A Death Row Convict Teaches at a School of Magic

Following the end of that day’s training session, I gave a pep talk to Fina, who was going to rendezvous with “Kaguya”.

The skills she needed to perfect in order to defeat “Hunter” at this time have been taught to her, and the rest was up to her.

Fina was exuberant and full of resolve, but she definitely wouldn’t hold her own against an A+ rating opponent, “Hunter” tonight. Everything else will depend on the other “Kaguya” pupils.

“Fina. This may sound repetitive, but you must come back alive, okay?”

“Yes. You have taught me this much. I will not let that go to waste, therefore, I will without a doubt defeat Hunter today.”

“…Fina. To speak of the truth, I don’t wish for you to eliminate Hunter. The only thing I hope for is for you to return alive. Of course, I am worried about Karen, but she is fortunate that the Garrison Corps and Aldar are by her side. But if you want to implement what I’ve taught you today into reality, you will have to be on your own. That brings me a sinking feeling.”

“…I am deeply appreciative of your concern for me, Teacher. Right now I do believe that I have been exceptionally blessed to have met a teacher named Kanaki Taiga after enrolling at Selbeth Academy.”

The clarity within her voice was such that she seemed to be conveying it from the heart, devoid of any complex emotions.

Before even being stunned by Fina’s direct words, I almost lost my strength when I heard from the side, “W-Whaaaaaaaatttt?” and “Eto, they are now in a fine part, you know?”

But thanks to this, I was able to follow the rest of her words without dwelling on anything else.

“If I may be so blunt, Teacher, your magic skills are subpar. And yet, you are willing to guide me on what I should do while taking into account the reality of the circumstance. Rather than directly assisting me to solve the issue, you offer me ways and means to achieve a solution. Even today, that is still the case. I suppose people like you―would be called a true teacher.”

“…You think too highly of me.”

Taking a magic crystal stone out of my pocket, I placed one in the palm of Fina’s hand.

“…What is this?”

“This is my most valuable magical tool. In the event that anything should happen to you, swallow it. It will absolutely save your life… You are going to say something along the lines of, ‘I am going to defeat Hunter for Teacher’s sake as well,’ or something similar, aren’t you? I have known you only for a brief period of time but I can tell how obstinate you can be. This is all I can do for you then.”

“…Thank you, ‘Teacher’.”

I waved my hand at Fina, who made a neat bow, urging her to hurry up and be on her way.

The presence of Fina left the training room after giving one last bow. Within the sudden stillness of the room, the first to break the silence was Arti.

“After all, Teacher is not to be overlooked～ When did you r*pe Fina?”

“R-R*pe!?”

“Don’t say uncouth things. Eto, you are too taken aback.”

At the wickedly grinning Arti and the flustered Eto, a troubled smile surfaced on my features, and I looked at my watch.

“―Now then. It will be dark if we stay here any longer, so let’s call it a day, too, shall we? Things are fairly chaotic today, you know. Both of you go get ready, I’ll send you home today.”

“Eh, is that true!?”

Arti, showing signs of exhaustion from earlier, gallantly disappeared like the wind into the changing room, followed by Eto with a bewildered expression. Unlike the former, this one was hardly even beading up a sweat. Well, this was not simply a question of ability, but also because Matthias had warned me not to wear her out too much today, leaving me compelled to do so.

As the girls were getting dressed, I ran a light simulation in my head of how I would operate tonight. Having gone over everything, Arti and Eto appeared, each with a contrasting expression on their faces, after finishing changing their clothes.

“Let’s go home thenー!”

“Ah… Arti, that, your button is…”

“Arti. One of the buttons on your blouse is off.”

“Oh, as expected of Teacher, you reacted to my latest fashion remarkably fast. Actually, I did it on purpose!”

“Even on a day like this, your behavior is the same as ever.”

With the setting sun slowly sinking, the last serene hours of the day elapsed.

■■■■■

By the time Fina arrived at the meeting place, the other members had already assembled.

“Excuse me. I am late.”

“No worries. You came just in time. I even skipped my last training session to attend the meeting. Did you reap any benefits?”

“―Yes. I need to talk to Senior Aldar about it.”

“…Go on.”

Amidst the presence of Rain as well as the other members of the corps, Fina spoke briefly about what she and Kanaki had discussed earlier.

“…I see. Teacher Kanaki taught you such a thing… Do you have a chance of winning?”

“Yes. With Senior Aldar’s permission, I will surely bury ‘Hunter’ personally.”

“Is that so…”

Putting his hand to his chin, Rain showed signs of deliberating momentarily but eventually nodded firmly.

“I understand. I’ll allow your proposition. But in exchange, you must finish him off.”

Rain’s eyes, penetrating head-on from the front, were chillingly sharp beyond measure, like pearls from the depths of the ocean. Among the many members of the corps who would change their disposition during an operation, Rain was no exception, seemingly becoming ruthless and merciless during the mission.

“Yes, without fail.”

After Fina had nodded, Rain’s gaze shifted to the other members of the group around him.

Checking each one of their eyes solidly, Rain inclined his head undaunted.

“―All right, it would seem that anyone who isn’t up for it by now is no longer present here. All of you, pay attention. Today is the moment of truth. Should we make it through tonight, there will be a terrific knight forthcoming from the royal capital to protect Karen! Until then, tonight is all we have to hold on to. Karen must be protected. Not because she is the Princess, but because she is a fellow member of ‘Kaguya’!”

“Yes!”

Rain’s rallying cry boosted the morale of the team members. This was a common line, yet it was precisely because of this that the morale of the team members was visibly elevated. Even Fina, in the company of the faintest trace of enthusiasm, felt a rush of heat that made her skin burn.

“Karen has not yet regained consciousness and is being maintained on the top floor of Lilith Central Hospital despite her condition is not in danger. From now on, we will be forming our squads and dispersing throughout the city in conjunction with the Garrison Corps, but as you all heard earlier, Fina will be placed in Karen’s hospital room, and then my squad will take turns guarding Karen’s room afterward. Is that clear?”

The collective nod from everyone drove Fina even more determined.

“Boss, how are the Garrison Corps going to operate?”

“They will defend the places that we cannot cover, but the majority of them will be protecting the hospital and its immediate vicinity. The hospital room is a concession, but they don’t want to delegate other important points to us, the students.―Well, not that I think there is anyone over there more proficient than I am though.”

At Luis’ question, Rain responded nonchalantly.

Under normal circumstances, Fina would have been irked by his indifference, but today, reassurance reigned in her heart.

After all, he was currently the most outstanding magician at Selbeth Academy―

“Are there any further questions? Then let me inform each of you of your positions. Even after the dispersal, keep your ‘Message’ circuit active―”