Preparation

“…Teacher.”

“What’s the matter?”

“What on earth did you do this time…?”

The Class President spoke to me with clear bewilderment in her voice.

…I didn’t need to look to know what she was talking about.

She must be referring to the two people studying behind me.

“You shouldn’t react like that just because they’re studying. You’ll hurt their feelings.”

“…No! I have to say this! Leo’s one thing, but Orca behaving like this?! What exactly did you do?!”

“Hey, you done talking?”

“Ugh.”

Just as I expected.

Maybe I set the hypnosis intensity too high.

It must look awkward seeing students who’ve never shown academic interest suddenly studying like this.

Especially when it’s Orca, infamous as the academy’s troublemaker.

…But hear me out. I do have my reasons.

Doesn’t it bother you when people call Orca stupid?

No, how could I just listen when they mock my Orca like that?

It’s not like I applied extra hypnosis after hearing students laugh about how “at least we won’t be last place thanks to that bitch.” Really.

This is for the students’ futures. Yeah.

Orca needs to live her own life someday too.

She still acts like she’s given up on everything…

But someday. I want to help her pursue what she truly wants.

I don’t know what that might be, but improving her grades is basic preparation – something even my old world emphasized.

This definitely isn’t about getting back at those brats.

…I should secretly lower the hypnosis depth. Can’t have her actually topping the class.

Mid-tier would be acceptable, but if Orca – who ranked at the absolute bottom during entrance exams – suddenly becomes a top student, it would raise serious suspicions.

People would easily assume cheating.

“I can study too, you know?”

“Ah, yes.”

“What’s with that face?! You really wanna fight me to the death…”

“Now, now Orca. Watch your language.”

“…Wanna fight?!”

The Orca Model Student Project requires gradual implementation.

Slowly. Very slowly. Like clothes getting wet in drizzle.

She might resist strongly now, but we’ll immerse her bit by bit.

Eventually, Orca too could blend in with others.

Maybe someday I’ll see her enjoying ordinary days with friends – the dream she’s always cherished.

Of course, significant challenges remain.

But with no immediate solutions, I’ll do what I can.

Taming a wild child raised in harsh environments requires making them accustomed to domestic life.

That’s our current phase.

“Well, good. It’s nice seeing you work hard. Are you preparing well for the practical exam?”

“Huh? Practical?”

“…Don’t tell me you forgot? You were attending class, weren’t you?”

Beads of sweat began forming on Orca’s forehead.

Wait, did she genuinely not know?

In the game world, Orca skips classes.

Naturally, players wouldn’t know when practical exams start.

…But she should be attending now?

I didn’t think she’d break our agreement, knowing what consequences might follow.

She’s uneducated, not stupid.

“Uh, well…”

“…We agreed you’d attend classes, right?”

“I-I did! Really! He saw me too!”

Her trembling pupils and desperate search for witnesses told me everything.

I understood the situation.

She slept through it.

Even if attending, she’d either zone out or nap since she couldn’t understand the content.

Hence missing the practical exam announcement.

Sigh.

I get it. I napped plenty as a student too.

But you could’ve listened just a little… This teacher’s feelings are hurt…

“The practical is simple. Deal cumulative damage above a certain threshold to a dummy within the time limit. That’s all.”

“Oh, you know about it?”

“Well, I heard from fellow teachers. Couldn’t not know.”

Basically, it’s a damage calculation dummy.

They included this event across all playthroughs to measure player character growth through combo chains.

Community forums used to flood with achievement posts about it.

Naturally, it became veteran players’ playground with all the number crunching.

“So no need to worry. Just show what you’ve honed so far.”

…However. As expected, this event never passes peacefully despite only appearing four times in-game.

Without fail, major incidents erupt during this period.

First semester midterms… What was it again?

Ah, remembered.

“Orca.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t get too friendly with other teachers, okay?”

“…?”

Not that she’s the type to approach others first…

But better safe than sorry. No reason not to mention it.

The main event during first semester midterms isn’t just whacking dummies.

The scarecrow is merely a warm-up damage calculator.

Once measurements finish, the second event – this period’s main storyline – triggers immediately.

The Culprit Finding Event.

***

“…So you expect me to believe this? Teacher Ophelia?”

“You don’t have to believe me, Principal. I’m merely conveying that such an incident will occur.”

“…”

The Culprit Finding Event.

As the name suggests, players must find the perpetrator behind an incident.

The incident involves… rampaging Scarecrows.

Holographic Scarecrows shouldn’t be able to attack – or even be attacked – since they’re intangible light constructs.

But to withstand student assaults, they require physical bodies.

The academy solved this by overlaying magic-made flesh onto holograms.

Dummies created by the world’s finest mages.

Students attack these dummies while holograms calculate impact levels.

A simple exam.

Naturally, the dummies possess no means to counterattack.

Right. That’s how it should be.

Who’d suspect a traitor among academy staff?

Scarecrows suddenly moving to kill students? A perfect ambush.

Once the dummies gain bodies and break free, they won’t stop until destroyed.

Severing connections won’t work – they’re designed to function as long as one link remains as fail-safe.

Obviously the traitor won’t disconnect them, leaving destruction as the only option.

The problem? These dummies are disgustingly durable, built to endure student attacks.

The traitor secretly equipped them with weapons too. A flawless ambush… had I not intervened.

“Anti-establishment groups attacking the academy… Why?”

“Simple. Two symbols of the regime reside here.”

“The Watcher and that arrogant brat… Reasonable.”

More precisely, it’s terrorism.

Targeting Anastasia and Stella.

Prime targets for subversives seeking to overthrow the government.

High-profile figures who should live under strict surveillance are gathered here.

To those groups, it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet.

“…How did you learn about this?”

“Hmm, could we skip that question?”

“Why does everyone meeting me secretly say this… Utterly baffling.”

Because you’re the type who can’t refuse requests easily? Plus your high status and exceptional abilities…

…Having revealed this much, Veronica’s path was already predetermined.

Preparing versus not preparing – cleanup after an unprepared incident would be too burdensome.

As someone genuinely caring for students, hearing they might get hurt restricts her options.

As if knowing this, the principal sighed.

“More cunning than I thought, Teacher. This amounts to notification, not consultation.”

“Ahaha…”

“Fine. I won’t ask how you know. But one thing – why warn me not to prevent it?”

“Because it’ll help students grow.”

I declared firmly.

This is the right path.

“I judged this more beneficial for student development.”

“…”

“While we monitor for emergencies, letting students resolve incidents themselves provides valuable experience.”

“Hmm.”

Everything is experience.

Those who undergo events inevitably learn more than those who don’t.

She surely agrees.

She’d block incomprehensible threats, but here we’ve identified the incident beforehand.

We hold an emergency stop button from the start.

In such safety, Veronica wouldn’t pass up students gaining battlefield-like practice.

As predicted, she sighed and nodded.

“Good. However, I’ll be absent on the day Teacher Ophelia mentioned.”

“I know.”

“…If students get seriously injured, you’ll bear responsibility.”

“Don’t worry. I’m quite capable despite appearances.”

Students must resolve everything themselves.

So I’ll stage manageable yet dangerous scenarios based on predictable events.

Contradictory… but necessary for safe growth.

I smiled gratefully at the principal.

“That smile looks suspicious… Sorry, I retract my earlier…”

“Wh-what?! That’s too much! What’s wrong with my smile?!”

“It was genuinely unsettling. Try smiling like that in a mirror – you’d frighten yourself.”

“N-no way…”