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Time flew swiftly, and one month has passed.

For the entire month, the thrilling training sessions with Riche continued.

During the three days without classes, I practically lived at the Adventurer’s Guild.

On day two, we faced a C-Rank monster that was far stronger than a Salamander. On day three, it was a B-Rank lackey monster.

As I rolled forward like this, Riche became thinner each day. She went from being a lanky figure to a mere skeleton.

At that moment, I truly understood what it meant for a person to be pushed to their limits.

They say growth comes through the brink of death, but if every day feels like a struggle for survival, that’s its own kind of suffering.

Yet, Riche never once complained. Why, you ask? Because even amidst the chaos, the growth was tangible.

After the first day, on the second, Riche approached me with messy hair and remarked in awe.

She confirmed that her magical power had increased compared to the previous day.

Naturally, that was to be expected. Catching monsters leads to much quicker growth. If she had any grievances, she would have quit long ago.

So, wasn’t there a reason to attend the Academy? If growth was the only goal, everyone would just become adventurers.

However, Riche was still a first-year student. Looking at the academic schedule made it clear. The first year was structured heavily around theory rather than practical application.

As the years advanced, practical training would increase, but Riche couldn’t wait that long.

And there was the reputation of the Academy.

You can liken it to a brand in a previous life. A T-shirt with a logo can skyrocket in price, and graduating from a university called Seoul ensures recognition wherever you go.

In the same way, graduating from the Academy grants you a level of respect everywhere.

After a three-day break from the Academy, Riche was still grinding away.

She got an exemption from the homeroom professor of Class A, under the pretext of having personal lessons with me.

You could think of it like a hands-on field study from a previous life.

Normally, that wouldn’t be allowed, but since Riche was the top-ranked student, she had more than enough trust to make it happen.

After a month of relentless training, Riche had indeed grown stronger. If she hadn’t, she would have been pushed until she did.

Of course, there was a minor issue regarding Arthur during the training.

Recently, Arthur, unable to find Riche anywhere in the Academy, had started asking around and eventually came looking for us.

He questioned why his heroine was always with me. But seriously, she was following me, not the other way around.

The protagonist’s incompetence led to his heroine trailing after me, which only irritated me. In a moment of frustration, I delivered a Silence Punch to his face.

Arthur was promptly sent to the Health Room and was out of sight for a day.

This was the nature of our daily life until it was finally the day of the team battle event.

*

“Look at the crowd!”

We were currently seated in the professors’ designated seats of the Large Training Ground.

The layout of the Large Training Ground featured a spacious center surrounded by audience seating, with the center divided into several smaller training areas.

In addition to the designated seats, the audience area was packed with students, buzzing with noise as all the seniors, including the graduating third years, filled the seats.

Even the students who had gone out for long-distance training had come back, making the crowd quite substantial.

The only ones absent from the audience were the students participating in today’s team battles and the supervising professors.

Of course, I didn’t belong to either group, so I was simply sitting in the professors’ seats with my legs crossed, watching the spectacle unfold.

“Ugh… There are too many people. I think I’m going to get motion sickness.”

“Me too.”

I was a shut-in in a past life, and Yui had also been holed up until recently, so a crowded place like this was our worst nightmare.

Honestly, whether they come to watch or not is up to them, but I didn’t want to miss an exciting spectacle, hence the popcorn.

“At least we have designated seating for professors, so it’s not so bad, right?”

“That’s the silver lining, I guess.”

Luna seemed fine, perhaps she was popular before becoming a slave.

“It does seem like there are fewer third years.”

Although they weren’t related to the team battles, it seemed they all wanted to come and spectate. Yet, compared to the second and first years, their numbers were noticeably smaller.

This was likely due to the high rate of expulsions and withdrawals.

Everyone felt their limitations and withdrew early, or like Luke in the past, were expelled for poor grades.

Thus, when you reach third year, you’re essentially guaranteed to graduate, and both within the Academy and the Empire, you’re considered an elite.

In fact, students graduating in combat-related fields from the Academy have strength comparable to B-Rank adventurers.

“Still, there’s quite a crowd.”

They should all just be sent off as assistants.

That’s how everyone becomes a graduate student.

“Hello there, temporary professor.”

While scrutinizing the third-year students, a familiar female professor sat down beside us.

“Excuse me?”

I only recognized her face; I knew nothing about her name or background.

All I knew about her was that she was an Academy professor, and she only knew that I was an adventurer and currently a temporary professor.

“Speaking of which, we haven’t introduced ourselves yet.”

The female professor introduced herself as Riana Lindsey, the homeroom teacher of Class C.

So we each introduced ourselves in turn.

“But what brings you here?”

“Just that this seat was empty.”

Riana smiled gently.

But to me, that felt like a lie.

How could someone just happen to sit next to another person? It clearly seemed like she had something to say.

I leaned in to subtly hint to Luna.

“Is she a femme fatale?”

“…Please don’t judge a person’s goodwill so quickly.”

I got scolded.

I mean, logically, if a woman shows kindness after just meeting you, isn’t she at least a little suspect?

“What kind of world did you live in, Luke?”

In the world I came from, if an unknown woman was suddenly next to you, it was a battlefield where you’d keep your hands in your pockets.

As I talked to Luna, Riana casually interjected.

“Actually, it’s nothing special. I heard from Professor Eppert that the dean invited a professor who personally trained the top student of the first years. I was just curious about what training you did.”

A person of such acclaim, invited by the dean, was personally training the Academy’s best talent. Naturally, she was curious about what that training entailed.

But regrettably, I had little to say.

“I’ve mostly just been hunting.”

That was all there was to it.

I had nothing to hide. My rule was to provide answers when asked, and the reality was that hunting was all I had done.

“Is that it…?”

“Yep.”

Well, aside from hunting, there are many ways to grow.

In the story, Arthur circulates magical power through the magic circuit to expand it, and keeps draining and replenishing to increase his maximum magical capacity.

There are various training methods, but in the end, Arthur also grows through monsters and demons.

“Let the team battles begin!”

At that moment, a voice echoed throughout the training ground.

Standing in the center of the Large Training Ground was a professor with blue hair, seemingly infused with magical power in his voice, making even those far away in the audience clearly hear his words.

“The duel begins when the supervising professors in the training ground give the signal! The conditions for victory are when a professor determines that the opponent is unable to continue fighting or if the opponent surrenders! Only one weapon provided by the Academy may be carried, and anything else like additional weapons, magical tools, and artifacts are strictly prohibited! Compete fair and square!”

It wasn’t a long explanation, but it covered everything that needed to be said.

I was familiar with the lines from reading novels.

While not explicitly explained, if there were any foul play or manipulation, the professor would likely declare that party the loser.

So it was understood without explicit mention that they should play fair and square.

“It’s finally starting, huh?”

“Seems like it.”

The waiting time felt long indeed.

It felt like sitting in a movie theater watching pointless commercials.

Though it was actually less than ten minutes, it felt like at least thirty minutes had passed.

As the blue-haired professor finished speaking, pairs of students climbed the stairs to the training areas.

The opponents in the duels were completely randomized, regardless of skill or rank.

So, what situation might arise?

The top student could very well find themselves matched against the bottom student.

You might think it wouldn’t be a fair fight, but as a professor, I was aware of how things worked in advance.

What indicates ranking is not solely winning in this exam, but also how well you perform.

In blunt terms, if the bottom student showcases impressive defensive tactics against the top student’s magic, stellar magical control, or clearly demonstrates that they’ve grown stronger than before, the supervising professors would reassess and adjust rankings later.

“Start the duel!”

Simultaneously, the command rang out in each training area, followed by explosive noises erupting.

However, the audience’s attention was directed at a limited number of spots.

Naturally, the audience is more interested in the dazzling displays. The more dazzling it is, the stronger the student likely is.

This is quite natural.

In a monster coliseum, an Ogre battling a Minotaur would be much more captivating than a Goblin versus a War Wolf.

“It seems like everyone has worked hard.”

Riana remarked with a smile, recognizing their efforts.

I hadn’t been here long and had no interest, so I couldn’t say for sure.

But Riana had observed all the students thus far, and she must have been able to gauge their growth.

Though to me, they were all just bait.

Naturally, the lower-ranked students concluded their bouts without much flair, merely casting a few spells and rolling around.

In the blink of an eye, several matches ended, and immediately after the arenas were restored through recovery magic, the next student ascended.

Among them, one student stood out.

“Oh! It’s Arthur!”

The audience’s toilet. Arthur.

“Did you know? I’ve seen that student multiple times, but their growth rate is astonishing. They’ve changed every time I see them.”

Being the protagonist and a reborn individual, it wouldn’t make sense for his growth to be slow.

Honestly, I still thought it was slow.

“While he’s not at your level, Luke Professor, I can guarantee that if he ranks up this time, he’ll move to Class A!”

She spoke proudly.

We hadn’t exchanged many words, but I could guess her personality.

One of the few kind nobles.

“Oh… But what a fate for him.”

The reason she looked disappointed.

Naturally, since this was an event designed to shift the protagonist’s perception, his opponent had to be someone strong.

That person needed to be a rival who fit all those criteria.

Without a doubt, that person was Daio Brando.

He climbed the training area via the opposite stairs from Arthur.

The reason Riana was disappointed was likely because she thought Arthur wasn’t yet strong enough to face Daio.

But Daio was destined to lose this time. That was a predetermined story.

Soon, the professor announced the start of the duel, prompting Arthur to launch a straight attack at Daio.

Arthur delivered a blunt yet honest strike.

He charged straightforwardly, swinging his sword.

The guy wasn’t devoid of magical power, yet he employed such a simplistic strategy.

‘What a total fool.’

Do people become stupid when they wield a sword?

He needed to toss aside the mentality that suggests wielding a sword automatically means engaging in close combat.

Even with his foolish approach, the world was still rooting for Arthur’s victory because he was the protagonist and support.

Though Daio tried valiantly to counter, he gradually fell behind Arthur in stamina.

The battle scene felt like a repetitious cycle.

In the end, Daio lost, naturally. The fight was lengthy and flashy, yet that was all there was to it.

From my perspective, having seen the breath of the Sea Serpent, the magic of the Academy students looked trivial, akin to child’s play.

With a shocked expression, Daio walked down the stairs, but now he would undoubtedly start working harder than ever.

Meanwhile, Arthur paused on his way down the stairs, glancing somewhere and smiling with a wink. The direction he faced was where the heroines were awaiting.

“Ugh. So disgusting.”

I felt nausea rise within me at that sight.

It seemed I was using the dating knowledge learned from light novels in this scenario.

“Whoa… That’s a bit much…”

“……”

Even Yui and Luna, caught off guard, grimaced.

No matter how well the protagonist is portrayed, actions like that can make any charm evaporate.

“Luke! Look! Riche is out!”

At that moment, Yui tugged at my sleeve excitedly.

Looking in the direction Yui pointed, there indeed was Riche.

On the opposite side of Riche climbing the stairs was none other than Tia.

The duel between the first and second best. It was bound to draw all eyes to them.

“We can finally see the results of individual training!”

Riana exclaimed.

She must have been curious about Riche’s growth.

I would bet that although their initial performance might have been close, the top and second rankers now were worlds apart.

The battle commenced shortly after.

Tia, with boldness, launched water and ice at Riche. However—

-Bang!!

With no intent to hold back, Riche promptly exploded the fire.

‘An explosion was indeed the correct form of attack. Yes.’

The thick smoke obscured everything, but soon the haze cleared, revealing Riche and the professor standing, while Tia, though not unconscious, was utterly exhausted from blocking that last attack. The professor declared Riche the victor, noticing that combat was no longer feasible for Tia.

As Riche turned to leave the platform, she suddenly glanced around, locked eyes with me, and flashed a V-sign with her fingers.

“……”

The previously chatty Riana now sat in stunned silence. I could tell just how surprised she was without needing to ask.

Conversely, I grinned.

“Hehehe…”

That was the moment the plunger was completed.

*

The team battles continued thereafter.

Even after the main characters, the heroines, and Arthur had finished, this was now reality, and it didn’t mean that other students would miss their chance to shine.

And a figure sitting on a rooftop far away felt the same way.

“Ahem~”

In this reality, events no longer occurred on predetermined dates.

Originally, the event was supposed to start when Dean Lucia temporarily vacated her seat, and a student colluded with an outsider to pass on intel.

However, Luke had killed the traitor, leaving the intruder without any knowledge of the Academy’s internal affairs.

Thus, the intruder had to personally evaluate when the perfect time to strike would be, and that moment was now.

With students and professors gathered in one place, embroiled in combat, a team battle event would drain their stamina.

It was deemed the perfect opportunity by the intruder, who began to rise.

“Although the dean is present… even with her abilities, it would take some time for her to escape my grasp.”

After a series of incidents at the Academy, Lucia had spread a barrier throughout the entire institution to detect magic.

Whether it be demons or magical beings. No, not just them, but everything related to magic itself.

This meant that direct invasion for mayhem or killings, like before, was no longer feasible. Though since his abilities could still be used outside the Academy, it wasn’t a problem.

The intruder extended one hand upward, palm facing.

Dark, ominous energy began to coalesce in the shape of a sphere above his palm.

“Now, it’s your turn~”

This orb took flight, soaring into the sky and stopping above the Academy, outside the barrier.

Then, a massive barrier, devoid of any light, enveloped the areas around the Dean’s Office and the Large Training Ground, where Lucia was located.

“Struggle as much as you like. You’ll never defeat me. Hehehe.”

 

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