Ch.146Chapter 146

Writing a thesis was always a challenging subject.

One had to find something that others hadn’t done, while ensuring the topic would resonate with people.

A subject both novel and practical.

From professors to graduate students and department students, everyone was searching for it. These papers, whether used for graduation theses or academic journals, were coveted by all.

With a good twist, excellent topics could emerge, but it was frustrating how many had already been claimed by others.

For Yuria, however, this was somewhat distant.

As both a Demon God Slayer and a Professor researching Demon Gods, no one could match the scope of her subject matter.

From students to fellow professors, who could keep up with Yuria? Not to mention she was also the guardian of Ourr and Ouro.

Topics were abundant. The challenge was how to complete them.

The direction, formulas, and completion of the equation depended entirely on the individual writer. Of course, if the direction was the same, any approach would work.

“……”

Yuria always sat in front of her computer, contemplating and focusing. If she felt something she was writing didn’t fit or seemed slightly twisted, she would mercilessly discard it.

One day during this routine, Ourr was blankly staring at her materials.

After learning to read, there weren’t many words Ourr couldn’t understand except for difficult terminology. This sparked her curiosity about Yuria’s research.

Yuria, typing on her keyboard, was startled by the presence and gaze behind her and turned around.

Since the topic wasn’t something she needed to hide from Ourr anymore, there was nothing to be guilty about. Still, Yuria, uncomfortable with showing her work-in-progress thesis to anyone, glanced at Ourr.

“Is something wrong? Are you interested in what the Professor is doing…?”

“I was just curious about what you’re doing… Is it not allowed?”

“No, it’s not that. The Professor is just used to certain habits.”

“Habits?”

“Yes, habits.”

Yuria continued explaining to Ourr.

“For professors and students, a thesis is like life itself. Think about how much money and time is invested in it.”

“Uh…”

When Ourr stared at Yuria with a confused expression, Yuria realized she might have said something too difficult and caught herself.

Fumbling for words, Yuria cleared her throat.

“…A thesis is like a work of art for researchers, and if someone writes the same thing and submits it first, it could be stolen. If Ourr decided to make something, but Ouro submitted the exact same thing first, Ourr would be late, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then Ourr’s work wouldn’t be recognized. That would be a huge waste of money and time, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes.”

As Ourr nodded, Yuria felt relieved that she had explained it well.

She recalled her supervising professor’s words: just filling explanations with difficult terms might make you sound professional, but it won’t move people’s hearts.

Making explanations understandable—that was Yuria’s job.

“To prevent this, I need to keep what I’m doing hidden from others. If I spend time creating something and someone else takes it and uses it first, I can’t even claim plagiarism since I’d be the one who’s late.”

“Can’t you just announce that you’re working on it first?”

“That could be a good approach, but not many people will drop their work just because someone else started first. They might work even harder to complete their thesis to avoid wasting their time and money.”

It would be ideal if claiming a topic first meant others would stop, but usually, people would rush even more desperately because of the money and time already invested.

If a paper hasn’t been submitted yet, it’s not too late. People could think, “Somehow, I’ll be faster than that person,” and rush ahead.

Plus, there could be cases where someone forms a team to complete a thesis first just to trouble someone they hold a grudge against.

Not that Yuria had made enemies, but with so many people in the world, it was better to be cautious.

“Hmm, it’s complicated.”

Ourr held her head and surrendered. Yuria nodded with a chuckle.

That was understandable. Ourr, who had just learned to read, seemed capable of only simple reading.

Yuria stared blankly at Ourr for a moment. It was a strange feeling, as she could no longer find any trace of a Demon God in Ourr’s appearance.

Ouro, having just started living, naturally showed her inexperience. Ourr, having been with Yuria for over a year and a half, seemed to have adapted and blended in.

“Yes, you’ll understand when you start attending the Academy more frequently.”

There was no need to rush. These were things Ourr would naturally learn over time, so Yuria decided to let it happen naturally rather than forcing an understanding of theses now.

Looking at Ourr like this, Yuria worried about her future.

Right now, she was just taking care of Ourr and Ouro, but they were Demon Gods—peculiar beings who became younger when they died. Even if they reached an age where they would die naturally from old age, they would likely become younger again after death, seemingly maintaining eternal life.

Could Yuria protect and care for such children throughout her life?

No, not many parents live to see their children grow old and die. Besides, keeping up with the lifespan of immortal Demon Gods would be overwhelming for a human.

So Yuria found herself wondering: Is it enough to just live like this?

Probably not. While she could earn a decent income as a professor, even if she left them money, there would be limits. After living for 100 or 200 years, the money Yuria left might be long gone, leaving Ourr and Ouro with nothing.

She suddenly realized this wouldn’t work. Instead of worrying about theses, it seemed better to help Ourr and Ouro integrate into society and be recognized as members.

“…This might seem out of the blue, but would you be interested in going to school?”

“Eh? The Academy?”

“No, school.”

Yuria shook her head.

For Ourr, the only educational institution she knew was the Academy, so the term “school” momentarily felt unfamiliar. Yuria clarified:

“When you’re young, you go to school. Are you interested?”

“…Uh, hmm. How long would I have to attend? 12 years?”

“Yes, that’s right. 12 years. You’ve heard about it somewhere, I see.”

Since everyone at the Academy had attended school, Ourr must have picked up this information. Six years of elementary school, plus three years each of middle and high school, totaling 12 years.

Some people go straight to work, while others who need further education or degrees go to the Academy.

It would take quite some time, but if Ourr started studying now, who knows? With exceptional skills, she might skip grades and quickly reach the Academy level.

“But why school all of a sudden…?”

“Because later, when you find something you want to do, I hope you can do it yourself. The Professor can’t always do everything for you.”

She wasn’t trying to make Ourr independent right away. There wasn’t much Ourr could do alone, so there was no need to forcibly separate her.

What Yuria wanted to give Ourr was the ability to think for herself and the desire to do something.

If Ourr spent her days thinking, “It’s comfortable now, so I’ll just follow the Professor and everything will work out,” she would be left alone when Yuria grew old and eventually died decades later, unable to help anymore.

“Hmm, I’m not sure yet…”

Ourr tilted her head.

No matter how she thought about it, it was still ambiguous to decide. Separate from Yuria’s concerns, Ourr didn’t feel any attachment to or need for school at the moment.

Yuria nodded, understanding this perspective.

Even if Ourr had immediately said “yes,” it wasn’t something that could be arranged right away, so Yuria decided to ask again slowly over time.

“That’s fine, take your time to think about it. Maybe later you and Ouro can go to elementary school together, holding hands?”

“…Eh.”

“Or should you start from middle school? That might require taking an exam…”

“Is going to school good?”

“It’s good to have that shared experience of attending school with others. It makes it easier to integrate into society.”

After this careful explanation, Ourr nodded as if understanding Yuria’s thoughts.

“Then I’d like to try.”

Yuria had thought persuasion would take time, but the answer came quickly.

Having gained immediate agreement without needing extended persuasion, Yuria smiled.

While there was still plenty of time ahead, this was to help the Demon Gods Ourr and Ouro become self-sufficient.

Even during Yuria’s lifetime, there might come a time when she couldn’t earn money, and she wanted to ensure Ourr and Ouro wouldn’t struggle then.

“Alright, I’ll see what I can do.”