The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 35

In a darkened office, Anar’el placed her clenched hands on the table and muttered in a deep voice.

“……The time has finally come.”

The cease-and-desist recommendation had been rescinded, meaning that Amonis Academy had finally been officially recognized for its resurrection.

The number of students and teachers hasn’t changed, of course, except that funding has become more accessible.

But “officially revived” was a big deal.

“Whoo-hoo-hoo, good, it’s about time.”

Muttering again for emphasis, Anar’el began to move.

* * *

A person can gain peace of mind simply by thinking differently even if it’s a desperate mental victory.

‘Okay, let’s just pretend it’s a job saved.’

If you think of it that way, it’s not bad news, it’s good news.

‘Even though the executives and fellow teachers are still incompetent, and the situation is still desperate, the fact that the workplace has survived is good news.’

A smirking Amon muttered.

“Is ……right?”

I don’t think so.

‘Um, but why did I get a chill earlier……?’

Amon shivered at the unexplained chill.

Chalking it up to exhaustion, Amon began to organize his stack of papers.

It was a paper for his subject, history.

‘First of all, I finished today’s class, so let’s see what I need for tomorrow.’

Amon smiled softly as he began to sort through the papers.

“Peaceful.”

It’s been a few months since his appointment to the Academy.

In a few more months, he would have been here for half a year.

But with so many twists and turns along the way, it hasn’t felt like a short time at all.

‘It feels like years have passed.’

But lo and behold!

I’m organizing papers for tomorrow’s class right now!

It’s the life of a teacher she dreamed of, nothing more, nothing less!

‘And the students are all so well behaved, so eager to learn, so happy in this calm peace.’

Although he found his fellow teachers a little frustrating, he didn’t have to deal with them as much as he would have liked.

He’d joined them when his subject wasn’t assigned, or when he’d been given temporary classes, but now he was a history teacher, proudly in charge of his own subject!

“Hoo hoo hoo. I guess I can sleep well tonight.”

A little happiness!

He lifted his favorite chamomile tea to his lips, as his insomnia had been getting worse lately.

“Teacher Amon!”

Amon’s face contorted into a ghastly grimace at the sound of Anar’el’s voice.

But he quickly composed himself and muttered.

“It’s nothing.”

Amon swallowed a gulp of chamomile tea to help calm his emotions.

“Yes, please come in.”

“Yes, yes, you’re not busy, are you?”

Amon glanced at the thick stack of papers.

“Yes. As you can see, I’m ‘not’ busy at all, of course.”

“Good! I came to see you first because there’s something I wanted to talk to you about at length.”

Talking at length.

Amon laughed as he poured himself a cup of soothing chamomile tea.

“Haha, I see, what can I help you with?”

“Oh, thank you for the tea.”

“Don’t touch it. It’s mine.”

“Oh, right.”

Anar’el cleared her throat.

“As you may have heard, teacher Amon, the shutdown recommendation for our academy has been rescinded.”

“Yes, I know.”

True to her word, the shutdown was rescinded about a week ago.

Anar’el continued.

“We no longer have to worry about operating funds like we used to, and if we do need them, the Imperials will provide them, as long as we’re worthy.”

“Of course.”

I understand that’s why Vice Headmaster Brestle has been in trouble lately.

‘Do you think you can satisfactorily feed the students with a shabby cafeteria? Buy the finest ingredients and hire the best chefs right now and…….’

Of course, more than half of the comments were dismissed, but the rather shabby cafeteria was on the way to improvement.

“Anyway, at this point, it’s my judgment as headmaster that our academy can’t afford to rest on its laurels.”

“Hoh, that sounds like…….”

Amon’s eyes twinkled.

“As the headmaster said, we are an academy in name only. Three students, three teachers…….”

Amon mumbled, then clapped his hands.

“So you’re going to start recruiting students and hiring new teachers!”

Anar’el smiled broadly at that reasonable comment.

“No, we’re going to start an academy exchange!”

Amon cupped his ears, wondering if he’d heard wrong.

When he felt the pain in his ears, he decided enough was enough and removed his hands from his ears and opened his mouth.

“Can you say that again?”

“The Academy Exchange!”

“……Uh, um, yes.”

Amon is no stranger to the Academy Exchange War.

It was a system to capitalize on the competitive spirit of academies and their students, and it was a kind of competition organized by the imperial family where each academy competed against each other in various ways!

With direct imperial oversight, the academy that won the competition would be able to boost its reputation.

“Anyway,” Amon said after gulping down the soothing chamomile tea.

“Headmaster.”

“Yes?”

“I understand what you mean. Since the suspension has been rescinded, our academy is officially revived, which means we are eligible to hold the Academy Exchange War.”

“Exactly!”

Amon replied cheerfully, suppressing the urge to tug at Anar’el’s ears.

“But, Headmaster, think carefully. An exchange is premature. Even the smallest, most insignificant academy would have well over a hundred students, while we only have three students and three teachers”

“Hmm.”

“Besides, unlike the competition where only certain events are allowed, the exchange events have clearly defined events, right? Each academy decides on a topic among swordsmanship, magic, and general academics.”

“Right.”

Amon smiled, glad that Anar’el understood what he was saying.

“So we’ll have to compete in all of them, and since our academy only has three students, someone will have to compete in more than one, right?”

“I suppose so.”

Amon narrowed his eyes. Was she really getting this?

“Headmaster.”

“Yes.”

“So why don’t we hold off on the exchange?”

“I already signed up for it.”

Amon began to sip from the pot of chamomile tea, a soothing and relaxing drink.

And when the pot was empty he hit Anar’el on the head with it.

“Kkiyaaaaak! Wh, what are you doing!”

“What are you doing! You’re the one whose head doesn’t work! What the hell were you thinking, signing up for an exchange! What are you going to use those long ears for, can’t you hear people!”

“Heehee! Ears, ears are not allowed…….”

“Ew, ew, ew!”

Amon finally sank to the ground in a huff.

Competing against other academies? Yeah, well, swordsmanship is one thing.

There is Chloe, who has done well in the competition, and Sword Master Raymond, the grandson and disciple of the Azure Sky Sword King Reinbelt.

Oh, and there’s Boris.

‘But what about the other disciplines? Magic? My students still don’t understand the connection between ether and mana, or the interference of the Etherius and Material Plane barriers!’

Actually, those are things even a dragon would have trouble with!

‘And history? I’m sure the other academies have students who know their books like they’ve chewed them up, swallowed them, and digested them! And math? We don’t even teach it!’

In other words, we’re going to lose everything except swordsmanship!

’But we can’t cancel it!’

The tournament is organized by the Imperial Court.

So, a week after the suspension was rescinded, you’re going to apply for a tournament and then cancel it with a flip of your hand?

If Amon were Emperor, he’d have the Academy burned to the ground for malfeasance.

“Ugh, uhhhh…….”

Amon glares at Anar’el.

“Hey, let me get this straight, which academy did you sign up for the exchange?”

“Vestric Academy.”

“No!”

Amon was stunned.

Vestric Academy was the strongest academy in the continent, the best and the largest academy in the empire.

* * *

All the teachers who received the news were lying next to each other.

Amon was obviously in shock, while Marion was sick with alcohol poisoning.

Sloth was just lying there.

Amon, who was grunting anyway, muttered.

“An exchange match……Our academy is having an exchange match……”

Marion opened his alcoholic mouth at the sound of Amon’s sobbing.

“Amon, don’t worry too much.”

“Are you not worried now?”

“Uh huh, just listen. You’re right, it’s a bit rash, but I can understand the headmaster’s intentions for the exchange.”

“…….”

“The suspension is rescinded. The Academy has been officially revived, but as you say, the admission of students and the appointment of faculty members…….”

Lifting his head slightly, Marion glanced at the three lying teachers.

“Who would want to come in after seeing this?”

“…….”

She wasn’t wrong.

There were only three students and three teachers.

What kind of lunatic would want to cross the threshold of this place, even if it was reopened?

“Besides, even if it was open, who would know? They’ll just think it was a failed academy.”

“……….”

“But what if we held an exchange, and we could announce the Academy’s resurrection to the rest of the Empire, and what if we did well in the exchange?”

Amon replied.

“We’d be swamped with people trying to get in.”

“That’s right. At a time when the prestigious Amonis Academy is still not forgotten, if news of its victory in the exchange battle spreads, it will only be a matter of time before it regains its former glory.”

“But even if there is a chance, it is too much.”

“…….”

It is.

The opponent was Vestric Academy, with thousands of students and hundreds of teachers.

Numbers were numbers, but the comparison to Amonis Academy in terms of quality was ridiculous.

Each and every one of their teachers would be able to obtain a high-ranking noble title even if they defected to any kingdom, and every single one of their graduates would be appointed as knights and wizards!

“Anyone can see that this is like throwing an egg at a rock.”

Sloth, who had been listening silently, said.

Aren’t you being rude to the egg?”

“I’m sorry, egg.”

With a heavy sigh, Amon pushed himself to his feet.

“In any case, I can see the Headmaster’s intentions: to revive the Academy as quickly as possible.”

“Hmm, I suppose so?”

“Besides, the water has already been spilled. I guess we’ll just have to do the best we can with what we’ve got.”

“Hmm?”

Marion and Sloth scratched their heads at Amon’s sudden turn to positivity.

“What’s with the sudden motivation?”

“I don’t know.”

“Oh, well.”

Amon said, chewing on a chamomile leaf absentmindedly.

“I thought about it for a minute, but it’s not like I’ll be the one to suffer anyway, it’s the students.”

“…….”