Chapter 74


Bam!

My plagiary skill sent Daio crashing into the back of the classroom.

To be honest, all I did was hit his abdomen with a projectile in my hand.

Well, Luna had layered some wind magic on him, so it probably hurt more than just a punch.

Anyway, it seems I’ve established some proper discipline.

A guy who used to be a tough cookie in Class A just flew away in one hit; if that doesn’t set the tone, I don’t know what will.

For a similar example, there’s the scenario where the top student in the entire school gets knocked out cold by a single punch from a new transfer student.

It’s a situation where discipline cannot possibly be lacking.

“Tsk. This is such a hassle.”

If I were up against someone stronger, it wouldn’t matter, but hitting weaklings like that means I have to control my strength.

I guess this is the kind of feeling that Sensei Saimata had when attacking humans.

The situation requires hitting without killing.

If I unleash full power on a weak opponent, their insides would burst, leading to internal bleeding and death.

If they had blocked it with magical power, they might survive, but if caught off guard like just now, they’d most likely end up dead.

I turned back to stand in front of the podium again.

After the commotion, the classroom was quiet enough that I didn’t need to raise my voice significantly.

“You guys are trash!”

One would expect some reaction, but I couldn’t even hear a gasp at how shocked they were.

Then, two students approached with their own responses.

“…Is that true, Luke-san?”

“Uh… calling us trash seems a bit harsh…”

“Nope, it’s trash, for sure.”

Hey, if you keep pampering them as ‘elites,’ they’ll just grow up in the wrong way, you know?

They’re puffing up because they’re in Class A, while parents or teachers nearby are saying things like, “Oh! Our kid is the best!” turning them into frogs in a well, convinced they’re the king of the pond.

“How strong could a mere academy student be?”

Think about it logically.

If each student in Class A had the same strength as an A-Rank Adventurer, then characters like the protagonist wouldn’t even be necessary, right?

They would just rally all together—adventurers, students, elves, beastmen—and take down a Demon God, no problem.

Even though the story is set in an academy, the academy is, after all, just a stage to elevate the protagonists; there’s no way each student could be strong.

“Luna, do you know why there’s no S-Class in the academy?”

“…I have no idea.”

“It’s because they’re all trash.”

There are S-Rank Adventurers, but the academy only has up to Class A.

The reason is simple: there are no students strong enough to warrant an S-Class.

If there was one true powerhouse, wouldn’t they establish a separate class for it?

Of course, considering the prestige of S-Rank Adventurers, you can’t just slap that S onto anything, though.

“Honestly, the level of those kids is overflowing outside.”

People like Guild Master Argo, or Hazel, whom I met during the last raid.

Even just a few of them could outclass those ten.

Why expect much from first-year students who just started their journey, anyway?

Real talents will emerge by the time they graduate.

In any academy story, it’s rare for extras to suddenly become powerful.

Is there an instance where an extra pops up when the protagonist is battling Demons and shouts, “Die, Demon!!” suddenly awakening and slaying a Demon? If such a story exists, it’s buried so deep that no one would ever want to read it.

The protagonist, heroines, and broadly, the supporting characters all vary in the amount of strength a mere student couldn’t generate.

In other words…

Excluding the main heroines Riche, Tia, Stella, and that Daio I just launched, everyone here is just trash.

“See, Luna? They know they’re trash too, so they don’t even have a rebuttal.”

“…I think they can’t respond, not that they’re choosing not to.”

“Oh, come on, there’s no ‘can’t.’ It’s a choice.”

Did someone threaten them with a knife saying they’d kill them?

I didn’t take their freedom of speech away; they just have nothing to counter with, so they’re acting like this.

“Hey, you two. Come here.”

I pointed at the two boys at the front.

“Me? Huh?”

“Yes…?”

“Are you two gonna move or what? Wanna die?”

With that, both boys jumped up and ran over, panting.

Looks like you need to swear to get heard.

I appreciate my former teachers’ greatness once again.

“Since you’re late, you’ll each take a hit.”

“Gah!”

“Kuack!”

I gave them each a fist strike and then got to the point.

“Take that trash lying over there to the health room.”

“Y-Yes! We will!”

“Got it!”

The two boys quickly moved their feet and disappeared.

“Alright. Now the rest of you, let’s head to the training grounds.”

*

I sent the unconscious Daio to the health room and brought the remaining kids to the training grounds.

Having successfully established discipline, the students followed my orders obediently.

The reason for heading to the training grounds is simple.

It’s just that we have no theoretical training to provide them.

Helping them train with their bodies is what we’re best at.

“Okay, now self-study time.”

““…?””

But I didn’t say I’d teach after all.

Well, I did mention it in class earlier. Self-study, after all.

My previous students would’ve been thrilled to hear there was no class, but why are these guys acting this way?

“Ah, should I teach you some magic tricks?”

“Absolutely not!!”

Some of the students shouted, as if that was the one thing they absolutely wouldn’t allow.

What a shame. I was thinking of showing them how to perform the thumb-cutting trick this time.

“Well, since they don’t want it, I’ll just take a nap.”

I was gonna teach something, but if they don’t want it, that’s not on me, right?

When I asked Yui and Luna what they would do, they seemed a bit guilty for not showing up and started approaching the kids and chatting about various topics.

From what I overheard, they were discussing the sensitivity of beast ears and tails, and then commented on how I’m really going through a lot. I think I’ll need to use that brat as a helper when I show the thumb-cutting trick later.

Yui was surrounded by girls, happily being petted.

She had candy in her mouth and snacks in her hands.

She looked just like a mascot.

Even if it felt odd for a class, it’s normal for classes to start by getting familiar with the kids.

Thinking back to my school days, some teachers were like that.

On the first day, instead of progressing with the lesson, they would tell stories and joke around with the class.

Those teachers were the most popular.

Isn’t it a common sentiment that adventurers and academies don’t get along?

Partly true, partly false.

Those who dislike adventurers are all aristocrats with a superiority complex, while normal aristocrats or commoner students exist too.

In the first place, what they found ridiculous was ‘Luke,’ not Luna or Yui.

Well, now it seems my attack on Daio has marked me as a source of fear.

So, what am I doing right now?

Lying on a bench, wrapped in a blanket with my pillow, basically looting my salary.

Someone might question me about whether I feel guilty for getting paid to just lounge around.

Nope. Not at all.

Honestly, if I felt guilty about this much, I wouldn’t have even started.

“Hehehe… This is what a job looks like, and this is what relaxation looks like.”

It was so easy to make money it made me yawn.

As I munched on popcorn from my inventory, a shadow fell over my face.

In front of me were thighs wrapped in a skirt and stockings.

“What’s this?”

“It’s me.”

Who the heck are you? Isn’t that a line used by scammers?

And who speaks so rudely to a professor? I tilted my head up and was greeted with a magnificent view.

I don’t know who it is, but thanks!

“Hello.”

“I’m not Luke, though.”

“…You can’t pretend you don’t know now.”

Tsk.

Surprisingly, she’s quiet today.

“Don’t you have any friends?”

“None.”

Well, that’s how my character has always been.

“I see. See you.”

And then, I closed my eyes.

I figured when I woke up, class would be over.

But then she perched herself on the end of the bench where I was laying.

“Why don’t we talk for a bit instead?”

No, I don’t have anything to say to you. Why do you keep coming and bothering me?

Wanna go for the kill?

I’ll eliminate all heroines.

Whoever thought of that, it resonates with me right now.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’ll leave if you tell me.”

“What do you want me to tell you, you crazy girl? I’ve already said everything.”

You can’t win against me!

I’m pretty sure I nailed it down last time, so why come back as if I’ve not told you anything?

Seriously, nowadays, heroines in web novels are all so strange.

They lack the decent charm of the past.

“Tell Arthur instead. He knows, too.”

“…I don’t want to.”

Just now, Riche’s face twisted dramatically after being expressionless until then.

‘What’s with that?’

She definitely had a strong dislike for Arthur before, but now it seems even more intense.

What on earth happened in just a few months to make a heroine detest the protagonist?

I want to learn from Arthur and kick her out so I can sleep.

“Riche, there you are.”

Just when I was thinking that, a savior appeared.

“Tia?”

“What are you doing here…?”

Tia joined in along with Stella, who had been following her.

It seemed they were looking for Riche, but upon seeing me lying down, their faces twisted like Riche’s moments ago.

“What are you staring at?”

“…Let’s go, Riche. If we stay here, we’ll catch stupidity.”

“Right, right. We’ll catch stupidity if we stay here?”

So, can you just stop bothering me and take her away? I’m sleepy from food coma.

“Hmph! I was going to leave anyway!”

“Ah… Wait a second…!”

Riche got dragged away by Tia, who held her hand.

What a nice move!

That’s how a heroine should behave.

“Yawn~”

Finally, it’s the time for deep sleep.