I Became an Academy Counselor

“…What the hell are those kids doing?”
“W-Well…”

One of the teachers monitoring the students let out a bewildered voice.
What was visible on that person’s computer screen were the five playable characters.
It wasn’t that they were bewildered by the students showing tremendous performance.
Rather, the opposite.
They seemed dumbfounded by the students’ actions, not understanding what they were doing at all.
That’s what I want to ask.
What are they doing now…

“Two of them are lying down sleeping, two are fishing as if they’re on a camping trip… And the last one… well, let’s not even talk about it.”
“…”

The gaze is piercing.
I couldn’t bear the piercing gaze that seemed to ask if these children were really the promising ones I thought they were.
They are… they really are, but…
What am I supposed to do when you act like that…
No, okay. I’ll let it slide for the three I haven’t met yet.
But Orca and Leo, I didn’t expect even you to betray me like this.

“Well, don’t get too upset. It’s not like we’re grading them on this. It’s just to understand the children’s tendencies, right?”
“…That’s true.”
“Besides, it seems we can easily judge the children’s tendencies now…”

With that chat over, the teachers started monitoring again to see if any dangerous incidents were occurring.
…Why am I not doing it, you ask?
I thought I had to keep watching that too, but apparently not.
They just told me to keep this in mind and cleared my seat.

What was it they said? That I’d be busy after this is over anyway, so it would be better for me to rest in advance.
…Right. The teachers’ words were not wrong at all.
I really will be busy.
Because I’ll have to scold Orca and Leo.

***

Eileen’s POV

Achoo!

“What, a cold?”.
“Ah, no. I think I just choked a bit. You don’t need to worry…”
“Why don’t you eat slowly? There’s still plenty left.”

“That’s good to hear. But why aren’t you eating, Eileen? This delicious food,” he asks me.
“Oh, right. It’s delicious… I, I’ve already eaten a lot, so I’m fine. I’m just fishing because I’m bored.”
“If you say so,” 

‘Is he crazy…?’

I have no interest whatsoever in this friendly match and I’m not interested in surviving for a long time while interacting with others. I just want to sleep a little more rather than competing to see who’s better.

At first, I even thought about just letting myself be defeated by a passing student.
But I soon stopped that thought.
The scenery was very beautiful.

Since I had come this far, I decided to do something I had wanted to do for a long time.
You know, things like fishing for freshwater fish, or using a hammock.
Romantic things.

Experiences you can’t have in the city, you know.
Wow, who thought of creating a place like this inside a school?
Long live the principal, long live her.

As expected of someone whose name always comes up when asked who the strongest is.
However, there was one thing I hadn’t considered.
It was less fun than I thought.
I caught quite a lot of fish, but…
I don’t know how to cook.

Eating only the parts that weren’t burned after burning it all, there were too many bones, and the fishy smell was overwhelming…
I thought it was definitely not fit for human consumption.

But looking at the child in front of me, it seems my thoughts were wrong.
No, maybe he’s not human.
There’s no way a human could say this is delicious.

“To be honest, I’ve never cooked before.”
“Yes, I thought so. You were holding the fish too close to the fire. That’s why the outside is burned and the inside isn’t cooked well.”
“…Is it delicious?”
“Normal people probably couldn’t eat it, right? But it’s delicious to me, so it’s fine,” he replies.
“Sorry, I can’t tell…”

He was eating it so deliciously that I thought it might really be tasty, so I put a piece in my mouth and struggled in agony.
This fishy aroma filled my mouth.
Is it because it was just grilled without salt or pepper? The unique smell of freshwater fish wouldn’t go away.

Of course, without those two, there wouldn’t be other spices, and there’s no wine to cleanse the palate. Due to my education, I didn’t want to spit out what I had put in my mouth, so I forced myself to swallow it…
That experience from a moment ago proudly entered the top 3 ranking of tastes I never want to experience again in my life.

To add, 1st place was raisin cookies disguised as chocolate chip cookies. 2nd place was a traditional food from another country that I tried out of curiosity.
By the way, to eat that fishy thing so deliciously.

‘Is this child really in his right mind…?’

“Well, maybe it’s because I’ve been eating all sorts of food since I was young, but this is plenty delicious to me.”
“What else have you…?”
“It’s more delicious than the food from when I used to rummage through trash cans,” he adds.

I’m at a loss for words.
What kind of reaction should I show?
Talk about parents?
No, forget it. If it’s been like that since he was young, there’s no way he had parents or guardians.

Even if he did, it’s clear they weren’t proper people.
But if I were to bring up something like “the weather is nice~” now, it’s obvious he’d look at me wondering what I’m talking about.
Should I tell him that what he ate back then wasn’t food?
No. What if that hurts his feelings…?

Although he brought it up as if he doesn’t care much, does that mean there are no wounds in his heart?
Damn. What should I do?
Why am I being given such a trial…

I should have stuck to not doing unfamiliar things…!
I should have just sprawled out and slept.
As expected, nothing goes right when I try to do something.
Doing nothing is the best for everyone…

“Ah, it seems we have guests.”
“…Guests?” 

Only then could I sense the presence around us.
About ten presences, slightly stronger than the students I had cleared out to set up here.
It seemed they had approached while I was distracted talking with Leo.
Looking around, I see our escape routes are already blocked.
We’re surrounded.

“Well then. I guess we need to pay for the delicious fish we were treated to.”

‘I told you it wasn’t delicious… ‘

I forcefully inject motivation that isn’t there.
Well, fine. Meeting here must be fate, and if I don’t help Leo, I don’t know how I’ll face him in the same class from now on. Let’s try to put in some effort just for today.

***

Orca’s POV

I yawn and stretch as the sunlight suddenly shines on my eyes.
How many hours have I slept already?
That woman should have left by now, and what should I do next…

“You’re finally awake.”
“Crazy, you scared me…”
“Did you sleep well?” 

…She didn’t leave.

“Don’t you have anything to do?”
“If we’re talking about whether I have things to do or not, I’d say I have quite a lot? Despite how I look, I’m fulfilling a position that’s unique in the church.” 
“Right. I know that. I already know that you’re the Observer.”

The Observer, produced by the church at certain intervals, is famous.
Perhaps to the extent of being compared to the Emperor.
Only one out of countless believers.
There is only one such noble existence every generation.
That’s the Observer.

What was it again? There was a commotion because the Princess and the Observer entered the academy together this year.
I remembered well because there were guys who were annoyed that an impurity had mixed in during the era when such noble people had entered.

Those guys who said such things?
I don’t know. A few teeth might be rolling around on some street. I don’t care.
No, that’s not it.

“That’s not what I want to say.”
“…?”
“If you’re such a precious person with so much to do, couldn’t you please just get lost?”

‘But why would such a high-ranking person… be so interested in someone living at the bottom of society?’

That was my question.

“If you’re a high-ranking person, why don’t you act like one and go chat with someone else over there? What was it again? The Princess? I heard she enrolled too.” 
“Ah, if you mean Stella, I talked with her the other day. If you’re worried about that, thank you, but…”
“Who’s worried? Can’t you hear me telling you to get lost right now?” 
“…”
“Why do you keep sticking to someone like me in the first place?”
“God said that even demons are not necessarily bad beings. They were just born that way. If we govern them with love, they too might someday improve…”
“You’re lying,” 

This woman is lying.

“As expected, even if you’re a servant of God or whatever, you all lie, huh?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Be honest. You think demons can’t be rehabilitated, don’t you?”
“…”

I can sense a unique atmosphere.
An atmosphere that regards me as dangerous. An atmosphere that rejects and fears the demon-possessed.
Very faintly, but still definitely.
I could feel it from her attitude.

“I don’t mind if your words and attitude are different… However, if you’re going to use flattering words, just get lost,” 

And only then do I realize why I had followed that teacher’s words.
Unlike others, that teacher believed I was harmless.
Without a shred of doubt, even when I myself couldn’t believe in myself.
For some reason, she sincerely believed that I wouldn’t harm her.

“I have no intention of talking with you any further… And it doesn’t seem like the situation allows for it either.” 

I stood up to drive away a group of students that had approached.
For some reason, the Observer’s face was constantly following me.
Despite her eyes being covered with bandages.