The blazing sunlight, the seagulls soaring freely over the ocean, the salty sea breeze, and the refreshing wind.
It hit me hard that I had just arrived at the so-called best vacation spot in the southern region.
My heart raced at the thought of this being my first group trip since my reincarnation.
Even before the reincarnation, I had hardly any group trips, and all my travel destinations were inland.
So, the very fact that I was here by the sea felt particularly nostalgic.
“Ah, this is refreshing…”
“Daniel! What are you doing just standing around?”
A man draped his arm over my shoulder. With his dark skin, I couldn’t immediately tell who he was, but as soon as I saw his face, it clicked.
“I knew you were here early for a reconnaissance trip, but you’re already as tanned as a local, Masker.”
“The sun in the southern region is fierce. Just a week here, and you’ll end up like me!”
“I heard from the girls that there are magic tools to shield against sunlight?”
“Why would a man like me use such things? Lighter muscles are less appealing than chocolate-hued ones!”
Masker rolled up his sleeves and flexed, showcasing his muscles.
The boys all cheered, while some of the girls made disgusted faces.
“Doesn’t it feel a bit silly for Professor Masker to be doing that?”
“I totally agree!”
“He’s always had a light personality, but he seems even lighter with that tan.”
Of course, everyone has different tastes, so I let it go. I just wondered if Professor Pernelson would isolate Masker for being a bad influence on the students.
“What about you?”
“I don’t have the muscular build like you, so I’ll pass.”
“Ah, that’s a pity! But let me know if you change your mind!”
“Sure.”
After a brief chat with Masker, I led the students.
The kids, who usually ignored my words, obediently followed this time.
After all, they were staring at a beautiful resort and wouldn’t want to return to the academy to hang out with Professor Pernelson.
It felt nice to have newfound authority.
“It’s about time they should be here…”
“Oh! Here they come!”
As we waited at the beach, people approached us from the sea, riding the waves.
Upon closer inspection, they weren’t on surfboards; they were riding dolphins made of water.
They conjured dolphins using water magic and skillfully guided them along.
“Wow…!”
“Awesome! I want to ride too!”
“Wake up! At our current level, magic that intricate is out of our league.”
That was a fair assessment.
Creating a solid water formation to sit on was no easy task. Plus, maintaining magic while riding the waves and keeping your balance was definitely not simple.
Maybe it could be done with constant practice, but you’d need to be near the ocean, which made it useless for most of us.
Considering the geography of Kia del Academy, it was magic that didn’t hold much necessity.
“I’m really sorry for being late!”
“It’s okay, we just arrived as well.”
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Professor Makulam Dechirith from Florence Academy.”
“I am Professor Beryel Windsor from Kia del Academy.”
“Oh! I’ve heard a lot about Professor Beryel’s fame! What an honor to meet you in a place like this!”
“Hahaha! You flatter me!”
The representatives of the academies and the person responsible for this joint camp trip shook hands.
Kia del and Florence represent the two top academies of the Empire.
Kia del’s reputation is slightly higher, but since we would be relying on them during our trip, it wouldn’t do well to make a bad impression.
“It must be tough standing out in the hot sun, so let me guide you right away. Let’s go.”
Including Makulam, the professors from Florence prepared a joint magic.
A neat incantation and magic circle rose above the water as seawater flowed upwards through the magic circle.
The risen water formed into a whale the size of a mountain.
The pure seawater whale opened its mouth wide toward us.
“This will be our transport to our academy, so please don’t hesitate to enter the whale’s mouth.”
The students hesitated, feeling like they were about to become the whale’s dinner.
Meanwhile, the professors from Florence, who analyzed the magic in a short amount of time, realized it was safe and entered first.
Seeing the professors take the lead, the students followed one by one.
As everyone boarded, the whale closed its mouth and began to dive.
“Wow…!”
The scenery of the sea seen from inside the transparent whale’s body. The students, who were worried about it being dangerous just moments ago, were now lost in amazement.
Honestly, I couldn’t take my eyes off it either.
In my previous world, I could only see it through a glass window, but this world was different.
Perhaps it was because the whale was made of seawater, but it felt like I was witnessing the underwater scene directly.
Yet, being able to breathe freely was a fantastic experience.
“It looks like you are leading two classes, so you must be quite capable, Professor?”
“Huh?”
I was so engrossed in the scenery that I hadn’t noticed someone approaching.
When I turned around, a striking man with a healthy build, unique tattoos, and dark skin stood there.
It was Professor Makulam from Florence Academy, representing them.
“Oh! That’s not the case at all!”
“You’re being humble. May I ask for your name?”
“Of course. I’m Daniel Crawford.”
“Daniel Crawford? That’s a name I haven’t heard before.”
“It’s probably because I’m a newly appointed professor at Kia del this year.”
As I shyly introduced myself, Professor Makulam flinched.
He showed a bit of interest earlier but abruptly turned away.
“Oh, I see. Welcome!”
His once kind voice turned cold.
There was no sincerity behind the words of welcome, leaving an oddly unpleasant feeling.
Maybe I was being overly sensitive?
I felt a hunch that it wasn’t just my imagination, but I tried to brush it aside.
I didn’t want to have negative thoughts even here on vacation.
“Professor? That guy we were just talking to… didn’t he seem to dismiss you somehow?”
“Not at all.”
“I felt that way too!”
“That’s just your misunderstanding.”
Rynelle and Nina, who were nearby, approached me and tried to put a stake into my suspicion.
I silenced them, saying it was a premature judgment.
Even if my assumption was correct, it wouldn’t matter if I didn’t get involved.
For the next few days, we would interact formally and wrap things up nicely.
Even if I was a rookie professor, I was still a professor at Kia del Academy; there was no way they would be openly discriminatory.
*
Since arriving at Florence Academy, I had been experiencing a string of unfortunate events.
First, in the accommodation assigned to Kia del professors, they mistook the number of people and sent me to the student dormitory’s duty room.
At the welcome party, my seat was placed in the corner, making it awkward to get food.
I thought it was just a misunderstanding about the accommodation and ate quietly during meals without voicing any complaints.
But the most ridiculous event happened the next day.
It was the day of joint training between Kia del and Florence.
Professors were supposed to pair up according to the classes’ rankings and collaborate.
For some reason, professors from S-class to E-class were shaking hands and bonding, while I stood alone with no partner.
Only the glum F-class students from Florence hung their heads.
I felt I had no choice but to approach Professor Makulam about this issue.
“Professor Makulam? Where is the F-class professor from Florence?”
“Oh! That person is on leave. They became suddenly ill as of yesterday.”
“Is there no substitute professor?”
“Unfortunately, we don’t have substitutes at our academy. So I’m sorry, but you’ll have to handle it on your own.”
“Three classes, including the special class, all alone?”
“Yes.”
This has got to be a challenge directed at me, right?
Having overlooked the previous day’s mistakes and rudeness, now they were throwing a crucial class at me as a hurdle.
No matter how I thought about it, it sounded like they were inviting a fight.
“If you think it might be too difficult, I could help out. I also need to handle the training for the S-class, but I could provide some guidance for F-class or the special class.”
“No, that’s fine. I’ll manage the class on my own.”
“If that’s the case, I won’t stop you, but I hope you don’t lower the standard of our academy’s students with unnecessary guidance. Was that a bit too much to ask of a rookie professor, Daniel?”
Makulam grinned devilishly, revealing his mocking intent.
Seeing his open provocation made me chuckle instead.
I would’ve been cautious in the past, but now I didn’t have to bother with that.
“Professor Makulam, how about a wager?”
“A wager? What kind?”
“A 3 vs. 3 mock battle between your class and mine after the training.”
We didn’t need to go 3 vs. 3, but I could sense the menacing gazes in the background, so I proposed a team battle.
Rynelle and Nina were definitely in, and Paul was glowering at Professor Makulam with a scowl.
“A mock battle between the S-class and F-class? The outcome is obvious; it’s not much of a wager.”
“You won’t know unless you try.”
“Hah! If that’s the case, the only ones who’ll suffer are your students.”
His tongue was sharp.
Even without trying hard, it was apparent he didn’t find me appealing.
Now, there was a perfect magic word to use in situations like this.
“Scram?”
