VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 24

VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 24

“E-Everyone… Haaah… Please welcome your new instructor. He’ll be in charge of your swordsmanship classes from now on.”

Headmaster Ephiane’s head throbbed as she fought back the urge to vomit from sheer stress and anxiety.

Just a few months ago, the Demon Lord Barkuvara himself had appeared at her doorstep, asking her to personally teach him the ways of ‘human living.’

She still remembered how her vision nearly blacked out from shock that day. Thankfully, she hadn’t screamed. Somehow, she had managed to rein in her emotions at the last possible moment. Had she cried out and drawn the attention of nearby patrols, she couldn’t even begin to imagine the bloodshed that would have followed.

Reporting him to the soldiers had never once crossed her mind. Ephiane had seen the seemingly endless torrent of mana flowing through the Demon Lord’s body—if the Empire’s knights engaged him, they would all be slaughtered. The Empire itself might not survive.

Left with no choice, she had agreed to hear him out.

“You want to learn more about humans?” she had asked.

“Yes,” the Demon Lord had replied.

He wanted to learn how humans lived? Absurd.

At first, Headmaster Ephiane dismissed his words as the whimsical fancy of a being who could do as he pleased. Surely the demon whom his kin revered as a god would have no genuine interest in such trivialities.

What could he possibly gain from something so mundane?

It was no different from a man studying the lives of ants.

‘He’ll get bored soon and leave… hopefully.’

For a few weeks, she catered to the Demon Lord’s demands and taught him numerous things about humans: theocracy—particularly the dominant religion in each nation—human culture, topography, and even basic knowledge like etiquette and arithmetic that nobles learn at a young age.

Afraid that the same incident from before would repeat itself, she refrained from mentioning the new ranking list from the Council of Scholars.

Honestly, the Headmaster felt quite guilty for the death of the Sword Saint. Had she not mentioned the rankings to the Demon Lord, maybe things would have turned out differently.

But alas, ease of understanding and clarity come from evaluating the past. She had no way of knowing back then the result her actions would bring to the Empire.

All she could do now was avoid making the same mistakes as before, and ensure that this powerful demon refrained from harming the Empire.

Day after day, the Demon Lord visited the Headmaster, asking her questions and stories regarding the human race.

She thought that the Demon Lord Barkuvara would lose interest eventually, but to her utter surprise and horror, the knowledge she’d taught him only piqued his interest even more.

As a symbolic show of his resolve to mix in among the humans, he even went so far as to cut off all his horns.

Now hornless, the Demon Lord Barkuvara looked no different from a tall, muscular human capable of ripping his opponents to shreds with his bare arms.

The Demon Lord even gave the horns to her, saying that they contained a fourth of his entire power. Headmaster Ephianne naturally refused, but the Demon Lord insisted that she receive them in exchange for her tutelage.

And this brought us to the present.

After learning several things about humans, the Demon Lord Barkuvara asked the Headmaster to let him attend the Maiaka Magic Academy—

—not as a student, but as an instructor.

Visiting the academy grounds as a guest was one thing, and even becoming a student would probably have been acceptable to a certain degree.

But a renowned demon becoming an instructor?

The Headmaster couldn’t wrap her head around how the current situation came to be.

Due to the destruction of Meredith City and Volkheim City, the students of the magic academy were currently holding their classes in a temporary building lent to them by the Empire.

And to make things worse, the building was located within the capital.

As though the gods had decided to play a terrible prank, problems kept piling on top of each other, and the Headmaster couldn’t see a way out.

It’s not like she could tell the Demon Lord to piss off. She was already grateful that he didn’t seem hostile despite the demon’s recent “loss” against the humans.

‘What a mess. If the imperial family finds out that the Demon Lord is currently in the capital… I can’t imagine what will happen.’

The clone of the Demon Lord Barkuvara had slaughtered thousands of soldiers during the previous war. Moreover, the main body itself had slain Sword Saint Isaac Segarus. Add to that the fact that the demons were also behind the death of Master Harris Mavis, the grudge of the Empire ran deep.

If they learned that the Headmaster was collaborating with the leader of the enemy, sending her to the chopping block would already be a form of mercy.

‘He cut off his horns and I combed his hair back. No one should be able to recognize him… right?’

The fact that the Demon Lord could be discovered at any time bothered her the most.

The Demon Lord was probably capable of illusion magic, but for some reason, he refused to use it to conceal his appearance.

According to him, cutting off his horns should be more than enough to mingle among the humans.

“Headmaster?”

When the Headmaster suddenly fell silent, the students in the room looked at her quizzically. Thankfully, the Demon Lord had suppressed all of the mana and miasma leaking from his body, preventing them from affecting the students. Otherwise, instead of curious gazes, these kids would have fainted from sheer terror by now.

“Ah, where am I? That’s right. H-He’s the new instructor for the swordsmanship classes.” She leaned toward the Demon Lord and whispered, “Hey, introduce yourself.”

The Demon Lord scanned the students in the room, looking quite interested in the children before him.

Were they around ten or eleven? He wasn’t sure.

“I am Barkuva—”

“—Benson! H-Haha…! His name is Benson!”

Before the Demon Lord could even finish his words, the Headmaster’s hands shot out like an arrow, covering his mouth.
Although the students probably didn’t know the name of the Demon Lord, it wouldn’t hurt to be careful from now on.

The Demon Lord stared at the Headmaster for several seconds, wondering why she had done such a thing.
Realizing what she’d done, Headmaster Ephiane hurriedly removed her hands from his mouth.

Shivers ran down her spine.

No matter how she looked at it, she’d been disrespectful to the Demon Lord!

‘He… wouldn’t suddenly kill me, right?’

He really liked the tea she kept brewing him, and she prayed to the gods that it would be enough for him to forgive her transgression.

Thinking of the numerous possible ways she could die, the Headmaster nearly slumped to the ground in relief when the Demon Lord ignored her disrespectful act.

“I am Benson.”

The Demon Lord Barkuvara ended his introduction with that simple line.

Immediately, the room buzzed with murmurs and whispers.

The students saw the awkward interaction between the Headmaster and the new instructor, and some of the gossipy ones started speculating that there was something going on between the two.

So what if there was an age gap?

Strangely, the two looked fit for each other despite the stark difference in age and appearance.

“Kyaaa! Is it love?”

“Hehehe, I see what you did there, Headmaster!”

“Ooooh!”

“Instructor Benson! Question! Are you single?”

The face of the Headmaster flushed, and she shouted, “Silence! Any more and you’ll get disciplinary measures, you hear me?!”

Seeing the normally calm Headmaster become so agitated only reinforced the rumors. The kids were grinning from ear to ear, while the Demon Lord Barkuvara simply stood there, unmoving.

Using the corner of her eyes, the Headmaster observed the Demon Lord’s reaction. Strangely, he didn’t seem displeased by the last student’s question.

“Instructor Benson, can you tell us more about yourself? The last swordsmanship instructor… he died after defending us from the demons…”

Headmaster Ephianne flinched, and she hurriedly looked at the Demon Lord Barkuvara’s expression.

Although there was no visible change in his face, the Demon Lord’s voice carried a hint of regret and self-loathing.

He said, “He died to the demons?”

“Yes,” said the student. “I know it’s been more than a year since then, but we still remember his heroic sacrifice.”

Another student added, “We always hated him back then, calling him grumpy and outdated. But looking back, we realized he always had his students’ best interests at heart.”

Some of the students started crying, and even Headmaster Ephiane’s eyes began to moisten.

They could still remember how the previous sword instructor would always yell at the students running in the hallway, and how he severely punished those who were even a second late to his classes.

Most of the students hated him before the demon incident. But after his heroic sacrifice, they realized that the previous swordsmanship instructor was simply trying his best to instill in them the training and discipline necessary to survive any ordeal they would come across once they graduated from the academy.

“Stupid little kids! Why are you still here?! Get back and hide! Let the adults handle this!”

His last words before dying remained fresh in the minds of the students even now.

“That’s why we want to know more about you, Instructor. We vowed to never let appearances cloud our judgment from now on.”

Headmaster Ephiane’s eyes widened.

She realized this was the reason why the students were so receptive to the new instructor, despite his scary and unapproachable appearance.

The Demon Lord Barkuvara fell silent for several seconds. Even a demon like him could feel the students’ regret, self-loathing, and longing.

“I’m sorry.”

“Eh? Why are you apologizing, Instructor Benson?”

The students were taken aback when instead of further introducing himself, the Demon Lord Barkuvara apologized instead.

The only person who knew the meaning behind that apology, Headmaster Ephianne, stiffened. She couldn’t believe that the Demon Lord could express such emotions. She couldn’t believe that the god of the demons would utter words of apology to mere human kids.

The Demon Lord Barkuvara—no, Benson—stepped forward and raised his arm.

“As an apology, I’ll teach all of you one of my strongest techniques.”

A sharp blade, which seemed capable of cutting anything it touched, enveloped Instructor Benson’s right arm, forming a two-meter-long sword made of condensed mana.

Normally, the Demon Lord didn’t need to materialize mana like this to cut his opponents, but for the sake of demonstration, he deliberately showed the blade’s true form.

“This is no ordinary sword,” said Instructor Benson. “It has the ability to cut through space itself.”

“Cut space itself? Instructor, you must be joking!”

“Hehehe! The instructor is quite funny despite his looks!”

“It looks cool though!”

“So, are you single, Instructor Benson?”

The students dismissed the last part of Instructor Benson’s words, but the Headmaster knew that that person was probably serious with his statement.

Although she wasn’t really familiar with the abilities of the Demon Lord Barkuvara, each of his skills must have been powerful enough to rival the attacks of the strongest individuals in this land.

Learning a technique from such a powerful demon firsthand would be the most fruitful encounter for the kids in the academy.

These children had no idea what kind of technique they were about to learn.

Honestly, Headmaster Ephianne wanted to learn it too, if she could.

The Headmaster whispered, “Instructor Benson… are you sure about this? Teaching that to the kids?”

The Demon Lord said, “Is it not allowed?”

“That’s not it… I mean, are you fine letting others learn the technique?”

“As long as these humans are willing, I shall impart the technique to them.”

His words were quite decisive. The Headmaster was certain at that point that the Demon Lord wasn’t doing this out of sheer whim.

Was his heart moved after hearing about the previous instructor?

Was he doing this to atone for the sins committed by the demons?

Headmaster Ephianne wanted to ask, but she wasn’t sure how to properly phrase the question. In the end, she told the Demon Lord that he could teach the children as he pleased as long as no harm would come to them.

Although Maiaka was a Magic Academy, swordsmanship lessons were part of the mandatory classes for students in their first three years.

The next day, the new instructor gathered all of the students in the first three grades at the open training grounds.

Knowing how rare an opportunity this was, Headmaster Ephiane even went so far as to cancel the classes in the morning just so all of the junior students could join the demonstration.

“Is that the new instructor?”

“He looks scary.”

“I heard he and the Headmaster have something going on between them.”

“I heard that too!”

“Look at those muscles. He’s probably a former mercenary!”

“Maybe he’s from the imperial army?”

Although the students of the Maiaka Magic Academy were mostly children from affluent families, they couldn’t help but chatter wildly and speculate among themselves upon seeing the new swordsmanship instructor.

Instructor Benson, despite his dull name, exuded an indescribably regal feeling normally seen from high nobles and kings.

How should they describe it?

He looked unapproachable, ethereal even. Although he was only a mere instructor, there was a sense of authority emanating from him even when he was just standing there.

His aura felt so domineering that the Headmaster standing next to him started looking like a mere teaching assistant.

“Everyone, quiet,” said Headmaster Ephiane in a firm yet gentle voice.

The buzz and murmurs died down quickly, and everyone paid attention to the Headmaster and the new instructor standing on the platform.

“I’m sure all of you must have heard the news by now,” said Headmaster Ephianne. “This man here is Instructor Benson. He shall be in charge of your swordsmanship classes from now on.”

Although Instructor Benson didn’t nod his head in acknowledgment despite being called out by the Headmaster, it didn’t feel disrespectful or out of place.

His indifferent attitude felt natural, as though it was second nature to him.

“All of you are fortunate,” said Headmaster Ephiane. “I can’t emphasize this fact enough. Listen. This person here is someone who could probably rival even the late Sword Saint Isaac.”

Instructor Benson was definitely far stronger, but the Headmaster didn’t see the need to point that out.

The entire student body gathered in the open grounds burst into life once again after hearing the last part of the statement.

Had they known that Instructor Benson was the very same demon that had one-sidedly killed the Sword Saint, they probably would have lost their minds.

Of course, if that happened, Instructor Benson would lose his teaching qualifications in the Academy. No matter what the Headmaster said, it would be impossible for her to convince all of the children to learn from a demon, after all.

“He could rival the late Sword Saint? No way!”

“Why is the Headmaster lying?”

“Sword Saint Isaac Segarus is the greatest swordsman that ever lived! How could the new instructor measure up to him?”

“The Headmaster must have her reasons for saying that. Let’s hear her out first.”

While waiting for the murmurs to die down, the Headmaster looked into the distance. From here, she could see the other instructors watching the demonstration.

It seemed that even they were curious about the newcomer personally recommended by the Headmaster.

“We will now begin the demonstration,” said the Headmaster. “After this demo, the rest of you will return to your classes. Only those scheduled to attend Instructor Benson’s lessons this morning shall stay.”

The Headmaster wordlessly handed the platform to Instructor Benson, telling him to proceed whenever he felt ready.

The Instructor Benson scanned all of the children once again. He ingrained into his mind their youthful faces, and their eager eyes filled with anticipation and curiosity.

How pure and untainted.

“It’s a wise decision coming here,” said Instructor Benson. “Human children, I will now demonstrate one of my strongest techniques.”

Just like before, Instructor Benson purposely solidified his mana, forming a sword visible to the naked eye.

After looking at the students one last time, Instructor Benson swung his blade, targeting the heavens above.

The world held its breath.

The air warped around the arc of his strike, vibrating with a sound that was neither thunder nor wind but something deeper, like the groan of reality itself being torn apart.

And then it happened.

The sky split.

From horizon to horizon, a rift opened where his blade had carved, his attack cleaving the heavens in two. The clouds were dragged apart as though peeled back by unseen hands, and through the fissure seeped a raw, alien radiance—light and shadow intermingled, dripping downward in tendrils.

A massive rift in the sky had formed above the imperial capital.

“G-Good heavens!” muttered the Headmaster.

The attack easily spanned ten kilometers. The rift was so long and massive that it started sucking the air itself, forming a vacuum that tore the clouds in the heavens.

Not just the students, but everyone in the capital witnessed the phenomenon in the sky.

The only saving grace was probably the Demon Lord’s impeccable ability to handle mana. He was so proficient that it would be hard to pinpoint where the attack came from exactly.

‘I need to tell everyone not to utter a word about this outside!’

Surely, the imperial family would issue an investigation regarding this incident. And if the students told this story to their families, the perpetrator would be easily traced.

Right now, Headmaster Ephianne wasn’t worried about Instructor Benson but the Empire.

She sincerely wished and prayed that they wouldn’t thoroughly investigate this matter, lest they accidentally enrage this monster.

The rift in the sky gradually closed.

For several minutes, silence befell the entire training grounds.

Even the children felt something primal stir within them after seeing that attack.

They could intuitively feel it.

That was the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

They realized that the Headmaster wasn’t lying when she said back then that the new instructor was comparable to the late Sword Saint.

Instructor Benson broke the silence. He said, “From now on, I will teach all of you how to survive. Whether it be against humans, monsters, or demons.”

Instructor Benson added, “In exchange, show me what it means to live as a human.”

That fateful day, the Demon Lord Barkuvara became a swordsmanship instructor at the Maiaka Magic Academy.

As for whether or not the imperial family would learn about his true identity, that would be a matter for later.