The semester was just around the corner.
With the academic schedule about to start in full swing, it was certain that incidents would increase as well.
However, I was leading a happy life regardless of that.
Even the tasks that the old professor had dumped on me.
Even the situation where I practically became the homeroom teacher of the protagonist’s class.
None of it could have any negative impact on my mind, which had now realized a great truth.
Today, too, I smiled brightly and chanted the magical phrase.
‘Well, if I get fired, that’s the end of it!’
When the A-Class was suddenly thrown at me, I was startled and a bit flustered, but after calmly thinking about it, I realized I was already marked by the principal and my dismissal was practically confirmed.
Whether Scott delegated his authority or not, the fact remained unchanged that I wouldn’t be here in a few days.
Therefore, I didn’t need to worry about the academy anymore.
It would be more efficient to worry about how to live after getting fired from here.
‘This is truly a happy concern to have.’
Considering the high salary from the start, the severance pay I’d get upon being fired was also substantial.
If I didn’t overspend, I could live without working for the rest of my life.
If any problem arose, I could just visit Professor Scott.
When I wanted to leave the academy, Professor Scott’s annoying favor would turn into a tremendous strength outside of it, so there was nothing to worry about even in the face of disaster.
With enough insurance and the cheat key known as modern knowledge, I would surely enjoy a happy life.
***
Ding-dong!
Just when I was imagining my future, the doorbell rang.
When I opened the door of the staff dormitory, there stood a man holding a letter.
Naturally, the corners of my lips rose.
It seemed like today was about to become the best day of my life.
I took out some cool juice from the fridge and offered it to the staff member before I carefully cradled the letter in my arms.
‘Finally, the day I’ve been waiting for has come.’
I grabbed the champagne I had saved for this day.
As I prepared for a toast, I unsealed the envelope.
My heart was pounding.
Inside the envelope that I eagerly opened was, of course, the long-awaited dismissal notice.
It should have been a dismissal notice.
It had to be a dismissal notice.
If it wasn’t a dismissal notice, that wouldn’t do.
[Promotion Notice]
Did my eyes see something wrong?
I rubbed my eyes in denial of reality, but no matter how much I rubbed them, the content of the document did not change.
[We recognize your outstanding achievements and dedication and hereby inform you of your promotion to associate professor. We look forward to your continued brilliant performance.]
That cruel bundle of paper had sentenced me to the dreadful punishment of a promotion.
Perhaps because of the tears of frustration welling up, my vision started to blur.
Where in the world could you find such unfair treatment?
Even at an ordinary university, it takes at least five years to be promoted to associate professor after the first appointment.
And this was none other than the renowned Imperial Academy.
The standards required for teachers here were high, and most people couldn’t even shed the title of assistant professor before retiring because they didn’t meet the performance requirements.
But me, who had only been here for a week, becoming an associate professor?
One more step and I’d be at the same rank as Professor Scott?
There was no way that was allowed by regulation.
Yet, defying all logic, a memo was enclosed with the notice.
[It may be a trivial reward compared to the offense, but don’t be too disappointed. I’ll deal with the old geezers on the board and soon prepare a more suitable position for you.]
[Imperial Academy Principal, Sion]
The seal of the ancestral dragon was stamped firmly.
What in the world was this nonsense? I wasn’t sure why she decided to promote me, despite my rudeness, but once she had made up her mind, there was no changing it.
As of this moment, I had become an associate professor.
Now, my already high salary would jump thirty times over to an astronomical figure, and I’d receive ample support for research funds and hiring assistants.
On top of that, I was given the opportunity to oversee A-Class, so I was clearly on the path to success.
-Although, the problem was that while my chances of promotion increased, my survival rate had drastically dropped.
‘I’m really going to lose it.’
I had spent the past week racking my brains, but I couldn’t recall anything about the original story.
Maybe I dropped it after reading the prologue, or maybe I hadn’t even read it in the first place.
Either way, there wasn’t any reliable way to figure out the original plot.
‘I even tried the option of gaining strength to avoid getting swept up in the original plot. But, as expected, that was impossible.’
It was a common cliché for there to be an elixir hidden in the academy’s back mountain.
I had tried to grow using some miraculous encounter, but all I found wasn’t medicine, but an old professor.
[Professor Riyan? To meet you here of all places. Could it be that, like me, you were worried the students might encounter a monster, so you were patrolling the forbidden forest?]
[You are indeed a young man I’ve had my eye on.]
[Your mindset is truly admirable.]
[Since we met like this, let’s go have a meal together.]
And so, I was dragged off and treated to a luxurious meal at a restaurant on my third day of work.
I got to enjoy a meal worth several gold coins, and as a bonus, I learned about a restaurant that served meat dishes that melted in your mouth.
If that could be considered a gain, it was, but in terms of combat strength, I gained nothing.
I could continue to try various things, but I would prefer to avoid risking my life on such uncertain plans.
If I continued with my mediocre skills all the way to the final battle, I’d end up in the ending where I, too, would be reduced to ashes when a demon lord or evil dragon popped up and burned the school down.
‘In the end, I really have no choice but to get myself fired.’
I quickly regained my composure.
The difficulty level had drastically increased, but it wasn’t as if all roads were completely blocked yet.
If my efforts to be disliked by both the principal and the professors had failed, then I only had to target the students this time.
‘No matter how much Sion and Scott cover for me, if all the students unanimously demand my dismissal, there will be no way to stop it.’
This wasn’t an ordinary school—it was the Imperial Academy.
Since it gathered the brightest talents of the empire, the background of each student wasn’t something to be taken lightly, and naturally, the influence they wielded was considerable.
‘If I managed to make myself truly hated by the students, my dismissal would surely proceed smoothly.’
And I had just the perfect idea in mind.
-You’re better suited for a sword than a bow.
‘It’s a common academy cliché to recognize hidden talents in others and recommend a better path, thereby fostering relationships and bonds.’
‘…What if I completely reversed that?’
I could forcibly take away the weapons the students were using well and hand them worthless, trash weapons instead.
‘If I threatened them, saying they couldn’t take my class unless they used those weapons, what would happen?’
‘I could guarantee that the entire class would stage a protest.’
‘Even that saintess, who just enrolled, might curse me out and ask if I’ve lost my mind.’
“…Hehehe.”
I smirked evilly, imagining the future where I was driven out of the academy.
There was no flaw in this perfect plan.
Tomorrow, I shall become the worst teacher in the history of the empire.
***
Inside the luxurious office, the principal of the academy, Sion, was enjoying her usual tea and snacks while handling the documents in front of her.
The task was simple—just reviewing and approving the materials that professors requested for their classes.
However, as she flipped through the documents, Sion’s hand suddenly stopped.
It had to stop.
Amid the ordinary requests, there was one peculiar item requested by one very peculiar professor.
“A gun…? Why in the world would he need such a weapon?”
It wasn’t a mainstream choice.
While it might be used by civilians for self-defense, it wasn’t the kind of weapon fit for the students of the academy.
Yet, for some reason, Professor Riyan had requested enough guns for all the students under his care.
A situation that was completely incomprehensible.
Normally, she would have dismissed it as some sort of mistake.
But since it was a document personally written and planned by Riyan himself, there had to be some hidden intention behind it.
Sion stroked her chin as she carefully examined the document and finally realized his true intentions when she read the line asking for ‘the lowest quality guns possible.’
“…I see! I never even considered using them that way.”
Using guns not as weapons, but as puzzles.
It was far outside of conventional thinking, but it actually made sense.
If it went well, it could even be turned into a new training method.
‘How did he come up with such an ingenious idea?’
She was genuinely curious.
“Well, then. I can’t just sit back and do nothing.”
The professor might see it as meddling, but once her interest was piqued, there was no helping it.
Her curious nature was something she hadn’t been able to fix, even after hundreds of years.
As she used magic to construct the shape of a gun, Sion smiled mischievously.
“Maybe I’ll lend him a little hand.”