— — — — — —
"...teach you... study… hmm, that's actually a good question. The problem is… I don't know how either." Kazuma set his phone down on the desk with a shrug.
"You… you don't know either? Aren't you supposed to be our Sensei?!"
Aoi didn't even know where to begin complaining.
"If you asked me a few years ago, not just high school courses—college courses wouldn't be a problem. But now? I don't remember a thing."
"The moment I stepped out of school, everything in my head got deleted instantly. If anything survived even a second longer, that just means my mind was lagging."
"And honestly, most of that stuff is useless anyway. You won't use it when you get a job."
Kazuma's only real takeaway from his own school and work experience was that what you study has almost nothing to do with what you end up doing. Everything else, you learn slowly on the job.
"But… but we still need the basics, right?"
Aoi was still an eighteen-year-old high schooler who believed studying had meaning. She couldn't help but protest.
"The question is, even if I teach you, will you learn anything?"
"Alright, Kanzaki over there, let me ask you something simple. What's 345 plus 234?"
Kazuma asked randomly.
"Um… ah… twenty… uh…" Kanzaki instantly started counting on his fingers, but even after forever he couldn't produce an answer.
"See? Our school is full of idiots. Don't get your hopes up." Kazuma shook his head. These guys were all muscle, no brain. Teaching them to fight would be easier than teaching them math.
"Sensei, it's 579."
A white-haired boy stood up. His name was Furuichi Takayuki, known to the world as either the Lolicon, pervert, Creep-ichi, Mob-ichi, Gross-ichi. Just a lot of names.
"Who the heck is this kid?" Kazuma asked.
"I think his name's Furuichi. He's the top student in our school. Yeah... he's always scoring the highest in school, with a final score of 59/60." Aoi thought for a moment and answered.
"With grades that good, why are you even in Ishiyama? And how'd someone as weak as you get accepted?"
Kazuma glanced at Furuichi and instantly saw that he was weak as paper. This kid belonged in Saint Ishiyama Academy, not the delinquent-filled Ishiyama High.
"Sensei, I'm local. And Ishiyama isn't some elite school. Anyone can get in." Furuichi couldn't help complaining.
"Looks like he's that first-year delinquent Oga's underling. Yeah, pretty sure he got in through the back door," Himekawa added.
"Hey hey hey, like you even need connections to get into this place!" Furuichi snapped.
"Whatever, forget it. Furuichi, you seem pretty smart. Let me ask you—do you know calculus?" Kazuma asked.
"Nope. Isn't that college stuff? We don't learn that in high school," Furuichi said.
"A famous person once said, 'How can anyone still be too stupid to learn calculus at fourteen?' You're eighteen. You still can't do calculus. That basically proves you're all hopeless idiots."
"But lucky for you, I'm here. As your teacher, I've decided to pave the way for your future."
A sudden idea popped into Kazuma's mind as he stared at this group of good-for-nothings. He reached into his Treasure and pulled out a stack of smartphones.
"Here, everyone gets one. I'll post missions on them. Your job is to complete those missions. Think of it as social practice."
"You'll get paid for completing them."
He added all of them into his guild. Sure, they were dumb, but their combat power was solid. And more importantly—they were all free and had nothing better to do. Might as well put them to use. Consider it part of his teaching.
"Sensei… these phones… they look expensive. What if we break one?"
Furuichi stared at the device in his hand. His first thought was: 'I can't afford to replace this.'
"It's fine. If you break it, you don't have to pay." Kazuma smiled and patted his shoulder.
"Phew… Sensei, you're so kind—" Furuichi was moved.
"If the phone breaks, I'll just break you too. One life in exchange for one phone. Keep your money for medical bills." Kazuma's hand tightened on Furuichi's shoulder, his smile turning even more "gentle."
"…Understood, Kazuma-sensei. Even if I die, this phone will stay perfectly safe."
Furuichi snapped to attention. He finally realized it: anyone capable of being their teacher could not possibly be a nice person.
"Listen up. If the phone breaks, you don't get to live. If you lose it, don't bother coming back alive. Got it?!" Kazuma barked.
"Yes, Kazuma-sensei!"
Everyone shouted in unison.
"I'll write you passes to prove you're doing social practice and not skipping school. Come up one by one and collect them. Then go do missions. Everyone needs to finish at least one a day."
Kazuma began scribbling excuse slips for them. The handwriting was simple and barely legible, but it didn't matter. As long as he acknowledged them, that was enough.
One by one, the students collected their slips and headed out to start their missions.
"Sensei… is this really okay?"
Aoi still looked unsure. In her mind, students were supposed to sit in classrooms and study. Was sending them running around outside actually good for them?
"Aoi, relax. Studying isn't just sitting indoors memorizing stuff. Getting them out into society a bit early is also part of learning. Anyway, talking won't help. Try it yourself and you'll understand the point. If you don't get it, just complete more missions."
"When you've done a hundred of them, you'll understand."
Kazuma casually waved her off and sent her out as well.
"Sensei, I have money. Can I pay to skip the missions?" Himekawa walked up and asked.
"You have money. I have fists. You think your money can block these fists?" Kazuma raised his fist slowly.
"…No, probably not." Himekawa considered it. Yeah, he definitely couldn't block that.
"Then get moving before I send you straight back to the hospital."
"Yes, Kazuma-sensei!"
Himekawa hurried out.
And just like that, under Kazuma's… encouragement, the students' mission work began.
"Oh, and don't forget to advertise our Fairy Tail guild while you're out. From saving the world to cleaning your backyard, we take all kinds of jobs."
Sitting in the classroom, Kazuma typed and sent a message. You had to build a reputation if you wanted missions to start flowing in.
While he was pondering how to expand Fairy Tail even more, the classroom door opened and a bespectacled student appeared.
"Kazuma-san, the principal wants to see you in his office."
Zenjuro glanced at the empty classroom and remembered the Ishiyama student he'd run into earlier holding a "social practice" slip.
This teacher was… unique. Actually, he felt more like one of Ishiyama's problem students himself.
"The principal… oh right, that old guy who showed up with Aoi's grandpa that night... hmm. Yolda, open a door."
Kazuma remembered the balding old man from that night. He was pretty sure they didn't have any real connection.
Yolda, who had been standing quietly like a decorative statue, stepped forward and opened a portal. As she did, she glanced at Zenjuro. "Master, this person carries demonic traces as well, but very faint. Likely not a true demon from the demon world, but a descendant. Please be cautious."
Despite often acting like a door-opening NPC, Yolda had actually graduated from a prestigious academy in the demon world and was very sharp.
"I know." Kazuma stepped into the portal. Yolda followed him and they both vanished, leaving Zenjuro standing there alone.
"That was… a demon?"
"No wonder the principal told me to call this teacher in person. He really is something special."
Zenjuro recalled the principal's warning. Demons were terrifying, and if he ever met one, he should run immediately.
Yet the demon who opened that portal acted like a servant to that man. It shocked him down to his core.
---
In the principal's office—
"What did you need me for?" Kazuma stepped out of the portal and looked at the principal sitting in his chair.
"Well… let's put other matters aside first."
"Kazuma-san, this is still the human world. It's better if you keep demon magic hidden from ordinary people."
Principal Genma Isurugi chose his words carefully as he looked at Kazuma, who had just casually teleported into the room.
"It's fine. Our students are all idiots. They won't notice. And walking is a pain. Teleporting is easier. Yolda, tea." Kazuma sat down opposite the principal.
Yolda reached into the air, retrieved a prepared tea set, and placed two delicate teacups in front of them.
She didn't forget baby Beel either, handing him a fresh bottle of milk.
"Honestly, Yolda, you're a lot more professional than Hilda. Taking you in instead of killing you was definitely the right call." Kazuma praised her.
"I… I'm better than Hilda…?"
Yolda froze for a moment, overwhelmed. Ever since she was a child, no matter how hard she worked, her parents, teachers, and classmates all said the same thing: "Your sister is amazing. Having a sister like her must be wonderful."
Her parents praised Hilda for becoming a royal maid. Her teachers praised Hilda's top-ranked scores. No matter what Yolda did, she could never surpass her sister in anyone's eyes.
But this time… she was praised.
By the man chosen by the master whom Hilda herself served.
"Dada~"
Little Beel gave her a thumbs up too, happily drinking his warm milk. He especially appreciated that she never forgot him when serving tea.
"Master Beel… No! I can't betray Master En. As a proper demon maid, I must not waver. Loyalty is everything!"
Yolda shook off the small tremor in her heart. She would not betray her master. Never.
"Um… can we get back to the actual topic now?"
Principal Genma rubbed his temples. No wonder Ittosai had warned him this kid was a problem.
Now he could feel it for himself.
.
.
.