Translator: Darling | Editor: Walker

While taking Iris by the hand, I managed to return to the academy.

Iris still had a wound on her shoulder from the blade that hit her there. 

However, the poison had already worked out it seemed.

It was now the first priority to take her to the reception office.

“First of all, it’s good you’re safe Iris.”

“Yes, if you hadn’t come, I don’t know what would have become of me, teach.”

Iris said while casting her face down.

Truth be told, I don’t know who would have won if Iris had fought Azuma.

Aside from her being attacked unexpectedly, she still lacks something – Experience.

No matter how strong she is, in the end, that is the deciding factor in all battles.

She hasn’t really fought many 1 on 1 battles yet.

Whether you’re able to deal with an ambush or not, that all comes down to experience.

“Mr. Schweiss, I would like to confirm one thing.”

“Which is?”

“Well…, I did catch you, right?”

Iris sounded quite evasive when uttering these words.

Although this whole ordeal happened, the thing that she wants to confirm is whether she had lived up to the requirements I set up. 

In the end, I did get caught by Iris, and within the time limit too – Though the circumstances were quite different from what we expected, she did manage to do so.

I let out a small sigh and laughed.

“Well, first explain the whole ordeal we were in just now. You got hunted down, right?”

“Yea. I know.”

“Well, if you understand that, then is the fact whether you caught me or not relevant?”

“For me, it is relevant though…”

“You really want to fight me that badly?”

I asked her again. 

If she was able to catch me, I would fight her. That was the proposal I made.

Halfway through, I kind of forgot what was going on because I had to save Iris from the assassins that were assaulting her.

There’s no one in her entire class that can follow the movements of my sword.

There’s a very clear difference between me and them – Something I wanted to make very clear.

Yet, this girl still wants to fight me after what I had just said.

“Yes.”

“Is that so? Well, it seems you have indeed lived up to the requirements for it.”

“Are you saying…~!”

“Before that, could you explain to me the reason as to why you want to fight me so badly?”

“The reason?”

“Yes, the reason. I mean, you are this school’s Swordmaster Princess, and I am your teacher. Even if I just moved into this position, that shouldn’t change anything.

That’s why I would really like to know the reason as to why I, as a teacher, should fight you, a student, at full strength.”

It seems that the words I spoke made Iris’ thought wandered for a while.

However, after a brief silence, she looked at me with her ever so serious expression and said:

“Truth is…  I haven’t really grown much ever since people started calling me “Swordmaster Princess”. They still call me that with much praise, but..”

“You’re not becoming stronger?”

“Yes, I haven’t. And then you came by, Mr. Schweiss. The child-teacher, who’s also stronger than I. The Mock Battle we had, that was the first time I ever felt like I had lost.”

That’s why I have to fight you at full strength.”

“I see what you meant now.”

I finally grasped the reason why Iris wanted to challenge me so badly.

She doesn’t make any progress and then she also got beaten by someone who’s younger than herself.

In order for her to grow, she actually needs to fight people that are stronger than her.

That’s not a bad way of looking at it.

I too know what it means to not meet anyone better than myself, causing me to stop growing.

This had nothing to do with her being hunted down- She was looking for strength so that she could outgrow her current self. 

(If I look at it that way, showing her how I fought before might have had an adverse effect.)

If she were to fight me could actually step up her game.

However, Iris is still in the middle of growing.

And by that, her fighting experience isn’t present yet. So it might actually be worthwhile for her to fight someone on my level.

I only have two choices here. 

Help her, or don’t.

(If I help her grow now, my job could get a lot easier…)

But such optimism isn’t really applicable here.

It would have been fine if she wasn’t being targeted though.

But then again, if Iris is alone, the assassins might come for her again.

If I had shown up two days later than I did, she might not be here anymore…

In a situation like this, I could help her both as her escort and her teacher-

(Seems like I have to do a lot, huh…)

I’m in quite a pickle here. Well, getting Iris stronger does align with my job as a teacher though.

Consequently, if she gets stronger, she doesn’t need a bodyguard anymore… And that means my job would also be over and be done with.

And telling Iris that a knight came here to protect her might cause her to tell the knighthood.

And that could result in me losing my duties as a bodyguard.

The knight captain, Remyl, would then say that a teacher wouldn’t be necessary since a knight could do it too.

I should do the best I can to keep quiet on the matter.

“Mr. Schweiss?”

I was completely lost in thought, so I didn’t realize that Iris was looking at me with such a worried look.

She wouldn’t want to be protected by me. She wants to become strong enough to protect herself.

And I can’t tell her that she’s wrong for wanting that.

It would be for the best if she was able to do so.

(But to realize that, I ought to do one thing, huh)

“…Alright then.”

“You’ll actually do it?!~”

“No, sorry. It’s a little different than that. I thought of something more efficient, though.”

“Something more… efficient?”

“Ah, yes. Well, right now, as a teacher, I can’t really give you any favorable treatment. 

However, I’ll come up with the most special treatment. I will train you.”

After a lot of thinking, I came up with this – I think that the best way of protecting Iris is to get close to her.

And as her escort, getting close to her will also be the most laid-back job of all options.

Though, being able to get close to her like this was not something I expected.

As she heard what I said, her face colored and she laughed rather happily.

“Yes. Teach me, master.”

As she said that, she bowed her head.

In my two days as a teacher, now I have also become someone’s master.