"…Sneaky little brat."

"Sorry, what?"

"Nothing, never mind."

What was that about?

Orca seemed annoyed, though I wasn’t sure why. But that wasn’t important right now.

I grabbed Orca’s shoulders and shook her excitedly.

"Never mind that, look at that! Isn’t it amazing?!"

"…Yeah, sure. It’s impressive."

"That’s all you have to say? He just cut through that thick wall like it was nothing!"

I couldn’t understand Orca’s reaction.

How could she be so nonchalant after seeing something like that?

Seeing someone perform a long-range attack with a sword, something that should be impossible, and not even flinch?

The other students were all impressed. Why wasn’t she?

It was awesome!

"If it’s about long-range attacks, why doesn’t he just use a gun or magic instead of doing all that? I don’t get why you’re so excited."

"…I can’t accept that statement."

"Huh?"

Orca had a point.

Using a sword for long-range attacks is highly inefficient.

Sure, someone who can use sword aura is generally more powerful than someone using a gun, but that’s not because of the range advantage.

There’s a significant difference between someone who uses a sword and someone who uses a gun.

It takes years, sometimes decades, to master sword aura.

But a gun? Anyone who can pull a trigger can use one, even a middle schooler, though they might not hit their target.

Orca wasn’t wrong.

If you wanted to attack from a distance, it would be easier to get a gun or learn magic instead of going through the trouble of using sword aura.

…But that’s exactly why people get so excited about sword aura.

"Saying that sword aura is a useless technique buried by practicality… is true. I’ll admit that."

"…I didn’t say it was that bad."

"But listen! It’s the useless things that are the coolest!"

Orca just didn’t understand what made something truly cool.

"Swords, scythes, fists… none of those are practical, they’re all trash!"

"…"

"But those are the weapons that embody romance! True style comes from things that seem impossible to use in real life!"

Orca herself is a perfect example.

In a world filled with guns, swords, and magic, she just uses her demon arm to beat down her enemies.

How cool is that?

Of course, efficient weapons are cool too.

But the things that drive people wild, that leave a lasting impression, are usually the ones no one else even tries to use.

I was about to launch into a full explanation of why sword aura is so cool when I felt a hand tapping my shoulder.

If not for that, I probably would’ve spent the next few minutes trying to convince Orca about the greatness of sword aura.

"Hello, Ophelia-sensei."

"…Ah. Ian-sensei? Hello."

I recognized his face.

Ian-sensei. We met when we were preparing for the friendly match.

…And not just in reality, but also in the game.

He’s the academy’s swordsmanship instructor.

An NPC you often encounter when playing as Leo or Eileen.

"Your perspective on sword aura is interesting, Ophelia-sensei… But perhaps now isn’t the best time to discuss it?"

"Huh?"

He gestured over my shoulder, indicating that I should look behind me.

…And I instantly regretted it.

I shouldn’t have looked.

"So that’s what the counseling teacher is like…"

"Surprising. I didn’t think she’d be into stuff like this."

"…"

The students were whispering and glancing at me.

They must have overheard everything I was saying to Orca.

Their curious stares, as if they were seeing a new side of me, made my face burn with embarrassment.

"We’re teachers, after all. It’s best not to get too carried away."

"A-Ah, I… I…"

My mind went completely blank.

I messed up. I really messed up.

What was I thinking, shouting like that in a place where everyone could hear?

I had no idea how to fix this situation.

The only thought in my suddenly blank mind was that I needed to do something to resolve this.

I quickly turned to face the students and met their eyes.

It felt like I could see my red face reflected in their eyes.

…Probably just my imagination, though.

"There’s no need to be embarrassed, Sensei. Just calm down. It’s okay, we can…"

"Forget everything! You’ll all forget what happened, got it!?"

"Yes… We’ll forget everything…"

"You were all just amazed by Leo’s victory! Nothing happened before that!"

Panting, I glanced around the crowd with sharp eyes.

I needed to make sure everyone had been hypnotized.

"…Looks like everyone’s affected. When you wake up, you’ll just feel tired, okay?"

Fortunately, everyone had that dazed look typical of someone under hypnosis.

…I got way too worked up.

Deciding to erase what just happened from everyone’s memory, I clapped my hands loudly to wake them up.

"Mm…"

"Yawn… I’m tired. Maybe I’ll head to bed early…"

The students, thinking they had just zoned out from fatigue, started heading off to bed.

Orca was no different.

Under hypnosis, she too began to complain about feeling tired.

"…Sensei, I’m sleepy."

"Okay, let’s go to the counseling room once Leo gets here."

…Just as planned. Perfect.

I’d cleanly erased the embarrassing incident from everyone’s memory.

It’s a shame that Orca still thinks sword aura is useless, but I couldn’t let that embarrassing moment linger.

Sorry, Orca. We’ll talk about cool stuff some other time…

"Sensei, did you see that?!"

"Of course. You were amazing. Well done."

"Hehe…"

After the little incident was over, Leo came running up to us.

He looked so eager to share his accomplishment, so I praised him, and it was nice to see how happy it made him.

"Uh, Sensei…"

"Yes?"

"You said you’d give me something nice…"

"Oh, right. I almost forgot."

"…"

"Orca? What’s wrong?"

"…Nothing."

What’s with Orca?

She seemed upset about something, but I had no idea what it could be.

Had something I did or said bothered her?

"Ahem, okay then, close your eyes!"

"Close my… eyes?"

"Yeah! Like a surprise!"

"…"

Leo gulped nervously.

He looked curious about what he was going to get.

But it wouldn’t be any fun to just give it to him right away, so I waited for him to close his eyes.

Eventually, he gave in and closed his eyes, and I gently placed the "nice thing" in his hand.

"?!"

"Oh, your hand is all sweaty. Do you have hyperhidrosis or something?"

Leo’s hand was clammy with sweat.

…Looks like Leo might have hyperhidrosis. I didn’t know that.

If his hands sweat that much, it must be tough for him to grip a sword, yet he’s still aiming to become a knight. Impressive.

"Why are you so tense?"

"Uh, well…"

"Relax. It’s something good."

As soon as I said that, Leo tensed up even more.

Why is he so nervous?

I found Leo’s reaction odd, but since I couldn’t figure out the reason, I simply placed the "nice thing" in his hand.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

"…?"

Leo gave me a puzzled look, clearly curious about what he was holding.

"Sensei, this envelope…?"

"It’s something good. Why don’t you open it?"

"O-Okay…"

…Why does he look disappointed before he’s even opened it?

Leo was acting a bit strange today.

He had been so cool a moment ago.

But now, with a somewhat sullen expression, Leo opened the envelope and then stared at me in shock.

"S-Sensei, this is…"

"…What’s in there that’s so surprising? Let me see."

Curiosity piqued, Orca peeked into the envelope Leo was holding and was just as shocked.

Well, of course, they’re surprised. I even had to ask the headmaster for help to get that.

"Meal tickets? Wow, that’s a lot. How many are there?"

"Enough to last you for three years, at least."

"Must’ve been expensive."

"Not really. These aren’t the high-end meal tickets."

Maybe because it’s an academy where both commoners and nobles attend, or perhaps because it’s a game world, but even meal tickets have different levels here.

You know how in games, sometimes eating food gives you buffs?

It’s the same in this world.

Expensive food is usually what the nobles eat, while the cheaper stuff is what the commoners eat.

I would’ve liked to give him three years’ worth of the highest-grade tickets, but the headmaster said that was impossible.

Apparently, not many students buy the high-end tickets, so they don’t issue a lot of them.

The students here are so skilled that the school is extra cautious about counterfeiting, so the higher-grade tickets are really hard to get.

Honestly, I didn’t think something like meal tickets would be worth counterfeiting, but after seeing the video the headmaster showed me, I understood.

A single meal could easily cost hundreds.

Of course, they have to prevent counterfeiting.

"So, do you like it?"

"…Yes, thank you."

Of course, Leo’s appetite is enormous, so he probably won’t make these tickets last for three years.

Maybe… if he only eats using these tickets, they might last half a year at best?

Still, it’s a great reward for him, since it’ll save him a lot of money for that time.

…But why does he still look a little disappointed?

Am I imagining things?