**Chapter 104: The Melancholy of a Certain Teacher**
“Ugh… I can’t take this anymore…!”
“Help me… I don’t want to die…”
Two female students from the Knight Department were sprinting across the plains. They were third-year students participating in the Magic Hunt Festival. Initially, they had joined the festival with three other close friends, but suddenly, they were attacked by a powerful magical beast and had become separated from their companions, desperately fleeing for their lives.
“I shouldn’t have participated in this festival…”
As they held hands and ran frantically across the open field, one of them murmured tearfully. Though they were close friends, their decision to join the Magic Hunt Festival had been a mere whim. Both had already been promised to their respective fiancés after graduation. They weren’t aiming for a career in the knight order, so there was no need to perform well in the festival to make an impression. As third-year students nearing graduation, they had simply wanted to create memories with their friends, which was why they had entered the event.
The consequences of such naivety were evident. They were currently running for their lives, desperately heading toward the edge of the plains.
“I can’t take this anymore… Why did it come to this…?”
“What about Nia? York? Jan? What happened to everyone…?”
They called out the names of their absent friends, but there was no time to worry about others. From a nearby thicket, a wolf-like magical beast emerged.
“GRRRRRR!”
““Kyaaaaa!””
The two girls let out a scream that sounded like tearing silk. The creature that appeared was a wolf covered in scales. Among the magical beasts in the plains, it was neither particularly strong nor weak. Normally, the two of them would have been able to fend it off without issue, but they were exhausted from running and had dropped their weapons. To the wolf, they were nothing more than easy prey.
“GRRRRRR!”
The wolf lunged at them, but suddenly, a large shadow leaped between them and the beast.
“NUUN!”
“GYAN!”
With a powerful roar, a great sword swung down. The dull blade sliced through the wolf, cleaving it in two along with its scales.
“Hah… Hah… Are you two alright?”
““Mr. Oddman!””
The two girls shouted the name of the man before them. Their savior was Beick Oddman, a teacher from the Knight Department. A former knight with a robust physique, he taught swordsmanship and was known as one of the most notorious “magic user haters” among the faculty.
“Can you stand? I’ll get you to the edge of the plains. Just a little longer, so hang in there.”
“Mr. Oddman…!”
Tears welled in the eyes of the two girls, overwhelmed with emotion.
To be honest, they didn’t particularly like Oddman. He was rough around the edges, overly intense, and always preaching about perseverance. Moreover, he had a tendency to ogle the girls’ chests and waists, making him a rather lecherous figure. While he somehow garnered a decent amount of support from the male students, he was loathed by the girls like a venomous snake.
“Thank you, Mr. Oddman…!”
“Thanks to you, we were saved…!”
However, in light of their lives being saved, their perspectives naturally shifted. The two girls felt ashamed of their previous disdain and looked at Oddman with newfound respect.
(They’re giving me such intense gazes… It feels amazing!)
Meanwhile, Oddman struggled to suppress a grin that threatened to spread across his face. He was well aware that the girls didn’t think highly of him. Yet now, they were looking at him with admiration, and it felt incredibly gratifying.
(These glistening eyes… They must be in love with me! Perhaps I might even get a chance to hear, “Please hold me as a memory before graduation!”?!)
Beick Oddman, aged forty-one and single. He had once been a member of the knight order but was discharged due to troubles with women—specifically, stalking a female knight colleague. Although he was hired back at the academy for his swordsmanship, he still had unresolved issues. Incidentally, his disdain for magic users stemmed from the fact that the woman he once loved had a boyfriend who was a Court Magician.
(I don’t know why the magical beasts have gone wild, but I can’t let this delicious opportunity slip away! I’ll show them just how strong and impressive I am!)
Despite the chaos unfolding around them, his thoughts were inappropriately fixated on his own ambitions. In a way, he might be considered quite the character.
“Alright… You two, let’s go. Follow me!”
Oddman declared, breathing heavily as he gripped his sword and prepared to lead the girls. However, they were suddenly surrounded by a pack of wolves that leaped out from the thickets.
“What!? ”
““Kyaaa!””
Oddman’s eyes widened in shock as the two girls clung to each other in fear. The same wolf-like beasts surrounded them, but this time there were nearly ten of them.
“This… might be a bit troublesome…?”
Oddman muttered, realizing the gravity of the situation. Defeating them alone wouldn’t be a problem; as a teacher from the Knight Department, he was confident he could win without injury. However, fighting while protecting the two girls behind him would complicate matters significantly.
(This is bad… I finally got the chance to impress the girls, but if I let them die here, it would all be for nothing…!)
“GRRRRRR…”
Faced with the growling pack of wolves, Oddman began to sweat from anxiety.
(I have to do something… At worst, I might have to abandon one of them to save the other…)
He glanced at the girls, trying to decide which one to save based on their appearances. However, before he could make a decision, a hand reached out to help.
“【Earth Thorn】”
“GAH!?”
Suddenly, sharp spikes of earth erupted from the ground, impaling one of the wolves. Following that, a barrage of earthen spears emerged, swiftly dispatching the remaining beasts.
“What is this…?”
“Are you alright, Mr. Oddman?”
“Who are you…?!”
Oddman’s eyes widened as he recognized the face of the boy who had just appeared. It was Rest, a first-year student from the Magic Department, who had been a participant in Oddman’s swordsmanship class. He had made quite an impression by defeating Danira Betras, the second-ranked first-year student from the Knight Department, in their first lesson.
“What are you doing here…?!”
“I’m currently on Student Council Executive Committee duties. More importantly… you need to retreat to the edge of the plains immediately!”
“What?! I have no obligation to take orders from you…”
“It seems a truly dangerous creature has begun to move… You must inform the administration to evacuate the students to the Royal Capital!”
Without waiting for Oddman’s response, Rest dashed away at incredible speed, leaving Oddman struggling to keep up with his eyes.
“A dangerous creature…? What on earth is he talking about…?”
“To take down that wolf in an instant… how impressive…”
“What refined power. It’s wonderful…”
“What?!”
Oddman’s voice cracked in disbelief. The two girls, who had been looking at him with admiration just moments ago, now gazed dreamily in the direction Rest had vanished.
“Ugh…!”
Just like that, the attention that had been on Oddman shifted entirely to Rest, who had effortlessly defeated the pack of wolves.
“I really do hate magic users after all…!”
Oddman gritted his teeth, clenching his fists in frustration.