NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 89
The experience of defeating a Large Monster had given the students a huge sense of pride.
Was that why?
Catching the second Large Monster wasn’t too hard either.
“I bet my father is proud of me now!!”
Normally, Ludwig would have called him ‘Your Majesty’, but in his excitement, he referred to the Emperor as ‘father’.
And he wasn’t the only one excited.
Other students were wrapped up in the thrill of having defeated a Large Monster.
“Teacher! Let’s go hunt another Large Monster!!”
“I feel like I could win against anything right now!!”
Even the usually calm Eiffel couldn’t hide his excitement.
You little rascals.
Is it really that great?
But I wasn’t planning to rush off to hunt another Large Monster just because they wanted to.
The truth is, even though everyone was pumped up from the victory, they were all surely exhausted.
“Let’s call it a day and return to base.”
“Aww…”
Everyone looked disappointed at my words.
But perhaps out of respect for my orders, they all obediently returned to the base.
“Let’s rest well today, and we’ll move out tomorrow. I’ll take the night watch, so don’t worry about anything else and just sleep.”
“Teacher, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, really. I didn’t do much.”
I thought I’d step in if any problems arose, but the kids fought way better than I expected.
Thanks to that, I was able to rest easy, so taking the night watch would be the least I could do.
“I didn’t do much either, so how about we do the night watch together?”
“I-I also…”
“What are you talking about? You two managed to defeat the Large Monster, which is why we were able to do individual attacks.”
“That’s right! Saint Sister! How can you say you did nothing!”
“Reina, you were amazing too! That multi-magic was just… incredible!”
Students gathered around Sowol and Reina, who approached me.
Unable to stop the kids from chattering, the two forced a smile and waved at me.
As I watched the kids enter their tents, I sat down in front of the campfire.
Looking at the crackling fire, I pondered the future.
Once the defeat of the Large Monster was complete and we received the Hall of Glory, Angela would start to make her moves.
Could the kids stand against Angela and the special forces of the Magic Empire with their current level?
Of course, if Sowol, Reina, and I joined in, we could easily crash them down.
But Angela would probably be aware of this.
If so, the enemies she gathers would surely be much stronger than those encountered in the original game.
So, what kind of foes would show up?
The Chimera from the final chapter? Or perhaps the bosses that appeared during fights?
Maybe something entirely different would emerge.
Could the kids really win against such enemies?
No, would Angela even show up?
Crack!
The twig in my hand snapped.
Confirming my anxiety, I tossed the shattered twig into the campfire and closed my eyes.
“Why are you out here instead of sleeping?”
“I felt like Master was worried.”
Sowol, who had walked softly, naturally sat beside me.
She wasn’t just someone who looked cool; she had picked up on my concerns.
“You always used to be this way.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Ever since I was little, you seemed to feel fear like a lost child.”
A lost child.
That wasn’t entirely wrong.
After all, I was moving in a world that wasn’t mine.
[Observe the True Ending]
[Reward: Return]
[※Time in the real world doesn’t flow while you’re in this world.]
[※If you die in this world, you will also die in reality.]
I looked at the window that only I could see.
Could I really return upon seeing the true ending?
Or could I even manage to see the true ending?
What if my kids got hurt or died along the way?
The difficulty of the true ending is never easy.
This means my students might be in danger while pursuing the true ending.
No matter how good it may seem for everyone, is it really right to wish for the kids to sacrifice themselves?
I don’t know.
I don’t even know if I’m doing things right.
“Master.”
I felt warmth in my hand.
Looking up, I saw Sowol holding my hand.
That’s just like her.
Even if she would complain out loud, she always believed in my words and followed them.
“Meeting you might be my greatest fortune.”
“Oh my? Did you just realize that? Hehe. I’m glad you finally got it. Now, please fill this out.”
What’s this? The thing Sowol held out was a Marriage Registration Form.
“…You carry this around all the time?”
“Who knows when something might happen in the world? I’ve got it all written, so all you have to do is sign.”
“Hahaha. This girl. Hahaha.”
I ruffled Sowol’s hair.
She complained about her carefully arranged hair getting messed up, but didn’t reject my touch.
I snatched the Marriage Registration Form from her and tucked it away.
“Isn’t it too early for someone like you to be carrying something like this? It’s confiscated. Confiscated.”
“Oh ho ho ho! I have another copy!”
…What a scary girl.
“Anyway, I don’t know what worries you have, but we—I mean, I’ll follow whatever decision you make, Master.”
“Well, I hope you’ll at least put away that Marriage Registration Form nicely.”
“Ah, except that one. I can agree to everything else! Even your perverted desires.”
“What?! Perverted? Where would you find a gentleman like me!”
“Hmm? I could’ve sworn I saw you peeking at my chest here and there?”
“I-I swear to the heavens I never did such a thing.”
“Master, when you lie, you should at least lick your lips.”
What a sharp girl.
How did she know?
I can’t help it; I’m a man and my eyes wander to beautiful women with good bodies.
“You’re a really strange person. I don’t understand why you keep rejecting me. What are you so afraid of?”
“I feel like I’m not worthy of becoming the partner of the great Saint.”
At my words, Sowol beamed. Then she pulled my hand and gently kissed the back of it as she looked up at me.
“So I’m saying that I’ll accept you!”
What a never-ending conversation.
Instead of answering that cheeky grin, I shifted my gaze back to the campfire.
Sowol giggled at me and then stood up.
“Anyway, think about it carefully. I believe that if it’s you, Master, you can stand beside me.”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“And I would really like to know why you keep rejecting me.”
“I’ll think it over.”
I watched her head towards the tent and waved goodbye.
.
.
.
The next day, and the day after, the defeat of the Large Monsters continued.
Having done it once already, the hunts weren’t too hard.
I had promising students.
After finishing the final monster without any serious injuries, everyone was likely too tired and just plopped down on the ground.
“If anyone’s hurt, come to me~.”
I raised my hand to heal them, but only Arisha approached me.
Bouncing over with a bright smile, Arisha said, “I’m hurt here!”
“…Are you really hurt?”
With a sly grin, she slightly opened her chest area.
Her perky, ample chest was seductively inviting.
As I turned my gaze away, Arisha gleefully laughed and pulled my hand to guide it between her chest.
“Uh-huh! I think I’m hurt here a lot!”
“Hey. This is sexual harassment.”
“Huh? I’m just a kid, so I don’t know well?”
This little rascal!
I quickly pulled my hand back, and Arisha laughed even more.
Is this how you tease an adult?
“Ow ow ow~! Ouch ouch~!”
I grabbed Arisha’s head tightly with the Iron Claw.
As she burst into laughter and squealed, Reina sighed and took care of Arisha.
“Alright, let’s head back now.”
Now all that’s left is to face Angela and her crew after securing the Hall of Glory.
Once we returned to the capital, the king, who was waiting for us, greeted us with a smile.
In his hand, he held the chest we had seen before.
“You did well, Lee Hyun Instructor.”
“What have I done? The kids did all the work.”
“Haha! Leading everyone is still a significant effort. Now, here is the promised reward.”
I received the box containing the Hall of Glory on behalf of everyone.
Now this would be used as A-class treasure to either lend out to students when going on requests or during battles.
“I’ve prepared a meal for everyone, so eat to your heart’s content!!”
We recovered our strength by enjoying a meal provided by the royal palace.
With everyone well-fed, we could consider the fatigue built from fighting the Large Monsters completely recovered.
There were no injuries, and morale was decent.
At this rate, facing Angela wouldn’t be too difficult.
“Be careful on the way back.”
Once we finished eating and stepped out of the palace, I warned the students.
The kids looked puzzled, but no one asked questions.
It’s nice and quiet.
We arrived at the place with the Dimension Magic Circle with the kids in tow, and Sowol approached me, placing her hand on her sword’s hilt.
“Master.”
“S-sensei, the atmosphere here feels… strange.”
Instead of the mages who should be near the Dimension Magic Circle, figures shrouded in black robes appeared.
Just as Reina gripped her magical staff tightly, someone in a black suit spoke softly.
“Hand over the Hall of Glory.”
The one clad in black armor spoke.
Of course, I refused, and as if expecting it, the armored figure raised a hand.
“They’re coming.”
With his signal, dozens of hidden figures began to reveal themselves. There were about a hundred of them. Each one was formidable.
Are these the special forces of the Magic Empire?
As one of the hooded figures stepped forward, I heard a low scream from one of the students. Naturally, it was because the figure was grotesquely twisted inside the robe.
A Chimera.
An elite-grade enemy that appears in the later chapters.
“Lee Hyun. I’ve heard much about you. Are you not interested in joining our Magic Empire army?”
With a voice that sounded like grinding stone, the armored figure offered me the opportunity to surrender, and I smiled as I shook my head.
“No, thank you.”
“….”
“Angela.”
My shoulders trembled.
The armored figure stared at me intently and slowly removed his helmet.
What was exposed was beige hair.
I could hear some of the students gasp in shock upon revealing the identity of the armored figure.
“…Since when have you known? No, how much do you know?”
Gone was the usual kind demeanor, replaced by a sinister expression as she questioned me. I shrugged my shoulders.
“I’ve known since the beginning…”
As I finished my words, I unleashed the Moonlight Island, revealing everything.
“I know everything.”