...
The day I started working as a teacher here in the strange city of Kivotos was about a week ago.
Though, I've also spent some time researching this place. Kivotos is called a city, but seems to be more the size of a small country. Rin wasn't exaggerating when she said Kivotos has thousands of schools. Each school has it's own district and is run by their Student Council, with the General Student Council overseeing all others.
High schoolers running a city? The mere prospect of that worries me.
For the record, the central area of Kivotos, where Schale and the Sanctum Tower are is called the D.U. District, short for 'District of Utnapishtim. Utnapishtim... That's the guy in Mesopotamian Myth that made an Ark when the world flooded, smiliar to Noah in the Bible.
How odd... more and more mythology references.
The D.U. District also contains the city's police force, Valkyrie Police Academy, who patrol the D.U. As for the other schools, they have to do their own thing as Valkyrie won't help them unless absolutely necessary. There's also members of the General Student Council, GSC for short, who guard the GSC building. They're also called on when Valkyrie can't handle something. Well, either them or the SRT Special Academy. I don't know much about them, save that they're Kivotos' special forces. Apparently, they were ran by the GSC President herself and only her. But... now she's gone. I hope they find someone to take up that position.
Also, the people of this world are just as odd. There are three types of residents of Kivotos. First are students, young girls who attend one of the many schools here. They all carry guns and have a halo above their heads. The all appear mostly human, with some having horns or wings.
Next are the other two residents, the adults. Why are the adults a single category despite being two? It's because all adults are male robots and anthropomorphic animals. It's strange seeing cats and dogs walking around on two feet, wearing clothes and talking, but oh well. Truth be told. I thought I was having a fever dream when I saw them. This also brings me to why Yuuka was surprised that I was male.
There are no human men, nor students.
From what I've read, human men are like a myth, there haven't been any in a long time, only being recorded in old stories and the like. There's also a whole genre of romance novels centered slowly on a character being with a human man.
I run a hand through my hair in frustration. What a mess...
Another strange thing is the curriculum of the city. The girls are taught usual subjects like math and stuff, but they're also taught warfare tacticts. Hence, the guns.
Also, I am the ONLY TEACHER in the city.
Sure, the academies sometimes get guest lecturers, but for the most part, they're taught using recordings on Tech Notes or Blu-Ray Disks, BD Disks for short. This also shows why the delinquents of the city aren't feared. Since they don't go to school, they don't learn tactics, so they're much weaker and less competent than those that attend regularly.
Also, students' halos allow them strange powers, like Wakamo's flower thing. Each student is encouraged to develop a unique ability using their powers. Yuuka's barrier was strong, but Kivotos' tech couldn't make something that strong unless it was something much bigger. Yuuka merely used her 'calculator' and her halo's power to make that barrier. It's the same with Hasumi's big shot that took out that tank and Chinatsu's healing. I realized that Suzumi's stun grenades might've been boosted by her halo as well.
As for the building I'm living in now, it is MASSIVE. The three topmost floors consist of my main office in the middle, a recreational area below and my living quarters at the top of the building. The remaining floors are either empty, or are used for storage.
The floor with my office is pretty grand as well, containing a AV room, a full gym with seats, a small, but well filled library, a full classroom with about twenty desks, a chemistry lab, and a full-on shooting range.
The recreational floor, below the office, is for Schale personnel and students only. This floor, too, was spared no expense, containing a self-study room complete with tables and the like, a training room filled with treadmills and blue barbells galore (gonna spend some time here in the mornings), a 'resting room' filled with a couch, recliners and a literal bed, a small arcade room, filled with old arcade cabinets, a cafeteria and even a terrace with a vegetable garden!
As for the top floor, it's basically an apartment penthouse at the top. The bedroom is lavish with a king-sized bed (something I'll have to get used to), a nice living and dining room combo, a state-of-the-art kitchen and various other things.
Also, Rin and Arona explained that the floating rock in the basement was a 'Matter Creator', called as such due to its ability to copy anything.
No, I am not kidding. I gave it my clothes and made some spares.
My stomach growls loudly, interrupting my thoughts.
Since I started working a week ago, I've yet to get a break from paperwork. My days have been nothing but working, eating and sleeping lately. I haven't even had the chance to go to the store!
Since I ate all the food left in the Schale building, I had to go get something for breakfast. Rin gave me a paycheck automatically paid to a bank account and a card to use.
Fortunately, there's a conscience store at the bottom of the building, Angel 24. Open twenty four hours a day and everything. I've been going there to get coffee in the mornings. The grocery store is a few streets away, so I'll go there when I have some real free time.
Entering the convenience store, early in the morning, I hear a shy voice call out. "W-Welcome to Angel 24!"
Looking at the counter, I see a young girl working the register. Strange, she wasn't here the past few days, it was just a robot guy.
Anyways, the girl is short, around Arona's height and has long blonde hair, split so that it reveals her forehead. She has bright blue eyes, and wears the blue and white Angel 24 uniform. Her halo is blue and has a small inner ring with a diamond in the center. She also has small, white angel wings coming from her back.
"Huh...? An adult? A-Are you that Sensei person I've heard so much about?" She says, shyly, seeming almost afraid of me.
"Yup, that's me. My name's Joshua, it's nice to meet you." I say, trying to dissuade her worry.
"I-It's nice to meet you too! M-My name is Sora! This is my first day as a part-timer here at Angel 24." The girl's really wary of me, huh?
"Say, you look a bit younger than the other students." I point out. All the other girls were a fair bit taller than her.
"Well, I'm a middle schooler." They have middle school here too?
"Practically no other store hires students my age, and I needed the money..." She explains. "Coming to work here is pretty scary, though. I heard this building was raided by a delinquent and charged by tanks."
"You mean that mess a few days ago?" I ask. "Won't worry, it's gonna be a lot safer around here now."
"T-That's good." She says with a smile. "But from what I can tell, you're the only regular customer this store gets, Sensei." Realizing her 'mistake', she she quickly corrects herself. "N-Not that your patronage isn't valued, of course!"
"Don't worry 'bout that. Besides this place is only a block away from Schale, so I've started to frequent it." I explain. I look to the side of the counter and open a small refrigerator, grabbing a can of coffee and a cup of instant noodles. "This is all I'm gonna buy, Sora."
"Ah, let me ring you up then!" She says, as I hand her my card. After that, she hands it, along with the coffee and noodles. "Here you go, Sensei."
"Thanks Sora, see you!" I say, as I leave.
"Angel 24 is open around the clock, so stop by anytime you need something!" She says with a smile. Huh, I guess she got a little less shy around me after our conversation...
—————
Later in the day, I'm still looking through requests sent to Schale, an empty can of coffee next to me when my phone goes off.
ding
Oh it's seems I've received a message over Momo Talk. It's Kivotos' own chat app, but it also functions kinda like a social media site. As a matter of fact, quite a few people are already following me.
As for the message itself...
Hello Sensei, it's Yuuka. Do you remember me?
Yuuka? Huh, it's been a few days since I've seen her.
Of course I do.
Well that's a relief. I'm glad I got your contact information. I sent you a message on Momo Talk because there's something important.
Schale still hasn't been reimbursed for the mission to reclaim the club room. When will the invoice be sent out?
Invoice? I think I saw something like that somewhere. Thought it might've been for something else. Christ, I'll need Arona to find it for me.
Was that a thing we were supposed to do?
Of course. Bullets aren't free.
I do remember Angel 24 also selling bullets, weirdly enough. Guess they're super commonplace. Makes sense, considering the girls being bulletproof.
Create a invoice and send it to the General Student Council. They'll handle the rest.
How do I do that?
I've never really done this kinda paperwork, after all.
We use a standardized form here at Millennium. Truth be told, I was planning on visiting Schale today, I'll bring you one.
Thanks, Yuuka.
It's no big deal. Good day.
Huh, guess I've got a visitor later.
—————
A few hours later, while on my lunch break, I hear the door open. Turning around, I see Yuuka. "Oh, hey." I greet the new arrival.
"Hello, Sensei. I brought the invoice I mentioned in my message. Please review it when you have the time." She says, before noticing my cup of noodles. "Oh, you were eating. I'm so sorry to bother you!"
"Eh, don't worry about it." I wave her off.
"Then let me tidy your desk while you eat." She offers.
I try to protest, but close my mouth as she seems serious. "Thanks, Yuuka. I've been busy as hell since I saw you last and haven't had time to clean it."
"I can see that. Also, are you just eating instant noodles?" She asks, eyebrow raised. "Sorry if this is too forward, but shouldn't you be eating something more nutritious? A diet of exclusively noodles can't be good for your health."
"Yeah, I ate all the food here and haven't had time to go to the grocery, so I just stopped by the Angel 24 downstairs and got something. I'll have to go later, but not right now, sadly."
She huffs. "You shouldn't just survive on noodles and coffee."
"I know. Like I said, I'll make time later." I say, placating her.
"You'd better!" She orders, as she begins sorting the papers.
It feels weird having someone care about me like this. I've been on my own for a while... I guess I forgot what it was like.
"Oh, these receipts." She says idly, picking them up. "Do you not sort them?" She asks.
"Not really, no." I say.
"What? Where's your checkbook?"
"I don't have one of those."
"What?!" She shouts. "You don't keep a checkbook?!"
"N-No..." I say, wilting under her yelling.
She lets out a big sigh. "Sensei, gather all of your receipts up. From now on, I'll be your bookkeeper and the one monitoring your expenses." She says, stunning me.
"Hey, er, Arona?" I call out.
"Yes, Sensei?" The AI girl says asks, appearing on the monitor.
"You know where all my receipts are?"
"I think so. I'll find them for you!" She says, cheerfully.
"Thanks, Arona." I say.
"Huh? Who's that?" Yuuka asks, noticing her.
"Oh, I'm Arona! I guess you could call me Sensei's assistant. It's nice to meet you!" The tiny OS says with a smile.
"Oh! I'm Hayase Yuuka, it's nice to meet you too, Arona." Yuuka introduces, smiling as well.
That little OS' cheerfulness is infectious.
A few moments later, the purple haired girl is sat at my desk, facing me, a small pile of receipts in front of her. "Seriously." She begins. "You're an adult, you should be able to handle this by yourself."
"I've never had a card or anything before, so I never needed to do this stuff." I reason.
She sighs. "I'm the only one who helps you sort your receipts like this. If you don't start taking better care of yourself, I'm not going to help anymore!"
"Okay, okay! I said I'll go get some real food later!"
She huffs and begins writing down the stuff again. "Angel 24 chicken sandwich three days ago... 500 yen." Right, that's another thing that surprised me. Kivotos uses yen.
"Geez, Sensei. This is the kind of thing you could easily do by yourself!" The purple haired girl says. "But, I don't mind doing this for you." She says with a blush. "Hmph, from now on, if you spend anything over five thousand yen, you have to consult me first!"
I think that's some weird logic. "Why do I have to consult you first?"
As I ask that, she gains a blush across her face. "Well, I... If I want to take care of you, then I have to stay on top of your spending habits... Anyway! It's for your own good, so please just do it!"
"Alright then, Yuuka. I'll consult you first." I say, reluctantly.
Yuuka continued to nag me for a while. She left after some time, saying goodbye to me and Arona. That made me hope Arona can get some friends, she IS stuck in the tablet, after all.
I went back to work shortly after. Later in the evening, I went to the grocery and bought some food and a coffee maker, since the office didn't have one. I spent over five thousand yen though, should I have told Yuuka?
Nah.
—————
The day after Yuuka's visit, I received a text via Momo Talk while working.
Sensei, it's Hasumi.
There's something I'd like to ask you personally, is it okay if I consult you for advice?
This is part of a teacher's job, after all.
Of course, anytime, Hasumi.
Oh.
Great!
Thank you, I was actually worried you'd say no. I'm kind of impressed.
Umm... I actually don't know what I'm saying.
Just take your time.
Could we meet near Trinity?
Where and when?
She texts me a location and time. A cafe, near Trinity. Thank god, I get a break!
I'll be there.
Okay. See you soon, Sensei.
—————
Not long after, I walk down a street in the afternoon. People are bustling to and fro. This is certainly a nice change of pace from the Schale office. Trinity's district is much different than the main district of Kivotos, where Schale is.
The place is beautiful, filled with old architecture, kept looking brand new. As I recall, Trinity is one of the oldest districts in Kivots. If I hadn't known that, I would've thought these buildings to be brand new.
School girls walk the streets, many of them bearing white or black wings, steal glances at me as I walk. Is a human male really that shocking?
Eventually, I reach the cafe Hasumi spoke of. I even manage to see her. She's easy to spot, thanks to her large wings.
"Yo, Hasumi." I greet her as I approach. She doesn't respond as she seems to be lost on thought.
Eventually, though, she sees me. "Ah! Where did you come from, Sensei? Er, sorry about that, I was distracted. I've never tried walking on the streets on a day off before. I didn't expect there to be so many people out and about."
"I've been stuck at Schale all week so this is definitely a nice change of pace for me." I say, chuckling.
She smiles. "I'm impressed you were able to spot me."
"Eh, I've always been good with crowds." I shrug. "Besides, you certainly stick out."
"D-Do I really stick out that much?" She asks, blushing. "I don't think I look that out of the ordinary..."
"It's hard not to notice when they're that big." I say off-handedly.
"...Pardon?" She asks, taken aback. Huh? I wonder why that is. "Do you think they're too big?"
"They're huge compared to the other Trinity students I've passed." They have much smaller wings, after all.
"N-No, I mean..." she trails off. "I suppose... that's true. I can't deny it... b-but there are people with bigger ones than mine." She stutters out, a fierce blush on her face. Strange, she's usually so composed.
"Sorry, did I hit a sensitive topic?" I ask, hoping I didn't step on a landmine.
"No, it's fine." She shrugs me off. "I'm just not used to having such an adult conversation. I was simply taken by... how forward you were." Are wings that sore of a spot for people here? Maybe I shouldn't ask, but...
"May I touch them?" I ask.
She stays silent for a moment, until her brain finishes computing. "T-T-Touch them?!" She shouts, causing me to reel back. "Right here?" She says, her face crimson.
"I don't see why not."
"Isn't this... a little inappropriate? Then again, if I consented... but do I? I don't know..." She ponders for a moment, before looking around us. After she finishes, she sighs before moving closer to me. "If that's truly what you want, t-then you have my permission! B-but you can't tell anyone!" She says, pointing her finger into my chest. "And let's go somewhere that no one can see us."
I smile. "I'm honored. I've been curious about your wings, since we met."
Her eyes widen in shock, before relaxing in confusion. "Oh, you meant my... wings."
I'm equally as confused. "Well, yeah. What did you think I was-" I cut myself off as I notice something I forgot. She also has a large chest. "Oh fuck, I'm sorry. I should've specified." I apologize to her.
"That entire time, you were taking about... my wings." She says, still dazed.
"Yeah, I'm still new to Kivotos, so I thought you being embarrassed was due to some societal thing regarding wings, sorry." I apologize again.
She sighs with a blush on her face. "I just remembered something important I have to do, Sensei! I need to go right now!" She shouts.
"W-Wait!"
"I'll see you later!" She shouts while running off.
I sigh to myself. Great job, Josh. You really fucked that one up.
A few minutes later, Hasumi texted me.
Sensei...
I-It's nothing. Please forget about today...
Alright then. Sorry about that, again.
I awkwardly shove my phone in my pocket and begin to walk back to Schale. Maybe I should walk around and see what stores there are here.
—————
As I walk around Trinity, I notice a small bakery. Feeling a bit peckish, I decide to go in.
As I enter, I find a crazy scene in front of me.
"Gyaaaaaaak!"
"E-Excuse me?!"
The girl behind the counter is recoiling in fear from the girl in front of it. The girl in front has long black hair and red eyes, similar to Hasumi, though her skin is eerily pale. She wears a black and red uniform, and has her fingernails painted black. Her short boots match her uniform. Her halo is a crimson ring, and seems to be dripping. The drops that fall off disappear as they hit the ground though. Around her waist are a pair of short-barreled, old school, black shotguns. They also have a reddish wood handle and have what looks like blood splattered on them.
The strangest thing about her is her face. It's twisted into a manic grin as she cackles strangely.
I walk up to them. "Are you two okay?" I ask.
Both turn to me. The crazy looking girl loses her grin.
"Thank goodness!" The girl behind the counter shouts. "She just came in here and begin yelling at me."
Okay, what? "I... see." I say slowly. I turn to address the black haired girl. "Why were you yelling at her?" I ask.
Her eyes widen and a blush appears on her cheeks. "I... Er... I'm sorry, I get a bit excited sometimes." Oh, she can talk normally.
"Well... at least you apologized." I say, confused. "What did you get so excited about anyways?"
"My friend told me this place sold good food, when I got here, I couldn't hold back my excitement! Kyehehe!" She cackles at the end of her sentence.
"Well, what were you going to get?" I ask.
She then stares blackly into space, silent. "...I don't know."
"Well what do you recommend?" I ask the girl at the counter.
A few moments later, the strange girl and I leave the bakery, each with a jelly filled bagel in our hands.
I take a bite. "Oh, this is good!"
The girl bites hers as well. "Yeah, it is."
"Say, I never got your name." I point out.
She shyly looks away, blushing. "Oh, uh... I'm Kensaki Tsurugi. I'm the head of the Justice Task Force."
"Oh? The one Hasumi's a part of?"
She looks up. "You know... Hasumi?"
"Yeah she helped me out the other day. My name's Joshua, the new teacher at Schale." I introduce myself.
"Gyaa!" She shouts shocked. "Y-You're that Sensei?!"
"Yup."
"W-Well, it's n-nice to meet you, Sensei. I guess I'll be going now." She says shyly as she begins to leave.
"Oh? Well I guess I'll see you later, then."
"Bye!" She shouts while waking away. Once she gets a fair distance away, she breaks into a sprint, moving faster than any olympic sprinter.
"Odd girl, but she's definitely a sweetheart." I say to myself as I throw away the bagel's wrapper.
I look at my watch, groaning at the time. "Guess I oughta get back and finish some more of that paperwork..."
I walk back to Schale with heavy steps, not looking forward to what's there.
————-
AN
I felt an inspiration and wrote this chapter really quick. I don't know how I did it, I only finished the last one a few hours ago.
Anyways, this is the first of the Down Time chapters. Chapters showing Sensei's daily life in Kivotos.
He met Sora, and hung out with Yuuka and Hasumi, things you all probably expected to see.
I bet none of you were expecting Tsurugi, though. She doesn't get enough love. They also don't really show her meeting Sensei, so I wrote my own thing. Hope you enjoyed it.
Next time will probably be the start of the Abydos arc.
Edit: November 1, 2022: Added girls' weapon descriptions.
Edit: February 22, 2023: Added some dialogue and world-building.
Got the world-building idea from a fanfic called 'The Sensei From the Imperium!' by Eyeshield on FanFic. Of all the crossovers with this game, I certainly wasn't expecting a Warhammer one. I know nothing about Warhammer, but it's a great crossover, so go give it a read!
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to the next!