After class, Aisel gradually lost all vitality as she endured one noble after another approaching her with requests and displays of entitlement.
The result was an appearance reminiscent of a vegetable slowly wilting away.
‘I am a noble too, but……’
Her family held only an honorary title without any territory, so she still had to work for a living.
Because of that, her mindset was closer to that of a commoner.
Even among fellow nobles, she could not help feeling a sense of distance from those who constantly flaunted their status.
Get me into the class, they said.
If she had been free to speak her mind, she would have asked whether they had any sense at all……
‘But my actions do not affect only me.’
Because of what had happened that morning, she had been so conscious of everyone’s attention that she could barely concentrate on class.
Even when they were not being blatant about it, people had continued making suggestive approaches, trying to curry favor with her.
So she could only make a miserable face and conclude that today’s class had been almost completely wasted.
“I really hate this.”
She sighed, saddened by the fact that there was no one around to indulge her even if she wanted to complain.
Aisel forced her drooping shoulders upright and continued walking.
Only after entering the familiar office did she find the blond-haired professor sitting there at leisure.
“Professor… Haah. I am back.”
“You have returned?”
Aisel fell into thought as she looked at his completely unperturbed demeanor.
***
“What is this commotion?”
He should have been the same professor as always.
Yet for some reason, his steel-blue eyes carried an unusually frigid chill.
Perhaps because she had been caught in a situation she did not want anyone to see, Aisel found the professor far more frightening than the male student who had been shouting at her moments earlier.
‘I want to crawl into a hole and hide.’
What if he was disappointed in her?
What if he thought she could not even handle something this trivial properly?
What if he wondered why she had gotten herself into trouble in the first place, or whether she was incapable of conducting herself properly……
The male student recovered first and hurriedly protested, the corner of his mouth twitching.
“Professor Aiden, this is not what you think. It was simply—”
“Aisel. You explain.”
Aiden cut him off, making it clear that he had no intention of listening.
The male student, whose words had been abruptly severed, merely pressed his lips together and focused on controlling his expression.
“Um… well……”
If she told the truth, she was afraid of the consequences.
But if she remained silent, she worried that the professor might misunderstand her.
“So… um… that is……”
She bit down hard on her lower lip, on the verge of deciding that it would be better to simply bury the entire incident.
Then Aiden asked again, this time with unmistakable certainty.
“Tell me only the truth. I will handle everything that follows.”
His tone was calm.
Yet beneath it, she could sense a quiet anger.
It was a subtle difference that only she could recognize because she had spent the most time observing him at close range.
The unwavering conviction in his eyes, as though he had already heard everything from a distance, suddenly shattered the dam holding back her emotions.
Tears surged upward.
“…He asked me to get him into your class. When I refused, he suddenly started acting like this.”
The moment she raised the back of her hand to her eyes, her vision blurred.
“You……!”
“I see.”
Before the male student could say anything more, Aiden interrupted him again.
“Then it appears you are not qualified to attend my class.”
“Professor, that is not true! This maid is lying to you—”
“That is enough.”
The male student froze completely beneath Aiden’s icy gaze.
“Did you truly think I asked because I had not heard what happened?”
“W-well, that is……”
“I will speak to your family separately.”
“But!”
Aiden turned his back on the protest, a peculiar gleam entering his eyes.
“I was informed that the academy has a rule intended to partially set aside differences in social status. If you chose to overturn that rule and invoke your rank regardless, then you should also be prepared to accept my objection.”
Like an impartial and solemn judge pronouncing sentence, Aiden spoke with absolute finality.
“After all, without that rule, you would never have been in a position to address me so casually in the first place.”
If an official complaint that someone had mistreated a retainer of the Peacevolt House was formally delivered to the student’s family—
the consequences might extend far beyond a simple reprimand.
The male student went pale, like a condemned prisoner being led to the slaughterhouse.
“My student may find your presence uncomfortable, so you will not attend class today. Leave. Do you have any objection?”
The male student crushed his lips between his teeth before forcing out an answer.
“…No, Professor.”
“Then leave.”
Aiden watched until the male student was gone, then turned back toward her as though telling her she could relax now.
Every part of what he had done seemed impossibly satisfying and impressive.
Even the fact that he deliberately refrained from asking whether she was all right, offering reassurance only through his eyes, felt like his own restrained form of consideration……
‘Haah……’
Aisel watched him for a long moment before lowering her eyelids.
‘He was so cool.’
And yet now, not a trace of that atmosphere remained.
There was only the same languid professor she saw every day.
That made Aisel puff out her cheeks.
She wanted to ask what he had done afterward, but he was practically radiating an aura that told her not to ask.
She clutched her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
She had so many things she wanted to say, yet somehow could not bring herself to say any of them.
While Aisel silently agonized, I glanced at her.
To my eyes, it merely looked as though one of her six legs was resting against her forehead, but judging from her behavior, she apparently had some kind of problem.
I unclasped my hands and asked.
“What is the problem?”
“What is the problem? You do not know what the problem is…? No, I suppose you might genuinely not know, Professor. Yes……”
“The Dean stopped by a little while ago, so I can make an educated guess. It is about the class capacity, is it not?”
She looked surprised.
Her eyes seemed to ask how I knew.
More importantly, did she think the Dean had visited without explaining what the issue was?
‘Perhaps her opinion of me is so poor that she thinks I would not understand the cause even after being told……’
…This treatment was becoming excessive.
“So what did you tell him?”
“No.”
“…Why?”
She glared at me with her lips pursed like a duck.
She looked ready to argue unless I gave her an adequate reason.
“First, even forty students is too many. I have no intention of wasting my time delivering a low-quality lecture in the Grand Lecture Hall merely to satisfy my vanity.”
“Is that your teaching philosophy……?”
“It is closer to a practical concern.”
My words sounded impressive, but my true reason was entirely different.
‘That lecture the other day… Professor Paulo’s [Pure Magic Theory], was it? When all those students turned around and looked at me……’
Without much exaggeration, I had nearly died.
Whatever happened, I never wanted to experience hundreds of chitinous insects scrutinizing my every movement again.
“I would prefer even fewer students, but they told me that forty is the minimum they can allocate. It is already the lowest number at which individual instruction remains feasible. I have no intention of compromising further.”
“So it is about maintaining the quality of the class?”
“Yes. Since it is only a general elective, I have merely three hours of class time each week. Pathetically little.”
Why else would it be called a general elective?
Students took their Major Requirements and General Education Requirements first, then used electives like this to fill whatever credits remained.
“Occupying the Grand Lecture Hall for something like that is also out of the question. Disrupting its schedule for a three-hour weekly course would be undesirable.”
I made it sound considerate, but this too was entirely for the sake of my stomach.
If too many people were constantly moving in and out…
I might vomit.
If only to prevent that disaster, a small, elite class was mandatory.
After listening to my reasons, Aisel let out a long, suffering groan.
“Uuuugh……”
Then she expelled a tremendous breath, as though emptying every last trace of oxygen from her lungs.
Looking utterly drained, she trudged over to the sofa and sat down.
“All riiight. Haah.”
“Then let us return to the original question. What is the problem, Aisel?”
“…Welllll……”
She rolled her eyes evasively before finally sighing.
Did she still have that much air left in her?
Her lung capacity was rather impressive—
I cut off the irrelevant thought and focused on her words.
“I do not know where everyone heard that I had been assigned to Professor Aiden’s office, but they keep asking whether I can get them into your class.”
“Did you accept any bribes?”
Aisel leaped to her feet in horror.
“Of course not!”
“Do not shout. I only intended to tell you to return them if you had. I was not trying to reprimand you.”
“No… Professor, what kind of person do you think I am……?”
“I have no particular image of you.”
If I did, it would probably be that of a cockroach.
No.
Was that even more insulting?
I ignored her final remark and sank into thought.
I had insisted on a capacity of forty students.
Having been so adamant, I would presumably need to prove something in return.
I closed my eyes.
‘What do I need to accomplish?’
Assuming the rehearsal had been successful, this was my next objective—
and the shortest route toward a comfortable life.
The academy would be attacked several times in the future.
Sometimes deliberately.
Sometimes because trouble simply happened to spill over into it.
One thing was certain.
I could not interfere.
‘These are all trials that the protagonists need to experience.’
If I carelessly eliminated one of those incidents, the protagonist involved might fail to undergo the experience necessary for their growth.
Then the problem would become much larger.
‘Ellin alone will have her growth obstructed if she fails to resolve the upcoming chapter.’
Therefore, interfering with the protagonists and their events was out of the question.
There was another principle I needed to establish.
‘I am not trying to save everyone. I am trying to secure my own survival.’
That meant I had to eliminate unnecessary meddling.
I needed to produce respectable enough results to renew my position as a Part-time Professor without interfering with the protagonists or their companions.
If I could lessen the protagonists’ burden while I was at it, even better.
‘Most ordinary students end up holding the protagonists back. So I should train the ones who are not protagonists.’
That would make things easier for the protagonists.
‘Decided.’
I would cultivate a few talented supporting characters.
Just enough so they would not become liabilities.
“So how are you planning to fill the forty seats, Professor?”
“They told me that first-come, first-served registration or a lottery would create controversy. So I decided to cut applicants by academic ranking.”
“Among the students who apply?”
“Yes. But I excluded the top-ranked and second-ranked students, along with similar… geniuses. I would prefer that they not apply.”
Aisel looked puzzled.
“You are selecting people according to their grades, but you are excluding the students ranked first and second?”
Because there is a high probability that those students are protagonists.
‘I cannot exactly say that.’
“I want to teach students with relatively standardized levels of talent, not exceptional outliers. If a genius joins the class, the pace of instruction will become uneven.”
I reached for a document.
“Besides, even if I teach already outstanding students and they achieve something, would that not merely mean those who were destined to rise did exactly that? I could hardly call it my accomplishment.”
That was why I intended to use Aura as a clear benchmark for instruction.
There were few outcomes more visibly measurable.
Aisel nodded as though my explanation made sense.
Yet she still looked somewhat disappointed.
‘Did I manage to explain it convincingly?’
Just as she began looking dejected, I added one exception.
“You are exempt.”
“What?”
“Were you planning not to take my class? You do not have the right to refuse, so register for it.”
“But I am… ranked second among the second-years.”
“By my standards, you are not a genius.”
She looked discouraged by the words and yet strangely pleased at the same time.
Why?
‘In any case.’
My achievements?
Yes, achievements mattered.
If I wanted to remain a Part-time Professor next semester, I needed results.
But the protagonists were still forbidden.
A route might attach itself to me.
Even if Aiden was nearly unbeatable under ordinary circumstances, if I kept hovering around the protagonists and a route latched onto me……
“Would I be assigned a role in the event as well?”
“What did you say, Professor?”
“Nothing.”
If I were assigned a role, it would be one scaled appropriately to Aiden’s level.
In other words, depending on how badly the route became twisted, there was no telling what kind of situation I might be forced into.
As long as I had no idea what sort of brutal storm a butterfly’s wings might create, avoiding involvement whenever possible was the wisest choice.
Even if I did become involved, there was no guarantee I could perform properly.
‘It is not as though I have Aiden’s proficiency with a rapier.’
My body will just remember how to move?
What nonsense.
Rather than relying on something so uncertain, it would be faster to eliminate the source of the danger entirely.
Haah……
“I hope things go smoothly.”
“…So do I.”
Aisel sighed beside me.
Which meant, naturally, that my first actual class—
the one I was teaching right now—
absolutely needed to go smoothly as well.
“Professor, if what you are saying is correct, should a Mage not also be capable of strengthening their body to a level comparable to a knight?”
My pen stopped abruptly.
I turned my head.
There sat Ellin, brazenly attending my class.
‘She is openly auditing the class without permission.’
My head suddenly began to ache, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
It felt unusually heavy today.
God had abandoned me.
***
“That coat is not mine. Where did you get it?”
At the female professor’s words, Ellin stared blankly for a moment before tilting her head.
“It is not yours, Professor Prezel? But… I was certain……”
Professor Prezel picked up the coat and shook her head, insisting that she had never seen it before.
“After your entrance interview, I went directly to my office. I did not leave work until that night. There was no opportunity for the two of us to meet again… And as you said, this does not look like a coat a student would wear either.”
She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then noticed the brand label and let out a low hum.
“This is expensive. Very expensive. You are saying someone covered you with this?”
“Yes… And left me a canned coffee too.”
“It was probably a male professor. A rather tall one at that.”
Ellin asked why with her eyes, and Professor Prezel answered.
“This label is from a men’s brand, for one thing. And look at the size. To wear this properly… he would probably need to be in the high 180s. Perhaps around 190 centimeters tall.”
When Prezel asked why Ellin was searching for the owner, Ellin lowered her gaze without answering.
“I cannot tell you that.”
“Hmm… Is that so?”
Prezel began idly playing with the coat, looking as though she would simply draw her own conclusions if Ellin refused to explain.
“If you merely wanted to return it, you could have taken it to the Lost and Found. The fact that you came to ask me means you want to find the owner personally, does it not?”
At the probing question, Ellin finally shrugged as though conceding the point.
“Yes. Whoever it was showed me kindness. I would like to meet them personally and offer my thanks… And I have something else I want to ask them.”
Prezel rested her chin on one hand and smiled warmly.
It had barely been any time since she had told Ellin that she would become lonely and expressed her hope that the academy would become her new home.
Yet Ellin was already searching for a connection of her own.
Prezel seemed pleased, taking it as a sign that Ellin was adapting well.
Ellin was not unaware of what Professor Prezel was thinking, but she decided it would be better to let her misunderstand.
“All right. A debt of gratitude for one canned coffee, then. Try your best to find him. If you run into trouble, tell me and I will help.”
“Yes. Understood. Thank you.”
Ellin closed the door behind her and took the coat back into her arms.
She gripped it tightly and buried her nose in the fabric.
The Mana Traces were gone now.
Once astonishingly pure, they had gradually faded away with the passage of time.
But Ellin remembered them vividly.
She separated the words slowly, as though savoring each one.
“That was definitely the Rune Language.”
Magic invoked through runes believed to have been lost to history.
Somewhere in this academy was a professor capable of using it.
A newly appointed professor.
A rather tall one.
A wealthy one.
Ellin’s gaze casually drifted toward a notice posted on the departmental bulletin board.
[Understanding the Aura Cultivation Method: Practical Integration of Mana with the Body]
Professor: Toscantana Aiden Peacevolt.
“…Aiden?”
Had there been a professor by that name before?
More importantly……
“The professor who answered the question in Pure Magic Theory.”
Tall.
Newly appointed.
Knowledgeable enough to answer Professor Paulo’s unexpected question.
The future successor to a Ducal House.
Naturally, he would be wealthy.
Wealthy enough to wear an expensive coat.
Ellin looked back toward the bench where she had fallen asleep.
It stood right beside the Grand Lecture Hall where Professor Paulo had been teaching that day.
Unable to suppress her delight, Ellin smiled brightly.
“…Found you.”