Chapter 10: Class Leader

「I'm beat...」
「Good work.」

As I slumped into a chair after finishing today’s lesson, Nina offered a half‑hearted word of thanks.

It’s been about ten days since we started the special class for the exchange students.
Instead of settling down, the first day’s clamor only grew worse, and lessons crept along. Every time I tried to teach a single spell it turned into an uproar, and most of my effort went into quelling it.

「How’s the regular class?」

I’d completely dumped that side on Nina and Violet‑san, but I hadn’t heard them say they were having trouble. Still, thinking it over, with Hiiro’s kids included the headcount’s bigger, so you’d think it would be even tougher.

「No, that side’s fine. Sig or Rin kick up a fuss now and then, though.」
「Those two, huh...」

The moment I heard those names, I pictured the two of them rampaging.
Luka is quiet and straightforward, and Violet‑san is a composed adult. They may be confused by differences in upbringing and habit and raise questions, but they rarely cause problems.
It’s always one of the younger two—or both—who start the commotion.

On top of that, those two are a terrible match and start fighting right away. Rin moves at her own pace so it’s more like Sig picking a one‑sided fight, but Rin doesn’t scare at all, so the idea of avoiding conflict just isn’t in her.

「So how do you deal with them when that happens?」
「Deal with them... how?」

Nina flicked her fingertips. A vine slid up from the ground, wrapped around me, and lifted me into the air.

「Like this.」
「Okay, okay, I get it—put me down!」

I shouted in a hurry.
Losing control of your body and having your feet leave the ground makes you more anxious than you’d expect. Even if it isn’t high, you can’t control your posture, so there’s a fear you’ll just be slammed down.

「And if they won’t listen—this.」

As Nina twitched her fingers, my body was violently shaken up and down. My vision blurred, my head spun, and with Gs pressing through my whole body and a terror of being flung, I clutched the vine for dear life. It might look laughable from the outside, but for the one it’s being done to, it’s no joke.

「By the third day or so, they started behaving.」

No kidding!

Finally released, I sprawled on the ground. I wanted to shout that back, but I was too busy suppressing the nausea welling up to manage it.

「Onii‑chan! — Huh? What happened?」

Violet‑san’s class must have just ended.
As usual, Yuuki stopped by the faculty room on her way back. Worried about me crouched over, she still clambered on top. She’s light, so it’s no problem.

「No, I’m fine... it’s nothing.」

I managed to answer so she wouldn’t worry, and Yuuki plopped down to the floor and turned to Nina.

「What’s up?」
「Apparently the special class isn’t going well.」

Hey!
When Yuuki asked again, Nina blurted it out as if it were nothing.
And she’s the reason I was limp just now, too.

「Ahh. I can kinda tell. Rin and Sig, right?」

Maybe because she’s with them in the regular class, Yuuki seemed to get it and named the two problem children.

「It’s not only those two. If anything, it’s my fault.」

Whatever the method, Nina and Violet‑san are getting their classes to move along properly.

「Yeah. I think so too.」

Even so, having Yuuki affirm it so bluntly was its own kind of depressing.

「You’re too nice, Onii‑chan.」

She even went so far as to pat my head.
I felt so pathetic I could cry.

「A pack needs a strong leader.」
「...Leader?」

Yuuki’s words carried a certain weight, and I couldn’t help asking back.

「You don’t really give off a leader vibe, Onii‑chan.」

I do think I’m not cut out to be a leader myself.
Hiiro doesn’t have a clearly designated chief, but the de facto leader is the Sword Clan’s head—Amaga, Yuuki’s father.

「A leader... the head, huh.」

For a village it’s a village chief; for a school, a principal.
But the head of a classroom isn’t the teacher.

「Yeah. Let’s decide on a leader.」

An idea struck me, and I said it aloud.
It was probably the world’s first—


* * *


「Class Leader?」
「Right. Class Leader. You can just call them Leader for short.」

I nodded to Sig and the others who echoed the word and answered.
Strictly speaking there isn’t any committee, so maybe I should call it class head or classroom head—but we’ll go by feel there.

「In short, we’re going to pick the top person in this class. You’ll follow what that person says. Simple enough, right?」
「Would the teacher not suffice?」

A perfectly reasonable question from Violet‑san.

「Right. As the teacher I outrank you, of course. But precisely because of that, I can’t also serve as Class Leader. We’re deciding on a leader among you.」
「...I see. Like the chief Warden. And you, Sensei, would be in the Elder’s position.」

She thought a moment, then murmured as if satisfied.

「Hey, hey, what does that mean?」
「Um... I think it means we choose the person who’s next in rank after Sensei.」

As Rin tugged insistently at my hem, Luka put it in her own words. Not exactly accurate, but that level might be easier to grasp.

「I’ll do it!」
「Sounds fun, so I wanna do it too!」

Sure enough, the first hands up were Sig’s and Rin’s.

「If you like, shall I take it?」

Unexpectedly, Violet‑san added herself. She was probably being considerate.
She must recognize the issue herself.
The 'chief Warden' she mentioned earlier could only refer to Violet‑san herself, and if the elder member she is became Class Leader, it would certainly help me.

—But.

「If I just pick someone on my own, you won’t accept it, right? Say I decide on Violet‑san—would you accept that, Sig?」
「Well...」

With an awkward expression, Sig glanced over at Violet‑san.
He looked like he had objections he couldn’t voice.
When Violet‑san noticed his gaze and smiled sweetly, Sig hastily averted his eyes.
...Come to think of it, there haven’t been any problems in her classes either. I wonder how she’s teaching.

「So we’ll decide in a way everyone can accept—fairly.」

I’m curious, but that can wait—we have the matter at hand. I’ll ask later...

「By fair... do you mean actually fighting?」

I’d thought as much, but seeing Sig ask in trepidation, I could pretty much imagine what he had in mind.

「That wouldn’t be fair—the gap’s too big. Something more like a method everyone can do about equally.」

Saying that, I took out what I’d prepared in advance.

「We’ll decide with this.」
「A stone and... wood?」

They tilted their heads at the items in my hands.