I Possessed the Heroine’s Teacher

Hangovers are truly a pain in the ass. It’s that physical discomfort and bullshit you feel when you’ve consumed more alcohol than your body can handle, your stomach is churning, and your head feels like it’s going to explode. I drank soup to cure the hangover several times, but it still burned inside.

In my head, it felt like someone was hitting a gong, and my skull felt like it was going to crack from some idiot hammering inside it.

But there are worse things than hangovers in this world. Like work. The little bastard who flew in this morning handed me an order from the prince. Even though it was my day off, the situation was apparently too urgent, so they couldn’t help but contact me. What could I do? When do higher-ups ever lower themselves like this? In a world where everyone’s trying to exploit you, even on weekends, what else could I expect?

Moreover, the matter was indeed urgent. The Count of Holstead, whose name I had borrowed, was said to be in danger. And according to the investigators, it seemed that the Black Round Table bastards were hiding in that area and plotting something.

Of course, I wasn’t going alone. While it would be better than going alone and lonely… the hopeless trio was with me.

“Master! What’s the specialty of the Holstead territory? I’m looking forward to trying it.”

Iris Reyes, normally a sweet girl with a bright smile, but when the switch is flipped, she can curse and fire off magic indiscriminately.

“The specialty of the Holstead territory is ore, but… if you really want to stuff iron ore in your mouth, go ahead.”

Glacies Winterheart, who has a mysteriously bad relationship with Iris, and when she’s pissed off, things tend to get bloody.

“Ugh… you should’ve just come alone, Werner. Who told you to bring women into this national business?”

Lorcha Macklin, always measuring the angle for a dropkick to me, probably doesn’t even understand why she was dumped by me.

And the carriage was worse than both work and a hangover. I had to endure several days of this mentally exhausting conversation in a confined space. I really wished for a KTX. At this rate, my entire holiday was going to be wasted. Bye-bye, my lovely holiday. I’ll enjoy it properly next time, in one piece.

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After a week of travel, we finally arrived at the Holstead estate in Naju.

Unlike the northern regions or the capital, the air here was hot and humid, which was irritating to the sweat glands. It was like Daegu in July. Especially for someone like Glacies, who had only lived in cold areas, the weather seemed harsh. She was already sweating heavily within 10 minutes of stepping off the carriage.

I took out a handkerchief and wiped her cheek.

“You didn’t have to come all the way here… I feel bad that you’re suffering because of me.”

She accepted my kindness and gave a slight smile before wiping my sweat with the handkerchief.

“I came of my own free will, so you don’t need to worry, Werner.”

“But still…”

“Actually, I’m quite happy that you’re wiping my sweat, Werner.”

Glacies said this and looked at Iris. Maybe it was just me, but I had a feeling Glacies gave Iris a smug smile. No way, Glacies couldn’t have smiled like that, right?

Then, Iris staggered and started leaning towards me.

“Master, it’s so hot, I think I’m going to collapse. I think I have heatstroke, please help me.”

Yeah, in this scorching heat, heatstroke can happen to anyone. Even someone like Iris, with the strong constitution of a hero’s bloodline, was no exception. I grabbed her hand and leaned her weight towards me, helping her stay up.

“Hehehe… If someone saw us like this, they’d probably get really jealous, right? Like someone who might think someone wiping her face is a bi deal, for example…”

Glacies’s expression stiffened slightly.

“… Werner, I’ve never experienced weather like this, so I have a slight headache. You know, unlike barbaric monkeys, I don’t fake illnesses.”

Ah, Glacies had heatstroke too. Heatstroke can strike anyone. As a descendant of Asclepius, the god of medicine, I couldn’t refuse to help them. So, I supported both beautiful women, and Lorcha clicked her tongue as she looked at me.

“Tsk tsk… You’ve become quite the womanizer, haven’t you, Werner?”

It was unfair. I was just doing my duty as a successor of the god of medicine. I hadn’t done anything Zeus-like related to womanizing yet. For her to accuse me like this, Lorcha clearly disliked me.

“Lorcha, you’ve got it wrong.”

“Shut up and do your job. Meeting with Count Holstead and getting the details is your role, Werner.”

“Why me again? Just so you know, today’s my day off! Are we really going to have a noble interview on someone’s day off?!”

“I’ve been taking on your responsibilities for the last 12 years since you ran away, haven’t I? How many days off do you think I had while juggling the tower master duties and royal mage work for the last 12 years?”

A year is roughly 52 weeks, and Saturdays and Sundays are supposed to be rest days. But given how busy I must have been, it would have been hard to take every single day off.

“Hmm, about 60 days a year?”

“I’ve had only 11 days off in 12 years. So just shut up and do your job.”

I had nothing to say to that.

11 days off in 12 years meant I’d worked an entire year without a break. How many people suffered because of the mess I made? I had forced this shit onto my friend, so if I get struck by lightning while walking down the street, I wouldn’t even have a reason to complain.

In a way, wasn’t it a form of justice that this bastard got stabbed in the side? My side was strangely aching today.

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The Count Holstead’s house had a strangely cool atmosphere. It seemed unique for a noble’s mansion, but it was oddly small for someone of the Count’s rank. It was even smaller than the mansion I owned and didn’t even have a proper garden—just a cramped place.

There were only two guest rooms, so Lorcha and I had to share a room. Of course, this happened after Iris and Glacies fought over who should share a room with me, and Lorcha, caught in the middle of the fight, got angry and decided the room arrangement on her own.

“Count Holstead is calling for you.”

“Tell him I’ll be there soon.”

Now that I thought about it, I didn’t know much about Count Holstead. All I had heard was that he was sickly, from some rumors at a ball.

Lorcha, who was organizing her things, warned me.

“Count Holstead is one of the most capable nobles who supports the Crown Prince. Don’t try any strange jokes or wordplay; it won’t work with him.”

She spoke curtly, but I could tell she was just concerned about me. Ah, so this is the charm of a tsundere.

“Hmph, are you worried about me because I’m your friend? I appreciate it.”

“What…? No, no, don’t get the wrong idea! It’s not that! I’m just worried your dirty personality might mess things up again…”

I put my finger to Lorcha’s lips, though we didn’t actually make contact.

“There won’t be any more mistakes, not in work, and not in our relationship.”

Lorcha’s face flushed red.

“Just go already, idiot.”

And so, with some tsundere-style encouragement, I headed toward Count Holstead’s room. What kind of sickly noble would I find there? Asthma? Old age? Diabetes? What kind of disease would keep a noble stuck in a remote area like this, unable to even go to the capital?

I lightly knocked on the door and said, “I’m Werner Alton, the royal mage.”

“…Come in.”

It was a weak, lifeless voice. When I opened the door, no one was sitting at the table. What the hell? Was I talking to a ghost?

How dare some damned spirit play tricks on me, the last disciple of Jesus?

“That’s not where you should be looking.”

I turned my gaze away from the desk to the bed, which was a bit further away. There, a young man covered in bloodstains was wiping the blood off his mouth and staring at me.

“I am Kyle Holstead. I sincerely apologize for calling you under such circumstances. But it’s difficult for me to go to the capital…”

Upon closer inspection, I noticed he didn’t have any legs.

“It’s alright. I’m more concerned that you’re caught up in a troublesome situation because of us.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Lord Werner. Please, sit there. This matter is urgent.”

For the first time since coming to this world, I felt the weight of a noble’s presence.