Assistant Bickmann Nifleheim

Bickmann Nifleheim.

A third-rate villain who was expelled from both his noble house and the academy for assaulting the Third Princess.

Ironically, I had returned to Jerion Academy in that very guise.

And as a Special Assistant, no less.

Today was my first day reporting for duty as an assistant.

“…My little brother is gone.”

A sense of despair emanated from Iris.

I had hoped to be called ‘older brother’ in Hanon’s form, but Hanon himself had vanished.

Perhaps that was why she gazed at me with such desolate eyes.

“You’re an assistant now.”

“Oppa.”

“Assistant.”

“Oppa.”

Iris seemed unwilling to yield.

Regrettable, but there was no helping it.

From the start, Iris had been the most helpful in this endeavor.

The moment she heard my request, Iris had immediately taken action.

A situation where she could have been expelled to another academy within a day of becoming friends.

Iris wouldn’t stand for it.

And so, she promptly issued directives, left and right.

First, my pardon came through.

This boycott incident, the one where I was thrown in to unearth corruption at the Jerion Academy.

That was me, Vikamun, and my accomplishments were recognized, thus the pardon.

Furthermore, though expelled and unable to return as a student, arrangements were made for me to enter as a special assistant instructor.

Professor Veganon lent a hand in this.

Professor Veganon had the longest tenure at Jerion Academy.

Whatever she handled rarely met with much resistance.

Thus, I could safely begin my duties as an assistant instructor at Jerion Academy.

Today was my first day in the role.

Hania, ever perceptive, had already spread the word so that people would understand my presence.

“It’s repayment for all the help you’ve given Lady Iris.”

Hania said it as if it were nothing.

My ex is the best.

As I headed toward the martial arts classroom, I felt the stares.

Gazes, both male and female, fixed themselves on me.

Their eyes widened in unison.

Vikamun’s appearance, it seemed, was impactful enough to draw attention.

An unfamiliar sensation, this attention.

Especially the gazes of the women, which were entirely different from before.

As my eyes met those of one student, she simply stared, slack-jawed and lost in a daze.

Unfortunately, I felt no particular sense of superiority.

‘I always thought I’d like to live as a handsome man, even if just for a day.’

With the wreckage of love, desire crumbled, and even superiority had vanished.

The result: no sensation of triumphant swagger, despite possessing a handsome face.

How sad.

But even that sadness felt faint.

Proof that the last vestiges of sorrow were fading from my emotions.

Even so, I couldn’t simply undo the Binding Bandage.

Winter’s Demon Palace has its coldest day in winter.

That is, a year passes after January.

Vikamun’s birthday is January 2nd.

Immediately after my birthday, I will become an adult.

Ultimately, undoing the Binding Bandage is an impossibility, it seems.

Even so, nothing will change from now, so it’s not a big problem.

After all, I had planned for the Binding Bandage to last another year.

“Y-you… you?”

As I continued walking, I ran into a familiar face in the hallway.

It was Isabel.

With Lina, her closest friend, she spotted me and a flicker of unease crossed her face.

It was only natural, I supposed, me materializing suddenly as Vicamun.

“Oh, it’s Vicamun-senpai.”

Lina, too, recognized me, her eyes widening into startled circles.

“Hello, Isabel. Long time no see.”

“Long time no see?”

Isabel’s eyes grew even rounder.

Ignoring her reaction, I continued on my way.

*Tap! Tap!*

Soon, hurried footsteps sounded behind me.

Isabel, leaving Lina behind, had rushed after me.

“You… you don’t mean to tell me you’re being transferred to Phanisis?”

“Indeed. It seems Lord Chunhye-gong has taken a rather… dim view of me.”

“What? Huh?”

Isabel wore a blank expression.

At the same moment, she grabbed my arm and blurted out,

“Is that something to be so nonchalant about!”

Was Isabel trying to rupture my eardrums?

Chunhye-gong was connected to the Evil One.

Her reaction made it clear she knew how dangerous it was to be targeted by him.

“Of course it’s dangerous, but I’ve done things… I can’t very well avoid being noticed now, can I?”

“That doesn’t mean you should just… accept it so calmly!”

Even I had to admit, my reaction was perhaps a little too blase.

Isabel stared at me, her eyes filled with anxiety.

She had already lost two people she held dear.

If something were to happen to me, Isabel would be irrevocably broken.

Looking into Isabel’s eyes, a glimmer of awareness dawned on me.

‘…My attitude’s been all wrong.’

It seemed my sense of danger had well and truly shattered.

“…Perhaps I should have locked you up.”

But the next words she spoke, and my sense of danger bloomed again.

It wasn’t completely dead, it seemed.

“Isabel, don’t worry. As I said, clashing with Chunhye-gong was something I was expecting.”

“…Just what are you?”

“We’ll be late for class at this rate.”

Before Isabel could say anything more, I quickly resumed walking.

Isabel sighed and followed behind.

As we walked, a familiar forehead came into view.

It was well-groomed, as always, the forehead that shone following the sun, was truly an impressive sight.

“Seron.”

“Huh?”

Following the sound of her name, Seron turned her head.

The moment her eyes met mine, she froze completely.

It was the face of someone confronted by the utterly unexpected.

“U-uh, uhm, I.”

It seemed only a few syllables were available for utterance.

Seron just gaped, mouth agape.

Drool’s gonna come out.

“Good morning.”

“G-good! Good morning, sir.”

She must have bitten her tongue; her pronunciation was slurred.

“…Why, why are you looking like *that*?”

Just what *is* that tone of voice?

Seron creaked like a doll.

Seron was malfunctioning.

Well, she’s been used a lot.

“So, you don’t like it?”

A subtle smile curved my lips.

Seron crumbled, burying her face.

“…I like it.”

Good thing she likes it.

Just then, I felt an intense gaze from behind.

“You, no, Assistant Instructor Vicamman.”

Isabel’s sharp voice sent a chill down my spine.

Then, another familiar face appeared up ahead.

Navy blue hair fluttered as she rushed towards us.

Beneath it, eyes shimmering with Mirinae locked onto mine.

“Oh, Sharin.”

I greeted her with genuine cheer.

I was planning to give her some news about Hanon later, but she’d shown up right on time.

Immediately, Sharin’s cheeks started puffing out dramatically.

“You deserve a scolding.”

Before I could grasp Sharin’s words,

Her body launched forward, a blur of motion.

A person is flying.

Instinctively, I reached out to catch her, but Sharin instead drove her head straight forward.

*Thwack!*

I tumbled backward onto the floor, chest-butted by Sharin.

There was no avoiding it, given the sheer force of her trajectory.

Sharin, having launched me aside, nonchalantly brushed her hands against her hips and huffed through her nose.

He huffed then, turning his head and walking away just like that.

The children watched me with startled faces.

I, too, wore an expression that said I didn’t understand what was happening.

“What’s going on?”

It was then, as if on cue, that Iris appeared, Hania in tow.

She tilted her head, taking in me and the surrounding situation.

“Oppa, why are you collapsed like that?”

And the words that followed caused the children there to suck in a breath.

“O… Op… Oppa?”

Isabel was the most bewildered of the lot.

Seron remained ruined, unable to muster a move.

Iris gazed at me, a slight smile gracing her lips.

A clear indication that she was speaking to me.

“It’s… a bit of a story.”

I slurred my words, and Iris raised an eyebrow slightly.

But she decided to let it go at that, for now.

Isabel’s expression remained dumbfounded.

The fact that Iris knew my true identity, coupled with the sheer destructive power of the word ‘Oppa,’ seemed to be quite overwhelming.

“Teaching Assistant Vikaman, please get up.”

In the meantime, Hania extended her hand to me.

“Thank you, Student Hania.”

Grasping her hand and rising, Hania whispered subtly.

“Just asking in case… you haven’t told Sharin your true identity yet, have you?”

Ah.

So that’s why Sharin was angry.

＊ ＊ ＊

Afterward, I safely completed my schedule at Jerion Academy.

To be honest, it wasn’t much of a schedule.

After all, guiding the students was solely Professor Veganon’s responsibility.

In my case, it was simply a matter of bringing her items she occasionally requested.

But there was one advantage.

The female students’ concentration in class was remarkably high today.

The male students, however, I couldn’t say.

Perhaps that’s why my situation wasn’t much different from my time at Hanon.

Professor Veganon was conducting the class with me included, after all.

‘Still, that’s just like Professor Veganon.’

No matter the situation, a student is a student.

She treated them with unwavering consistency.

I was newly reminded of the fact that, despite her quirks, Professor Veganon was truly dedicated to her students.

‘She didn’t particularly point it out or judge me, even after finding out I was Vikaman, but understood it.’

I, as a stand-in for Veganon, was someone who had even deceived the Academy to gain entry.

Yet Veganon embraced even someone like me.

“This is an assessment of everything you’ve done in the past. You’ve never shirked any of my assignments.

Even if you have a few eccentricities, I know your diligence is sincere.”

“Professor, should I give you a thank-you kiss?”

“Try it if you want to get expelled.”

Fortunately, I avoided expulsion.

And so, I became an assistant instructor who wasn’t quite an assistant instructor.

Perhaps due to the reappearance of Vikamon, who had caused an incident and left, student interest was at its peak.

So much so that even the stories of the students who were to depart for the Panisis Kingdom faded into the background.

“Assistant Instructor Vikamon!”

“Have lunch with us!”

Lunchtime, in particular, was especially chaotic.

Not only martial arts students but students from other departments came, persistently asking to eat together.

“Hey, you’re from the magic department. Get lost!”

“What are you talking about? Assistant Instructor Vikamon was originally from the magic department, you know? A junior can visit their senior!”

First-year and second-year students appeared without discrimination, creating a hubbub.

Thankfully, there were no third-year students.

Knowing who Vikamon had loved, they didn’t bother to approach.

“…Vikamon’s back.”

“He’s still really handsome.”

“His return is surely because of Nikita.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

The third-year students stared at me from afar, their faces filled with various emotions.

As I was being swarmed by the younger students, I saw Seron in the distance.

Seron stood alone with Eve, her eyes darting back and forth.

Anyone could see the trouble in her eyes.

Seron, who had lost her card and was now spending time alone with Eve.

Her face showed she didn’t know what to do.

“Seron.”

So I called out her name directly.

As I spoke that name, the students’ gazes all snapped back in unison.

Seron, upon hearing her name, flinched in surprise.

“Y-yes!”

She was still not used to Vikamon’s face.

I pushed through the students and approached them.

As I drew closer, Seron turned as red as a tomato and trembled.

In the meantime, my eyes met Eve’s.

Eve stared at me with a look of pity.

Eve, at least, hadn’t changed.

“Headed to the Magiology Department, care to join?”

I said, holding up the pre-packed bread bag.

“Uh, yes, yes, I, I will.”

Seron nodded furiously, practically vibrating.

The gazes of the children behind us locked onto Seron as one.

“What’s with her?”

“Isn’t that the one who hangs around Lightning Brat?”

“Why’s Assistant Vicarman being so chummy? Ugly thing.”

The children’s sharp reactions came forth.

It hadn’t even occurred to me that Seron would become the target.

Just as I was about to try and walk back the situation.

“What’d you say, you dried-up grub-looking things?”

Seron’s face changed in an instant as she turned towards them.

She bared her teeth, her face a mask of hostility.

“Say it again. Bean-paste brains, who do you think you’re talking to?”

The crimson badger had its fur on end.

The children flinched at the killing intent radiating from Seron.

I’d forgotten; Seron had quite the fierce streak.

She might act like a whipped pup around me, but she was much worse with others.

It was absurd how lonely she got, given her temper, but she was never one to stand idly by when someone was being maligned.

“If you want to fight, bring it on. I’ll flatten every one of you. If you don’t have the guts, keep your eyes on the ground when you see me.”

Seron had grown frighteningly strong lately.

Entering the preliminaries for the International Individual Tournament, Seron was clearly a powerhouse.

At Seron’s words, the children slowly wilted.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t insult my friend so carelessly.”

Furthermore, Eve, standing beside us, glared fiercely at the children.

Eve was already someone who inspired fear with her sharp features.

With her exhibiting such a cutting reaction, they couldn’t even think about attacking.

“Hmph, nobodies. Let’s go!”

Seron tugged sharply on my sleeve, turned, and strode away with an air of confidence.

Our crimson badger is strong.