The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 183
Vikarm Niflheim.
A third-rate villain expelled from both his noble house and the academy for ambushing the Third Princess.
Ironically, I’ve returned to Jerion Academy in this very form.
And as a special instructor, no less.
Today is my first day on the job.
“……My little sister is gone.”
A sense of despair radiated from Iris.
She had hoped to call me “oppa” in Hannon’s form, but Hannon herself had vanished.
Perhaps that’s why she stared at me with lonely eyes.
“You’re an instructor now.”
“Oppa.”
“They said you’re an instructor.”
“Oppa.”
Iris showed no intention of backing down.
A shame, but there was no helping it.
After all, Iris had been the one who helped me the most in this matter.
The moment she heard my request, she sprang into action.
If things went wrong, I could’ve been expelled to another academy just a day after making friends.
Iris had no intention of standing by and letting that happen.
That’s why she immediately issued orders left and right.
First, my pardon was secured.
During the recent boycott incident, Vikarm had been the one deployed to root out corruption within Jerion Academy.
Because of this achievement, I was granted clemency.
Though I couldn’t return as a student after being expelled, arrangements were made for me to re-enter as a special instructor.
Professor Veganorn also played a part in this.
As the longest-serving faculty member at Jerion Academy, her decisions rarely faced opposition.
Thus, I was able to safely resume my duties as an instructor at Jerion Academy.
Today was my first day on the job.
Hania, ever perceptive, even spread rumors to smooth things over.
“Consider it repayment for helping Lady Iris all this time.”
She made it sound like no big deal.
My ex-girlfriend is the best.
As I headed toward the martial arts classroom, I felt gazes on me.
Men and women alike stared, their eyes wide with shock.
Vikarm’s appearance was striking enough to draw attention.
It was a kind of attention I’d never experienced before.
Especially from the female students—their looks were entirely different from before.
When I locked eyes with one, she gaped at me, dazed.
Unfortunately, I felt no particular sense of superiority.
‘I used to think it’d be nice to live just one day as a handsome man.’
But love had shattered, lust had crumbled, and even the thrill of superiority had faded.
As a result, strutting around with a handsome face brought me no joy.
How sad.
But even that sadness was faint.
Proof that the last remnants of emotion were slipping away.
Still, I couldn’t remove the Veil’s bandages.
The Winter Palace’s coldest day is in winter.
Meaning, a year would pass after January.
Vikarm’s birthday was January 2nd.
Once his birthday passed, he’d officially become an adult.
In the end, the Veil’s bandages were fated to remain.
Not that it would change anything—so it wasn’t a big deal.
I’d planned to keep them on for another year anyway.
“Huh? Y-You…?”
As I walked, I ran into a familiar face in the hallway.
Isabel was there.
With her close friend Rina by her side, she looked utterly bewildered upon seeing me.
Of course—I’d suddenly appeared in Vikarm’s form.
“Ah, it’s Senior Vikarm.”
Rina also recognized me, her eyes widening.
“Hey, Isabel. Long time no see.”
“Long time?”
Isabel’s eyes turned perfectly round.
I walked past her without another word.
Tap-tap!
Soon after, hurried footsteps sounded behind me.
Isabel had rushed ahead, leaving Rina behind.
“You—don’t tell me you’re the one who got sent to Phanices.”
“Yeah, that’s right. His Excellency Cheonhye-gong started taking issue with me.”
“What? Huh?”
Isabel looked dumbfounded.
At the same time, she grabbed my arm and shouted:
“How can you say that so casually?!”
She seemed determined to burst my eardrums.
Cheonhye-gong was connected to the Demon Lord.
Her reaction implied I had no idea how dangerous it was to be targeted by him.
“Of course it’s dangerous, but I’ve done things to deserve it. Can’t be helped.”
“That doesn’t mean you should just accept it so calmly!”
Even so, my reaction must’ve been too indifferent.
Isabel stared at me with anxious eyes.
She had already lost two precious people before.
If something happened to me, Isabel might never recover.
Looking into her eyes, I finally realized:
‘……I’ve been acting wrong.’
Somehow, my sense of crisis had truly shattered.
“……I should’ve locked you up after all.”
But her next words made that sense of crisis surge back.
Apparently, it wasn’t completely dead yet.
“Isabel, don’t worry. Like I said, clashing with Cheonhye-gong was something I prepared for.”
“……Just who are you?”
“We’ll be late for class.”
Before she could say more, I quickly walked ahead.
Isabel sighed and followed.
As we moved, a familiar bald spot came into view.
Well-maintained and gleaming under the sunlight, it was truly impressive.
“Seron.”
“Huh?”
Hearing her name, Seron turned her head.
The moment our eyes met, she froze solid.
It was the expression of someone facing a person they never expected to see.
“Uh, uh, uh—”
She seemed unable to form words.
Seron stared blankly, mouth agape.
Drool practically dripped from her lips.
“Good morning.”
“G-Good! Good morning!”
She must’ve bitten her tongue mid-sentence—her pronunciation was off.
“……Why, why do you look like that?”
What kind of tone was that?
Seron creaked like a broken doll.
She was completely broken.
Guess I’d used her for too long.
“So, do you hate it?”
I grinned.
Seron slumped over, burying her face in her hands.
“……I love it.”
Good to hear.
At that moment, I felt a sharp gaze on my back.
“You—no, Instructor Vikarm.”
Just as Isabel’s icy voice sent a chill down my spine—
Another familiar face appeared ahead.
Her navy-blue hair fluttered as if she’d rushed over in a hurry.
Beneath it, her starry eyes met mine.
“Oh, Sharin.”
I greeted her cheerfully.
I’d planned to tell her about Hannon later, but she showed up just in time.
Then, Sharin’s cheeks puffed up rapidly.
“You’re in trouble.”
Before I could process her words—
Her body shot toward me like a bullet.
A human was flying at me.
Instinctively, I moved to catch her, but Sharin stretched her head forward instead.
Bam!
A headbutt to the chest sent me tumbling to the ground.
With that much momentum, there was no avoiding it.
Sharin, having knocked me over, placed her hands on her hips and snorted.
Then, with a hmph, she turned and walked away.
The students watched in shock.
I, too, wore a look of utter confusion.
“What was that about?”
Just then, Iris appeared with Hania in tow.
She tilted her head, observing me and the scene.
“Oppa, why are you on the ground like that?”
Her next words made the surrounding students gasp.
“Huh? O-O-Oppa?!”
Isabel was the most stunned of all.
Seron remained frozen, still broken.
Iris smiled sweetly at me.
To anyone watching, it was clear she was addressing me.
“Something came up.”
As I mumbled my excuse, Iris raised an eyebrow slightly.
But she soon decided to let it go.
Isabel still looked dumbfounded.
The fact that Iris knew my identity—and the sheer destructive power of the word oppa—seemed to hit hard.
“Instructor Vikarm, get up.”
Meanwhile, Hania offered me a hand.
“Thanks, Student Hania.”
As I took her hand and stood, she whispered discreetly:
“Just checking—you did tell Sharin your real identity by now, right?”
Ah.
Now I knew why Sharin was angry.
＊ ＊ ＊
After that, I successfully completed my duties at Jerion Academy.
To be honest, there wasn’t much to do.
Teaching the students was ultimately Professor Veganorn’s job.
My role mostly involved fetching items she occasionally requested.
But there was one upside.
Today, the female students were unusually focused in class.
The male students, though? Not so much.
Because of this, my situation wasn’t much different from when I was Hannon.
Professor Veganorn conducted classes with me included, after all.
‘Typical of Professor Veganorn.’
No matter the circumstances, a student was a student.
She treated everyone the same.
If nothing else, I was reminded of how sincerely she cared for her students.
‘Even after learning I’m Vikarm, she didn’t point it out and simply understood.’
From Veganorn’s perspective, I was someone who had deceived the academy itself to return.
Yet she embraced me anyway.
“Consider it an evaluation of everything you’ve done until now. You’ve never neglected my assignments.”
“Even if you’re a bit eccentric, I know your diligence is genuine.”
“Professor, should I give you a kiss as thanks?”
“Try it if you want to be expelled again.”
Thankfully, I avoided expulsion.
And so, I became an instructor who wasn’t really an instructor.
Perhaps due to Vikarm’s dramatic return after causing trouble, student interest was at an all-time high.
Even rumors about students leaving for the Phanices Kingdom were overshadowed.
“Instructor Vikarm!”
“Have lunch with us!”
Lunchtime, in particular, was chaotic.
Not just martial arts students—those from other departments swarmed me, begging to eat together.
“What? You’re from the magic department!”
“So what? Instructor Vikarm was originally from the magic department! Can’t juniors visit their senior?”
First-years, second-years—it didn’t matter. The place was packed.
Thankfully, no third-years joined in.
They already knew who Vikarm had loved, so they kept their distance.
“……Vikarm’s back.”
“Still as handsome as ever.”
“He probably returned because of Nikita.”
“How tragic.”
From afar, the third-years watched me with complex expressions.
Amid the crowd, I spotted Seron.
She stood alone with Eve, her eyes darting nervously.
Her expression was unmistakably troubled.
With her cards gone and only Eve by her side, Seron seemed lost.
“Seron.”
So I called out to her openly.
The moment I did, the students’ gazes snapped toward her.
Startled, Seron flinched.
“Y-Yes?!”
Still not used to Vikarm’s face, she stammered.
I pushed through the crowd and approached.
As I drew closer, Seron turned as red as a tomato, trembling violently.
Meanwhile, I locked eyes with Eve.
She stared at me with the same disdain as always.
At least she hadn’t changed.
“I need to go to the magic department. Want to come?”
I held up a bag of bread I’d prepared earlier.
“Uh, y-yes! I-I’ll go!”
Seron nodded vigorously, still shaking.
The students’ stares bore into her back.
“Who’s she?”
“That girl who hangs out with the lightning brat.”
“Why’s Instructor Vikarm being so friendly with her? She’s so ugly.”
Their sharp remarks cut through the air.
I hadn’t expected Seron to become a target.
Just as I moved to defuse the situation—
“What did you just say, you dried-up silkworm pupa-looking freaks?”
Seron’s expression darkened instantly as she turned on them.
Baring her teeth, she glared fiercely.
“Say it again. Which one of you pea-brained idiots just ran your mouth?”
A red-furred wolverine with its hackles raised.
The killing intent radiating from Seron made the students flinch.
Come to think of it, I’d forgotten—Seron had a notoriously tough personality.
Sure, she acted like a dog around me, but she was far harsher with others.
For someone who got lonely so easily, it was almost funny how she couldn’t tolerate insults.
“If you want a fight, bring it. I’ll knock every single one of you flat.”
Seron had grown terrifyingly strong lately.
Having qualified for the international solo tournament preliminaries, she was undeniably a powerhouse.
Under her glare, the students slowly backed down.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t insult my friend.”
Eve, standing beside her, added with a sharp-eyed stare.
With her naturally intimidating looks, Eve already inspired fear.
Her cold tone only made the students shrink further.
“Hmph, pathetic. Let’s go!”
Seron grabbed my sleeve and strode off proudly.
Our red wolverine was unstoppable.