Haaap Haaap Hyaaa
Shouts full of determination and passion echoed loudly in the wide training ground as the cadets thrusted their spears and slashed their swords into the empty air with strengths capable of felling down tries in a single strike.
"Wrong! Wrong! Wrong again!" ［Grey］
But no matter how many times they brandished their weapons, they would always receive a scolding from Grey. Their flaws would always be noticed by Grey's eyes without mistake.
It is the second day of Grey and Yuna's contracted job as instructors in the Royal Academy, and currently, Grey is training the students to improve the way they execute their arts and cast their spells.
Although both were types of magics, the way they are done are totally different. While spells need a clear visualization, focus and knowledge, arts on the other hand, need precise movements, right timing, and coordination.
Compound magic created from arts and spells are even more difficult as both sets of requirements need to be met. Compound magics are something only high-rankers can use freely without much hassle.
As for special magics like summoning magic and holy magic, they take a certain amount of knowledge to even initiate, not to mention successfully casting it. They are the hardest ones to master.
"Instructor, we've been doing this for hours. We need a break!"
"That's right, Instructor! This is abuse of authority!"
"Our arms are already aching!"
The students voiced out their complaints one after another, all while drenching in their sweat from training for more than 5 hours straight. Some were even panting heavily and looked like they would collapse at any moment.
Seeing the cadets complain about something as repeating movements again and again, Grey couldn't help but feel a little bit disappointed by them. Even Eliza who was much younger than them has better resolve and motivation.
If Grey was teaching Eliza, she wouldn't voice out a single word of complaint even if her arms were sore to the point she couldn't feel them. Eliza still continued even when she was on the point of collapsing.
"Hey, Grey, let us take a break. Even 15 minutes would be enougー ow!" ［Julius］
Before he could finish his words, Grey cut him off by flicking Julius' forehead with two of his fingers, making it go red from the flick. Of course, Grey held back his strength greatly, or else, Julius' head would have gone flying.
"What was that for?!" ［Julius］
"We're in class right now. Call me Instructor." ［Grey］
"What with that reasoning, Grey?ー Ah!" ［Julius］
Grey flicked Julius' forehead once again making it even redder than before. Tears even formed in the corner of his eyes. Even when Grey held back his strength, it still felt very painful.
"I said, call me Instructor." ［Grey］
"Y-Yes, Instructor..." ［Julius］
After seeing Julius' numb, red forehead, for reasons more than one, the students stopped complaining and continued with their training quietly. Neither one of them wanted to experience their heads getting flicked.
The students kept in my mind how powerful Grey was and etched into their minds the consequences of defying him. While they were certain he was at least D-rank, they weren't really sure about the extent of Grey's strength. All they could do was tread with caution, careful not to anger him.
Donggggg Donggggg Donggggg
Coincidentally, by the time most of the students' stamina ran out, the school bell rang, signaling the start of the one-hour lunch break. It was the sound most of Grey's students have been wanting to hear.
"Alright, you can take a break for now." ［Grey］
"Ahh... Finally..."
"My legs were barely holding... I just want to sleep..."
"I feel the same..."
After Grey declared that they could take a break, the students' legs collapsed to the ground and they tried to catch their breaths, panting as heavily as one could, clearly exhausted from such demonic training.
As they rested on the ground, some students even had tears forming in the corners of their eyes, extremely happy that they could finally have their rest. What was only a couple of hours to others felt like an eternity to them.
But well, their joyous expressions and relieved faces didn't last very long. As if fate itself was toying with their hearts, Grey crushed their little celebration in just a matter of moments.
"Ah, right... I just want to tell everyone beforehand. This afternoon, we'll change to fighting summoned creatures just like yesterday. Be sure to rest well and prepare yourselves." ［Grey］
""""Ehh?!""""
The students' voices of dissatisfaction echoed throughout the training ground in unison. It was somewhat amazing that they were so in sync on something useless, yet they can't manage to cooperate when they're fighting.
If Grey looked like a demonic instructor before, after he said those words, he looked like the devil himself to the eyes of the students. The fact that they'll be with him for three whole weeks made it even worse for them.
"If you you disagree, we can just skip lunch and continue witー" ［Grey］
"No, we're just fine with it, Instructor! Isn't that right, everyone?" ［Julius］
""""Y-Yes!""""
Once again, their voices in unison, the students responded to Julius' question, in great fear of Grey's suggestion. Just hearing him say those words made extremely cold chills run down their spines.
Faces full of despair, the students groggily stood up and headed to the cafeteria to buy their lunch. If they were normal people, let alone walk, they wouldn't even be able to stand up after all the training they've been through. They were still students of the Royal Academy, elites of their generation.
"Oh, and a reminder, please don't try to skip classes. If I found out that you are, I will double the difficulty of your training, okay?" ［Grey］
Grey ended his statement with a very bright smile which wasn't a smile at all, making the students jolt instinctively and their faces go pale from imagining what kind of training Grey was talking about.
"See you this afternoon." ［Grey］
Grey said, waving his hand slowly, all while still wearing the smile which brought terror to the students' hearts, adding to the students' fears and anxiousness as they headed to the cafeteria.
"Greyー Ah, I can call you Grey right now, right?" ［Julius］
Julius asked while covering his forehead with both of his hands, looking really ridiculous for someone with the status of a prince. Well, one couldn't really blame him after experiencing two finger flicks to his forehead.
"Yeah, sure. It's still lunch break anyways. So, what did you want to say?" ［Grey］
"It's about the training." ［Julius］
"What about it? Am I doing something wrong?" ［Grey］
"No, it's more like you're doing it too perfectly to the point it's too tough for us. We're not like you, you know? Right, Amelia?" ［Julius］
"Yes, I'm with Cadet Julー I mean, His Highness, on this one..." ［Amelia］
Amelia replied to Julius' question all while correcting the way she addressed him now that they are on break. Her face just as concerned as Julius and her body also slightly trembling from exhaustion.
Hearing their opinions, Grey looked back on what he made the students do, but no matter how hard he tried, he found no fault with it. In fact, it doesn't even hold a candle against the training he and Yuna went through.
Of course, Grey knew his training method was tough for normal people, but knowing his students were part of the Royal Academy, Grey purposely raised the bar higher, thinking that they could take them.
'Is this what they call Spartan Training...?' ［Grey］
Those two words perfectly described what the students exactly went through. Grey didn't really think how strict he was when he went into teaching mode. Yuna, his first student, even gets shivers when Grey goes into teaching mode.
'Should I reward them for their efforts?' ［Grey］
Grey thought to himself as he remembered the carrot and stick method. The only problem was what he could use as the "carrot". No matter how hard he tried to think, he couldn't find something that could entice children of nobility.
"Ah, by the way, Grey, do you still have some pudding?" ［Julius］
As timely as one could be, Julius made a request which sparked an idea inside Grey's mind. The very dessert Julius requested could be used as the "carrot" to reward the students.
"Thanks, Julius." ［Grey］
"Uh? You're welcome...? But what about my pudding?" ［Julius］
"I'll give it to you later, and one for Amelia, too." ［Grey］
"Ah, thank you, Grey." ［Amelia］
Both not understanding what Grey's words meant, Julius and Amelia then headed to the cafeteria together to have their lunch, leaving Grey alone in the training ground to count how much pudding remained in his "Inventory".
Just a little bit before lunch break ended, Grey's students returned to the training ground one after another, with their faces having a much healthier complexion than before. Rest has served them well.
"Alright, everyone, each of you take one of these. This is your reward for completing the training this morning." ［Grey］
Grey said whilst pointing at the box of pudding he just recently placed on top a bench under the tree's shade. Everyone except Julius and Amelia eyed it curiously, wondering what it was.
Of course, as the one who requested Grey for it, Julius was the first one to approach it, followed by Amelia. Seeing them get one, everyone else in class also followed suit and got one for themselves.
'There isn't someone lactose-intolerant amongst them, right?' ［Grey］
A sudden thought popped up in Grey's mind as he realized that pudding uses milk as one of its main ingredients. It was something he didn't consider and totally forgot about since he arrived in Merusia.
Grey wanted to ask the students about that topic but doubted if anyone even knew what lactose-intolerance meant. Just thinking about how he should explain it to them made his head start hurting.
"Wow～! So sweet and delicious!"
"I've never tasted something like this!"
"It wiggles funnily..,"
Thankfully, all of Grey's worries were all for naught. While he was thinking of such things, the students already fed a spoonful of pudding to themselves, but none made strange reactions so far.
Seeing his class enjoy pudding so happily, Grey also got one for himself and enjoyed the cold dessert like how he usually would. Just having a bite was enough for him to feel more relaxed.
'Ah...' ［Grey］
But just as he took the first bite, Grey remembered something he totally overlooked. He forgot to give Yuna some pudding. He forgot the very person who loves pudding the most. Not to mention that that very person was also his girlfriend.
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Guilt growing in his heart, Grey once again counted how much pudding he had inside his "Inventory" and thought how much she should give to Yuna, also taking into account that Elise and Elaine were with her.
Following such a train of thought, Grey retrieved a couple batches of pudding and placed them on top of the bench, readying to deliver them to Yuna, but as he was doing so...
"Grey, I want one more!" ［Julius］
"Me too, Instructor Grey!" ［Amelia］
"Me too!"
"Same here!"
Grey's actions of taking more pudding aroused the attention of everyone in class. They still haven't finished their cups but they were already rearing to eat more with their eyes full of anticipation.
As for Grey, who was subjected to their anticipating stares, he felt a little overwhelmed that the students who looked like zombies before were now full of energy. But thanks to that, he knew that his carrot and stick method would work.
"Haah... Alright, I'll give all of you another one. If you perform well in this afternoon's training, that is." ［Grey］
After Grey said those words, the eyes of the students were lit ablaze and a hidden determination that wasn't there in the morning suddenly showed up out of nowhere. Their eyes were brimming with it.
What Grey witnessed before him were warriors who were ready to go through hell. It reminded him of yesterday where Elise and Elaine also changed attitudes after hearing there will be desserts present.
'Mmm... I wonder if everything will be alright...' ［Grey］
...
Contrary to Grey's morning class, Yuna's was much quieter and looked more normal. Rather than practical training, Yuna was teaching the students with the use of discussions in the classroom.
"Although orcs are more powerful than goblins by leaps and bounds, it also has a weakness, and that is its speed. Not just its movement speed, its reaction speed is also slow. This is the key to defeating them." ［Yuna］
Currently, Yuna was teaching her students about the weaknesses and strengths of monsters and how to use them to their advantage. Something adventurers that mostly learn through experience.
Although monsters are undoubtedly stronger than normal humans, save for the slimes and normal goblins, it is also a fact that they don't have much intelligence and mostly rely on their instincts.
Their anatomy is also somewhat similar to salferines and from that fact, it was easy to find a weakness for them just by studying one's own weakness. That is something Yuna wanted to teach her students.
That is also the reason why, even though monsters spawn often, Merusia is still not swarmed with monsters. The monsters' low intelligence and simple attack patterns is the key to the salferines' survival.
"If you can't finish it in a few blows, it is better to disarm or immobilize them before anything else. That way, you can improve your chance of winning or escaping when you are in grave danger." ［Yuna］
Although it would be for the best to defeat the monster, the first priority should still be one's own safety. A dead person can't celebrate victory after all. It was the fatal flaw of all inexperienced soldiers and adventurers.
"If you're up against an orc, sneak attacks are the best way to defeat them, and I suggest that you target the nape since other than the fact that it's a vital point, the nape is also easier to slice than other parts of its body. Their armors also has a gap in the napeー" ［Yuna］
Donggggg Donggggg Donggggg
Just as Yuna was about to wrap up her lesson, the lunch break bell rang loudly, interrupting her lesson. Thankfully, she had already covered the most vital information and main points.
"Okay, time for lunch, everyone. Be sure to arrive at the training grounds before lunch break ends." ［Yuna］
"""Yes～""" """Yes! Instructor!"""
After what Yuna said, the students quickly exited the classroom with smiles blooming on their faces and headed to the cafeteria in order to sate their hunger, the complete opposite of Grey's students.
'Mmm... I just hope they can keep those smiles this afternoon...' ［Yuna］
Well, those smiles wouldn't last long anyway. Yuna already had something planned in the afternoon which will surely destroy the students' smiling faces. Something she forgot to mention to them.
"Yuna, let's also head to the cafeteria!" ［Elise］
"Un!" ［Yuna］
With Elise's invitation, Yuna, Elise, and Elaine happily headed to the cafeteria and when we arrived there, they ordered their lunches. Grey had also notified Yuna via telepathy that he wouldn't be able to join them so they ate without him.
As usual, Yuna ordered a lot of dishes in the cafeteria, more than three times more than Elise and Elaine's portions combined. It was to "compensate" the energy she spent teaching the students
It was totally because Yuna really loved eating. Totally not because of that. Yep, totally not it. That's what Yuna said to herself.
"Amazing... Yuna..." ［Elise］
Including yesterday's celebration, it was already the third time Elise saw Yuna eat, yet she still didn't get used to the amount of food Yuna had. The same went for Elaine. They just couldn't see where Yuna stored so much food in her slim body.
"Hm? Do you want some too?" ［Yuna］
"Ah, no. I'm fine." ［Elise］
"M-Me too." ［Elaine］
Yuna offered Elise and Elaine some food seeing how much they stared at her, but they quickly refused the offer with their faces still containing traces of surprise and disbelief.
"By the way, Yuna, why were you so easy on us today? We were expecting something like a repeat of yesterday." ［Elise］
"That's right. I thought we were going to fight high orcs again..." ［Elaine］
"Hm? Didn't I tell you?" ［Yuna］
""Eh?"" ［Elise and Elaine］
Elise and Elaine said in unison with their faces filled with confusion. They really were cousins. Even their faces and expressions looked exactly the same with one another as they responded to Yuna.
"We will be doing that in the afternoon, and to test if you really learned something from my discussion, you will be fighting twice the number of monsters compared to yesterday." ［Yuna］
""Ehh?!!"" ［Elise and Elaine］
A shocked expression quickly loomed over Elise and Elaine's face as they heard Yuna's words. Although the syllables were the same, their reactions and the tone of their voice couldn't be more different than before.
Elise and Elaine still recovering from shock, the three continued their lunch in silence. After their lunch at the cafeteria, they then headed back to the training ground, where a familiar figure waited for them.
"Ah, Yuna, it's Grey..." ［Elise］
Elise pointed to the figure who was on the opposite side of the training ground, standing there quietly. Of course, it was Grey who had just finished giving his students some pudding.
"Do you need anything?" ［Yuna］
"Well, not really. I just came to deliver some pudding. I'm giving my class some so I thought I'll deliver some for you, Elise, and Elaine to enjoy." ［Grey］
"Ah, thank you..." ［Yuna］
"Well then, I'll be going back to my class now. I still have to teach my students, after all. I'll see you this afternoon." ［Grey］
"Un. See you..." ［Yuna］
Just like how he appeared without notice, Grey also left suddenly from Yuna and company's sight. The amount of pudding he handed to Yuna was two dozens, plenty for the whole class to eat.
While Grey didn't say much to Yuna and quickly left, Yuna was still happy to know that Grey thought of her. She was especially happy when Grey brought her a lot of pudding to eat.
"Yuna, you're blushing..." ［Elise］
"Yeah, it's really showing Yuna..." ［Elaine］
Elise and Elaine commented while extending their arms to the box of pudding Yuna was holding unto. Their moods were much better than before after getting their hands on some pudding.
"Yep, pudding really is delicious." ［Elaine］
"Yuna, give us all of this pudding!" ［Elise］
"Eh?!" ［Yuna］
"You have Grey anyways, you can just ask him anytime!" ［Elise］
"T-That's right, Yuna! Please give all these puddings to us!" ［Elaine］
Without warning, Elise and Elaine approached Yuna playfully as they tried to have all the pudding in Yuna's hands for themselves. Of course, Yuna's reaction to their antics was obvious.
"N-No!" ［Yuna］
"Yuna, please～!" ［Elaine］
"That's right, we'll do anything!" ［Elise］
"No is no! And that's final!" ［Yuna］
"Yuna～!!" ［Elise］
Elise said as she clung tightly to Yuna's waist. Elaine also did the same after she finished her cup of pudding and clung to the other side of Yuna's waist. Both were half joking, half serious.
"Stop clinging to me, you two! Geez!" ［Yuna］
Yuna tried to shake the two off but it was no use, they still clung to her lightly as if their lives defended on it. They really wanted to have all the pudding Yuna has.
Unbeknownst to the three of them, there were two pairs of judging eyes watching them from the second floor of a certain building to their right. Their expressions were clearly unhappy as they observed the three.
"What boorish behavior unfit for noble ladies. Don't you agree, Madam?" ［???］
"Tch! This academy is an insult to nobility!" ［???］
CHAPTER 83 END