Volume 2, Chapter 1: Becoming a Teacher at Saint Freya Academy

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At the Valkyries' dormitory of Saint Freya Academy—

"Ahhh, this is so annoying!" At the dining table, Theresa took a big gulp from her bitter melon juice and sighed heavily. "Why, why? Why does Grandpa insist on sending over a new teacher—and a male one, no less?"

Her frustrated, childish voice left Kiana and the others exchanging glances, unsure how to comfort her.

Himeko, however, reveled in Theresa's misfortune. "Saint Freya hasn't produced any students capable enough for deployment by Headquarters even after all these years. If we don't do something soon, they might just give up on us altogether."

"Theresa," she added, "considering our budget remains unbalanced yet again this year, maybe you can use this opportunity to secure some additional funding."

Otto's stated reason was that Saint Freya had failed to meet the standards expected of a Valkyrie training institution, prompting him to assign someone to improve the caliber of its students.

His exact words were: "Due to Saint Freya, there has been significant opposition from other families within Schicksal. Naturally, their voices mean little to me, but I cannot continually favor you indefinitely."

Schicksal is still an organization, and despite Otto's autocratic rule, appearances of fairness must be maintained.

Moreover, in Otto's plan, Theresa was destined to succeed him as Schicksal Bishop.

Hence, she needed accomplishments commensurate with this position.

Currently, Saint Freya Academy could be seen as a significant financial burden, with Amber repeatedly suggesting cuts to its budget.

When presented with this rationale from Otto, Theresa couldn't argue against it. As someone involved in governance, she understood well the importance of maintaining the facade of fairness.

Setting aside their past conflicts, Otto had indeed been quite accommodating towards Theresa lately.

However...

Kiana couldn't help but ask, "Isn't it just a new teacher? Why such a big reaction, Auntie?"

"Silly niece, you wouldn't understand." Theresa sighed deeply.

The representative from Headquarters couldn't possibly be unaware of the 'Kaslana' lineage; that was her primary concern.

"Alright, Theresa, don't worry," Himeko said with a smile after setting down her drink. "The representative might not concern themselves with these matters. Besides, you haven't told us who the new teacher is yet."

"Xia Chen."

Theresa snorted, "The boy who arrived here after Manila's Honkai incident. He's now an A-rank Valkyrie and recently cleared all Honkai Beasts from Nagazora City, infuriating me to no end."

Although the Honkai Source remained in Nagazora City, it would take time for another large-scale outbreak of Honkai Beasts.

Theresa had been diligently managing the Honkai Beast population to prevent such occurrences.

"Well, this could be seen as a positive," Himeko casually remarked. "Having him as the academy's coach will likely prove more effective than dealing with those insignificant Honkai Beasts, don't you think?"

"Xia Chen, Auntie, isn't he just a B-rank Valkyrie?" Kiana recalled, "I remember he also knows Kaslana Gunmanship."

Theresa responded irritably, "Do you really think everyone is like you? His academic achievements are remarkably impressive too."

"Oh please, Theresa, weren't you just as unaware until now?" Himeko swiftly exposed her without hesitation. Pausing briefly, she added, "Actually, the boy seems quite decent; I doubt your concerns will materialize."

Himeko glanced at Kiana, feeling pity for the young girl, blissfully ignorant of the entangled fate surrounding her.

Unfazed, Theresa continued confidently, "I'll definitely defeat him, and then Auntie, can I finally earn the title of A-Class Valkyrie?"

Theresa drained her bitter melon juice in one gulp.

"Never mind that now, let's eat."

Xia Chen wasn't in the best mood.

Firstly, he didn't want to become a teacher at Saint Freya Academy, and secondly, his luck with card draws had been disappointing.

From the system's 10 supply crates, he obtained a pile of Stigmata, including the five-star Ana Schariac (Upper).

Clearly, Ana's stigma space expanded further, and he could feel the enhanced strength of the Stigmata within him.

Of course, compared to the prospect of going to Saint Freya, the poor card draws seemed insignificant.

Initially, upon transmigrating, he did consider finding an opportunity to visit Saint Freya. However, circumstances were beyond his control, and eventually, he grew accustomed to life with the Immortal Blades, leaving only vague game-related impressions of Saint Freya.

He initially thought he would either serve as background filler during the Queen's arrival or be cannon fodder, dying at the hands of World Serpent during Heavenly Meteor.

Perhaps it was through some strange fate that he ended up here.

But this time, will he be the villain or a protagonist? Xia Chen himself couldn't tell.

His stance was not firmly set; unlike Otto's cold-bloodedness, he even fell short compared to Rita.

The atmosphere at Saint Freya seemed quite inviting, and if he stayed long enough, he might join those raising their swords against Schicksal.

However, Xia Chen never forgot his purpose.

The Jizo Mitama.

This Twelfth Divine Key, thrown by Yae Sakura at Saint Freya Academy, contained the core from the Herrscher of Corruption's previous era. He wondered if it could have any effect on Rin.

By sheer coincidence, Otto provided him with an opportunity.

As he descended from the airport, Theresa and Himeko were already waiting for him.

"Hello there, young man." Himeko greeted warmly, "Long time no see, you've made remarkable progress."

"Just received some guidance; luck played its part," Xia Chen replied modestly. Then, after a pause, he added, "Schicksal has invested significant resources, so I must justify the bishop's faith in my training."

Theresa chimed in, "Since this isn't your first visit, I won't give you another tour. For matters related to classes, Himeko will handle the arrangements - feel free to discuss them together."

Although Theresa was dissatisfied with the imposition of additional teachers, it didn't reflect negatively on her opinion of Xia Chen. In fact, she held him in high regard.

"The room where you stayed before is still reserved for you. Do you have any other requests?"

"Hmm, if possible, can I access the Memory Battlefield directly?" Xia Chen hesitated briefly before saying, "It's been quite a while since I last visited."

He couldn't directly inquire about the Jizo Mitama's whereabouts, so he opted for the next best option.

Xia Chen felt that his skills had grown rusty during this period. Even the training at the Ocean Branch merely helped maintain his abilities without further progression.

Xia Chen had to admit that currently, the Memory Battlefield would be immensely beneficial for him.

Of course, it would be even better if Durandal were present too.

As for preparing lessons for students, it wasn't part of his plan.

He figured he'd simply follow how Durandal taught and apply the same methods with these pupils - making it quite straightforward.

Theresa couldn't help but marvel, "How diligent you are! Don't you want to take a break?"

"I've already wasted enough time," Xia Chen replied earnestly.

The three walked from the airport towards the Memory Battlefield, and along the way, Xia Chen clarified his role.

In essence, although officially appointed as a combat techniques teacher, he was responsible for instructing all aspects of battle training. Essentially, whatever the Immortal Blades learned, the Saint Freya Academy's students should also learn.

Curious, Xia Chen asked, "I recall there being some conflicts between Saint Freya's educational philosophy and Headquarters. Is it appropriate to teach these students using the Immortal Blades' training methods?"

Theresa reassured him, "It's fine; we'll handle any issues outside of training ourselves."

At this point, her only option was to keep Xia Chen focused on training the students.

She just hoped her foolish niece wouldn't immediately rush towards him recklessly.

However, just as Theresa thought this, Kiana burst onto the scene, full of energy.

"Hey, I'm back for another one-on-one challenge."

Xia Chen's eyes slightly narrowed.

That restless desire resurfaced once again.

He wanted to devour her!