Chapter 562

“Special lecture?”

“Yeah. I’m technically an honorary professor at Remnant Academy, so it’d be a bit much to just take money all year without giving a single lecture, right? I should at least teach something, even if it’s short.”

After giving instructions to the group about our upcoming schedule, we left the Golden Mansion and headed back to the academy’s faculty quarters in a carriage. Leonor couldn’t hide her confusion at my casual remark.

“Come to think of it, you did become a professor at the academy… But what exactly are you planning to teach? I can’t even imagine what your lecture would be about.”

“Hmm. Maybe I’ll teach them how to kill effectively.”

I smirked and fiddled with the cigarette in my mouth. Truthfully, I already had something in mind to teach. The academy students—squires who hadn’t yet become knights—needed the most essential knowledge.

—

“Did you request a lecture schedule?”

“Yes. About two hours a day for four days. Will that be a problem?”

The academy’s administrative office, which I hadn’t visited in a while, was bustling with professors and staff preparing for the new semester.

I recognized some faces. Professors like Kal-lain, who taught basic combat, and Terezia, who taught weapon techniques. Though, to me now, they were people I could slice apart in a second.

“Not at all. We’ll handle it right away, Marquis Median.”

“Thanks.”

“O-of course. It’s only natural.”

The staff member sitting across from me nodded profusely, sweating bullets. Their attitude was as polite as if they were facing the emperor.

Well, to a mere staff member, someone like me or the emperor would seem equally unreachable.

I wasn’t like other high nobles who gathered lower nobles to build influence, but as a marquis of the empire, there were only five nobles above me in rank.

Duke Pailoon, Duke Bien, Marquis Landenburg… and one more marquis… Anyway, only four nobles outranked me.

There used to be one more duke, but he sided with Ernst during Isabella’s rebellion and was purged.

In any case, my personal rank alone placed me fifth in the empire, and with the martial prowess to match, I was practically second only to the emperor. Add to that the fact that I was set to inherit the Landenburg marquisate, and you could say I was a candidate for the position of “one below the emperor, above all others.”

“So… what will the lecture topic be?”

“Simple and easy methods for slaughtering demi-humans.”

“…Excuse me?”

The staff member nearly dropped their pen, staring at me in shock.

What, was that such a strange topic?

“Simple and easy methods for slaughtering demi-humans. I plan to explain the enemies squires and knights might face and their weaknesses.”

It wasn’t too different from the academy’s regular curriculum, but there would be some key differences. What I intended to teach were the strategies—or “cheats”—discovered by players.

The standard methods were already covered by other professors throughout the semester, so I didn’t need to explain those.

Instead, I wanted to teach them the weaknesses and countermeasures that weren’t commonly known, so they could reduce casualties when facing enemies.

If the survival rate of knight candidates increased, so would the number of knights, and eventually, more individuals might reach the level of masters or beyond.

“Understood. Shall we title it ‘Introduction to Countering Demi-Human Species’…?”

“Yeah. That works.”

It seemed the term “slaughter methods” was too harsh for an official lecture title.

As I nodded, the staff member brightened and began filling out the lecture plan with the title, topic, and schedule.

…Wait, isn’t that something the professor or assistant professor is supposed to do themselves?

Given how far removed I seemed from paperwork, they probably didn’t even consider handing it to me and just decided to do it themselves. Fine by me.

I casually flicked my cigarette and waited patiently as the staff member completed the paperwork and submitted it to their superior.

It didn’t take long.

—

=======[ Academy ]=======

“Hey, did you guys see that?”

“See what?”

“This guy always leaves out the important part. How are we supposed to know what ‘that’ is?”

“The notice board! They’re organizing a special lecture, and the professor’s name is…!”

The announcement of the special lecture posted on Remnant Academy’s notice board spread like wildfire. The Empire’s Greatest Sword herself was giving a lecture—there was no bigger news for the students.

For those who had been classmates with Ha-shal-leur, it was baffling. The girl who occasionally showed up to beat Damien like a dog had risen to unimaginable heights in just half a year. But for the new first-years, the excitement was palpable.

It had been nearly a year since Ha-shal-leur fled to the empire. She was no longer seen as Ka`har’s human butcher but as one of the empire’s greatest heroes.

Leopold and Ludwig had spread favorable opinions about her, and her actual deeds were the stuff of knightly legend, something any aspiring knight would admire.

With such a figure personally lecturing for the academy’s students, it was no wonder the first-years were thrilled.

Even the third-years, about to graduate, were eager to attend the special lecture.

Having followed knight orders and experienced real combat, they understood just how absurdly strong Ha-shal-leur was, unlike the starry-eyed freshmen.

They had just reached the level where they could call themselves knights, while she was someone who could single-handedly slaughter the entire imperial knight order.

Any knowledge she imparted would be worth its weight in gold.

Four hundred students applied.

Not just from the knight faculty but from other departments as well, so the final number was close to the entire academy’s student body.

The only space large enough to accommodate them was the academy’s grand hall, so the academy had to clear it out and apologize to professors who had originally scheduled lectures there.

While the displaced professors could have protested, they didn’t. In fact, they even asked if they could observe the lecture themselves. Many of them had once served in the military or knight orders, so a lecture from a transcendent hero was too intriguing to pass up.

—

=======[ Ha-shal-leur ]=======

…This got a bit out of hand.

That was my first thought upon hearing that four hundred students had signed up.

I expected maybe fifty, but this was practically the entire academy.

“It’s a bit more than I thought…”

“Of course it is. The Empire’s Greatest Sword is giving a lecture. If it were open to the public, every knight in the capital would’ve shown up.”

Freide, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, smirked as she teased me about the overwhelming number.

“…True. What if I mess up the lecture?”

“At worst, the rumor that ‘if you’re strong, you don’t need brains’ will spread across the empire.”

…She was saying, in a roundabout way, that the rumor of me being a muscle-headed brute would spread everywhere.

—

Having wrapped up affairs in the north and returned to the capital, Freide barged into my quarters the moment I got back to the faculty residence.

As usual, she wore the academy uniform with a beastmen fur coat draped over it.

She strode in like she owned the place, tossed her coat on the hanger, and plopped onto the sofa in under five seconds.

“Our Rana has grown so much~! Did you miss your big sister?”

“It’s been a while, Freide! How have you been?”

While I was left speechless by her audacity, Rana greeted Freide with a bright smile and a nod.

She didn’t cling to her waist or ask for head pats like she did with me, though.

Right. There are levels to being a “big sister.”

You’re just the neighbor sister. Meanwhile, I’m practically her real sister.

I smugly pulled Rana closer and patted her head, shooting Freide a triumphant look.

“……?”

Freide tilted her head, not understanding why I was so smug.