The next morning, William woke up feeling like he hadn't slept at all. This was true because he had spent most of the night trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to teach a bunch of third-year students who probably knew more about this world's combat systems than he did.
His borrowed memories taught him some basic things about how magic and fighting worked here, but they were frustratingly incomplete when it came to the actual lesson plan. "It is what it is then..."
"Hahhh... hope this day didn't get any worse than before."
As William put on his instructor uniform, which still felt strange to wear even though he had been in this body for more than a day, he muttered to himself, "Maybe I can just wing it again."
"Everything went well with the girls yesterday. How much harder can a whole class be?
The universe, which has a long history of not being helpful, once again refused to answer.
...
William walked to the classroom with his assignment paper, getting there about fifteen minutes early because he thought it would be a terrible idea to be late on his first day. He thought the room would be smaller, but it was bigger than he thought.
Stadium-style seating was set up in a semicircle around a central demonstration area. The walls were lined with different types of training equipment, and the big windows let in sunlight in the morning.
He was still looking around when students started to come in, and William quickly noticed that the group was strange. Some of the students wore expensive uniforms with family crests on them and acted like they had never been told no in their lives. Others wore less expensive, more useful clothes and looked like they were ready to be kicked out at any time.
"What the hell is this mixed class?" William thought about how the best students took the best seats while the other students huddled in the back corners. It was so clear that there was a social divide that it could have been painted on the floor.
Then Kaela came in, and her silver hair caught the light in a way that might not be legal in some places. She saw William right away and marched straight to the front row. She sat down in the middle seat with a look of territorial aggression that said she'd fight anyone who tried to take it from her.
"Good morning, Instructor," Kaela said cheerfully, as if she hadn't kicked down his practice room door less than a day ago.
"I changed classes so I could train with you more often. I hope that's not a problem."
William was about to say something when Lia walked in, saw Kaela sitting in the middle of the room, and quickly claimed the seat next to her with a smile that was too innocent to be real. Lia said in a sweet voice, "What a coincidence."
"I also changed classes to get more training. We can all learn from each other."
"How lovely," Kaela said, but her tone made it clear that she did not think it was lovely at all.
William muttered in his mind. "What the fuck is this situation..."
Ellie rushed in, looking a little panicked and with her pink hair a little messy, like she'd been running, before William could process what had happened. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be late!"
When she saw Kaela and Lia already sitting down, she stopped for a moment before quickly taking the last front-row seat. "Oh, you two are here too. What a nice surprise!"
The three girls smiled at each other in a way that made William distressed that someone would die before class even started. A few other students were now looking at the front row with looks that ranged from confusion to outright jealousy.
William heard bits of whispered conversations. "Why do they all have to be in this class?"
"Isn't Princess Kaela supposed to be in the elite advanced track?"
"Even the sword prodigy, along with the genius who heals, is also here. What's going on?"
"That Zero-Class teacher, the one who beat Instructor Reinhardt yesterday, is to blame."
"That's impossible, it must be a fluke. He probably just got lucky."
William was beginning to see why the headmaster had told him not to draw attention to himself. Having three of the academy's best students suddenly gather around him was like putting a target on his back for anyone who wanted to cause trouble.
William said, "Okay, everyone, calm down."
He decided to start class before things got even stranger. "Let me introduce myself first."
"Hello, I'm Instructor Wade, and I'll be teaching Advanced Combat Theory this semester."
"I know some of you are probably wondering why you were put in this mixed class instead of your usual ones."
He stopped for a moment to think of something that sounded official and not like he was making it up on the spot. "The academy thinks that mixing people with different skills and levels of expertise can improve learning."
"Elite students can help newer students learn, and everyone can learn from seeing different ways to plan for battle."
This was total bullshit, but it sounded reasonable enough that most students seemed to go along with it. Some of the top students still looked annoyed that they had to be around what they clearly thought were less smart classmates, but at least they weren't leaving.
"Today we're starting with tactical analysis and long-range combat principles," William said.
He mentally thanked whatever force had put some basic combat theory into his borrowed memories. "Knowing what's going on around you and being able to guess where the enemy will go is just as important as being good at fighting."
He went to the demonstration area and began making diagrams on a big board to explain ideas about sight lines, environmental advantages, and prediction patterns. It was like things he had taught soldiers in his previous life, but with magic and monsters instead of modern warfare.
Most of the students were paying attention, taking notes, or nodding along. The three girls in the front row were watching him with different levels of interest, which was honestly more distracting than helpful. William was halfway through explaining how to use natural cover in a fight outside when he saw something strange.
There was a girl in the back corner who wasn't taking notes like everyone else. Instead, she just watched him with a look of deep thought, her dark eyes following his every move with unnerving accuracy. She had long black hair that was tied back in a useful ponytail. She was wearing archery gear with several quivers attached to her belt and back.
While William talked, he kept an eye on the mysterious girl out of the corner of his eye. The way she was standing and the way her shoulders were slightly tense made him want to fight. She was getting ready for something.
William said, "Now, when looking at long-term tactical situations," and then he moved his hand to show how to figure out a sight line.
"You need to think about things like wind direction and..."