NOVEL NEXT Chapter 76
<76 - Lecture of the Ironman>
I was worried about actually being caught in the Hidden Room, so I stealthily took a little trip outside.
“Wow. I almost got caught in a lie!”
I mentioned I was waiting every day, and if Hestia didn’t see me on the day she arrived at the Hidden Room, how betrayed would she feel?
What’s more, Jiang was there with me, which meant I would’ve gotten caught for attending the fifth period lecture together and that Hestia wasn’t actually talking to me.
Fortunately, I managed to avert any darkening flags for Hestia.
“If an assassin has to visit an academy at least once, there’s a reason my mentor praised it. Just how strong would an assassin who graduated from a place like this become…”
“I’m scared of becoming a second-year.”
Jiang and Hestia’s eyes were dead with exhaustion, but I bet that’s just because they were up late!
“From now on, it’s okay if you both come visit just the two of you!”
“What about Oknodie? Isn’t she coming?”
“I’ve memorized everything already!”
Hestia looked around at the strips in the room.
On the opposite wall, I could see the number of strips stretching all the way up to the ceiling.
“Oknodie, you’re really smart, aren’t you?”
“I’m the top student, of course!”
“Phew. Guess we have no choice but to take it home and memorize it.”
Oknodie immediately waved her hands.
“Oh, that’s not allowed. If you let the strips leak outside the Hidden Room, they’ll burn and disappear!”
We’d have to rely on either a game mechanic to pass the memorization check or use our brains in reality.
“I hated the training of not sleeping before when learning, but…”
“I guess I won’t be sleeping at night for a while…”
*
Thanks to sneaking into the Room of Double-sided Strips early this morning, I successfully deceived the two of them.
Looking at Jiang and Hestia’s bloodshot eyes in Professor Plato’s outdoor training area, they didn’t seem to have the luxury of wondering about suspicions.
“Wait, wasn’t Professor Plato’s second lecture supposed to be on the mountain?”
Thursday, first period.
From the fresh morning, Professor Plato was supposed to fry students’ lower bodies with [Upper Class Physical Training], but for some reason, he was leading them to a riverbank.
The students were thrilled, thinking the lecture had turned into a light jog, but Professor Plato was definitely not the kind of person to do that.
-*
The students aren’t even struggling to return on their own two legs; I must’ve been lacking in my education!
If the students could build up their physical strength to that degree and endure the professor’s lecture, he’d blame himself like he’d committed a grave sin!
Of course, the next lecture would begin the merciless physical debacle that no one could finish while standing.
‘A lecture from that professor would only involve jogging? That’s just not happening.’
Just as I thought, Professor Plato revealed his true colors as soon as they arrived at the river.
“Now then, did everyone get enough rest?”
“…Professor. It’s only been 30 seconds since we got here.”
“What does that have to do with resting? You didn’t warm up with a light jog beforehand?”
“……!!”
Honer, the spear-wielder from the Fried Chicken family, couldn’t suppress a sigh like a hero sensing a tragic fate closing in.
A deep sense of dread clouded the faces of all the upper class students, whether from the Border Region or the Empire.
But thinking about the fate they were about to face, one could argue whether it was truly just a deep sense of dread.
“First, let me ask you. Have you all heard of the Ironman Triathlon?”
Arcadia raised her hand timidly.
“It’s our proud culture from the Kingdom of Florence that combines swimming, horseback riding, and running.”
“Half right. If we consider all the different cultures of other countries mixed into yours, then we can call that culture too!”
“…….”
“Don’t worry. I’m the one calling it culture. All those who just snickered lose 5 points. At least know the language of the country of the lecturer.”
The students from the Empire who laughed at Arcadia simultaneously turned to look like they had just eaten something bitter.
That useless Kingdom of Florence, although a maritime nation, barely had any talents, so when going around saying they were from there, it was the kind of place one would get comments like “Isn’t that the place where pirates attack for fun?”
Who would’ve thought that a crazy professor would be born there, sacrificing his mind for a healthy body and his soul?!
“Hehe.”
Arcadia felt a bit happier.
From now on, she could brag that the Kingdom of Florence was the birthplace of Professor Plato.
‘Can that really be called bragging…?’
From my point of view, it made me tilt my head, but it felt wrong to pour cold water on someone who was happy.
Although, I will be splashing a lot of cold water soon.
“In truth, the Ironman Triathlon is a comprehensive training course developed by combining useful events to become a true ironman before joining the academy.”
“I would have made you only run for a month to teach you how to run thoroughly, but I was so moved by the last lecture that I changed my mind.”
“There’s always one student out of five who can squeeze their physical strength to the limit, so how could I just limit you to running only?”
One out of five?
Considering that there are around 40 students in the upper class, that means more than eight succeeded in the last lecture.
That was an impossible number, so I found it strange until I saw Son Ohchun snorting and Dorothy looking somewhat proud.
It turned out that those who wouldn’t have even gotten into the academy, let alone the upper class, managed to pass thanks to my help!
“So today’s lecture is swimming. Students who can swim across this river can immediately finish the lecture.”
“On the flip side, those who can’t finish crossing until the end of the lecture will have weekend supplementary lessons!”
The students screamed.
“Weekend supplementary lessons, how could such a horrific thing happen!”
“Isn’t the weekend a day to go hunting with friends or hang out at the tavern drinking?!”
“When will our weekend tea party be?!”
In this relatively pleasant world, the five-day workweek was implemented, so weekend supplementary lessons felt no different from labor for slaves.
As the students lamented, Hestia and Jiang glanced at me.
You guys saw that too?
130-1: First-year students with good grades do not have to attend supplementary lessons.
130-2: From second year onward, some professors call all students on weekends under the guise of supplementary lessons to teach content they couldn’t finish during regular education hours.
The malicious supplementary lessons of the professors who don’t allow students their free weekends!
Knowing that this was an inescapable fate once they became second years made the struggle to escape today’s supplementary lessons seem hopelessly pathetic.
“Be quiet! What do hunting and tea parties matter? The practice has already begun. Anyone who knows how to swim, get in the water right now. Those who don’t, gather in front of me.”
With despair hanging on their faces, students truly had to get into the water.
Not many of them were eager to jump in.
“Nya Nya! This is water torture, right?!”
“The nun’s outfit of the Thunderbolt Celestial Divine Church has a cloak over chainmail. It’ll sink if I enter the river…”
“Oh damn. I hate getting wet. Isn’t asking a Monkey Humanoid to get in the water a form of racial discrimination?”
As the grumbling students complained, Arcadia covered her mouth with one hand and stepped forward, laughing.
“Hehe. Swimming is nothing for me, a princess from the maritime Kingdom of Florence.”
“Arcadia, let’s wait just a bit before going in!”
“Di? Are you afraid of water?”
“It’s not that! It’s… that person is here!”
“Oh. The Northern Grand Duchess…”
Last time in the upper class physical training lecture, the Northern Grand Duchess Irene showcased her terrifying skill by blocking everyone’s path with a huge ice wall.
Among those who could match her on flat ground, she now had to face water.
Splash!
As soon as she gently placed her foot on the water’s surface, crackling sounds echoed as the river froze solid!
If swept away while swimming in a river that turned into winter ice, they would experience the terrifying ordeal of being stuck under the ice!
“That’s kinda extreme.”
“Wasn’t Oknodie behind the Northern Grand Duchess when she entered last time?”
“Should we try that too?”
Irene impressively crossed the river with ease, almost as if the victory was already in the bag.
Followed by her, Spear-wielder Honer screamed loudly as he fell into the water.
“Thin ice?!”
“I’m not a fool. I won’t let you ride on me twice!”
She melted and shattered the ice she had just crossed, leaving only her own path to cross!
It was sneaky, but definitely a way to secure her first place.
If crossing the river by any other method was permitted, that would be a different story.
As Professor Plato dipped his hands into a basin and yanked them out, water splashed dramatically, sending Irene tumbling back toward the entrance.
“?!”
Confused and suddenly pushed back to the entrance.
“I said ‘swim across’! No cheating is allowed!”
“Wow, such a fair match!”
“Maybe this is doable!”
The naive students focused on the fairness of this lecture.
However, the crafty students watched the basin intently.
“What was that just now??”
“As the water in the basin rose, why did the river water rise too?”
“Does that mean, if the professor messes with the water in the basin, the river will react the same?”
“…Are they trying to prevent even one person from crossing the river?”
“For what reason?”
“Because it’s fun?”
“Ahaha, no way.”
“Right?”
“…….”
“…That’s definitely not a joke, is it?”