I Became the Crazy Instructor at the Academy

3 – 3. Scarlet Rain

“…Was it you?”

As soon as she saw my face when I turned around, Scarlet scowled, her expression able to encapsulate all the irritation in the world.

She growled and approached me as if she was about to devour me,

But I only stared back at her intently.

“What, got a problem? Going to prattle about how a lowly commoner dares to speak like that again? Try me.”

But I wasn’t really looking at her.

I was reading the information that only I could see.

＜Scarlet Rain＞

Strength: A

Agility: B

Magic: D

Mental Strength: B

Stamina: A

Luck: E

Potential: SS

Unique Abilities:

– Empress of the Divine Spear (EX)

– Charisma (A)

Affinity: Contempt

Despite not being a month since her enrollment, she had stats robust enough to rival active-duty personnel.

Excluding her abysmal magic, she was a formidable combatant in any setting.

The SS in potential was akin to a certification in this world.

‘This character can go toe-to-toe with the protagonist.’

That was the implication.

Although we had an awkward relationship, barely exchanging greetings when I was a gamer…

Now that the game had become reality, I needed to gather allies, safely.

While I despaired at Adam’s absence, the heroine standing before me was ‘the closest to Adam’ in terms of stats.

As I marveled at this, she had already reached inches away from my face.

“If you have something to say, spit it out. But be prepared for a world of pain if you even touch me like last time-”

“Scarlet.”

I interrupted, calling her softly. Scarlet flinched.

“Miss Scarlet, what brings you to the underground storage? Students aren’t allowed here.”

“Instructor Chris asked me to come. Do you realize you have a lecture starting in 10 minutes, and you’re still here?”

She respects no one.

Even if a winged angel descended from the heavens, Scarlet wouldn’t bow her head.

Her compulsive disrespect was part of her identity…

But a careful analysis of her speech would soon reveal,

That she too, discriminates amongst people.

She refers to most people, including me, as ‘you’ or ‘hey.’

But she affords Chris, known for his impeccable character, the title of ‘instructor.’ Proof of her selective respect.

“I was about to leave.”

“Ah, is that so? Then shut up and run.”

“Before that.”

I rummaged through a shelf next to the storage and pulled something out.

It was a cube.

A mana cube, just the right size to fit snugly in the palm.

“The cost for my impudence towards the instructor must be paid.”

“You should act befitting of an instructor if you want to be treated like one.”

“Accept this.”

Regardless of being Ivan, I still bear the title of an instructor, and…

Even if she was Scarlet, she was still a student.

While she frowned, she couldn’t just throw away the mana cube I handed her.

She tried to twist and turn it with her hands, but the cube wouldn’t budge.

“…It seems like this is broken.”

“It’s not a regular toy, but a cube intertwined with a mana circuit. Try manipulating the tangled circuit with your magical power.”

“Why should I do something like that?”

“Haven’t you played with such things enough already?”

“……”

Her gaze, which had been emotionless towards me, suddenly turned cold.

A typical remark from Ivan.

‘It’s clear what she must have been up to in those back alleys. Fistfights, or perhaps some back dealings?’

An implied meaning in that single phrase.

“Fix the colors of this cube by tomorrow.”

She had probably faced prejudice like this before.

Perhaps she had become immune to disregard and contempt.

Yet, because of the resentment built up from my usual behavior,

Her gaze at me was chilling to the bone.

Yes, I know. When a detestable person acts detestably, it amplifies the dislike.

However, my priority now was to train her in manipulating the mana circuit, even if it irritated her.

The weapon I had just placed in my inventory,

The divine spear Rampage, which would one day become Scarlet’s signature weapon.

If she was to wield this top-tier relic by tomorrow night…

Even with my help, she needed to initiate it.

“Well, off I go.”

Leaving her with the cube to practice on,

I quickly made my way to the lecture hall.

…I had to run a bit since I was late.

—

The lecture hall was filled with students.

Hundreds of first-year students, enjoying the auditorium in the absence of their instructor.

In the center of the circular hall, the stage where the instructor should’ve been was still vacant, ten minutes past the start time.

Yet, no one raised an objection.

Everyone simply continued their tasks.

Some chatted with neighbors,

Some engaged in in-depth discussions about monsters,

Some were engrossed in assignments from other instructors.

Under normal circumstances, the proper etiquette would be to wait quietly for the tardy instructor…

But no student felt the need to extend such courtesies to Ivan.

This included Scarlet, sitting by the window.

“…”

While gazing out the window, she maintained her distance.

Knowing her preference for window seats, students would never sit near her, as if a barrier was erected around her.

The surrounding students glanced at her desolate vicinity.

Squeak-

A door slowly opened. Instead of Ivan, a few students entered.

“Damn, we should’ve come earlier. Now we have to stand.”

“Look over there, it’s empty. Can’t we sit there?”

“Are you crazy? You want to sit there?”

“…Ugh. That’s Scarlet.”

“Sit there if you want to get torn in half. I’m going to the other side.”

Those latecomers nonchalantly made their entrance.

Scarlet, while looking out, had her ears open and caught their conversation.

It’s never pleasant hearing others badmouth you, but for Scarlet, it was a daily occurrence.

Instead of jumping up and confronting them, she simply continued to gaze outside, occasionally watching a butterfly.

‘They don’t treat her any differently from a monster.’

Such were her fleeting thoughts.

Indeed, the only accurate thing in their chatter about her was her name.

She never prohibited anyone from sitting near her,

Nor did she have any intentions of breaking in half anyone who did.

While her notorious reputation was due to her past behavior,

She was not the type to start confrontations, though she wouldn’t shy away if one came her way.

Yes, there was another who thrived on confrontations.

The topic of the whispering students seated diagonally in front of Scarlet.

“Ivan is late again today.”

“He didn’t even show up last time.”

“He probably just does the minimum to not get fired. Seems like he’s treating his instructor role as a joke.”

“I heard he was exiled from his family?”

“Ah, so he’s rebelling by slacking off?”

“What did he do this time?”

“Last week, he tried to touch Instructor Miho’s tail and got slapped for it.”

Ivan Herzon.

Ask ten students about him, and you’d get ten different stories of his misdeeds.

Of course, more than 90% of these rumored misdeeds were baseless.

Even Scarlet, who didn’t think highly of him, knew that one person couldn’t possibly commit so many transgressions.

Still, Scarlet never stood up for him.

‘He made his own grave.’

Given his infamous behavior, it was hard to feel pity.

She despised herself for the moment she tried to solve the cube.

Even if she succeeded, Ivan would probably forget he gave it to her.

In his eyes, she, with her background of back-alley brawls, was no better than the trash tossed in a corner.

Their conversation in the storage room was likely not based on genuine interest but mere prejudice.

She decided to toss the cube somewhere on her way back to the dorm.

Then…

Squeak-

The door opened again.

This time, it was the central door to the auditorium.

“I seem to have arrived a bit late.”

It was Ivan Herzon.

Keeping hundreds of students waiting and then offering what felt more like an acknowledgement than an apology was typical Ivan behavior.

But today, something about him was different, especially his appearance.

His slightly crumpled instructor uniform, an awkward hairdo, and the slight sway in his shoulders with each step suggested he had been running.

So, the audacious noble delinquent ran to not keep the mostly common-born students waiting?

It would be easier to believe that a meteor would hit the imperial palace tomorrow.

Against the backdrop of cold certainty,

He casually adjusted his uniform and stepped onto the central stage.

Pulling out a textbook from his bag in a familiar manner, he said,

“Let’s see, today’s lesson will be…”

Following suit, the students also took out their textbooks.

No one wanted to, but they couldn’t deny a lesson.

“Yes, understanding the impact formula based on mana conductivity. Here we are. Now, students, please open your textbooks to…”

As always, he started reading the hastily-prepared textbook as if he were reading a language arts book, and the students, looking like they could fall asleep any second, followed along.

Yet again, today was different.

“Close it.”

With a sudden unexpected command that even made window-gazing Scarlet look back.

The atmosphere of the entire auditorium shifted abruptly.

With a motion suggesting he wanted to emphasize his earlier statement,

He closed the textbook he had been skimming through and placed it on a nearby desk.

“You can set it on the floor or even tear it up. I plan on bringing a new one next week.”

“Excuse me, Instructor Ivan. Could you explain what you mean?”

The one who voiced the question was a blonde female student.

Paula Maria.

Always seated in the best spot for viewing in the center, she was a model student with sparkling eyes, always attentive to the instructor’s lecture. She was also a holy woman dispatched from the Arca Order, and uniquely in the academy, she was the origin of the sincere treatment Ivan received as an instructor.

“As I hear it, Ms. Paula, today’s lesson won’t be conducted with the textbook.”

“But, the reason for that is…”

“It’s because none of you are worthy of learning this kind of material yet.”

An absurd reason that silenced even Paula who asked the question. It seemed the man had forgotten he was the one who had brought in the textbook he was now denying.

Even under the gaze of students who appeared to have much to say,

he did not stop his unexpected questioning.

“I want to ask the hundreds of first-year students gathered here in this auditorium.”

The instructor with the highest nose but also the most ignored by the students. A problem child who was only responsible for basic theories but clearly showed disinterest even in that. A man fitting of the disgraceful title of the failure of the Herzon family. His question was…

“Can I have a show of hands from students who are not of noble birth, that is, the commoners among you?”

It was indeed lowly.

Only then did the students grasp his intentions.

‘So he’s saying he’ll openly favour the nobles now.’

Given that he was one who appeared insignificant before fellow nobles and openly discriminated against commoners of lower social standing, the students interpreted his obvious intention to weed out the unworthy commoners and devoutly teach only the noble children while wagging his tail.

Yet…

Swoosh-

Still, hands were raised. Every single commoner present raised their hands.

Hundreds of arms, boldly outstretched, were in themselves delivering a message to Ivan.

‘We have no intention of hanging on to an instructor like you.’

Scarlet was no different.

However.

“Has everyone responded? Then, the noble students who did not raise their hands…”

His final words,

Plunged Scarlet and the other students into shock.

“Please leave.”