Chapter 25: Special Lesson Part 1
by fnovelpia
The day after I taught the students breathing techniques.
My classes were held three times a week, every other day, so today was a break day.
However, as a temporary professor, there was no such thing as a leisurely day for me.
So, I called Erin, Lucia, and even Azuki to come see me separately.
“Everyone assembled?”
“I canceled all my plans and came running the moment you called, Master!”
“Good. But Lucia, what were you doing that has you so out of breath?”
Lucia was gasping heavily, her breathing rough and ragged.
Sweat was pouring down her forehead like a torrential downpour.
Anyone watching would’ve thought I had worked her to the bone.
“It’s nothing serious. I just had to shake off Erin and the other church members when you told me to come alone.”
“Ah, sorry. I was planning a special class just for you three today.”
“If you’re worried about leaks, I think at least Erin can be trusted—”
“I wasn’t planning to teach any special techniques. This will be a practical lesson.”
“So you excluded Erin because her overprotectiveness might interfere with my growth? I understand.”
As expected of the sharp-minded Saint, Lucia nodded in quick understanding.
I liked her straightforward personality—never one to nitpick unnecessarily.
“U-um… Professor, may I ask why you called me here?”
“The place I’m about to take you might be connected to your curse.”
“R-really?!”
“I can’t promise to lift the curse, but you might learn something about it.”
“That’s more than enough. Just understanding the nature of my curse would be a huge step for me!”
Azuki had been suffering in ignorance, not knowing the cause of her affliction.
She had asked her family many times, but they never told her anything.
All related documents had been burned long ago.
She had tried everything she could in her homeland, but her efforts had been fruitless.
The influence of her family had spread across the entire country.
That’s why the twin fox sisters made the decision to leave home and journey to a distant foreign land.
To uncover the truth about the curse their family was hiding—and if possible, to break it.
“Are you… cursed?”
“Ot…!”
Lucia suddenly leaned forward at the word ‘curse.’
Startled, Azuki tilted her fox ears to the side and quickly hid behind me.
She was naturally shy, and Lucia’s sudden approach had clearly overwhelmed her.
“Azuki is quite shy. Getting up in her face like that so suddenly makes her uncomfortable.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize and approached too casually. But I didn’t mean any harm. I only wanted to help after hearing she was cursed.”
“Th-thank you for your concern, but holy power won’t help. I’ve already visited several priests, and all of them said it was beyond their ability.”
“As a Saint, I might be able to help! May I at least try once?”
Azuki looked up at me with pleading eyes, as if asking for permission.
I nodded, signaling that it was okay to give it a try.
Azuki hesitated, then stood stiffly in front of Lucia.
“Thank you for trusting me.”
Lucia smiled warmly and gently brought Azuki’s hands together.
Then she placed her own hands over Azuki’s.
The two of them formed a prayer pose, and light began to radiate from their joined hands.
Pure holy power flowed from Lucia’s body into Azuki’s.
It was a cleansing light that dispelled filth and repelled malicious forces.
But the moment the holy power tried to enter Azuki’s body, the light rebounded violently, bursting into a blinding flash.
I had anticipated this and closed my eyes before the flash erupted.
In the original story, Lucia had attempted the same thing—and ended up dazzling everyone with a flashbang instead.
“…I guess that means it didn’t work?”
“Ugh… I’m sorry I couldn’t help.”
“It’s okay! I know you did your best, Saint Lucia.”
“But the curse…”
“That’s enough moping! Azuki’s curse isn’t something ordinary holy power can cure, so don’t let it get to you.”
Curses we usually know are mostly caused by dark magic or malice.
But Azuki’s curse had been cast using Eastern sorcery, so it was only natural that holy power wouldn’t work.
Even though I knew this, I still encouraged Lucia to try.
I did it to remind Azuki not to get her hopes up about removing the curse so easily.
Each of the heroines carried a burden, and those issues would be resolved as the story progressed.
But if Lucia started worrying about Azuki’s curse on top of her own problems, it would only double her troubles.
To prevent that, I gave her the opportunity—and let her fail.
“Azuki’s curse is different from magic-based ones. It’s only natural you couldn’t fix it. So don’t worry.”
“…Alright.”
“Good! Then let’s get moving. If we stick around too long, Erin or Azuki might show up.”
I led the two students and Azuki up the hiking trail behind the academy.
Our destination lay beyond the mountain—an oceanfront cave.
Once we crossed the back of the academy’s mountain and headed down, the vast Great Ocean stretched before us.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t a beach—only steep cliffs, with a hidden cave tucked beneath them.
It was a place that Luke had discovered while traveling in search of a shard of the divine during the vacation.
***
‘It’s a location that appears before Chapter 3, but visiting it now shouldn’t be a problem.’
The cave held plenty of rewards, and since it was relatively nearby, it made for a perfect overnight training trip.
Above all, I believed it would be an ideal real-world combat stage for my students.
“I’m amazed! I never imagined such a wide cave was hidden below the cliffs…!”
“It’s incredible, but it looks man-made to me, not a natural cave.”
“You’re absolutely right. According to the records, it’s not a natural formation. It was made by people who came from the Eastern lands.”
I wasn’t lying.
Well, technically, a web novel is still literature.
I only said I’d looked through old records to avoid directly answering whether there was a cave or not.
“So, you’re from the East like I am?”
“That’s right. Which is why I thought I might be able to help you understand your curse.”
“Thank you, Professor. I can’t believe you found a hidden cave just for me…”
“Save your thanks for later! You can thank me once we actually uncover the truth about your curse.”
“Got it!”
The cave was lit by glowing teal-colored stones embedded in the walls, so there was no need for lanterns.
The path wasn’t complicated either.
As long as you went straight, you’d reach the inner depths without trouble.
There was only one fork in the road, and I came to a stop in front of it.
“From here on, we’re splitting into two teams. Azuki and I will take the left path. Erin and Lucia, you two take the right.”
“Huh?!”
“You mean we’re not all going together?”
“There’s a fork in the road, isn’t there? If we want to finish exploring the cave and get back to the academy by tomorrow, we need to divide our group.”
“I-I get that, but we don’t know anything about this cave! What if we get lost?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. No matter which path you take, you’ll still end up at the same final destination.”
Even though the paths split, they both led to the same place in the end.
The only difference was the journey in between.
“And just so you’re prepared, the enemies here are undead. I’ve heard that the corpses of warriors from the Eastern continent wander this cave, unable to rest.”
“Undead, huh…”
“They’re the perfect opponents for a hero who purges evil and a saint who cleanses corruption. A solid first battle.”
“I understand. But can I ask why you divided the teams this way?”
“Since this is a practical lesson, I thought it’d be more fun to turn it into a race. Whichever team reaches the inner chamber first wins. It’s also a matter of balancing the teams.”
There was another reason, but I didn’t bother explaining it.
It had nothing to do with Erin and Lucia.
“Still, I’d rather go with you, Professor!”
“Me too! Fighting alongside someone I don’t even know well sounds like torture!”
“If your team reaches the final chamber first, I’ll grant you any wish you want. How about that?”
“I’m in!”
“That’s quite the tempting offer. You better keep your word!”
Erin and Lucia changed their minds fast.
Without waiting for a start signal, the two of them bolted down the right path side by side.
‘What are they planning to ask me for that has them so desperate to win?’
I started to regret offering a prize in the first place.
“Professor! Let’s go too!”
Azuki was just as fired up.
Even though I hadn’t promised her anything, she looked ready to charge forward with blazing determination.
‘Maybe she thought winning meant she’d also get a wish.’
I smiled and gently patted Azuki on the head.
“Relax. We’re going to take our time.”
“Huh? But if we don’t hurry, we’ll lose!”
“There’s a shortcut on the left path. Plus, there’s a secret room related to your curse.”
As soon as we stepped into the left corridor, I tapped on the wall with the tip of my foot.
After about five kicks, a section of the wall began to sink inward, then rose up with a loud rumble.
“Right here!”
Beyond the hidden door, the room glowed red from the luminescent stones embedded in the walls.
Inside were ropes, handcuffs, gags, blindfolds, whips, candles—an array of items clearly tainted by human desires.
“…Oh hell no.”
I’d stumbled into the wrong room.
It hadn’t occurred to me that there might be a second hidden room not mentioned in the novel.
Worse yet, I’d told Azuki to follow me in before I realized the mistake…
“P-Professor?”
“This isn’t what it looks like.”
Azuki’s eyes were wide with shock as she glanced around the room.
The red lighting made it hard to tell if her face was flushed or just reflecting the glow—but either way, this was probably way outside her comfort zone.
‘How the hell was I supposed to explain this?’
Even I was too overwhelmed to think straight.
That’s when Azuki quietly stepped closer and shyly tugged at my sleeve.
“I-I don’t mind your preferences, even if you use the curse as an excuse… I’m willing to try and match your tastes, Onii-sama…”
The misunderstanding only grew deeper.
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