Free Web NovelChapter 15: 15. Smiled Through the Abuse, Dropped Receipts, and Called It Diplomacy
For the next twenty minutes, they worked on the pitch, with Catherine giving information about how teaching has changed over time and William making up educational theories that sounded just real enough to be true. By the time students started walking by the classroom on their way to other things, they had something that might work.
"One more thing for you to keep your heads up, Instructor Wade." Catherine said as they got ready to go to the meeting room.
"Oh goddammit, what is it now?" William looked at Catherine with a controlled pissed look. "Also... I’m not mad, just tired."
"Yeah, see, I know that... and you need to know the most important thing is that some of these parents can be very pushy about it."
’Fucking great...’
"If they start to attack you personally, please try to keep staying as professional as possible." Catherine sighed. "I know that it’s going to be hard for your first day, but the academy politics are tough, and we can’t lose the backing of influential families, even if they’re unreasonable."
’WHAT THE FUCK?! THAT’S EVEN WORSEEEE!’
"So just smile and wave while taking the abuse?" William said flatly.
"W-what...? I-I didn’t say that," Catherine replied carefully. "I said remain professional as possible..." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
"There’s a difference between being a doormat and being diplomatic." Catherine facepalm. "Look, Instructor Wade... you’ll get used to this stuff sooner or later."
"Well, good, because I’m terrible at the doormat thing," William said, following her out of the classroom.
They walked through the administrative wing of the academy, where there were elaborate portraits of past headmasters and display cases full of magical artifacts and historical weapons. William saw that Catherine walked with purpose and confidence, like someone who had been through these political waters many times before.
But her jaw was tight with tension, which made it seem like she didn’t enjoy it.
William’s expectations for the meeting room were met, it was too big and had expensive furniture that was meant to scare people rather than make them feel comfortable. Six parents had already gathered around a massive wooden table. fгeewebnovёl.com
They were all wearing clothes that probably cost more than William’s whole life salary up to that point. When William and Catherine walked in, they looked up right away.
Some parents looked skeptical, while others were openly hostile.
’Gulp... I’m cooked...’ William gulped.
"Ah, Vice Headmaster Blackwood," said a man in his 40s with a mustache that screamed, "I own several businesses, and none of them pay their workers fairly."
"And this must be the instructor in question... Mr. Wade, was it?"
"Yes, Instructor Wade," Catherine said smoothly as she sat down at the head of the table and motioned for William to sit next to her. "Thanks for coming on such short notice..."
"I get that you’re worried about the new class structure."
"Are you worried?" A woman with enough jewelry to pay for a small army leaned forward in a threatening way.
"My daughter Melissa has been working hard for years to get into the elite combat track."
"She should be learning from the best instructors with other outstanding students, not sitting in a classroom with kids who can’t even hold a sword properly."
A few other parents nodded in agreement, and William could see them getting ready to start a full-blown complaint tirade.
’It’s time to jump in before this becomes a pointless rant...’
William calmly pulled out a list he had memorized earlier and said, "Your daughter Melissa is in the advanced combat track."
"She’s there because her skills make her eligible for advanced instruction."
"The difference is that instead of just getting information passively, she now has the chance to show off her leadership and teaching skills, which are important for any warrior who wants to be in charge or have noble duties."
The jewelry woman blinked, obviously not expecting William to know her daughter’s name or to change the situation so quickly. "Teaching skills? My daughter is not going to the academy to be an instructor!"
"She is training to be a warrior."
"With all due respect, ma’am, every great warrior in history had to be able to lead and train others," William said, keeping his voice calm and professional even though he wanted to point out how short-sighted that attitude was.
"Alexander the Great didn’t fight alone to take over half the known world, you know?"
"He trained and led armies to do it."
"If your daughter learns how to teach others how to fight well, she will be a better fighter and a more useful member of any group or military unit she joins in the future." He could see Catherine nodding slightly out of the corner of his eye, which was a small sign that she agreed with what he was saying.
"But she could learn those skills later," said another parent, an older man who looked like a minor noble. "She should be working on getting better at her skills right now, not wasting time helping students who are behind."
William said, "That’s actually a common misconception about skill development," and then he switched to what he thought of as his "lecture mode" from his previous life.
"Teaching someone else makes you understand techniques on a deeper level than just doing them."
"When your child has to explain why a certain defensive stance works or show you how to channel mana for a spell, they’re not only reinforcing what they already know, but they’re also finding weaknesses in their form that they might not have noticed otherwise."
He sensed that some of them were losing interest in the technical discussion, so he shifted the topic to something that would resonate more deeply with them. "Plus, having ’leadership experience with diverse skill groups’ on their academy record looks great for military academy applications and noble house apprenticeships."
"It indicates that you can take the lead, teach, and be socially responsible... all of which are very important to top schools."
That explanation caught their eye. A few parents looked at each other, and William could almost see them rethinking whether this mixed class might be helpful instead of rude.
But the man with the mustache wasn’t sure yet. "And what about the instructor himself? Mr. Wade, no offense, but you’re... a Zero-Class instructor with a negative reputation."
"Why should we believe that our kids are getting a good education from you?"
William had been looking forward to this one. He didn’t get defensive about it.
Instead, he smiled a little and said, "You’re right that I was a Zero-Class instructor with a bad reputation, but now... it’s in the past."
"Yesterday, I beat Combat Department Head Reinsof—I mean, ehem, Reinhardt Ashford in a formal duel." William said that to brag and then continued. "After that, I also taught Lia Valestria a technique that no other instructor could teach her."
"There’s more to it... I helped Ellie Von Synthia control her unstable healing magic in just one session, and earned the respect of Princess Kaela Aurelius, who has made seventeen other instructors quit or ask to be transferred."
He took a moment to think about that before moving on. "Three of the academy’s best students chose me as their teacher in one day."
"That’s not what you call a mere luck nor a reputation because... that’s what happened and that’s a fact!"
"Your kids are in a class taught by someone who can really improve things, not someone who is just riding on past successes."
