Academy’s New Guard is Unusual - Chapter 40

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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 40
‘Unit 42’s new recruit, Grave.’
Nora quietly studied the man seated across from her.
His eyes held a faint, wolf-like ferocity, yet the corners of his mouth curved upward in the slightest smile.
Questions piled upon questions.
How had a freshly arrived new recruit become a professor’s teaching assistant? Why had she put her own name down as his assistant? Endless uncertainties cascaded one after another.
Yet one thing was certain.
‘This is my chance.’
From the moment Nora joined the Elite Guard Corps, she had harbored one unwavering goal: to become a teaching assistant.
It was why she practically lived in the Academic Affairs Office, and why she regularly bought meals for the teaching assistants with her meager guard salary.
But the barrier to becoming one ran deep.
She had stumbled and struggled through countless defeats.
And now, suddenly, opportunity had come rolling in—
It didn’t matter if her partner was a new recruit or anything else.
She had to seize this chance, whatever it took.
“I’ll do it.”
Nora spoke respectfully.
“Good thinking.”
Grave nodded.
At his casual tone of address, Nora’s eyebrow twitched, but she quickly composed herself and continued speaking.
“To meet the deadline, we’ll need to submit the documents as quickly as possible. First, we’ll need the authorization for Elite Guard Corps training support and the confirmation form for educational safety responsibility—both require separate issuance from the administrative office.”
“I’ll gather whatever documents are needed. Hey, Raven. Collect the necessary paperwork.”
“…Yes?”
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
At Grave’s words, Nora’s brow furrowed.
‘Is he joking?’
Time was critical. Even if she ran out now and collected all the documents, it would barely be enough—and he was making jokes?
“I’ll handle the professor and the class proceedings. You take care of everything else.”
Grave spoke flatly. Nora’s eyes widened.
Being a teaching assistant was no simple task. One had to manage unruly students and check assignments daily.
The hardest part, though, was dealing with the professor.
When a professor called, an assistant had to jump from sleep. It wasn’t for nothing that they were nicknamed the professor’s slaves. There were teaching assistants who’d lost all their hair from dealing with the wrong professor.
So for him to volunteer to handle the professor himself—
Working alongside the professor seemed good on the surface, but the reality was the opposite.
Professors grew more irritable during class. Class support meant catering to that irritation.
And to take on both the professor management and class support was to volunteer for the two hardest duties an assistant faced.
Of course, apart from those two, there were mountains of other tasks, but those Nora could manage somehow.
“But there’s a condition.”
So he did want something in return.
Nora nodded tensely.
“From now on, send a support request to Unit 42 every single day. Under my name.”
“…Yes? That’s all?”
“That’s it.”
Grave rose from his seat.
Nora hurried to stand as well, speaking urgently.
“The other teaching assistants will likely try to interfere.”
“The teaching assistants?”
“Yes. They won’t tolerate a guard becoming a teaching assistant. They’ll try to make you quit by any means necessary.”
Nora knew very well how prideful the teaching assistants were. The moment they heard that a guard had become one of their ranks, their eyes would roll back in their heads.
“Try to make us quit?”
“They’ll resort to violence.”
“That works out well.”
“…Yes?”
“I’ll send reinforcements soon.”
“What do you me—”
Grave didn’t answer. He simply vanished.
‘What exactly is this man?’
Nora murmured to herself, staring at the empty space where he’d been.
She couldn’t make sense of him, but that wasn’t the priority right now.
‘My chance has come. I must seize it.’
Nora closed her eyes and mentally reviewed her plan.
The timeline was incredibly tight. The critical factor was how quickly the documents could be prepared. If the paperwork came through fast, the rest Nora could handle however needed.
True, Grave had offered to gather the documents, but she couldn’t simply wait idly.
Nora stood, ready to take action herself.
Then—
A sharp rap. Something knocked against the door.
‘What’s this?’
When she opened it, a neatly organized stack of papers sat on the threshold. Nora’s eyes widened as she examined them.
‘…Authorization for Elite Guard Corps training support?’
Nora hastily reviewed the documents.
‘Educational safety responsibility confirmation… psychological fitness evaluation request form—’
All the necessary documents were packed inside. Even things she hadn’t thought to need.
He’d been with her just moments ago—
‘He prepared all this in that time?’
It made no sense.
Had he prepared them beforehand? But that didn’t make sense either.
How could he have known in advance?
‘…What exactly is his true identity?’
Nora swallowed hard.
* * *
“Teaching Assistant Belmen, did you hear about it?”
“About what?”
“You know Professor Leon, right?”
“Of course. That person who caused quite a stir, wasn’t it? Most of it was just rumor, supposedly?”
“So they say. Anyway, Professor Leon started his lectures, and apparently—get this—he’s using an Elite Guard Corps member as a teaching assistant.”
“What? Don’t kid around.”
“I wish it were a joke. And one of them is Nora.”
“Nora? That Nora?”
“The very one. The one you used to fawn over at every opportunity.”
“Ahem. As if I’m the only one. You were too—”
“…Anyway, setting Nora aside, the other one is some guard no one’s even heard of. And apparently a new recruit, at that.”
“Are they insane? With the finest teaching assistants on the continent available, they’re using incompetent guards? And a new one? Didn’t the Teaching Assistant Director have anything to say?”
“Of course there was an uproar. They said it was an insult to the teaching assistant corps, threw quite a fit. But what can you do? The professor’s made his decision.”
“So we’re just supposed to sit and watch?”
“Well, we can’t touch the professor, but the assistants… that’s a different story. The Director gave clear orders. Teach those arrogant newcomers their place.”
“As it should be.”
“Gather everyone with any real strength.”
“Is there even a need for all that just for a guard?”
“Better to be safe than sorry.”
“Your caution knows no bounds. Fine. So what’s the new recruit’s name anyway?”
“His name is……”
* * *
“Grave……”
I watched Leon carefully.
His stern face set rigid as his lips pressed shut. He seemed to be struggling desperately, but soon his mouth began to tremble.
Before long, Leon couldn’t hold back any longer and opened his mouth.
“—sir.”
“Why do you keep adding that ‘sir’?”
“But……”
Leon’s face turned ashen as he trailed off.
I understood his difficulty well enough. To a soldier, I was a commanding superior so far above him as to be unreachable.
“On the surface, I’m a teaching assistant. That attitude will only arouse suspicion.”
“But no matter how you put it, how could I possibly—”
“Leon.”
“Captain Leon!”
“Again.”
“Yes!”
Leon took a slow, deliberate breath, his expression dead serious.
‘What’s so difficult about saying my name?’
Frustration rose in my chest, but I held it back—touching Leon now would only make things worse.
Then Leon opened his mouth with firm resolve.
“Grave!!”
A moment of silence followed before Leon added in the smallest of whispers:
“……
sir.
”
At the “sir” that slipped out again, I scowled irritably.
Leon’s face had gone pale. He poured out his grievance.
“I truly cannot do this. Once you’re an imperial soldier, you’re an imperial soldier for life. How could I presume to address you so casually?”
Faced with this unforeseen problem, I pressed my temples.
Leon added, his expression grim.
“My sincere apologies. But truly, I cannot.”
A few punches might solve it immediately, but there was a risk of complications later. And having him remain so formal with me as a teaching assistant was also a problem.
In that case, perhaps—
“Then just don’t speak at all.”
“Pardon?”
“From now on, you can’t talk.”
“What? That’s impos—”
I kicked Leon’s shin.
“Ow!”
Leon let out a sharp cry. I kicked him again.
“Ouch! Why are you kicking me!”
I kicked once more. After about five strikes, Leon finally stopped crying out.
“You’re a taciturn man now. Don’t open your mouth at all. If you understand, just nod.”
Nod.
“Good.”
Leon, pale-faced, gestured to his sealed lips.
“When will he speak? You still don’t understand. Tsk.”
I kicked Leon’s shin again.
Only then did he seem to grasp it. Leon didn’t open his mouth after that.
Leon was a textbook beautiful blonde.
His military bearing gave his lips and jawline a stubborn cast, but with his mouth shut, he looked rather convincing.
I nodded with satisfaction.
“That’s an order. No screaming either, from now on.”
Nod.
Leon nodded, his expression resolute.
Military discipline really is effective on soldiers.
“I plan to conduct the lectures myself. Any objections? You’re welcome to voice them. They’re your lectures, after all.”
Shake, shake, shake.
Leon’s eyes went wide in alarm as he frantically shook his head.
“I’m serious. I have no intention of stealing your lectures.”
Leon gestured to his sealed lips, asking silently if he could speak.
When I nodded, Leon opened his mouth.
“Students at Elysium Academy have the right to receive the finest instruction. Your lectures are, without question, of the highest caliber. If anything, I would humbly request to attend!”
Leon even bowed as he made his plea.
“That’s fortunate.”
“It’s an honor!”
With this, I’d successfully arranged one course for Evangeline.
The problem was, it was only one subject.
New students take five courses total: Aura, Magic, Dark Magic, Divine Power—four foundational courses matched to each attribute, plus one general education course.
Leon’s course was general education, leaving four others.
Evangeline was hardheaded. If left to her own devices, she’d get expelled.
‘Well, Aura should be fine.’
The Rift I’d just been to was Aura-aspected.
When Evangeline closed a Rift, she absorbed a portion of that Rift’s abilities.
The effect was superior to consuming a Fragment of the Outer God, and there were no side effects.
It was the most crucial aspect of her abilities.
‘I wish more Rifts would open.’
As I mused thus, realization struck me.
‘…I could just open a Rift myself.’
This last Rift had formed when Evangeline entered the Central Library. Elysium Academy had quite a few places like that.
If I put Evangeline in one of them, there was a possibility an incomplete Rift would open as before.
If I broke it, I’d get a Fragment of the Outer God, and Evangeline would raise her stats.
Of course, Evangeline would be in danger, but—
A little danger is good for the circulation.
* * *
“Huff— huff— huff—.”
Andy sighed as she watched Evangeline breathing heavily.
Ever since she’d learned the Knight’s Breathing Technique from Vivienne, she’d been at it constantly.
“Evangeline, stop already. The Knight’s Breathing Technique isn’t just regular breathing—even students who’ve taken proper knight courses take at least six months before they can reach that level. You can’t just copy it and—”
“I already did.”
“What?”
“I said I did.”
Evangeline held out the baguette she’d been carrying. Clear Aura shimmered around it.
“Aren’t I a genius?”
Evangeline puffed out her chest with arrogant pride.
Andy had the distinct feeling something was very, very wrong.

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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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