Days until the first class – 7 days.

 

————-

 

About 30 minutes later, the Red Tower magician, after three polite knocks and two repeated warnings to refrain from any excessive displays of affection, finally opened the door and entered.

 

And as soon as they entered, the first thing they did was to slam down the thick academy rulebook on the table.

 

“Prohibited in the academy!”

 

“Prohibited, you say?”

 

“Yes, it’s prohibited. There have been three cases of localized wars breaking out due to indiscriminate ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ The small disputes underneath are countless.”

 

“Someone who knows about that, does, that kind of thing?!”

 

Bang! The fire mage banged on the table, expressing anger. I replied with a genuinely puzzled expression. Ping Balleze, beside me, raised her glasses expressionlessly.

 

“What do you think we were doing?”

 

Then the fire mage’s voice dropped to the level of ant crawling, and the stuttering of his voice rose to the level of ‘talking to a stranger in the devil’s den.’

 

“S-so, S&M play…”

 

“What exactly is S&M play?”

 

“T-that is, using a whip, hitting or…”

 

“Sorry to disappoint your expectations, but we weren’t really doing S&M play. We were just, in a pure sense, causing harm to each other’s dignity.”

 

“I didn’t expect anything in the first place, but isn’t that worse than S&M?!”

 

From Noble mtl dot com

 

Normally, when a deal signal appears, you put in the deal and see. Does the fire mage not know this obvious fact, or maybe he doesn’t have any friends?

 

“Your perception is weird!”

 

“Then what do you think a friend is?”

 

“Someone you rely on, lead. They catch you when you stumble, comfort you when you’re sad, find the meaning of life for you, and make promises like leaving the village together someday.”

 

The fire mage’s expression became hazy. Whether he was recalling someone or not, it was the expression of a princess waiting for a prince on a white horse. Judging by his reactions, it seemed more like a real experience than a delusion.

 

I left an honest comment.

 

“It seems like you’re looking for a lover, not a friend.”

 

“…Friend, you say?!”

 

Looking into the eyes of the fire mage, I was 120% sure it was Paul in Love. I didn’t know who he was, but he seemed like a protagonist from a fairy tale.

 

“Anyway, how did you manage to get into the academy? They usually don’t let outsiders in…”

 

“How come? Because I’m a professor.”

 

“Please make an effort to lie convincingly. What abilities do you have?”

 

The Red Tower mage chuckled. I felt a bit indignant. The Red Tower mage had been right next to me when I achieved the 3rd rank. Was he mocking me despite witnessing my progress?

 

“If you entered as a student, I understand. However, except for auxiliary subjects like herbalism, all the academy professors have reached the 5th rank of legend. Furthermore, they possess significant expertise, reputation, and achievements in their respective fields, excluding subjects like herbalism.”

 

“Right.”

 

“For instance, Professor Alexon, who teaches ‘Everything About Close Combat,’ has roamed the fierce battlefields across the continent for 40 years, authored five volumes of military tactics, and was considered the next generation’s mercenary king before retiring.”

 

If it weren’t for the protective barrier, I would have been torn in half.

 

“And what about Professor Alejandro? His ‘Alejandro’s Spiral Tower’ is the first spell mentioned in any discussion about the strongest defensive magic. Outsiders may underestimate it as mere maintenance, but the fact that the barrier maintains its form while numerous academy members practice and spar speaks volumes about its—”

 

If it weren’t for the ambush, it would have been dangerous.

 

As the Red Tower mage rambled on about someone I hadn’t asked about, I recalled a famous saying: ‘You’re not good at all.’

 

Whether it’s an ambush, a protective barrier, a tactic, or a game of Othello, what’s the problem if I’ve won? No matter how strong or powerful they are, I just have to fight them again. I just have to maintain a record of 1 win and 0 losses forever.

 

I casually brushed off the Red Tower mage’s continued explanation and asked, “Isn’t there still some time until the start of the semester?”

 

“I arrived early. How could people arrive at the exact time? Even if they encounter bandits on the way, they may be delayed for a day or two. It’s usual for everyone to arrive one by one around this time.”

 

“So, you don’t have anything to do?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Guide me around the academy, then.”

 

Since he seemed to know a lot, I hired him as my guide.

 

————-

 

Of course, there wouldn’t be much difference if I leisurely toured the academy facilities with Pingvallez. However, the reason I roped in the Red Tower mage as a guide was to understand the students’ perspective.

 

Survey time.

 

Choosing what to teach as an elective was a tough decision. Honestly, it still is. Considering how rigorous academy life is, I thought about creating a supplementary course like “Healing in a Peaceful Otherworld” for those moments when a break for the mind is necessary.

 

Or maybe something like “Smiling Youths: Learning Social Etiquette in the Arms of Boy Maids and Girl Butlers.” Ping Ballays, too, enthusiastically approved, claiming slender figures were their preference. Already flaunting their peculiar tastes.

 

Given that the person sent by the Second Prince, Ping Ballays must know it’s not some fantasy magic but dimensional travel. Excited at the thought of seamlessly blending in with girls from another dimension, he’s quite the pervert.

 

The academy grounds were quite extensive. To enhance mobility, teleportation magic circles were installed in each section of the compass, exaggerating a bit, one could even call it a city.

 

“Why should I be your guide?!” complained the adept mage who, when the tour started, eagerly took the lead.

 

The first facility she introduced was the training ground.

 

“This is the training ground.”

 

“I can already see guys swinging swords around. Hasn’t the semester started yet?”

 

Scarecrows and stones for strength training were scattered across the vast field. And students wielding swords or doing squats as if possessed. Just looking at them made it seem like the scent of sweat was in the air.

 

How can they live so healthily? Watching with awe, the adept mage explained.

 

“Even though the academy hasn’t officially started, honing oneself is a basic for academy students! Those lazy and cunning ones are not here.”

 

“But don’t you need rest sometimes? Running all the time is tiring.”

 

“Don’t underestimate academy students. Just by looking at themselves getting stronger through daily effort, it’s a fulfilling life! Other students surely think the same way, right?”

 

“Is that so…?”

 

Seeing a current academy student saying that, it seems like this place gathers young individuals leading wholesome lives.

 

I marked two lines next to “Healing in Another World” and “Etiquette Learning with Boy Maids / Girl Butlers” on the notebook I was holding. And above them, I added “Jungle Exploration in Another World: Treasure Hunting Included.”

 

Ping Ballays, glancing at the notebook, had a dark expression.

 

————-

 

Walking made my legs hurt, so I asked Ping Ballays to carry me, like a princess. And indirectly, I could experience Second Prince Elid’s feelings. I wondered if I hadn’t given him too harsh a trial. Thankful for the libido suppression magic… Thanks!

 

The Red Tower Mage insisted, “I am not with those people,” as he walked about three meters away, but now he seemed to have gotten used to it and maintained a proper distance.

 

The second thing she introduced was the library.

 

“Half the books, half the students.”

 

Students, looking so tired that dark circles had formed under their eyes, were reading books like crazy, scribbling on paper. Were students originally such aggressive and passionate beings?

 

“They haven’t even started school yet, but they’re amazing⋯⋯.”

 

“Hmph, that’s right. The academy is a place that nurtures talents that are nothing less than the backbone of the empire!”

 

“But they don’t look happy. They have faces that seem more like they’re being threatened with a knife to study, rather than expressing joy and a sense of achievement.”

 

Some were even drinking potions and doing something with them. There couldn’t be a crazy professor who would give out assignments in an academy that hasn’t even started, so is that really voluntary⋯⋯ studying?

 

Ping Ballez looked at my puzzled expression, glanced at my notebook, and cautiously remarked, “I think it might be the teaching assistant. They’re already falling for the professor’s tricks.”

 

Ah.

 

The struggles of teaching assistants seem to be the same in both the modern world and this world. They are poor beings who have given up on human life and turned to the path of enlightenment. In that case, shouldn’t we at least create something like “Dreamland Dormitory in Another World: Fluffy Dreamland” to provide them with comfortable and efficient rest?

 

“Helping other students grow as a student representative is truly rewarding, isn’t it? You must not have been able to sleep due to that excitement.”

 

“But you really look tired⋯⋯.”

 

The Red Tower Mage’s credibility wavered a bit. In fact, there was a possibility that this guy was an insane model student who couldn’t empathize with the perspective of an ordinary student.

 

I patted the shoulder of a student who looked appropriately melancholic in the library.

 

“⋯⋯Who are you?”

 

“Could it be that the professor is being very harsh on you?”

 

“No, I am very happy. Alejandro is the best professor, and I am voluntarily helping with the professor’s research!”

 

As if to show that, the Red Tower Mage arrogantly raised his chin.

 

“Am I right?”

 

“Definitely…”

 

If all students had this much enthusiasm, there would be no room for soft healing.

 

I straightened the contents of the notebook I was holding and wrote down “Exciting Dungeon Exploration in Another World.”

 

Pingvallez’s pupils trembled as she glanced at the notebook.

 

————-

 

The third place she arrived at was the north gate of the academy.

 

On the way here, the top magician had passionately explained eleven reasons why academy students were extraordinary.

 

At first, I thought it was just the commoners getting high on life by getting into the academy, but now, after looking around, it seemed reasonable.

 

How can they be so diligent before school even starts?

 

Beyond the north gate, there was a vast forest managed by the academy, deliberately releasing and nurturing monsters suitable for the students’ level. They need practical experience.

 

It was said that students who made mistakes and died were not uncommon. To prevent such losses, the Second Prince sent me. Unless it’s a heart attack, they won’t die from illusion magic.

 

Students with faces that looked like they had seen everything were heading out to the forest beyond the north gate. They looked very tired and worn out. However, based on the experiences so far, I knew that beneath those expressions, there was a positive driving force and sense of accomplishment.

 

“Kill… me…”

 

The student muttering those words probably meant, “If I don’t break through this wall and reach the illusion soon, I might as well die here,” or “A young man died here. That was the weak me from yesterday.”

 

“Um, crazy magician. Selvier… I mean, the top magician. This is a newly admitted student whose enrollment has been confirmed. Isn’t it a bad attitude to believe someone who hasn’t even been to the academy yet?”

 

“But you’ve seen the evidence with your own eyes.”

 

“I have. But there were circumstances that forced us to do so, weren’t there? Even for their sake, we need the ‘Maid Café’…”

 

I ignored Pingvallez’s sinister proposal filled with wicked desires.

 

Finally, I asked the top magician from the top tower.

 

Q. If we need to provide an experience to academy students, what kind of experience is necessary?

 

“A trial.”

 

“Um, excuse me… Would it be possible to refrain from speaking?”

 

“A trial is necessary, a significant trial that can reach the depths of fantasy! If there are any shortcomings in academy students, that’s the only thing!”

 

“No more, or, um…”

 

“Venturing endlessly between the boundaries of life and death, facing hardships and challenges that can only be overcome by surpassing one’s limits!”

 

……

 

Understood. That passionate sentiment was conveyed clearly.

 

If the gathering of students singing the praises of humanity at the academy is to be meaningful, I must provide as much trial and tribulation as possible. I tore out a page from the notebook I was holding, filled it with a strong determination, and wrote.

 

『Otherworldly Cthulhu: Centered around immense despair and profound pain』.

 

Pingvallez, who saw my notebook, had a horrified expression. As if witnessing a professor shouting, ‘Exam difficulty increased by 100 times’…

 

Pingvallez suddenly grabbed the collar of the top magician.

 

“Eek?!”

 

“You, what have you just done…!”

 

“W-what are you doing all of a sudden?!”

 

“…You, you’ve stolen the sanctuary of academy students…”

 

“W-what on earth are you talking about?!”

 

I quietly contemplated, listening to the two arguing. How can I realistically portray the cosmic horror of an octopus? What kind of challenge should I provide so that the macho academy students would say, ‘This is truly warm and delightful!’?

 

————-

 

Inside the academy, rumors began circulating about a ‘top magician wandering around with a maid clinging to him.’

 

According to the testimony of a Mo Academy student who went out for ingredient collection through the northern gate, a catfight between a female instructor and a female student with a self-taught magician in between was witnessed…