Academy’s New Guard is Unusual - Chapter 103

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 103
The game I’ve possessed, “Harder Than Romance, Graduation,” is a Romance Fantasy academy story, as the title suggests.
In reality, it’s about surviving in an extreme academy, but the basic framework remains that of an academy story.
The main events follow academy functions precisely.
The Republic’s Magic Stone Bomb terror at the Entrance Ceremony, or Darkin’s disappearance at the New Student Welcome Ceremony—both were main events.
However, the two above are merely the opening act.
The real main event was the exam.
The Midterm Examination.
In most academy stories, exams are important main events.
But they were never quite as crucial as in this game.
This game’s entire objective is Evangeline’s graduation from the start.
Fail the Midterm Examination and it’s game over. That’s why I decided to focus on the midterm rather than the Apostles of Foreign Gods for now.
At the Entrance Ceremony and New Student Welcome, problems arose one at a time. Stopping the Republic’s Magic Stone Bomb or preventing Darkin’s disappearance was the end of it.
But during the Midterm Examination, multiple problems occur simultaneously.
The bigger problem is that the Academic Affairs Department steps in during exam period.
The Academic Affairs Department was truly finicky and troublesome.
With them around, my movements were inevitably restricted.
And now such a department is being attached to a professor—.
A stroke of luck, I suppose.
But what mattered now was something else.
Evangeline’s test scores.
Evangeline’s mental faculties were severely deficient. Left alone, she naturally fell into Expulsion due to failing grades.
To avoid Expulsion, I had to make Evangeline study as much as possible.
After visiting the Chasm, her Aura and Divine Power would be fine, but the problem was Magic and Black Magic.
Of course, I had no intention of teaching her myself.
“Wait, I need to talk to you.”
Before the Academic Affairs Department could attach itself, I quickly sought out the twin witches.
The twin witches, Bella and Lira, were both excellent mages.
More than anything, their chemistry was perfect.
Bella was a genius who used magic intuitively, while Lira calculated everything meticulously, and so they perfectly complemented each other’s shortcomings.
As instructors, their combination was unbeatable.
So—
“Educate Evangeline.”
“You’re telling me to give private lessons now? That violates academy rules. If we’re caught, it’s immediate contract termination.”
Bella spoke sharply. Lira concurred.
“An Academic Affairs Department staff member will likely be attached soon. If we’re caught giving private lessons in this situation, it’s dangerous.”
Bella’s point was valid.
Elysium Academy strictly prohibited private lessons.
So—
“It’s not private lessons. It’s supplemental instruction.”
“……Supplemental instruction?”
“Right. Give supplemental lectures for Practical Combat Studies. Since the course is about combat, the excuse that you’re teaching students how to fight against mages should work.”
“Wait, isn’t that course taught by Professor Leon?”
“That’s right.”
“Then why would we be the ones giving supplemental lectures?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Of course there—”
Lira stopped Bella, whose voice was rising.
“Admittedly, there’s no rule against other professors giving supplemental lectures, but the Academic Affairs Department will find it suspicious.”
She was right.
The vice-principal was already suspicious of professors, and the Academic Affairs Department was assigning staff to each one.
If the twin witches suddenly gave supplemental lectures for Leon’s course, they’d find it suspicious.
“Never mind.”
They’ll suspect Leon anyway.
“No, we have a problem—”
“Understood.”
Lira cut off Bella’s outburst.
Another strange rumor about Leon would spread.
There were instances where a friendly professor would substitute for a colleague who had unavoidable circumstances, but it was rare for supplemental lectures to be given.
Especially when the colleagues were the notorious twin witches and Dracof—another bizarre rumor about Leon was certain to follow.
Leon would probably like that.
I nodded and moved to the next topic.
“What about the Magic Stone Mine?”
“……We’ve just begun construction.”
“That’s slow.”
“Slow? We paid extra and expedited it as much as we could!”
“Pay even more.”
“There’s no money!”
Bella shrieked. Her fists trembled slightly.
A Magic Tower Master without money. I clicked my tongue and tossed her a pouch.
“Use this then.”
“What is this—. Eek?”
Bella grumbled and opened the pouch. Brilliant light spilled out.
“Su-Supreme-Grade Magic Stones?”
“Supreme-Grade Magic Stones?”
Bella gasped sharply after seeing inside the pouch.
Lira, who checked the stones next, looked at me with eyes as if she’d seen a ghost.
Supreme-Grade Magic Stones couldn’t be purchased even with money.
“Will that be enough?”
“M-More than enough.”
Lira stammered, while Bella’s mouth hung open silently.
It seemed sufficient.
“In return, take responsibility and make sure Evangeline doesn’t fail Basic Magic Theory.”
“Just make sure she doesn’t fail? That’s really all?”
Bella asked incredulously.
“That’s right. But no improper methods.”
“Of course not! Who’d want that!”
Bella and Lira nodded simultaneously.
The deal was done.
I offered a light warning.
“Oh, those are stolen goods, so be careful with them.”
“What?! You stole them?!”
“No, I received them as a gift.”
“You just said they were stolen—”
“Someone stole them and gave them as a gift.”
“What lunatic steals Supreme-Grade Magic Stones?! And then gives them as a gift?!”
Bella cursed sharply.
“If you don’t want them, fine.”
“N-No one said I didn’t want them!”
Bella hastily hid the pouch behind her back.
It was the natural behavior of a mage.
Mages couldn’t resist Magic Stones—they’d take even an emperor’s if they could.
Magic Stones were that important to mages.
“I’ll tell you the lecture time later.”
“Yes, and we’ll accelerate the mine schedule further.”
Lira spoke in a crisp, businesslike tone.
The Supreme-Grade Magic Stones had apparently boosted my credibility.
With Magic settled,
Black Magic, I planned to leave to Dracof.
Since Dracof was already in a state akin to being my servant, there was no need to ask for his opinion.
The professors were secured.
What remained now—
Was Evangeline.
Actually, Evangeline’s willingness to study was the most crucial factor.
Even if I brought in professors, if Evangeline refused to cooperate, it was pointless.
Evangeline hated studying. It was practically an allergy.
To make such a girl study required a delicate approach.
I had to provoke her competitive spirit.
Evangeline didn’t feel competitive toward anyone superior to her, but she did feel it toward opponents worth challenging.
That was why I’d deliberately structured my lectures around Low-Tier Class students.
Seeing the Low-Tier Class composition, Evangeline would feel they were opponents worth taking on.
If I stimulated that competitive spirit, Evangeline would study.
What a hassle.
I clicked my tongue and moved on.
Today happened to be a lecture day.
When I arrived at the Classroom, Leon was waiting.
But next to Leon stood a familiar face.
Calix, the Academic Affairs Department staff who had evaluated my lecture.
“It’s truly an honor to actually attend a lecture.”
Calix kept talking, gazing at Leon. Leon looked at me urgently, as if asking what to do.
The Midterm Examination would start soon anyway.
Until now, I’d taught directly, tailoring lessons to the Low-Tier Class’s characteristics, but during the exam period, lessons befitting the course name were necessary.
I planned to have Leon teach that directly.
“Once the lecture preparation is complete, I’ll inform you.”
“Hm—”
Leon let out a bemused sigh at my oblique statement.
His face showed urgency, but I ignored it and entered the Classroom.
The Low-Tier Class students sat scattered throughout the room.
I stood at the Lecturer’s Podium and surveyed them.
Luna, who talked to dolls like people; Rosa, a tattooed delinquent saint; Vivienne, cowering and unable to even lift her head; and Andy and Evangeline.
Low-Tier Class students with distinctly varied personalities.
I suppressed a sigh and opened my mouth.
“The Midterm Examination will begin soon. For the time being, Professor Leon will conduct the lectures directly.”
“You weren’t the professor before?!”
I ignored Evangeline’s question and continued.
“Recent satisfaction scores were high, so a Special Budget has been allocated. To encourage the students’ motivation, the professor has designated the Special Budget as prize money. The full Special Budget will be awarded to whichever student achieves the highest average score on this Midterm Examination.”
At the announcement that the Special Budget would be distributed as prize money, Calix burst into excited cheers.
“Other professors scramble to keep the Special Budget for themselves, yet you allocate it entirely to encourage student motivation! Truly Professor Leon!”
Calix sent an admiring gaze toward Leon.
Leon’s face grew noticeably stiffer.
Calix simply interpreted it in his own way.
“Ah, you find it uncomfortable to take credit for such things. You consider it only natural—truly remarkable.”
Leon clenched his fists. He seemed desperately restraining himself from punching Calix.
Then Evangeline suddenly stood up.
She looked around the class composition slowly, her eyes contemptuous.
After surveying her classmates, Evangeline smirked.
“You all are worth a shot?”
At Evangeline’s assessment, every Low-Tier Class face hardened simultaneously.
It was as if they’d heard insults about their parents.
“What? Worth a shot? You Low-Tier Class bastard—”
Rosa cursed openly.
Even Vivienne showed displeasure.
A far greater intensity arose than when the prize money was announced.
With just one line, she’d kindled the motivation of everyone else.
In a certain sense, Evangeline was truly remarkable.
They’ll all study hard now.
I smiled with satisfaction and approached Leon.
“Professor, I’m done. You may begin the lecture.”
“Hm—”
Leon exhaled a bemused breath and looked at me.
His eyes asked sincerely: was he really supposed to lecture?
Leon’s face was full of apprehension. He looked ready to pout at any moment.
“I’ll now begin Professor Leon’s Practical Combat Studies lecture.”
I said this while quietly stepping off the platform.
After working his lips for a moment, Leon took a deep breath and stepped up to the Lecturer’s Podium.
“……I’ll now begin Practical Combat Studies.”
Leon spoke in a suppressed voice.
His face looked ready to collapse from anxiety, but in the game, Leon was quite an excellent professor.
However, the students gathered here were Low-Tier Class, hand-selected by me.
Keeping them focused would be quite difficult—
Why are they all paying attention?
I muttered internally while observing the students concentrating silently.
Even the usually rowdy Rosa had lowered her feet from the desk and was listening to the lecture, and Luna had quietly set aside her doll to focus.
All of them were listening to Leon’s lesson with unexpected enthusiasm.
Their eyes were very serious.
The prize money probably had some effect. These Low-Tier Class students had been abandoned by their respective factions.
They were necessarily in financial straits.
But there was an even greater cause than the prize money.
Evangeline’s provocation.
Everyone seemed stung by her “You all are worth a shot?”
The way they kept glancing sideways suggested they were thinking “At least I’m better than her.”
The scores might actually come out quite well.
Of course, the main goal was to keep Evangeline from failing, but good scores from the other students would naturally be welcome.
So the Low-Tier Class had synergy after all.
Still, I couldn’t quite bring myself to be happy about it.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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