A boy struck up a conversation with me.
Is he barely fifteen? With round, black eyes resembling a puppy with droopy ears, he was a kid who made you want to pat his head right away.
But it would be trouble if you trust that innocent impression. That guy's true identity is a big shot.
'There is only one person who has that curse mark covering his cheek.'
A being who possesses power akin to a curse. The novel's protagonist, Mikhail Foxon.
Since it's before his awakening, he has ordinary brown hair and looks completely intimidated, not resembling a munchkin at all.
Even so, to have the personality to tremble in fear while asking after the well-being of a stranger bleeding profusely.
Just like the protagonist in the squishy early parts. As someone who knows how he will turn dark later, I already feel pitiful for him.
But apart from that, the serious roleplay starts now.
'I need to stay sharp. If I don't want to be treated as a monster and die!'
The concept I decided on to survive is, in a word, 'The Lazy Strongest True Teacher'.
You know the type. A trash character who crawled in calling themselves a teacher, but instead of teaching like they're supposed to, they just take naps.
But in reality! A seasoned powerhouse who has been through hell and back, a helper who greatly aids the protagonist's growth through teachings that pierce the core.
Of course, since I know absolutely nothing about magic, I can't become a real true teacher.
'But I can mimic it.'
While coming to the Academy, I fleshed out this 'Lazy Strongest True Teacher' concept. Since I have the exhausted, cool look down, shouldn't the next step be the background setting?
In the past, Chris lived a life slaughtering enemies with powerful strength. But one day, due to her own mistake, she loses someone precious.
If I set that person as a disciple, it would explain why Chris isn't active in 'the act of teaching'.
Realizing the price of wielding power recklessly to the bone, Chris becomes a recluse living a life worse than death, holing up in her room since that day.
Feeling sorry for Chris who was wasting away like that, the principal of Bedalua Academy offers a professorship—
'And Chris reluctantly came to the Academy.'
Out of this, only the last part is real. When I rummaged through Chris's bag, I found a letter sent directly by the principal.
Anyway, Chris wouldn't want to experience the pain of losing a disciple again. She would rather her incompetence be proven so she gets kicked out of the Academy.
And above all.
'Despite everything, she still has an arrogant side.'
The core of this concept! The mindset that such weaklings are boring and not worth teaching!
Chris has the personality to casually say things like, 'If you want to see my magic, raise your level first. You are currently unqualified!'
If you go a little deeper, there is even a detail of consideration underlying it: 'Teaching clumsy kids clumsily will only get them killed, so it's better to send them home now....'
'The roleplayer inside me isn't dead yet.'
Good. There will be many corners to polish going forward, but I've already set the basic framework of the concept.
Then, in front of this kid protagonist who clearly looks like a freshman, what attitude will 'Chris' take?
"Why are you here?"
"Y-Yes...?!"
"It should still be class time; I asked why a freshman is here."
The rudeness to lightly ignore the other person's concern and only say what she wants. Yet, the experience to grasp the opponent's status at once.
I shoved my hands into my pants pockets to look like I didn't care at all whether it was sweat or blood flowing from my forehead.
'Actually, I'm dying of worry. Isn't blood going to get into my eyes at this rate? I think that would really sting.'
Fortunately, the protagonist bowed his head deeply while completely terrified and answered.
"Um, well, that is.... I was told not to come to the training grounds because I couldn't keep up with the class, by the professor."
Indeed. It makes sense.
Currently, the only magic the protagonist can use stably is a fireball. It means he falls short of the standards of Bedalua Academy, which is called the best on the continent.
In the first place, his admission was thanks to the principal's special screening to mitigate the Academy's elitism.
'But that's too much. What kind of professor is that? Mikhail is strictly a student too.'
Is it right to discriminate so openly in an educational institution? If there was an audit, I would have reported it.
I felt like getting angry on his behalf, but due to the concept, I had to spit out cold words with an expression of disinterest.
"Tsk, trash."
"I-I'm sorry...."
No, I didn't exactly call you trash. Are you crying right now...?
But 'Chris' has to get annoyed even seeing that pitiful face. My conscience hurts more than I thought.
I deliberately put more strength into my brow and said,
"I find whining brats the most annoying."
"Ah, t-that, I won't c... cry.... Sniff, I'm sorry...."
"Haa.... You, what class are you in?"
This won't do. I should quickly pick the kid up and take him to his class.
Actually, even if I ignored him and walked away, it wouldn't break the concept, but in the meantime, a new quest had appeared.
[Main Quest: Earth God's Request 1-2] [Pit-a-pat First Day of Work! Chris is the professor in charge of 'Class X'. Arrive at the classroom within the time limit and conduct the first class. Success Reward: Bedalua Academy Map (2/4), Monkey Keyring On Failure: Death Time Remaining: 00 Hours 09 Minutes 48 Seconds]
I have the 'Map' obtained from completing the first quest, but the problem is that I only have a quarter of it, so I don't know where the main building where classes actually take place is.
'To give a quest like this after that.'
In the end, telling me to arrive in 10 minutes means I should get help from the protagonist in front of me.
More than that, was I really the homeroom teacher of the protagonist's class....
Then the professor currently in charge of the class must be a substitute leading the class temporarily in place of the absent 'Chris'.
Naturally, they would have no sense of responsibility, and it makes sense they are discriminating to their heart's content.
"Hiek!"
Maybe my face rotted even more without me realizing, but the protagonist answered while crying profusely like a victim being threatened.
"I-I-I-I am, Class X, is... it...! P-Please save m-me....!"
"Guide me."
"Y-Y-Yes...?"
Save you? That's what I should be saying.
I looked pitifully at the protagonist who had bitten his tongue and continued.
"Do you not understand words?"
"I-I-I will guide you...!"
There is no way the protagonist's legs are fine when even his pronunciation has reached the point of being ruined.
He's practically doing the crab leg dance, that kid.
Can we arrive within 10 minutes like this?
"Haa...."
It can't be helped. If it were 'me', I would have quickly calmed him down and ran together, but 'Chris' is a character who finds such troublesome things annoying.
I immediately reached out, grabbed the protagonist, and slung him over my shoulder like luggage.
"Ah...!"
"That mouth of yours can still blabber, right? Guide me."
"F-First, please go straight to the left...!"
Human navigation, right.
Thanks to the protagonist's guidance, we were able to find the classroom easily.
However, the problem is....
'Crazy, this is damn hard.'
Is it the fact that my strength is trash?
He looked small and had a skinny body so I picked him up heroically, but what did I do with F-rank strength? Even if I gave up on looking cool, I should have just piggybacked him.
My jaw hurt from clenching my teeth so hard to not let out a groan while climbing the stairs.
I'm never doing this kind of thing again.
Like that, we finally arrived in front of the door.
"Th-Th-This is Class X.... Ah, practicals must have ended in the meantime. Everyone is gathered inside.... A-Are you going in...?"
"Hmm."
Then I should go in. But before that.
'It's my limit.'
I can't hold him anymore.
Bang!
"U-Uwaaack?!"
I kicked the door open and threw the protagonist into the classroom first.
Sorry, right now all my muscles are cramping like crazy!
"What? Mikhail? You surprised me! Rolling in so noisily!"
"That attention-seeking bastard."
The giggling sounds of extra students could be heard.
"...."
It breaks my heart to see the protagonist, face red, glancing this way once before timidly returning to his seat.
But don't worry. From now on, all those guys' gazes will be on me.
'Half of roleplaying is suppressing the spirit.'
I took a deep breath once, and like a general going into battle, I stomped into the classroom with grim determination.
The classroom went quiet in an instant.
Of course. Since a pitch-black figure they've never seen before suddenly barged in.
I scanned the guys once with a bored expression.
Indeed, the characters who will be active as the protagonist's comrades also catch my eye. They were exactly as I imagined while reading the novel, so they were easy to recognize.
Somehow, it's nice to see them. But 'Chris' had to speak with contempt.
"Is it nothing but trash here. To tell me to teach guys like these, Bedalua has finally gone senile too."
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