Before anyone realized it, the new semester had begun, and it’s been over a week since the first lecture started.
Students were gradually adapting to the semester, studying hard to keep up with the lessons, and sweating as they trained diligently. They were enjoying school life energetically and earnestly.
However, the faces of the Combat Division’s Class G students this semester were grim, even though no classes had taken place yet.
The reason for this was…
“Hey.”
“Ilena, student number 1021!”
“Hey.”
“Gilson, student number 1021!”
“What’s with you two?”
“…Excuse me?”
“Excuse me?! Did I hear that wrong?”
“N-No, ma’am!”
“Hey.”
“Ilena, student number 1021!”
“Gilson, student number 1021!”
“I asked what’s with you two.”
“…Didn’t hear you clearly?”
Ilena and Gilson, standing stiffly at attention with their bodies frozen, answered loudly while beads of sweat trickled down their faces.
They cautiously asked for clarification, but their gaze was locked straight ahead….directed at a young woman standing before them.
Compared to the robust and large students of the Combat Division, the black-haired girl appeared notably petite, almost adorable.
Yet, despite her seemingly cute appearance, her expression radiated a striking ferocity and a peculiar allure that made her feel simultaneously captivating and intimidating.
“I told you to prepare the equipment and have everything ready before class started, didn’t I?”
“Th-that’s… uh…”
“We… forgot that it was our turn this time, so—”
“Forgot? Oh, really? You forgot?”
“….We’re sorry! Please forgive us!”
“We’re really sorry!!”
To an uninformed bystander, the sight of two towering men groveling before this petite woman might have seemed absurd.
But for Ilena and Gilson, facing Rosaria Evergarden directly made their hearts race wildly, and their trembling legs were on the verge of bolting.
“You’re sorry and asking for forgiveness… Oh, that’s nice. If everyone just apologized and got forgiven, why would we even need the military? Right? The world would be such a peaceful place, wouldn’t it?”
“…”
‘What are we supposed to say to that…?’
‘It’d actually be less scary if she just yelled at us… This is way worse…’
“…Well, I suppose forgetting something can happen when you’re busy with school life, right?”
“Y-Yes, that’s correct!”
“We won’t forget ever again!”
Relieved at the seemingly gentle smile Rosaria gave and her words hinting that she was wrapping up the lecture, the two nodded enthusiastically.
“Then you’ll need to sincerely repent for today and prove you won’t let this happen again, right?”
“Absolutely!”
“That’s right!”
“Fifty laps around the training field. Full sprint, of course.”
“….Pardon?”
“Fifty… full sprint… sorry, what?”
“What? Don’t like it?”
“N-No, ma’am! Understood!”
“Understood!”
“I’ll be watching, so if you stop running, it’s ten extra laps.”
With a bright smile, Rosaria issued her outrageous orders, leaving Ilena and Gilson no choice but to turn around and start running, tears practically welling in their eyes.
“This is insane… Fifty laps, full sprint?”
“She’s completely lost it.”
“A monster… She’s a total monster…”
Meanwhile, the other students, watching quietly from the sidelines, couldn’t hide their shock.
Their bodies trembled as they tried to process what they were seeing.
Although they were horrified by Rosaria’s ruthlessness, they were simultaneously relieved that they weren’t the ones caught in her crosshairs.
“What are you standing around gawking at? Start your warm-ups, now!”
“Y-Yes, ma’am!”
The moment Rosaria barked at them, the other students immediately sprang into action, crossing the training field in a rush.
“Hmph, much easier now that I’ve established control.”
Watching the students kick up dust as they sprinted away, Rosaria smirked in satisfaction.
“Well, you’ve really whipped them into shape, haven’t you?”
“Oh, Professor, you’re here?”
Turning her head at the voice behind her, Rosaria spotted Gutton, who had appeared at some point and was also observing the students’ training with a pleased expression.
“I must say, to establish such firm discipline with these rowdy novices in such a short time—remarkable work.”
Since the first class incident, Rosaria had cemented her authority over the Combat Division’s Class G. While students normally weren’t obligated to follow the orders of a peer, Rosaria’s sheer force of will and physical demonstrations quickly silenced any objections.
Those who dared to rebel found themselves experiencing what could only be described as an Icarian nightmare—close encounters with the sun after a single kick.
Unsurprisingly, the students learned to behave very quickly.
For Gutton, this was a blessing.
Tasks like overseeing class preparations and leading warm-ups, which he usually had to handle himself, were now being taken care of by Rosaria.
Watching her whip the physically active Combat Division students into shape so swiftly left him genuinely impressed.
Within just a week, Rosaria had transformed these greenhorn students into disciplined cadets.
“It’s nothing, really. Just something I’ve always done.”
Rosaria shrugged off Gutton’s admiration as if it were no big deal.
“I was literally in the military. This is child’s play.”
In truth, Rosaria had been a soldier right up until she was reincarnated into this world.
Moreover, during her time as a sergeant in her squad, she had served as the strict disciplinarian, a role she excelled at, the military, being a place where life-or-death matters often hinged on a clear chain of command, demanded strict adherence to hierarchy.
Any disruption to this order could lead to chaos, and as such, discipline was of paramount importance.
Though it earned her some resentment, Rosaria was well-practiced in maintaining order….a task that had once been her duty.
Rosaria wasn’t the type to nitpick at someone without a reason, and she generally got along well with her juniors if there wasn’t any particular issue. However…
“You laughed at me during the first class like that; I have to teach you a lesson.”
Rosaria clearly remembered the students who had mocked her in agreement with Retton’s remarks.
Not being someone with a particularly forgiving nature, she remembered every one of them and made sure to pay them back in kind.
In short, her actions bordered on plain pettiness.
“Wow, you and your brother are quite something…”
“My brother?”
“Well, I’m in the combat department, so I wouldn’t know much, but I’ve heard your brother is pretty famous in the magic department lately.”
“…Not in a bad way, right?”
“…Who knows? But most people seem to have positive impressions. Is there something I should know?”
“No, it’s good to hear.”
“At least he’s doing well without causing any trouble, huh?”
At that moment, Rosaria felt a wave of relief upon learning about Felix’s reputation in the magic department through Gutton’s casual mutterings.
As Felix’s younger sister, Rosaria knew all too well how difficult and temperamental her brother could be.
Since they were in different departments, they hadn’t crossed paths much aside from before entering the academy, which left her constantly worried.
It was a classic trait of older brothers to fight fiercely with their siblings but worry endlessly when apart.
“By the way, professor, while I have the chance…”
“Hmm?”
“I just realized I haven’t really learned anything from you since the first class.”
Rosaria suddenly realized that despite attending Gutton’s classes for a week, she hadn’t actually gained anything from them, prompting her to ask.
“Ah… about that.” Gutton scratched his head awkwardly, clearly unsure of how to explain.
“To be honest, there’s nothing I can teach you.”
“…Pardon?”
After a brief moment of hesitation, Gutton finally admitted, “Your skills are already at a level where you could jump straight into the mercenary field and make a name for yourself without much trouble.
While you’d still fall short against seniors on the verge of graduation, there’s nothing in my ‘basic’ weapons course that suits your level.”
“You’ve already mastered the basics of everything from simple swords to daggers, maces, greatswords, and spears.”
“Ah…”
Rosaria had received extensive combat training from Gordon, one of the top mercenaries in the industry.
His philosophy, “To defeat your opponent, you must understand them” had led him to teach her about various weapons comprehensively. Thanks to him, Rosaria had far surpassed the basics covered in this course.
“Unless you decide to specialize in a particular weapon, there’s no point in me adding anything here. It would just feel off. Your weapon, after all, is that, right?”
“That’s true.”
Gutton gestured toward the weapon strapped to Rosaria’s back as he spoke.
Rosaria used a gun crafted by Felix from the branches of the World Tree, and she saw no need to carry any other weapon. The gun was powerful enough to smash heads at near-supersonic speed and even featured guided targeting (Ariel), rendering other weapons unnecessary.
That’s why Gordon had only taught her the basics of countering various weapons—he hadn’t gone so far as to specialize in teaching her his personal techniques in using daggers.
“By the way, what is that weapon of yours? It’s so oddly shaped, and I’ve never seen you use it.”
“Oh, this? It’s a sort of magical tool my broth—uh, no, my brother made. It’s kind of special.”
“Ah, I see… Well, I am curious about it.”
“It’s still a prototype, so I don’t really use it much.”
“Well, magical tools may sound impressive, but they tend to have a lot of hidden flaws when you start using them. Simple and sturdy weapons are the best, after all.”
“Haha…”
Although Gutton showed some interest in Rosaria’s gun, he quickly seemed to lose interest, lightly tapping the twin chain scythes at his waist as he chuckled. Rosaria let out an awkward laugh in response.
“Well, thanks to you, my students seem more motivated than ever. I’m expecting some good scores in the upcoming joint exam.”
“…Joint exam?”
Rosaria had been half-listening to Gutton’s words when something caught her attention, and she asked again.
“Huh? You didn’t know? The joint exam.”
“Oh, oh yeah… The joint exam, right. Yeah, sounds tough.”
“Well, there are some promising ones in the mix, and with someone like you, it should go well. It’s my first time being a professor too, so I’m figuring things out as I go. Hahaha!”
“Haha… ha…”
“How did this guy even become a professor? Then again, didn’t the original story say Felix became one through money? Maybe this guy did the same thing.”
“But what’s this joint exam? What is that supposed to be?”
Rosaria’s laugh trailed off into silent contemplation. The mention of the joint exam piqued her curiosity, and she began to think it over.
“Huff… Huff… Huff…”
“W-water… water…”
“Oh, looks like it’s about time.”
As they spoke, the students, who had been running laps as part of their warm-up, began returning one by one, gasping for air. Gutton stepped forward.
“All right! Warm-up’s over! Time to start class!”
“…What?”
“R-right now?”
The students, utterly exhausted and sprawled on the training ground floor after their intense running, stared at Gutton in disbelief, their eyes wide with shock.
“You kids these days… You’re whining over this much? Back in my day, this wouldn’t even count as a warm-up! We ran with sandbags strapped to our entire bodies! Now, get up!”
Clicking his tongue, Gutton launched into a “back in my day” lecture, prompting the students to scramble to their feet with trembling legs.
“If I didn’t have a spirit, would I have been like that too?”
—”Did you call me, Mommy?”
“Huh? Oh, no, just thinking. Thanks for everything, as always.”
—”Hehe!”
Watching the scene, Rosaria thought about how things might have been if she hadn’t formed a contract with her spirit. Her fingers instinctively reached up to Ariel, who was perched on her shoulder, and lightly poked the soft cheek of the spirit. Ariel giggled cheerfully in response.
“Anyway… A joint exam, huh? I should look into that.”
Rosaria, who had resolved to learn more about the joint examination, followed Gertrude into the training grounds.