حصلت-على-وظيفة-وهمية-في-الأكاديمية novel-series - حصلت على وظيفة وهمية في الأكاديمية - الفصل 12

I Got a Fake Job at the Academy, Chapter 11

As a new teacher, like me, I could get a meal to make friends. In fact, when I followed Selena, there were three others beside me, two men and one woman. They all seemed unique, as if shouting, "I'm a magician!"

"Hello."

The first to extend a hand and shake mine was a kind-looking man. He seemed elderly, but smiled affably, like the friendly man next door. I shook his hand gently.

"Rodger Chelici, I'm in charge of the Appearance System."

"Bruno, I'm in charge of Golem summoning."

The next to speak was a charming beauty with long purple hair covering one eye.

"You're a handsome man, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Merilda, I'm in charge of Charm and Illusions."

"Yes. Pleased to meet you."

I sensed the last one was slightly different. He was a man with dark blue, almost white hair, and rimless glasses on his face. His very appearance seemed severe. He scowled constantly, as if unhappy to be with us. When I looked at him, he glanced at me, then turned his head—an expression of his unwillingness to even introduce himself.

Confused, Merilda chuckled and explained in a low voice, "Mr. Chris Penimore. As you can see, he's a nobleman, different from commoners like us."

Ah. So that was it. Even as an academy teacher, Chris probably didn't want to be friendly with commoners. In my case, I'm a fallen aristocrat, so it's natural for him to look down on me.

"Doesn't Mr. Rodger ignore us because we're just ordinary people?"

"I don't care."

My reply made Merilda's eyes widen, then she retreated with a soft smile. There are five new teachers including me: one nobleman, one fallen nobleman, and three commoners. However, since they became teachers at Thion Academy, they must be talented individuals who've excelled in their fields.

"I can't stay here any longer. The newly appointed teachers beside me are commoners and fallen nobles."

Chris's cold voice rang out. Bruno smiled awkwardly at these words; Selena flinched, while Merilda glared at Chris.

Me? I didn't care. It's hard for nobles to get used to mixing with commoners in just a day or two. As I showed an attitude of, "If you're just going to leave, go alone," Chris looked sharply at me.

"Don't be pretentious."

I wanted to leave; why was he looking at me like that? Did he originally know Rodger? It didn't seem so at all.

"It would be great to be friendly with fellow teachers, but I think it will be hard to get close to him."

Ignoring Chris, I looked at the other three. Perhaps there's an undercover spy from the secret society among them.

"Is there a ranking order among these three?"

Currently, about 40 members of the secret society are hidden within Thion Academy. Of course, considering Thion Academy's large population, 40 is a small number, but that doesn't mean I won't bump into other members along the way.

Except for the third orders, some second orders may have infiltrated as students. Especially for the first order, teachers can't escape suspicion.

Rodger, a first-order member, took a teaching position. There's no way other first-order members wouldn't do the same. The question is, who?

Since they're new teachers like me, it narrows down the scope. Of course, I had no choice but to be suspicious of those who asked me to eat, as they might be trying to deceive me.

I had to be vigilant. Maintaining a blank expression, I followed my fellow teachers to the dining hall. Still, I'm not eating alone, so I clung to the idea that it wasn't bad.

***

Selena, the new Element teacher, recently joined Thion Academy and teaches Spirit Summoning. She couldn't help but feel nervous upon arrival.

Thion Academy is well-known in kingdoms outside the Empire. The students who enter are geniuses who will hold important positions in the future. The burden of teaching these children was heavy.

"What if I make a mistake? What if I can't teach? Furthermore, there are many noble children here! There's a huge difference between commoners and nobles."

Thanks to advances in magical engineering, the world gradually changed, with commoners becoming members of the House of Representatives and entering politics. However, the wall of status remained high.

The reason for five teaching positions this time is that the teachers in charge of the classes until last year retired; the reason is unknown.

Before coming here, her acquaintances, healers, warned her about the noble students' territories. There are students who secretly look down on their teachers and try to win them over.

Selena was terrified.

"It's said that even members of the royal family attend this school."

The third princess is a second-year student. She's in charge of her first year, so they won't be directly connected immediately. The first-day orientation seemed to go smoothly, but she was still worried due to low self-esteem.

Selena didn't want to be this way, so she decided to make friends with the other new teachers, like her. If she had colleagues to share the hard work with, life at the academy might be better.

She befriended Merilda and, after contacting people one by one, went to find the last person remaining, Rodger Chelici. A man of noble birth, not a commoner, yet since his family's downfall, he wasn't someone burdensome to approach; at least, that's what she thought until she met him.

'Amazing.'

Initially, she wondered what was happening as the crowd in the hallway parted left and right. Could the Imperial family, which she'd only heard about, have arrived?

It was a well-dressed man who shattered her expectations, walking slowly toward her. A gray suit, a black coat, and a silk hat on his head.

"Wow, my God."

Upon first meeting Rodger, Selena's feelings were at the peak of admiration. She'd been told he was a fallen aristocrat, but watching him, Selena had to correct her narrow thinking.

He walked slowly, his majesty radiating around him; he seemed far nobler than any nobleman she'd ever seen. Every step was like a painting, so she quietly stared without realizing it. Selena remembered the purpose of her belated visit to Rodger and hurried to him.

'I'm scared.'

When he stopped and turned, she felt her heart sink. However, Selena forced a wide smile, cautiously telling Rodger she wanted to have a meal with him.

Rodger seemed to look down on her instantly, saying something unpleasant.

"Certainly."

But Rodger readily accepted her offer. As they walked, he adjusted his pace to hers, maintaining his distance. His respect for others was palpable in his small actions.

"You have a very warm personality unlike your appearance."

Even when introducing him to her other colleagues, Rodger didn't care if they were noble or commoner. Though Mr. Chris Penimore openly showed a hostile attitude towards him, Rodger didn't react much.

He was usually quick-tempered but never lost his nobility. It was as if he stood alone on a cloud in the sky. As she later heard, he was a former military officer and a great man, even submitting many academic papers to the Tower.

'Mr. Rodger is an amazing person.'

She also wanted to become a charismatic teacher. Even while eating, Rodger ate simply and quietly, without a word.

His manner in handling cutlery was restrained, as if he lived in a different world, alone; even passing students stared at him. He acted as if it was natural, or as if he didn't care about the reactions around him. Rodger's demeanor remained the same even after dinner, when we parted ways to our respective dorms or teacher's buildings. When everyone waved goodbye, Rodger acknowledged me with a nod.

Returning home with Merilda, Selena recalled her brief encounter with Rodger. She deliberately tried to keep her face expressionless, taking a deep breath. Merilda, walking beside her, noticed her behavior and asked, "Selena. What are you doing?"

"Merilda, don't you make me seem a little older?"

"What?"

Merilda burst out laughing, trying to ask what that meant.

"Hahaha! Selena, are you imitating Mr. Rodger now?"

"Yes? Oh no, that's not all…"

Merilda waved her hand at the flustered Selena, saying it was alright.

"Mr. Rodger is so unique it's hard to believe he's a new teacher like us. But considering this person's past, it was worth it."

"Yes?"

"You don't know? I checked all the people who came this time. He was a military officer."

"Really?"

"What's even more surprising is that Selena, me, you, and the others came here with a tower or racial society backing us, having received recommendations. This man didn't. He didn't belong anywhere, yet he came alone."

"Amazing. No wonder."

"This kind of person's teaching style must be amazing. However, we have no choice but to teach our students our way. Don't be too affected by others. It's okay if you don't pretend to be strong for nothing, since we also became teachers at Thion."

"Oh, yes!"

The two met for the first time today, but quickly became close friends, talking warmly as they headed to the teacher's residence.

***

Three days have passed since the first-day orientation. Since these three days are the course correction period, it must have been very busy for students who haven't yet decided on the lectures they'll take. Of course, this doesn't concern me.

The long-awaited first class arrived, and I crossed the entrance with excited strides. Three days ago, I gave sufficient warnings. My class is like a minefield. Rumors about me must already be widespread among the students. Having said that, I wonder if any students want to take my class?

There will be some. When other classes are full, they'll have no choice but to choose with tears in their eyes to forcibly complete their credits. The important thing is that the fewer students I teach, the more comfortable I feel.

Classes can have a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 80 students. Lectures aren't closed because there are few people, so if there are fewer people, it's enough to guide them well.

Of course, there's no possibility of a minimum of 15 people, so I can compromise with 30 people moderately. With that thought, I opened the door and entered the classroom.

'What?'

I saw students filling the classroom. The number was more than double the 30 people I'd considered. No, it was actually the maximum number of people the classroom could hold.

Why are there so many?