forcefully.

“Everyone's here.”

Abel entered the classroom, speaking in a calm tone.

“Nice to meet you. I am Abel Argento, who will be supervising you all from today……”

And, as Abel was revealing his name,

“──It's a showdown!”

Roberta stood up from her seat, shouting loudly.

Roberta's index finger, extended towards Abel.

That was the signal.

A magic circle flashed behind Abel, and soon, vines formed from magic began to pour out. A bundle of vines that instantly bound Abel's arms and legs. Abel scanned the vines surrounding his body with a hazy gaze, then,

“……I am Abel Argento, who will be supervising you all from today.”

He recited the content he should have said again.

Dudada──!

Wooden bullets fired at such an Abel. The bullets, fired through the curtain, hit Abel's body and at the same time, turned into a foul-smelling slime and flowed down.

“I won!”

Roberta shouted, clenching her fists.

Abel touched the slime that had soiled his formal coat, then,

“Roberta Sinclair.”

He slowly lifted his head and looked at Roberta.

“Why did you set up such a trap?”

“Well, to test your skills, Professor!”

Roberta shouted with a cheerful smile.

“You're going to be my teacher, aren't you? You should be able to see through a trap like this, of course. From that point of view, Professor Argento is disqualified as a teacher……”

“It seems you misunderstood the question. I am asking why you only set up non-combat traps.”

If you intended to use magic vines, at least let some electricity flow through them.

You shouldn't be at ease just by binding the arms and legs.

You have to paralyze the whole body.

Saying so, Abel pushed through the vines as if tearing a skein of thread.

“The angle of the bullets was also unstable. It must be because the curtain that served as cover interfered with the trajectory.”

Next time, use arrows.

Unless it's a standardized metal casing, the accuracy of a bullet is more unstable than an arrow.

“And the scrolls hidden under the carpet are……”

Abel looked down at the circular carpet that his shoe tip was touching.

He lightly pressed the edge of the carpet. At the same time──,

──Pabat!

A bundle of magic fireworks that burned the circular carpet and shot up. It was a part of what was used at the semester-start celebration, mobilized for a trap. The magic firework scroll was a product that applied a 2nd-rank fire attribute magic. Because the root magic had an aggressive nature, a certain amount of power was added.

“It's the most useful among your traps.”

Abel said, catching the stream of fire used in the fireworks.

The flame held in Abel's bare hand was slowly scattering.

“But if it were me, I would have hidden it under the floor. With this much power, it would easily break the floor, and the fragments would serve as a shrapnel mine. Above all, the magic flowing in the scroll is not something that can be hidden with a piece of cloth.”

Other than that, it wasn't bad.

Abel said, placing his hand on Roberta's desk.

“Professor, surely……”

Roberta pouted her lips primly.

“……Did you let yourself get caught on purpose?”

To get through the trap so nonchalantly, and at the same time, even guide her on improvements. Could it be that he had seen through the location of the traps from the start? Roberta wondered so.

“Of course.”

Abel nodded his head.

“I have a duty to gain insight into your skills, and the best way is to experience it with my body.”

“When did you notice?”

“From the moment I entered the classroom. You must have prepared for a long time.”

After answering readily, Abel wore a faint smile.

“The magic circle engraved under your desk won't work.”

“Eh……”

Roberta's expression distorted.

To think he had noticed even that. The strength drained from Roberta's hand, which had been on the underside of the desk. She had been bothered since a while ago because the magic circle engraved there wasn't working.

“A few of the strokes seem to be wrong. Check it after the meeting.”

“……Aren't you going to get angry?”

“I will need to scold you for not doing your best. You could have designed a more threatening trap.”

I'll look forward to it in the future.

After saying so, Abel turned his back.

‘A strange……, a very strange person!’

Roberta thought without realizing it.

Many professors had been challenged by Roberta until now. Some professors skillfully dismantled the traps. There were also professors who avoided them as if it were a hassle, and professors who were caught in an unsightly manner and got angry.

‘This is the first professor to tell me to set up a more vicious trap.’

What kind of person is he?

As Roberta was tilting her head, thinking so,

‘Teacher really is a madman…….’

Monika thought with a dazed expression.

“I'll briefly state my resume.”

Meanwhile, Abel opened his mouth, facing the lectern.

“I am from another world……”

No, and, muttering,

Abel shook his head.

He was not good at lying and was reluctant, but he recited the cover identity he had been given from the Papacy and the background that came with it.

“I was the commander of the Papacy's 13th Round Table Defense Army. I was discharged after the Mirror War and settled in the capital. I became a professor at CIAR to save up for marriage funds. I like collecting weapons. I dislike jokes.”

‘The words you're saying now sound like a joke.’

Thinking so, Monika looked at Abel.

It was not difficult to notice that Abel's identity had been censored. Do those who are Sword Saints operate in secret by disguising their identities like that? I can't believe it. Monika let out a sigh.

And rightly so, for Abel's acting, speaking in a toneless voice, was terrible.

“You're an interesting person.”

On the other hand, Fleur, who had been sitting next to Monika, opened her mouth.

“To become a professor to save up for marriage funds.”

You believe that?

Monika placed her hand on her forehead.

Such a Monika's gaze met Abel's.

“You are all selected talents.”

Abel said in a curt tone.

“My purpose is to complete the talents of you all. I want you all to gain experience beyond just mastering theory through lectures and training through practice. Therefore, I wish to assign you all a task.”

Until the end of the fall semester……, and.

Abel continued.

“Stick a knife in my back.”

Silence.

‘……I knew it.’

Monika thought, shaking her head. There's no way that person would teach students in an ordinary way. But even so, to stick a knife in his back. Does he mean try to kill him once?

Monika looked around. The students' expressions were a sight to behold. Emotion. Bewilderment. Wariness. Interest. After deducing the emotions steeped in each expression, Monika raised her hand out of obligation.

“Are you serious?”

Because it seemed someone had to ask.

“I dislike jokes. Come at me with the resolve to kill. It's not like I'll die just because a knife is stuck in me.”

To stick a knife in the professor's back without minding the means or methods. Succeed within the period, and you pass. Fail, and you fail. There is no grading of scores. Those who fail are scheduled for special training during the vacation period. After announcing a brief explanation, Abel,

“The meeting ends here.”

He walked towards the arched door.

“I wish you all the best of luck.”

Leaving behind an empty encouragement.