Chapter 361 - Public Discipline and Vengeance
A short while has passed since I gained leverage and a favor from the Student Council, and the academy's situation has completely transformed.
It wasn't just a change in atmosphere; the Student Council had brought about a true revolution.
Just the other day, an extraordinary student general assembly was held. As the first systemic change, a Public Discipline Committee was appointed.
The committee members are selected by the Student Council and have the right and duty to maintain order within the academy. To fulfill their role, they are granted strong authority, but in exchange, they face severe punishment if they commit any misconduct.
I wondered who would take on such a risk and work for students who aren't even their friends, but apparently, it wasn't like that at all.
Normally, only daughters of high-ranking nobility can join the Student Council, and because of the limited number of seats, only a few can enter. However, the new Public Discipline Committee position is technically a part of the Student Council. Keeping it within the council rather than forming a separate committee had significant meaning.
St. Esmeralda’s Girls' Academy is a prestigious institution among the elite in Berlyza. Belonging to the Student Council is a major honor that supposedly affects one’s future, including marriage prospects.
The committee members would likely still be drawn primarily from the high nobility, but since they needed a certain number of people, it was rumored the selection range would expand to the middle nobility. There were even rumors that if someone's problem-solving abilities were deemed exceptional, they might even be chosen from the lower nobility, causing quite a stir.
In reality, even a high-ranking noble couldn't fulfill their duties as a committee member if they had a withdrawn personality. If they truly intended for the new system to function, they had to choose based on aptitude rather than status. Given that the Student Council had established strict selection criteria, the right people should be appointed.
If they neglected what they’d decided, it would damage the Student Council’s reputation. They’d be sure to handle it properly.
With the drug trade behind the academy eradicated and the moves of people like the Ribbonstrat family—who sought to lead students into misdeeds—now quieted, the academy was changing.
If this went well, life guidance instructors would become unnecessary, and the students would maintain order themselves.
Everything was decided by the students themselves through the general assembly, led by Student Council President Ruth Cleados. Publicly, this would surely be praised as a wonderful reform, and the Headmaster had high expectations.
I hadn't said a word about what the reforms should be, but the Student Council apparently kept their promise to me. Implementation is just beginning, and there will surely be delinquents who rebel. But they implemented a reform they came up with themselves. I’ll consider it a job well done and be satisfied for now.
With this, I might consider Mission One—the restoration of discipline—mostly achieved.
If the need for a 'bad' instructor decreases, it’s for the best for everyone. I’m busy enough as it is, so I welcome the reduced burden. If they end up being useless committee members, though, I’ll be truly disappointed.
In any case, there’s no point in criticizing them before they start. Little ones, give it your best effort.
Now, for Mission Two. I’ll work hard to ensure the path to our 'vengeance' is secure.
The Magic Doll Club was lively today, thanks to the successful purchase of new magic dolls and the practice sessions using them.
Until now, they’d been forced to use extremely difficult second-generation magic dolls, which had inevitably sharpened their mana sensing and manipulation skills. Now, the magic dolls operated by the members showed no sluggishness, demonstrating the high performance of the new models to the fullest.
"Instructor Evilbanshee, basic training is finished. We’re moving on to mock battles!"
I nodded silently, watching the practice.
Objectively speaking, they had grown to a decent level for students. My sister’s and Harriet-san’s advice during daily practice had been quite effective. Furthermore, the new member, the curly-haired girl, had brought an unexpectedly positive effect to the club.
When a delinquent showed her high magical skills, not just the other new students but also the original members couldn't just sit idly by. Their competitive spirit was stimulated, and they put more heat into their practice.
Thanks to these positive aspects, it seemed they had mostly made up for their previous slacking. I could acknowledge the results of their efforts so far.
The powerhouse school we had a practice match with before... was it Glams Academy? At the very least, in terms of magic doll manipulation, I felt they were no longer inferior to the students there.
Once they were on par with a powerhouse school, they were doing well. I’d forbidden matches with other schools since that practice match, but it might be a good time to test their skills.
Last time, the match was based on the premise of defeat, but it was about time they learned the taste of victory.
While it was wonderful that there was no stagnation in practice thanks to their internal competition, achieving victory as a group would be an exceptional joy and experience.
It was also a good time for a match with another school to uncover new problems. They needed to gain real combat experience in anticipation of the main event in early autumn.
I waited for the mock battles to reach a stopping point before calling the Captain over.
"Hamyra-san, arrange a practice match for as soon as possible. You're all eager to test your skills, aren't you?"
"Yes! We were just getting excited talking about which school we wanted to face after practice."
"Your enthusiasm is good. I’ll leave the selection of the opponent to you, but keep it to a mid-tier school this time."
"Would a championship candidate not be better?"
Their thorough practice seemed to have given them confidence. Their desire for a stronger opponent showed they were truly my students. Excellent.
However, what I wanted them to experience now was the taste of victory. A narrow victory would be even more effective, but I didn't want a defeat to dampen their motivation or confidence. They’d already experienced using the frustration of loss to aim higher, so I wanted them to go for a win in this practice match.
"That wouldn't be bad, but take it in stages. What you lack is combat experience. Even against a mid-tier school, you'll gain plenty of it. You won't find it lacking."
"If you say so, Instructor, I’ll look for candidates among the mid-tier schools."
"Good. Then let’s increase the training intensity for the match."
"Intensity?"
"I’m raising the level of mana sensing and manipulation I require. If you want to get stronger than you are now, this is necessary."
Everything has an order. I could consider that the club members had reached the level I initially set. So, we move to the next stage.
While the Captain had gained confidence from her improved skills, she was still short of the level where she could boast of 'vengeance.'
It was fine that they were on par with powerhouses, but I couldn't have them being satisfied with just that. I wanted them to pull ahead significantly.
And they did say they wanted victory when I became their advisor.
They desired something that wasn't easily obtained and pledged to put in the effort.
Now, I shall respond to that enthusiasm. I’ll give them the next step as a reward for their efforts so far. Yes, this is where it truly begins.
First, I’ll take them back to the start. Since they’ve gotten a bit better and seem to be getting cocky, I’ll set a new goal for them. This is separate from victory or defeat in external matches. They must overcome themselves.
"Tell everyone: you’ve only just reached the starting line. Understand that your goal is still far off. Things will be strict from tomorrow, so be ready."
"...That is exactly what we want!"
They seemed to remember the performance I showed them when I first came to the club, using the second-generation doll.
Compared to that transcendent technique, the skill they’d gained that gave them a bit of confidence was like child's play. If they could get even better, the effort would be worth it.
From the next day’s practice, we returned to emphasizing basic training as we had in the beginning, spending time on mana sensing and manipulation. It was a complete retraining.
Even if it seemed like a detour compared to combat-style practice, it was necessary to move forward. The basics are critical and the key to progress. Even the immature club members should understand that.
"These are infinitesimal points of mana that I’ve tuned so they’re just barely beyond your current sensing ability. I’ve placed several on the dolls. If you concentrate, you will surely find at least one, so find the first one first. Once you do, try to create an identical infinitesimal point. Sensing and manipulation are more difficult the smaller they are. Every time you clear this, you will surely level up. No matter how tedious it is, if you overcome this, you will become stronger. Your goal for the first one is sunset tomorrow. Put your heart into it."
"Yes!"
I had created infinitesimal points for each member’s magic doll, tailored to their respective levels.
The room fell quiet, like a group in zazen meditation, as they concentrated. While combat techniques and tactics are important in magic doll battles, I was having them retrain from the absolute basics. I prepared appropriate challenges for my sister and Harriet-san so they wouldn't be bored, either.
This quiet time for concentration was also perfect for my own training.
I created an ultra-microscopic shield that no one would notice and carved ultra-fine geometric patterns and pseudo-magic circles onto it. It was my original advanced training method that allowed me to simultaneously strengthen various magical skills and my power of visualization. I performed three of these in parallel to further improve my multi-tasking skills.
And all while monitoring the club members through their mana movements. I wouldn't be an advisor if I only focused on myself.
Ideally, I would do this while moving my body, but considering I was at club activities, I should refrain from such extravagant training.
Oh, I felt a slight movement of mana from the Captain.
There were several mana points I’d hidden in the dolls, with varying degrees of intensity. Some were easier to find than others, and it seemed the Captain had quickly found the first one. She was already trying to create an identical one with her mana manipulation.
Although I’d set the difficulty to be roughly the same for everyone, the reason she was so fast was likely due to her depth of understanding and extraordinary concentration. However, it wouldn't be easy to create an infinitesimal point equivalent to the ones I made.
Any trained mana user could put a small point of mana somewhere. But when it came to an 'infinitesimal point' that was barely visible to the naked eye, it was a different story. Just a tiny bit of excess output would make the point too large. This was a high-difficulty mana operation that required both delicacy and precision.
Fine and accurate. Without this, one cannot fill a magic doll with mana without a single gap or inconsistency.
A magic doll filled with mana in a perfect state can be moved exactly as intended. You won't experience sluggish movements or frustration. You can immediately reflect split-second decisions onto the doll, and if you can use exactly the amount of mana required without wasting any, your endurance will also increase.
The other schools are likely doing similar practice, but the advisor here at St. Esmeralda’s is me. There is no other instructor who has developed the Body-Soul Transfiguration magic and can teach the techniques derived from it to others.
If the St. Esmeralda’s Magic Doll Club can master this practice method that is one step ahead, they should surely be able to achieve their 'vengeance.' It wouldn't really be a restoration of honor if they only won while I was their advisor. They have to work hard.
I, the terrifying advisor, sat firmly and watched them for about two hours.
After a practice where I used my silent pressure to force them to concentrate even after they’d reached their limits, the members were very energetic and quick to recover once they had a short break, thanks to their youth and enthusiasm.
"Sigurdnot-san, Harriet-san, I’m sorry, but could you stay for a bit and give everyone some advice?"
"Of course, Captain Hamyra. I don't mind at all. Right, Harriet-san?"
"Naturally. I’ll help as much as I can as a club member."
"Thank you. Edith-san, can you stay too? I want to study other schools' tactics even a little more."
"Hmph. You were so noisy about it, so I went and looked them up for you."
"Oh, Edith-san, nice!"
"Those impressive curls aren't just for show."
"You're being too familiar, all of you! Who do you think I—"
After practice, the members were working on various things on their own initiative. They were so enthusiastic I was worried about their schoolwork and had to caution them about that.
The delinquent with the curls seemed to be fitting in quite well; despite her haughty words, she was clearly finding it fulfilling.
After school was for mana sensing and manipulation, and night practice was for combat techniques and tactics. Some were even doing independent practice in the morning.
Since not everyone could make it to the club every day, I had them follow up with each other to foster teamwork and solidarity.
Considering there was still time until the main event, they would surely become even stronger than I imagined. They were an exciting bunch.