The Teacher of Budding Villains Suffers Today, Too - 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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Chapter 40
“Yes. Tell me.”
“Thank you for not abandoning us. For not abandoning the crown prince position either.”
Noah forced the words out, his voice strained. The atmosphere sank lower. Lucas watched him quietly.
“Noah. I only want you to grow up the right way. And I’m prepared to do whatever it takes for that to happen.”
He gazed at Noah for a long moment, then spoke softly.
“I hope you know that I’m always on your side.”
He opened his arms. Noah hesitated briefly before stepping into his brother’s embrace.
“No matter what anyone says, you’re my precious little brother.”
Lucas stroked Noah’s back slowly. The back of his young brother, who had been denied their mother’s love.
* * *
After Lucas left the academy, considerable changes took place.
Most notably, the attendants and protective knights who had visited the school at all hours vanished without trace. The absence of their considerable numbers felt far heavier than expected.
‘Was the school always this quiet?’
While preparing lessons for the children, Rachel recalled what the school had been like before Lucas. What had it felt like when he wasn’t there? She pondered the past, turning it over in her mind.
‘That’s strange. I can barely remember what the school was like without him.’
When she thought about it, he hadn’t even stayed that long. Yet his presence had been more powerful than anyone else’s.
‘And he was as kind as he was present.’
Lucas had been kinder to her than to anyone. Of course, people who are close to you carry more weight. Perhaps that was why his absence felt so large.
‘A crown prince going out of his way to look after someone like me. That’s hardly ordinary.’
She wondered, if only for a moment, whether his kindness stemmed from her ability to perform Mana Activation.
But Rachel quickly pushed the thought aside. She didn’t want to misinterpret his goodwill.
‘It’s a bit quieter now, but the school is stable. That’s not so bad.’
The children caused minor incidents now and then, but they listened well. Kolo and Henry supported her in every way. Everything was running smoothly in its place.
‘Can I graduate the children within half a year?’
The ultimate goal of Swan Knight Academy was to send the children home.
If the children returned home transformed from their former selves, what could be better than that?
Rachel smiled brightly and rose from her seat. It was time to rejoin the children.
The subjects she taught were diverse. Composition, mathematics, and history. With more subjects than Kolo, who taught etiquette, or Henry, who taught Sword Technique, she had much to prepare.
‘If the children can learn even a little more, I can always make time.’
Rachel was planning to add one more subject. It was somewhat odd in a world where there were mages who could activate Mana, but she wanted to teach Science.
Even if only at the level of basic knowledge, it would be of great help to the children as they lived their lives.
‘I hope the children take an interest.’
Teaching Science in a world that relied on the power of Mana would not be easy. Yet Rachel had painstakingly written a Science Textbook, laying out fundamental scientific principles as simply as possible.
‘I’m so glad I joined the Science Education club when I was in university.’
Back then, managing club activities while studying had been difficult, but now it shone. University life, the campus. Rachel found herself remembering her former world.
‘This life isn’t bad, but I do miss it.’
She sank into contemplation for a moment, then shook her head side to side. She was too busy navigating the reality before her.
‘This isn’t the time for such thoughts. I need to focus on the lesson.’
Thinking she should teach with joy today as well, she opened the classroom door.
The classroom was somewhat chaotic. The children were chattering among themselves, and Theo was in the middle of it all.
Somewhere along the way, Theo had come to stand at the center of the group. As he increasingly displayed leadership, the children listened to him readily.
Especially Chase, who had boundless energy. When playing with Theo, he seemed to burn through all his energy. Thanks to that, Chase’s escapes from school had decreased considerably.
“All right, everyone, shall we take your seats?”
When Rachel called to the children warmly, those scattered about came together.
“Today we’re going to start learning a new subject.”
“A new subject?”
“Yes. You’ve probably never heard of it before.”
Rachel set seven books on the desk. Did the children have any idea how much trouble she’d gone through writing them all?
Recalling the long hours of writing, she distributed the Science Textbooks to the children.
“Science?”
“What is that?”
“Well, Science is a subject where we think together about why something happens, why things must be the way they are.”
Rachel explained calmly.
“Haven’t you ever wondered why it rains, why day and night change, or why plants need water to grow? Starting now, we’ll study those things together.”
Her explanation matched the children’s level of understanding. The children, who had always taken everything for granted as simply being so, sparkled with interest.
“So if we study this Science, can we make rain fall whenever we want? Like mages do?”
She’d been wondering when the topic of mages would come up, and as expected, Theo asked.
“No, that’s not it. Science is completely different from magic.”
“Oh, so do we really need to learn it? I want to do Mana Activation.”
Theo’s face was clouded with dissatisfaction, and Rachel could understand his feelings well enough.
‘But not everyone can perform Mana Activation.’
The ability to activate Mana was, by definition, something granted only to the chosen few. Rachel knew this well. She’d heard that Theo could manage a little Mana Activation, but that his power was extremely weak. It made sense that Lucas, the crown prince himself, would extend such an offer to her.
Proper Mana Activation was far too rare for mere coincidence.
‘Still, I wish the children could understand how important Science truly is.’
Rachel’s mind raced quickly. She needed to capture the children’s attention from the start. Only then would their interest in the subject remain bright.
“Once you study Science, the world will look different to you. You’ll be able to see things others cannot.”
Rachel wove one fascinating story after another—why rainbows appear, why objects fall downward instead of up. As she spoke, the light in the children’s eyes began to shift, brightening with each word.
“I want to learn it!”
“Me too!”
Her persuasion had worked. The children eagerly opened their Science Textbooks, one after another. Rachel felt her spirits lift. The beginning had been good.
The first Science lesson was quite successful. The children engaged in earnest debate about why water forms on the outside of a cup when cold water sits inside it.
These children would normally have picked a quarrel first and debated second, but today was different.
Or rather, it was more accurate to say the children themselves had changed recently. Rachel watched them with quiet pride.
“Next time we’ll do a simple experiment to see how clouds form.”
“An experiment?”
“Yes. We won’t be able to make a large cloud, but we’ll certainly understand the principle behind how they form.”
At that, even Noah—who had been lukewarm about the subject at first—began to light up.
“Will we do the experiment outside then?”
“It won’t be a large enough experiment to require the outdoors; we’ll do it in the classroom. But would you like to try it outside?”
“Yes. I really want to see it and compare it with real clouds.”
Mare answered eagerly.
‘The results won’t differ that much just because we’re outside.’
Rachel smiled gently. The children were participating with such enthusiasm—how could she deny them this small request?
“All right then. We’ll conduct the experiment outside, and if we have time, we’ll observe insects in the nearby fields.”
“Wonderful!”
“I can’t wait!”
The children cheered aloud.
‘Field study trips, outdoor lessons—they do seem to give the children such powerful motivation.’
More opportunities. More experiences. That was how they grew.
Rachel smiled brightly as she thought ahead to tomorrow’s experiment.
She had no way of knowing what momentous events lay waiting for her outside.

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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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