At the beginning of the semester, the swordsmanship classes mainly focused on physical and strength training.
The weight of the sword was surprisingly heavy, and for the first-year students, especially the girls who were merely fourteen years old, many of them lacked the inherent strength to wield a sword.
Of course, those children who had already learned swordsmanship within their families were exceptions, but education needed to be based on the average student.
Philip’s assigned task was to supervise the first-year students running around the main square.
“… Wait, did they really expect me to know how to use magic out of the blue?”
It had already been three days since Sage took Luen, the male protagonist among the twin siblings, and went to the Great Plaza.
“I have no reason to meddle in this.”
Philip’s reason for intervening in the so-called ‘protagonist selection’ was to minimize the protagonist’s emotional distress from being left alone and to gather information through conversations with Illoxina.
However, unexpectedly, he became a victim of a sleep spell and failed to achieve his intended goal. To make matters worse, due to his forced resistance, he ended up spilling coffee and losing consciousness.
“Sob… Huh… Huh…”
At that moment, a male student wearing the provided workout clothes for the swordsmanship class passed by Philip.
“How many laps?”
When Philip asked, the student seemed too exhausted to even muster the energy to respond, but he held up four fingers, indicating the number of laps completed.
“Like I wouldn’t know if you’ve finished three laps? Finish all of them. Ziscard.”
“Tsk.”
The child, as if disappointed, stuck out his tongue and resumed running. Philip couldn’t help but smirk and shake his head.
‘It’s inevitable for kids this age to try to outsmart adults.’
It was during this stage of childhood when they believed they were clever.
If he just didn’t entertain them, it would end there.
Soon, other children passed by Philip. Among the sixty-three new students, Luen was taken away by Illoxina, leaving only seventy-nine.
Out of them, thirty-two students had enrolled in the swordsmanship class.
“… I’ve completed all the laps, Instructor.”
Lua, the girl chosen as the protagonist, boasted remarkable stamina among the forty students.
Perhaps it was due to her upbringing, spending most of her life playing and running with animals in the mountains, but her stamina surpassed even those children who had received some training within their families.
As her expression grew darker after being separated from her sibling, it seemed as if she had lost everything in the world. No one had bothered to explain to her the rightful reasons for the necessary separation from her beloved little brother, and Philip was well aware of that.
Philip forced a smile as he looked at Lua.
“Well done. And… I’m sorry.”
Sincerely, Philip felt a profound sense of guilt towards Lua.
If he wished, Philip could have clandestinely taken Luen and Lua and hidden them away somewhere else. However, he couldn’t bear to face the consequences that would follow.
As per the original story, the siblings would eventually have to part ways, but Philip couldn’t ignore the overwhelming guilt and responsibility he currently felt. He knew the fate of these two children.
As he gazed upon Lua, who was on the brink of tears, Philip sensed his carefully crafted plans from the past ten days spiraling out of control in his mind.
“I heard it too. That wicked woman who took Luen, the world’s most renowned magician… I don’t understand. Why would a powerful and famous magician like her take Luen? No one will tell me…”
Of course, Philip knew the reason.
In the game, after Glocksina disappears, Luen becomes a member of the organization known as the Genesis Society and emerges as an ally in the latter part of the game.
The two siblings were assigned two distinct destinies: “Holy Saint” and “Sword Saint.”
One of the siblings would become the successor of the Holy Seat’s power, mastering the magic of “Holy Energy” and gaining fame. The other would embrace the destiny of the “Sword Saint,” carrying on the swordsmanship legacy of Solvain, the first-ever Sword Saint of Privia Academy.
“… You will meet again, someday. I promise I will make it happen.”
With glistening tears, Lua stared at Philip with a mix of hope and uncertainty.
“… Really?”
“Yes, I promise. And if you face difficult times, seek me out.”
Lua forced a smile in response to Philip’s feeble attempt at comforting her.
“Thank you, Instructor.”
Philip withdrew his hand, refraining from touching Lua’s brown locks. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that he didn’t deserve such a gesture.
This girl had to endure trials and emerge stronger on her own.
For the sake of this world, and for Philip.
* * *
It was in the evening.
Philip was receiving a briefing from Diana Frenhall, the supervisor in charge, about the dormitory patrol duties in the faculty office.
Faculty members with combat skills, such as the Swordsmanship and Magic departments, were required to take turns doing dormitory patrols about three times a week to ensure the safety of the students residing there.
“You need to patrol every hour and keep track of the number of students. If you notice any signs of them staying up or secretly eating snacks, you should personally intervene. If there are any situations that are difficult for you to handle, report them to the on-duty professor.”
Philip asked Diana, pointing to the instruction manual.
“So, you mean I should just enter the girls’ sleeping area?”
Diana seemed taken aback by his question, as if she had heard something strange.
“… Is there something odd about that?”
“Well… They’re at a sensitive age, and having a man who isn’t their family enter their sleeping area might not be appropriate, don’t you think?”
“Any students who would be concerned about that either have private rooms or replace accommodations outside the academy. How do you propose to handle any issues without directly entering their rooms?”
Philip reluctantly nodded in response to her words.
“It seems privacy is not a concept in this world.”
As he reflected on it, he recalled instances in the game where a male instructor had entered the female protagonist’s dormitory.
“It’s inevitable since female officers are rare. By the way, you are quite an enigmatic person, Instructor,” Diana Frenhall remarked, gazing at Philip.
“Are you referring to me?” Philip raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“It’s nothing. Well then, take care. Take a moment to rest before the sun sets,” Diana replied.
“Ah, alright,” Philip nodded.
As Diana Frenhall made her way back to her quarters, Philip immersed himself in the instructions once again. The contents were rather sparse, mostly consisting of the locations of important equipment. It seemed as though quick thinking on the part of the instructor was likely the most important task.
Meanwhile, other instructors from the martial arts department whispered among themselves about Philip.
“… If an incident were to occur here, would he be expelled to the northern front?”
“He would have a difficult time. Just another officer drinking and flirting with the maids.”
“Well, even if I were in his position, dragged into that damn battlefield…”
Philip overheard all the gossip and backbiting that circulated around him. Even in his presence, such conversations of that nature continued, leaving him to wonder what might be said behind his back.
‘How pitiful these people are,’ he thought.
He questioned whether it was acceptable for those who were supposed to teach others to behave in such a manner. However, upon reflection, he realized that similar circumstances were prevalent in the place he used to live.
It seemed that replaceing individuals who worked with a sense of duty was a rarity in any world.
“Idiots,” Philip unintentionally murmured, as his thoughts slipped out.
“What did you say?” one of the whispering instructors asked, wearing a puzzled expression. It was the same instructor who had mentioned the maids earlier.
Philip recalled his name.
Haron Beibeu. He was a commoner-born instructor entering his fourth year of teaching.
Philip subtly nodded his head.
“Oh, I apologize. Suddenly, the thought of some fool came to mind. Well, insulting nobles without any clear background or relevant topic, and fearlessly mocking them as a commoner. Even though instructors in the academy address each other with respect, isn’t this going too far?”
“Y-You…”
Haron Beibeu’s face turned flushed, and he let out an exasperated snort. However, he couldn’t bring himself to curse or draw his sword.
Just as Philip had mentioned, even within the academy, social status differences existed. The headmaster would hesitate to protect him from the nobles.
Philip rose from his seat and lightly tapped Haron Beibeu’s cheek with the palm of his hand.
“Did you think I would just passively accept it? Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you. I may be a troublemaker, but I’m not a fool.”
Haron’s hand trembled around the hilt of his sheathed sword.
Philip smirked and whispered in his ear.
“Draw it. You idiot. If you’re not going to draw it now, be careful how you open your eyes from now on.”
A sharp, teeth-gritting sound echoed. It was as if Philip could hear Haron’s heartbeat in his ear.
Haron Beibeu ultimately refrained from drawing his sword.
Philip tapped his shoulder twice and spoke, “Well then, I’ll go prepare for my duty assignment. Instructors.”
With that, he left the department office.
‘… That was quite impressive just now, Master,’ Neria praised Philip in a dreamy voice as he returned to his room.
Philip let out a deep sigh.
“It may have seemed impressive, but it was childish. I don’t even know why I acted that way. I suddenly felt so irritated.”
It appeared that his guilt towards Lua was even more substantial than he had anticipated. Philip realized the importance of managing his mental state.
‘… Master always looks cool, no matter what he does.’
Unable to resist the warmth in Neria’s words, Philip muttered to himself.
“… I should practice the Moonlight Sword. Call me when the sun begins to set.”
Sitting on the edge of the bed with his legs crossed, Philip closed his eyes and focused on calming his mind for a few minutes. Various images started to emerge in his thoughts.
The teachings of the Moonlight Sword did not include any specific “forms” or “techniques.”
It seemed to imply that those confined within such frameworks did not even possess the qualifications to begin.
“… A sword that symbolizes moonlight.”
The emerging images distorted and crumbled, repeating the process of reconstruction. Through this, Philip gained something.
“Moonlight. Moonlight is actually sunlight. It reflects the light of the sun. Am I approaching this too simplistically? But all these images are metaphorical representations of the moon.”
After a few hours, Neria called out to Philip.
“Master, the sun is starting to set.”
“Thank you.”
Philip half-drew Neria and gently stroked her polished blade.
“Ah! I like that!”
For some reason, Neria enjoyed being stroked by her hand.
With Neria sheathed at his waist, Philip left the room and headed towards his work location.
Upon leaving the staff dormitory, a short walk led him to two student dormitories situated on a hill.
There was a certain distance between the girls’ dormitory and the boys’ dormitory. In the open space between them, there was a small building that resembled a maintenance office. Duty shifts began there.
“Ah, Instructor Oswald.”
A bespectacled instructor from the Magic Academy greeted Philip with a slightly uneasy expression. While not unattractive, his thick-rimmed glasses and acne marks on his cheeks gave him a somewhat introverted appearance.
“Hello, Instructor Perak.”
As Philip nodded in acknowledgement, Instructor Perak’s eyes widened, seemingly taken aback.
“How do you know my name?”
“Well, since we’ll be working together, it’s only natural that I should know it. Don’t you think? Nice to meet you.”
“Ah… I apologize. I suppose rumors can’t always be trusted. You’re much kinder than they say…”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of rumors have you heard?”
As Philip cautiously inquired, Instructor Perak began to look apprehensive, trying to gauge Philip’s reaction.
“Well… they say you drink more alcohol than water, that you once broke the leg of a knight from a noble family, and that you nearly killed Professor Felicia’s fiancé and dunked him in the garden pond multiple times…”
Surprised, Philip interjected, “Wait, have I really done such things?”
“What?”
“Oh, no. I mean, well, you know… Doesn’t everyone sometimes get overwhelmed by anger without reason and do foolish things during their childhood? Haha. Now, I’m simply reflecting on my past mistakes.”
“I don’t think reflection alone will resolve the matter…”
“That’s… true. I need to put in effort to make amends.”
Philip maintained a smile while his expression hardened.
‘But this guy…’
Instructor Perak, despite feigning timidity and fear, was subtly saying everything he intended to.
After a brief silence, Instructor Perak cautiously opened his mouth.
“Um, don’t we have to move from the boys’ dormitory to the girls’ dormitory every four hours? If it’s alright with you, could you continue working in the girls’ dormitory?”
“Why? What’s the reason?”
“… During patrols, I sometimes come across younger students who need to use the restroom. It’s fine with the first and second-year students, but starting from the fourth year, they tend to… look down on me a bit. So, I thought…”
“I understand what you mean.”
When it came to the dynamics between naive male teachers and cunning female students, Philip was practically an expert. Especially if the instructor had a timid personality like Instructor Perak, he would unwittingly become a target of the girls’ innocent pranks.
Instructor Perak humbly bowed his head, and his gesture was tinged with a sense of embarrassment, to express his gratitude.
“Thank you, Instructor. I have a feeling that the students wouldn’t dare to play pranks on you.”
“Why is that?”
“Not because they’re afraid of being reprimanded… It’s because you’re so handsome, Instructor. They wouldn’t want to risk losing points by engaging in unnecessary mischief.”
‘That guy, he’s been like this since earlier…’
Instructor Perak asked the question, treading the line with finesse. His ability to navigate delicate situations was far from ordinary.
In all honesty, it was rather amusing. Philip had to stifle the rising urge to burst into laughter.
“Well, it appears that the time has come. Take care, and I will see you at 6 AM.”
Instructor Perak gathered a book and a short staff, and made his way towards the boys’ dormitory.
“Yes, take care.”
And thus, Philip’s first duty assignment began.
——-
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