Sword, Magic and Academic Society

Vol. 1 - Ch. 40 - Assignment Result (1)

After classes, precisely two months after Godorfun had handed him the assignment.

"Excuse me!"

Allen opened the door to the staff room, entered inside, and performed a perfect 30-degree bow. Though strange as it was, his 'bowing' was no longer an unfamiliar spectacle for the Academy's staff members.

It wasn't surprising. He had already become famous — in a positive light — for bowing before leaving the main gate when starting his morning run, after completing his run, and before and after performing his hill dashes.

Well, the person himself had never thought too deeply about the 'spirit of bowing'.

As far as he was concerned, he couldn’t help but feel jealous whenever he looked at the baseball members or Judo members, with their boiled octopus-like red faces, bowing on the field or in the doj? in his previous life. Because, to him, it was the sight of youth and he had always wanted to try it.

However, the club members themselves had never heard why their coach (Allen) did this. Even when questioned, Allen merely responded with "It's just a hobby," yet he never failed to perform this meaningful gesture.

This prompted the club members to imagine its deep significance — from seeing the timing of Allen's bowing that he has maintained so far — in their own way and in no time, this etiquette became a trend among them.

After Allen turned down the application of Rudelio Von Dialmack, a senior from class 2-A with a haughty attitude, rumors started to circulate among the people almost instantly which just further served to fan the flames of this matter.

The prominent students of the Royal Academy combined this minor incident with the information they had heard from the club members and concluded that Allen, while being a fearless person himself, surprisingly disliked rude manners and was quite picky about etiquette.

Well, the person himself, who was aspiring to follow the outlaw route, would have denied it had he heard of it. But considering his experience as a professional in a major Japanese company that valued etiquette, it may have actually been an arrow that grazed the target in the dark.

Whatever the reason was, this summed up the groundless rumors that "It's impossible to join the Hill Road Club unless you know the etiquette of bowing". Soon, some people even stepped forward to establish the "Bowing Etiquette Club", and overnight, the sight of bowing had become a commonplace scenery in the Royal Academy.

Incidentally, Allen was the honorary supervisor of that club.

Though he couldn't help but think 'they are exaggerating the matter', he was unable to turn it down when Thiira-senpai, a student of class 3-A who was introduced to him by Riyad-senpai, approached him and requested it from him with a bow.

Returning to the staff room, Allen bolted towards the spot where Godorfun and Mujikka were sitting on a sofa.

???

"Excuse me, huh? I have heard about the meaning behind this 'high-toned greeting' taught by Master Schord. As far as I can tell, the underlying meaning lies in pardoning the 'greeting'... Why does entering the staff room equate to impoliteness?"

As if I know, I thought after hearing Godorfun's question. I brought out my bullsh*tting spirit and answered.

"It represents the consideration for the superior inside the room. The chance of coming out as rude, of course, is very low. But maybe, the teachers were having a meeting inside the room and my arrival might have interrupted them. Or in another instance, they might be dealing with documents they can't let any student see. With consideration for such events, this line when entering the room shows one's apology and gratitude, even if they have already given you permission to enter the room...... Or so it was taught to me by Schord."

"...So, you're contemplating that deeply on the matter of just entering a room? Rovenne-kun, isn't it difficult to live with such a level of overthinking?"

"Of course, I am not pondering over each and every aspect. Rather, it's more like engraving these manners into myself than thinking. I let my body act before my thoughts can. It's similar to the 'form' of swordsmanship."

To be frank, I was quite grateful that I could come up with such sophisticated explanations in this world, unlike when I was choppy and clumsy like an antique machine in my previous life.

"I see. Engraving the 'form' into the body does open up the mind to ponder over the future. I really want to have a conversation with your private tutor Schord at least once... Alas, he seemed to have turned down the offer to become a lecturer in the Academy along with the other schools altogether. Can't you somehow persuade him from your end?"

I shook my head as Godorfun asked with a bitter expression.

I had no intention to request that from him, and even if I did, there was no way he would come to this Academy. The reason was obvious.

"Unfortunately, I am neither in opposition nor in support of it. Schord has his own rule and if that person has already said no, no amount of persuasion will make it through to the brain of that stubborn person, even if I asked him about it… Anyway, I’m here for something else..."

I looked straight into Godorfun's eyes.

"I want to discuss the result of the assignment and the introduction of the mentor you mentioned to me."

In return, Godorfun turned to look into my eyes with a sharp glint.

"Fumu. You had shortened the distance of almost all of your classmates’ training right off the bat, right? And I believe you already know there is no way I would approve of this method of reducing the burden. Then, why, even when you already knew, did you still proceed with it?"

Confidently, I stated the reason (excuse) I came up with.

"I judged this to be the best way to improve the club members."

Hearing my statement, Godorfun shook his head in disappointment.

"This is a failure, Allen Roveene."

...Seriously?

"If I had been in your shoes and there was something I must achieve no matter what, I would have chosen any possible means. It might have caused some of my comrades to not catch up, but I would have never stopped myself from driving them into a corner and afterward just creating an elite force that suited my result. ‘I did my best’, these are but the words of a loser. What I seek in the end is results… You have disappointed me, Allen Rovenne."

A pin-drop silence descended into the staff room.

Mujikka-sensei, sitting beside Godorfun, appeared flustered. However, I was so furious with the geezer in front of me that none of my surroundings registered in my eyes.

???

‘I did my best’ is nothing but the barking of loser dogs!

What I want are results!

Show me the damned results! The results!

This used to be the pet phrase of the sales department head of the company I had once joined for a short time in my previous world.

Overloading his subordinates with assignments, howling like a rabid dog each and every time— all that he sought was results. But on the flip side, never once did he teach them any tactic to raise the numbers. A typical old-minded superior who knew nothing but to talk others down with his authority.

His creed was to just dish out the results by any means, even if he ended up betraying the trust of the customer or pulling some underhanded tactic.

From a long-term perspective, it was a no-brainer that this sort of business practice would put the company in a negative light, but he never cared since he would either be promoted or transferred by the time the problem became apparent.

He was obviously a sickening man to me as knew nothing but to shout crap. Godorfun, sitting in front of me, appeared as a mirror copy of that man in my eyes.

Either way, this stubborn geezer wasn't going to overturn the failing mark. I decided to duke it out with the geezer, with the resentment of my past life smoldering inside me.

"Kukuku. Kuahahaha!"

My sudden maniac-like laughter caused Godorfun to look at me with a skeptical expression.

But I paid it no heed, looked straight into his eyes, and declared with a voice that echoed throughout the staff room.

"Disappointing, huh?... That’s my line, Godorfun!"

The sound of audible gulping could be heard inside the otherwise deathly silent staff room.

"You're a failure as a teacher, Godorfun!"

EN - Well, I’m on the MC’s side on this one. Godorfun’s approach may work in a work environment, as harsh as it may be. But in a school environment, teachers should be teaching and nurturing students, not kicking them out as soon as they don’t meet some arbitrary metric.