I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor

Chapter 8

Ideale Kukenhausen.

One of the founding figures of the United Synthesis of Humanity, and the second daughter of the Kukenhausen family, a lineage of true military nobility.

Moreover, a war hero who successfully rescued approximately 1.5 million refugees during the escape operation from the Rocha Colony, a mission everyone else had given up on during the Third Galactic War.

“W-we respect you! Headmaster!”

“…Alright, everyone, take your seats.”

Usually, she rarely revealed herself before the cadets.

It wasn’t that she disliked them.

It was simply that every time she witnessed their fervent reactions, it felt like a bitter reminder of how her family intended to ‘use’ her.

‘A war hero.’

Such hollow honors stir no feeling within.

True heroes lie buried beneath the cold earth of nameless planets even now.

‘Unlike a puppet like me, crafted from propaganda.’

Perhaps this sense of guilt is why she cannot bring herself to be harsh with Jin Crow.

Though broken and corrupted, he was undoubtedly a comrade she respected and admired from the battlefield.

“…I feel like this is the first time I’m seeing you, aside from when I enrolled.”

“You look younger than I expected. We’re almost the same age, aren’t we?”

Regardless of the cadets’ gazes, a bitter smile lingered on her lips.

At the tender age of thirty, she had reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Penta Gear.

Yet, born under the name of Kukenhausen, she had but three choices.

To become the political soldier she so despised.

Or to shed her uniform and forsake her lineage.

If neither, then to cling to her clumsy convictions and retreat to a lowly position as she did now.

…Kukenhausen is such a family.

A lineage that takes for granted the sacrifice for the family, or the use of others if not.

In truth, the faction of her family is one of the largest, alongside the faction Jin Crow belongs to, Rosen. What more needs to be said?

‘…Time.’

Ideale fixed her unique white eyes on the clock hanging above the lectern.

It was nearly time to begin the lecture.

Thus, she opened her mouth to tell the cadets to return to their seats.

No, she was about to.

At that very moment, it was not her words that broke the silence, but rather a single phrase uttered by Jin Crow as he entered the classroom with a screech of the door.

*Thud*.

“…The break is over.”

He scanned the crowded cadets, narrowing his brow slightly beneath his dark hair that brushed his eyes.

The black pupils shining through his distorted gaze were endlessly indifferent, yet in that moment, Ideale instinctively sensed it.

He was in a foul mood.

And with his next words, not only the cadets but also the instructors accompanying Ideale fell silent.

“Everyone, shut up and sit down.”

Sharp words scatter.

It was only natural that the atmosphere in the classroom turned icy.

“…….”

Ideale gazed at him with slightly dazed eyes.

Not because she was overwhelmed by his presence.

Rather, it was the single utterance that conjured the memory of his back she had seen long ago.

But that thought was fleeting; she soon realized she had been lost in unnecessary musings and gestured to the instructors standing behind her. At her signal, one of the instructors, who had hesitated like the cadets, finally moved.

“Now, everyone sit down!”

“Your movements are sluggish! Move faster!”

At Jin Crow’s words and the stiff expressions of the instructors, the cadets sat down with faces that truly resembled those walking on thin ice.

In contrast, Jin Crow, the one who had created such an atmosphere, remained expressionless, preparing for the lecture to come.

‘This is bad.’

‘Yeah.’

No cadet was oblivious to the situation.

‘We’re screwed.’

It was clear that Jin Crow was in a foul mood.

“Th-thump!”

Miel, standing by the door, seemed to sense the unusual tension as she tugged at Baek Hui-young’s clothes and hurriedly took her seat.

Of course, even until that moment, Baek Hui-young continued to gaze at Jin Crow with unwavering intensity.

“As you all know, failing a theoretical class does not affect your commissioning, but it will impact your assignments. Keep this in mind.”

His unusually cold voice echoed through the room.

He then began to list their names and scores in a dry tone, without even glancing at the cadets.

“Baek Hui-young. A.”

The cadets’ expressions brightened momentarily at Baek Hui-young’s unexpectedly high score, but soon they had no choice but to realize it was a fleeting illusion.

“Miel Anver. B-. Jean Ludwig. D…….”

At least the psychics had managed to scrape a B-, but the martial arts scores were nothing short of disastrous.

“Aaron Graham. F. Wesley Drew. F…….”

With half of the cadets receiving an F, what more needed to be said?

But soon, an unexpected turn of events unfolded.

“Lastly. Dokgo Ran. A.”

“Eh?”

“What did you say?”

At Jin Crow’s words, Lan’s dark eyes, tinged with a hint of crimson, widened in surprise, and he scratched his head in confusion.

Though inwardly flustered, it was not a bad thing at all, and he was just about to boast to the other cadets when—

Thud.

Jin Crow set down the device he had brought and added, “However, since you co-authored the personal assignment, it’s an F.”

“What? That can’t be…?”

“I saw the name of Famiyu Dimejeahr written on it. I will not accept any objections.”

“Huh?”

Famiyu does not attend Jin Crow’s lectures.

Yet, at his words, Dokoran immediately recalled what had transpired yesterday and realized the underlying truth, unable to suppress a hollow laugh.

“Haha.”

The smile, tinged with an unsettling aura, made the other cadets shake their heads in dismay.

It seemed that things would be quite noisy for a while.

Meanwhile, Jin Crow finished grading and scanned the cadets.

For a brief moment, his gaze landed on Ideale, but it was not for long.

With a swift motion, he brushed aside his slightly disheveled hair and finally spoke.

“Any questions?”

A statement laden with meaning.

Perhaps that was why.

Many cadets, including Baek Hui-young, raised their hands, eager to speak.

“Instructor Jin Crow.”

At that very moment, had Ideale, who had been silently observing from the back, not opened her mouth, the moment would have unfolded differently.

Naturally, all eyes turned toward her.

And with her next words, not only the cadets but also the instructors looked back at Jin Crow.

“Is there a solution to this assignment? Can you provide an explanation?”

All eyes, hundreds of them, focused solely on Jin Crow.

No matter how indifferent a person may become, when so many gazes converge on a single individual, it is human nature to feel a stir of unease, even if just for a moment.

But is it truly Jin Crow?

He met the countless gazes directed at him with unwavering black eyes, finally nodding his head.

“…Of course, it is possible.”

As he linked the device he brought with the simulation just behind the podium, a model of the blue-hued planet Aurum emerged.

“The invasion of the creatures usually comes without warning.”

*Tap—.*

“Hypotheses abound regarding the reason, but the prevailing theory is that their higher species emits energy comparable to humanity’s hyperspace drive, creating rifts.”

With a light flick of his hand, he pointed at the simulated planet Aurum, and soon a series of purple rifts shimmered in the air, red dots rapidly beginning to cover the skies above the planet.

“The exit from which they emerge has been named the Void Rift, and the best humanity can do is to observe signs approximately 10 to 30 seconds before its occurrence and sound the alarm. The planetary defense force of Aurum sounded the alarm about 7 seconds prior.”

Since this was all sufficiently explained in the materials provided by Jin Crow, there was no immediate uproar or surprise among the audience.

Yet, the way he succinctly articulated the key points held a certain absorbing power.

“Here, the first blunder occurred.”

He enlarged the screen that had merely illuminated the planet, now showcasing the fleet stationed near it.

Despite having received the communication, they stood still for a while, seemingly confirming something instead of moving immediately.

Jin Crow turned to Baek Hwi-young and asked.

“Cadet Baek Hwi-young, what method do you propose here?”

“The moment the signs of the Void Rift were confirmed, the main fleet should have bombarded the rift to establish a fire net, then immediately requested support from the adjacent federal fleet.”

At Baek Hwi-young’s words, most cadets, including Ideale, nodded absentmindedly.

His suggestion was close to the consensus.

However, Jin Crow shook his head.

“Insufficient.”

“Is that so?”

Baek Hwi-young nodded, as if he had expected such a response, showing no particular agitation.

But the others were different.

Though they did not voice it, they believed there could be no better alternative.

“The grade of the Void Rift was A. Meanwhile, the firepower of the Aurum planetary defense force barely holds off a B-grade threat. Therefore, even if a fire net is established, it cannot be maintained for more than three minutes. While it may be a meaningful delaying tactic against the Holy Galactic Empire’s fleet, it is not against the creatures.”

Regardless of the cadets’ reactions, Jin Crow continued, looking at them as if stating the most obvious common sense.

“Thus, in this case, the method the planetary defense force must execute for planetary defense is singular and unavoidable.”

With a casual wave of his fingertips, he brought up the prepared materials on the podium’s blackboard, moving the simulation.

“Some of the available dreadnought-class battleships, including the battleship Canis and others, must charge the rift, overloading all fusion reactors to self-destruct, striking the rift itself. Then, the remaining battleships will strike the Void Tortoise that crosses the Void Rift…”

For a different reason than before, the atmosphere quickly sank into silence.

Some doubted their ears, while those students who understood the meaning gazed at him with a variety of expressions.

“…Instructor, I have a question.”

It was remarkable that a student from the psychic division, who had been silently attending the class until now, raised their hand and asked him with a stern expression.

“Are you saying that the explanation you’re giving is, perhaps, to intentionally drive the ship into the rift and cause an explosion?”

Jin Crow halted his ongoing discourse and shifted his gaze to the student who posed the question.

Then, he opened his mouth to retort.

“Then, does the term ‘self-destruction’ have another meaning?”

It was a chillingly dry response.

‘Is he out of his mind?’

‘…A psychopath, perhaps?’

In fact, the students were left speechless, for he was so unabashedly confident.

Yet, there was a truth they failed to notice.

The instructors and the Ideale, while they might wear expressions of discomfort or question the logic behind Jin Crow’s words, could not bring themselves to outright deny their validity.

Most of the instructors had experienced the Third Galactic War.

Because of that, they understood.

If madness were necessary, it was the battlefield—a hell where such madness was required.

“Ha.”

In contrast, the students were different.

“How absurd.”

As one student, who had been quietly seated, stood up, a series of male students followed her lead.

What was peculiar was that they all bore the appearance of East Asians, standing as if they were her protectors, like warriors.

“I had high hopes for a soldier in the fray, but I am disappointed. I shall take my leave now.”

Her actions, with hair as dark as crow feathers and crimson eyes, and the reactions of those around her, unmistakably bore the mark of nobility.

‘Hino Kanae.’

It was not mere bravado.

Indeed, she was the heir of the Hino family, which governed an entire planetary system as if it were their fief.

‘What a misstep.’

It was not unreasonable for the other instructors observing her to think such thoughts.

Though the Hino family might have a limited foothold within the military, they wielded considerable influence in the political arena.

Knowing this, Hino Kanae could express her displeasure with such confidence.

Moreover, the relationship with the Rosen faction was not entirely unfavorable.

In other words, Jin Crow found himself in a rather awkward situation.

“Seems you’re under some delusion. Moreover, quite arrogant.”

“Pardon?”

At that very moment, before Jin Crow’s words left his lips, most had thought so, their expressions turning somewhat bewildered.

“The lecture is not yet over.”

Jin Crow added, his gaze fixed with a peculiar, dry intensity, as if he cared not a whit for Hino Kanae’s background.

“Take your seat.”

His voice bore no trace of emotional turmoil, yet paradoxically, the absence of feeling rendered his presence overwhelmingly oppressive.

“…Hmph.”

Even Hino Kanae, born into privilege and raised as a noble, flinched at that.