Ch.562I should work as much as I’m paid.

“Special lecture?”

“Yes. I’m an honorary professor at Remnant Academy, and it doesn’t feel right to just take money all year without giving a single lecture. I should at least teach something, even if it’s brief.”

In the carriage returning to the academy’s faculty quarters after giving instructions to my companions and leaving the golden mansion, Leonore couldn’t hide her bewilderment at my casual remark.

“Come to think of it, miss, you did become a professor at the academy… But what exactly are you planning to teach? I can’t even imagine what your lecture would be about.”

“Well. Perhaps I’ll teach them how to kill effectively?”

I smirked, fidgeting with the cigarette in my mouth. Actually, I had already decided what to teach. I planned to cover the most essential content for academy students… that is, squires who hadn’t even become knights yet.

—-

“You requested a lecture schedule to be arranged?”

“Yes. About two hours a day for four days should be enough. Would that be difficult?”

The academy’s administrative office, which I visited after a long time, was bustling with professors and staff preparing for the new semester.

There were some familiar faces too. Professors like Carlain who taught basic combat against humans, or Theresia who taught weaponry. People I could now dismember in a second if I wanted to.

“No, not at all. I’ll process it right away, Marchioness Median.”

“Thanks.”

“Ah, n-no, it’s my duty to assist you.”

The staff member sitting across from me nodded while sweating profusely. His attitude was as respectful as if he were facing the Emperor.

Well, to a mere staff member, there’s probably little difference between me and the Emperor in terms of status.

Though I don’t go around forming factions by recruiting lower nobles like other high aristocrats, as a marchioness of the Empire, there were fewer than five nobles with higher ranks than mine.

Duke of Faelrun, Lord Wien, Lord Landenburg… and one more marquis whose name escapes me… Anyway, only these four people outranked me.

There used to be another duke, but apparently he was purged during Isabella’s rebellion for siding with Ernst.

In any case, my personal rank alone put me at 5th in the Empire, and I possessed the greatest military power. Moreover, I was set to inherit the Landenburg marquisate, making me arguably the second most powerful person after the Emperor.

“So… what topic would you like for your lecture?”

“Simple and Easy Methods for Slaughtering Non-Humans.”

“…Pardon?”

The staff member barely managed to catch his pen as it nearly slipped from his fingertips.

What’s wrong? Was it such a shocking topic?

“Simple and Easy Methods for Slaughtering Non-Humans. I plan to lecture on the enemies that squires and knights will face, and their weaknesses.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t much different from the academy’s regular curriculum, but there would be some differences once they heard it. What I wanted to teach them were exploitation methods discovered by players… in other words, something closer to “tricks.”

The proper methods would be taught by other professors throughout the semester, so there was no need for me to explain those.

So I planned to teach them about weaknesses and countermeasures that are difficult to know through conventional means, to help reduce casualties when they face enemies.

If the survival rate of aspiring knights increases, the number of knights will also increase, and consequently, those who can reach the level of Master or beyond will grow as well.

“Yes, I understand. Would ‘Introduction to Hostile Species Response’ be an appropriate title…?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

It seems the word “slaughter” was inappropriate for an official lecture title.

When I nodded, the staff member brightened up and began filling out the lecture plan form on his desk, writing down the title, topic, schedule, and other details.

…I believe professors or assistant professors are supposed to fill out those forms themselves.

Apparently, seeing that my behavior was far from compatible with paperwork, he didn’t even consider asking me to complete it and decided to do it himself. Fine by me.

I fidgeted with my cigarette while leisurely waiting for the administrative staff to complete the paperwork and submit it to his superior.

It didn’t take long.

=======[ Academy ]=======

“Hey, did you guys see that?”

“See what?”

“You always leave out the important details. How are we supposed to know what ‘that’ is?”

“The bulletin board! They’re adding a special lecture, and the professor is…!”

The special lecture notice posted on Remnant Academy’s bulletin board spread throughout the academy in an instant. A lecture conducted by the Empire’s Greatest Sword herself—students couldn’t ask for better gossip.

For those who had been classmates with Haschal, it was bewildering to see a woman who had only occasionally attended classes just to beat Demian like a dog suddenly rise to such heights in just half a year. But the freshmen couldn’t contain their excitement.

It had been almost a year since Haschal defected to the Empire. She was no longer known as the Human Slaughterer of Ka’har, but was regarded as one of the Empire’s greatest heroes.

Leopold and Ludwig had people spread favorable public opinion about her, and her actual deeds were heroic tales that any aspiring knight would admire.

With such a figure personally conducting a lecture for academy students, it was impossible for the freshmen not to be excited.

Even third-year students who were about to graduate all wanted to attend the special lecture.

Having experienced real combat while following knight orders, unlike the freshmen who only harbored vague admiration, they clearly understood just how ridiculously strong Haschal was.

They had only just reached a level where they could call themselves knights, while she was strong enough to single-handedly slaughter all the Imperial Knights. Whatever knowledge such a powerful person would impart would be worth its weight in gold.

The number of students who registered reached four hundred.

Not only students from the knight faculty but also from other departments wanted to hear her lecture, resulting in nearly the entire student body gathering.

The only space that could accommodate such a large number was the academy’s grand hall, so the academy had to clear the hall and ask for understanding from professors who were originally scheduled to lecture there.

While the professors who were pushed aside would have been justified in protesting, they didn’t express even the slightest dissatisfaction.

No, far from complaining, they even asked if they could attend as well. The professors had also once served in the military or knight orders. For them too, a lecture by a hero-level transcendent was too interesting to resist.

=======[ Haschal ]=======

…This has gotten a bit out of hand.

That was my first thought when I heard that four hundred people had requested to attend.

I thought maybe fifty people would listen at most, but this was practically the entire student body of the academy.

“That’s more than I expected…”

“Of course it is! The Empire’s Greatest Sword is offering her teachings. It’s only four hundred because it’s an internal academy lecture. If it had been open to outsiders, every knight in the Empire would have flocked here.”

Frider, whom I met after a long time, snickered and teased me as I was overwhelmed by the number four hundred.

“…I guess you’re right. I wonder if there’ll be an uproar if I mess up the lecture.”

“An uproar? At worst, the saying ‘if your body is good, your head doesn’t need to work hard’ will spread as truth.”

…Though she put it indirectly, she was saying rumors would spread throughout the Empire that I’m just a muscle-head with no brains.

—-

Having finished her business in the north and returned to the Empire, Frider barged into my quarters as soon as I returned to the professor’s residence.

As always, she wore a werebeast fur coat over her academy uniform.

As soon as I opened the door, she walked in as if it were her own home, naturally hung her coat on the rack, and plopped down on the sofa—all in less than five seconds.

“Our Lena has grown so much~! Didn’t you miss your big sister?”

“It’s been a while, Sister Frider! Have you been well?”

While I let out a hollow laugh at her overly natural attitude, Lena greeted Frider with a bright smile, nodding her head at their reunion after several months.

She didn’t cling to Frider’s waist or offer her head to be patted as she did with me.

Right. There are levels even among “big sisters.”

You’re just the neighbor’s sister, while I’m practically her real sister.

I pulled Lena close and patted her head, raising the corners of my mouth smugly at Frider.

“…?”

Not understanding why I was gloating, Frider just tilted her head in confusion.