The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

The Imperial Rondarium Academy, true to its inspiration from Japanese subculture games, had borrowed heavily from Japanese high school culture. However, that didn’t mean it was exactly like a high school.

While the students’ ages and the teaching methods resembled those of a high school, the fact that it was a four-year program, that leaving was entirely optional, and that graduates entered society directly afterward made it more similar to a university.

Because it blended elements of both high school and university, the relationship between students and teachers wasn’t strictly hierarchical. If students had questions, they naturally sought out teachers, and if teachers had something to say, they would reach out to students just as easily.

The fact that many of the country’s most prominent ducal families had members placed as instructors was no coincidence. It would be a problem if teachers couldn’t understand the students they were meant to guide. Since this was the top academy, it had to provide the best student support as well.

I had originally come to the faculty office to meet with my homeroom teacher, Carolyn.

Just as students were given a great deal of freedom, so were the instructors. If both parties agreed, teachers could conduct student counseling whenever they wanted.

Carolyn seemed determined to understand her students more thoroughly this year. ...It seemed that the series of incidents last year—most of which had been because of me—had left an impression on her.

And just as I was finishing my brief meeting with Carolyn and getting ready to leave, Jennifer stopped me. Which was how I ended up having an unexpected session with a teacher who wasn’t even my homeroom instructor.

"You look well these days."

That was the first thing Jennifer said as she sat across from me.

The faculty office wasn’t Jennifer’s alone. The seat she had directed me to belonged to another teacher. The desk was cluttered with textbooks and teaching materials.

I wondered what would happen if that teacher returned, but then again, Jennifer wouldn’t have seated me there unless she was sure they wouldn’t be back anytime soon.

"I’ve changed my perspective on a lot of things."

"Is that so? I have overheard you speaking a few times, and it does seem that way."

Jennifer laughed as she said this.

And she was right.

They say that the biggest factor in a person’s image is their appearance. After coming to this world, I had felt that more than ever.

Sylvia Fangryphon was beautiful. If she stayed quiet and still, most people instinctively felt drawn to her.

Even when I looked in the mirror, I could see it. So what must it be like for people seeing me directly—especially men?

And this image had also helped me change my reputation.

At first, every time I spoke casually or initiated conversation, students would flinch in surprise. But, shockingly, they adapted incredibly quickly.

It hadn’t even been a month, yet people were already treating it as if I had always spoken this way.

And perhaps because of that, the fear surrounding me had started to fade slightly.

Whereas before, almost no one had dared to approach me, now the number of students speaking to me was gradually increasing.

Most likely, they had seen how I was getting along with Mia and had realized that the rumors about me weren’t true. After all, no matter what they thought of me, they couldn’t imagine someone forming such a close bond with the person who had killed their father.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

...Of course, there was a much more complicated story behind all that, but neither Mia nor I felt the need to explain it.

"Well, I won’t pry too deeply into that. If anyone were to do so, it should be your homeroom teacher, Carolyn."

Considering how much Jennifer had /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ already pried, I found that a little ironic, but I chose not to comment.

"My teacher—that is, Sword Saint Frederick—has been officially accepted as an academy instructor. Not that I need to tell you, since you’ve already attended his classes."

The Sword Saint had joined the academy faculty this semester.

I had never given a clear explanation for why he had applied to teach here, but the headmaster and the other instructors seemed to think that letting him go would have been a far greater loss.

Besides, he had been one of the key figures in the previous battle and had even helped with the emperor’s transport.

That was likely the reason they believed he wouldn’t cause any trouble.

"At this point, there’s no real need to ask why he decided to take a teaching position at the academy... but personally, I am curious. Any chance you’d be willing to share, just between us?"

"......."

I stared at Jennifer.

She had a slight smile on her lips. And it seemed to be just a smile—there was no hidden agenda behind it.

Well, that was just the kind of person Jennifer was. She and her mentor were remarkably alike. Honestly, if I didn’t know better, I’d think they were actually blood-related.

...Then again, they were from the same region. Maybe that was just a shared trait among people from there.

"As someone who trained under the same mentor, can’t you tell me?"

"Are you that curious?"

I asked, already feeling exhausted at the thought. Jennifer leaned in slightly.

"Yes, I am. Believe it or not, I don’t see you as just another academy student. You wouldn’t know this since you trained directly under him, but our mentor is very particular about choosing his students."

I had experienced that firsthand to some extent.

Of course, the only reason I had been able to learn from him was because the Sword Saint had found me interesting. If he hadn’t, he would have rejected me no matter how many times I tried.

And that interest... it hadn’t come from talent.

"He’s always been particular about his students, so I’m curious. What did he see in you that made him decide to teach other students—ordinary ones he had never cared about before?"

"......."

I looked at Jennifer in silence for a moment before glancing around.

The other teachers were too busy with their own work to pay attention to us. As expected of academy faculty—they were all highly dedicated to their jobs.

"This isn’t a request as a teacher. It’s a request as a fellow disciple who trained under the same master. Since I’m asking you as a student and not an instructor, I won’t spread whatever you tell me to the other teachers."

Hearing her say that made me waver slightly.

Not as a teacher, but as a fellow disciple...

I kept my mouth shut for a moment longer, considering, before finally leaning slightly toward Jennifer.

Then, in a quiet voice, I said,

"He told me that he came here because of me."

"I figured as much. If it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t have come."

Of course. That was why she had asked me directly in the first place.

"He said that he became interested in me because I had no talent and yet put in several times the effort of others."

Jennifer didn’t tease me.

Instead, she simply gazed at me with an utterly serious expression.

"I have no talent for swordsmanship. So in order to even mimic others, I had to put in several times the effort. Literally several times."

Jennifer would understand what that meant.

"I had a lot of opportunities. So I tried again and again—over and over—until I was able to somewhat follow along. I never gave up. And he told me that even if someone had multiple chances, very few people would dedicate all of them solely to effort. But I did. And that’s what made him take an interest in me."

"I see."

"He also said that if he could find even a few people like me among the hundreds of students here, it would be worth it."

Now that I’d said it out loud, it felt... a little embarrassing.

It had ended up sounding like I was bragging.

And seeing someone in front of me listening so seriously to what was basically me bragging just made it feel even more embarrassing.

"......I see."

Jennifer closed her eyes briefly, lost in thought, before a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"I remember. Maybe other people have forgotten, but I haven’t. Back when you took my class for the first time, you rewound time and tried again and again until you finally succeeded. That lesson was meant to show that in a battlefield, noble or not, everyone is equal."

"...I apologize for that."

"No need. If anything, I had forgotten something important. In war, anything can happen. Even things that seem completely beyond common sense. You reminded me of that."

Jennifer smiled.

"The Sword Saint was right. I feel the same way. If I can find just a few students like you in my teaching career, it will have been worth it. And last year... I ended up finding quite a lot. Seems like coming to the academy was the right decision."

"......."

I couldn’t quite bring myself to respond to that.