Students in white walking around, training grounds left and right, a large arsenal of weapons and magic tools. There were many to be seen as soon as one passed the massive gates of the Royal Academy.
"It's huge..." ［Yuna］
"You can say that again." ［Grey］
Currently, Yuna and Grey are in front of the Royal Academy, and as what one would expect from the most prestigious school in the kingdom, it was both massive and luxurious. The front gates alone were enough to make one feel humble.
They have walked past the Royal Academy on their date the day before, but seeing it in its full glory, they couldn't help themselves but stand in awe. It was large enough to fit several mansions and dozens of times more luxurious. Truly a magnificent sight.
As per the king's request, Yuna and Grey were there to start instructing the students of year 2 and 3's alpha class. They will be doing the same thing every weekday until the day of the awarding ceremony. It would be three whole weeks.
Although the both of them were a little bit nervous about doing the request, they can't deny the fact that they're also excited to learn how powerful the students of the Royal Academy were. Which also happened to be their age.
"Whoa, are they transferees?"
"They look so gorgeous!"
"I wonder what years they are..."
"It's a silver-haired elf..."
Even though they were still at the entrance, Grey and Yuna were already gathering a lot of attention. It was a repeat of what happened on our date yesterday, only that the ones looking are the students of the Royal Academy.
"We should probably head inside already..." ［Grey］
"Un... It's getting uncomfortable..." ［Yuna］
Trying to avoid the stares of the students and the passersby, Yuna and Grey quickly went inside the academy and headed to the Headmaster's office, where they will be briefed about their jobs.
When they signed a contract with the king, they told us to meet the headmaster first before anything else. He will be the one who will explain to them what they will be doing and lead them to their respective classes.
They were also told a few things about the Headmaster beforehand. He is a therianthrope from the lion tribe who happened to be a former commander in the military and is also a close acquaintance of the King. He was another bigshot.
"This should be it." ［Grey］
"Whoa～ the door is huge..." ［Yuna］
"Well... We should probably head inside before the crowd gets bigger." ［Grey］
"U... Un..." ［Yuna］
While they had walked as quickly and as careful as they could, many students of the academy still managed to follow them. They were crowded in the corridor just a few meters away from them, curious about the two youths who were in front of the office.
Knock Knock Knock
"Come in." ［Headmaster］
After Grey did the classic triple knock on the door, the headmaster let them in without even asking who they were. He had already expected them and has been waiting for them since early in the morning.
"Pardon our intrusionー" ［Grey］
Grey and Yuna were about to greet the headmaster politely but they were compelled to stop on their tracks. The reason was none other than the headmaster himself.
The headmaster was standing behind his desk, by the window in an upstanding posture. He glared at Grey and Yuna with eyes full of seriousness and a frightening smile, showing off his sharp fangs.
The room itself was enveloped with an overbearing atmosphere as he directed his aura towards Grey and Yuna. But such pressure didn't last long. The latter broke it forcefully and filled the room with their own aura, several folds stronger.
As the pressure bore down upon him, the Headmaster felt as if he was about to be swallowed by a terrifying force. It was the first time he had felt such fear even with all the time he spent in the military.
"Haha... Hahaha... Hahahaha!" ［Headmaster］
But rather than be overtaken by fear, the Headmaster only laughed like a madman with his hoarse voice. It was a display which made Grey and Yuna concerned if their aura placed a burden to his mind.
"Hahaha! What an interesting pair you are! Ernes really chose good ones this time around!" ［Headmaster］
The Headmaster continued to laugh hysterically, leaving a Grey and Yuna dumbfounded look at him with puzzled faces. Soon after, they released their auras, returning the room's atmosphere back to normal.
"Please take your seats, Your Highnesses. We'll begin our briefing now." ［Headmaster］
After having laughed like there was no tomorrow, the headmaster invited Grey and Yuna to a seat after having one himself. His attitude reminded them of the King. There was no doubt they were close acquaintances.
"Let me introduce myself, I am called Arnelius, this academy's headmaster. It's a great pleasure to finally meet you, Your Highnesses, Archduke Grey, Archduchess Yuna. And forgive me if I offended you, I was just trying to gauge your strength with my own eyes." ［Arnelius］
It wasn't the first time Grey and Yuna were subjected to such, but even then, every time was uncomfortable. It was a form of greeting which could easily be misunderstood. Any longer and the two might have retaliated.
Coupled with the fact that he was smiling so threateningly made him seem like he was begging for an intense beating. Both Grey and Yuna were really glad it didn't turn out that way.
"Um... it's alright. And please drop the formalities, Headmaster. We really aren't good with such things." ［Grey］
"Un. Please just refer to us as you would the other instructors." ［Yuna］
"Hahaha, I see... Then I'll be imposing on you. Ah, right. Instructor Grey, Instructor Yuna, please have a look at these." ［Arnelius］
Following his words, the Headmaster handed Grey and Yuna a file full of printed documents. They were files which contained all the information about the classes they were going to instruct.
"These are year 2 and 3's alpha class files. It contains information about the students and the schedule of the things they need to learn. It also contains the records of the students' achievements." ［Arnelius］
As Grey scanned the files of his students, his face slowly crumpled as an exhausted expression loomed over. Just looking at the students' names was enough for him to know how troublesome the job will be.
The way Merusia's naming system works, the more words there are in a name, the higher their social standing is. Commoners only have their first name, the gentry has a family name, the nobility has a nobiliary particle like Alfrione's "von", and royalty has a royalty indicator like the Alfrione royal family's "Helvor".
In Grey's class, all his students had family names and nobiliary particles, meaning all of them were nobles. Worst of all, there was one who is part of the royal family, the second prince.
As for Yuna, she only scanned the files quietly and memorized all the information there is to memorize. With her mental capabilities, it only took her a couple of minutes to do so.
"Grey, I have 10 students. Elise is also here." ［Yuna］
"I also have 10, I even have the second prince in my class." ［Grey］
"That's only natural as all alpha classes in the academy have 10 students. And please don't misunderstand, all the students got to their classes due to their own capabilities. The alpha class students are the best of their peers." ［Arnelius］
Arnelius reassured Grey and Yuna that there weren't any sort of strings pulled in the shadows to place students in certain classes. He looked a bit proud when he said those words. Proud of his students.
Although Grey knew that there would only be a few students in alpha classes, he was very relieved to know there would only be ten. It greatly helped reduce the burden on them with so few students.
Of course, Yuna couldn't be any happier that Elise was under her class. Though their relationship will be instructor and student in the Royal Academy, it doesn't change the fact that they're still friends.
"Also, although there are schedules in the files, those are just suggestions. You're free to teach the students however you want to. Just make sure that they learn something of equivalent value or greater than the ones in the schedule." ［Arnelius］
"Mmm... That makes things much easier." ［Grey］
"Ah, but make sure to not put the student's lives in danger, it would be a hassle to deal with the parents' complaints." ［Arnelius］
Hearing Arnelius, a sudden idea popped up in Grey's mind. They same also went for Yuna. Coincidentally, both of them thought of teaching them the way they taught Eliza, through practical training.
"Question." ［Yuna］
"Yes, Instructor Yuna?" ［Arnelius］
"Can I punish the students if they go against me?" ［Yuna］
Yuna asked nonchalantly with an innocent and expressionless face as if she just asked something obvious, leaving Grey and the Headmaster shocked as to why that's the first question that came to her mind.
"Umm... You can, but please go easy on them, Instructor Yuna. Although some of them might be cocky and spoiled, they're still of noble descent nonetheless. I would love to avoid trouble as much as possible." ［Arnelius］
"Un..." ［Yuna］
As nonchalantly as she asked, Yuna also answered the question without much emotion on her face. She then flipped through the pages once again, scanning which ones were troublemakers in her class.
While she was doing so, Yuna stopped on one of the files for a short while before flipping through the next page. She had also done so before and it was the file of the same student, who wasn't Elise.
『Grey, does Sis Gustav have a daughter?』 ［Yuna］
『I don't know, but it isn't unlikely. Why do you ask?』 ［Grey］
『Nothing much...』 ［Yuna］
The reason for Yuna's question was simple. It was because in her class, there was another blonde girl which interested her. She has the same family name as Gustav and resembles Elise and Eliza.
Though Yuna had her doubts, the student didn't bear any resemblance with Gustav. She only thought that they were distant relatives or something along the same line.
Donggggg Donggggg Donggggg
Just as Yuna finished flipping through her files once again, the academy's bell started to echo throughout the Royal Academy. It was the start of their jobs as temporary instructors.
"Oh, class just started. Allow me to escort the two of you to your respective classrooms." ［Arnelous］
Upon finishing his words, the Headmaster stood up abruptly and tried to escort Grey and Yuna, but as soon as he opened the door...
"W... What the heck are you all doing?!" ［Arnelius］
""""Ahh...""""
... a large number of students gathering by the other side of the door greeted him. They were trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. Unluckily for them, the room was soundproof.
"Grrrr... Get back to your goddamn classes!!" ［Arnelius］
""""Y-Y-Yes!!""""
The headmaster's voice boomed throughout the whole academy, even louder than the morning bells did. As if they were running for their lives, all the students vanished in a jiffy as soon as they saw the Headmaster's fury.
"Just what the heck were those students doing...?" ［Arnelius］
The headmaster asked himself after calming down, rubbing his forehead with one of his hands. He was confused about what just happened before him, not able to grasp the students' strange actions.
As for Grey and Yuna, they knew full well that they were the reason for it. Thankfully, they were behind the headmaster. Otherwise, he would have seen our guilty faces as they saw the students disperse.
"Instructors Grey and Yuna, please follow me." ［Arnelius］
Following the headmaster's lead, they headed to Yuna's assigned class first. While they were heading there, Grey and Yuna once again realized how massive the academy really was. They even saw a large pocket forest outside the window.
As for the classrooms, they only occupy about less than 20% of the whole academy's area. The ones which filled up the most area were spaces designated for improving the students' skills, especially the training grounds.
"We're here." ［Arnelius］
The three were still outside the classroom, but loud noises already came ringing into their ears. No matter what world or what the social status of the students were, it would always get rowdy when the teachers weren't around.
"Please excuse the noise, it normally isn't like this. I'll fix this immediately, please just wait a moment." ［Arnelius］
"Ah, yes..." ［Grey］
After bowing his head slightly, the headmaster then opened the room and headed inside. The students were so caught up with their antics, that they didn't notice the Headmaster enter. The class still continued with their shenanigans.
Insanely pissed off, the headmaster walked to the front of the classroom, still not noticed by either of the students. There was so much chaos even when there were only ten of them.
"Shut your traps, you maggots!!" ［Arnelius］
Without warning, the Headmaster's loud voice once again boomed throughout the whole academy. Other than the fact that his voice was deafening, the face he was wearing was also intimidating. Even ghosts would be scared away by him.
"Get back to your seats already!" ［Arnelius］
"""Y-Yes!"""
"Tsk! What an annoying old man." ［???］
The students immediately jolted when they heard the Headmaster's furious voice. While most of the students were scared off by him, one of them wasn't. In fact, he was acting as if he was the one who had been wronged.
When that certain student reached his seat, he sat arrogantly, with both of his feet on top of the desk. He clicked his tongue again as he looked down on the Headmaster in front of him.
Seeing that student, Grey hoped deep in his heart that he wouldn't piss off Yuna. Grey had only seen Yuna very angry once, during the prison break, and he knew full well how scary she was. Grey just hoped he can survive until their contract ends.
After that spectacle, the headmaster then signaled Grey and Yuna to enter the room, and when we did, the room became rowdy once again, just like what they experienced in the hallways.
"Whoa, so beautiful..."
"Hey, that's the girl I've been telling you!"
"Eee～! So handsome!"
"Are they transferees?"
"Eh? Yuna?! Grey?!" ［Elise］
The girls squealed and the boys whispered, but all their reactions were similar, all except for one. It was Elise who stood out. After all, she had already met the two just the day before.
Only after seeing Yuna and Grey did Elise understand the meaning behind Yuna's words yesterday. She had wondered the meaning of it for the whole night, but it didn't cross her mind that she would be their new instructor.
"Elise, you know them?"
"Y-Yeah... I just met them yesterday." ［Elise］
"Whoa, you're so lucky Elise!"
"Hey, introduce us to them!"
"That's right, Elise. Introduce us!"
While the students resumed their rowdiness, the Headmaster on the other hand was getting more the opposite. The more the students continued chatting, the more irritated he became.
"Shut the f*** up!!" ［Arnelius］
Once again, the Headmaster's angry voice boomed throughout the academy, the only difference this time was that there was a quake accompanying it. He had unconsciously used his earth magic because of his rage.
Since he was at the pinnacle of C-rank, the quake was quite strong. Although it only ran through a short range, just across the whole classroom, it was enough to scare off the students.
"Now listen up, you maggots! They're not here today for an exhibition, they're you're new instructors! To be specific, Instructor Yuna wiー" ［Arnelius］
"Blah, blah, blah, you're so noisy, old man. No one's going to believe such useless crap. No one's a fool here!" ［???］
Before he could finish his words, the Headmaster was cut off by the same arrogant student, fueling the headmaster's irritation even further. He was so full of himself that he looked down on everyone.
It was then that Grey realized that his wish was hopeless. He will really piss Yuna off with that arrogant behavior of his. Grey just hoped that he won't be too hurt or survive her wrath at the very least.
⟨⟨Appraisal⟩⟩ ［Grey］
-----------------------------------
[Salferine]
[Name] George von Beldon
[Race] Human
[Sex] Male
[Age] 17
[Status] Healthy, Angry
[Mana Capacity] 378 [Mana Quality] F
[Combat Power] 82 [Threat Level] F
[Attribute] Fire [Magic Proficiency] Low (16%)
[Class] Swordsman [Weapon Proficiency] Low (17%)
[Physical Enhancement] 19%
[Ability] 『Arm Strength (2☆)』
-----------------------------------
Well, Grey already expected it, but there was no way that arrogant youth could survive even one of Yuna's attacks. Even if Yuna were to use only a hundredth of her strength, he would still perish with a 100% certainty.
Although considering his age, the arrogant youth was quite impressive. Within his year, he was amongst the top three students in his class. Unfortunately, his personality really sucks.
"He's super annoying! I can't imagine being friends with him!"
Seeing his name, Grey recalled something which Elise said yesterday. It was then that he realized why Elise reacted so furiously to his name. He wouldn't want to be friends with him either if he were to be in Elise's place.
"What is this academy thinking? Hiring such incompetent instructors! This must be some kind of joke!" ［George］
While the arrogant student kept on babbling whatever was on his mind, everybody else in the room kept quiet, but it was easy to see the disbelief in their eyes.
"Headmaster, what threat level was their previous instructor?" ［Yuna］
"He was in the lower end of D-rank. What about it, Instructor Yuna?" ［Arnelius］
"Nothing. I just thought of something." ［Yuna］
Yuna shook her end and ended her statement with a sweet smile, but there was no trace of sweetness in that smile. Rather, both Grey and the Headmaster felt something ominous from it.
Not minding the words of the arrogant student, Yuna walked towards the window and admired the scenery outside, or so would one think, but after a few seconds, she slowly raised her hands, with her palms facing outside.
⟨⟨Freezing Lotus⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
In the blink of an eye, deep blue ice engulfed the training grounds, turning the once warm field into a freezing hell. Not just the ground, but the air was also affected, freezing up the moisture in the air and turning into snow. It was a freezing nightmare.
CHAPTER 78 END