Chapter 294
[Senior Director of the Academy - Histania Malik]
Malik, seated behind the desk with a neat signboard in front, stared back at the professor glaring at him.
"The Chancellor has already approved it."
At Malik's unilateral announcement, the professor from the Healing Department raised his hand and spoke.
"This is a one-sided notice! You should hold a meeting with the faculty and...!"
"My decision remains unchanged, Professor Eleanor of the Healing Department."
"Hey! Histania Malik! Is this because I graded you harshly during your cadet days?"
"Address me as Senior Director, Professor."
Malik gave a faint smile as he reiterated his stance to the professor from the Healing Department, thinking they hadn't understood.
"Starting this afternoon, I plan to teach self-defense techniques to the students of the Healing Department."
"Do you think you’re qualified to teach, without any knowledge of Healing Magic?"
"Is Healing Magic that impressive?"
Malik conjured green mana in one hand as he spoke.
"Even the students of the Swordsmanship Department start by learning basic Emergency Treatment Magic. What’s so impressive about it?"
"..."
"When someone is gravely injured, that's when a Healer's Touch is necessary. For minor injuries, it's a magic that’s practically useless—what's so great about it?"
"What do you mean by that? It's magic that can save lives!"
"Exactly. What I mean is, I intend to teach basic self-defense techniques to the students of the Healing Department."
The elderly professor pressed his throbbing forehead and spoke to Malik.
"Do you think this makes sense? Healers are supposed to provide support from the rear...!"
"Who said that?"
"What?"
"I asked, who told you that healers should just sit back and twiddle their thumbs on the battlefield?"
Malik scoffed as he addressed the professor.
"If the frontline dies, the battle is lost anyway. Did the previous professors tell you to just suck your thumb and die? Or is that your personal judgment?"
"..."
"Where did you even hear such nonsense? As the Senior Director, I find it hard to stay silent."
"Hey! Senior Director! Don’t you think you're going too far?! I've been to more battlefields than you and saved more lives!"
"And yet, someone like you hasn’t even tried to address the biggest flaw of healers? Ridiculous."
Malik spoke with a cold expression.
"At the very least, they should have the strength to run away. I don’t think someone who can’t even protect themselves can save others."
"Ugh..."
"Since this has already been approved, Professor Eleanor, I’d appreciate it if you could clear your schedule."
"..."
"If you can’t accept it, as the Senior Director of this Academy, I’ll have no choice but to make a decision to provide better education for the students."
'Clatter.' Malik opened a drawer and placed a white envelope on the desk, looking at the professor—a warning to leave if they couldn’t agree.
"There’s no shortage of talent."
"..."
"But positions are limited."
Professor Eleanor nodded at Malik's words, thinking that things had taken a turn for the worse.
Feeling like everything had gone awry.
*
Three weeks ago.
While discussing a convenience store issue with Ricardo, Malik sought advice from the unusually sharp young man.
"Hey, Ricardo."
"Yes, Patron."
"Not Patron, Proprietress... No, Malik."
"Then Proprietress."
"Sigh... Fine. I have something to ask you. What do you think about this Academy?"
"All of a sudden?"
"It’s something I’ve been pondering for a while. I feel like there's something lacking in what the Academy teaches."
"Hmm..."
"Should I say it feels inadequate? The Imperial Academy clearly has the best support and an extravagant faculty, but compared to the resources poured into the students, the results feel underwhelming."
"Maybe it’s because you’ve lived such a demanding life, Proprietress."
"Hmm... You’re not entirely wrong."
"You’re not denying it?"
"While others were drinking, I was swinging a sword. At your age, I was hunting Elite Orcs on my own."
"That’s impressive."
"You flatter me. But listening to you, it does make sense. Still, something feels missing. Someone like you—a monster of sorts—should be..."
Ricardo let out a dry laugh and shook his head.
"I’m an outlier. So are you, Proprietress."
"...I can’t deny that."
"But doesn’t this class have a lot of promising individuals? There’s Hanna, Mikhail, and Yuria. This class seems fortunate, doesn’t it?"
"...Still, it’s not enough."
"Hmm... Then..."
That day, Ricardo asked Malik if he wanted to improve the overall picture, not just focus on a select few.
Malik nodded vehemently at Ricardo’s question, as it perfectly captured his lingering dissatisfaction.
Not just nurturing a talented few.
He wanted to elevate the level of the average students. Having taken on the role of Senior Director, Malik wanted to produce tangible results, so he listened intently to Ricardo’s suggestions.
"Then how about raising the level of those neglected by the Academy?"
"Neglected...? Is there such discrimination at the Academy?"
"Not exactly. I’m just thinking long-term."
Ricardo placed three pens on the table and moved them one by one as he continued.
"The Swordsmanship Department leads to the Knights' Order."
-Clatter.
"The Magic Department leads to the Magic Tower."
-Clatter.
"And the Healing Department..."
Ricardo gave an awkward smile and looked at Malik.
"Has nowhere to go."
Malik countered Ricardo’s opinion, saying he was thinking too narrowly.
"Even those in the Healing field with high grades are scouted by various places. The Imperial Knights' Order, the Magic Tower, and more. In fact, they might have more options compared to other departments."
Ricardo smiled awkwardly and replied.
"Does the Healing field have that many job openings?"
"..."
"Of course, there aren’t many talented individuals in the Healing field, but are smaller households hiring healers frequently?"
Ricardo asked with a dry expression.
"Proprietress, you know better than anyone how to manage people to avoid unnecessary expenses."
"..."
"When the frontline is dying, wouldn’t a wizard who can cast simple magic be more useful than a healer signaling them to run into range?"
Ricardo was right.
It was true that hiring one or two competent healers could eliminate unnecessary expenses.
"Currently, healers are far too passive."
"..."
"Strategically, it’s right to protect healers first, but... That’s true."
"..."
"Honestly, if it were me, I’d spend that money on another potion rather than hiring one."
'Clap!' Ricardo clapped his hands as he spoke.
"So if the Healing Department is trained to be stronger, wouldn’t it stimulate the other departments like a pack of wild dogs?"
"..."
"Instead of settling with 'This much is enough,' they’ll think, 'Am I really falling behind those desk-bound students?'"
That’s how this idea came to be, leading to the current situation.
It was a class called 'Creating Healers Who Don’t Die from Ambushes.'
And.
-Ah, and stay away from the Healing Department professor.
-Hmm? You mean Professor Eleanor?
-Yes, that person is a bit suspicious.
He mentally noted the person to be excluded.
*
"Ahem."
Standing in front of the dusty training grounds, Malik held a wooden sword. Before him were the students of the Healing Department, a group not held in high regard within the Academy.
They were less efficient compared to the combat-oriented departments.
Most wizards had basic healing magic, so these cadets, though considered nobles, were treated poorly.
And the Healing Department students were known to be quite prickly.
Malik looked at the disgruntled students glaring at him in the dusty training grounds and took a deep breath before announcing the start of the lesson in a booming voice.
"Greetings. I am Histania Malik, Senior Director of the Academy and your self-defense instructor starting today."
"""Whoa..."""
From the mouths of the Healing Department students came negative murmurs. They grumbled about not understanding why they had to learn self-defense and when they could leave.
-What is this...
-Self-defense?
-Why do we even need to learn self-defense...
-Seriously? The vanguard will handle everything anyway.
Malik smiled faintly as he watched the grumbling students. He thought that making these kids hungry would naturally boost convenience store sales.
"...If you’re hungry, the second floor has a conve... Ahem."
Not yet. It wasn’t time for promotions. Malik kept silent, waiting for the right moment.
"For now, let’s start with something simple—how to use the dagger in your hand."
Malik beckoned to the Healing Department students.
"From now on, anyone who manages to stab me will have their dormitory grade raised by one level."
""...What?""
"I’ve received permission from the Chancellor, so do your best to participate in the lesson."
""This is insane...""
Malik smiled as he observed the murmuring students.
He thought this could address the biggest shortcomings of healers.
When healers first joined the Knights' Order, their biggest struggle was building basic physical strength.
A severe lack of martial skills.
Eyes that failed to spot blind spots.
And the carefree habits of not realizing they were surrounded by threats.
That’s why.
He planned to train them rigorously.
As a senior in life, that is.
"Excuse me..."
Malik nodded as he noticed a female student boldly raising her hand from the corner. He thought to himself that if she said no, he’d be the first to practice gender equality.
"What is it, pink-haired student?"
Yuria fidgeted with her fingers as she spoke.
"Can I use my bare hands instead? And instead of a dormitory grade, could I get support for the dormitory fee...?"
"Ah."
Malik nodded, realizing it was something he could handle on his own, and replied.
"I’ll give you a thousand gold."
"What...?"
"If you manage to land a single hit on me, I’ll provide you with a thousand gold and cover your dormitory fee for a year. And…"
Malik pulled out a ticket as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I’ll also give you an Academy Convenience Store One-Week Pass and a Friends of Forest Meal Voucher."
The students’ reactions to the extraordinary offer began to diverge.
"What... Friends of Forest?"
"Hey... Is this for real?"
"I could take my boyfriend there."
Yuria clenched her fist with determination.
'With Ricardo...!'
Malik smiled and nodded.
'This is exactly the kind of atmosphere the Academy should have.'
He thought it would be nice to bring Ricardo in as a visiting professor later and signaled the start.
"Let’s begin."
And.
-Aaaaaaagh!
Unending screams began to echo throughout the training grounds.