Ch.284What Do You Want Me to Do?

“Baron Median. Your special qualification for this academy has already expired.”

The unexpected news was waiting for me when I barely made it back to the dormitory.

I had thought about whether it would matter if I left the academy… but that was just idle speculation. I never expected it to actually happen.

“Expired…? What are you talking about?”

“As you know, Baron, the special admission system is a privilege targeting dignitaries from friendly foreign nations. Since the attack on Wall of Berengaria, our friendly relations with the Ka’har have been terminated, and as you’ve established yourself as an imperial noble rather than a foreigner… it’s difficult to say you still meet the qualification requirements. I trust you understand.”

The bespectacled man, who appeared to be an administrative staff member, explained calmly.

…This is troublesome.

It was even more troublesome because it was logical. The decision was certainly correct according to the regulations.

Still, being expelled like this is quite inconvenient…

In truth, my status as a special admission student no longer held much meaning for me personally.

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

The problem is that once I’m removed, meeting the others becomes extremely cumbersome.

I’m not even sure if Ophelia intends to return to school, and while Lacy, Frider, and Asha can move freely due to their status…

Demian and Millia are regular students of the academy. They need permission for personal outings that aren’t official missions.

Additionally, to travel outside the system with them, I’d need to arrange formal mission assignments each time.

Lena has somehow become something like my personal priest, substituting attendance by following me on missions rather than attending classes, but that would be difficult going forward.

If she leaves the academy to follow me, that’s fine, but if she wants to graduate, she’ll need to respect the academy’s regulations.

Moreover, once I leave the special dormitory, it would be difficult to even see Perneisia and Kalix.

One is problematic because she wanders too much, the other because he stays holed up too much.

Evian? I don’t know about that guy.

Isn’t he probably stuck in some brothel?

—-

“I understand that’s the regulation, but such a sudden expulsion is quite inconvenient. To notify me on your own terms and then ask for understanding… frankly speaking, it’s quite unpleasant. Are you saying my position isn’t worth considering?”

This isn’t a threat. Not at all.

It’s just persuasion that being expelled like this is inconvenient, so couldn’t they understand and make some accommodation?

“Expulsion? There’s no way that would happen. It seems there’s been some misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?”

I seem to be hearing that word frequently these days.

“If we expelled the hero who quelled the Empire’s chaos, the academy might face a barrage of bricks. Would we really do such a thing? It’s not expulsion, but graduation. Although it’s a somewhat obsolete system, Remnant Academy has an early graduation program. Congratulations. Graduating after just half a year of enrollment is an unprecedented achievement in the academy’s history.”

The difference between expulsion and graduation, for me, is just whether they give me a useless diploma or not, isn’t it?

“…But you’re still kicking me out either way. Are you playing word games with me?”

“It’s quite different. Expulsion is a dishonorable removal that prohibits you from even setting foot in the academy, but graduation makes you an honored senior. I don’t know why you wish to remain at the academy… but if it’s graduation rather than expulsion, there is a way.”

There is a difference after all.

I’ll have to hear what this method is first.

“…Explain.”

“Excluding some staff, there are only two types of people residing at the academy. Those who learn and… those who teach. If you cannot remain as a student, you must become one who teaches.”

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

Surely not…

“Baron Median. Would you be interested in taking a professorship at this academy?”

The bespectacled man flashed a triumphant smile.

…My goodness.

They want me to teach students?

—-

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

Hersella, who had been listening, burst into laughter.

…I had no rebuttal.

If I trained them like I did with Demian, the academy would turn into a cemetery. Surely that’s not what they want.

“…This seems rather far-fetched. A professor at the academy isn’t a position that can be given just because someone is good at fighting. I think the existing professors would strongly object.”

“You needn’t worry about that. Professor Carlain and Professor Theresia actually welcomed it. They highly praised your training that rapidly improved the skills of Lord Demian and Lady Millia. Given the current situation with increasing threats from monsters and non-humans, they said the academy’s training needs to become more rigorous.”

…If they had seen Demian getting beaten like a dog, they wouldn’t say such things.

The fact that Demian and Millia became stronger wasn’t because I taught them well, but because of their exceptional talents.

“Well… I’m not sure if it suits me. Besides, I have many things to do, so I can’t be tied down at the academy.”

I’d probably be away from the academy more often. There might even be times when I need to leave imperial territory entirely.

“Hmm… if that’s the case, a full professorship would be difficult… how about an honorary professorship? The salary is less than a full professor’s, but you only need to lecture when you have time. If you hire an assistant instructor to substitute for your lectures during normal times, the salary difference wouldn’t be that significant. Of course, the assistant would need to go through a verification process.”

He’s more persistent than I expected.

Was the goal from the beginning not to remove me but to make me a professor?

From what the bespectacled man is saying, what they want isn’t my performance as a professor, but simply to have my name on the academy’s faculty list.

While the professors might be better at teaching than me, there’s an incomparable difference in reputation… objectively speaking, isn’t my acceptance of the professorship itself a kind of honor for the academy?

So they also want to borrow my name value.

It’s better than the nobles in that their purpose is honor rather than power.

I pondered their proposal for a while, resting my chin on my hand.

Whether it would benefit me, harm me, or affect my future actions.

“…What do you think?”

The bespectacled man asked with a hint of expectation.

Honorary professor… thinking about it, it’s not bad.

I’d be able to freely enter and leave the academy, and it would be convenient to bring the others along.

Moreover, if I don’t even have to lecture if I don’t want to… it’s literally a free pass to use the academy without any obligations.

Above all, I could hear Frider call me “Professor,” right?

“…Alright. That sounds good.”

“Thank you! It’s an unparalleled honor for the Radiant Knight to become a professor at our academy. I look forward to working with you, Professor Median.”

The bespectacled man, his face brightening, bowed deeply before leaving to handle the related administrative procedures.

He mentioned that I would need to move from the special dormitory to the professor’s quarters, so I should prepare for the move.

The staff would handle moving my belongings, but if there were items I didn’t want to entrust to them, I should set those aside. I didn’t have any such items though.

I usually kept Frosting, Durandal, and my armor on me at all times, and I didn’t have much else.

So instead of packing, I went around to inform my acquaintances in the special dormitory about this news.

Though by acquaintances, only Kalix and Perneisia remained, as everyone else had gone outside.

“You’re becoming an honorary professor? That’s quite surprising. Between your remarkably improved skills and this, Lord Haschal, you always manage to surprise me.”

“You seem to have changed too… should I say your scales have increased…?”

Kalix, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, now looked more like he was eight-tenths reptile rather than half-human half-dragon.

The scales that had been sparsely distributed now covered his entire body.

“I’ve made some progress in my training recently. What do you think? Isn’t this luster truly beautiful?”

“Uh… yes, it’s impressive.”

…Honestly, it’s a bit creepy.

It looked fine on screen, but seeing it in person…

—-

After appropriately humoring Kalix’s scale boasting, I headed to Perneisia’s room.

“Professor…? You? That’s unusual.”

Perneisia’s room reeked of alcohol, but her condition was surprisingly fine.

She was holding a half-empty bottle in one hand, so she had been drinking… but far from appearing drunk like before, she was subtly emanating an aura close to that of a master.

“Well, whether you play professor or not is none of my business.”

Was this fairy always like this…?

It’s completely different from when she’s drunk.

“More importantly, do you still remember my warning?”

“Warning? Oh, about Alvheim? Leopold seems to have dealt with that. Nothing really happened anyway.”

My answer didn’t seem to please her, as Perneisia gulped down the alcohol she was holding.

“Ah, damn it. I can’t even get drunk anymore because of this cursed blessing… Anyway, that’s far from enough. Silence is never a good sign. Especially at this time when the World Tree’s blessing is strangely starting to strengthen…”

Perneisia threw the bottle onto the bed and sat down on a chair as she explained.

The fairies’ power heavily depends on the World Tree’s blessing, and lately that blessing has been growing stronger.

…Not exactly welcome news.

—-

The next day, news of my appointment was announced throughout the academy.

There were many surprised voices, but no one particularly objected.

Departments other than the Knight Department didn’t care much, and the Knight Department was actually pleased.

And so I became an honorary professor at Remnant Academy.

[The end times are upon us.]

Hersella let out a hollow laugh as if in disbelief.