The Academy of Hwangliplondarium pulled a lot from the Japanese high school culture, true to its title as a Japanese subculture game, but it wasn’t just your regular high school.
Even though the kids’ ages and class formats felt high school-ish, the fact that it was a four-year program, allowing students to drop out freely, and the immediate transition to society post-graduation made it more like a university.
Since it was a blend of high school and university, the relationship between students and teachers wasn’t strictly hierarchical. Students would naturally seek out teachers when they had questions, and teachers would naturally approach students to share their insights.
Hiring dukes, who are among the top nobles in the nation, as teachers wasn’t a coincidence. It was crucial to have teachers who could understand the students seeking advice. Being the ‘best’ academy, it was only natural that they ensured the best welfare for the students.
In truth, I ended up in the staff room just to meet my homeroom teacher, Carolyn.
Just as students were granted maximum freedom, a fair bit of freedom was given to the academy’s teachers as well. If the teachers wanted to consult with students, they could do so as long as there was an agreement between them.
It seemed Carolyn intended to understand the students a bit more closely this year. It looked like she had gained insights from the series of events that happened last year due to Juro.
After a brief consultation with Carolyn, Jennifer caught me as I tried to head back, and just like that, I found myself having a meeting with a teacher who wasn’t even my homeroom teacher.
“You look great these days.”
Jennifer, sitting across from me, casually opened the conversation with that line.
The staff room wasn’t just hers alone. The spot Jennifer had asked me to sit at actually belonged to another teacher. Various teaching materials were piled haphazardly on the desk.
I wondered what would happen if that teacher returned, but thinking it over again, I figured they wouldn’t be back anytime soon, which is why she must have left me here.
“I’ve been thinking a lot of things differently.”
“Really? When I overhear you talking sometimes, it does seem that way,” Jennifer replied with a smile.
And indeed, it was true.
It’s said that a person’s image is largely determined by their appearance; since coming to this world, I had felt that exceedingly well.
Sylvia Fanggriffon is pretty. Just sitting quietly with her lips sealed, most people would find her charming enough.
I felt the same when I looked in the mirror, so how did those looking at me, especially the guys, perceive me?
Moreover, this image helped me in ‘changing’ how people viewed me.
At first, the students would jump in surprise every time I spoke or talked informally, but they adapted incredibly fast. Within less than a month, it was as if they had been calling me by name right from the start.
And perhaps because of the way I now spoke, their fear of me seemed to have lessened a bit.
In the past, there were hardly any students willing to talk to me, but these days, it was gradually increasing.
They probably figured out the rumors they’d heard circulating about me hanging out with Mia were false. After all, how could one get close to the murderer of their father?
…There was quite a complex story behind that, but both Mia and I felt no need to explain it.
“Well, I won’t dig too deep into that. Even if I did, that would be Carolyn’s job as the homeroom teacher.”
Though I felt I had pried too much already, I didn’t want to be too stubborn about it.
“My master, the Sword Saint Frederick, is now officially a teacher here. But you already know that since you’ve attended his class.”
The Sword Saint was joining from this semester.
I made all sorts of excuses without revealing the reason why he had applied to the academy, but it seemed that both the Headmaster and other teachers thought it would be a waste to let him go.
Additionally, he was one of those who had greatly contributed in the last battle, even helping to escort the Emperor.
That seemed to be the reasoning behind the assumption that the Sword Saint wouldn’t do anything strange.
“Now that it’s come to this, there’s no need to ask why he applied for a position here, but I can’t help but be curious. What was it about me that made him decide to teach ordinary kids he hadn’t paid any attention to until now?”
“…….”
As I quietly looked at Jennifer, she had a slight smile on her lips. And that smile was… quite literally just a smile. It seemed like there was nothing being hidden behind it.
Well, I guess it wouldn’t be her style to act that way. One might even say she resembled her master so closely that it felt like they shared blood or something… But then again, considering they were both from the same region, perhaps it was just a similarity in disposition.
“As a student who learned under the same master, can’t you tell me?”
“Are you that curious?”
I was a bit nervous asking, but Jennifer leaned slightly toward me and replied.
“Yeah, I am. Believe it or not, I don’t just see you as a mere student in my academy. You might not know this since you started learning directly under the master, but he has quite a discerning eye for his students.”
I had experienced this to some extent.
Of course, it was thanks to my interest in swordsmanship that I could even learn from the Sword Saint. If that wasn’t the case, he probably would have turned me down no matter how many times I asked.
And that interest didn’t come from my talent.
“I’m curious about what made him come here as a teacher, given his high standards. What did he see in you that he was willing to consider teaching ordinary students?”
“…….”
As I continued to gaze at Jennifer, I looked around the room.
The teachers seemed busy with their own tasks, not bothering to glance this way. Maybe being teachers at this academy bent them towards a strong sense of professionalism.
“This isn’t a request as a teacher. It’s a request from someone who learned under the same master. I won’t spread what I learned from you to other teachers since it’s not something I learned as a teacher.”
Hearing that made my heart waver a bit.
Not as a teacher, but as someone who learned from the same master—was that how she framed it?
I pondered for a moment, then leaned slightly toward Jennifer.
And in a soft voice, I spoke up.
“My master mentioned that he came to teach here because of me.”
“I know that. There would be no reason for him to come if it weren’t for you.”
That made sense; he had told me to ask.
“He said that my lack of talent made him interested when he saw me working several times harder than others just to get by.”
Jennifer’s expression didn’t change as she listened to me.
Instead, she looked at me sincerely with a serious face.
“I lack talent in swordsmanship. That means I have to put in several times the effort just to imitate others. Literally, ‘several times’.”
Jennifer surely understood what I meant with that.
“I had my chances, so I tried again and again, not giving up until I could somewhat mimic the moves. My master would say that even if one has the time to spare, there aren’t many who dedicate themselves completely to effort. Since I did that, I think it caught his attention.”
“I see.”
“While teaching hundreds of students here, he thought that if he could save even a couple students like me, it would be rewarding enough.”
Having said that, I felt a bit embarrassed. After all, it sounded like I was just bragging about myself.
And with someone listening to my almost self-praising words with a serious expression right in front of me, I felt even more so.
“…I see.”
Jennifer closed her eyes briefly as if lost in thought before a small smile graced her lips.
“I remember as well. While others seem to have forgotten, you repeatedly tried and succeeded back when I first started teaching you. That lesson was actually meant to show that on the battlefield, nobility and status mean nothing.”
“…I apologize for that.”
“No, I had forgotten something important myself. Anything can happen on the battlefield. Even events that might seem out of the ordinary. You reminded me of that.”
Jennifer said with a smile.
“Indeed, my master has spoken wisely. I share the same sentiment. If I could save just a few students like you during my teaching career, it would be worthwhile. And last year, I gained a whole bunch of those students. I’m glad you came to the academy.”
“…….”
I couldn’t respond to Jennifer’s words.
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