The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows: Volume 5 E-Book

Sakaku Hishikawa

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 266

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

After encountering his late mentor’s projection, Zenos realizes he only got where he is now because he had a teacher. He and the demi-human leaders decide to start a school in the slums. Unfortunately, they quickly encounter a roadblock that seems insurmountable: how can they provide the children of the slums with proper education when none of the leaders have received formal education themselves?
Fortunately, a visit from a familiar face brings with it the perfect opportunity: Zenos has been asked to become an interim healing-magic teacher at a prestigious academy. Saying yes could be the solution to their problems—nothing beats hands-on experience, after all—or create even more problems to be solved.
Regardless, Zenos finds himself with no other choice but to accept after learning of a certain influential figure’s involvement in winning him the position. And when his first day of class arrives, it quickly becomes apparent that his assignment isn’t quite what it was made out to be...

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Prologue

Chapter 1: Starting a School

Chapter 2: The Unconventional Teacher

Chapter 3: The Common-Born Girl

Chapter 4: The Black Sheep of the Knightly Family

Chapter 5: The Girl Whom Fire Hated

Chapter 6: Zenos, the Teacher

Chapter 7: The Girl from the Great Noble House

Epilogue I

Epilogue II

Afterword

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Table of Contents

Color Illustrations

Prologue

The Kingdom of Herzeth, a major power on the continent known for its long-standing influence over its neighbors, was supported by a strict class system. At the top was the royal family, descended from the nation’s ancestral founder. Below them were noble families, in turn descended from central figures in the kingdom’s founding. Then there was the citizenry, who made up the majority of the population. At the very bottom were the poor, also known as the forgotten people.

The kingdom’s palace—located in the capital and home to the royal family—was surrounded by a special district that housed the nobility. The estates closest to the palace belonged to seven families known as the great noble houses.

And in one of those estates, on a balcony overlooking a vast green garden, stood a young girl. With bright chestnut curls and strong-willed, slightly upturned eyes, the girl gazed silently at the sky.

A gentleman with a thick, luxurious beard opened the door to the balcony and approached her. “It’s almost time for you to begin your schooling for the day, Charlotte.”

“Papa...” The girl slowly turned around to face her father, Lord Fennel, one of the seven great nobles.

Lord Fennel looked at his beloved daughter Charlotte and continued, his tone filled with concern, “The magical vehicle is waiting for you. Are you ready to go?”

Magical vehicles were powered by manastones and so expensive that ordinary citizens wouldn’t have been able to afford one even if they’d saved up across multiple lifetimes.

Charlotte shook her head. “I’ll go by carriage today.”

“Carriage?” her father echoed. “Those are slow, and harsh on your lower back besides...”

“It’s fine. The magical vehicle would get me there far too quickly, and I wish to have time for contemplation.”

“Very well. I’ll arrange for a carriage, then.” Lord Fennel eyed his daughter with worry. “Is something troubling you, Charlotte?”

“Oh? Why do you ask?”

“Your thoughts have seemed far away of late, and you’ve been distracted.”

“Perhaps so.”

“I feel as though something in you changed after that surgery...”

Charlotte didn’t respond, silently bringing her right hand to her cheek.

In spring, a small bump had developed on her face that she’d thought would go away on its own. However, her father had heard from a former professor of the Royal Institute of Healing, with whom he’d been closely acquainted at the time, that the growth was actually something called a hag tumor. It would eventually have grown larger and resembled the face of an ugly old woman, hence the name. Charlotte had been terribly shaken by this revelation.

The former professor had come by with two assistants to perform surgery to remove the tumor, but Charlotte had reacted poorly to the idea of a blade being taken to her face. She’d been overwhelmed by despair to the point that her vision had darkened, but at the urging of one of the former professor’s assistants, she’d eventually relented.

“Could there have been an issue with the surgery?” Lord Fennel ventured anxiously.

“That’s not it,” Charlotte assured him, rubbing her cheek. “See? Not a trace of the tumor remains.”

Charlotte had been told after the surgery that it had been a very delicate and complex procedure, but the growth had been excised fully; the surgeon had been quite skilled, it seemed. She didn’t remember much from the surgery since she had been medicated, but she did remember a few words said to her in her groggy state: “You were very brave. The surgery’s done.”

The warm, gentle voice still echoed in her ears, and she knew it didn’t belong to the former professor. No, it was the voice of one of his assistants, a man with black hair and dark eyes, wearing a black mask. Xeno, his name had been.

Since the former professor had been a frequent visitor of her father’s, she’d been certain she would eventually meet the assistant once more. However, a major scandal involving the former professor had come to light, leading to the man’s fall from grace. In the end, she’d never seen the assistant again.

“See?” Lord Fennel said, interrupting her reverie. “You’re daydreaming again, Charlotte.”

“What? I’m not, papa,” she replied cheerfully, but her father only seemed even more worried.

“If this isn’t related to the surgery... Are you perhaps worried about something school-related?”

“Of course not.”

“Truly?”

“Truly,” she said emphatically.

Her father only seemed even more worried. “I heard from the headmaster recently that another teacher quit.”

“Ah, yes. But I had nothing to do with it. It was probably that lot...”

“What lot?”

Charlotte was silent for a moment, then shrugged. “You need not concern yourself with it, papa. I’m managing just fine.”

Lord Fennel sighed briefly and gave a slow shake of his head. “That class is below you, Charlotte. I’ll speak to the headmaster and have you transferred to a different one.”

“It’s quite all right. This is what I wanted.”

“I’m aware, but—”

“I’ll be going now.”

“Charlotte—”

Ignoring her father’s calls, Charlotte exited the balcony—but after she’d taken only a few steps, an idea came to her suddenly like a divine revelation, and she stopped. Slowly, she turned toward her concerned father.

“Say, papa?” she called out sweetly.

“Yes, dear?”

“Remember how I mentioned wanting an emberfox scarf for my last birthday, but you didn’t give me one?”

“Y-Yes. I’m very sorry. The party I commissioned did a poor job. I’ll be sure to get it for you next season.”

“Oh, no, don’t worry. I have a different request to make instead.”

“You do? By all means.” Lord Fennel nodded repeatedly. “Anything for you.”

“I was thinking... Since one of the teachers quit, they need a replacement, don’t they?”

“They do, yes. The headmaster mentioned the school is urgently looking for one.”

“And, you know, recently I’ve developed an interest in a certain field...”

“You have? That’s news to me. What field would this be?”

Trying to contain herself so her overprotective father wouldn’t suspect anything, Charlotte cleared her throat.

“Healing magic,” she explained. “I’d like this new teacher to be someone skilled in healing magic.”

Chapter 1: Starting a School

Under skies of endless blue and towering clouds, the loud, persistent cries of cicadas echoed in one’s eardrums. Paying no mind to the strict social ladder, the midsummer did not discriminate; the sun shone brightly on all layers of society.

This included a certain unlicensed-yet-brilliant healer, who due to his status as a poor man, had quietly opened a clinic in an abandoned, ruined part of the city. Bathed in the slanting sunrays filtering in from the window, a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead, Zenos sat face-to-face with a demi-human boy.

Humming softly, he examined the child’s right knee closely.

“Um, doctor?” the boy called out, sitting quietly before the healer. “How is it?”

“The bone is fractured,” Zenos explained.

“Whaaat?!” The boy looked as though he was about to cry. “Can you heal it?”

“I can, yes, but...” Zenos trailed off, placing his right hand on the boy’s knee. “Heal.” White light flowed from the palm of his hand, gently enveloping and mending the fracture.

“Oh! The pain’s gone! That’s so cool! Thanks, doctor!” The boy jumped off the chair with great enthusiasm, hopping joyfully in place. He held out a few unusual nuts as a token of gratitude.

“Oh, abia nuts, eh?” Zenos didn’t normally charge children, but he wouldn’t refuse a gift. “They’re quite a delicacy. Thank you.”

The boy giggled. “I’ll get going now!”

“Oh, wait a moment, please,” Zenos called out before the boy could leave.

“Yeah?”

“Weren’t you hurt in that exact same spot recently?”

“Oh! Yeah.” The boy nodded, looking a bit uncomfortable. “But, like, I dunno. I’m not used to the work yet, so...”

Zenos had heard that the boy logged and transported wood. His workplace was in the dangerous forested area beyond the slums, where magical beasts were known to occasionally appear.

“Take it easy, all right? Your bones, muscles, and joints are still weak. You can’t do the same things adults can.”

“I know, but I gotta make coin for my sister too...”

“I guess...” Zenos scratched his head. “Well, I’ll heal you if you get hurt. But remember, I can’t cure death.”

“Okay. I got it,” the boy said, waving and sauntering off energetically.

Does he really? With a sigh, Zenos stared at the closed door. A glass of iced tea was held out to him from the side.

“Busy day?” asked Lily, the young elven girl who doubled as the clinic’s nurse and receptionist.

Zenos thanked her and drank the chilled tea, the refreshing sensation washing over his body. “Your tea always hits the spot, Lily.”

“I think using different leaves was a good idea,” Lynga pointed out.

“Indeed, this is much better suited for the hot season,” Loewe agreed.

Zophia chuckled. “Check out these prestigious tea sommeliers over here.”

As usual, the three leaders of the major demi-human factions of the slums were lounging on the clinic’s sofa. Sitting at the far end was the wraith Carmilla, holding a glass in one hand.

“What might the matter be, Zenos? You seem to be in rather low spirits,” she mused. “And on such a beautiful day too. You ought to cheer up.”

“Should a wraith be glad about a sunny day?” Zenos asked. The sun and undead didn’t mix, after all.

Carmilla smiled fearlessly. “Hee hee hee... I have been around living creatures long enough of late that I feel like I could withstand even direct sunlight,” she declared boldly, floating over to the entrance. She vigorously pushed the front door open and stood proudly in the sunlight. “Ha ha ha! Behold! I have finally conquered the sun!”

Despite her valiant proclamation, however, smoke began to billow up from her feet.

“Oh...? Oh. I appear to be melting.”

“W-Waaah! Carmilla!” Lily hurriedly ran over and slammed the door shut, panting heavily. “Y-You can’t do that, Carmilla! You’ll get purified!”

Carmilla grunted in annoyance. “Accursed sun.” Having quickly changed her mind, the wraith returned to the dining table. “Either way! Why so glum, Zenos?”

“Oh, you’re going to act like that didn’t just happen. Okay. Also, seriously, don’t pull a stunt like that again. It’s actually dangerous!” he chastised, pointing a finger at the wraith before asking Lily for another glass of tea. “And I’m not glum or anything. I was just thinking about how many kids are in that boy’s situation.”

“The demi-human boy just now, you mean,” Carmilla said, arms crossed. It wasn’t uncommon for children in the slums to have to perform harsh physical labor.

Zophia spoke up next. “Yeah. Our guys manage, but most of the people in the slums are just barely scraping by every day.”

Though the three major groups led by Zophia, Lynga, and Loewe managed to keep themselves afloat through their respective trades, it was indeed true that many of the residents of the slums lived hand to mouth. When the three had time, they’d team up with Lily to provide meals to people, but even that was a drop in the ocean to the thousands of starving residents.

“The poor can’t get proper jobs, so they don’t have any benefits or salaries,” Lynga pointed out. “They inevitably turn to dangerous work.”

“Such has always been the way of this country,” Loewe added. “It’s nothing new.”

“True, but still.” Zenos sighed, resting his cheek on his hand. Up until now, he’d been trying not to stand out, doing what he could while asking for appropriate compensation for his services. And he still had that mindset, of course.

It was just that he’d been thinking of his old mentor more these days, after his underground face-off against his fellow former student Velitra. That, and seeing the illusion of the old man.

“‘A third-rate healer just mends wounds. A second-rate healer heals people. A first-rate healer makes the world a better place,’” Zenos muttered absentmindedly, recalling one of his mentor’s sayings. “Hmm...” He stared vacantly at the tea in his glass. “Actually, there’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now.”

Zenos cleared his throat softly, looking around at everyone in the room.

“What do you guys think about starting a school in the slums?”

***

After a long collective silence, Lily was the first to speak up. “A school, like...the kind with teachers and students?”

“Yes, that kind of school,” Zenos confirmed, nodding slowly. “I don’t really know how to explain it, but I feel like even now what I learned from my mentor is valuable.”

It wouldn’t have been an exaggeration to say that meeting his mentor had changed his life. If he hadn’t been fortunate enough to, and had instead just led an ordinary life in the slums, he wouldn’t have had half of the opportunities he’d come across in life. Of course, just teaching children something wouldn’t immediately change their lives—the poor would remain poor, and their place at the bottom of Herzeth’s society wouldn’t change.

Still, it would sow seeds that just might sprout somewhere someday.

“Fortunately, there are plenty of unused buildings in the ruined city, so we could repurpose one into a school,” Zenos suggested upon noticing everyone’s dumbfounded stares. “Well, after a lot of renovations, that is. Bad idea?”

Lily shook her head vigorously. “No, I think it’s a wonderful idea!”

“Sounds really fun,” Lynga said.

“I’m quite excited,” Loewe added.

As the atmosphere began to grow lively, a calm voice cut in. “How smoothly would that go, I wonder?” All gazes turned to Carmilla as she brought her tea glass to her lips and took a sip. “Which is not to say I am opposed to the idea. I believe starting a school to be a wonderful notion, in fact. And I have the feeling the venture would be greatly entertaining.”

“Your predictions usually come true in the worst possible ways,” Zenos pointed out.

“Well, let us leave that aside for now. Who, exactly, will be teaching? What will they be teaching? How? Mentorship requires a certain amount of expertise.”

“I don’t know that I want to set that aside, but fine. And you have a good point...”

Now that Zenos thought about it, his mentor had been skilled at teaching. To the more logical Velitra, he’d taught theory thoroughly, whereas to the intuitive Zenos he’d taught primarily through practice. He’d adapted his methods to suit the student, and weaved a variety of other knowledge into casual conversation so they could learn naturally.

His mentor had held a leading position at the Royal Institute of Healing, though. Of course he’d been able to do all that.

“And besides, Zenos, you are hardly suited to be an educator,” Carmilla noted.

“True, I suppose.”

“What? No!” Lily interjected. “Zenos is really nice!”

Zenos crossed his arms with a groan. “Yeah, but I mostly go by feel when it comes to magic. I don’t know that I have the confidence to teach other people.”

True, he could teach the basics of healing magic, which he’d learned from his mentor, if nothing else. But his protective and enhancement magic, which he’d picked up after joining his former party, had been mostly self-taught. He would have difficulty articulating the principles to others.

“The fact you managed to teach yourself different types of magic to the point of mastery is abnormal in its own right,” Carmilla pointed out.

“Healing, protection, and enhancement magic all work by enhancing bodily functions. I just tried using the same principles as healing magic and managed, somehow.”

“‘Managed somehow,’ he says,” the wraith muttered quietly. “You would anger any aspiring mage with a statement like that.”

Zenos let out a small sigh. “If only Velitra were here...” She would’ve been thorough in her teachings, including theory—he was sure of it. But she had likely already left the capital by now.

The mood began to sour, and Carmilla shrugged slightly before continuing, “Well, you cannot expect perfection from the start. Try a mock lesson with Lily as your student, perhaps?”

“Me?” Lily asked, pointing to herself in surprise.

The demi-human leaders also stood up enthusiastically. “That’s right. You won’t know until you try,” Zophia said. “How about we all take a week to prepare?”

“I’m in!” Lynga exclaimed.

“I’m eager to participate as well,” Loewe chimed in.

“You guys are gonna teach too?” Zenos asked.

The three women nodded vigorously. “Of course,” Zophia replied. “We can’t have you pulling all the weight, doc. Let us help. I think we have a lot we could teach too.”

“I might not look it, but I’m a pretty good teacher,” Lynga declared.

Loewe laughed heartily. “Time to show everyone that I’m more than my sculpted muscles!”

After the three enthusiastic demi-human leaders left, Carmilla’s lips curved into a grin. “Heh heh heh. This is already shaping up to be great fun.”

“When are you ever not having fun?” Zenos muttered.

***

The week went by in a flash, and soon the day of the mock lesson had arrived. The noisy chorus of cicadas was the same as every other day outside, but within the clinic, the atmosphere was a little tense.

“I’m a bit nervous,” Lily murmured, sitting quietly in front of the blackboard which they had obtained from the black market.

“It is time,” Carmilla murmured. Almost simultaneously, the door to the clinic burst open.

“Hey doc, we’re here!” Zophia, wearing glasses, announced energetically. “I mean, uh, we’ve arrived? Pretend I sounded teacherly when I said that.”

“You may call me Ms. Lynga from now on!” Lynga declared, following after the lizardwoman and dramatically adjusting her own glasses.

Laughing heartily, Loewe walked in, the lenses of her spectacles gleaming brightly. “It is I, the world-famous instructor!”

“Why is everyone wearing glasses?” Zenos couldn’t help but ask.

The three demi-humans exchanged awkward glances. “Well, glasses just have a way of making you look smart,” Zophia explained.

“I thought it was a great idea,” Lynga added.

“Indeed, and...we all had the same idea, apparently,” Loewe pointed out.

Carmilla chuckled, dramatically shrugging her shoulders. “Peas in a pod,” she murmured. “I fear for the future generations.”

“Don’t knock my teaching until you’ve seen it!” Zophia protested. It sounded like she was going first. She stood confidently in front of the blackboard, looking quite the part, as befitted someone who commanded many others. She brought a finger to the edge of her glasses and pushed them up. “All right, class, we’re getting started. Everyone ready?”

“Yes, Ms. Zophia!” Lily, the student, replied with a raised right hand.

“I guess I’ll sit in, then,” Zenos said, standing a little ways away from Lily and crossing his arms.

Carmilla floated over next to him, seeming unusually amused. “Hee hee hee... Now to see how this will turn out.”

Thus was the first step taken in the plan to build a school in the slums.

***

Slightly tense, Zophia cleared her throat. “Now then, my class is about...”

Lily swallowed nervously.

“...the secrets of thievery!” the teacher concluded in a firm tone.

“Hey,” Zenos chided. Things were taking a turn for the shady.

Zophia pointed at Lily, gazing sharply at the young girl. “You there! The elf in the front row! What does one need to become a thief?”

“I... I don’t know,” Lily stammered.

“Oh dear. Well, it is your first day, so I’ll cut you some slack and make it a multiple-choice question. Choice A, agility! Choice B, quick thinking! Choice C, guts! Which of the three is it?”

“U-Umm, A?”

“Wrong!”

“Th-Then, B?”

“Wrong!”

“Choice C!”

“Wrong again!”

“Wh-Whaaat?!”

Zophia proudly declared to her shocked student, “It’s none of the three! The correct answer is preparation!”

“P-Preparation?”

“Yes. What is the layout of the target’s mansion? Where do they hide their valuables? How is their personnel arranged, and what are their schedules? What equipment do the guards have? Who calls the shots? How do you secure escape routes? What are your contingency plans if you fail? Thorough investigation and planning are key! Agility, quick thinking, and guts are secondary!”

Zophia solemnly adjusted her glasses once more.

“So repeat after me: thievery is ninety percent preparation.”

“Thievery...is ninety percent preparation,” Lily said timidly.

“Again! Thievery is ninety percent preparation!”

“Thievery is ninety percent preparation!”

“Listen, you guys—” Zenos attempted to interject, stretching out an arm. But before he could finish his sentence, Lily spoke up, looking a bit annoyed.

“B-But miss, that wasn’t one of the options!”

Zophia suddenly reached for Lily’s head, gripping it firmly. “Good job noticing that!”

“H-Huh? Really?”

“Do you have any idea why the answer wasn’t among the provided options?”

“I-I don’t!”

“Normally, it would be. That’s just common sense. However, it’s important to think outside the box!”

“What does that mean?”

“It means to question the obvious! Your opponent might think, ‘Obviously they wouldn’t break in from here. Obviously they wouldn’t choose this method.’ And by turning the obvious on its head, you can exploit the opponent’s blind spots. That was what I wanted to teach you.”

“O-Oh!” Lily exclaimed as she began to take notes.

Watching her student’s pen glide across the paper, Zophia spoke with satisfaction. “That is the true core of thievery: think outside the box.”

“Think outside the box!”

“Say it again! Think outside the box!”

“Think outside the box!”

“Again!!! Think outside the box!!!”

“Think outside the box!!!!!!!!!!”

“Wait! Hold up a second! Zophia, Lily!” Zenos yelled, unable to help himself.

Carmilla chuckled. “I knew this would be fun.”

“What is it, doc?” Zophia asked, glaring at the healer. “I’m in the middle of a class here.”

“Yeah! Think outside the box, Zenos!” Lily declared, also glaring at him for some reason.

“Look, I get you’re getting excited, and some of these things are good knowledge, yeah, but the subject matter is what worries me here!”

Zophia stared at Zenos, wide-eyed and bewildered. She was a practitioner of righteous thievery; to her, its principles were a natural subject. However, it was questionable whether this was something appropriate to teach to children. It felt more like a thief training operation than an actual school, and it felt like Lily was on the verge of stepping into the world of thievery.

“You’re right,” she muttered, slumping her shoulders dejectedly. “The whole point of starting a school is so that children don’t have to turn to thievery to survive. What am I doing? I’m sorry, Lily, doc.”

“N-No, it’s okay,” Lily said. “I went and got carried away...”

“I appreciate the effort, Zophia. None of us have the right answers yet. Let’s keep trying different things to see what sticks,” Zenos offered, and the lizardwoman’s spirits seemed to lift a bit. Regardless of the subject matter, her passion for the lesson and the ability to enrapture her student showed her qualities as a leader of many.

Next, the boss of the werewolves leaped in front of the blackboard. “Ha ha! My turn! Step aside, Zophia. I’ll show you what a real lesson is!”

Watching the confident Lynga, Zenos muttered quietly, “That doesn’t sound good, does it?”

Carmilla chuckled, crossing her arms excitedly as the second lesson began. “It truly does not.”

***

Standing at the podium, Lynga adjusted her glasses and spoke haughtily. “Now, my student, are you ready to show me proper respect?”

Lily promptly raised her right hand. “Yes, miss! I respect you greatly, miss!”

“Lily’s getting a little too into the whole student role,” Zenos murmured anxiously.

Unlike him, Lynga was satisfied with Lily’s response and banged on the blackboard, declaring, “Today’s lesson is on how to cheat at gambling!”

“Yep. Saw that coming.” Zenos slumped his shoulders.

Carmilla bit back a laugh.

Lynga, the boss of the werewolves who just so happened to run a gambling den, raised an index finger and pointed at Lily. “Now! Tell me, what is the key to cheating?”

“U-Um, not getting caught?” Lily ventured.

“Hmm. Not bad. Not bad at all, my student.” The bespectacled werewolf still seemed dissatisfied, however, and took a step forward. “A solid guess, but the true answer is this: confidence and boldness!”

“Confidence and boldness!” Lily repeated.

Lynga nodded vigorously. “That’s right. Small-time cheaters sneak around, fearing being caught. But that behavior only makes them seem more suspicious! A big-time cheater like me can do it without batting an eye! The trick is to act like you’re not doing anything wrong!”

“I-I see!”

“All right, break time. Break, now,” Zenos interjected, raising a hand. “Look, sorry to interrupt, but again, the subject matter is a problem!”

Just like Zophia, Lynga was remarkably good at enrapturing her student. But as a result, the innocent Lily had learned not only the secrets of thievery, but also how to cheat at gambling! And her eyes seemed to be gleaming too!

Lynga’s ears drooped and went flat. “I’m sorry. When you stopped Zophia, I realized my chosen topic wasn’t good either.”

“Really? Then why did you go through with it anyway?” Zenos asked.

“Because I think you should be confident and bold, even when you’re wrong. That’s what I wanted to teach.”

That was surprisingly admirable, actually. Or was it? Zenos couldn’t tell anymore.

“Hee hee hee! They never disappoint,” Carmilla remarked, thoroughly enjoying herself.

Lynga stepped back dejectedly and Loewe took a firm stance before the blackboard. “It seems neither of you were ready to take on the role of teacher, Zophia and Lynga. But fear not, Zenos! My lesson will be truly useful!”

“Uh... Can I even expect anything at this point?” Zenos asked.

The wraith snickered. “Oh, I know I can certainly expect something.”

Ninety percent anxious and ten percent expectant, Zenos watched the third lesson next to Carmilla.

***

“My lesson,” Loewe began confidently, “is on how to defeat a man-eating bear with just your hands! Useful, no?”

“Loewe, about that—”

Before Zenos could stop her, Loewe thrust her right fist forward, sending forth a gust of wind that lifted Lily’s bangs. “And that’s how! Now try it, Lily!”

“Um, like...this?” Lily attempted to mimic Loewe, throwing a punch with her scrawny arm.

“No! Too weak! The important thing is to punch with enough force to stop the heart!”

“Stop the heart?” Lily echoed. “Um, miss, how...do I do that?”

“Put your back into it.”

“Put my back into it...?”

“You can do anything you put your back into! Now for the second half of the lesson, we’ll go to the mountains!”

“Stop right there!” Zenos shouted, looking up at the ceiling. “Are you trying to kill your student?! And why a bear? Don’t you mine manastones? At least talk about that!”

Carmilla was clutching her stomach at this point. “Hee hee hee! This is the best lesson ever.”

The teachers glowered at her, disgruntled. “You’ve been laughing and laughing, but you’re no better, Carmilla,” Zophia said accusingly.

“Yeah! I’d love to see you do better than me,” Lynga grumbled.

“My bear-fighting lesson is the best,” Loewe declared.

“Oh?” Carmilla suddenly stopped laughing, lifted the bottom of her kimono, and smirked. “Very well. I suppose I shall demonstrate what I can do.”

“Really? You too?” Zenos asked.

“Naturally. I had a pair of glasses ready just in case!”

“Why is everyone wearing glasses?!”

The apex undead, now bespectacled, floated gracefully to the blackboard. Zenos watched, now one hundred percent anxious.

***

“Hee hee hee... Now, let the lesson from the wisest being on the continent begin,” Carmilla declared boldly from the podium.

“Are you really the wisest being on the continent?” Zenos asked.

“No.”

“No?!”

After the familiar exchange, Lily once again eagerly raised her right hand. “Please go ahead, Ms. Carmilla!”

The wraith chuckled. “Good answer. You are indeed fortunate to be on the receiving end of such a valuable lesson. Bask in gratitude for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and let the joy flood your brain as your teeth chatter in sheer excitement. Now then—”

“Just start already,” Zenos groused.

Carmilla furrowed her brows as her lengthy preamble was interrupted. “Have patience, Zenos. Now, listen carefully. My lesson is about...” She paused dramatically before continuing, “...the ecology of demons!”

The room fell silent.

“Ah ha ha ha! This is a marvelous lesson, I would have you know! Demons are believed to have perished alongside the Demon Lord in the demon-human war three hundred years ago. They are but fairy tales in the present day! Only legends and anecdotes remain from that mythical era! This is a secret lesson only I, who have been alive for three hundred years, can teach!”

“Okay, but...is that useful?” Zophia asked coolly.

“What?” Carmilla’s eyes widened. “What are you saying? This is priceless knowledge.”

“Sure, but demons are already extinct, right?”

“Huh?”

“I don’t think there’s any point in learning about an enemy that no longer exists,” Lynga pointed out.

“What did you say?”

“Indeed. You’re more likely to run into a bear than a demon.”

With each remark, Carmilla’s face grew more blank. After a moment of silence, she mumbled a weak excuse and changed the topic. “I lied. The true lesson is how to craft a love potion, an item highly popular three hundred years ago!”

“I want to learn, miss!” Lily exclaimed eagerly, raising her right hand with gusto.

The three demi-humans were also standing in a row, their right hands stretched toward the ceiling in a beautifully synchronized formation.

Carmilla, now a bit more cheerful, resumed her chuckling. “Shallow creatures. Very well. This potion was so effective that it allegedly increased the birth rate tenfold in towns where it circulated.” She pointed a finger at the eager women. “The most important ingredient is the petal of the modiscura blossom! This rare flower blooms only under a new moon and affects the brain of the opposite sex, disrupting their judgment and inducing infatuation! Once imbibed, it drowns one in a sea of love!”

“Where can we find it, miss?!” Lily asked.

“When’s the next new moon?!” Zophia asked as well.

“I’m sending all my men out for that flower!” Lynga declared. “It’s all mine!”

“No, I will be the one to obtain it!” Loewe asserted.

As the women glared at one another, Carmilla said smugly, “You naive creatures! Because of an excess of dirty-minded fools like you, the flower was quickly overharvested and went extinct shortly after its discovery!”

An icy silence fell upon the room. Under the women’s frigid stares, Carmilla said, “Huh?” then quietly placed her glasses on the podium before fading away in a hasty retreat.

“Carmilla! Get back here!” Zophia demanded.

“She’s really good at raising then crushing your expectations, I have to admit,” Lynga mused.

“What in the world was that?” Loewe muttered.

“I had fun,” Lily said. “But I really wanted the love potion...”

It dawned on Zenos just how difficult it was to teach others. Also, how did Carmilla know about the ecology of demons? Had that been common knowledge three hundred years ago, or had she been in some sort of unique position at the time? Even after living together for months, he still knew so little about the wraith.

“Hey, doc?” Zophia called out, now calmer and seated. “We really need someone with proper teaching experience, don’t we?”

“I guess so, yeah,” Zenos agreed, crossing his arms and nodding.

“Me and my men never got a formal education,” Lynga explained. “Since we never got properly taught, I can’t see any of us being any good at teaching others.”

“Indeed,” Loewe said. “There’s only so much we can do with improvised lessons.”