Spies in the evil organization (1)

Lately I've been sincerely considering retirement.

Evil organizations were always the type of things where you could come as you pleased, but not necessarily the same if you tried to leave, but thanks to my various hard-crafted escape routes and false identities I think I could manage if I ran.

The reason why I was thinking like so lately.

It's because of No.1000 who, with her eyes closed, refining her mana right in front of me .

Seriously, what the heck did I say for you to get enlightenment?

Maybe if I'd taught her the specifics of swordsmanship, but if only I rated No.1000's survival abilities highly I taught her single-strike kill assassination techniques.

They don't even have a name. I'm just teaching her a few of the techniques we use in the organization described with a bit of extra sauce.

But, she's getting enlightenment from that.

I'm just telling her how to stab and cut an enemy's critical points, what the hell is there to gain enlightenment from that!

All there is to learn is the human body's weak points!

Plus the point she gained enlightenment at was "the most important thing of the single-strike kill is to kill your enemy in a single attack."

Seriously, the name itself is a single-strike kill, no? but here she goes "ah…" like some wuxia protagonist gaining enlightenment and I'm afraid that if I really do teach her all my hidden cards then she'll transcend humanity entirely.

Alright. Leave No.1000 at that.

For a kid barely in her teens, let alone fear on seeing the archdevil Surtr, she just cut him down and moved on because he was in between her and her food.

The danger is that if I make her starve without reason then she might make a giant hole in my stomach, but she can be tamed well enough if you feed her so there's that.

But, what's No.17?

Since I can't use magic myself, all I know about magic is theory.

No, even what I call theory is just what I read about in the fantasy novels in my past life and pretending I developed them myself, but now this kid's getting enlightenment from that as well.

And she brings out what was only in novels and uses them in real life!

Was fiction not actually fiction!

Did all the fantasy authors in my past life go to some fantasy world and write an autobiography or something?!

And No.1 too, fell behind briefly before he caught back up at an amazing speed.

He's especially taking up my swordsmanship at an incredible rate.

No.1000 gained enlightenment, why wasn't I teaching him anything or so he complained and when I bullshat something from some martial arts novels I read and then he went on to attain enlightenment as well.

No, seriously, not even the previous cohort was this good, but these kids are growing so fast I have no idea what they're going to be when they do grow up.

-Kuuooooooooo!

The great fire giant roared.

""Ice Buster.""

-Kuooooooak!

The great fire giant roared in pain.

"Earth's Judgement"

Meanwhile, the completed magic caused the ground to shake and stone pillars shot up.

I've been in the great war that swept through the entire world, but to be honest, just this, whenever I look at this scene I get the shivers.

To think this scene is being played out by some kids that aren't even fifteen yet.

And just why the hell can't the organization conquer the world when these kids are born!

Just how strong are you, the world!

"Run rampant, Surtr!"

The designer-name sandbag Surtr charged in with his body clad in flames but No.1000 easily weaved through his swipes and overtook him just like that.

"Damn it!"

But between dodging No.1000's hidden dagger, having been unable to dodge it immediately No.1 faced off with Surtr, and because of that it seems like No.1 is last again. Just as I thought that.

"Sky Slash!"

-Kuaaaaaaagkh!

An overwhelming mana erupted from his sword.

Single strike. No matter that restrictions on restrictions were piled on Surtr, his defences should still have been beyond your normal imagination, but he was desummoned in a single strike.

But that wasn't the most important thing.

"I just read that in a manga…"

To save my own cards I just bullshat something I'd read in a manga for him, but he actually used it.

And I only taught him this yesterday!

Even the previous cohort kids took a year to use it and this kid uses it immediately! That skill is a cute weak girl's signature skill!(1)

Kurrgh! Now what am I meant to do?

Although I have the option of letting them graduate early, I need to train them for at least a year. Otherwise it's marked down as a result of the kids' skills and not the instructor's teaching.

In that case, let alone my comfy job, I can say byebye to my bonuses as well.

The dwarf uncles were nagging me when I was going to pay up my overdue fees as well, if my bonuses go flying then I become a debtor.

"The kids look lively."

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As I seriously wondered whether I did have to show them my trump cards, I heard a familiar voice, yet one I didn't want to be familiar with from behind my back.

"Sia, weren't you like that at their age?"

"Fufufu. It was quite fun then. I don't know how the others are doing right now."

Bull to the shit. Although they were like cats and dogs normally, when it mattered they were oddly well coordinated.

They probably kept in touch with each other for 'just in case' scenarios.

And should they get together, they could probably bury me six feet under.

Heck even I'd go ahead and secretly bury an instructor like me.

It's only because I'm an instructor. Why else would I be petty enough to make them fight over food.

"Anyways, why are you here."

"Ah, really. A beauty's come in person to see you, how col… Ah, wait a minute please. Put that away."

The moment she started blathering on unnecessarily, I pulled out a club and she took a horrified step back.

"Not master but instructor."

"No diffe… Yes yes. Instructor. So please put that away first!"

There's only one reason why she's so horrified seeing the wooden bat.

She was hit a lot by this.

For the record, schoolchildren need to grow up with beatings. Then they listen.

And if you're talking about punishment, of course the wooden bat is the best!

After my first temporary instructor assignment, I took precisely two disciples the first time I became a permanent instructor, but I felt something missing then.

That was punishment!

Punishment is truly difficult to manage.

If you don't punish disobedient children then they don't listen, if it's too harsh and they get injured, then that's a problem in training.

Because of this, even while I was working in the imperial palace I diligently worked on the Bat Project, and in conjunction with the connections I made in the palace and my preexisting non-human connections I was able to inscribe all sorts of magic and arts into a branch of the World Tree.

The result was this wooden bat! It looks nothing like a baseball bat but it's called a bat!

If you were to speak of this bat, with 24 spells as a base, split between 10 curses and 14 blessings, and another 12 ancient charms and incantations on top, resulting in no injuries no matter how much you were hit by this, and also causing massive pain even with a weak strike, I managed to craft a punishment tool that can be called the textbook of punishment tools.

This effectiveness came to present themselves from the second batch of disciples, and after that my disciples became very, very obedient little children!

As I fidgeted with the bat while reminiscing on happy memories, Sia took another step backwards.

"I thought you no longer felt pain from this anymore?"

"Nope. Not at all. It still hurts. Getting used to it, and not feeling pain from it are two different things entirely, instructor."

Wow, it's been a long time since I've seen her face this rigid.

"Either way. I'll ask this again. Why are you here?"

"Aww, of course it's because… Yes, I'll talk, I'll talk, please put it away! It's the trainee screening, same as ever. I'm here to test and watch for their potential dangers."

"You didn't need to come in person."

"Our instructor really does need to reevaluate himself. Do you seriously not know just how highly the higher-ups rate the trainees you teach?"

"If they rated them that highly I'd like them to raise my wages that highly as well."

"…Considering how much you take from the organization to begin with."

She shakes her head but insufficient is insufficient.

Even if I empty out the pockets I made during my jobs, I still don't have enough for a satisfying retired life.

Since I keep researching things for the future, I'm always leaking an unimaginable sum of money.

"Are you going to start right away?"

"Yes. Well, I'm busy too."

Sia shrugged her shoulders and said to me with a bright smile.

"And so, let me borrow my juniors for a bit."