"Are you the new substitute teacher?" Just when I was about to turn around to look for the only people I can consider friends, someone decided to call out to me. I turn and find a teacher with black hair and green streaks, three earrings in each ear, looking around his mid-thirties with a normal build—not thin, but with the right amount of muscle.

"Yes, my name is Maki, nice to meet you." There's no reason to act mysterious; it's better to answer his question properly and not create enemies. He would find out who I am anyway with a few questions to other colleagues or students. I extend my hand, and it's met with an enthusiastic handshake.

Thanks to my perception ability, I notice how all the teachers have turned to look at us, even those who had been chatting lively before. Our voices weren't loud, just enough for any sapphire rank and above to hear. It seems my identity has drawn some curiosity, and they're paying attention to us.

"Maki? That's a great name, I'll remember it. I'm Vito, a second-year teacher." His smile looks genuine, with no hidden bad intentions. If he wants to be a friendly colleague, then I'll do the same. "Are you in a hurry? I'd like to share some beers with the 'sensation' teacher." A beer? "Sensation" teacher? Some rumors must have already spread.

"I'm not really in a hurry. I'd love to have a beer with a colleague and start things on the right foot." His smile widens even more after hearing my positive response. "I just have one question—what's that about the 'sensation' teacher?" My question makes him tilt his head slightly, looking at me as if the answer should be obvious.

"Seriously, you don't know?" His face shows pure surprise before he bursts out laughing. "Apparently, you really don't. There are already rumors going around about a young man who managed to defeat Basel in a sword duel, and that same person has a close friendship with the director Susan's daughter." He chuckles when he notices me sighing.

"The rumors don't really do me justice. There's a lot they haven't said, and some things are a little distorted." He scans me from head to toe once again. "I'd heard you were a rough-looking young man with few friends, but seeing you up close, you're the opposite. You look like a good person, and your appearance was clearly exaggerated." I can't help laughing; it's normal for rumors to change as they go from mouth to mouth.

"We can talk more while having a beer." I take some out from my storage bracelet—they're always cold because I renew them every day. I'm not a fan of alcohol, but since living near Susan, I've learned to be ready for any situation. "I have enough for everyone if you want to join." I turn to the seven teachers in the room who had stopped talking to listen to us.

They all show awkward smiles and embarrassed expressions when I look at them, except for one pink-haired teacher with black eyes. She's the only one who came alone like me. She must have some affinity with space since I could feel how she sensed my Personal World and tried to interrupt it effortlessly.

All the teachers decide to join our conversation. Some get up to move the sofas and make a circle where we can all sit. I take out more beers—almost my whole supply, about twenty—and place them on the table. Some of them do the same, and soon the table is full of bottles and cans. One of them brings something like a cooler, but when we open it, it's empty, so I immediately fill it with enough ice.

I can already use magic without problems. As long as it's a small amount, it doesn't affect the cube. Only when I exceed a certain amount does it start to crack again, but lately those cracks have been sealed much more strongly—my ability has grown faster and more powerful these days.

Once everything is set, I can feel most of their eyes on me. A bald teacher about 170 cm tall is the first to speak. If I remember correctly, his name is Gilero. Each of them had introduced themselves before focusing their attention on me. "So, Maki, you're the one who beat Basel. I don't mean to sound rude, but it's hard to believe someone so young could defeat our best weapon user." A small smile escapes me.

"I've been training for many years, and it seems I have a natural talent. I also had a bit of luck—there were certain conditions that only allowed us to use fencing, and that favored me since I'm a lower rank." I'm not lying; right now Basel is stronger if we fight at full power, though I'm not sure if that will still be true when I've fully recovered.

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"Luck? There's no luck in this, Maki. It's all your effort and talent. If the conditions restricted you to only using body reinforcement and swordsmanship, then that makes it even harder for you. You're a lower rank and much younger." Gilero crosses his arms, closes his eyes, and nods slowly. "Your victory comes from your talent and effort. There's no other way to beat that strict soldier." Everyone agrees with him; no one argues.

The first few minutes are focused on me—they ask about the duel, how I'm doing at the school, if I already have any teaching experience, and some female teachers even ask if I have any romantic relationship with the director's daughter and where I come from. I answer each question as best as I can. I don't hide information that's easy to find, but I keep to myself the things they have no way of discovering.

Once they finish learning the basics about me, the conversation turns more casual. Some start sharing gossip about teachers I don't know, others recommend food places they visited this summer, and a few bring small souvenirs from their hometowns or the cities they went to during the break.

Throughout the conversation, I pay attention to every bit of gossip, to the food spots they recommend, and even receive some unexpected gifts. Most are small wooden crafts with the city's name or symbolic animal carved on them. I store them carefully in my dimensional bracelet—they're the first gifts I've received as a teacher.

Occasionally, the conversation comes back to me again. With the alcohol already affecting them, some ask more personal questions: what kind of weapons I use, about my skill with ice magic, some congratulate me on my Imra control, and for some reason, they all think I'm around eighteen… It's better not to tell the truth.

I have no problem answering. I'll use my swords at school sooner or later; my affinity has already been revealed. I haven't said anything about my other affinities, though, and when it comes to Imra, I just thanked them and asked for advice to improve my delicate control. Surprisingly, they all gave me suggestions one after another, and I try to memorize everything in my mind.

The one who talks the least is the pink-haired teacher. She only answers when someone talks to her directly, and the rest of the time, she just listens. From time to time, I feel her gaze on me, like she's trying to test my sensory ability. The first three times, I raised my beer to her and winked; she responded with a smile and took a sip.

The conversations kept getting funnier and more interesting. The embarrassing stories came out first, and the first victim was the short bald teacher. Once, two of them were walking and a group of birds flew over and pooped from the air—Gilero was distracted and didn't dodge it, so his shiny bald head got covered by bird droppings.

I couldn't help laughing. Gilero was quite embarrassed by the story, but he didn't stay behind and told another one about another teacher named Zaval, who has brown hair slicked back with gel and narrow brown eyes. Zaval and Gilero were eating very hot soup. Zaval didn't care and tried to eat fast, burned himself, and when he tried to cough, some noodles came out through his nose, and he almost choked.

Everyone burst into laughter, but Zaval's reaction was completely different—he was laughing too. He's the type who doesn't mind making fun of himself as long as it's funny.

All the teachers in this room are Ruby rank. Thinking about it, I haven't met a single sapphire-rank teacher so far. It makes sense—most students wouldn't obey someone too low-ranked. That thought makes me feel a bit uneasy. It's another reason why I must show my strength to my students on the first day.

When I asked them for advice about that, they all reached the same conclusion: I should easily beat the strongest students in class. It might be a little humiliating for them, but I have to be careful with my words when I do it. If I handle it well, I'll earn their respect. If not, I might cause fear or rejection.

They started throwing ideas at me—phrases I could say after defeating them. Some suggested fighting three students at the same time and winning in less than a minute to prove the difference. I couldn't help laughing at some of the suggestions and noting down others.

"You're already handsome and look manly. If you show a bit of bloodlust and finish with a cool line, you'll earn the respect of most of them while looking great." A teacher with silky, curly black hair, a perfect face, and captivating green eyes says. I control my eyes not to drop lower—her cleavage and curves are very distracting, and my gaze could easily wander.

Most of them agreed with her, while I felt a bit embarrassed. "I'll think about it." I reply with a small laugh mixed with other emotions, and she nods seriously. I won't fight three at once… or maybe I will. I don't want to go in with a plan, but I also don't want to go in empty-handed for certain situations.

The conversation goes on for another couple of hours until I finally decide to say goodbye and go look for my friends. The teachers don't want to let me leave, but after explaining the situation, they reluctantly agree—though not before making me promise to organize another gathering in the coming weeks. I even promised to prepare ceviche, and they all agreed happily.

"Excuse me, Maki." Just when I'm about to open the door to leave, someone calls me—it's the pink-haired teacher. "You're heading to the student meeting, right? Can we go together? I live close to there." She doesn't seem to have any bad intentions, so I accept to accompany her on the way to her home.

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