"Earlier, before you arrived, Instructor, Dela and I sparred for ten rounds," Sesil remarked, scratching her arm lightly. "Dela is undeniably strong, but right when she is about to defeat me, she hesitates, lets her guard down, and allows me to win ten consecutive rounds."
I played back the recorded footage of their practice match, watching at high speed. From my rapid skimming of their duel, Dela was clearly superior to Sesil in raw combat technique. However, as the match approached the late game, Dela grew visibly anxious about finishing off her opponent.
"Right here, I noticed her hesitation and launched a counterattack," Sesil pointed directly to a specific segment of the recording.
Dela had indeed let her guard drop, her structured fighting style crumbling into chaos unlike her sharp performance in the opening minutes. Her concentration fragmented, allowing Sesil to secure a clean victory purely because Dela hesitated to deliver the final blow.
Unconsciously, I experienced another vivid flashback while brainstorming ways to make Dela more ruthless in combat. My heart beat violently against my chest, and I clamped a hand over my forehead as excruciating pain flared through my brain once again.
"Instructor?!" Shocked by my sudden distress, Sesil scrambled to retrieve my medication tube. She grabbed my water bottle, carefully assisting me as I swallowed a tablet.
"Instructor, what is happening? Did something trigger a memory?" Sesil asked, looking deeply remorseful as she wrapped her arms around me, pulling my head close to her. "Instructor, please remember you are no longer on the battlefield."
The tragic memory of executing my comrade replayed in my mind. Even as I ended her life, she had smiled softly in her final moments. "Yogiri... thank you..."
Suddenly, my hands felt completely drenched in blood.
"Instructor, it is alright. Whatever happened in your past is over now," Sesil's gentle voice pierced through the nightmare.
The pink-haired girl pulled my head against her chest, holding me firmly. "There, there..."
Her hand gently stroked the back of my head. Sesil embraced me tightly as the medication took hold, causing the terrifying hallucinations and battlefield memories to gradually fade away. Slowly, the faint ghost of my fallen comrade vanished from my sight.
Closing my eyes, I rested quietly for a short moment. When I finally reopened my eyes, Sesil was still holding me, softly whispering comforting words to soothe my nerves. Gradually, my breathing returned to a steady, normal rhythm.
"Thank you," I spoke quietly to Sesil. "What were we doing just now?"
"Um, we were discussing Dellila, and it seems you suffered a severe PTSD episode," Sesil answered with deep concern.
"You do not need to hide your condition from me, Instructor. I have personally witnessed Aunt Selia experience similar episodes. It is completely understandable if there are certain topics you cannot discuss..." Sesil explained softly. "Back when Aunt Selia first returned home, any loud mechanical noise would trigger her symptoms, forcing my family to step in and care for her."
"I am uncertain whether I am legally permitted to disclose those details to you, as it pertains to a classified government initiative from my time in the military," I replied with a faint smile. "However, I am profoundly grateful to you, Sesil. I am truly fortunate to have you on my team."
Sesil tugged lightly at my sleeve. "I want to know. Please, Instructor, I want to understand what happened to you that caused all of this."
Taking a long, deliberate breath, I offered Sesil a warm embrace. "I am reluctant to share, as I fear it would place an unnecessary emotional burden on you."
"Instructor, I have genuinely come to love being part of this team. I have grown to trust you completely, and I want to understand the person training us," Sesil insisted gently but firmly. "For the very first time in my life, I have found an instructor who truly understands me."
"Please tell me, Instructor... Aunt Selia only revealed that you were a former special forces operative, and I am deeply curious..." Sesil added, her eyes shining with hopeful expectation as she awaited my response.
"Very well. Is your homework completed? I will share a sanitised version of the story with you," I yielded, moved by her persistent determination.
"It is done," Sesil answered, pulling her chair closer to sit directly beside me.
I recounted my early childhood, detailing how I entered the military through a covert government program targeting talented young mages lacking family ties. I navigated the narrative carefully, sharing permissible details while withholding classified military intelligence.
Eventually, I reached the moment where I was forced to execute my own partner to graduate from the program.
"That is horrific..." Tears welled up in Sesil's eyes, streaming down her cheeks. "Does that cruel program still exist today?"
"Fortunately, following our nation's victory in the war, the initiative was indefinitely suspended," I answered, handing Sesil a tissue. "Reflecting on how to train Dela to be more decisive toward her opponents triggered those buried memories."
"Forcing recruits into mixed-gender pairs, building mutual trust, and then ordering them to kill one another is utterly barbaric," Sesil remarked, wiping her tears away. "Was that girl your first love?"
"Perhaps one could describe it that way," I remarked softly, casting a glance at the wall clock. "It is already seven in the evening. It is time for us to head home, Sesil."
"Right." Sesil returned her chair to its original position, packed her personal belongings, and changed into her school uniform.
"Rest assured, Instructor, I will keep your past completely confidential. You can trust me just as I trust you," Sesil spoke with earnest determination. "I will also assist you in finding a way to help Dellila overcome her hesitation."
"I understand all too well that showing mercy during an official match is incredibly dangerous. As professional combat mages, we must maintain unwavering discipline," Sesil added confidently.
"Indeed. Thank you, Sesil. But remember, your primary focus must remain on preparing for your maiden match," I replied, stepping closer to offer her another gentle hug.
"Understood." Sesil embraced me back tightly, leaning into the embrace. "You are so remarkably warm and comforting, Instructor."
Releasing our embrace, I fed our office mascot before we departed together, parting ways at the intersection leading toward the staff quarters. Upon returning to my room, I immediately began brainstorming strategies to cultivate Dela's combat assertiveness.
"For someone possessing a gentle temperament like Dela..." I pondered deeply, weighing various approaches. "I must help her realise that showing mercy inside the ring is ultimately counterproductive."
Should I schedule a scrimmage against a superior opponent for her, or would pairing her against an equal or weaker opponent prove more effective in building her execution confidence?
Ultimately, I decided to call it a night and reevaluate the matter the following day. Three full weeks passed as I dedicated myself to training the team. Shia and Chia demonstrated breathtaking tactical synergy as identical twin sisters. When I pitted them as a duo against Princess Thelma and Sesil, the twins managed to secure a decisive victory over the higher-ranked pairing.
In terms of individual combat potential, I evaluated their current rankings as follows:
Sesil
Dela
Princess Thelma
Shia
Chia
However, when operating as a coordinated duo, Shia and Chia complemented each other's strengths flawlessly, defeating both the Princess-Sesil pairing and the Dela-Sesil duo. In one-on-one combat scenarios, Shia consistently outperformed her sister, while Chia lagged slightly behind in individual duels.
Meanwhile, Princess Thelma approached her training with boundless enthusiasm, rapidly elevating one of her primary attributes by a full tier. Her agility improved dramatically, largely because her failure to touch me during our previous sparring session drove her to undertake rigorous obstacle courses and daily sprint drills.
[Thelma Clara von Saxoburg, Abnormal Magic]
STR: E-
INT: S+
AGL: D-
WIS: E+
Opening Sesil's profile, I noted remarkable growth following our candid conversation regarding my past. Building a foundation of mutual trust had clearly empowered her. I intentionally incorporated controlled losses into her scrimmage schedule to fortify her psychological resilience. Whereas she previously overthought every minor defeat, Sesil now accepted losses with composed analytical maturity, identifying her mistakes without losing confidence.
[Sesil I. Ernburg, Wind Elemental]
STR: D+
INT: C+
AGL: B-
WIS: C+
As for Shia, during her practice duels against me, she inevitably suffered defeat, yet her combat spirit burned brighter than ever, prompting her to throw herself wholeheartedly into physical conditioning. However, her overly aggressive, recklessly headstrong fighting style lacked tactical foresight, presenting a major vulnerability should she enter an official debut match without proper adjustments.
Shia's primary obstacle stemmed from her raw decision-making and strategic intellect. She consistently succumbed to her aggressive combat instincts, resisting structural changes to her style. Her academic instructors had even submitted formal complaints regarding her frequent class absences and lack of academic focus, explaining why her intelligence stat remained extraordinarily difficult to improve.
[Tsukinose Shia, Fire Elemental]
STR: D+
INT: G
AGL: F-
WIS: E+
Conversely, her younger sister Chia displayed the exact opposite combat profile, relying heavily on calculated manoeuvres. However, whenever a tactical miscalculation occurred and an opponent launched an unpredictable assault, Chia panicked, struggling to regain her footing. Nevertheless, her overall baseline attribute progression remained steady and promising.
[Tsukinose Chia, Water Elemental]
STR: F+
INT: E+
AGL: F+
WIS: B-
Regarding Dela, her baseline metrics remained completely static. Whether this stemmed from a flaw in my instructional method or an internal mental block I had yet to uncover remained uncertain. I resolved to dedicate the coming month primarily to Dela's growth while balancing Sesil's final preparation routines, as her official debut match was now merely two weeks away.
Currently resting inside my office, I waited for the team to arrive for our debriefing. Writing down our individual performance rankings on the whiteboard, I affixed gold star stickers beside their respective names. Those who accumulated the highest number of stars would represent our most improved mages.
To incentivise their growth, I planned to award a special reward to whoever earned the top ranking. While I had not yet finalised the specific reward, I intended to grant whatever reasonable request the winner put forward, hoping they would refrain from asking for anything entirely absurd.
Sesil claimed first place with the highest star count, while Princess Thelma and Chia tied for second place. Dela and Shia occupied third place with an equal number of stars.
As the final school bell chimed down the corridor, I patiently awaited their arrival with a welcoming smile.
"Good afternoon, Instructor!" All five girls arrived together, their cheerful voices echoing through the room.
It appeared I was truly settling into my role as an instructor, a far cry from my former life in Viper 6. Greeting them with a warm smile, I gestured for them to change into their athletic wear. Afterwards, I distributed fresh sandwiches and cartons of milk I had purchased as a small celebratory gesture for the start of the new month.
"It is officially a new month! Thank you for all your hard work over the past month, Instructor!" Shia announced enthusiastically. "Are these for us? Thank you so much!"
"Ehehe, a whole month has passed already," Chia added softly.
"Awesome. I am completely ready for my maiden tournament in the middle of this month," Sesil declared with brimming confidence.
"There is still a month left for me, I will keep waiting until you make me truly strong, Instructor!" Princess Thelma chimed in dramatically.
"Thank you endlessly for your hard work and guidance over the past month, Instructor," Dela expressed gently, quietly petting our office mascot.