I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor

Chapter 39

True to the title of Sage, Beatus was, to put it kindly, unique; to put it harshly, he was the only sane one among the Star Riders, all of whom seemed to be missing a screw.

For instance, when Dokkoran recklessly leaped into the midst of creatures, he would join her and support her from behind.

Or when Pamiu Dimezeahr, based on thorough efficiency, forced sacrifices, he would appropriately intervene to prevent it from going too far.

So much so that among readers, he was even nicknamed ‘Beukgukbap’ for being good at cutting through the sweet potato.

Because of that, Jin Crow kept him in mind, but he didn’t pay him much attention.

“Leave it to me; I’ll handle it well.”

It was not without reason that he had sought out Pamiu before.

Whatever the reason, he had already signed up for the lecture, so there was no need to go out of his way to visit.

He was, after all, the so-called model student of 2275.

“You may answer.”

The platinum hair and striking eyes caught the light.

Perhaps he lacked the charm of a true beauty, but his strong, defined features exuded a certain appeal, reflecting his taciturn nature.

As soon as Jin Crow granted permission, Beatus opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“Typical mass-produced entities lack consistency in form and possess an extremely short lifespan. The same goes for the mutations that distort surrounding life forms.”

As expected.

Beatus was just as he remembered.

Jin Crow nodded in satisfaction at the smooth flow of his response, signaling him to continue, and Beatus did not hesitate to elaborate.

“For instance, in the case of the Phon, as the instructor mentioned, it exhibits physical traits and behaviors specialized for direct attacks. Meanwhile, the Knight is more specialized for defense and fortification rather than charging or attacking…”

“That’s enough.”

Jin Crow interrupted at the right moment.

The answer he had already provided was sufficient to address the immediate question.

“Two points for the shop.”

“Thank you.”

Despite Jin Crow’s seemingly indifferent words, Beatus bowed his head and fell silent, accepting the outcome without complaint.

He had no grievances about receiving two points, especially after deducting the one point given to Dokoran.

Had it been the other way around, Dokoran would have surely thrown a fit, demanding why he hadn’t received three points.

Jin Crow felt a quiet gratitude that such a tiresome future was not yet upon him, and after scanning the cadets, he spoke.

“In these times of increasing danger from creatures, this specimen has been specially provided by the Ministry of Defense.”

Today, he had deliberately chosen the one in the best condition.

Though there were still several obstacles to overcome before execution, it was crucial for the cadets to become familiar with the real Phon for the planned test.

“Make sure to familiarize yourselves. That concludes today’s lesson.”

The ones taken aback by his words were the assistant instructor, Ginatio, and the cadets, but Jin Crow walked past them with an air of completion, heading toward the storage room.

“…Uh, um.”

As Jin Crow exited, the cadets’ gazes naturally turned to their assistant instructor, Ginatio.

Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, his eyes darted around before he let out a soft sigh and began to speak.

“…Just look at it moderately and then study on your own.”

That was the best he could muster.

But no sooner had he spoken those words than he found himself shouting at Dokgo-ran, who had somehow come right in front of Phone and was reaching out with his fingers.

“Hey! Don’t touch that!”

“Oh, it won’t wear out just from a touch.”

“Ugh, ahem!”

For some reason, he was bothered by the way Hino Kanae, standing nearby, was squirming, but as other cadets gathered, he had no choice but to resign himself to the situation.

‘Well, they said there’s no particular problem if the biological signals cut off.’

Of course, an ordinary person would be sensitive to the toxic substances leaking from a corpse, but that did not apply to superhumans.

…Some of them were not the type to listen to reason anyway.

Yet, an odd unease lingered.

He gazed at Jin Crow’s back, which was meaningfully turned toward the outside, but soon shook his head.

Though the cadets were not yet aware, he had heard that even during the recent entrance inspection, Jin Crow had been extreme but had not caused any major issues.

‘Surely, nothing serious will happen.’

For reasons unknown, it was a situation that most had noticed: Jin Crow had changed in a peculiar way, not just him but also Ideale.

However, he was unaware.

Jin Crow had not yet given up on inspecting the front lines and was filled with a determination to strengthen the cadets in any way possible to prevent destruction.

…Of course, there was a hint of selfishness mixed in.

*

“Phew.”

Ideale exhaled a breath he had been holding, narrowing his brows.

Though the headmaster of the Central Special Officer Academy held a relatively low position, the workload was by no means light.

Certainly, compared to the two hours of sleep he had managed while juggling paperwork and combat with an aide on the actual battlefield, it was a minor inconvenience.

“Haah.”

That said, there was no way paperwork would become enjoyable.

Ideale briefly skimmed through the report that had come up under Major Obia’s name from the military police, then muttered as if resigned.

“Obia…”

Surprisingly, Obia Timist was not held in such bad regard within the academy, but from the perspective of someone receiving reports, he was quite the headache.

“Typos and important incidents omitted. What a mess he’s made.”

It seemed he would have to call him in soon and say something about it.

Of course, the thought of whining already made my head throb.

Perhaps it was the relentless ache of my thoughts.

Ideale set down the tablet she had been gripping, taking a sip of the now cold, sour coffee that lingered bitter on her tongue.

Was it thanks to that?

Or perhaps because of it?

A slight clarity began to unfurl in her mind.

She gently brushed her fingers over the imprint left by her glasses on her face, then placed her hand back down to review her notes once more.

But at that very moment.

Knock, knock—.

A familiar voice echoed from outside her office door, just as she turned her head.

“Principal, it’s Instructor Jin Crow.”

She instinctively parted her lips to respond, only to close them again.

A fleeting question flickered in her mind: ‘Why?’

She had thought they had exchanged all necessary words the last time they met.

After a moment of contemplation, she realized she had left him waiting outside and finally spoke.

“Come in.”

Regardless of the reason, there was no cause to deny an instructor who sought the principal.

…Unless it was an improper request.

As soon as her permission was granted, Jin Crow opened the door and stepped inside, revealing a face she recognized all too well.

Pale skin, a countenance sharp as a blade.

Beneath his uniform, a well-honed physique, coupled with a nervous, crackling psionic energy.

“What brings you here?” she asked, rubbing her tired eyelids with her fingers.

Yet, in that brief moment, she had already begun to piece together the nature of his visit.

‘It must be about the midterms.’

With the newly established course, particularly one focused on the ongoing research of creatures, preparing for the first exam would undoubtedly be a daunting task.

Especially since it was a combined course of theory and combat.

As that thought settled in her mind, it was only natural to assume that Jin Crow was requesting additional personnel.

‘But there aren’t any available instructors at the moment. This is troublesome.’

The instructors at the Central Special Officer Academy, including those dispatched externally, barely exceeded a hundred, making the shortage of manpower particularly acute during exam periods.

Because of this, Idealle intended to urgently suggest that one of the instructors be dispatched to assist her.

Yes, she intended to say it.

“I thought I should seek the principal’s approval first, so I came to find you.”

“Hmm?”

If it hadn’t been for Jin Crow’s words that interrupted her before she could even open her mouth.

It was no wonder, for the nuance of his statement was far removed from what she had been contemplating.

She gazed at him for a moment, then nodded as if to encourage him to continue, and Jin Crow added, as if he had been waiting for her signal.

“It’s a matter that requires the support department’s assistance.”

“Support department?”

What kind of department was the support department?

Typically, it served as the administrative body responsible for the overall maintenance and management of the academy’s facilities, but in the case of the special operations academy, it was somewhat different.

Its scope was broader.

Whether it be psionic energy or superhumans, research was still actively ongoing, and thus there was a separate research division under the support department.

And when instructors mentioned needing help from the support department, it often referred to that very research division.

However, even so, it was rare for someone to come all the way to the principal to seek permission.

“Why is that?”

Because of this, she could not help but question him.

For any ordinary matter, he could have simply gone alone to request support without needing to come to her.

Her inquiry was entirely reasonable.

Yet soon, she found herself doubting her ears at Jin Crow’s next words.

“We intend to use five retrieved corpses, if that’s alright?”

“What?”

Five retrieved corpses.

It didn’t take long for her to grasp the meaning behind his words.

‘Creatures?’

At the same time, the phrase “Lemal Front Inspection,” which Jin Crow had intended to incorporate into the curriculum, flashed through her mind.

What had happened to the planet Lemal?

Ah, the battalion that had been deployed there was annihilated, and Jin Crow himself had been dispatched to the Atlas Colony, which had effectively succumbed to self-destruction…

Not to mention the coup and the terror of the Red Hand.

‘What if the cadets had gone there?’

Just the thought sends her into a haze.

Moreover, wasn’t the time he had slotted into the curriculum roughly coinciding with the assault of the Red Hand?

Yet, Ideale still held a flicker of faith in Jin Crow.

Surely, after having given such a warning before, he wouldn’t dare to act more madly.

“…What do you intend to use it for?”

As if to meet her expectations, Jin Crow opened his mouth with confidence.

As if he was certain that once she heard his tale, she would willingly agree.

Perhaps that was why.

Though she felt a gnawing anxiety, she half-expected what he might say and waited for his words.

“I’m thinking of turning it into a Training Dummy. Coincidentally, Professor Lilian in the research department under the support division is an authority in that field…”

“Get out.”

“Pardon?”

She never imagined that her anticipation would be crushed in less than ten seconds.

“I said get out!”

Ideale tried to throw anything within reach, but finding nothing, she resorted to jabbing her finger at the door, her voice rising in a strained shout.

And only then did she realize.

A madman is far more terrifying when he’s about to do something than when he’s sitting still.

‘If I give him drink, and tobacco, he’ll surely quiet down!’

She genuinely thought so, her frustration boiling over.

But Jin Crow, believing she still didn’t grasp this “perfect and efficient training method,” added on.

“I plan to conduct practical exams using the Training Dummy created in that manner, but you needn’t worry. It will be designed so that the cadets cannot easily damage it, while still resembling the original as closely as possible…”

“Get out now!”

What returned to her was, in a way, a cry that bordered on pleading.