The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 44

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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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Chapter 44. Special Appointment Professor (1)
Ah, now I finally understand, Beverage.
How much you must have suffered teaching me in my past life.
‘How did you manage to teach this without uttering a single curse?’
Whether it was because I’d only ever learned from others and never taught before, or because I was simply born without patience, I couldn’t say.
Less than five minutes into teaching Berald martial arts, my initial plan of “teach diligently without a single harsh word” was immediately abandoned.
No.
It would be more accurate to say I had no choice but to abandon it.
“The microscopic world?! What, you mean that microscopic level? You crazy bastard!”
“Aaah! B-brother, surely you don’t have a preference for young girls?!”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Laying hands on a woman who hasn’t come of age is a clear crime!”
“No.”
How could I possibly let this absurdity slide without beating some sense into him?
“Sigh… Life is a mess.”
After that delightful(?) martial arts lesson filled with curses and violence came to an end.
With Berald, twice a week.
Every Tuesday and Thursday, we agreed to meet and I’d teach him martial arts for two hours.
‘If I had my way, I’d work him every day of the week.’
But I had mountains of my own work to handle, so I couldn’t afford to focus only on Berald.
‘Well, with just this much, Berald should be able to grow steadily on his own.’
At least in martial arts, Berald was a genius on par with Yuren.
There was no reason to stick with him all week when he was the type of genius who could grasp ten or a hundred things from being taught just one.
‘In fact, constant instruction might actually hinder his growth.’
Anyway.
Berald was settled.
“That leaves Yuren and Sophia…”
I was planning to make contact with both of them in the not-too-distant future.
‘But not right now.’
For one, Sophia was in a different year, making contact difficult, and even if I did manage it, teaching her magic would be problematic.
‘I’ve only mastered the theory of magic; I haven’t actually used it properly yet.’
Swordsmanship and martial arts I could fake reasonably well even without mana, but magic was impossible to use without it in the first place.
‘It would be better to meet with Sophia after I become more proficient with magic.’
Next was Yuren.
“The ranking gap between me and Yuren is just too massive.”
Imagine it.
The lowest-ranked student approaching the top student and saying, “Want to learn swordsmanship from me?”
‘I’d be lucky to escape without being cursed out.’
No matter how much rumors about me had spread throughout the Academy recently.
To Yuren, who had never once relinquished the top spot since enrollment—an elite among elites—such rumors would be nothing more than a joke to brush aside.
“But if I wait until after the comprehensive rankings evaluation to meet up, another entire semester will slip away….”
While I continued wrestling with this dilemma.
Ding!
A clear alarm chimed from my Hero Watch, left on the bedside table.
[Dale. You haven’t forgotten that classes start again today, have you?]
A message from Iris appeared on the Hero Watch screen.
“She’s been sending messages more frequently lately.”
We hadn’t completely avoided messaging each other before, but.
Since the incident with the demonic beasts last time, the volume of messages from Iris had noticeably increased.
‘Messages.’
In my past life, even when we needed to contact each other, we could only do so through calls.
“….”
Thinking back to those days, the mere fact that I could exchange messages with Iris now filled my chest with an overwhelming sense of fulfillment.
‘I protected it.’
Though things hadn’t unfolded as smoothly as I’d envisioned,
in the end, I had defeated Ashtaroth and preserved her “Seven Eyes.”
That’s right.
I, Dale Han.
A mere nobody who was nothing but a low-ranking hero had succeeded in changing fate itself.
‘And I’ll continue changing it from here on.’
As I steeled my resolve with such thoughts.
Ding.
[Reply.]
Another message arrived from Iris.
I quickly picked up my Hero Watch and sent her a response.
[Oh, sorry. I was just about to head out anyway.]
[Then let’s meet before the lecture starts and go together.]
[Sounds good. Where should we meet?]
[Let’s meet by the Main Building Cafeteria.]
[Got it.]
Meeting before the lecture to go in together.
‘How refreshing.’
Even though this place was the Hero Academy, where Candidates bearing stigmas gathered to train and become heroes,
it remained fundamentally a place where fully grown adults of both genders were assembled together.
It was hardly surprising that romantic connections would naturally blossom between Candidates whose eyes had met.
‘In my past life, I used to pray earnestly that every such bastard would get impaled on a demonic beast’s claw.’
Never did I imagine I’d find myself in such a situation (though Iris and I aren’t lovers yet).
“Heh heh.”
As I found myself unable to suppress the laughter that naturally spilled from my lips at such thoughts.
Ding.
My Hero Watch alarm chimed again.
[By the way, have you eaten breakfast?]
[No, I haven’t.]
[Then I’ll quickly make you a sandwich. Eat it before you go.]
[Ah, it’s fine if I don’t eat.]
[Fine? What do you mean fine? A proper breakfast is so important. I’ll pack a vegetable juice too, so come to the front of the Cafeteria without being late.]
Hmm.
Now that I thought about it, this felt less like a couple and more like a parent fussing over a reckless child.
“Ugh.”
Regardless.
I left the Dormitory earlier than usual at Iris’s insistent command and headed toward the Main Building Cafeteria.
* * *
“Alright, starting today, the ‘Practical Combat Training’ lecture you’ve all been eagerly awaiting resumes.”
Lucas Kane opened the Classroom door and naturally spouted nonsense.
“….”
“….”
As expected, the Candidates seated in the Classroom contorted their faces as if they’d bitten into a cockroach split in half from their bread, staring at Lucas Kane.
Lucas Kane’s eyes gleamed like a hunting dog catching the scent of blood, and he grinned wickedly.
“Ho, everyone looks displeased… Could there be a Candidate who didn’t want to take my class?”
“No, sir!”
“No? It’s written all over your faces.”
Lucas Kane descended from the podium and strode toward the seated Candidates.
Then he quietly placed his hand on the shoulder of a Candidate sitting in the corner of the Classroom, turning their head away as if avoiding eye contact.
“Candidate Albert.”
“….”
Albert didn’t answer despite his name being called, stubbornly keeping his head turned.
Looking down at Albert, Lucas Kane asked with a worried expression.
“Hmm. Your eyes look tired. Did you not sleep properly? If so, I have a special health juice that works directly on fatigue….”
“During these two weeks without meeting you, Professor.”
Albert, who had been turning his head away, looked back at Lucas Kane with glistening eyes.
“Do you know how sad I was not to hear your lectures?!”
Albert cried out as if wailing.
“Oh.”
“Man, Albert finally….”
“I predicted this would happen someday.”
“We support you, Albert!”
The Classroom stirred.
“Ho.”
Lucas Kane, who had been watching Albert with interest, let out a soft chuckle.
“A good attempt, Candidate Albert.”
“W-well then…!”
“In that case, how about a glass of juice?”
“No! Why do you always do this to me of all people?!”
“Because your reactions are entertaining.”
“Argh!”
Albert tore at his hair and shrieked, his frustration boiling over.
Lucas Kane chuckled and climbed back onto the podium.
“Good. Hearing Albert’s spirited voice makes it feel like we’ve finally returned to normal.”
Lucas Kane swept his gaze across the students seated in the Classroom before speaking.
“I’m sure you’re all aware, but our Academy suffered a terrorist attack by Demons two weeks ago.”
“….”
“The mastermind infiltrated the Academy disguised as a professor and fled outside immediately after the incident occurred.”
His voice dropped low and grave.
“Fortunately, there were no casualties. However, as a fellow professor, I sincerely apologize for failing to see through the Demon’s identity and prevent this tragedy beforehand.”
Lucas Kane bowed respectfully toward the Candidates.
“…Uh.”
“Ahem.”
The Candidates, who had never expected the ruthless Lucas Kane—notorious as the “Bloodthirsty Hound”—to lower himself this way, exchanged bewildered glances and studied each other’s reactions.
Lucas Kane straightened from his bow.
“To prevent similar incidents, the Academy has decided to invite a special inspector professor to oversee operations.”
“A special inspector professor?”
“The special inspector will observe our lectures to ensure Candidates are receiving proper education and that security measures are adequately in place for emergencies.”
Lucas Kane’s gaze turned toward the Classroom door.
Click.
The door opened, and a woman in a black suit entered with sharp, deliberate footsteps.
A scar cut across her left eye.
She had short black hair trimmed to her nape and a frame taller than most adult men.
“This is Professor Elisha Baldwin, whom we’ve invited as our special inspector. You’ve likely heard of her by her epithet: the ‘Scarred Spider.'”
As Lucas Kane introduced her, Elisha Baldwin ascended the podium and surveyed the Candidates with a cold gaze.
“Tsk.”
A soft clicking sound escaped her lips.
“As of today, I am Elisha Baldwin, taking on the role of special inspector professor.”
“….”
It was nothing more than a simple introduction.
Yet a peculiar tension—as if we’d been thrust into the heart of a battlefield—settled over the Classroom.
And rightly so.
No one could have anticipated that the Scarred Spider, Elisha Baldwin, who ranked ninth on the Three-Nation Hero Rankings, would arrive as a special inspector, regardless of how significant the recent Demon incident had been.
Of course, I was included in that “no one.”
‘I never imagined Elisha Baldwin would become a professor at the Academy.’
Naturally.
It was something I had never experienced in my previous life.
‘The future has begun to change.’
I had anticipated this day would come from the moment I killed Ashtaroth, but I never expected the changes to unfold this rapidly.
‘The butterfly effect.’
A theory that a single flutter of a butterfly’s wings could create a massive storm on the opposite side of the Continent.
‘In that sense, what I did was far more than a mere flutter.’
I had killed Ashtaroth, the Archbishop of Illusion himself—no ordinary Demon.
The extent to which the future would change as a result was beyond even my ability to predict.
‘Regardless, there is one crucial fact at present.’
A heavyweight ranked ninth in the Three-Nation Hero Rankings had arrived at the Academy as a special lecturer.
“Hmm.”
Elisha Baldwin, who had been calmly observing each Candidate’s face, turned to Lucas Kane and opened her mouth.
“Professor Kane.”
“Yes, Senior.”
The unfamiliar title of “senior” from Lucas Kane’s lips caused the Candidates’ eyes to widen in surprise.
‘Now that I think about it, they said they were seniors and juniors during their Candidate days.’
Based on appearance alone, Lucas Kane looked old enough to be Elisha Baldwin’s uncle, but I’d heard that Elisha Baldwin was actually the older of the two.
“May I evaluate the level of your Candidates?”
“…Level?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, yes. Of course. Though, how will you evaluate them…?”
“I intend to have them spar with my assistant.”
Professor Elisha Baldwin said this while shifting her gaze toward the classroom door.
“Vincent. Come in.”
At her words, the door creaked open, and a handsome young man with silver hair tied in a ponytail entered the classroom.
“Let me see… the opponent should be… yes, this Candidate will do.”
Elisha Baldwin’s gaze, as she reviewed the Candidates’ roster on her Hero Watch, turned toward a Candidate sitting in the corner of the classroom.
“Candidate Albert. Step forward.”
At Professor Elisha Baldwin’s call, all the Candidates’ attention focused on Albert.

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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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