William woke up the next morning feeling a little more rested than the day before, which wasn't saying much since he had spent half the night staring at the ceiling and wondering how his life had gotten so bad that he had to deal with five different women with different levels of combat trauma and personality problems. The system had been quiet all night, which meant he didn't get any surprise alerts about disasters or new students trying to kill him in creative ways.
"Small blessings," William said to himself as he got dressed and got ready for another day of pretending to know what he was doing.
When he got there, the classroom was already full, and the students were sitting in their usual places in the strange social order that had developed. In the middle sections, there were elite students in the back, there were commoners, and in the front row, Lia, Kaela, and Ellie were clearly there early to claim their space.
Clara was already writing in her observation journal in the second row. She was probably writing about everyone's body language or some other level of detail that was just as creepy.
"Good morning, Instructor," Kaela said cheerfully, as if she hadn't spent the night before sending him more and more frustrated messages about getting more personal training time.
"Are you ready for another enlightening lecture?"
"Define enlightening," William said as he walked to the front demonstration area and pulled up the tactical diagrams he had made the night before. "Yes, I'm absolutely ready if you mean 'me explaining things you should already know but somehow don't.'"
A few students laughed at that, and William saw that the mood in the classroom had changed from yesterday's doubt to something more like real interest. People seemed to have heard about the parent meeting and how William had basically talked circles around rich nobles until they were sure their kids were in a special program instead of a mixed class.
William said, "Okay, everyone calm down," and turned on the magical display board that showed 3D tactical simulations.
"Today we're going to talk about advanced positioning and taking advantage of the environment."
"No matter what your specialty is, you should pay attention to this, whether you're fighting alone, with a small group, or on a large battlefield."
He started the lecture by talking about things from his past life and how they related to the magical combat systems in this world. He had learned that the key was to discuss everything in a way that made sense to people who had grown up with magic instead of modern military rules.
He didn't discuss tactical cover or suppressing fire. Instead, he talked about area denial spells and how to use terrain to make mana cost more.
The students were really paying attention, writing down what they heard, and asking smart questions. William could see that the top students were starting to understand why they were in this class.
They realized that having students with different skill levels meant they could see how theory applied in ways they had never thought of before. The students who were having trouble were getting help from explanations that didn't assume they already knew advanced ideas.
Around forty minutes into the lecture, the door to the classroom opened, and Vice Headmaster Catherine Blackwood walked in looking a little frazzled. Her hair, which is usually perfect, looked like it had been hastily fixed, and her uniform showed signs of someone who had been dealing with administrative emergencies all morning.
Everyone in the class went quiet, and students looked at each other with confused and scared looks. When the vice headmaster showed up to a class without warning, it usually meant that someone was in big trouble or that there was a crisis at the school.
William smiled a little and waved her in. He knew exactly why she was there. "Ah, the perfect time."
"I'd like to introduce everyone to Catherine Blackwood, my assistant instructor. She'll be helping me run this class from now on."
The quiet got even deeper in some way. Some students' mouths literally dropped open in shock.
"Assistant Instructor?" Someone in the back whispered so that everyone could hear. "Is the vice headmaster going to be his assistant?"
Kaela's eyes narrowed as she looked between William and Catherine, clearly trying to figure out what kind of blackmail or persuasion had led to this deal. Lia's face showed that she was thinking about what this meant for the academy's power structures in a complicated way.
Ellie looked confused but supportive. Clara was writing quickly in her journal, probably to record this unusual event for later study.
Catherine, to her credit, handled the shocked atmosphere with professionalism. "Hello, everyone. As Instructor Wade said, I will be helping with this class."
"My experience in administration will help with the logistical side of your training while Instructor Wade teaches you."
"I'm here to help if you have any questions or concerns about scheduling, progress reports, or academy rules."
She walked to the front of the class and stood next to William. He noticed that she had moved slightly behind and to the side, which was a subtle body language cue that made him the main instructor even though she was higher up in the hierarchy.
"Now then," William said, deciding to move on before the students could start asking questions about this arrangement, "let's talk about taking advantage of mistakes made by the enemy in their positioning."
"Can anyone tell me the three main signs that an opponent has made themselves open to a counterattack?"
Students slowly raised their hands as they tried to focus on the lesson again instead of the strange political event they had just seen. William called on them one at a time, using their answers to build on theoretical ideas.
Catherine watched quietly, sometimes taking notes on a tablet she had taken out of her briefcase. The rest of the class went well.
William demonstrated the application of tactical concepts, while Catherine discussed their practical application in previous academy combat tournaments. Over time, the students grew accustomed to her presence, yet William observed them exchanging glances when they believed the teachers were not present.
William heard bits of conversation that were both amusing and a little worrying as the class ended and the students left. "How did Instructor Wade get the vice headmaster to help him?"
"Maybe he has something on her."
"Don't be dumb," she said. "Did you notice how she looked at him while he was explaining the plan?"
"That person didn't look like they were being blackmailed."
"Oh my god, do you think they are..."