#22. Masterpiece

Cecil Bellette hailed from the battlefield.

The war against the Demon Lord’s army, which lasted twelve years.

She was deployed in the seventh year of the war, and fought for five years.

A glorious thing!

She devoted herself to the Empire and survived.

She will etch her name in the history books as one of countless heroes.

······.

······.

“Bullshit.”

Glory? Honor? Pride?

Don’t spout such nonsense.

What one gains from war isn’t something so superficially splendid.

Death.

Screams.

Sorrow.

Despair.

Tragedy.

Rage.

Loss.

That’s what war is.

The death throes of the dying bring sorrow, and despair and tragedy ignite rage. In the end, only loss remains.

Pain. War is, simply, pain.

She was disillusioned.

Disillusioned with an Empire that cloaked every death in a shroud of honour.

Therefore, Cecil resigned from knighthood immediately after the war ended.

“Cecil.”

“You called, sir?”

So, what was she to do now?

Having lived her whole life wielding a sword, what sort of work could she possibly do?

Unable to find an answer, she decided to simply take up farming and live a simple life.

“You’re really going to leave?”

“Commander, didn’t I tell you? I can no longer live in the capital.”

Emigration was out of the question. So soon after the war, there was no way to change her nationality.

But she could leave the capital.

“Then, how about becoming a teacher?”

“……Pardon?”

It was just as she had steeled her resolve.

A single suggestion offered by the Commander.

It was so utterly bizarre.

“Me?”

“I’ll write you a letter of recommendation. There are good academies even outside the capital.”

“No…….”

“I believe you’d be good at it.”

“Just a moment, please.”

Cecil, even in her own estimation, wasn’t suited to the role of teacher.

Teach? Who would teach whom? It would be a miracle if she didn’t just beat any disobedient students into submission.

“I can’t.”

“Cecile.”

“Why?”

“It’s my last request.”

“……”

I still don’t understand the Commander’s intentions.

Why, and for what reason?

Why send me here?

“I don’t know.”

Maybe it’s a little late to be wondering now.

She’s already adapted to this work, after all.

Perhaps that was the intention all along. Though I still don’t know the purpose.

“……Ah, now that I think of it.”

Today was supposed to be the day a new student arrived, wasn’t it?

The name was…Rain Ortiz?

“Why send a smart kid here?”

Cecile clicked her tongue and rose to her feet.

Genius or not, this field is entirely different.

The chances are high they won’t even be able to adapt here.

“Well, maybe I can have some expectations, at least.”

However.

“……Didn’t come?”

After that.

“Again today?”

Continuously.

“……Huh.”

Rain Ortiz did not arrive.

“Unbelievable.”

For a whole month.

*

“The rules are as were previously stated.”

As you know, I received no prior notification of any rules.

“From this moment on, anyone caught by me will undergo physical training.”

Not that I can even complain, because this situation isn’t unfair in the slightest.

After all, I’m the one who skipped the lectures.

“Now, begin!”

Professor Cecile shouted the start.

A test begun without any detailed rules.

What is it that I should do?

[ I recommend running away for now. ]

I followed the system’s advice.

“Ugh, I really hate this…!”

Physical exertion is just not my thing.

Running, of all things, I loathe the most, and yet, here I was, running. Full speed!

In this godforsaken situation, the only information I had was this:

If Professor Cecil catches me, I am screwed.

The problem is, my stamina is only that of an average person.

On the other hand, that professor chasing me…

“Rain Ortiz.”

Is a monster. A monster who can carry a person on their back and run like a tank.

“What’s the reason for your absences lately?”

Professor Cecil, suddenly running beside me, spoke.

Wow.

This is strangely familiar.

“No response, huh.”

In a flash, Professor Cecil moved ahead and extended a leg downward.

Unfamiliar with physical activity, I tripped right over the leg, and tumbled rather roughly.

Caught.

“Congratulations on being the first caught.”

No.

Professor.

Wait just a moment.

“From now on, we begin physical training.”

Ah.

.

.

.

The sun had set.

Covered in sweat, I lay face down on the training ground, trying to catch my breath.

“Listen up, everyone.”

The current situation could be summarized in one phrase.

I’m going to die.

“At this rate, none of you will survive on the battlefield.”

To cut to the chase, my body couldn’t keep up with Professor Cecil’s Spartan training, not even a little bit.

Actually, most of us couldn’t keep up.

Everyone except two people had been caught by the professor and received physical training along with me.

“Are you going to become arrow fodder at this rate?”

Her question was answered by the exhausted masses.

No, Ma’am!!

“Good, then let’s finish today’s class with one more lap around the training ground.”

“Shit.”

Another lap?

For real, *shit*…

I forced myself up.

Lurching, swaying. I ran like a jellyfish with legs. If anyone saw me, they’d probably laugh.

Still, I gritted my teeth and ran that last lap.

“Haa, haa…”

“Rain Ortiz.”

Professor.

Can’t answer you right now.

“Rain Ortiz?”

Damn it.

“Y-yes, Professor…”

“How was the lecture?”

How was the lecture, he asks.

This is what I honestly felt.

Is *that* what you call a lecture?

Even the army doesn’t push us this hard.

“As expected, your stamina is shit. You won’t manage the final exam in this state.”

“…”

I was definitely worried about that part.

Even though my grade was already screwed from attendance, I still wanted to do well on the exam.

…Is it weird that I even care about grades?

Considering my situation, grades shouldn’t matter at all anymore.

“I have something to say regarding that.”

But this is my own personal desire.

“Ho, what is it?”

“I understand the final exam will be conducted in a similar fashion to today.”

“That’s right.”

“As you know, Professor, I’m guaranteed an F if I take the exam as is.”

“That’s also right.”

Whatever else, it’s undeniably ‘unfair’ for the exam to proceed like this.

No matter how much I consider it, I don’t think I can meet the standard just because I diligently attend training.

All conditions were stacked against me, so fairness demanded an adjustment.

“I’d like you to change the exam rules a bit.”

“…What are you talking about?”

Professor Cecil looked at me with disbelief.

I didn’t flinch and voiced my opinion.

“This exam is too disadvantageous to me. I’d appreciate it if you could make it so I can get an A.”

“Huh…”

“That’s an insane request.”

A student, to a professor no less.

Even *I* think I sound like a madman.

“Is it possible?”

Something I wouldn’t have dared do in the old days.

Now, I know for sure. I’m changing since entering the Academy.

Well, I suppose it can’t be helped. What I’ve been through lately has been rather, uh, *spectacular*…

“What is it you want?”

Professor Cecil asked.

It doesn’t feel like a victory. More like a ‘let’s hear this out’ kind of vibe.

If I push too hard here, I’ll be rejected without a second glance. I have to be careful.

“…”

No matter how advanced artificial intelligence is, impossibility is still impossibility.

If I have to rely solely on my physical abilities, I’ll inevitably receive the lowest score.

The answer was clear.

Make it so I can do what I do best.

“Allow me to utilize what I’ve learned in other departments.”

*

To cut to the chase, my proposal was accepted.

In this semester’s Knightsmanship Department exam, I can draw upon the knowledge of other departments.

And by ‘knowledge,’ I don’t just mean things I’ve crammed into my head.

Inventions from the Magical Engineering Department.

Spells from the Magic Department.

Potions from the Alchemy Department.

It encompasses all of it.

However.

─There’s a condition, of course.

Professor Cecil, mindful of the potential unfairness of allowing everything, imposed a single restriction.

─Only one from each department is permitted.

Whether it’s an invention or whatever, only one can be adopted from each department.

Given my circumstances, I couldn’t exactly refuse, so I decided to be satisfied with this.

It seems nothing comes easy, after all.

“So that’s why you came to me?”

While nothing comes easy…

“With the research schedule finalized and all…it just happened that way.”

I *want* to make things as easy as possible.

That’s just human nature.

And I’m no different.

“Professor Rachel.”

I plan to make things as easy as possible within the given situation.

“Assist me with my research, please.”

So passed a week.

“That was close.”

“…Indeed.”

Having devoted ourselves to research and fabrication, working practically nonstop for two days, a rather impressive piece of work was born.

“That my life’s greatest invention will be used for nothing more than a final exam…”

“What can be done? That is its purpose.”

“Still, it’s too much to ask that I don’t even get to write a paper on it.”

Professor Rachel grumbled, her face etched with exhaustion.

“…Go and do well. You better not fail to get a good mark after all this, you hear?”

“Have no worry.”

The spells and potions were made to a reasonable standard.

It was only this invention, crafted through magical engineering, that wasn’t ‘reasonable’.

A masterpiece for which a whole week was sacrificed.

I declared with unwavering certainty.

“Anything below an A is simply not possible.”