Ch.19Black Magic Professor (4)

I locked the door to my professor’s office after leaving the evaluation sheet inside.

Why hide anything?

It’s my personal office, made just for me.

So that’s why the Academy building is so large.

I blinked away my fatigue as I walked toward the Academy entrance.

I was always busy, but today my mind felt like it was somewhere else.

Lael’s sudden appearance had something to do with it.

Maybe I was so tired that I was starting to see hallucinations.

Or was it black magic?

Either way, that figure resembling Lael shimmering in the distance near the entrance couldn’t possibly be real.

There was no reason she would be waiting for me after I had cleanly abandoned her that day.

But then again, I wonder if that priest ended up on the streets too.

At that moment, an ominous thought crossed my mind.

The priest ended up on the streets and happened to run into me.

So… since the priest is ruined, does she want to cling to me now?

She’s truly insane.

I passed through the entrance without giving Lael’s hallucination a single glance.

Then, out of curiosity, I quickly glanced back and saw the hallucination following me.

When my pace quickened, so did hers. But we never met.

It was as if she was deliberately keeping her distance.

My head was spinning in this situation, and I was already tired.

Then, I spotted a welcome face in the distance.

“Master!”

“Not your disciple, Black Magic Professor. Finished with work?”

“Please stop that. I’d rather you call me your disciple.”

“Really…?”

Master’s gaze shifted behind me.

Specifically, to Lael who was following me.

Master pointed at Lael with his index finger and clenched his fist, causing blood to drip from the thorn ring on his pinky.

“Knockout”

With Master’s black magic, I heard something collapse behind me with a thud.

When I turned around, sure enough, Lael was lying on the ground.

“What’s this? Why are you leading a fox around? Has becoming a Black Magic Professor made you popular?”

“It’s not like that.”

“If not that, then what? Do you know each other?”

I hesitated, unable to answer.

What should I say?

That she was an adventure companion?

An Academy applicant?

Or…

That we were nothing to each other?

“You brat, why can’t you speak?! What, is she your secret wife or something?!”

Master, tired of waiting for an answer, clicked his tongue and approached Lael. Then he began dragging her toward the workshop.

“What are you doing?!”

“What do you mean? This is the woman who jumped out of that carriage, right? We can’t risk offending the Duke.”

“La… this woman was the one who jumped from that carriage?”

“Help me out here. Why is she carrying such a huge sword? It’s incredibly heavy.”

I helped Master sit Lael down near the back door of the workshop.

Finally, the scattered pieces in my mind came together.

Lael had been abused at home.

That’s why she became an adventurer, almost like she was running away, and then she happened to meet the priest.

Even a ducal family wouldn’t easily mess with the Church, so she probably thought she could escape the abuse.

And then a warlock appeared, and the priest was about to get promoted?

She must have thought it was a stroke of luck.

But when the Church collapsed, the priest became useless, and she returned to the ducal family where she faced abuse again.

As a result, she ran away and reached the Academy.

Perfect.

Honestly, thinking about it that way, Lael’s emaciated appearance seemed pitiful.

But that’s all.

A gaze of sympathy, just looking at someone unfortunate—that’s all I could give her.

“My disciple, why are you looking at her with such tender eyes? Is she really your secret wife?”

“You keep saying ‘wife.’ If I had a wife, I’d have one. Why would I hide it? It’s not like I’m having an affair.”

Master looked at me as if bewildered.

I realized my tone had been a bit harsh, so I apologized to Master.

“I’m sorry. I’m tired today and being a bit sensitive.”

“It’s fine. If you’re tired, go home and rest quickly.”

Master opened the back door first, and after looking at Lael one more time, I followed him.

I entered my room, carelessly took off my coat, and threw myself onto the bed.

To be honest, I feel nothing for her right now.

No anger for revenge, no regret, no sadness.

Objectively speaking, her actions were somewhat rational.

Sacrificing others for oneself.

That’s probably the most basic survival instinct for humans.

But that doesn’t mean I can forgive her.

My expectations for them were too high for that.

Well, the Church has collapsed, and I’m happy, so you just live your life—that’s how it is.

I don’t see why I should get blood on my hands for revenge now.

I just wish she wouldn’t appear before me.

But heaven seemed unwilling to grant my wish, as one week later, Lael’s name was at the top of the announced list of successful applicants.

She had been admitted to the Academy with top honors.

Not only that, but every morning when I tried to slip out the back door to go to work, Lael would be standing there.

With two sandwiches, no less.

Seriously, why is she doing this?

“Um, Crow.”

I maintained complete indifference.

She must have been eating both of the sandwiches she brought every day, as her emaciated appearance had completely disappeared.

That was actually a good thing.

Now I didn’t even need to feel sympathy.

At least I could relax once I got to the Academy, since she was studying the warrior course and I was a Black Magic professor.

Our classrooms were on completely opposite sides, so I couldn’t even sense her presence, which was very satisfying.

As usual, I stopped by my office and gathered my teaching materials before heading to the classroom. But instead of the usual five students, there were six sitting in the classroom.

One person, someone trying to frame me, had joined.

“Um, Crow… I mean, Professor, sandwich…”

Why? Just why?!

Why are you so obsessed with me?!

“I… I applied for a double major, and the warrior course professor approved it. He said he had nothing more to teach me.”

Professor Leonhart, I now have grounds to execute you.

Lael was boldly offering me a sandwich in front of the five students.

I wanted to refuse. I didn’t want to eat it.

But I had no choice.

Although warlocks had gained freedom, public perception was still negative, and my position within the Academy was extremely precarious, if not non-existent.

Among those, my only allies were two professors and these five students.

What if five of those seven people became disappointed in me?

I might really hate being a professor.

And the sandwich was innocent.

When I accepted the sandwich, tears streamed down Lael’s face.

This makes me look like I’m taking it from her.

“Student Lael, please return to your seat now.”

“You called my name…”

“Please go back now.”

“Yes… yeeees…” *sobbing*

Lael sat down on the floor and started crying, and the five students threw countless hooks at me with their eyes.

I’m as curious as anyone about why she’s acting this way.

No matter how I think about it, her behavior makes no sense.

Honestly, if she got into the Academy, she should just stay quiet until graduation, and then marry a good man as a Duke’s daughter.

Although I’m an Academy professor, it’s still a temporary position, and I’m a commoner without any titles.

I don’t understand why she’s acting this way toward me.

I don’t want to know either.

Lael is starting to scare me a little.

At least she had enough awareness to return to her seat while sniffling, and I tried to lighten the mood by starting the lecture.

“Now, the most practical way to utilize the mana core in black magic…”

But there was no way the lecture could improve the atmosphere.

Lael alternated between grinning madly and crying.

Naturally, the students couldn’t concentrate on the class in that environment.

Eventually, the lecture ended inconclusively.

Well, from my perspective, if students aren’t properly listening to the lecture, it’s better not to give one.

I need to properly guide these five… no, six students if I want to become a regular teacher.

Professor Leonhart, you’re interfering with my becoming a regular teacher.

That evening, I called out Professor Leonhart.

“My goodness, to think I’d live to see the day when Professor Crow buys me a drink!”

“Not at all. I should have treated you earlier. I apologize for the delay.”

Honestly, I judged it better to make allies than enemies.

And it seemed this professor also had complaints about Lael.

With alcohol loosening his tongue, he began badmouthing Lael.

“That woman, you know? Tiny thing but freakishly strong, *hiccup*.”

“Oh Professor, you’re absolutely right.”

“The other day, *hiccup*, during practical training, she fought me as an equal, *hiccup*.”

If I had known social life would be this difficult, I would have just stayed at the workshop.