Like intelligence operatives everywhere, Krasilof's agents shared a peculiar trait: nowhere to be found when you looked for them, yet dimly visible somewhere in your field of vision when you wanted to ignore them. (Droan was an exception.)

Thus, despite scouring the campus over and over with bloodshot eyes, Isabelle and the other three students never managed to find Ivan. This was on the first day of the new semester.

"Seriously, he's always somewhere staring holes through us! Why is he nowhere to be found the moment we actually look for him?!"

"Eshi, calm down a little. Elpihera, what about tracking magic?"

"I'm using it! No matter what I try, I can't even sense him!"

"Maybe he's not even on campus?"

"No, he's definitely somewhere around here..."

Elpihera kept her eyes squeezed shut, reciting spell after spell. She had experienced Ivan's mana several times already, so a short-range tracking spell should not have been particularly difficult.

And yet, he was definitely nearby... As Elpihera scowled, Lundis, munching on a waffle beside her, piped up cheerfully.

"Oh, that's probably because of something my dad gave him!"

"Your dad?"

"Yes! Hehe! Even pointy-ears are helpless before the wisdom of our great ancestors, it seems! It's a spell-warping stone! Throw it, and it destroys magic! Just carrying it provides a certain amount of magical protection, too! Isn't that amazing?"

"Why would he give him something like that...?"

"Oh, that's a bit of a long story. Once upon a time..."

Lundis began explaining the great ancestors' traditional wedding customs and marriage gifts. Everyone in the Hero's Party ignored her and began scanning their surroundings.

"All right. Elpihera's useless now. What do we do? Can we try the Droan solution, Eshi?"

"Uh... my homeland's solution? What's that?"

"If we start a fire, anyone hiding will have to come out."

"Why would that be my homeland's..."

Was it? If someone stabbed the Jarl and ran off to hide, she did seem to remember all the villagers swarming out and setting fire to the area first. It was part of a traditional pastime. (Anyone caught that way usually moved on to another traditional pastime. The blood eagle was the most popular choice.)

As Esidisi quietly lowered her head in troubled contemplation, Oscar came into view in the distance. As usual, he was practically buried in women and being force-fed snacks.

"Oscar! Have you seen mister?"

"Ah, Miss Isabelle. I was looking for you about that, actually. Have you seen the course listings? Some strange classes have been added."

"Strange classes?"

"Go to the lobby of the Knight Department's first-year building. No, actually, let's go together."

Ignoring the protests of the women surrounding him, Oscar joined the Hero's Party.

* * *

[General Education Elective: Demon Studies and Countermeasures]

[Professor: Ivan Petrovich Yeremov]

[5 Credits. P/F Grading]

"Mister's a professor now? And why is an elective worth five credits? Pass/fail, too? Doesn't that mean you just have to show up?"

"Wait, look at that. There's another one."

At Elpihera's words, Isabelle turned her head. Among the schedules and syllabi plastered across the noticeboard, she found the familiar name again.

[General Education Elective: Basic Survival Skills]

[Professor: Ivan Petrovich Yeremov]

[5 Credits. P/F Grading]

"Good grief, he's teaching two classes? Ten credits total? Does he have two bodies or something?"

"Judging by Sir Yeremov's usual behavior, perhaps he simply doesn't sleep..."

Esidisi nodded at Oscar's remark. It was hard to argue.

[General Education Elective: Human Anatomy and Mana]

[Professor: Ivan Petrovich Yeremov]

[5 Credits. P/F Grading]

"Fifteen credits?! We could complete more than half our required credits just by taking all of mister's classes?"

"Wait, Isabelle. Something's wrong."

"Huh?"

"A trap... Isn't this a trap?"

"Where'd that come from?"

Elpihera surveyed the Hero's Party with a grave expression. Except for Lundis, everyone present had effectively been forced to 'complete' those courses during the first week of their vacation.

Understanding demons? He had thrown them into the middle of a band of orcs, supposedly to teach them how to fight orcs.

Survival skills? He had driven them into a trap-filled forest and tormented them day and night.

Human Anatomy and Mana? She could just picture him putting bullets into students while saying, "Getting hit here hurts. Getting hit there hurts even more"!

The group fell silent at Elpihera's words. She wasn't wrong. In fact, no other explanation seemed possible. They couldn't even imagine Ivan opening a textbook at the lectern and giving an ordinary lecture.

"Wait, so he used our bodies to test out the material for next semester?"

"Let's not imagine anything that awful, Bella. That's too depressing..."

"Can't you all picture Sir Yeremov saying, 'Hmm. Rational,' to that?"

"I can't argue with that..."

Oscar tilted his head slightly and responded to Elpihera.

"What's wrong with all of you? Wasn't that a really useful course? If these classes teach exactly what we've already been through, aren't we basically getting a semester's credits for free? We've studied ahead."

"It's so nice how positive he is."

"Have you lost your mind, Oscar?"

"What? Why? I liked the course. I gained a lot from it, and learned a lot, too."

"How nice it is that he's so positive."

Isabelle ignored the sparkle in Oscar's eyes. Come to think of it, he'd received the most traditional knightly education Thilles had to offer. Camping in the woods and killing orcs might well have been part of his basic curriculum.

Just then, Lundis's eyes lit up.

"Wow, so we get to meet him in person and take his lessons for fifteen hours every week? I'm signing up!"

"...?"

"...!"

"...?!"

At Lundis's declaration, the three exchanged looks. They scanned the syllabi in unison. Each of the three classes was scheduled on a different day. In other words, they could spend at least five hours with Ivan on three days every week.

They looked at each other again. Despite their different eye colors and shapes, all three gazes were remarkably alike.

'If any one of them takes these classes...'

'These girls could be flirting with Uncle every week?'

'Even if we all take the classes, there's no way a human can beat an elf at dog training, is there?'

They had fifteen credits and Ivan to gain (no, they didn't), and nothing to lose but their chains.

All three smiled sweetly and slipped the syllabi into their bags at the same instant. The movement was so swift and stealthy that Counterintelligence Command agents would have applauded.

"That's a lot of credits! And Oscar isn't wrong. We've all studied ahead, haven't we?"

"Exactly! And survival skills? That's a hobby back in Droan!"

"Well, they are electives. Shall we sit through orientation before deciding?"

Exchanging warm smiles, the three headed for the lecture building.

* * *

"A pleasure to meet you."

The classroom fell silent at the voice, which conveyed no pleasure whatsoever.

The man behind the fifteen credits, currently the focus of every first-year student's attention across all departments, stepped onto the podium.

His tall, solid frame made even a plain coat look stylish. Countless scars stood out on the strong hands peeking from beneath his cuffs.

His stance at the lectern was a picture-perfect attention. His piercing blue gaze never wavered. Beneath it was a thick beard, neatly trimmed but long. He looked like an officer who had stepped straight out of wartime propaganda. (He was.)

He began writing on the blackboard behind the lectern. Crisp, angular lettering slid across its surface.

TAP, TAP.

"My name is Ivan Petrovich Yeremov. If you have heard of me, you may have seen me at the recent tournament."

The students murmured. The tournament hosted by the Princess herself had been Prizhenkaya's biggest event just before summer vacation. Naturally, everyone present had attended.

"That Black Knight?" "The Butcher?" "The Human Tank?" Voices rippled through the students. Ivan continued without bothering to stop them.

"I will not introduce myself. It serves no purpose. I will not hear your introductions. They would serve no purpose."

Finishing in his flat tone, Ivan turned to continue writing. White letters spread across the blackboard.

CLICK, CLACK.

"In this course, I will teach you Demon Studies and Countermeasures. I trust you all checked the course title before coming. Accordingly, I will not elaborate."

Ivan surveyed the students again. Some watched him with interest; others yawned in boredom. No one seemed serious about the course itself.

That was only to be expected. They were children who had never experienced war. It was natural, too. Thinking back to his days as Kim Seonwoo, a high-credit general education course had simply been a time to show up and sleep.

But that would not do. Unlike South Korea, where war had been something that happened in distant countries, war in this world was a shadow. Something you could not shake off, hide from, or escape. Something that always clung to your back and followed, growing ever larger.

Ivan pressed his hands firmly against the desk and continued.

"All demons with a physical form share one weakness. Does anyone know what it is?"

"..."

He had never expected an answer. He nodded calmly and continued.

"Remove their heads from their bodies, and they die."

"Pfft!"

Laughter spread among the students. Their looks seemed to say, Is that man actually making a joke? It didn't suit him. Ivan continued bluntly.

"It is obvious. But it is also the truth. Every kind of demon has different characteristics, a different threat level, different habits, and different tactics. In this course, you will learn to separate their heads from their bodies regardless of those differences."

"Any questions?" At Ivan's words, a student shot his hand up. Ivan gestured with his chin, and the large young man spoke with a smirk.

"I'd like to know about your credentials, Professor! Have you ever fought 'every kind of demon,' as you put it?"

Laughter erupted among the students. Jansk University was renowned for the quality of its lectures, but everyone here was a noble's child. Naturally, they were gifted students who had already completed their basic education on their family estates.

To such students, a professor was ultimately just a salaried worker, apart from a few very famous names. A professor could never command much authority at a school for nobles.

Most nobles of this era belonged to the ranks of senior officers with military experience. It was a feature of feudalism. Nobles who led private armies into war—especially those who 'survived'—had enjoyed unprecedented authority since the last war.

And this institution had painstakingly gathered only the finest from among those nobles throughout the United Kingdoms.

In these students' eyes, Ivan's public identity amounted to no more than 'the third son of a newly established northern viscountal house.' The recent tournament had already made that well known.

A newly established viscountal house was ultimately just a band of mercenaries with military achievements. A third son was a knight-errant, pushed down the succession and driven out of his family's lands. In short, nothing but a lowly sellsword.

In these circumstances, even being a professor could not earn him the students' respect. This was practically an open contest of wills. They intended to break in the new instructor before the semester got underway and enjoy an easy course.

Naturally, none of that mattered to Ivan.

"Every kind that can be fought."

From goblin slaves to the Seven Dragon Generals. Every kind.

"I have killed them at least once."

Ivan regarded the student with deep-set eyes. Startled by his presence, the young man who had raised his hand sat down.

Silence settled once more. No one was merely idling away the time in boredom now. For a moment, that answer, reeking of iron, frightened them.

Fear of this sort tended to evaporate quickly. Having been responsible for training recruits, Ivan put little faith in fear born from words alone. He preferred to take up an axe and pistol instead. This course would be much the same.

"Any other questions?"

"Um... I have a question!"

A student hesitantly raised his hand. The short young man looked at the syllabus as he asked,

"The syllabus only lists practical sessions. How do we learn about demon habits through practical work...? It's not as though you can get hold of demons, is it...?"

"A good question."

Ivan gave a brief nod. Watching him, Isabelle clenched her fists nervously and swallowed. She had a bad feeling about this.

"I will play the role of the demons in every class."

"... Pardon?"

"Through me, you will learn their habits and how to counter them. Any other questions?"

"Uh... um. I don't quite understand..."

"If there are no questions, that concludes the course introduction. Wear clothes that are easier to move in next week. There is no need to come armed. Weapons will be issued."

Ivan cut the conversation short and left.

In the cold silence, Esidisi whispered into Isabelle's ear.

"I knew it."

"I'm going to... look into some ways to sneak across the border. So we can flee the country with mister at a moment's notice if he massacres the noble kids..."

Judging by what he'd said, that was no joke. He wasn't even someone who knew how to joke in the first place. Wasn't someone really going to die?

Isabelle picked up her bag, troubled.

This was only Ivan's first class. Since he had fifteen hours of teaching to get through each week, she would face him again at another course orientation the very next day.