A few days had passed since I crushed Rudus in that duel.
The students had their first real lesson with me.
Now everything had gone to hell.
"I'm going to die… I'm actually going to die of exhaustion…!!"
I lay face-down on the table in the instructors-only break room.
I looked exactly like a corpse that had already given up on reincarnation.
"This is all Aldi's fault. I'm definitely beating the crap out of him later…"
I muttered curses while the other instructors whispered and stared.
I was too dead to care.
"I just want to go home… crawl under a warm blanket… and never come out…"
But no. Afternoon classes were still waiting.
Kill me now.
"Why did they suddenly get so motivated…?"
At first these spoiled brats ignored every teacher.
I planned to coast until the Magic Tournament and vanish.
Then I won that stupid duel.
The students did a complete 180.
Now they follow me like baby ducks, begging for lessons.
They even show up at my house on my days off.
Mock battles. Private tutoring. Torture.
My body and soul are at their limit.
The worst part? I can't kick them out.
Char gets sparkly-eyed and happy when they visit.
Damn it.
"Just a little longer… The Magic Tournament is only days away."
Once it's over, I'm free.
Aldi will try to chain me here, but I'll disappear as usual and escape.
I repeated that like a prayer.
But everything is so…
"Troublesome…"
"Bothersome…"
…Huh? I look at a girl sitting next to me.
Did we just harmonize?
I slowly turned my head to the right.
Transparent light-blue hair shimmered like ice under the light.
Matching pale-blue eyes stared into nothing.
She looked about eighteen.
Her instructor robes were neat, yet screamed "I want to go home."
The aura of pure laziness was overwhelming.
I felt instant kinship.
…Wait. I know this girl.
Cold sweat formed on my back.
"…Why are you here?"
My voice cracked.
She narrowed half-lidded eyes and glared like I was garbage.
Then, in the most deadpan voice possible, she said:
"…Long time no see."
My brain short-circuited.
Eve Dulquis.
The white mage from Reti's hero party.
The girl who talks very little and keeps to herself.
If Eve is an instructor here… Reti can't be far behind.
My dream of a quiet life officially died.
We stared at each other in perfect silence.
Both of us thinking the exact same thing.
This is the worst.