Ch.285I Have to Go

When Leonore heard the news, she was so shocked that she nearly spat out the black tea she was drinking.

She managed to stop just before the tea sprayed out of her mouth, but as a consequence, she choked and coughed for quite a while.

…Isn’t she overreacting a bit?

Was my appointment as a professor at the academy really such a shocking event?

“A professor? At Remnant Academy? Has the dean finally gone senile…! Well, even so, I never thought you would accept such a thing. What exactly are you planning to teach?”

Who knows?

“That’s for you to figure out.”

“…What?”

“Why are you so surprised? You swore to assist me, so this is naturally part of your duties.”

Just as cotton farming needs unpaid labor specialists, professors need teaching assistants.

You’ll be my first assistant. I’m going to squeeze every last drop out of you.

Since it’s just an honorary professorship, I don’t necessarily need to give lectures, but even if I did, I had planned from the beginning to delegate the basic teaching methods to Leonore.

[With your lack of wisdom, you claim to be a teacher to others, and I was curious how you would manage… so this is your plan. You’re still quite skilled at scheming.]

‘That’s harsh, saying I lack wisdom. I’m simply utilizing idle talent where it’s most needed—what could be wiser than that?’

If I can’t do something, it’s wise to entrust it to someone who can.

Preferably, someone who can’t refuse.

Though her knightly order was created by the former emperor, she had enough experience forming and operating an entire order, so wouldn’t her teaching skills be better than mine?

Moreover, she’s reached the level of Master after this recent battle… and being of royal birth, she would have acquired all the basic education. The academy would welcome her with open arms.

As for me, I could just conduct practical combat sessions following Leonore’s curriculum.

I’d like to make Nigel an assistant too, but he’s currently under Ludwig’s command, so I’d need the lord’s permission first.

“So that’s how it is. I’m counting on you, Assistant Instructor Leonore.”

“Good heavens…”

Leonore looked at my smile, then covered her forehead with her hand and sighed.

—-

The professor’s residence was a mansion-like building located at the rear of the academy.

It was somewhat isolated and had been an inaccessible area in the game—who would have thought it was housing for professors?

While the special quarters had good facilities for foreign dignitaries, this place was even better.

The difference was like comparing a high-end studio apartment with a loft to a full apartment.

The spacious living room connected to eight rooms.

A reception room, study, bathroom, training room, storage, plus three separate rooms for servants. It was essentially a small mansion.

Lena might be shocked.

Returning to the academy after so long, our single room has transformed into a mansion.

“It’s awkwardly small… Do we really need to live here? After the rewards ceremony, you could be granted a magnificent mansion anyway.”

Leonore, still retaining her royal sensibilities, complained, but for me, this size was just right.

After all, at most four people would live here, so anything larger would be pointless.

“This is good enough. It’s convenient for moving around inside the academy too.”

Actually, living in an external mansion would be more inconvenient.

While the professor’s residence, like the academy, restricts access to outsiders, living outside would likely attract crowds around my mansion.

I might have to face the same commotion I experienced when leaving the hospital every time I headed to the academy.

“Hmm… it’s more modest than I expected for your status.”

“I’d prefer if you called it frugal. Isn’t that better than being extravagant?”

“That’s true.”

Leonore nodded.

Perhaps because Isabella had such an extravagant personality, Leonore, who despised her, tended to avoid luxury and entertainment.

Still, having been royalty, there was a vast gap between us in terms of financial sensibility.

—-

Since I didn’t have much luggage to begin with, the move didn’t take long.

In less than an hour, workers who appeared to be academy staff had transferred all of my, Lena’s, and Nigel’s belongings from the special quarters to the residence.

I watched the scene, simply explaining to the workers where to place each person’s items.

The three separate rooms were designated for Lena, Nigel, and Leonore, with their personal belongings stacked inside, and Lena’s books were appropriately arranged in the study.

The rest they could organize themselves.

After the workers left, I had dinner with Leonore, took a bath, and lay down on the bed.

It was a bit early to sleep, but I tired easily since my body hadn’t fully recovered yet.

The other professors were said to be dispatched outside the academy due to staff shortages, so there wouldn’t be any visitors… I could rest like this.

This is a nice house.

The bathroom is quite large, and the bed is wide and soft—I like it.

Perhaps not considering celibacy, the bed was wide enough for three people to lie down with room to spare.

Other professors probably share it with their spouses. Surely they wouldn’t sleep with students.

Enjoying the cloud-like softness, I closed my eyes.

Since around the Jeren Plains, nightmares had become rare, so I should be able to sleep well.

—-

Unfortunately, my leisure time lasted only until that night.

The festive atmosphere on the island also ended then.

The next day, news from the north struck the island like lightning.

The fall of the northern wall.

That brief phrase confronted those who believed peace would come with the witch’s death with the harsh truth that the era of war had only just begun.

It wasn’t just a simple breach.

The death of First Corps Commander Georg and all Master-level knights.

Thousands of imperial soldiers lost.

Reports that they had retreated to Faelrun Castle under the Duchess of Faelrun’s command, but would likely be annihilated if attacked again.

And Rurik, the King of Werebeasts, the Winter Wolf, who had faced eight Masters simultaneously and defeated seven of them.

The empire was thrown into chaos by the information that the entire north might collapse.

I too heard this news from Leonore, who rushed to me as soon as I woke up.

…It was like a bolt from the blue.

—-

“The northern wall has fallen? So suddenly…?”

Having heard the news, I was simply dumbfounded.

Clearly, the last information I’d received was that they were holding the line well.

Besides, that wall shouldn’t have fallen so easily…?

However, Leonore’s expression had lost all its usual playfulness and was as rigid as a statue.

As if emphasizing to me that the unbelievable story I’d just heard was undeniable fact.

“The message came directly from the Duchess of Faelrun… so it must be true. In fact, outside is absolute chaos right now.”

No, how is this possible?

Unless they could fly, it should be impossible to overcome that barrier!

“I heard that the King of Werebeasts, Rurik, flew up on a catapult and took down all the Masters on the northern wall. …Hard to believe, but that’s what they say.”

…So he really did fly. On a catapult, no less.

He did something that insane? One slight mistake and he would have died instantly.

[To think there would be another madman as deranged as you. Indeed, the world is wide and full of lunatics.]

Hersella muttered in my mind as if in admiration.

I wasn’t in the mood to respond.

And who the hell is this Rurik anyway?

King of Werebeasts? In my memory, the King of Werebeasts was definitely a tiger named Oleg or something. Has this changed too?

Or is Rurik a Werebeast king from before Oleg, just as Orhan is the current head of Ka’har instead of Hersella?

Leonore didn’t know what the Werebeasts had done after breaching the northern wall or what they were doing now.

The only information that had arrived from the north was that the wall had fallen and the defeated imperial forces had retreated to Faelrun Castle.

The only certainty was that the fate of the north hung in the balance.

If he could defeat eight Masters single-handedly and breach the northern wall, it meant he too was a Master… or had even transcended to Champion level.

If they fought against someone like that… it’s a miracle that Frider survived at all.

My mouth went dry. My vision blurred and my breathing quickened.

The flood of worry felt like it was squeezing my lungs tight.

Frider, Millia, Demian. Would they all be safe?

I sent them north to defend the wall and gain some combat experience, not to lose their lives fighting an overwhelming enemy!

The forces dispatched to the north weren’t small in number, and I had been reassured by the news of Frider reaching Master level and Demian’s growth. But now, they could die at any moment…!

“Wait, are you alright? Your face…!”

Seeing my face, Leonore urgently grabbed my shoulders and brought her face close to mine.

My face reflected in her purple eyes was pale, with trembling pupils—I looked like a terminal patient who had just received a death sentence.

“…I need to go.”

“Go where? The north? In this condition? There’s a limit to recklessness. In your unrecovered state, if you went to such a place…”

Leonore’s attempt to dissuade me was undoubtedly sound reasoning.

I myself could sense that in my current physical state, I wouldn’t be able to withstand even the cold, let alone face Werebeasts.

But I had to go.

In the current empire, I was the only one with Hero-level skills. I had no choice but to go.

“As for recovery… I can do that on the way.”

I removed Leonore’s hand from my shoulder and stood up.

The moment of brief respite had come to an end.