Literary Teacher Isekai

As the fireworks adorned the sky, a scene flashed in Ethan's mind...

It was one of those afternoons where he was so late for class he decided not to show up. He'd usually hang out on the rooftop while drinking soda, but that day, someone else was there before him.

"Don't do it boy. Not during my class. I'll get sued and have my license revoked," Ethan casually teased, opens a can of soda and offers it to a scrawny boy who teetered at the edge of a rooftop handrail.

"There's no point in being alive," Charlie replied, a tear visible in one of his cheeks. He childishly wipes it off and looks at Ethan, "I'm sorry professor, I didn't know it was still your time, I don't have a watch you see..." the boy gets off the rail and takes Ethans' soda and gulps it down.

"You're awfully thirsty boy, say, could you postpone your isekai? My salary is on the fifteenth and I've been meaning to buy you a wristwatch, not the cheap kind. The waterproof one."

"Really?! Wait, how'd you know I needed one?"

"Your lady boss is... well, we were– acquaintances! Yes, that's the word. She told me about your part time jobs and how your watch malfunctioned after cleaning a pool."

"You don't have to go that far professor. We're not even family."

"You're the type of kid who doesn't want to owe anything to anyone huh? Well, I ain't giving it away for free," Ethan makes a sinister smile.

"If you say so, then I'm in!"

"Wait, you didn't even know what the cost is? What if I ask you to do something dangerous?" Ethan retorts half joking.

"Word travels fast amongst students, we know that you aren't the type."

"Oh really? What else have you been gossiping about?"

"That your assistant has a crush on you!"

"No way that's true."

"–and that you're living off pay check to pay check"

"How rude! I guess I won't be buying that watch now"

"Hey! No fair!"

The afternoon continued with more banter and deep talks. It was enough to make Charlie postpone jumping off the building.

...

The explosion reverberated across the town, rattling the windows of nearby homes and sending tremors through the cracked foundations of the decrepit building where Ethan lay. The smell of smoke and charred fabric filled the air, mingling with the earthy scent of rain. As the dust settled, the quiet was almost eerie, broken only by the distant sound of hurried footsteps and the muffled shouts of townspeople reacting to the chaos.

"Indeed, revenge does not grant the desired catharsis of its' acquirer", Ethan's thoughts trailed as he struggled to grasp his fading consciousness, the wave of pain and exhaustion kept him glued to the ground.

"Perhaps I should've let you jump that day, maybe that would've saved you from a more painful death. I have avenged you, Charlie."

The weight of his victory over Louie a.k.a. Professor Ex—the brute who had tormented him as well as many unfortunate students back in his old world—offered no relief. His muscles overused to the point of exhaustion, his head throbbed, and the world around him felt as though it was slipping through his fingers like sand.

Then, through the fog of his fading senses, a new sound pierced the silence—the clanging of metal, boots striking the ground. The unmistakable sound of armored guards approaching. Before Ethan could summon the energy to move or even react, several strong hands grabbed him, lifting him up with alarming precision. He tried to resist, but his body was uncooperative, and before he could even think to summon a defense,

[ Collars of Spatial Restriction ]

Passive Ability: Once applied, seals the targets' skills and abilities

A runechanted cold steel collar clamped around his neck, and shackles tightened around his wrists.

The guards that surrounded him were not the typical, run-of-the-mill soldiers. These men were hardened, with faces marked by years of duty. Their armor gleamed in the low light, and their weapons were drawn—long swords and halberds. The leader, a rather familiar woman with a fragrance that evoked a feeling of passion and intrigued, knelt beside him, her seductive eyes scanning his battered form.

"I'm starting to think you're getting caught in purpose Ethan" she said, her voice has a tone of playful danger. "But then again I like bold men, who knew you'd pick a fight with the beholders underlings so soon?"

Ethan's vision was swimming, but he caught a glimpse of her badge—an insignia bearing an Eye with eight serpentine tentacles. His heart sank as he realized the implications.

"Y-You're his underling too… Parallax" Ethan tried to speak, his voice hoarse and barely audible, but his lips trembled as his consciousness waned.

The woman's lips curled into a faint, disdainful smile. "You're lucky I didn't find you sooner, or we'd have had to clean up your corpse instead." She signaled for the others to drag him upright. "But come now, I've got bigger problems than some burned-out villain. I need you Ethan, but for now— Somnum" Miss Trust casted a spell that lulled our protagonist to sleep.

Ethan's head lolled to the side as the guards half-dragged, half-carried him away from the wreckage. He was slowly drifting to sleep although his heart was still pounding, adrenaline lancing through him in erratic bursts. His mind struggled to catch up, processing the fact that he had killed Louie, but now... now he was in the hands of the very people he had once sought to avoid.

"Don't think for a second that this ends here," the woman continued, her voice softening slightly but still tinged with venom. "We'll be having a nice long chat about your little antics."

...

Ashley arrives at the scene just a step behind Miss Trust. While she wanted to swoop in and save the professor, she was wary of her crowd control specialties, and that if both of them got caught, there'd be no one to locate and save them.

As Miss Trust leans over to whisper at Ethan, our female protagonists instinctively fumes and would've rushed over on impulse had Miss Trust not look at the general direction from where Ashley is hiding. This catches her by surprise enough to halt her, her body instinctively responds making her doll-sized increasing her chance to not get noticed.

"I could've sworn I sensed bloodlust, but whatever it is might've cowered already," Miss Trust loudly exclaims taunting the possible aggressor.

"I don't see anything madam," one of the guards replied.

"Meh, must've been the wind," another guard interjects.

Miss Trust raises an eyebrow but decides to let it go, "Perhaps another time, for now we have more exciting pursuits. Best not dally."

The group of soldiers took Ethan to a secluded cave a few kilometers away from the outskirts of the town while Ashley followed stealthily. The road leading there were relatively safe, the only issue she would have is the lack of actual roads, the tall tress look similar to one another, had she not been following the group for the past 2 hrs, she would've been lost already.

As they arrived closer to the hideout, Ashley was surprised to see several familiar faces guarding the cave entrance. It was the trio of the burly man in black and white, as well as the two grunts who assaulted them back at the guild.

"I never even had the chance to ask their names" Ashley thought to herself. She was a safe distance away from the cave entrance. She was struggling to find a fool proof plan since she never did a rescue mission before.

"A familiar would be nice, just like the ones Ethan summons. Something that could easily go in and out of a cave..." while Ashley is lost in thought, a bat flew in with relative ease, the guards do not seem to mind its presence.

"Of course!" Ashley grins as she decides on what spell to cast. Before she begins however, she relaxes and tries to meditate... "Okay Ashley, just as you practiced." she closes her eyes, raises her pen with one hand and begins chanting:

"First, purpose... I want to surveil Ethan's location... I want to find a way to save him... Next, tame the chaos by visualizing the form the Quillmancy will take... I'll do it by drawing a bat... now, order... reciting the spell—

"Thy winged soul sprang into being

Then might we clearly

Divine more nearly

The world that lies beyond our seeing."

A poem written by S. Waddington. The ancient script is more potent than the usual spells, it recalibrating the very laws of this world into the casters' intended effects. There was one problem though, Ashley's wildness is a little hard to tame. Instead of summoning a bat like how Ethan does, she turns into one herself.

"Great. Just. Great. Not what I wanted, but thanks anyway."

Ashley rolls her eyes sarcastically as her vision started to turn hazy, but in exchange she perceives the world around her more clearly than before. With unparalleled accuracy, she swoops in the cave and started her rescue mission.