Rimuru had been assigned as the assistant homeroom teacher for Shizu's class. Yuuki had already taken care of the paperwork and all the formalities.
The next day.
It was Rimuru's first day on the job, and he was nervous. The Free Academy where he would be working looked almost like a castle from the front, but from the side it gave off a flatter impression. It used a vast amount of land and could be classified as a medium-to-large-scale structure.
"With the demon drill sergeant and Chairman Yuuki's handpicked aide added in, are they really trying to turn this place into a steel club?"
"Honestly. Please stop calling me that," Shizu said.
"Shizu... just what kind of work were you doing here...?"
They were inside the building now, walking down a long corridor along the outer wall. Leading them was a man who seemed to be one of the teachers.
He was plump, wiped away sweat almost constantly, and carried himself with no real composure.
"Well, it can't be helped," Rimuru thought.
Even if the chairman had recommended him, a complete stranger had suddenly been appointed as a teacher. It was only natural that people would find him hard to trust.
And it probably didn't help that aside from their hair and eye colors, Rimuru and Shizu looked almost exactly alike.
"This is Class S... Aaaah! Not this prank again!"
The man looked up over the door. Wedged into the gap above it was a chalkboard eraser. It was the classic trap: the moment someone opened the door, gravity would do the rest and drop it right onto their head.
"Haha, that's kind of cute."
"I'll leave the rest to you."
The man stepped back, and just as Rimuru reached for the door, Shizu gave him a warning.
"Be careful when you open it."
"Right. I could deliberately fall for it and get a laugh, but getting looked down on from day one wouldn't be great either, so maybe I'll just dodge it by a hair?"
"No, that's not what I meant..."
Before Shizu could finish, Rimuru opened the classroom door.
"Hyaaaah!!!"
The instant the door opened, a fierce shout rang out, and an attack strong enough to one-shot a decent monster came flying at Rimuru. His brain froze in surprise, but his body reacted on pure reflex and slipped past it.
"Huh? Wait, that's not Ms. Shizu?"
"What was that?! You scared me! That was way too spirited, and openly hostile too!"
"You all have as much energy as ever," Shizu said.
Only after the commotion settled down did Rimuru properly introduce himself with Shizu's help.
"All right. Starting today, I'll be working as your assistant homeroom teacher. My name is Rimuru Tempest. I want to remember all your faces and names, so when I call your name, answer for me, okay?"
The names were split almost evenly between Western-style and Eastern-style ones.
"Alice Rondo."
"Here!"
"Gale Gibson."
"Yes."
"Chloe Aubert."
"...Yes."
"Ryota Sekiguchi."
"Here!"
"Kenya Misaki."
"Yeah."
The orange-haired boy who had attacked him first was Kenya. The black-haired boy was Ryota. The biggest-looking child was Gale. The girl with long black hair clutching a picture book was Chloe. And finally, the child with long blond hair was Alice.
"If any of you have questions, want to ask me something?"
At Rimuru's invitation, the children's questions came pouring out as if they'd been waiting for permission.
"Why do you have the same face as Ms. Shizu?" "Are you like her secret child or something?" "Why are you so short?" "Are you even really an adult?"
Their innocent curiosity turned into daggers that stabbed straight into Rimuru's heart, and wounded to the core, he ended up curling into himself on the spot.
"Um... Mr. Rimuru, are you okay?"
"Just give me a moment. You're the first ones who've ever dealt me this much damage..."
If there was anything in the world more brutal than cruel words, it was probably children saying exactly what they wanted with no malice at all.
And so, from his very first day on the job, Rimuru's day became one full of shock, tears, and laughter.
And after seeing everything with his own eyes, Vertis smiled.
Introduction to the students of Free Academy Class S.
Alice Rondo.
Rimuru's note: A cute little princess who's also a crybaby and stubborn.
A golem user. Right now she only makes cute dolls move, but who knows? She might become unbelievably strong in the future.
Shizu's note:
She often ends up fighting because she pesters Kenya. Even so, despite her current circumstances, she firmly remains herself.
This child is already many times stronger than I am.
Vertis's note: A blond child who uses magic to control golems. She gives off a refined but slightly arrogant impression, but at heart she's a good child.
The only issue is that she doesn't make golems herself and instead uses dolls given to her by others.
If someone taught her how to make them, she might one day grow into someone worthy of that talent. I should test that sometime later.
Gale Gibson.
Rimuru's note: Definitely the big brother of the group. He's like everyone's older brother.
His magic bullets are powerful too. He has manners, and his concern for everyone is genuine.
Shizu's note: He's the tallest among the children, but sometimes I still catch him standing on tiptoe. Seeing a child grow is strangely moving. One day, he'll overtake me before long.
Vertis's note: Compared to the other children, he's relatively calm. His short blond hair and tall build make him easy to distinguish.
He can fire powerful magic bullets, but since they can also be deflected back at him, he's not well suited for fighting people.
It might be good to teach him how to control his magic power.
Chloe Aubert.
Rimuru's note: A child who absolutely loves picture books. She's very sensitive and imaginative. Even to my eyes, her water magic that traps opponents was impressive. If I hadn't had magic control, it might have been a little dangerous.
Shizu's note: She's a quiet child, but she also has a merciless side.
Even now, there are times when I still don't really understand her...
Vertis's note: A black-haired girl who likes books.
She seems quiet and delicate, but her magic is powerful. It feels like she could grow even more if given a magic book... but for some reason, something about her unsettles me. It's as if she's hiding something deep inside.
Ryota Sekiguchi.
Rimuru's note: He's quiet, but the way he carefully watches his surroundings stands out. His berserk-type physical enhancement is impressive. But losing consciousness is definitely a drawback.
Shizu's note:
Having interest in many different things is a very good thing.
...But one time, when he muttered that he wanted to return to his original world just to confirm whether the scenery there and the scenery here were truly different or if it was all in his imagination... my heart ached.
Vertis's note: Short black hair. A curious child who shows interest in all sorts of things.
He has excellent powers of observation, so not only does he seem suited for making things, he might also become someone outstanding in research.
He seems like the kind of student worth teaching.
Kenya Misaki.
Rimuru's note:
I saw how he admired Shizu and tried to handle flames he wasn't used to. His goal is to become a hero. He's a mischievous little troublemaker.
Shizu's note:
When he asked me how to become a hero, I told him that a hero is someone who can do something for the sake of another person.
At the time, for some reason, he seemed to be thinking about defeating a slime, but surely he didn't mean Rimuru... right?
Vertis's note: He admires Shizu, uses a sword, and can use fire attacks, but perhaps he simply lacks the aptitude for it, because he's nowhere near Shizu's level.
If he's going to use a sword, then using physical enhancement or enchantment would also be a good approach.
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