Chapter 284

“Count Medean. The special privilege you held at this academy has already expired.”

The news waiting for me as I barely made it back to the dorm was completely unexpected.

I had thought about leaving the academy, but… that was just a passing thought. I never expected it to actually happen.

“Expired? What are you talking about?”

“As you know, the special admission system was originally a privilege for influential figures from countries friendly with the Empire. Since the Berengeiria incident, our friendly relations with Ka`har have been severed, and you, Count, have established yourself as a noble of the Empire rather than a foreigner… It’s hard to say you still meet the qualifications. I trust you understand.”

The bespectacled administrative staff member explained calmly.

…This is troublesome.

It’s even more troublesome because it’s a valid argument. Clearly, it’s the correct decision according to the rules.

But being kicked out like this is really awkward…

Honestly, the status of a special admission student no longer held much meaning for me.

Even if I lost my status as an academy student, I was already a Count of the Empire, and my rank was expected to rise even higher.

The problem is that if I’m sent away like this, it’ll be a huge hassle to meet the others.

I don’t even know if Ophelia intends to return, and Lacey, Freide, and Asha can move freely due to their statuses, so it’s not a problem for them…

But Damien and Milia are regular students at the academy. Private outings require permission unless it’s an official mission.

And if I want to roam outside the capital with them, I’d have to go through the formalities of a mission each time.

Rana, who somehow ended up in a position similar to my personal priest, has been attending by following me on missions instead of attending classes, but that’ll be difficult from now on.

If she leaves the academy with me, it’s fine, but if she wants to graduate, she’ll have to respect the academy’s rules.

And Ferne and Calix will also be hard to meet once they leave the special dorm.

One is too much of a wanderer, and the other is too much of a recluse.

Evian? Who knows where that guy is.

Probably holed up in some tavern or something.

—

“I understand the rules, but such a sudden expulsion is still quite troublesome. To notify me like this and then ask for understanding… Honestly, it’s quite unpleasant. Is my position not even worth considering?”

This isn’t a threat. Of course not.

It’s just a persuasion to see if they can understand and adjust the situation since being expelled like this is a bit troublesome.

“Expulsion? How could that be? There must have been some misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?”

I feel like I’ve been hearing that word a lot lately.

“Expelling the hero who quelled the Empire’s chaos would likely result in a barrage of bricks flying at the academy. How could we possibly do that? It’s not expulsion; it’s graduation. Although it’s a somewhat obsolete system, Remnant Academy does have an early graduation system. Congratulations. Graduating in just half a year is an unprecedented achievement in the academy’s history.”

The difference between expulsion and graduation is just whether I get a useless diploma or not, right?

“…Kicking me out is still the same in the end. Are you playing word games with me?”

“It’s very different. Expulsion is a disgraceful banishment, prohibiting you from even setting foot in the academy, but graduation means you become an honorable alumnus. I don’t know why you wish to remain at the academy… but if it’s graduation instead of expulsion, there is a way.”

There is a difference.

I’ll have to hear what that way is.

“…Explain.”

“Excluding some staff, there are only two types of people residing at the academy: learners and… teachers. If you can’t remain as a student, then you must become a teacher.”

Wait a minute. What are you asking me to do?

Are you saying…?

“Count Medean. Would you be willing to take on a professorship at our academy?”

The bespectacled man smiled triumphantly.

…Good grief.

You want me to teach kids?

—

[Teach? You, teaching others? That would be quite a sight!]

Hersela, who had been listening, burst out laughing.

…I had no retort.

If I teach like I did with Damien, the academy would turn into a graveyard. Surely, that’s not what they want.

“…This sounds too far-fetched. Being a professor at the academy isn’t a position you get just because you’re good at fighting, right? The existing professors would likely strongly oppose it.”

“No need to worry about that. Professor Kal-lain and Professor Terezia actually welcomed the idea. They highly praised your training, which rapidly improved Sir Damien and Lady Milia’s skills. Given the increasing threats from monsters and other races, the academy’s training needs to become more rigorous.”

…If they saw Damien getting beaten like a dog, they wouldn’t have said that.

In the first place, Damien and Milia’s improvement was more due to their own talents than my teaching.

“Well… I’m not sure if I’m suited for it. Besides, I have a lot of things to do, so I can’t just be tied down at the academy.”

In fact, I’ll probably be outside the academy more often. There will be times when I need to leave the Empire’s territory entirely.

“Hmm… If that’s the case, a full professorship might be difficult…”

“How about an honorary professorship? The pay is less than a full professor, but you only need to lecture when you have free time. If you hire assistant instructors to handle the lectures, the pay difference won’t be that significant. Of course, the assistant instructors would still need to go through a verification process.”

“You’re more persistent than I thought.”

“Was your goal from the start not to send me away but to make me a professor?”

“According to the bespectacled guy, what they want from me isn’t academic achievements as a professor, but simply having my name listed as a faculty member at the academy.”

“Sure, the professors are better at teaching than I am, but in terms of reputation, there’s an incomparable gap… Objectively speaking, isn’t my acceptance of the professorship itself a kind of honor for the academy?”

“Ultimately, these guys just want to borrow some of my clout.”

“At least their goal is honor, not power, which makes them better than the nobles.”

“I rested my chin on my hand and pondered their offer for a while.”

“Would it benefit me? Would it be a loss? Would it affect my future actions?”

“…What do you think?”

“The bespectacled guy asked with a hint of anticipation.”

“Honorary professor… Thinking about it, it doesn’t sound bad.”

“I’d be able to come and go freely at the academy, and it’d be easier to bring others along.”

“Plus, if I don’t feel like lecturing, I don’t have to… It’s basically a free pass to the academy with no obligations.”

“Most importantly, I’d get to hear Freide call me ‘Professor.'”

“…Alright. That sounds fine.”

“Thank you! For the Radiant Knight to become a professor at our academy is an unparalleled honor. We look forward to working with you, Professor Median.”

“The bespectacled guy, beaming with joy, bowed deeply and left to handle the administrative procedures.”

“I’d have to move from the special quarters to the faculty dormitory, so I needed to prepare for the move.”

“The staff would handle the moving, but if there were any items I didn’t want them to touch, I should pack them separately. Not that I had any such items.”

“I always carried my Ice Blade, Durandal, and armor with me, and the rest of my belongings weren’t anything special.”

“So instead of packing, I went around the special quarters to share the news with my acquaintances.”

“Though most of them were out, so the only ones left were Calix and Ferne.”

“‘You’re becoming an honorary professor? That’s quite something. Your skills have improved so much, Princess Hershal. You never cease to amaze me.'”

“‘You’ve changed too… Grown more scales, I guess?'”

“Calix, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, now looked more like a reptile than a half-dragon.”

“The sparse scales had now covered his entire body.”

“‘I’ve made some progress in my training recently. How about it? Isn’t this luster beautiful?'”

“‘Uh… yeah, it’s cool.'”

“…Honestly, it’s a bit creepy.”

“It looked fine on screen, but in person, it’s…”

—-

“After humoring Calix’s scale boasting, I headed to Ferne’s room.”

“‘A professor…? You? That’s something.'”

“Ferne’s room reeked of alcohol, but she seemed surprisingly sober.”

“Seeing her holding a half-empty bottle, it seemed she had been drinking… but unlike before, she didn’t appear drunk. Instead, she exuded an almost masterful aura.”

“‘Well, whether you play professor or not, it’s none of my business.'”

“Was she always like this…?”

“She was completely different from when she was drunk.”

“‘More importantly, do you remember my warning?'”

“‘Warning? Oh, about Alvheim? Leopold seems to have handled that. Nothing much happened anyway.'”

“Ferne didn’t seem pleased with my answer and downed the rest of her drink in one go.”

“‘Ah, damn it. Thanks to this cursed blessing, I can’t even get drunk anymore… Anyway, that’s not enough. Silence is never a good sign. Especially now, when the World Tree’s blessing is getting strangely stronger…'”

“Ferne threw the bottle onto the bed and sat down on a chair, explaining further.”

“The fairies’ power heavily relies on the World Tree’s blessing, and recently, that blessing has been growing stronger.”

“…Not exactly welcome news.”

—-

“The next day, my appointment was announced throughout the academy.”

“There were many surprised voices, but no one opposed it.”

“Other departments didn’t care much, and the Knight Department was actually pleased.”

“And so, I became an honorary professor at Remnant Academy.”

“[It’s the end times.]”

“Hersela let out a disbelieving laugh, but that was that.”