"…Teacher."

"Yes, what is it?"

"What on earth did you do this time…?"

The class representative looked at me with a puzzled expression.

…I didn’t need to look to know what he was talking about.

He was probably referring to the two people studying behind me.

"You shouldn’t react like that just because they’re studying. You’ll hurt their feelings."

"…No! I really have to say something! Leo is one thing, but seeing Orca like that! What did you do?!"

"Hey, have you said enough?"

"Ugh."

As expected, this reaction was inevitable.

I started to wonder if I might have used hypnosis a bit too strongly.

It must be odd to see someone who’s never had any connection to studying sitting there like that.

Especially when it’s Orca, who’s notorious for being a troublemaker.

…But still, it’s not like I can’t justify it.

It wouldn’t feel right to hear people say Orca is dumb, right?

I mean, how could I stand by and let people laugh at her, thinking she’s always going to be at the bottom because of her?

It’s not like I hypnotized her again just because I overheard some students mocking her, saying they’d never be last thanks to her. Really.

I did it for the sake of their future, yes.

Orca needs to live her life someday.

Right now, she may seem resigned and just going through the motions of life…

But one day, I want her to be able to do whatever she truly desires.

Even though I don’t know what she wants to do yet, raising her grades in preparation for that time is something I’ve heard often where I’m from.

It’s not because I wanted to give those mocking students a taste of their own medicine. Definitely not.

…I should secretly dial down the hypnosis. We can’t have her accidentally getting first place.

It would be fine if she ended up somewhere in the middle, but if Orca, who was at the bottom during the entrance exams, suddenly ranks near the top, it would cause serious problems.

It would be easy for her to be suspected of cheating.

"I can study, you know?"

"Oh, sure."

"What’s that look on your face!? Do you really want to get your ass kicked…?"

"Orca, be nice."

"…You wanna fight?!"

The Orca Model Student Project shouldn’t be rushed.

Slowly, like a steady drizzle soaking your clothes, very slowly.

She might have strong resistance now, but gradually, I’ll help her adjust.

If that happens, someday Orca might be able to blend in with others.

Maybe I’ll even see the Orca who dreams of enjoying a normal life with friends.

Of course, there will be big challenges.

But since I don’t have a solution right now, I’m just doing what I can.

To bring a wild child into a home, you have to help them get used to it first.

That’s the stage we’re at now.

"Well, okay. It’s good to see you working hard. Are you preparing well for your practical classes?"

"Huh? Practical?"

"…Don’t tell me you forgot? You must have attended the classes, right?"

Sweat started to form on Orca’s forehead.

Wait, did she really not know?

In the game world, Orca doesn’t attend classes.

Naturally, players wouldn’t know when the practical classes start either.

…But she should be attending them now, right?

I didn’t think Orca would be oblivious to the consequences of breaking our agreement.

She may not have been educated, but she’s not stupid.

"Uh, well…"

"You did agree to attend the classes, right?"

"I-I did! Really! She saw me!"

Her pupils trembled noticeably, and she began searching for a witness.

I could pretty much guess the situation.

She slept through them.

Even if she attended, she probably didn’t understand what was being taught, so she either zoned out or dozed off.

That’s why she didn’t hear anything about the practical exams.

sigh

I understand. I slept through classes too when I was a student.

But still, couldn’t you have paid a little more attention…? Your teacher is sad…

"The practical exam is simple. During a set time, you just need to accumulate a certain level of damage on a dummy. That’s it."

"Oh, you know it well?"

"Yes, well. I heard it from a colleague. I know that much."

Well, to put it simply, it’s like a training dummy for calculating damage.

It’s an event where you can test how much your character has grown by executing various combos within a set time.

It’s an event that every character in the game would participate in. Players could use it as a growth indicator.

So, you’d often see posts about it on community boards.

But because of the nature of this numbers game, it eventually turned into a playground for veterans.

"So, there’s nothing to worry about. Just show what you’ve been training so far."

…However, as one might expect, this event doesn’t just pass by quietly.

No matter what happens, there’s always a major incident around this time.

For the first semester midterms… what was it again?

Ah, I remember now.

"Orca."

"Yeah?"

"Don’t get too close with the other teachers."

"…?"

Well, I know she’s not the type to approach anyone voluntarily, but…

This is just insurance. There’s no reason not to mention it, right?

The main event of the first semester midterms isn’t just about hitting dummies.

The dummies are merely tools for measuring attack power and warming up.

Once that measurement is complete, the second event and the main event of this period begins.

The criminal hunt event.

"So, you want me to believe that now? Ophelia?"

"It’s okay if you don’t believe me, Principal. I’m just saying that such an incident is likely to occur."

"…"

The criminal hunt event.

As you can guess from the name, this event involves finding the culprit who caused a disturbance and then went into hiding.

The content of the incident… is the rampage of the dummies.

The holographic dummies, under normal circumstances, cannot attack, nor can they be attacked by anyone.

Because they don’t have physical bodies. They’re just made of light.

However, to ensure that the holographic dummies can withstand the students’ attacks, they need to be given a physical form that can actually be attacked.

The academy solved this problem by overlaying the holograms with magically created bodies.

These bodies were crafted by some of the world’s finest magicians.

Students attack these dummies, and the holograms calculate the impact and output the results.

That’s all there is to this simple test.

Naturally, there’s no way for the dummies to attack the students.

Yes. It’s reasonable to think that way.

Anyone would think so. …Who would ever imagine there’s a traitor among the academy’s teachers?

No one would think that the dummies would suddenly start moving to kill students. It’s a perfect ambush.

Once the dummies, now possessing physical forms, break free of control, they won’t stop until they’re destroyed.

Disconnecting them won’t work either. They’re designed to keep operating as long as at least one connection remains, as a failsafe.

And since the traitor wouldn’t cut the connection, the only option is to destroy them.

The problem is that the dummies are absurdly tough. They were built to withstand the students’ attacks.

There’s also a weapon secretly placed inside the dummies by the traitor. So this was a perfect ambush. If I weren’t here, that is.

"A rebel group attacks the academy… What’s their reason?"

"It’s simple. There are two symbols of the regime here, aren’t there?"

"The Overseer and that arrogant brat… That’s reasonable."

More precisely, it’s a terrorist attack.

A terrorist attack targeting Anastasia and Stella.

For those who seek to overthrow the state, they’re perfect targets.

The high-ranking individuals who should be under strict protection and surveillance are all gathered in one place, the academy.

From their perspective, it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

"…How did you know about this?"

"Uh, could you not ask about that?"

"I don’t understand why everyone brings up these things when they ask to meet with me in secret…"

Well, it’s probably because you’re the kind of person who can’t easily say no when someone asks you for something…? Plus, you have a high position and outstanding abilities.

…Considering what I’ve just told her, it’s safe to say that Veronica has no choice but to take action.

When weighing the options between preparing and not preparing, the aftermath of not preparing and then having the incident occur would be too severe.

Since she genuinely cares about the students, the moment she hears that they might be in danger, her course of action becomes limited.

Knowing this, the Principal sighed.

"You’re more cunning than I thought, Teacher. This is more like a notice than a request."

"Aha…"

"Fine. I won’t ask how you knew. But I can’t help but ask this: …Why did you warn me about the incident but then tell me not to prevent it?"

"Because it would benefit the students’ growth."

I stated firmly.

This is the right path.

"I’ve judged that this is the better path for the students’ growth."

"…"

"While we’ll keep a close eye on things to prepare for any eventuality, wouldn’t it be a valuable experience for the students to resolve the incident themselves?"

"Hmm."

Everything is an experience.

It’s inevitable that someone who’s been through something will know more than someone who hasn’t.

This is something she would agree with.

While she would try to prevent incidents when she couldn’t grasp the situation, right now, she already has a grasp on the incident before it even begins.

She’s in a situation where she holds a safety net that could end the incident at any time.

Given that, I didn’t think Veronica would miss the opportunity to give the students practical experience.

As if confirming my prediction, she sighed and nodded.

"Alright. However, I plan to be absent on the day of the incident you mentioned."

"I know."

"…If the students are seriously injured, you’ll have to take responsibility."

"Don’t worry. I may not look it, but I’m quite capable."

Resolving the incident is entirely up to the students.

So I’ll ensure that the incidents I’m aware of are orchestrated to be as safe yet dangerous as possible.

It’s a contradictory statement, but… that’s the only way the students can grow without getting hurt.

I smiled brightly to express my gratitude to the Principal.

"That smile looks really suspicious… Sorry, but I’m reconsidering…"

"Oh, come on! Isn’t that too harsh?! What’s wrong with my smile?!"

"It really was suspicious. Look in the mirror and try smiling like that again, and you’ll scare yourself."

"T-that can’t be…"