The next morning, Knox's new day at Kizen began.
Three classes were scheduled for today.
The first class, Darkness Dynamics, was taught by Professor Eric Aura, a middle-aged man.
He had neatly arranged wrinkles, a well-trimmed beard, and a dignified air that matched his suit. His calm, composed demeanor carried a quiet authority, the kind that naturally made people feel comfortable around him.
"Darkness is fundamental to necromancers. It cannot be stressed enough." Eric guided the class with practiced ease.
His explanations were clear, his breakdowns precise.
He didn't boast powerful techniques like Bahil in Katarology, but his lessons were clean, organized, and easy to follow.
Before anyone realized it, the whole of Class A was fully immersed. And Eric didn't stop at theory alone.
"Back then, people never questioned why the sacred flames never went out. To doubt the miracle itself was considered blasphemy."
At times, he even dipped into history to explain the origins of rune characters. He carefully dissected each component of a magic circle and walked the students through its logic.
Before long, the bell rang.
"That will be all for today." Eric closed his notebook.
"There's an assignment due next session. Choose one of the non-functional magic circles you've learned, and submit a report explaining how to correct it. Include all calculations and formulas. Three students I call will also present in front of the class."
Since Darkness Dynamics was a core subject, maybe it was a relief Simon wasn't chosen this time.
Meanwhile, Knox actually wanted to be called. Presenting in front of everyone didn't make him nervous.
Instead, a faint nostalgia stirred — which confused him, because back in his previous life, just hearing the word "presentation" was enough to make him tremble.
If Simon and Rick could've heard that thought, they would've smacked the back of his head on the spot.
"Wow, this class is so hard." As the students spilled out of the lecture hall, Rick stretched, looking utterly drained.
"Feels just like when my dad made me study arithmetic. Why can't we just memorize the magic circles and use them? Why do we have to know every microscopic detail of how they activate?"
"I thought it was fine," Simon said, folding his arms.
"Yeah. For me, this difficulty isn't so bad," Knox added with a gentle smile.
Silence.
A handful of nearby students slowly turned their heads toward him.
That innocent smile.
That casual tone.
Those fateful words.
A mysterious, collective urge spread:
—the urge to punch him in on the face.
It was the exact same feeling you got when the top student said:
"Ah, I didn't really study."
…and then scored first place.
A couple whispers flew.
"…Did he seriously just say that?"
"He really doesn't know how that sounds, huh?"
Rick sighed. "Guys like him," he muttered, "are the final boss of every classroom."
Knox, utterly unaware of the emotional damage dealt, simply nodded to himself, satisfied.
After receiving Knox's accidental "friendly fire," Simon let out a quiet sigh.
"I didn't understand half of it… but I liked how Professor Eric explained everything step by step."
Rick snorted. "You like anything as long as it's at Kizen. You even scratched the bathhouse soap with your fingernail because it fascinat—"
Thud!
Simon elbowed Rick in the chest.
Rick stumbled back with an "Oof!" — but he burst into laughter anyway.
"Ha! And don't forget— you freaked out at the bubbles in the bathhouse like, 'Is this really okay for me to use?' Pfft!"
Knox joined in, grinning. "Well, Rick, for Simon, that bathhouse probably felt like he got transported to another world. Like a protagonist in some fantasy novel~"
Simon's temple throbbed.
He really wanted to argue back — but a quiet instinct whispered that no matter what he said, he wouldn't win against Knox's mouth.
"…I'm going ahead." He muttered sulkily, turning away.
Rick hurried after him, waving his hands. "Hey, hey! It was a joke! Don't get mad!"
Knox chuckled and followed at a leisurely pace, hands in his pockets.
Watching from a short distance, Jamie, Claudia, and Cindy could only shake their heads.
To be precise — Merida would have shaken her head too… if she weren't still half-asleep, swaying lightly like a zombie.
After walking for about twenty minutes, they finally reached the next class location — a wide, empty plain on the outskirts of Kizen.
"No one's here?" someone murmured.
"No — look over there," Knox said, pointing.
A low rumble rolled across the field.
Dudududududu—
The ground trembled like an earthquake.
A massive cloud of dust burst out from the forest, and then the students saw them:
A herd of hippos. Dozens of them.
The Class A students gasped and unconsciously stepped back.
"Ahaha! Hello, freshmen!"
A man riding on top of one of the hippos waved cheerfully.
He had dark skin, thick lips, a slender frame, short limbs, and wore simple clothes — and, to everyone's surprise, he was barefoot. With practiced ease, he guided the herd to a stop in front of the students, then hopped down.
"Professor Hong Feng has decided that today's class will be held on Roke Mountain! Now then, everyone — please mount a hippo!"
Although the academy had built her a lab and housing, she preferred roughing it out on Roke Mountain, so her classes were almost always held outdoors.
"...We're seriously supposed to ride those?" a male student muttered, staring at the hippos' flaring nostrils.
"Hey, minion! At least put a blanket on them first!"
The man turned toward the student with a calm smile… and walked up to him.
Then—
"Aaaaack!"
He grabbed the student's face with one hand and lifted him clean off the ground. Shocked cries erupted.
"What are you doing?!"
"How dare you treat a Kizen student like that—!"
But the man's expression never changed. Despite his gentle smile, a chilling murderous aura seeped out of him. The students who had rushed forward froze mid-step.
"Today's freshmen really don't have any manners, huh? You should call me teaching assistant — not minion."
Only then did the male student realize the situation and panic.
"I-I'm sorry, senior! Please forgive me!"
If he was a TA, then he was clearly a senior who had already gone through Kizen — and someone directly assisting a professor was not someone a freshman could afford to mess with.
"Not senior. Teaching assistant."
"I'm sorry! Teaching assistant!"
Watching the whole scene unfold, Simon could only shake his head.
"What's wrong with everyone?" Simon asked, frowning in confusion.
"They're nobles," Rick said with a shrug.
"Grew up pampered like greenhouse flowers, so they still treat people like servants. Stuff like this happens a lot during the first few weeks."
Knox spoke up next, his voice calm and gentle — yet loud enough for people nearby to hear.
"Simply put, they're just pampered kids. They still think everything they used to get — servants, special treatment, all of it — is something normal, as if it's guaranteed. They came to Kizen assuming it would be the same."
He let out a quiet, disdainful sigh. "But they still haven't realized they're just small fish in the ocean that is Kizen… not the little pond back home."
Then Knox added with a mischievous smile, "Besides — you know what I heard? From a few seniors who already graduated — students like that are usually the first ones Kizen kicks out."
The students who had just mistaken the teaching assistant for a servant suddenly went pale, as if they'd already heard their death sentence.
It was such a convincing explanation that Simon nodded along without question.
Soon after, the TA—back to wearing his innocent smile—waved his arm.
"Alright, we're a bit behind schedule. Everyone, please get on a hippo! Up to three people per hippo!"
The students, now clearly more alert, hurried to climb aboard.
Simon mounted one effortlessly, moving with surprising agility. Rick slipped at least three times, grunting and cursing before finally hauling himself up. Knox simply hopped up in one smooth motion.
"Whew… class hasn't even started and I'm already exhausted," Rick muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
While Rick complained, Simon noticed a light-purple-haired girl hopping in place, struggling desperately to get up.
"Everyone ready? Then we're departing!" the TA called out.
Panicking, the girl looked around helplessly—until Simon extended his hand.
"Need help?"
"Ah…! Thank you!"
With a face full of relief, she grabbed his hand. Simon gave a firm pull, lifting her as lightly as a paper doll onto the hippo's back.
Meanwhile, Knox had already checked that Jamie and Claudia were sharing a hippo. Cindy was seated too—but seemed to be looking around anxiously.
Then Knox realized why. Merida was missing.
He soon spotted the mint-haired girl asleep beneath a tree, curled up like a housecat. Knox stared, speechless, then raised his hand. With a flick of telekinesis, he gently lifted her—almost exactly like someone picking up a cat by the scruff.
Students stared in shock as the "mint-haired cat" drifted through the air.
Merida was quietly deposited behind Cindy on the same hippo. Cindy blinked, déjà vu hitting her hard, then noticed Knox casually waving. Realizing he was the culprit, she broke into a bright smile.
"Thank you, Knox!"
A few seconds later, Knox noticed another student struggling at the edge of the group—a sea-blue-haired girl who kept jumping and missing the hippo's back.
"…Isn't that Meilyn Villene?" he muttered.
He hopped over and landed on the hippo she was trying to climb.
Meilyn froze, sensing someone had just invaded "her territory." She looked up—and found Knox offering his hand with a gentle smile.
"Sorry, I hope I'm not overstepping—but do you need help?"
For a brief second, Meilyn spaced out, like she'd been hit by sunlight. Realizing it was Knox, her cheeks flushed before she quickly twisted her face back into classic tsundere mode.
"W-what do you think you're doing, Knox Aznable? Hmph. Do I look like I need help?"
"Yes," Knox answered without hesitation. "You've been jumping like a kid trying to grab a balloon."
He tilted his head. "It was kind of cute."
Her face went scarlet. "W-who are you calling cute?! I'm not a kid!"
"Hehe. My bad," Knox replied, sounding not sorry at all.
The TA's shout echoed across the field. "Alright, we're heading out!"
Meilyn panicked. Knox sighed lightly.
"Excuse me."
He stepped down beside her, slid an arm under her knees and back—and lifted her in a princess carry. With one clean jump, he landed back on the hippo and set her behind him.
Meilyn stared blankly for several seconds—processing… buffering… loading…
Then reality hit.
"What are you doing?!"
Knox chuckled. "Isn't that reaction a bit late?"
Before she could fire back, the TA smacked the lead hippo. With a thunderous cry, the herd began to run.
The hippos picked up speed instantly. Students clung on for dear life. Meilyn tried to speak again—but the sudden jolt swallowed her voice.
Knox glanced back and noticed her wobbling. He reached behind, grabbed her wrist, and gently pulled until she was pressed against his back.
She froze, short-circuited.
"Careful," Knox said calmly. "You'll fall. At least hold onto my clothes."
Embarrassed, Meilyn quietly obeyed, fingers gripping his jacket.
A soft whisper escaped her lips. "…So this is what a boy's back feels like…"
The vibrations rattled through their bodies. Calling it a "ride" felt generous — it was more like being shaken in a giant tin can.
One student screamed, "T-Teaching Assistant! I'm gonna fall! What do we hold on to?!"
"Anything!"
"It's too fast!"
"Perseverance! Endure it with sheer grit! This is part of your training!"
The TA balanced effortlessly on the running hippo, raising one arm like a conquering hero.
"Of course, if you fall off and get trampled, you'll probably die! At least one or two accidents happen every year, you know?"
"…What?"
The students froze in disbelief.
"Hold on! Hold on tight! If you can't even ride a hippo properly, you're not needed at Kizen!"
"Uwaaah!"
"Mommy!"
"Hey! Stop! Somebody stop this thing!"
While everyone else clung on in terror, Knox was laughing.
"Hahahahaha! This is fun!"
From behind him, Meilyn stared at his back.
For a moment, she felt as if she were seeing a completely different side of him — not the terrifying genius who always outpaced her in class, not the impossible wall she kept running into.
Right now, he looked… normal. Loud. Human.
And somehow, that annoyed feeling she usually carried around him softened just a little.
Maybe—just maybe—he wasn't so bad.
It was a class on the move, steeped in madness.
————————————
Character Voicelines · Knox: About Tsundere
Knox: Honestly, back in my previous life, after watching way too much anime, I ended up having mixed feelings about tsundere characters. To put it simply… it depends on how intense their tsundere level is.
Knox: As for Meilyn? She's probably still at the cute stage. You know—the type who turns her face away and says things like, "Vengeance will be mine!" Or something along the lines of "I'll remember this grudge."
Knox (glancing at Meilyn): Am I wrong, Eula Lawrence?
Meilyn:(・・?)