"It has been dangerous at night lately. Go straight home after school, and don't wander around outside."
After the opening ceremony, the class had been mobilized to clean the classroom until the floor was so spotless that it could be used as a mirror. Only then did Scáthach announce the end of the school day.
"I don't want to see anyone missing from this class one day."
Before dismissing the students, she emphasized this point twice.
Dangerous at night?
Eiji immediately got excited.
Could this be the classic event—the Holy Grail War beginning?
That wouldn't make sense.
I have magical energy, plenty of wishes in my heart, and by all logic, I should have been chosen as a Master.
Then it's probably not the Holy Grail War. Maybe it's a fight between vampires or magi, or at the very least, a passing serial killer.
As everyone knows, killers in the Nasuverse aren't ordinary people. They usually hold one or two clues leading to the Reverse Side of the World.
Eiji's mind instantly became active.
"Eiji, come to my office."
Just as he was about to leave, Scáthach suddenly seemed to remember something and called out to Eiji, who was seated in the last row of the classroom.
She spoke and left, not even asking if he was willing.
"Oh oh! Teacher Scáthach is calling you!"
Before Eiji could react, Achilles, who sat in front of him, was already excited.
"Do you think she's been charmed by you too? Can you convince her to let us skip class?"
Like Eiji, Achilles was a habitual class skipper.
He simply couldn't sit still. Under Scáthach's supervision, they would likely have very few opportunities to skip class in the future, which made him incredibly uncomfortable.
"Should I call the police?"
Sitting next to Eiji was Suzuka Gozen. She pulled out her star-sticker-covered flip phone from her bag, looking wary. "Targeting a minor is illegal!"
"Damn it, why wasn't I chosen?"
"Wouldn't this be another case of being cucked?"
"Oh, true!"
Prompted by his companions, a boy sitting in the front row suddenly had an epiphany. Then, his expression turned sorrowful, as if it were truly happening.
"There's not even a hint of that happening yet."
Eiji clicked his tongue and got up from his chair.
Besides—
Why would I refuse such an opportunity?
Is it because Scáthach's office lady outfit isn't pretty enough, or because her black stockings aren't alluring enough?
Under the gaze of the class, Eiji left the room.
The faculty office building was right next to the teaching building. Two minutes later, Eiji arrived at Scáthach's office and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
The office was lavishly decorated. The floor was carpeted, paintings adorned the walls, white curtains hung before the windows, and the desk was made of genuine redwood.
In fact, the entire Type-Moon Academy was extravagantly decorated. Rumor had it that the chairman's office was even more opulent, inlaid with gold and silver to the extreme, perfectly matching the usual style of the King of Mongrels.
However, Scáthach, just a regular homeroom teacher, had an office all to herself. The long rectangular room contained only her desk.
Aside from that, there was just a bookshelf beside it—wait, why is that a weapon rack?
"I've heard about you."
Scáthach looked up from her desk, her sharp eyes locking onto Eiji.
"What are you looking at?"
"That weapon rack… Why does a school office have something like that?"
Eiji pointed at the rack filled with swords, spears, and halberds, his face full of confusion.
"…That looks like a weapon rack to you?"
"Uh? What else would it be?"
"No, it's nothing. Just a personal hobby, don't mind it."
Scáthach suddenly let out a small chuckle.
She seemed amused, her brows relaxing as she leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. The luster of her black stockings was enough to make anyone's mouth dry.
But she didn't explain further, simply waving her hand to steer the conversation away.
"I've heard about you."
Ignoring Eiji's "are you serious?" expression, she continued with the main topic.
"It's said that you used to skip class often in middle school?"
"Just occasionally."
"Reason?"
"Nothing special…"
"Then from now on, no skipping class."
"Uh, this…"
"Don't say I'm unreasonable."
Scáthach crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"If there's something difficult for you, say it all at once now."
Her aura was overwhelming, exuding an undeniable authority. Any ordinary student facing her would lose in terms of sheer presence alone.
Of course, Eiji did have some guilt in this situation.
"I don't really aspire to study here. Does that count?"
Eiji tentatively asked.
"Then what is your aspiration?"
"Swordsmanship."
"Oh? That's a straightforward answer."
Scáthach slightly raised her sharp brows, somewhat surprised by his firm, unwavering tone.
This kid was indeed different from the average student.
She acknowledged that fact.
After a brief moment of thought, she spoke again.
"You're aware of our school's Kendo Club, right?"
"I've heard of it."
Eiji nodded honestly.
Type-Moon Academy didn't have a large student population, but the number of clubs was staggering.
There was a Kendo Club, a Spearmanship Club, and even more obscure clubs like the Vocal Club and Idol Club.
Theoretically, maintaining so many clubs would require an absurd amount of funding and manpower, but the student council, which managed the budget, seemed to have limitless money and approved even the strangest clubs without hesitation.
"You should have also heard about the Kendo Club captain."
Scáthach gazed at Eiji with interest.
Tilting her head slightly, her hair cascaded down, unintentionally exuding an alluring charm that was both captivating and irritating.
"I can arrange a friendly match between you two tomorrow. If you can defeat her, I'll allow you to skip class to pursue your goal."
She laid out her terms.
She wasn't forcing Eiji to focus solely on academics. As long as he could produce satisfactory results, she was willing to let him chase his ambitions—this was her compromise.
I'm not an inflexible teacher.
As if proud of this fact, Scáthach lifted her chin slightly.
"Isn't this a little unfair to the Kendo Club captain?"
"Haha, so you're already assuming you'll win?"
Scáthach suddenly laughed.
She didn't cover her mouth like an ordinary girl, showing no pretense of modesty. Instead, she laughed heartily, as if she was genuinely entertained.
"I don't dislike confident people like you, but if you really have the skills, I'm sure she'd be more than happy about it."
"Then it's fine. I accept."
Eiji agreed to the bet.
After confirming there were no other matters, he left the office.
After he was gone—
Scáthach propped her elbows on the table, her fingers interlaced beneath her chin.
Watching Eiji's departing figure, her blood-red eyes, as if capable of seeing through everything, narrowed slightly, filled with keen interest.
"Interesting."
***
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