I Became a Crazy Swordsmanship Instructor in the Game

Chapter 8:

Chapter 8:

It was 10 p.m., and a dark night enveloped the surroundings.

Phillip walked leisurely along the corridor of the girls’ dormitory.

“….”

The moonlight cast a bright glow, rendering any luminous artifacts unnecessary. Moreover, Phillip possessed exceptionally acute senses.

With a slight awakening of his senses, he could even hear the faint sounds of students tossing and turning within their rooms.

The first and second floors of the girls’ dormitory were designated for the upperclassmen, specifically the 4th and 5th graders.

Supervisor Diana had mentioned that some leniency could be granted to the upperclassmen, considering they were mostly seventeen or eighteen years old. Consequently, Phillip had no intention of entering their rooms unless absolutely necessary.

Reaching the end of the right corridor on the first floor, at precisely room 112, Phillip paused and stood before the staircase leading to the second floor.

It was at that moment that a barely audible voice reached his ears, originating from room 110.

“… Does anyone know who’s on duty today?”

“It must be Supervisor Perak. Why do you ask?”

“I’m having trouble sleeping, so I thought I’d have a glass of wine.”

“Can we have some too?”

“Nothing comes for free; give us some snacks in return.”

Phillip pondered for a moment. The fifth-year students on the first floor were eighteen years old. In this world, reaching eighteen meant being treated somewhat like an adult, allowing for moderate alcohol consumption.

Considering it was their final year before graduation, a certain level of flexibility was necessary in dealing with such situations.

Phillip minimized any signs of his presence. Using his magic, he silenced his footsteps and controlled his breathing to the point where it was almost imperceptible, eliminating any concern of being detected as he approached.

Quietly counting to three, he swiftly swung open the door, and he was greeted by wide-eyed girls, their eyes widening further as they heard the creaking sound. Gathered around a table in the middle of the room, dressed in their pajamas, they sat there in surprise.

“Oh, hello, Supervisor.”

One of the students, who was about to uncork something, seemed taken aback and let out an involuntary squeak.

“Hush!”

“… I was about to tell you all to submit your punishment points, but since I caught you before that, I’ll let it slide this time.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“If you really want to have a drink, pass one glass around. If you’re having trouble sleeping, at least do it that way.”

With those words, Phillip closed the door once again. Then, deliberately creating the sound of footsteps moving away, he leaned in to listen to the voices coming from inside.

“I thought my heart was going to stop. Lily.”

“Isn’t that Supervisor Phillip Oswald?”

“I saw him once at a party when I was younger. I accidentally bumped into him while running around. I thought I was going to die of fright. But now he seems like a completely different person.”

Phillip let out a deep sigh.

‘Oh, Phillip, it’s a tough job?’

He ascended to the second floor, feeling a mixture of emotions and thoughts swirling within him.

The fourth graders remained still, as if they were all lying in their designated spots. As Phillip ascended to the third floor, reserved for the third graders, he noticed someone, still groggy, walking along the corridor.

“Hello. Haam.”

Curly hair and round glasses. It was a girl that resided in Phillip’s memory.

“Ah, Cheryl, isn’t it? Where are you heading? It’s past bedtime.”

“Haam… I need to use the restroom… Oh.”

In a momentary lapse, Cheryl blurted out something and suddenly snapped back to reality. There stood the handsome supervisor who had witnessed her embarrassing moment.

She smiled sheepishly to herself, thinking, ‘How can I die without feeling any pain?’

Having returned late from an extended shift at the library, this unexpected encounter caught her off guard. 

Phillip chuckled awkwardly.

“You must be quite tired. Hurry back and get some rest.”

“… Yes.”

Considering her well-being, Phillip proceeded directly to the fourth floor. Though he heard a slight rustling sound from behind, he chose to ignore it.

Apart from some lively chatter emanating from a few rooms, the second graders seemed relatively calm. Since flipping their blankets and whispering with friends was a privilege allowed in the dormitory, Phillip refrained from intervening unless the noise became excessive.

Then, from the floor above, Phillip discerned the sound of someone sobbing quietly.

His pace quickened. He knew the room assigned to Lua.

“… Sigh.”

Room 507. 

It was indeed the right room. 

As Phillip approached, a voice filled with irritation reached his ears from beyond the door.

“Stop crying. I understand that you’re going through a difficult and sad time, but please, enough with the tears. It’s not fair for us to suffer because of you. Did you grow up in the mountains or something? Is that why you don’t understand the concept of being a burden?”

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry… but…”

“If you’re sorry, then be quiet. Is apologizing all you can do?”

“Excuse me, but you’re the one making more noise right now. I can tolerate the sound of a child crying to some extent, but your voice is quite irritating, you know? Are you trying to act like a noble?”

“What did you just say?”

Sensing the tension rising, Phillip swiftly opened the door, stepping in before a fight could break out.

As the supervisor entered the room, the children exchanged anxious glances, aware of his presence.

“What do you think you’re doing, all of you?”

With a stern expression, Phillip directed his gaze at them, and a girl in her nightgown stepped forward, seemingly aggrieved. She, too, was one of the students attending swordsmanship classes.

Her name was Olivia Nuez, a young lady from the Marquis family.

With her hair tied in twin braids, she had left an impression in Phillip’s memory.

“… Supervisor, this child has been crying for several nights now. Initially, I thought it would improve, so I quietly endured it. But after three days of continuous crying, it’s becoming quite overwhelming. That’s why I…”

“I understand. It’s not your fault, and I don’t hold it against you. I merely wanted to point out that your approach to the problem might be perceived as a bit aggressive by your friends.”

Olivia’s eyes widened as she listened to Phillip’s words. She had anticipated a scolding.

“And Anise Praline, you’re in a similar situation. Both of you share similar temperaments, and I believe your relationship could start off on a better note. Perhaps, after I leave, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for someone with more courage to take the initiative in seeking reconciliation.”

Princess Anise, the illegitimate daughter of the Praline Trading Company, hesitated as her lips trembled before she lowered her head.

“Yes… Supervisor.”

“That’s right. If I happen to see the two of you dining together during breakfast tomorrow, I might be inclined to reward you.”

With the girls’ quarrel temporarily settled, Phillip shifted his gaze towards Lua.

“… I’ve been contemplating how I can assist you. And I’ve come to a decision.”

Lua’s face was pale, lacking vitality, and her dry, chapped lips showed signs of neglect. Phillip closed his eyes tightly and spoke.

In his mind, the image of Lua from the game resurfaced.

A vibrant, determined, and sociable girl.

To restore her to that state, it would take at least another month.

‘I can’t do it.’

Since entering the world of “Academy Heroes,” he had reassessed his plans for the future countless times, only to find that reality and plans seldom aligned.

No matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t bring himself to subject the young girl to further suffering and hardship.

It would be tantamount to abuse.

‘Now, there’s nothing else I can do.’

With his resolve solidified, Phillip approached the bed slowly and enveloped Lua in a gentle embrace. Strands of her hair, neglected for days, were tangled and split, reaching his forearm.

“Oops.”

While Lua seemed visibly flustered, she made no attempt to push Phillip away or refuse his embrace.

It wasn’t just because Phillip didn’t seem to have any ill intentions, but also because Lua simply didn’t have the strength to resist. After days of insufficient sleep and inadequate nourishment, her body didn’t readily respond to commands.

‘… It’s warm.’

And she longed for the comforting sensation of someone’s body heat.

“For now, let’s get you out of here. It’s bedtime for all of you, so go back to your beds.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Yes, understood.”

Once Phillip confirmed that the children had settled into their beds, he left the room.

* * *

Phillip carried Lua and gently placed her in his own room. Similar to before, he asked the maid on duty to look after Lua, and then he needed to return to his duties to complete his shift.

And morning arrived.

‘Wow, I guess when you cry yourself to sleep, that’s what happens. Master.’

Returning to his room, Phillip felt a tightness in his chest as he looked at Lua.

He couldn’t have imagined that Lua’s sense of loss, which had been casually overlooked in the game, could be so profound.

Traces of dried tears marked the corners of Lua’s eyes, and there were dried milk stains around her mouth. It seemed that the maid had fed her warm milk before putting her to sleep.

‘What are you going to do with her?’

“What can I do? I’ve already made up my mind.”

‘…?’

“I’ll take personal responsibility for her care from the very beginning.”

‘I was foolish from the start. My inhabitation of Phillip itself is a significant variable, so there’s no way the story will follow the original course.’

Phillip pondered, and gently stroked his chin while being lost in thought.

If Phillip had truly wanted to follow the original story, he would have had to fight Lua in the middle of the second semester. Then, he would have been expelled from the academy and forced to wander aimlessly, unsure of where he would end up. However, Phillip had no knowledge of what exactly would transpire during that time.

From the very beginning, things had taken a twisted turn.

“Well, now that it’s come to this, there’s no other choice. I’ll have to keep her close and personally foster her growth.”

Lua was the sole successor of the legendary “Sword Saint Solvain” in this world.

Since she possessed unimaginable potential, there was no need to strictly adhere to the variables and twists of the original story.

Phillip believed that he could make her strong by guiding her along the way.

However, even in the process of guiding her, some careful cultivation was necessary. Phillip had planned to initiate that first step from now on.

“For starters, let’s try financial therapy.”

‘What’s financial therapy?’

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Phillip once again left the room.

His destination was the bustling shopping district outside the academy.

Due to the presence of noble students who leased mansions outside the academy, families of faculty members, or academy affiliates, the commercial area had flourished. It was also a map in the game where hidden easter eggs or hidden paths could be discovered, as players were free to come and go.

“Master, it seems like these people don’t want to do business. All the doors are closed!”

It was 8 o’clock in the morning, and the streets were still quiet.

Alchemy workshops, weapon shops, boutiques, and ateliers were yet to open, and even the restaurants were just preparing to unlock their doors.

Of course, Phillip’s destination was not a shop.

He traversed the shopping district and headed towards the outskirts where a canal connected to Aldaea Lake. It was about a dozen kilometers away.

‘Why have you come here?’

“I have something to pick up nearby… Ah, here it is.”

In preparation for potential floods, there was a dam near the area, and beneath a piece of land that unusually grew low, lay Phillip’s target.

Phillip stepped onto the desired land and paced around a few times. His heightened senses whispered to him that there was a hidden space several meters below the surface.

“This is definitely it. Then… ‘An uncertain investment for the future.'”

As Phillip uttered the passphrase, the ground beneath his feet trembled as if it were an earthquake.

“Squeak! What’s happening?”

Phillip took a few steps back, and suddenly, the ground split open, revealing a square passage and a descending staircase.

‘Master, you’re not planning to go down there, are you? Please, I beg you, don’t.’

“But I am going down.”

‘Eek… It’s terrifying in the darkness.’

“… Don’t worry, it will become brighter once we descend.”

True to Phillip’s words, as they descended the dimly lit staircase for about two levels, the surroundings grew brighter. They had reached an underground chamber, its walls made of meticulously carved stones.

“I’ll have to take these too.”

Phillip glanced at the numerous luminous stones embedded in the ceiling, relishing the sight. As he recalled, each of these radiant stones was an exorbitantly priced item, worth ten gold coins apiece.

In the center of the chamber stood a solitary old desk. On top of the desk rested a box, roughly the size of two human heads combined.

“The Golden Seal of Joseph.” 

The item he sought was believed to be inside that box.

It was an essential item for acquiring the most secretive and influential membership, the Special Membership of the Assembly, in this world. Its significance was immeasurable, and its ultimate impact remained unknown.

——-

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I Became a Crazy Swordsmanship Instructor in the Game