Ch.161161. Broken Past (3)

“…”

“How’s it going, Michelle? Is Aris okay?”

“She’s staying with Senia for now. Seems like she’s been hit hard by the shock and hasn’t gone outside…”

“Haa. What a mess this is.”

Currently, I’m teaching the students here while the faction battle is ongoing.

Even though the first week’s evaluation is over, we still need to prepare for the next period, but Aris, who was in charge of the most crowded classroom, has dropped out.

Everyone from faction battle participants to Road School students and even the auditors are in an uproar.

“Isn’t there some solution?”

“According to regulations, we could recruit someone to replace Aris if she gives up. However…”

“The problem is that no one wants to come to Sirah, right?”

“…You got it.”

Michelle thought the same.

If someone wanted to earn points for the beginning of the semester evaluation, this would be the last place they’d come.

“What about increasing the number of students in each class and dividing the teaching load?”

“I tried suggesting that… but since this incident has been so high-profile, everyone refused.”

“Refused? But their grades in the faction battle depend on it!”

“They seem to have this fixed idea that only Aris will do.”

Aris again, huh.

The senior student who was about to graduate grabbed the back of his neck and sighed weakly.

“…Wait a minute. If that’s the case, there might be a simpler solution.”

“What?”

“If this is about the incident, Aris wasn’t the only one who stood out. There was someone else fighting alongside her.”

“You mean… Junon?”

It wasn’t just Aris who stopped the students’ reckless actions.

Junon’s role, who was there with her, was also clearly mentioned.

“Let’s put that kid in charge. It’s the only option we have right now, isn’t it?”

“But that child is…”

As Michelle tried to add something, the senior clasped his hands together and pleaded with her.

“I know, I know. Aris has much better grades, and there will be resistance because of the Tembris Party’s reputation. But what can we do? I can’t think of any other solution right now, and some of the kids are aiming to re-enroll at Levrant. That side will have the least resistance, you know? Hmm? Don’t you… think it could work?”

“Michelle… I think we have no choice in this matter.”

“I agree. There might be friction with students from other classes, but since that person has spent time working with them, there should be less conflict.”

“…”

Michelle had no choice but to stop objecting.

***

“ACHOO!!”

Damn. Someone must be talking about me.

Why am I sneezing when it’s not even cold?

“ACHOO!!”

There it goes again. What the hell? Are people gossiping about me twice in a row?

“…Teacher? Do you have a cold?”

“If you’re feeling sick, you can’t continue the lecture! That’s, that’s right. Right, Lana?”

“Yeees! Ethan’s right, isn’t he? Right?!”

These brats.

I’ve been helping them with their note-taking studies until now, and they’re trying to sneak away using my supposed cold as an excuse.

And all of this is because of whom?

“Looks like you want to escape, but that’s not happening.”

“That’s because you don’t know when to stop, teacher!”

“I think anyone would want to escape from this situation…”

The classroom that once had only two people was now filled with no empty seats.

Thanks to those who said they wanted to attend the lecture today and waved off any need for attendance certificates.

─Ughhh…

Those guys groaning like a horde of zombies over there.

That’s why this lecture has dragged on so long.

‘Why does it have to be me…’

As I felt before, I’m absolutely not cut out for teaching.

I had to teach Lana and Ethan in completely different ways, and even then, there’s no guarantee it helped those two.

That’s why I’m managing with just those two who are somewhat bearable, and making the rest struggle through.

“If you can’t handle it, why ask me to teach you? Just quietly take your attendance certificates and go.”

“W-what?!”

“No, we can do it!!”

…Ugh, these persistent ones.

Why are they doing this to me?

Shouldn’t they be getting angry and storming out by now, saying I don’t want to teach them?

“Can everyone hold out a bit longer?!”

“”Oh, of course!!”

This is driving me crazy.

Since this is my class, I can’t forcibly kick them out.

‘I have no choice.’

The best thing to do in this situation is to pass the buck.

“Let me ask you something. What’s your purpose in attending my lecture?”

“Obviously, it’s the basic duty of a student…”

“Duty my ass. Weren’t you the ones who said this wouldn’t help at all and just asked for attendance certificates from the beginning? And after fighting right after the midterm evaluation, you’re talking about duty?”

When I pointed out their empty words, they all broke into a cold sweat.

“We were wrong to fight among ourselves after the midterm evaluation, and we were wrong to disrespect you from the start!! Please teach us!!”

“You could just go to another classroom and ask to be taught there. Why does it have to be me?”

“That’s obviously because we saw it firsthand. It’s like a certification mark!”

They snorted, revealing some kind of fantasy they had about me.

I had somewhat anticipated this.

But they won’t be able to counter this.

“No. Isn’t there a more definitive certification mark than me?”

All I did there was throw some spells and buy time with the vanguards.

I even snapped at them, asking if they dared to disobey orders, and my tone wasn’t particularly friendly. That was intentional, of course.

This alone might be ambiguous. If I want to drive the point home firmly.

It’s about performance.

“At best, all I did was channel magic into my body to deflect the Stumps’ attacks. But what about Aris?”

She’s the one who burst the lotus flowers to rescue everyone.

She’s the one who gave proper instructions to the cornered students.

And finally, she’s the one who dealt with the Decurion-grade main body.

“But we remember that you fought alongside her…”

“So what? Frankly speaking, based on what you saw there, what do you think you can learn from me? You don’t have the slightest interest in learning physical techniques, do you? If that’s the case, it would be better to find a professor in that field. It would even be easier to look into the mercenary side.”

“”…””

A predictable silence.

In this stillness, they must be recalling the situation back then.

“Now you understand, right? If you want to learn magic, go learn from Aris. Learning from me from now on won’t make much difference.”

I thought they would understand and leave after hearing this, but the students vehemently shook their heads in refusal.

I was about to say more when another visitor arrived.

“Um, Junon? Are you done talking?”

“No. Just finished.”

“Then… could you come with me for a moment?”

“Sure thing. Lana and Ethan, don’t slack off and study on your own. If you have time, try solving what I drew on the board.”

“”Teacherrr…!!””

Yes, yes. Work hard, kids. Though I don’t really think they’ll solve it.

I smiled brightly and closed the classroom door.

“Is it another report?”

“Huh? No, no. This is something I haven’t been informed about either…”

“I see.”

As Adele came looking for me like this, I figured it was probably related to the faction battle and followed her.

Ironically, the place I arrived at was the conference room.

From the entrance, I could immediately see a red ponytail.

‘What, it’s Michelle?’

Adele and Michelle… and other students were seated as well.

But they’re all Levrant students? Not Sirah Road School students.

In this case, as Adele had informed about the first week’s evaluation, it’s likely to be a notice from Levrant.

“Is there an important announcement? Seeing everyone gathered here.”

“That’s right. An extremely important announcement.”

Since it’s an extremely important announcement, it seems all faction battle participants are gathering. Though there seem to be fewer chairs than needed.

“If we’re waiting for other students to arrive, we might need more chairs. Should I bring some more?”

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

“Pardon…?”

“This is something that only needs to be conveyed to you. Ahem.”

They immediately cut off my question and closed the door.

Now that I look at it, their movements aren’t swift or smooth, but rather jerky, like something’s broken.

‘What’s going on? Did I do something wrong?’

With that thought, I looked around.

But… the atmosphere didn’t seem like they were about to have a meeting.

“It’s been decided like this. Junon, check this.”

With those words, a document filled with dense writing was handed to me.

I read the dense text aloud.

“Let’s see. Class correction personnel list… Due to the deteriorating condition of a specific faction battle participant, it has been decided to transfer… The target is…”

Junon?

What is this? Why is my name…

And profiles of Sirah students, who appear to be well over thirty, are placed before me.

Don’t tell me.

They want me to teach all of these students?

I immediately looked away from the document.

“Excuse me…? Why are you all avoiding my eyes…?”

“Ahem.”

“No. You know my grades. There’s no need to assign this to me specifically, right?”

None of them answered my question.

They were all either sweating profusely or clearing their throats and pretending not to hear.

‘…They’re dumping this on me?’

Why on earth???

***

I naturally stopped today’s lecture at that point and returned.

After receiving such a unilateral notification, I felt mentally and physically drained and couldn’t continue.

With my exhausted mind and body, I was about to lie down and close my eyes while looking at the ceiling, but a curious point made me sit back in my chair.

“A class at Sirah Road School typically has 8-12 students. Not a large number, so classes should be spacious.”

That’s the trick of the higher-ups at this school to maximize subsidies and grants.

Therefore, being assigned over thirty students at once means the number of students exceeds one class, amounting to at least three classes.

Feeling suspicious, I checked each profile in my room.

“Just as I thought something was off. They’re all from that person’s class.”

When they said a specific faction battle participant’s condition had deteriorated, I wondered what they meant, but the target is Aris.

No wonder the reactions were strange when I told them to learn from Aris.

“…So she hasn’t been properly teaching since then.”

If she hasn’t been conducting lectures until today, those students would be handed over to someone else.

And as someone in the position of a teaching assistant, I became the suitable candidate to take over these students.

“Aris… Come to think of it, she suddenly collapsed and seemed to avoid my hand.”

It clearly wasn’t due to magic exhaustion that she collapsed.

I thought there wouldn’t be any issues since Michelle took her away for aftercare, but…

To think she couldn’t even teach the students she had rescued.

Knock knock.

As I was leaning back in my chair, trying to recall the cause, there was an unexpected knock at the door.

-Junon. It’s Michelle. I’d like to talk for a moment, if that’s okay?

Michelle?

This is obvious, isn’t it?

I immediately opened the door.

“Um… about what happened this time…”

“You mean about Aris, right?”

“Huh?”

Seeing her surprise, I know I’m right.

“The students I was assigned to take over today are from Aris’s class, aren’t they? I was wondering why they suddenly dumped them on me.”

But I’m hoping no more complicated issues arise, especially when my head is already aching.