“—Therefore, the government does not need to intervene in the market. By maintaining a balanced budget, the market’s price mechanism will naturally adjust the market size and allocate resources accordingly. Do you all understand up to this point?”
After lecturing passionately for several minutes, I turned around to check my audience—only to find that they had long since been obliterated.
“Uh, uh… That’s some incredible knowledge. I definitely learned something.”
“Ugh… Economics is so hard… I don’t understand a single thing…”
“Ah, um… So what you’re saying is that the people are just livestock, and the only solution is to control and manage them completely?”
Hmm, looks like no one understood a word.
That last guy at least seemed to have grasped something about classical economics, though.
Perhaps trying to introduce classical economic theories in an era where such concepts are nonexistent was a bit excessive.
“Well then, that concludes my lecture. Thank you for listening, even if my explanation was lacking.”
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
As I gave a polite bow, applause erupted.
Perhaps they were just trying to drown out the embarrassment of their earlier confusion, but everyone was clapping enthusiastically.
Even the guy who had been mumbling nonsense, and the one who talked about treating people like livestock.
“May I ask when the results will be announced?”
“Oh, no need to wait. There’s really no need to even grade you.”
“Leamis—no, Instructor Leamis, we look forward to working with you starting today.”
Well, at least showing off my knowledge of the future paid off.
I never expected them to declare me unanimously accepted without a moment’s hesitation.
Maybe they were just pretending to be impressed because they didn’t want to look ignorant?
Whatever their true feelings, as long as it benefits me, it doesn’t really matter.
“What about the employment contract…?”
“How about three years? Someone of your caliber deserves a long-term teaching position.”
“You could start with a temporary position, prove your abilities, and secure tenure until retirement—”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary. I have other things to do.”
Ignoring their persuasion, I signed a one-year contract.
Since it was already the middle of the spring semester, I’d only be teaching until the next spring.
If a university on Earth had offered me tenure, I would have accepted it while bowing in gratitude.
But this is another world.
What’s the point of job security in a world I plan to destroy and reshape?
Better to spend my time preparing for chaos instead of teaching students.
“Are you sure about this?”
“A position like this isn’t easy to come by…”
“If you change your mind later, you can always extend your contract. I’m sure the administration would be happy to cooperate.”
They seemed disappointed, but when I stood firm, they accepted it.
No matter how great an opportunity may be, if the person involved doesn’t want it, there’s nothing they can do.
“All the paperwork is done. Will you be heading back now, or would you like a tour of the academy?”
“If possible, I’d love a tour. I’d like to familiarize myself with my new workplace before I start next week.”
“Great! Someone, please guide him!”
*****
After signing and sealing the contract, I asked my guide to summon Kalia, who had been waiting outside the academy.
Fortunately, one of the faculty members nearby volunteered to show us around.
“This way, please. I’ll take you through the buildings in order.”
“What’s that tower? It doesn’t look like a church.”
“Oh, that’s an observatory built by an astronomy professor who taught here twenty years ago. The telescope installed there is still the best in the kingdom—”
Like tourists visiting a famous site, we slowly explored the academy.
I took in the legacy left by historical figures, the numerous buildings added over time, and the remnants of past events.
This institution had operated for centuries, and its accumulated history was fascinating.
Our guide was quite knowledgeable, which made things convenient.
No matter what I asked, he always had an immediate answer.
“This place is massive. It feels even bigger than the royal palace.”
“There’s no comparison. The academy’s grounds are nearly the size of a small city.”
Pretending to be curious, I kept the conversation going while Kalia took notes.
She meticulously recorded anything that seemed significant—facilities, objects, anything that stood out.
Her notebook was filling up at an alarming rate, almost to a terrifying degree.
Since access to this place had been restricted before, she was probably trying to gather as much information as possible.
I just hoped she wouldn’t draw too much attention.
“That white building over there is the dining hall. You should try it sometime! It’s cheap and delicious.”
“I’ll check it out when I get the chance. By the way… what’s going on with those students?”
“…Ah.”
While wandering, we had somehow reached the heart of the academy.
Just as my legs were starting to feel a bit sore, I noticed a crowd of students in the distance.
Were they just eating together before heading back to class?
No, the atmosphere seemed tense.
They weren’t a single group but rather two opposing factions facing off.
Curious, I asked our guide, who hesitated before answering.
Was this some kind of hidden shame of the academy?
“Uh… It’s nothing serious. It’s just that, with the war going on, tensions between students have worsened.”
Since the academy gathered talents from all over the continent, nationality must have become a point of contention.
I hadn’t expected these aristocratic brats to be so patriotic.
Even when commoners were dying on the front lines, nobles and royals usually just indulged in their decadent pleasures without a care.
At least, that was the average behavior of the ruling class as I knew it.
“But would they really go so far as to fight in broad daylight? Even at the cost of their dignity?”
Nobles considered their reputation paramount—raising their voice in public was already seen as disgraceful.
And yet, here they were, gathering by the dozens, ready to throw punches?
Still unconvinced, I pressed further, prompting the guide to lower his voice and glance around.
“…Please don’t repeat this anywhere.”
“Don’t worry. We’re both discreet.”
“Normally, things weren’t this bad. Even when wars broke out between nations, there was an unspoken rule to keep those conflicts outside the academy—to avoid disrupting education.”
A sanctuary of peace, free from external conflicts?
A noble-sounding, yet ultimately hypocritical, tradition.
“But this war is… different, right? The justifications, the strange new ideologies spreading…”
“Ideologies?”
“That whole ‘one nation, one people’ thing. It’s been popular in Helvetia lately—haven’t you heard of it?”
“Oh, I’ve heard of it.”
In fact, I know more about it than anyone.
I was the one who spread it.
“Because of that, Helvetian students have started sticking together and becoming incredibly hostile toward outsiders.”
“Well, that’ll only make them more isolated within the academy.”
“If it were just them, it wouldn’t be a problem. But now students from other nations are starting to do the same—forming groups, pushing out outsiders.”
Hmm, that’s an unexpected development.
“At this rate, the academy might end up splitting along national lines.”
Shrugging, our guide excused himself, saying he had to break up the fight.
“Sorry, but I have to intervene. Here’s a map—take your time exploring!”
As the guide left, Kalia and I were left alone.
Turning to her, I grinned.
“It seems my writings are gaining quite a bit of attention.”
“So it appears. We hadn’t received reports of nationalism spreading beyond Helvetia.”
If people were forming exclusive national groups, that meant nationalism was taking root.
Not just the version I had crafted, but independent, mutated variations spreading across the continent.
Exactly as I expected.
It wasn’t surprising—this was always bound to happen.
If anything, I felt a sense of pride.
I had designed my ideology specifically for Helvetians.
But as time passed, it was only natural that other nations would attempt to replicate it.
By adapting it to their own circumstances and emphasizing their national identity, they could use it as a powerful tool for governance and war.
It was inevitable.
‘Well, teaching at this academy is going to be quite entertaining.’
Educating students who fervently believe in and act upon ideas I fabricated purely to stir up chaos—this was going to be fun.
It seemed like I wouldn’t have a dull moment here.
* * * * *
And then next Monday .
The glorious first lecture.
“Nice to meet you all. Starting today, I will be in charge of the finance course. My name is Instructor Leamis.”
The number of students gathered in the lecture hall wasn’t very large—about thirty, maybe?
Since the previous instructor had suddenly disappeared and a new one was taking over, their faces were filled with skepticism.
‘A natural reaction.’
That was to be expected.
There was no helping it for now.
The only way to earn their trust was to prove my competence over time.
But I wasn’t patient enough to wait that long, so I decided to throw them a little bait.
“The semester has been going on for quite some time, hasn’t it? Since there was no instructor, I assume you haven’t been able to make much progress in your studies.”
Skimming through the textbook briefly, I wrote a large mathematical equation on the board.
[For any integer n greater than 3, there are no integer solutions (x, y, z) to the equation x^n+ y^n= z^n.]
“So, I’ll give you all a little quiz. If any of you can prove this statement or find a counterexample, I will give you an A for the course—regardless of your exam scores or attendance. The deadline is the end of this spring semester.”
Let’s see how well your brains handle this, you little brats.