#714 The Entrance Ceremony

New students have arrived to learn at the farm, drastically increasing the hustle and bustle.

I, in secrecy, peer at the boys and girls in a hubbub.

The long-planned Farm School.

Today’s the big day... The day we finally gather the students and launch the Farm School with a grand entrance ceremony!!!

“Waaaaah... There really is no turning baaaaaaaaaaaaaack...!” I say, now at the last minute.

We’ve done something big. Gathering so many promising young people and educating them...

I mean, their future is now on our shoulders, you know?

When you think about it, it’s a huge responsibility!

“P-P-P-P-P...! Pl-Pl-Pl-Platy? Maybe we should apologize and cancel now...?”

“What are you suddenly scared of? We’ve already succeeded with Ritheseus’ batch, right? All you have to do is repeat the same thing; it’s that easy!”

I get admonished by Platy, who is snuggled up next to me.

“Dad, good luckieee!”

Even Junior is cheering for me?!

Uoooooooh! I guess I have no choice but to do my bestttttttttttt!

In front of the students who have gathered, Sensei the Lifeless King is on stage, serving as the master of ceremonies for the entrance ceremony.

“Ahem, on this bright and auspicious day, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to meet you young ones...”

He starts with an unnecessarily long speech typical of principals at entrance ceremonies?!

“...But let’s cut the long story short.”

And he’s already done?!

That’s Sensei for you; he has no plans to unnecessarily drag on a conversation!

“Let me introduce the people who will be living with you from today. Most of them also serve as teachers who will directly instruct you. Of course, don’t forget to respect everyone.”

Incidentally, the students gathered under the blue sky have become stiff as a board before Sensei.

Why?

Perhaps because he’s a Lifeless King.

While it’s not impossible to think, “Why now?” it’s proof that our senses have been numbed.

Generally speaking, a Lifeless King is deeply feared as one of the two greatest calamities in the world.

An encounter with one is perceived as equivalent to death.

Understandably, you’d wet yourself if you met someone like that.

However, Sensei has learned magic to neutralize the miasma emanating from his body based on past experience, so it should be considerably mitigated.

But the mere fact of being a Lifeless King is enough to scare the living daylights out of them.

“Now, let’s call on Mr. Orkubo and Mr. Gobukichi first. Please welcome them with a round of applause.”

Prompted, the applause erupts.

They’re just doing as they’re told.

Basking in that applause, Orkubo and Gobukichi ascend to the podium.

“They each serve as the leaders of the orcs and goblins working on this farm. Individually, they have undergone several stages of mutation, with Orkubo becoming a Julius Caesar Orc and Gobukichi becoming a Takehaya Susano-o Goblin, each possessing the ability to destroy the world on their own.”

When introduced like that, it reminds me of how impressive our orcs and goblins are.

They have a final-boss-level presence.

“Their strength will surely provide lessons for you all. They will also guide you periodically, but if you ever have any trouble or danger, immediately ask them for help. They are kind and dependable individuals.”

“They’re kind.”

That is an undeniable fact.

Orkubo and Gobukichi solemnly bow their heads in courtesy. Their gesture is particularly dignified.

“Next, we have the school nurse, Garra Rufa.”

“Nice to meet you alllll.”

A petite woman appears next.

“She was once involved in medical work in the Mermaid Kingdom, and now she takes care of everyone’s health here at the farm.”

“If you feel anything strange about your body, please come to me right away. Acting swiftly is vital when dealing with an illness!”

Garra Rufa, one of the mermaids dispatched to the farm in the past, is nicknamed the Witch of Plague.

With Puffer and Lampeye, who came with her, retiring after marriage, Garra Rufa has become the last remaining senior witch on the farm.

However, her skills are reliable, and she is the mainstay of the farm’s health management.

She’s a very reliable companion, but...

Among the students seeing her for the first time...

“Isn’t that one of the Six Witches, Garra Rufa...?!”

“She’s known to be exceptionally brutal, even among the witches already notorious for defying common sense...!”

“You must be joking! If we get her treatment, we’ll end up being her lab rats, won’t we?!”

“To think that the mad witch who sent shockwaves through the mermaid realm lives a normal life here... are we in the netherworld...?!”

The ones shuddering are mainly students from the Mermaid Kingdom.

As always, a witch’s reputation is abysmal.

“Don’t lump us together. Garra Rufa’s reputation is terrible,” protests Platy, another witch, beside me.

I think you’re no different yourself, you know?

“New students! Don’t be so scared!”

“That’s right! Master Garra Rufa is a magnificent witch!”

Coming forward are young mermaidens slightly younger than Garra Rufa.

“I’m the Witch of Fermenting, Heckelii! A woman who has grown so much under Master Garra Rufa’s guidance and earned the title of a witch!”

“And I’m the Witch of Orderliness, Batrachus! I’m your senior, a graduate of the previous term! We owe our very being to Master Garra Rufa!”

Oh, aren’t those the two new witches at our farm?

They’re both closely mentored by Garra Rufa among the senior witches, aren’t they?

They haven’t forgotten their gratitude and want to support their senior even after becoming full-fledged witches?

What a commendable teacher-student bond!

“Master Garra Rufa’s lunacy is out of this world! An extreme level of insanity that distorts the universe!”

“In front of that madness, even the Witch of the Abyss, Zoth Syra, admits defeat! That’s why Master Garra Rufa is the craziest witch! The world’s greatest lunatic!”

“By reaching and overcoming the ultimate lunacy under Garra Rufa, everyone can surely become a splendid witch!”

“Praise Master Garra Rufa! Praise her ultimate insanity! Let’s do the Madness Chant!”

Mad! Mad! Mad! Mad! Mad! Mad! Mad! Mad! Mad! Mad! Mad!

Stirred by Heckelii and Batrachus, a furious wave of chants erupts from the rest of the students.

Garra Rufa herself, on the receiving end, seems to have her consciousness drifting far away, leaving her with an expressionless face.

Looks like Heckelii and Batrachus’ bond with their teacher is a touch overblown.

“Let’s move on to the next introduction.”

And then, there’s Sensei in that abnormally tense atmosphere, remaining steadfast.

“Next are the ones who handle the farm’s tidiness—the earth spirits.”

“PWEASE TAKE CARE OF USSSSSS!”

A group of small girls appears.

They look like ordinary little girls, but they’re actually manifestations of earth energy spirits that have gained consciousness.

“Here to say hewwo!”

“Just dwopping by!”

“We cwean up the farm’s twash!”

“In short, we are cweaners!”

They’re energetic as ever.

Spring, the harbinger of nature’s energy, makes them even livelier.

“They take care of tidying up the farm, so you’ll often cross paths with them. Just because they’re cute and small doesn’t mean you can bully them.”

“We may be small, but we are not weak!”

“A mustard seed may be tiny, but it is fiewy hot!”

“Don’t underestimate us!”

The earth spirits are causing a commotion here and there, some even clambering up Sensei’s body.

Sensei’s robe is loose, making it easy to grab and climb.

Seeing that, the other earth spirits follow suit.

“Ah! That wooks fun!”

“I want to cwimb too!”

“I have conquered the summit!”

“I have estabwished a camp on this mountain!”

The spirits nonchalantly clamber on a Lifeless King.

In response to this ruffling around, Sensei chuckles while the new students are left speechless.

They probably think the earth spirits are not to be messed with upon seeing their carefree acts.

They won’t dare to oppose them recklessly after seeing that.

“Lastly, let’s introduce the master of this farm and the host of the Farm School, Lord Saint. He is the highest authority on this farm; please welcome him with reverence.”

Ah, is that my cue?

But after such a rush of formidable characters, won’t my lackluster appearance and aura be a letdown?

But since I’m called, I have to come out and say hello, so I ought to strengthen my resolve and go up there.

“Ah, hello, hello...!”

Countless gazes are piercing through me!

To escape from this unbearable atmosphere, I have to... yes, keep talking.

“Umm, it truly warms my heart to see all of you here, eager to learn. Several previous learners have left our farm, flourishing in different corners of the world. I hope you all will follow in their footsteps, growing stronger and smarter with the education you receive here. Let’s give it our all together!”

Yipes, I ended up sounding even more like a principal!

Nevertheless, everyone here on the farm is delighted to welcome you all!