A Tutoring Life Filled with Naught But Joy

After Sharin’s outrageous pronouncements, she thankfully calmed down.

The preposterous promise I made to Sharin aside, my full-fledged life as a teaching assistant began.

At Jerion Academy, a TA’s duties were similar to the student council.

Preparing supplies according to the professor’s instructions.

Responding to incidents and accidents involving students.

So the work itself wasn’t terribly difficult.

However, I sorely underestimated Bicam’s appearance.

Before the TA office entrance.

A heap of letters lay piled high.

Originally, the box was there for students to submit opinions or requests to the office.

But somehow, that box had become my personal correspondence hub.

I gathered only the letters bearing my name and stepped inside.

Immediately, the TAs who’d been chattering hushed themselves.

Understandable.

Just as entering Jerion Academy wasn’t easy, becoming a TA wasn’t a cakewalk either.

Each TA had to pass an exam to get the position.

It wasn’t for nothing that a seniority system existed between them.

Especially becoming Professor Veganon’s personal assistant was incredibly difficult.

Veganon might be a professor who just drank all day and skimped on work to the students, but to the TAs, she was a different beast entirely.

Veganon had been working at Jerion Academy for the longest time.

As such, her connections were enough to completely alter a TA’s life.

And then there were all the TAs who wanted to be the exclusive TA to Professor Veganon.

I, who had suddenly appeared, had nonchalantly snatched that position away.

Of course, they wouldn’t be pleased.

So whenever I entered the TA office, they would fall silent like this.

I couldn’t fault their feelings, so I didn’t particularly care and went inside to get my work done.

Professor Veganon was basically the type to get her own work done.

Even though she drank every day, she was precise and efficient when it came to work.

So, as Veganon’s TA, there wasn’t really much for me to do.

At most, it was sorting documents.

‘Come to think of it, what should I tell Aisha?’

Aisha, who I trained with every morning.

In this situation, Hanon had abruptly left for the Panysis Kingdom.

Aisha, who had pride in being a training partner, must be bewildered.

‘Should I reveal my identity?’

Now that there were so many people who knew my true identity…

I felt like revealing it was becoming less and less of a big deal.

‘That probably means there are more people who understand me.’

Good things are good.

Let’s tell Aisha about this later, subtly.

I’d like to keep up with the morning training, too.

“Hey.”

Just then, one of the instructors addressed me.

Looking up, I saw Instructor Karan, his face contorted into a harsh frown.

Crimson-black hair cropped short, a striking presence.

I remembered him as one of the senior instructors, certainly.

His name was Karan Sirel.

“Yes, Instructor Karan.”

As I replied to his call, Karan pulled a chair up in front of me.

“See, for ages now, I’ve been applying to be Professor Veganon’s exclusive assistant.”

An instructor’s future changes by being connected to Professor Veganon.

So, it seemed Karan had been consistently applying to be his exclusive assistant.

“But no matter what, I just couldn’t manage it.”

Karan slowly stroked his chin, looking me up and down.

“Now, though, I think I know what the problem is.”

He gave a mocking smile.

“If the Professor’s tastes are like this, is there really anything one can do? So, are you enjoying your time with Professor Veganon?”

My eyes locked onto Karan’s.

Yet he didn’t lose his smile in the slightest.

He was clearly mocking Professor Veganon, including me.

Implying that the reason she made me her exclusive assistant was purely because of my face.

Despite the insulting words aimed at the Professor, the other instructors all kept their mouths shut.

Karan is from the Sirel barony.

Though he’s at the very end of the direct line, and his standing in the family is quite low, he’s still a direct descendant.

Due to the nature of the instructor profession, it is mostly done by commoners or the children of nobles with low titles.

Karan’s bullying had been going on for a long time, and the other instructors couldn’t stop him.

Karan’s eyes met mine squarely.

“What? Bikamen, say something. You’re not angry, are you? You took my spot, after all. You shouldn’t be angry. Bikamen.”

He deliberately omitted my title, mentioning my family name twice.

After the Third Princess’s incident, Bikamen was banished from the Nifleheim barony.

Karan knew that fact perfectly well and was mentioning it on purpose.

Saying that you are no longer a member of the Nifleheim barony, and now you are no different from the commoners.

“You should be thankful that the Third Princess was kind enough to pardon you, but instead you’re stealing other people’s spots with your face. Really, those who have, have more. Isn’t that right?”

Karan looked around at the other instructors, as if seeking agreement.

The instructors reluctantly nodded.

I understand now why the instructors have been hesitant to approach me.

Karan, he must have warned the instructors not to associate with me.

I didn’t feel any particular anger at Karan’s actions.

The anger that had flared in the early evening hadn’t even left a faint ember behind.

I was growing immune to every accusation leveled against me.

Invincible, you might say, to barbs.

As Karan said, I felt a twinge of guilt for snatching Professor Veganon’s exclusive assistantship.

It was an opportunity for someone, after all.

A position that rightfully belonged to someone in need.

But one thing was certain.

“Are you actually flaunting your ugliness?”

Even if I didn’t feel anger, it was only right to answer insults with insults. That was the truth.

The countless accusations I’d endured throughout my life flashed before my eyes.

Having even experienced Isabel’s genuine murderous intent, Karan’s criticism felt like the whining of a snot-nosed brat.

More than that, there was a perfectly valid reason Karan hadn’t become Veganon’s exclusive assistant.

A reason he embodied himself.

Professor Veganon had an uncanny knack for reading people, after all.

Karan blinked at my response.

His face betrayed that he hadn’t imagined hearing such a rebuttal.

Then, Karan slowly opened his mouth, staring at me as if bewildered.

“…Ha, so this crazy b*stard basically admitted he got the position on his looks?”

“I’m admitting that I’m better looking than you are.”

Somewhere along the line, my tone had shifted.

Karan seemed to notice this too, his eyebrows furrowing deeply.

He shot up from his seat, radiating intimidation.

“I’ve been holding back, but you’re really running your mouth.”

“What, you were running your mouth first. And honestly, I don’t think it’s just about looks, you know.”

I scanned Karan from head to toe, grinning just as he had done moments ago.

Playing with faces was my specialty.

Conjuring the kind of sneer that would infuriate him the most was no difficult task.

“…He’s handsome.”

For some reason, a different voice drifted in from the sidelines.

Bikamon’s face was a cheat code.

“This little shit.”

But it seemed to have worked perfectly on Karan.

Karan had already reached out an arm, attempting to grab my collar.

Naturally, I had no intention of being caught, so I slipped out of his reach, evading his grasp.

“Oh, you think you’re slick?”

Karan didn’t stop there; he lunged at me.

But I was already well-trained from countless evasions in the past.

I’d even dodged attacks from the prodigy known as Ban.

Karan, having only become an assistant through his family’s backing, couldn’t possibly catch me.

It’s a regrettable story, but those who possess truly remarkable talent never remain assistants; they spread their wings and fly.

Lingering among the assistant cohorts for a long time meant you simply lacked the talent.

“All this time playing assistant, my body’s gone sluggish. See? Can’t just pick ‘em for their pretty faces.”

“Damn it!”

The assistant’s office was a shambles in moments.

Papers scattered, chairs overturned.

The assistants scrambled back, unsure what to do.

Amidst the chaos, I watched Karan with a leisurely gaze.

He, on the other hand, was gasping for breath.

“You little…”

Then, crimson sparks began to crackle around Karan.

Red Lightning magic.

The signature spell of the Sirel Count family.

Karan was a battlemage.

One who could wield both the body and magic.

“I won’t hold back anymore. You asked for this.”

Sadly for him, he was a goldfish.

Karan leaped forward, wreathed in the red lightning magic.

His speed was markedly different from before.

His fist, enveloped in crimson lightning, reached for me.

At this rate, my face would be crushed outright.

That was Karan’s intention, too.

So I decided to play along with his intentions.

My forehead lunged towards his fist.

The instant Karan’s eyes widened, not expecting me to charge him first.

Crack! Sizzle sizzle crackle!

The lightning magic, spreading from Karan’s grip, burst outward.

The assistants screamed, rolling across the floor.

But there was one more person rolling along with them.

“aaargh!”

Karan clutched at his wrist, writhing on the floor.

His hand was limp, as if the bones within were shattered.

I watched him, lightly rubbing my forehead.

My body, reinforced with steel.

Moreover, having strained it so much recently with the likes of Dragonification, its durability had only increased.

Now, my flesh couldn’t be pierced without considerable penetrating force.

Karan’s right fist never stood a chance.

Karan’s red lightning magic flowed through me.

Sorry, but messing with lightning in front of me is the stupidest thing one can do.

The red lightning magic was drawn straight into Lightning Caller and vanished.

Lightning Caller, as if having enjoyed a good meal, emitted a burst of current before falling silent once more.

Truth be told, Karan’s fist, the one that had attacked, was the one shattered, while I remained unscathed.

Having now completely transcended the human, I approached Karan.

“Oops, my bad.”

“Gaaah!”

And with that, I *accidentally* stepped on Karan’s broken right hand.

It’ll be fixed with holy magic soon enough anyway, so it won’t matter if it breaks further, will it?

‘Come to think of it…’

Lately, I feel like I’m growing further and further away from compassion and restraint.

Could this be the influence of the shroud’s bandages?

I stood firmly on Karan’s fist, and glanced back at the assistant.

“You’re the Theology teaching assistant, yes?”

“A-ah, yes, yes I am.”

She flinched, unnerved by my all-too-cheerful demeanor.

“Can you… fix it even if it breaks more?”

“Huh? Ah, n-no. If it, if it breaks any further, I can’t…”

“I see.”

I lifted my foot from Karan’s fist.

Karan, in response, clutched at his fist, trembling violently.

The pain must have been more excruciating than he imagined, piercing right through his skull.

“Quit being so dramatic.”

A limb needs to fly off before it even *begins* to hurt.

My genuinely delivered words caused the teaching assistants to stare at me, dumbfounded.

It was the gaze one reserves for someone clearly unhinged.

“Assistant Karan.”

I called out to Karan, who was still cradling his arm.

He looked up at me, his eyes brimming with tears.

“Let’s continue working together to build a truly exceptional Jerion Academy.”

With that, I extended my right hand, offering a handshake.

Karan stared at my outstretched hand with vacant eyes.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to take it?”

At my pointed remark, Karan hastily reached out with his right hand.

His hand trembled as it reached for mine.

I shook his broken hand with gusto, then patted him on the shoulder.

“That’s right.”

Karan’s face paled to a ghostly white.

It looks like this teaching assistant life is going to be… interesting.