S12 Academy

This nation possesses an institution known as an academy.

In the original world, attending school was commonplace. In this world, however, attending school is the exception.

Attendance is limited to members of the nobility, a select few affluent commoners, or individuals exceptionally gifted in talent.

As a member of the royal family, attending the academy presents no issue for me.

Reston shares the same circumstance. Catia, the daughter of a duke, meets the requirements as well.

The three of us were predetermined to enroll at the academy.

At the academy, standard academic instruction is provided, similar to schools in the original world.

Simultaneously, combat training is also required.

In fact, combat instruction constitutes the primary curriculum.

The Daztordia continent is currently under human dominion, but on other continents, conflicts with demonkind and monstrous creatures remain intense.

Monsters exist across the Daztordia continent as well. Even with countless capable fighters, the number is never sufficient.

Thus, the academy emphasizes combat training.

Sofia, Reston, and Katia were present at the venue for the academy’s entrance ceremony.

Scanning the surroundings, new students sat in their seats, awaiting the start of the event.

This academy holds the largest scale in the region, drawing numerous children from foreign nations.

Among them, a few were visibly non-human.

As they observed the students, some quickly looked away, while others stared intently.

Fleeting glances were felt. Whispers reached the ears.

“That one over there is the prince of this nation.”

“He’s said to be a genius, but doesn’t look particularly strong at first glance.”

“How can we get close to him?”

They say all sorts of things, but thanks to auditory enhancement, I hear everything perfectly.

It’s extremely uncomfortable.

"Good morning~"

The air shatters with a carefree voice reaching my ears.

Turning, I find the expected sight: Filimes, the elf known as Okachan.

"Good morning. It feels odd having a teacher who’s also a student."

"The teacher seems excited to relive youth once more~"

The teacher settles down beside me without hesitation.

Suu, seated on the opposite side, locks eyes with the teacher—staring directly, unblinkingly.

Not a glare, just a steady stare.

Indeed, this was their first meeting.

An instant later, a chill runs down my spine.

"Little sister. If you release murderous intent toward the teacher again... I’ll kill you~?"

The teacher says it with a smile.

The tone remains its usual lighthearted, relaxed cadence.

But those eyes showed no trace of amusement.

Soo was overwhelmed by the pressure.

Katie and I were stunned by the teacher’s demeanor.

The teacher, nicknamed "Okachan," had always been affable, warm-hearted.

A teacher who never truly angered, someone approachable and familiar.

Never someone who would display such terrifying, chilling murderous intent.

“Surprised? But in this world, you can’t survive without something like this. Elves grow slower than humans, so they’re small and often underestimated. If you’re going to challenge me, then be ready to die, understand?”

The casual mention of “being ready to die” suggested the teacher had experienced things beyond our imagination.

I quietly activated the鉴定 I’d been building up.

『鉴定 has been blocked.』

"Shun-kun, I do not approve of viewing a lady's profile without permission."

The result of the failed鉴定 came at nearly the same moment as my head was struck by something.

I have no recollection of raising a student as a peeping tom, sir.

The mechanism is unclear, but the instructor appears to have detected and countered the obstruction of my assessment.

That too, in a way I cannot react to at all.

Just from that exchange, I realized I could not defeat the teacher.

Sorry. I couldn't help but notice.

Yes. The best thing to do when you’ve done something wrong is apologize. But if you try to鉴定 without permission again… well, you’ll be in for something a little more painful this time.

Yes. I will keep it firmly in mind.

Indeed.

It would be unwise to act recklessly against this person.

But, Master, if you possess such power, wouldn't attending the academy be unnecessary?

I suddenly found myself wondering about that.

In truth, I and Sū, and Catia, have been trained—but we have no experience in actual combat.

That is precisely why we are here, at this academy, to solidify our fundamentals properly.

Yet, from the way the teacher speaks, and from their demonstrated ability, they appear to already have extensive combat experience.

What purpose would there be in attending this academy now?

"There is much to learn here. Yes, much. But half of that is pretense. I wish to use this country as my operational base for a while."

"Then you should avoid the academy altogether."

"The activity you speak of is not searching for former students."

"Wait—then what are you doing?"

"That is still a secret. I will leave the search to other elves later."

I froze at the teacher's shocking statement.

Earlier, when we met, the teacher had said six former students remained unaccounted for.

What exactly is the teacher trying to accomplish by abandoning them like this?

"Perhaps it may seem heartless... but this is as far as search efforts can go. Beyond this point, there are only the demon territories or uncharted lands. Honestly, I don’t believe they’re still alive."

"Wha—?!"

"Teacher, are you seriously saying that?"

"Dead serious. In disaster response, initial action is critical. Since I reincarnated, I’ve done everything possible. Honestly, finding half of them would’ve been a success. We’ve exceeded that. So, the outcome is excellent."

"But—"

"Then you’ll search for the remaining six? How? By foot? Do you really think you’ll find them?"

The teacher’s sudden shift to casual speech caused my momentum to collapse, as if my resolve had been seized and crushed.

The teacher exhaled, a heavy breath.

"Earlier I said it—I did my best. What comes next, though—what I believe is the best—is ensuring the former student who was found can truly live in this world. So, I want to study various things at this academy, and at the same time, engage in various activities."

"I understand."

It wasn’t full conviction, but the teacher had clearly done their best.

Besides, I had contributed nothing to those activities. I had no right to speak up.

Likely, the teacher themselves felt the heaviest burden.

"Sorry. I spoke out of turn."

"Shun-kun didn’t say anything wrong. But even when something isn’t wrong, it isn’t necessarily right—there are countless such things in the world."

Afterward, the enrollment ceremony took place.

Honestly, the details didn’t register at all.

Thus, I failed to notice the expressions on the faces of the girl beside me—Soo—and the one beside her—Cathia.

Activity report updated with Q&A section.