It was clear that I had achieved remarkable growth over the past month of training with Livi.
Having started training with an untrained body and practiced against an absurdly strong opponent like Livi, it was inevitable that I would grow.
‘This isn’t enough…’
But now, that growth seemed to have plateaued.
Although it wasn’t completely stalled, it didn’t feel as explosive as before.
It was like in a game where you level up quickly in the beginning, but it becomes harder as you reach the mid-game.
Given my current situation, this was an inevitable reality.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.
‘I only have a week left.’
Moreover, with only a week left to show my skills, I was feeling quite desperate.
Even if I lost the duel, it wasn’t like I would be expelled from the academy immediately or anything, but I believed my skills were far below the special class standard, so I had to do my best.
‘I can’t beat someone with superior combat skills head-on.’
Furthermore, Jake Alfrada was not an opponent to be taken lightly.
His spirit magic was a skill that could be fully utilized in combat.
Although I had beaten my sister Riel, who was rated A-class at the academy, that was due to a series of fortunate circumstances.
I was at an elemental advantage, and it wasn’t her area of expertise.
It would be hard to expect such luck again.
‘Especially since I’m not prepared for spirit magic.’
This time, I was at a disadvantage elementally.
I knew about spirit magic, and it was ridiculously powerful in one-on-one combat.
Even with my danger detection skill, there was no way I could beat him in just a week of training.
‘I’m really thankful for my skill.’
That’s why I’m so grateful for my skill.
It tells me how to get stronger in just a week.
As I head to the place designated by my skill, I realize how much I rely on it.
What exactly is this skill?
If it was before, I might have thought it was just an ordinary skill, but now it seemed far from that.
It was natural to be curious.
Perhaps I should investigate it properly when I get the chance.
‘First, I need to win.’
Of course, that’s for later.
I’ll get to it when the time is right.
‘Is this the place?’
Anyway, as they say, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
I’ll start by doing what my skill suggests.
I arrived at the place indicated by my skill.
‘But… is this really the place?’
However, once I got there, I couldn’t help but feel a bit concerned.
The place I arrived at wasn’t anything special.
It was just a slightly small hut, a bit away from the academy’s special building.
A simple, worn-down hut—that was all.
‘Shouldn’t there be a secret scroll or a dungeon?’
I didn’t know what the method for getting stronger my danger detection skill indicated was, but it certainly wasn’t a typical situation.
Feeling a bit deflated since it wasn’t what I expected, I decided to check out the place first since I hadn’t unwrapped the package yet.
Knock, knock.
‘No answer?’
There was no response even when I knocked.
It seemed like someone’s house, but I couldn’t just turn back now.
Since the door wasn’t locked, I just opened it and went inside.
After all, there was no one there, so it should be fine, right?
But unexpectedly, there was someone inside.
And not just anyone.
“Mmm… mmm…”
A woman was sleeping soundly in the shabby hut, scratching her belly and drooling in her sleep.
Her messy hair had a bluish tint, and her expression was peaceful as she slept.
‘Wait, is this the teacher’s house?’
She was the homeroom teacher of the special class.
Apparently, this hut was where she lived.
As I pondered this unexpected meeting,
“Mm…? You are…”
The teacher woke up, rubbing her eyes and looking at me with still sleepy eyes.
“Hello, teacher.”
I greeted her first.
I gave the teacher a brief explanation of my circumstances.
I told her that I was wandering around looking to become stronger and that I found this place and then her by chance.
“Hmm. I see.”
The teacher nodded at my words, indicating she roughly understood.
“Uh-huh…”
Did she really get it?
Her face still looked sleepy and uninterested, suggesting she might not have fully comprehended my story.
“So, you want to become stronger…”
At least she heard that part.
“Do you have a way to help me?”
I asked again, addressing the teacher, who seemed on the verge of dozing off again.
My danger-sensing skill had led me here.
Surely, this was the place where I could grow stronger.
And here was the teacher.
She had to know something.
“Would the teacher know how?”
If she was indeed the key, she must know something important.
I demanded she tell me if she did.
“If you managed to find me in your current state, you might indeed have the potential to become stronger. Surprisingly good intuition, perhaps?”
“I hear that a lot.”
The teacher stared at me for a moment, then, still with a look of annoyance, decided to entertain my expectations.
So, she was indeed the key.
‘Is this the beginning of my path to becoming stronger?’
I felt that I was close to a breakthrough.
“But you know…”
Yet, a significant obstacle remained.
“I’m the head teacher of the special class, and I’d like to teach you too.”
It was her personality.
Despite her genuine desire to help students grow,
“I tend to find things incredibly tiresome.”
She couldn’t overcome her own sense of inconvenience.
Even while talking to me, she kept dozing off.
Her demeanour clearly showed reluctance.
“So, how should I put it… It’s just too troublesome…”
Her words were a clear refusal.
‘What should I do now?’
Regardless of whether her response was appropriate for a teacher,
I had to resolve this situation.
‘How can I spark her interest?’
As I pondered over what might catch her interest, the answer came unexpectedly easily.
“But you know.”
Despite her overwhelming sense of inconvenience, as she lay half-lying down, she suddenly straightened up a bit and looked at me with crescent moon-shaped eyes.
“Hmm…? What is it?”
“Are you by any chance from the Verun family?”
After scrutinizing my face again, she seemed to have figured something out and asked.
Why was she asking this?
“Yes, but why?”
Even though I didn’t understand the reason for her question, I affirmed it.
It was the truth, after all.
There was no reason to hide it.
Upon hearing that, her crescent-shaped eyes turned into half-moons.
“Hmm… Then, do you know Riel Verun?”
“Ah, she’s my Noona.”
“Aaaah… Reeally??”
Finally, upon hearing my response, her eyes returned to a normal state, at least by her standards.
To a regular person, they still seemed drowsy, but for her, this was attentive.
It seemed my sister and the teacher had some connection.
“So, you’re the younger brother Riel always praised….”
Apparently, a significant connection.
Wasn’t this a good sign?
I had high hopes.
“Wait here for a moment.”
However, my worries didn’t disappear entirely.
The teacher, chuckling as if amused, slowly got up and went into a room.
‘What’s going on…?’
Left alone, I couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding.
Initially, I was hopeful after hearing her recognize my sister’s name,
‘Is this really good?’
But there was no guarantee that this expectation would lead to a positive outcome.
I knew my sister’s personality better than anyone.
She was quite intimidating, and she must have had her share of resentment during her academy days.
‘Could she hold a grudge against my sister?’
If the teacher bore any grudge against my sister, she might harm me out of spite.
After all, she might come out of the room saying, ‘So you’re that woman’s brother. I can finally settle the score,’ and cast a powerful spell on me.
“Ah.”
But fortunately, those fears proved unfounded.
When the door opened, and the teacher reappeared, it was clear she had no intention of harming me.
But that didn’t put my mind at ease.
“Meow…”
The teacher had transformed into a maid with cat ears, looking a bit shy.
“Is this what boys these days like? Meow… This is really embarrassing… Meow…”
The effort to add ‘meow’ at the end of her sentences, despite how unfitting it was, made me lose consciousness.
No, of all people, not you too, teacher…