Top Instructor of a Third-Rate Academy

Chapter 9

Goldline's support was fearsome.

In just one day, the educational system of Akarind Academy was completely reorganized.

"Currently, students were divided into classes A, B, and C based on their background, such as empire, kingdom, city, and countryside. We are changing that standard to skill."

The professor's evaluation, tests conducted in class, midterms, and finals were all judged comprehensively.

Grades were divided so that outstanding students were in A, average students in B, and underachievers in C.

Students belonging to class A received scholarships, and their classes were redesigned to provide systematic, customized education.

The proportion of counseling-type classes, consisting of autonomous training sessions and one-on-one lectures with the teacher, was increased.

Class B students' curriculum was not much different from the current one.

The problem was class C.

"These are the people for whom the existing educational methods have failed. Even if we continue to repeat the existing education for them, they will only end up at the bottom, below the other students. Therefore, we will change the educational system."

Goldline's words were sweet.

Swords, magic, history, and liberal arts.

Instead of the existing academy education, commercial law, administration, cosmetology, and education.

Education that would only be possible at a first-rate academy in the capital was put into operation.

"For the next week, personnel from the Goldline Merchant Guild will join the educational project team to systematically establish the system. New instructors will also join within a fortnight."

Avril, standing in the center of the faculty room, continued his explanation with his characteristic emotionless eyes.

The instructors focused on every word that came out of his mouth.

The system was being reorganized, and competent talents were coming.

That was also a notice that, conversely, incompetent talents would disappear.

"The current five grades will also be integrated. The 1st and 2nd years, consisting of 14 and 15-year-olds, will be the basic class. The 3rd and 4th years, 16 and 17-year-olds, will be the promotion class. And the 18 and 19-year-olds will be the graduation class."

"Then one class would be..."

"Twice the current size. So, 50 people. Each class will have a homeroom teacher system. From basic A class to graduation C class. Instructors will be assigned to each field and will be in charge of the classes. The lecture format that covers the entire grade for each subject will be abolished."

A sigh of relief burst out from one side.

Akarind Academy is a third-rate academy located in the countryside.

Therefore, the number of instructors for swordsmanship, magic, and administration was always insufficient, and a demanding schedule was forced upon them.

That meant that all the instructors could be assigned to the nine classes that were now being created.

They could keep their jobs.

'I don't like it.'

But I hated this system.

Above all, that A, B, C class system.

'It has naturally created competition.'

When I attended the Imperial Royal Academy in the capital, I was sick of the ranking competition based on grades.

Competition drives people crazy.

I had no choice but to obsessively study and cling to exams every day.

I had to flatter and suck up to the teachers, and all the students in the academy became my adversaries.

A place where no one could interact deeply and only political relationships were formed.

'But it wasn't like that here.'

Not the empire, but the kingdom, and in the countryside at that.

An academy in a place like this is more specialized, free from such competition.

Students came here to cultivate the liberal arts and knowledge to live in the world.

But suddenly, an exam?

"Instructor Cassian."

The person next to me nudged my side.

While I was lost in thought for a moment, people's eyes were fixed on me.

Seeing Avril staring at me, it seemed he had called my name in the meantime.

"Yes?"

"Instructor Cassian will be in charge of the basic A class."

"No way."

As soon as Avril's words ended, murmurs of disbelief erupted from all sides.

The one who reacted most violently was Freutche.

He abruptly raised his hand and began to speak.

"Instructor Cassian does not have the competence to take charge of class A! Besides, if the basic class is for 1st and 2nd years, it's full of students with outstanding swordsmanship talent! If class C is for commercial law, administration, etiquette, and education, wouldn't it be more suited to his aptitude to send him there?"

"Instructor Freutche."

Freutche, whose name was called, looked at Avril with a flustered expression.

It was a reaction of someone who didn't expect his name to be remembered.

Avril's eyes turned to Freutche.

They were eyes filled with a low contempt.

"Who asked for your opinion?"

"What?"

The contempt deepened slightly.

"My opinion is the opinion of Goldline as a whole. It is the result of twenty of our personnel analyzing and creating it, and this work alone cost about a thousand gold."

1,000 gold.

A student's annual tuition is about 50 gold, and an instructor's monthly salary is about 25 gold.

An amount that could educate dozens of students for a year was gone overnight.

"Does your subjective opinion have that much value?"

At Avril's blatant contempt, Freutche's face turned red and blue.

"I'll listen if it's a valuable opinion. But I hope you won't waste my time with such nonsense. If the remaining people are all such idiots, I think I'll have to hire a few more instructors."

Neither Freutche nor the other instructors could say a word.

Only one person.

Only I opened my mouth.

"I won't do it."

Avril pursed his lips and let out a small "Oho."

The characteristic sneer I had seen in the chairman's office was on his lips.

'You think you can?'

Such arrogant contempt was exuded.

"The bottom of the students' lecture preference. And yet, the number one in the proportion of C-class students among your assigned students. I thought you would be happy with the good fortune of being in charge of class A with such a record."

"I didn't come here for this kind of education. If I have to go, I will choose class C."

"This kind of education is not education? It's the advanced educational system used by the Royal Academy and the leading academies of the empire."

"But it's also a system we haven't followed. The system there is only suitable for students who have lived for the system."

"Cheap sentimentalism. The romance of insisting on an inefficient system."

Instead of answering, I stared at Avril.

"Let's see each other separately."

Avril beckoned with his finger.

I was about to move, thinking he was telling me to follow, but he clicked his tongue, "Tsk, tsk."

"You must be busy."

He wasn't directing it at me.

It was all the other instructors in the faculty room.

At his glance, the instructors cleared their throats, "Ahem," and then rushed out of the faculty room.

In less than a minute, the faculty room was empty, leaving only Avril and me.

"I clearly told you yesterday that I wouldn't do it. This isn't education. It's as if you're treating the students like products in a market..."

"Cheap sentimentalism."

Avril erased his smile and returned to his original expression.

Emotionless eyes, as if uninterested in anything in the world, observed me from between his hair.

He extended his slender index finger and made a point in the air.

"In 10 years, the world will be destroyed."

He drew a line from that point.

"And in one year, you will die."

His finger stopped abruptly.

It seemed as if his finger was pointing at me.

"You don't know the nine years in between."

For some reason, his voice sounded a little angry.

"If plan A fails, we go to plan B, and if that doesn't work, plan C. If we use a different method for the transaction, that's all there is to it."

"Is that putting me in class A?"

"If you don't leave this place, I'll make others come here. I'll shove talented guys into your mouth, located in the entrance class. Playing teacher? I'll let you live as you please with your flowery state of mind, I'm telling you."

"What you're saying sounds like you're telling me to train soldiers, or mercenaries, not to educate students."

Injecting competition into students who had none and demanding results.

The elite students of the capital who had lived like that might be happy.

But these students will be unhappy.

"So I will go to class C to prove you wrong."

"I see. Proof."

Avril handed me a piece of paper.

It was a list of the names of the students in the basic C class.

"Prove that the trash of class C can surpass the elite education of class A, just like your soft and petty hope. Show that human ability is not determined by aptitude or the future, but can be achieved through the education you praise."

"How?"

"Two weeks from now. All students of all grades will take an academic achievement test to readjust their grades. If even one of the 50 students in class C beats a student in class A, I will acknowledge the possibility."

Avril handed me another piece of paper.

It was a list of the names of the students in the basic A class.

And I realized.

'Pan is also in class A...'

In the current situation, the probability of the C-class students beating the A-class was zero.

It was a composition that made it unbelievable how he had gathered this much basis for judgment in just one day.

All the students who had outstanding characters, even if they were slightly weak in academic evaluation or practical skills, were in class A.

On the other hand, class C had various problems.

Lack of motivation.

Laziness.

Lack of talent.

Above all, no will to improve.

The majority were delinquents who had come to kill time.

"Now that you've seen reality, have you realized how absurd your ideal is?"

"No."

But education does not discriminate.

Education is what makes people do the impossible.

That's why education always seems like a miracle.

"I'll do it. But I'll also set a condition."

Suddenly, he strode into my life, changing the world as he pleased and judging me.

I didn't want to have the initiative taken from me.

Plan A, plan B, and so on.

That meant that even if I proved it once, this person would endlessly use me.

So I had to take the initiative.

"If I win this proof, I will refuse any interference in future education."

Avril smiled as if he found it ridiculous.

"Instructor. That's not a deal. It's a request."

"I'm not making a deal with you..."

"So I'll find the reward for victory myself."

Then he turned on his heel and disappeared out of the faculty room with striding steps.

"Hoo."

Really, what is all this?

Just as I was about to stand up after organizing the situation.

A person came into the empty faculty room, looking around.

It was Freutche.

"Instructor?"

"Is he gone?"

When I nodded, his previously narrowed shoulders straightened out, and he returned to his usual self.

"Tsk... money is scary. A merchant meddling with a teacher, telling him to do this and that."

I agree.

Instructor Freutche glared as if Avril was right outside the door.

Even though he's a coward who wouldn't be able to make that face if the person actually came in.

"Instructor Cassian. Let's talk for a moment."

"Good. I had something to say too."

"To me?"

"Yeah."

I had a guess as to why Avril had handed me the lists of C and A classes earlier.

It was probably to make me realize the gap between the students and despair.

But that list actually made me more determined.

"New instructors will come from the capital in a fortnight. Until then, I want the swordsmanship instructors of Akarind Academy to join forces. Can you help me?"

Freutche.

A retired instructor from the kingdom's knight order.

An instructor with more than enough ability for a third-rate academy like this.

"Yes! Of course, at a time like this, the only person you can trust is me, right? What do I have to do!"

A little lacking.

But as a person... he's not so bad.

That's the kind of person he was.