New chapter of World Teacher is out! (1/1 chapter)

 

 

The Fastest Education Policy

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

It might have sounded immodest, but I thought my life had been full of turmoil. Training that could be called torture, being dragged into conflict zones as if it were nothing more than going out for a walk.

While spending those stormy days, I became the 37th Special Operative of the Japan Union… in other words, an agent. There, I met my partner, and I continued fighting alongside them. After being immersed in battle for so long, when I passed fifty, I retired and became an educator for the next generation.

Education was a difficult thing, but I believed those days I spent immersed in it had been enjoyable. In the midst of those fun days, behind the scenes, a certain dark organization was secretly working to overturn the world. Due to the immense scale of the organization, the selection of personnel to stop them was handled with the utmost care and caution.

And then… I was chosen.

Once upon a time, I had the skills that had earned renown across the world, and it was due to trust and a proven track record. In reality, however, it had been the classic cold calculation of the organization. Since I was a retired old man, even if I died, the loss would be minimal.

No matter how you looked at it, it had been a conspiracy… My partner had objected, but I accepted it. That was because I had made them promise, if I succeeded in eliminating the target, my partner would become the head of the organization. I had even made them sign a blood pact, then prepared myself and challenged the mission.

As a result… I died.

 

—

 

That was a long story, but I want you to understand that my life was far from ordinary. I’ve aged, and I pride myself on having an iron heart that doesn’t get shaken by the average situation.

However, I was pathetically confused.

“Ah-uu, ah-ah-uu-aa!” (??)

Why am I a baby!?

Even though I wanted to scream that, my underdeveloped vocal cords wouldn’t let me speak properly. My hands and feet were so shockingly tiny, and though this was my own body, I couldn’t move it the way I wanted. Despite this bizarre situation, I understood clearly that I had become a baby for some reason. No matter how optimistic I was in my previous life, this situation was beyond tolerable.

As my confused self and my calm self struggled within, a shadow fell across my face.

“―――……――……―” (???)

A woman was peering down at me and speaking. However, my underdeveloped ears couldn’t pick up the words properly, and I had no idea what she was saying.

Calm down. Let’s try to sort out the situation a bit. Quick mental switch, calmly and precisely. To calm down, I recall my memories.

During what was likely my final mission, I successfully eliminated the target man but also received fatal injuries myself. Escape became impossible, so I chose to disappear along with the building, also taking care of evidence disposal. I still remember the sensation of the falling debris hitting me. After that, my vision blacked out.

And then I woke up… as a baby.

…Hmm. I’m calm now, but I still don’t understand a thing. I definitely died, so why am I a baby now? ‘Reincarnation’ seems to be the most logical answer, but why do I retain my self-awareness and memories?

Moreover, while I can remember the life I led, I can’t recall the names of my former partner or disciples. My memory has selective holes, and my current body and environment provide no information. No matter how much I think, there’s no answer, and no one to explain.

Deeming further thought meaningless, I decided to observe the person in front of me for now. A woman with silver hair tied at the back of her head, and sky-blue eyes. There were some wrinkles on her face, so she was probably past her prime, but even putting flattery aside, she was beautiful. If I weren’t a baby, I might have tried to hit on her.

But… why is she wearing a maid outfit? Cosplay? No, given her appearance, maybe I’m in a foreign country? While I was thinking vaguely, she gently picked me up and began humming what seemed to be a lullaby. I couldn’t understand the content or the language. But the loving gaze she directed at me and the slowly marked rhythm lulled my consciousness away.

I had many things I needed to think about, but I couldn’t resist the comfort, and I let go of my awareness.

 

—

 

A month had passed since I woke up. The world I knew was still just this room.

Roughly six tatami mats in size, with a low bed where I slept, a desk, and a closet. A room with no books, which could only be described as plain. The futon’s fabric felt slightly rough, and everything had a sense of being outdated.

During this month of doing nothing but eating and sleeping, my body had been growing steadily. My ears, which once sounded like broken speakers, were now hearing clearly, and though I couldn’t walk yet, I could move my body to some extent. However, my body was now very inefficient… meaning, I got hungry fast.

Usually, the timing of meals was so perfect it felt like I was being monitored, but for some reason, today was late. I started thinking of countermeasures… just when the door opened. Enter the silver-haired maid who had been taking care of me. Come to think of it, even after a whole month, I hadn’t seen anyone besides this maid.

“―――……――――――” (Silver-haired Maid)

Hmm, as always, I couldn’t understand a thing she said. My ears could hear now, but I had no grasp of the language. In my previous life, I was fluent in many languages from traveling the world, but this one didn’t match any of them. Still, it isn’t a big problem. If I listen long enough, I eventually pick it up. For now, I prioritize the food.

“――？　――――――” (Silver-haired Maid)

Oh? It seems like there is someone else here besides the silver-haired maid today. Let’s see who it is—…What!?

“――、―――、―――” (???)

The silver-haired maid gave instructions to the other person and left the room.

Wait, hold on a second. Who is this girl approaching with a full smile? She’s wearing a maid outfit too, so she must be here to care for me, but I’ve got something to say.

Why is she wearing neko-mimi?

She looks lively and probably around the age where she is transitioning from a girl to a woman. Her red hair is tied in a ponytail, and she is quite cute. But those cat ears on her head bother me. I am not into cat ears or anything, but I immediately think of a cosplay café. That thought pops into my mind… but the thing is, those ears are moving. Very adorably, in fact.

“――、―――？” (Cat-Eared Maid)

As I sat there stunned, the girl held out a spoon with food on it. Since there was no bottle, I was to be fed like this with a spoon. There were still questions, but I was hungry, so I decided to eat. The food was something like milk mixed with something else. It didn’t taste good.

“――！　――――” (Cat-Eared Maid)

She squirmed with joy every time I took a bite. Slightly annoying, but I decided to silently focus on eating for now.

The meal ended, but the cat-eared girl continued staring at me with a smile, never getting bored.

Are you the type who can’t resist cute things or something? I don’t even know if I’m cute or not—there’s no mirror here.

Setting aside my appearance, now that my stomach is full, let’s resolve one of my lingering doubts. To the point… are those cat ears real?

I pointed at the ears, signaling that I wanted to touch them.

No, not your fingers… your ears.

After a bit of thought, the cat-eared girl leaned her head forward and let me touch them.

Yep, warm.

I checked all the way to the base. They were growing directly from her head. They were real.

“――！　――、――――――、――……” (Cat-Eared Maid)

While I was basking in wordless awe, the cat-eared girl clapped her hands as if she had a bright idea. She closed her eyes, raised her index finger, and began mumbling something.

“―――！” (Cat-Eared Maid)

The moment she shouted with determination, fire suddenly appeared at her fingertip.

…Huh, fire? There’s no lighter or anything. Where did it come from? Oh, maybe it’s a magic trick or something? But still, fire doesn’t normally form into such a clean orb and float in midair.

“―――♪” (Cat-Eared Maid)

As I sat there bewildered, the cat-eared girl happily spun her finger around. Following the motion, the fireball began moving in impossible ways, flying around the girl. There was no sign of any tricks.

Could this possibly be… magic?

“――！” (Cat-Eared Maid)

“―!?” (??)

Just as that conclusion was reached within me, the silver-haired maid-san returned.

The moment cat-ear-san noticed her, her movements stopped, and the fireball disappeared along with it. The silver-haired maid-san silently beckoned cat-ear-san with a scary smile, gesturing “come here”. As cat-ear-san headed in that direction, her ears and tail drooped dejectedly, which for some reason healed me emotionally.

Cat ears and a tail, which ordinary humans did not possess, and the existence of magic. These were things that had never existed in the previous world, which had already unlocked the mysteries of the universe. I had intentionally avoided thinking about it, but it seemed I would have to honestly accept the reality now.

That this is not Earth… that is.

 

—

 

Three months since awakening. My neck had stabilized, and I was now capable of crawling. Every day, I slipped past the watchful eyes of the two maids, escaped from the crib’s bars, and devoted myself to gathering information from the surroundings.

After surveying various areas, I once again deepened my understanding of my current situation. That this wasn’t Earth had been confirmed already, and since there was magic here, it would be appropriate to call this a “different world”.

Still, to think that I would be the one to experience that “isekai reincarnation” which my otaku colleague used to ramble on about so much. Though my life had already ended once, life truly is unpredictable.

The level of civilization here most closely resembled medieval Europe from Earth. Lighting was primarily candles, and there were no electrical appliances, which seemed inconvenient, but in exchange, there was magic.

I moved around in search of new discoveries, but it was about time for a meal.

Let’s return to the room before the maid arrives. It should be cat-ear-san’s turn today.

“It’s mealtime~. I’ll feed you lots, okay? A~hn♪” (Maid)

Yes, finally, I had come to understand the previously incomprehensible language. While my rapid learning speed as a baby certainly helped, the biggest factor was probably this cat-ear-san. She was excessively meddlesome and talkative, to the point of being annoying, and constantly spoke to me.

When you’re surrounded by your mother tongue, you learn quickly.

Naturally, now that I understood the language, I had also learned my name.

Sirius… That was my new name. The truth behind it remained unclear, but I had been granted new life like this. Though my name from the previous life had disappeared, so long as I retained my sense of self, I decided I would live proudly as Sirius.

I say that like it’s cool, but in reality I’m being spoon-fed, so it lacks dignity.

“Has the meal ended?” (Elina)

Silver-haired maid-san, now formally introduced as Elina-san, came to check on things. As always, she carried herself with perfection, exuding the aura of a master-class maid. Though younger than I was in my previous life, I always show respect to professionals. That was my policy.

“Yes. Still, Sirius-sama eats so neatly. I heard feeding babies is usually more of a struggle?” (Maid)

“That may be true for normal children, but Sirius-sama is special. I’m sure he will become someone great in the future.” (Elina)

She’s a master maid, but slightly a doting parent too.

I had assumed Elina-san was my parent, but based on the conversations, that didn’t seem to be the case. Her demeanor and words were those of someone addressing a superior, and she felt more like a lady-in-waiting than a maid. So, while “doting parent” might not be the right term, the way she looked at me was entirely like that of a parent. Considering my age, “doting parent” is probably not incorrect after all.

“Right? It’s like he understands what I’m saying. Ahh, but he really is so cute.” (Noel)

Cat-ear-san, who was completely infatuated with me, was named Noel-san. She was studying under Elina-san to become a maid herself, but still had a childlike demeanor befitting her age.

“I wonder when he’ll start calling me Onee-chan? Ah, but Onee-sama also has a nice ring to it.” (Noel)

Yeah, let’s go with just calling her “Noel”.

“Meal’s done. Next, could you handle the cleaning?” (Elina)

“Roger that!” (Noel)

Leaving energetic Noel behind, Elina-san gently held me and exited the room. She proceeded to the entrance, and I stepped outside for the first time in my life. I didn’t know if this world had four seasons, but it was a clear and warm day. It looked like it would feel nice to take a nap out here.

“It’s warm today. Shall we take a little walk?” (Elina)

“Ai~” (Sirius)

“Yes, leave it to me.” (Elina)

Carried by Elina-san, we took a slow stroll around the house.

From the outside, the house was a splendid two-story wooden building. With six rooms, it seemed a little more spacious than the average household. Since I was being called “Sirius-sama”, I had assumed we were upper nobility living in a mansion.

The garden was fairly large, and the vegetable patches and trees planted here and there were neatly arranged. And as we completed the circuit around the house, I noticed something.

This house… it was completely surrounded by forest, and there wasn’t a single other building in sight. At most, there was a maintained path that extended beyond what looked like a front gate. Other than that, only forest could be seen. This wasn’t just countryside, this was borderline remote frontier.

And then I saw it, creatures like rabbits with horns leaping out of the bushes, which reminded me once again that this was a different world.

“Sirius-sama, those are called ‘Horabii.’ They’re timid by nature, but since they are magic beasts, you must not go near them.” (Elina)

Hmm, I had suspected it the moment I saw magic existed, but this world really does have magic beasts.

I wouldn’t be surprised if dragons and other creatures from Earth’s fantasy lore existed here. Maybe I should start training my body from tomorrow. Perhaps I should stop pretending to be a helpless baby and begin conditioning. If I start showing signs of crawling soon, they’ll realize I’m growing quickly, and it will reduce suspicion even if I develop unusually fast later. Ideally, by the time I can walk a month from now, I’d be jogging while they watch with smiles.

“…Elina-sama.” (??)

“Oh my, have you finished pruning?” (Elina)

“Yes.” (??)

At the sound of a voice, I turned, and a man in work clothes carrying pruning shears appeared from between the trees.

To me, he was the third human I’d encountered. A young man with short brown hair and sharp eyes, quite tall, and with an unapproachable air. He seemed like someone people would hesitate to speak to upon first meeting.

“There were Apus ripe. Let’s serve them for dinner tonight.” (Dee)

“Is that so? They’re Noel’s favorite. She’ll be hopping with joy.” (Elina)

“Yes.” (Dee)

Perhaps not good at conversation, his words were few and concise. His expression hadn’t changed once. In my previous life, he’d definitely have been labeled a communication failure. Maybe noticing I was observing him, Elina-san introduced him.

“Sirius-sama, this is Deemas. He is our gardener and cook.” (Elina)

“Elina-sama, I believe a baby would not understand.” (Dee)

“That may be true, but it’s important to properly introduce you.” (Elina)

“…Understood. Please call me Dee, Sirius-sama.” (Dee)

“Ai~” (Sirius)

“!?” (Dee)

He likely hadn’t expected a response, because Dee’s expression slightly changed. It meant nothing, but I felt victorious.

“…I look forward to what the future holds.” (Dee)

“Yes, truly.” (Elina)

Their eyes narrowed gently, and their gazes gathered on me.

The future… huh. At this point, if I had to say anything, it would be, “I’ll train my body in preparation for potential trouble”.

But more importantly, the person who will probably be most involved in my future is nowhere to be seen. I have never once seen them. Not even in a photograph, so I don’t even know their face. They are intentionally avoided in all conversation, and I pretend not to notice but this is getting ridiculous.

Where are… my parents?

 

—

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)