episode_0143

Episode 143 Wise Teaching Assistant Life (2)

Kyle Arden.

There was no one in this place who didn’t know that name.

It was stranger not to know him, once famous as a rogue, now a saint, his name known throughout the continent.

From the start, Kyle Arden was the person they heard about and saw at the entrance ceremony.

Besides, as they were in the same space, they had encountered him. How astonishing it was each time. They kept glancing at him.

And yet, such a person appeared. As a teaching assistant for the lecture they were taking.

It was surprising if it was surprising, and burdensome if it was burdensome. Because it was being in the same space as a saint.

However, on the one hand, it was also mysterious. A person so outstanding in family and with such tremendous fame, what was lacking that he took on the role of a teaching assistant?

More than 90% of the people in the lecture hall couldn’t understand at all, but a very small number with quick wits roughly guessed the reason. But it was the first meeting, so they didn’t have the courage to ask.

At that moment, Kyle opened his mouth.

“Anyone have any questions?”

At those words, one student cautiously raised their hand.

“Um, what should we call you normally…?”

“You can call me Teaching Assistant. Just call me senior normally. That’ll be easier.”

“Yes, Kyle-sunbaenim.”

The students thought at the voice filled with kindness. Unlike the rumors, he wasn’t eccentric.

They heard from the seniors that, since he was a rogue in the past, there was a bit of aggressiveness left in his words and actions.

Fortunately, unlike what they had worried, there didn’t seem to be such a side.

But then, Kyle lightly struck the podium and said with slightly fierce eyes.

“And I’m telling you in advance. If you call me Saint in Tianis, you better be ready to die.”

Hmm, cancel that thought. As expected, the seniors’ words were correct. The students vowed to keep the words of the seniors who gave advice in mind.

“Next question?”

The students shook their heads. Because of what he just said, the desire to ask disappeared completely.

“Sunbae, it’s over.”

“Good job. You did well without being nervous.”

After saying that, Ruina stretched up and stroked Kyle’s head. Even so, she couldn’t reach his head, so Kyle bent his knees slightly.

“I’m not the kind of person to get nervous about this.”

“Still, you did well.”

A natural scene as always. But the students who saw it felt bitter inside. Kyle, noticing the students’ reaction, said to Ruina.

“Still, please refrain from these actions in front of others. Sunbae is a professor now.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Ruina returned to her original posture. Then, she said to Kyle.

“Distribute the materials.”

“Understood.”

Kyle raised his mana and distributed the papers he had brought. Only after confirming that all the students had received them did Ruina open her mouth.

Finally, the lecture had begun.

***

Ruina sunbae’s lecture started. I stood a little further away and watched the scene. There was almost nothing for me to step in and do during the lecture.

“The freshmen passed the test. But their basics are lacking. Alchemic terms, characteristics of materials. They don’t know anything.”

Sunbae’s words were correct.

The first priority in Tianis’s criteria for selecting students is talent. They prioritize excellence in talent above all else.

So, there are also students who haven’t used alchemy much. This is to fill the gaps before going into practice.

“Today, we’re going to learn that first. The content is in the materials I handed out.”

I saw it while preparing the lecture with Sunbae, and it’s really the basics of the basics. It’s content that even someone who knows nothing about alchemy can easily memorize.

“We’re going to conduct practice mainly on this during this semester. So, memorize it without missing anything.”

Then, a student raised their hand. It was a student who looked at the contents right after receiving the materials.

“Professor Ruina. What if we know it all?”

“If you know it all, you pass this week’s lecture. You don’t have to come. But, do you really know it all?”

“Yes. This is all the basics of the basics. I learned it all a long time ago.”

Words that feel arrogant. But there are students like that. There must be students who learned alchemy before entering school due to family or environmental reasons.

“Okay. I’ll let you go. If you pass the test.”

“Yes?”

“Why are you surprised?”

Sunbae looked at the student and continued.

“There are always kids who say they know it all but don’t. I have to confirm it as a professor.”

At the same time, Sunbae looked at me. Realizing the meaning, I approached the student who had just asked the question and held out my hand. He placed the distributed paper on my hand.

His expression wasn’t very good when he handed it over. I don’t know which family he was from, but he seemed to have pride in alchemy. He had every reason to feel bad if the knowledge and skills he had learned so far were ignored.

But Tianis wasn’t a place to train just any talent. It was a learning ground for fostering people who would contribute to the development of the continent beyond the empire.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes. I am ready.”

The confident expression of the student. Immediately after, Sunbae asked him a question.

“How many types of iron are there on the continent?”

“First, from Ustia…”

He easily finished answering. It seemed he wasn’t proud for no reason.

But that was only for a moment. From a certain point on, he couldn’t answer Sunbae’s questions properly.

“Tell me the uses of each iron you mentioned earlier. And the reasons too.”

“Gorun Mountain iron has good mana conductivity, so it is used to make magic tools, and Ustia iron is difficult to refine, but it is hard, so it is mainly used to make weapons and armor. And North Continent iron has a coldness…”

“Why don’t you speak?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never handled North Continent iron…”

“See? You don’t know.”

Sunbae scolded the student. But she spoke with kindness as a professor.

“So, let’s study. Okay?”

“Yes… I’m sorry, Professor Ruina.”

“No. It can happen.”

I handed the paper to the student.

“What’s written here is standard. Other places use this too. Once you memorize it…”

The lecture that had been paused for a moment started again.

Basically, geniuses are not good at teaching others. This is because the thoughts that go through their heads are different.

Ruina Sunbae is also one of those geniuses. Of course, she shouldn’t be good at teaching others. But, contrary to expectations, Sunbae gave lectures at the students’ level.

“I said earlier that the crystal flower is weak to heat. But there is an exception. What do you think it is?”

Five options floating in the air. They were all materials related to fire.

The students looked at them and pondered. And then, they each chose an answer. But one in particular was not chosen.

“Why aren’t you choosing the Essence of Fire?”

“Well…”

“The Essence of Fire is fire itself…”

Some students said that. Ruina Sunbae shook her head.

“Many people are mistaken. They think that because it’s an essence, the power of fire will be stronger. But that’s wrong.”

Ruina Sunbae began to explain in her unique emotionless voice. She spoke in a quiet tone, but surprisingly, it was easy to concentrate and it came into her ears.

Of course, there was a student who was dozing off when the lecture started. I carefully approached the student and put my hand on his shoulder.

“Are you sleepy?”

“Ugh, huh!”

The guy’s eyes widened. He couldn’t close his mouth for a long time.

“How can you doze off in the first lecture?”

“Ah, I have a lot of morning sleep…”

“Tsk tsk, bear with it for a moment.”

I clicked my tongue and focused mana on my finger. And then, I pressed down hard on a specific blood point. He slightly distorted his face in pain, but I ignored it and continued.

“That’s it. You won’t be sleepy for about 2 hours now.”

“T, thank you… Sunbaenim.”

“Listen to the lecture.”

“Yes.”

In that way, I went around the lecture hall and woke up the dozing students. There was no need to go this far, but I deliberately went around because it was a meaningful first lecture.

After that, I helped Sunbae as a teaching assistant and helped with the lecture. As I spent time like that, the end of the lecture was approaching.

I approached Sunbae, who was still concentrating.

“Sunbae. The lecture time is over.”

“Already?”

“Yes, you have to finish it now.”

“Okay, I understand.”

I realized while preparing the lecture. Sunbae sometimes went on a rampage when lecturing. So, I agreed to let her know when the time came, like now.

“Good job. The lecture is over. Now go eat.”

“Sunbae. The next lecture location.”

“Ah.”

She must have forgotten, because she only realized it after I told her. Ruina Sunbae said to the students.

“Come to the practice room for the next lecture.”

“Yes, Professor!”

“Understood!”

The students answered brightly as if they were happy that the lecture was over and left the lecture hall. At that time, it was a bit noisy near the entrance, but I prioritized cleaning up first.

“Good job.”

“It was fun. The lecture.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Her lips were slightly raised, and it seemed like that was really the case. Then, Sunbae asked.

“Did I do well?”

“Isn’t this good enough for the first lecture?”

She didn’t tremble, she prepared the materials well, and she explained at the students’ level. With this, she deserved to receive more than 90 out of 100 points.

“Yeah, I think I did well.”

“That’s right. I think we can just keep doing this.”

After finishing cleaning up, we left the lecture hall. Then, someone was standing in front of the entrance.

“Kyle! Did the first lecture go well?”

I wondered why it was noisy. It was because Lana came.

We were supposed to meet in the student cafeteria. It seems she was curious and came to find us first.

“Well, it went pretty well.”

“That’s a relief. What about Ruina sunbae?”

“…Why did you come?”

“Because it’s Ruina sunbae’s monumental first lecture!”

“Ugh… get off.”

It was Ruina sunbae pushing away Lana who was clinging to her.

Anyway, Lana came, and it was lunchtime. We headed to the student cafeteria.

The first day of lectures ended well in that way.

***

A room with no light coming in.

In that place, Zeras Lindel was listening to a report from someone.

“The preparation is complete?”

“Yes. The selection is complete.”

“I understand. Go and finish it.”

“Yes.”

A presence disappearing into the darkness. Zeras Lindel leaned back on the backrest, recalling the report he had just heard.

“Then now…”

He said quietly and took out a communication magic tool from his chest. And then, he put in mana and connected it.

Of course, the connection target is.

-Yes, Dad.

Ruina Lindel. It was his daughter.