"Hah, hahaha~ heh~"
[Reader, you seem to be in a good mood.]
"Well, of course. I’ve made the protagonist’s acquaintance."
Damn, this was an unexpected gain.
Now that I think about it, the protagonist did kill a beast, didn’t he?
So of course he’d show up here. I just forgot because of the author.
We even shook hands and exchanged greetings when we were alone. If I take it slow, we can get closer, right?
"Everyone, stop chattering and take your seats."
The teacher burst through the door.
…Probably the Academy’s main character—the homeroom teacher.
"I’ll be your homeroom teacher from now on. My name is Claire. Nice to meet you."
"C-Claire? As in…?"
"The famous Hero…?"
"I heard she retired. So she became a teacher?"
[Hmm… Well, I did set it up like other Academy novels where a famous and powerful person becomes the homeroom teacher, but why would someone like that settle for being just an Academy teacher…?]
"That’s an obvious question."
What else could it be?
Maybe she suffered a crippling injury—one that made prolonged combat impossible, but still let her fight briefly. Or maybe she saw her subordinates or comrades die and lost the will to keep going.
Something along those lines should work.
[As expected of you, Reader! You really are a walking trope encyclopedia! Thanks! Hehe, a cold, beautiful older sister-type teacher with a hint of worn-out charm—now that’s a delicious setup no matter how you look at it!]
I tuned out the author’s nonsense.
She’s always spouting garbage.
"First, I’d like to apologize for yesterday’s unfortunate incident. On behalf of the school, I offer my sincerest regrets."
She bowed her head.
The students were stunned to see their idol, their homeroom teacher, lowering herself like that.
"P-please, stand up! Teacher!"
"Yes! We don’t mind at all!"
Even as the students urged her to stop, Claire kept her head bowed for a long time. Only when it was clear the students were getting uncomfortable did she finally lift her gaze.
But she still looked unsatisfied.
She probably wanted to apologize more.
"U-um, Teacher! What’s today’s lesson about?"
"Yeah! Haha, we’re eager to learn!"
"…Lesson? Ah, right."
Did she forget?
Unbelievable.
Claire awkwardly scratched the back of her neck, cleared her throat, and lowered her voice.
"I don’t know what weapons you’ve used up until now. But the weapon you choose here will be the one you train with from now on, so choose carefully."
Ah, this is it.
Weapon selection.
That classic first lesson in Academy stories that always pops up.
"But Author, isn’t there a problem here…?"
[Huh? A problem? What do you mean?]
"Well… I don’t know how to use any weapons."
[...Huh? Right.]
My head ached, so I squeezed my eyes shut.
Here we go again!
[Hah, but the readers will just pick whatever they want, so...!]
"In this world, don’t Heroes and Villains each have one Ability?"
[Uh, yeah. That’s right.]
"Then what’s the point of a fire-breathing Ability user wielding a weapon?"
[...Huh?]
No, that’s a fair point.
Why would someone who can spew fire from their mouth need to get up close and swing a sword?
Wouldn’t it be easier to just walk by and blast fire behind them to kill everyone?
Wouldn’t it be better to not carry a weapon at all?
Carrying one just makes people more suspicious.
Wouldn’t it be smarter for the Academy to focus on training personal Abilities instead?
You said the Academy was competent. This is a contradiction.
[M-Mana! It’s because of Mana! Uh, um... Ability users have Mana circulating in their bodies, which enhances their physical capabilities! They don’t die easily! And if they don’t use their Abilities, they can conserve their magical power!]
"Sigh..."
[And what about guns?! People die when they get shot! So, Ability users are resistant to bullets too! Wow! Perfect! And guns don’t hold Mana! I just decided that!]
Honestly, it wasn’t the most convincing explanation.
But after reading countless web novels, I decided to just accept it.
Instead of asking, *Why do people with Abilities bother using weapons in this world?*
I realized I should just think, *Ah, in this world, people use both Abilities and weapons.*
The problem was that this was the world I was living in now.
"Now, follow me. You need to pick a weapon from the armory."
Wait, in those Academy novels where you choose weapons...
Isn’t it usually that classes like A, B, C are divided based on which weapon you pick?
Please tell me you didn’t overlook that detail.
I strained my ears, hoping to hear something, but there was only silence.
So, you *did* overlook it. Damn it.
"Author-nim, in weapon-choosing novels, classes are assigned after you pick your weapon."
[A-Ah?! Was that how it was?!]
"I think that’s how most of them work?"
Of course it is...
How else would teachers handle one student each?
It’s way more efficient for education that way.
[Uh, um... Right! After-school clubs! L-Let’s do it that way! Normal classes in your assigned class, but a few hours a day for specialized training with professors who use the same weapon! E-Ehehe...!]
Ugh, this is exhausting.
Why is our author so clueless?
I wish they’d think things through just a little before writing!
"Here’s the armory. Pick whatever weapon you want. These will be the ones you use at the Academy."
Right, there’s nothing I can do about it now that the setting’s already locked in.
Let’s see what weapon our protagonist picks.
I hid among the chattering students choosing their weapons and stared at the back of his head.
…Of course it’s a sword.
I saw him using one to hunt a beast, so it makes sense.
Most protagonists use swords anyway. How textbook.
"Hmm, is something wrong? You’ve been staring at the weapons without picking one."
"Ah, Teacher."
"Don’t hesitate. Just tell me."
"…By any chance, where would daggers be assigned?"
"Daggers?"
Yeah, daggers.
Honestly, I don’t have the confidence to wield a sword.
It’d just feel like a stick with a sharp edge to me.
A bow? Not a chance.
A spear might be manageable, but it’s a pain to carry around…
Daggers are the best option.
They’re small, so they fit nicely in a case and are easy to carry.
There’s no need for fancy techniques—just stab and you’re done.
Even if I have to learn something, it’d be way easier than a long sword.
Plus, if I get assigned to swordsmanship, I can keep an eye on Yu Siwoo. That’s the real advantage here.
"Daggers are still a type of sword, so you’d probably be assigned to the swordsmanship instructor."
"Ah, I see. Thank you."
Oh, that’s great news.
Without hesitation, I grabbed a dagger.
"I see, so it’s unrequited love. I don’t recommend choosing a weapon just to chase after someone, but I’ll cheer you on."
"…Huh?"
Did he notice me staring at Yu Siwoo?
Fortunately, he didn’t seem suspicious—just misunderstood the situation in a weird way.
That’s not it at all…
I wanted to correct him, but he’d already moved on to advise other students.
Should I just let it slide?
It’s not like it’s true anyway.
I cautiously approached Yu Siwoo, who was smiling in satisfaction as he held his sword.
"Ah, did you pick a sword?"
"…?! O-oh, yeah. B-but…?"
What’s with him? Why is he shaking so much?
Is he cold? The armory is a bit chilly, but not enough to make someone tremble like that.
"…Are you cold?"
"Ah, no. I’m just… a little nervous. It’s my first class at the Academy."
Is that it? This feels more like preparation than an actual class…
And his voice is shaking a little too.
…Whatever. Not my problem.
If he’s getting sick, he’ll take medicine on his own later.
"Still, choosing a sword—what a coincidence! I picked a dagger."
"O-oh, really? Daggers… yeah, they’re good weapons."
"Hehe, it’s fate. We already took down a beast together, and now we’ll be in the same weaponry class."
"Yeah… A-ahaha…"
His face is way too pale.
At this point, even if it’s just a cold, it’s a little worrying.
You’re supposed to grow up healthy and defeat some unknown final boss, after all.
"Are you okay? You look really sick."
"Yeah. I-I’m fine, so don’t worry."
If he insists he’s fine this much, pressing further would be rude.
Well, nothing I can do. If something *does* go wrong, I can just ask the author for a solution then.
"You look pale. You should rest. See you later!"
Leaving the sweating Yu Siwoo behind, I started browsing the weapons.
Honestly, I’d never seen weapons like these before. They were incredibly fascinating.
"You’re using a spear? Haha, that’s totally a *changnyeo*."
"Hey! Don’t make jokes like that—!"
"What? It’s true. A woman with a spear. *Changnyeo*."
"Y-You…! Over there!"
Somehow, the tension had dissolved, and now the students were joking around with each other.
Lively bunch.
[Phew, thank goodness… The settings barely avoid a collision…!]
It’s a total forced fit, Author-nim.
I didn’t say it out loud because I thought he might cry.
It’d be too pitiful.
"If everyone’s picked, return to the classroom! Class is over for today!"
At Claire’s words, the students gathered in small groups and headed back to the classroom.
Of course, I was walking alone.
So lonely… really.
"Hah, hah…! Hah…!"
I thought I was going to die.
My heart was pounding so hard, I thought it might burst out of my throat.
"Arte, that girl… She was definitely watching me…!"
She saw me pick out a sword, then without a moment’s hesitation, she grabbed a dagger. I’m sure of it.
For some reason, she had a *huge* interest in me.
Was that a good thing or a bad thing?
No matter how I thought about it, it wasn’t good.
But I didn’t have a single memory of doing anything that would make a girl like *her* target me.
I couldn’t just abandon the sword and pick another weapon to avoid her.
It was the only weapon I’d ever used.
If I tried something new now, I’d just fall behind.
For Yu Siwoo, who had enrolled in the Academy to become a hero, that was unacceptable.
"Why the hell is she so interested in me…?"
I had no idea.
What reason could someone who could hack the Academy’s database in an instant and infiltrate as a new student possibly have for paying *this* much attention to me?
I thought that once I enrolled, I’d make friends at the Academy, train hard, spar…
Yu Siwoo wanted to cry.