I’ll do my best too, Teacher.

Well, it’s fun to watch kids banter with each other.

But it’s getting late, and we can’t keep busy kids hanging around forever.

“So, you said you had business with me?”

Originally, I was planning to go straight back to the infirmary, but the student council president who came looking for Waden happened to mention she had business with me too.

Time is short, so it would be good to take care of it here if possible. As I asked this, Maya soon pushed up her glasses and explained her business.

“Yes, to be precise, it was the vice president who asked me to relay a message. Do you remember Malan?”

“Malan… Ah, you mean that skinny kid?”

Come to think of it, there was such an incident.

The craftsman I found during the aftermath of the incident in the academic city.

That child, who I briefly relied on while meeting him, wanted to inform me that the repair of the item I had entrusted to the craftsman at the time was complete.

“First, regarding the item entrusted to the craftsman, it’s scheduled to arrive at the student council room tomorrow morning. According to the craftsman, the operation with a self-aware state has been completed, but he said he also created several safety devices just in case of any potential danger.”

“Wow, it’s amazing enough that he fixed it, but he even went as far as to provide such service.”

“He’s the most skilled craftsman in this city. The fact that he took on the job means he’s confident he can solve just about anything. Though sometimes his craftsmanship spirit is so outstanding that it causes headaches.”

“…Don’t tell me he provided services we didn’t even order because that part got out of hand?”

“Yes, according to the vice president’s recent talk, he seems to have fallen into another slump. Just recently, because of a window…”

Maya goes on to talk about various things regarding the craftsman and the vice president.

As I was nodding my head while listening to her story, I suddenly felt a gaze staring at me from the side and turned my head slightly.

It was Waden, silently listening to Maya’s and my conversation in a proper posture.

“Ah, sorry. I was leaving you out.”

“No, don’t worry about me. It seems to be important business for you, Teacher.”

Waden casually adjusts his hat.

But the face revealed afterward was slightly more rigid than before.

“But from what I hear, it seems you’re trying to bring something that was used in the terrorist incident at that time into the school…”

“Hmm, I guess it would be difficult to allow from the student guidance’s standpoint?”

“No, you don’t need to worry about that part. The inspection would have been completed while the vice president was communicating with the craftsman, and above all, I don’t think you would do anything harmful to this academy, Teacher.”

“Hehe, I’m grateful for your trust.”

That means he’s grateful to me for many things, but how should I put it? Seeing how the student guidance members always soften their attitude when dealing with me, I was worried that such excessive goodwill might cloud their judgment.

But well…

If I had to say whether that’s good or bad, it’s closer to good. Since I don’t think I have the qualities of a teacher myself, I also find considerable comfort in their goodwill.

“Alright, then I’ll visit the student council room first thing tomorrow morning. Before regular class time should be fine, right?”

“Yes, let’s meet then. And Waden. Next, regarding what you asked for last time…”

After finishing her conversation, Maya immediately turned to Waden and explained her business.

“It seems it will be difficult after all.”

“…I see.”

“Yes, if we can’t find someone suitable to take charge, we might have to consider sending her out of the city temporarily during the school festival period.”

“…Right, we managed to get her out of the school grounds last time, but since many people gather for the school festival, we need to prepare for even the slightest possibility.”

“You seem to understand but look displeased.”

“Of course. This academy aims to accept everyone regardless of borders and race.”

“Well, I understand that part too. It’s not easy to have such a generous view towards problem children, but…”

The head of student guidance and the student council president having a serious conversation.

There’s a sense of dignity and seriousness befitting their positions, but I was a bit worried because the atmosphere wasn’t good.

Well, I’ve formed various connections with the student guidance, and Dale is indebted to the student council side, so I’d like to help if I can…

“Head of student guidance, is what you’re talking about now about that child I know?”

As I brought up the part of the topic that concerned me, Waden answered with a sigh.

“Ah, come to think of it, you would know, Teacher.”

“Yes, I believe the name was Ratel or something.”

Ratel Lo Den.

The child of barbarian origin who essentially provided the opportunity to create a connection with the student guidance.

What they were discussing now was how to handle that child. Since many outsiders visit during the school festival, not just from the academic city, it would be troublesome if she went berserk like that time.

“How has she been since that day? Has she gone berserk again or anything?”

“No, she’s been a quiet child as you said, Teacher. As long as she’s not specially stimulated, she just quietly sits and reads books or focuses on her hobbies.”

As expected.

Well, it’s already impressive that a member of a tribe that can destroy castle walls with bare hands didn’t go wild right after enrollment, and she hasn’t caused any other incidents except for that time until becoming a second-year middle school student, right?

So there probably won’t be much risk of her going wild under normal circumstances, but since that’s only for ‘normal’ situations, the student guidance side needs to prepare.

“But coincidentally, our entire student guidance team needs to focus on maintaining security when the school festival starts. At that time, even students in the punishment wing help with our activities as part of their community service, so there’s no problem with other problem students, but…”

“…It would be difficult to entrust such a task to that child.”

Of course, it would be worrying when she might be stimulated even by trivial tasks like watering flowers, given that she suffers from anger management issues.

Moreover, since she’s a child who was admitted under the Emperor’s influence, she can’t be neglected either.

“Hmm, so you’re looking for a way to isolate her during the school festival…”

After briefly organizing my thoughts as I understood the situation, I immediately made a suggestion to Waden.

“Then how about entrusting that child to me for the time being?”

“What? To you, Teacher?”

“As it happens, I’ll be absent from this school festival due to some work.”

Recently…

That is, when that damn mother visited this academy, it was because of the instructions Mariel gave me.

A total of four… including Heide, five religious groups staying in this academy’s city.

They were preparing to support the school festival in preparation for the annual large-scale event at this academy, and using that as a foundation, they were getting ready to conduct missionary activities targeting people flocking from all over the continent.

Given the scale and the amount of investment in this city, their activities are bound to attract attention from the Maris side as well.

However, as religions tend to be, they often have closed and narrow-minded views, making it difficult for the academy side to coordinate their activities.

Scholars generally separate religion and academia, and the academy teachers who are employed as representatives of the Maris side are mostly of that type.

“In other words, you judged that the Teacher, as both a teacher of Maris and someone with a religious perspective, would be suitable for that role.”

“It sounds like a tough job, will you be alright?”

“As long as they pay me, what can’t I do?”

The fatigue of labor usually stems from the pay.

Brushing off the concerns of the two casually, I turned back to Waden.

“So I’ll have to leave Maris for a while, and help coordinate their activities until the school festival ends. So I thought it would be okay to take one or two children who are difficult to manage at the academy with me while I’m out on this external work. Would you like to entrust her to me?”

“If you go that far to say so, Teacher… Alright. I’ll trust you and leave her in your care.”

Waden answers, nodding his head.

Seeing his expression improve, I felt considerably relieved as well.

“Um, wait a moment…”

On the contrary, the student council president wore an uneasy expression.

Soon, she carefully began to ask me.

“Um, Teacher. If you’re going out on external work… are you taking Dale with you too?”

“Ah well, I suppose so. As you know, that child is in a similar situation to Ratel.”

They’re both in a position where they can’t be carelessly neglected.

Of course, in reality, they’re both good kids, but it would be unreasonable to expect people who don’t know the circumstances to understand that.

At least in the president’s case, it seemed her prejudice towards him had disappeared…

“Ah, I see. That’s right.”

What’s with that disappointed reaction?

“…Are you feeling sad that Dale won’t be able to attend the school festival?”

“What!? What are you saying? S-Sad… Of course, I thought it might be nice if he could help a bit since the school festival work is busy, but still… I guess it would be difficult for me to look after him since I have many official appearances at the school festival too. A-Anyway, absolutely not…”

“Maya.”

The head of student guidance squints his eyes as if he’s caught a suspicious scent.

Maya, who had stopped mid-sentence, stiffened her body and glared back at Waden.

“W-What? Can’t I even worry?”

“You can worry to some extent. So can I.”

“So what exactly are you worrying about!”

The two start growling at each other again.

Somehow, I began to feel a fresh sensation from that sight.

To the extent that I couldn’t even think they were having an adult conversation until just now…

Yes, this is usually how high school students are.

Flaws stand out more sensitively than strengths, and they fight by picking on each other’s trivial aspects, but after time passes, they converse as if nothing happened.

Seeing the two students show such an atmosphere, other students in the academy probably exude such warmth too.

At least most of them.

“…Well, there are bound to be children who aren’t welcomed anywhere.”

Isn’t it the same everywhere?

Be it birth, race, wealth, or family…

For whatever reason, if one deviates from the average, and if it’s judged that the person has no will or power to resist, they tend to be thoroughly isolated first.

It’s not entirely wrong.

For humans as social animals, group cohesion is necessary, and it can be said to be instinctive to exclude what’s harmful to that cohesion.

Even if they try to accept differences to broaden the scale, if it’s judged to have caused harm to those differences, they exclude without looking back… Perhaps the concept of justice that the world talks about starts from excluding small goals for larger ones.

It’s a complex issue.

Someone being ostracized, and immature children taking extreme measures against it…

“…In the end, is the old system the problem?”

Well, even though it’s called the center of peace, it’s still a school built during wartime.

Two years is too short a time to change the system of that time to fit the era of peace.

Nevertheless, the obsession that it must change tends to cause many unforeseen problems.

“You two, could you come over here for a moment?”

But how can we transfer the responsibility for that to children like these?

“Huh? What… Uh?”

“…Teacher?”

“Stay still.”

I embraced the two and took time to feel their weight and warmth.

They weren’t small bodies.

Much larger than Dale or Beans… Yes, they’ll soon become adults like me.

These two, preparing for that moment, will have the leeway to endure what they face.

But children who haven’t yet reached this stage…

When faced with a situation where they can only exclude differences, they’ll have no choice but to be swayed by it.

“You two, please work hard so that this year’s school festival can be good too. I’ll do my best as well.”

So I hope that at least the space where I am can be a place where such children can stay comfortably.

Hoping that my wish would come true, I gradually put strength into my hands embracing the two.

---

And, the next morning.

Before the Saint and Dale went to school, I had time to face alone the item that the student council had been keeping, bringing it to the infirmary.

“It’s been a while. Little one. Have you been well?”

An ancient weapon with self-awareness that was buried and displaced hundreds of years ago. Deus Ex Machina.

“Danger, escaping.”

As soon as it faced me, it jumped from its place and rushed towards the window.

-Thud!

It bounced back and fell flat on the infirmary floor.

Hey, not just anyone can break that, you rascal.