The Academy’s Guide to Useless Students – Chapter 39

“Ah, it’s so damn hot!”

A girl cloaked in black robed herself, rolling on the ground in a frenzy. She shot a furious glance at the crystal orb.

“What the hell! What is going on?!”

She yelled, questioning the last scene she had seen through her necromancy. Her thoughts were answered by someone else’s voice.

“Misty, stop making a fuss.”

“Sorry… Captain. I’m just so baffled.”

“Did something get caught in what we planted?”

“Captain, you should take a look yourself…”

Misty passed the crystal orb to the woman she referred to as Captain. The image inside the orb started to crystallize. Soon, a young man with black hair and golden eyes threw a sword, and the screen turned pitch black.

“He took us out in one hit.”

“Captain, isn’t it suspicious that someone this strong is at the Academy? And he even has tricks up his sleeve?!”

“Tricks?”

“Look at this!”

Misty pulled up her robe to reveal her bare skin. A dark burn mark was scarred across her taut abdomen.

“That bastard! How dare he leave a scar on a lady’s skin!”

“Calm down. You’ll heal that swiftly with regeneration magic.”

“It’s just so infuriating! That snot-nosed cadet! It’s driving me crazy!”

“You’re the same age as him, Misty.”

“Come on, Captain! Who are you siding with?!”

“Do you really not know? Our Resistance stands with the powerless and weak.”

“Enough already… I get it!”

Misty sulked while sucking on a lollipop. The Captain returned the crystal orb and patted her head.

“Don’t feel down. If he’s strong, it only benefits us.”

“True, it feels like we found something valuable.”

“Though it’s early to assume, considering the target’s characteristics, the match is likely.”

The Captain pulled out a photo from between her ample bosom. A traveler wrapped in rags, chewing on a blade of grass.

“Found him easier than I thought. Single Swordsman.”

The Captain’s amethyst eyes glimmered brightly. The Single Swordsman was the number one candidate the Resistance wanted to recruit.

“Revolutionary Brigade”

A group that rose in revolution to topple the corrupt Empire and build a new nation. Their main tasks involved assassination and intel gathering against Empire officials, making them a special unit of the revolutionaries.

The leader of the Revolutionary Brigade had noticed anomalies across the Bitraise continent and hurried to gather information. With the uncertainty surrounding the notorious “Wangcho Band” and a smuggler known as “Anastasia,” anxiety grew over the possibility of enormous tides crashing into the kingdom.

“Captain, if it bothers you, I can just take his head, right? There are plenty of excellent talents available.”

“Stop being reckless, Misty. Just follow orders.”

“Why! Isn’t personality evaluation essential?”

“There’s a process for that as well. I’ll approach him soon, so just wait patiently.”

“Fine. Then I’ll rest at the workshop. I’m worn out from using necromancy over such a long distance.”

“Sure. Take a good break until the next mission.”

After sending off Misty, the Captain downed a glass of wine. The Resistance was currently short on personnel. Considering the impending ‘rebellion,’ this shortage felt endless. Thus, they had no choice but to recruit promising talents recklessly.

‘Personality.’

‘It matters.’

However, personality has always been a product of rigorous education. It could be beaten into shape if necessary. If the person were worth the investment.

“I can just train them myself.”

The Captain finished the remaining wine and sought sleep.

A clamor invaded her ears.

As her hearing sharpened, she noticed her body felt warm.

‘Am I being carried by someone?’

Laura Freeze opened her eyes wide.

She quickly realized she was face to face with a broad, solid back.

“Instructor Geoffrey, is this explanation enough? I want to move Laura to the infirmary.”

“Alright. You’ve worked hard. We’ll address it when you’re called as a witness.”

“Understood.”

Once the conversation ended, Yuto started walking somewhere. Laura, on his back, worked hard to piece her memories together. Ever since she entered through the portal, the jumbled fragments showed no signs of coming together. It was a puzzle with gaping holes right from the start—no matter how hard she tried to fit them together, it didn’t lead to a coherent picture.

“You’re awake, Laura.”

“…Did you know?”

“The weight feels different.”

It was obvious because she was putting in effort now, unlike when she was unconscious. Laura pushed against Yuto’s back and clicked her tongue.

“That’s enough. Just put me down.”

“Don’t push yourself. You might not be able to walk.”

“What are you talking about? I can walk!”

“Well then, try to get down on your own.”

“……”

The truth was, if she could escape, she would have shoved him off already, but Laura had no strength left for that at the moment.

“The elemental ether is a way to squeeze out mana. It’s no surprise you fainted.”

“…Elemental ether… it wasn’t a dream, was it?”

“You were under the control of a mana stone, so it’s fair to think it felt like a dream.”

“I made such a disgrace of myself.”

“Everyone makes mistakes.”

Not saving the world was a mistake.

Falling easily into the demonization plot was another.

She was a human who could not afford to make mistakes. If she had regressed, then even more so.

As she was feeling the weight of her own guilt, Yuto suddenly stopped.

“But Laura, you’re someone who can’t afford to make mistakes.”

“…What’s with that? You’re unusually blunt today.”

“I suppose it’s because the opportunity has passed.”

“What do you mean?”

“I tried to trust you and see where you would lead this, but it got to the point where I couldn’t bear to watch any longer.”

“What are you talking about? More importantly, where is this place? Where are you taking me?!”

She thought she was heading to the infirmary.

But before she knew it, they had rounded the outskirts of the Academy and entered the back courtyard.

Yuto walked into a deeper, gloomier corner.

“…Put me down while you can still say nice things. What are you doing?!”

“It’s Laura’s fault this has happened. You should have behaved better.”

She felt the urge to scream.

Thinking that, she tightened her throat, and a crackling noise surged through her body.

Crackle!

The shocking sound made her body stiffen involuntarily. Laura pressed her thighs together and huddled her shoulders.

Her heart tightened as if in trauma, and a dreadful sense of anxiety flooded her.

‘What is this… Am I really falling this easily?!’

Laura denied her situation.

But it was a futile struggle.

Yuto set her down on the ground and looked at her with a blank expression.

“Do you know about classical conditioning?”

“…What ridiculous nonsense are you talking about?”

“In the place where I lived, this is a type of learning known as the experiment of ‘Pavlov’s Dog.’”

Yuto drew a sword from its sheath, creating a ‘current.’

Crackle!

Just that sound alone made her mouth water. An inexplicable fear made her curl up.

“I’ll start the second conditioning.”

“Stop… please…”

“Laura, it’s all to save the world.”

“NOOOO!━━”

The anguished cry of a girl echoed throughout the Academy’s backyard.

“Chancellor Lucia, the emergency summon is complete; all 18 instructors have attended.”

The six class instructors gathered around the round table. Given the unprecedented incident during the mid-term test, even the Chancellor was proceeding cautiously.

Martin Lucia spoke up with a not-so-pleasant expression.

“In my two years as Chancellor… there hasn’t been an incident like this before.”

The Class B Instructor Geoffrey and Vice-Instructor Maegis hung their heads.

Even without looking, they could sense Chancellor Lucia’s glare. Geoffrey reluctantly made an apologetic expression like that of a guilty criminal.

“I truly have no excuse. We thoroughly monitored the portal activation in advance, but it’s all my fault as the instructor.”

“Instructor Geoffrey.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“I didn’t call this emergency meeting to hold you accountable. Everyone here is unaware of the incident’s details. I even heard that the one responsible, Instructor Geoffrey, doesn’t know the exact ins and outs either. Is that correct?”

“Y-Yes!”

Geoffrey looked at Chancellor Lucia’s condition. She usually had a friendly smile when conversing, but now it was undeniably clouded with displeasure.

“Quite amusing, isn’t it?”

That subtly malicious comment.

Geoffrey gulped dryly at Chancellor Lucia’s blunt tone.

“Please allow the witness who was at the core of the incident to enter.”

Her interest shifted toward the witness.

Geoffrey cast a desperate glance toward Yuto, who stood outside the meeting room.

The context he had shared with him.

If that was true, it might allow him to explain away Geoffrey’s flaws and pacify Chancellor Lucia’s mood.

Everything depended on him.