The next morning, Katori Nanatsuki arrived early at the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy.
His classes were mostly held in the mornings, and today, he had arrived even earlier than usual.
Before Chijō Kana left yesterday, she'd mentioned that the wooden swords in their swordsmanship room were in poor condition, so Nanatsuki planned to check them before class began.
First, he stopped by the faculty office. The teachers had been busy with the start of the new term yesterday, and he hadn't had the chance to meet everyone.
As soon as he stepped in, he saw that familiar petite Shinigami again.
She was leaning on a desk, chatting casually with another female teacher.
Shirai Riko noticed him and waved. "Good morning, Teacher Katori!"
The other teacher, who had long green hair, also waved. "Good morning, Teacher Katori."
The green-haired teacher was from the Kido Department. Nanatsuki had seen her yesterday when he visited the office.
"Good morning, Teacher Shirai, Teacher Sakai," Nanatsuki greeted them. "Teacher Shirai, it's good you're here—I was actually planning to look for you."
Shirai Riko worked in logistics, and the logistics office wasn't in this building—this one was for teaching staff.
"Looking for me? What for?" she asked curiously.
"One of my students said many of the wooden swords in our classroom are damaged. Once I confirm it, I might need to ask you to help replace them," Nanatsuki explained.
"They're already damaged after just one day of classes? Are your students born with monster strength?" Shirai Riko looked incredulous. "We replaced all the wooden swords before term started!"
"I'll come with you to check," she offered.
"Of course. Please come this way."
Nanatsuki didn't refuse her offer. Since she happened to be there, it made sense to deal with the matter right away, even though he'd planned to sit and get to know the other teachers better first.
The swordsmanship room was in a different building from the office, and it was a bit of a walk.
Shirai Riko, never one to keep quiet, soon struck up a conversation again.
"Are your students easy to handle, Teacher Katori?" she asked.
"Not bad," Nanatsuki said, recalling yesterday's class. "They were pretty cooperative."
Aside from Hirako Shinji and Muguruma Kensei, there weren't any particularly difficult students.
Shinji was lazy—during swing drills, he'd slack off as soon as Nanatsuki wasn't watching.
Kensei was hot-headed and prone to starting trouble.
"Then do your best, Teacher Katori. I heard from the Kido Department's Nakajima-sensei that her class is full of big-shot nobles' kids. The swordsmanship teacher for that class is new, too," Shirai Riko said in a lowered, conspiratorial tone.
"Let me tell you a little secret," she added, as if revealing something dramatic. "The head of the Swordsmanship Department is just temporarily assigned to the Academy and will be returning soon."
"What does that have to do with me?" Nanatsuki was puzzled. He was just a new hire—no way he'd be a candidate for that position.
"I heard they'll be choosing the next department head based on teaching performance. That's why they put so many noble prodigies in one class—to set the stage for that teacher."
Putting all the elite students in one group definitely seemed like someone was paving the way.
"Oh? Is that so? Then I'd better start working hard..." Nanatsuki was intrigued. If he became department head, he'd get first pick of which classes to teach—more chances to interact with familiar characters from his past-life memories.
With his Patient Mentor trait, teaching students was easier and more effective.
Even though the most talented students had been taken already, he still had a shot.
"It's true. Otherwise, they wouldn't have grouped all the nobles together like that. They used to spread them out," Shirai Riko said. "The rumor's been all over campus—everyone knows, except you, since you're new."
She didn't really expect Nanatsuki to become the new head, but she couldn't resist sharing gossip.
"Thanks for the tip, Teacher Shirai." Nanatsuki made a mental note to bring some treats tomorrow as a thank-you.
They arrived at the swordsmanship room and began inspecting the wooden swords.
"These all look pretty new," Shirai Riko noted, not seeing any problems.
"They are new on the surface," Nanatsuki said as he carefully examined one of them. There were no signs of prolonged use.
He focused his spiritual pressure into his fingertips and rubbed the outer coating off the sword.
The coating was a special oil that protected against moisture and pests while providing better grip.
"These are refurbished swords," Nanatsuki concluded. "They've been stored for a long time and weren't well-maintained—some have absorbed moisture and begun to warp."
Poorly maintained swords develop cracks, lose durability, and become much easier to break.
Nanatsuki was familiar with these signs—he personally maintained all the swords at Katori Dojo.
"Refurbished?!" Shirai Riko gasped and quickly grabbed another sword, copied Nanatsuki's method, and rubbed off the coating.
Sure enough, the wood inside was swollen and cracked.
They tested a few more—nearly all had similar problems to varying degrees.
"Teacher Shirai, were you in charge of procurement?" Nanatsuki asked. If she was involved, things could get complicated.
"No, but I'm responsible for distributing the gear. If all the swords are like this... I'm in trouble," she groaned, scratching her head.
"I need to go check the warehouse."
With that, she rushed off.
For now, replacing the swords wasn't an option. Fortunately, the students were still practicing basics like form, footwork, and posture. These slightly damaged swords would do for now.
Soon it was time for class, and students began filing into the room.
"Teacher... good morning..." Chijō Kana mumbled through a mouthful of steamed bun.
"Morning," Nanatsuki replied, nodding as he counted heads—everyone was here.
Generally, new students wouldn't skip class this early. They'd at least pretend to care for the first few days.
Nanatsuki knew he needed to use this time wisely—to spark their interest in swordsmanship.
"Let's begin."
"Yesterday, someone asked: 'Shinigami have Zanpakutō, Kido, Hakuda, Shunpo—why do we need to learn swordsmanship?'"
"Today, I'm going to show you what swordsmanship is truly capable of."