Ch.21Rael Gideon (2)

As I exited the workshop, I immediately spotted Lael waiting for me, as usual.

“Professor, hello…”

She seemed to have grown accustomed to addressing me as professor and using formal speech.

I ignored her as usual and started walking toward the Academy.

Recently, she had stopped giving me sandwiches in front of the workshop. Instead, she began giving them to me in places where I had no choice but to accept them.

The root of the problem was that one time I accepted a sandwich from her in the lecture hall.

After stopping by my office as usual, I entered the classroom where Lael held out a sandwich to me.

“Professor, please have this sandwich.”

I accepted it for the sake of maintaining my position, but honestly, I wondered if I should be taking it.

Considering there haven’t been any major issues so far, I suspected she might be slowly accumulating poison in me. Then one day, I’d suddenly wake up blind.

*Sigh*

Thinking about it that way made me reluctant to accept it.

“I’m sorry, my stomach isn’t feeling well today.”

“Ah… Is it because of the dinner you had yesterday at that restaurant on Third Avenue?”

A sudden chill ran down my spine.

Her information was accurate. Yesterday, Professor Leonhart, Professor Anette, Professor Febric, and I had a small gathering at a restaurant on Third Avenue. Of course, the amount of alcohol consumed wasn’t small.

But how did Lael know about that?

Lael took out a small wooden water bottle from the magic pouch at her waist and offered it to me.

“This is good for hangovers.”

“Yes… right.”

With my escape route completely blocked, I had no choice but to accept the water bottle she handed me.

How meticulous. Is she monitoring my every move and planning to slowly kill me?

Anyway, with people watching, I opened the bottle cap and drank its contents right there. A bitter taste faintly noticeable beneath the honey-like sweetness. This must be the poison, right?

“Thank you for drinking it.”

When I handed her the empty bottle, Lael put it back in her magic pouch and said:

“Oh, by the way… you seemed to be getting along well with Professor Anette yesterday…?”

Lael was smiling, but she was clearly emitting killing intent.

*Gulp*

I swallowed nervously.

It would be a lie to say I didn’t get along with Professor Anette, but we weren’t exceptionally close either. We were just colleagues with the same profession.

Probably, we seemed close yesterday because of how she acted toward me.

“Argh! This is so frustrating! I mean, the students?!”

At first, it was just complaining about work.

“Hic, what?! Professor Leonhart, are you looking down on me for being an old maid?!”

Then it evolved into marriage issues.

“Hic, waaah! Someone please take me awaaaaay!”

And finally ended in a flood of tears.

I was busy holding her up as she kept collapsing in the seat next to me. No wonder we looked close.

But my answer was naturally:

“No. Professor Anette and I are colleagues. I was just supporting her because she was drunk.”

Drawing the line.

If I don’t make things clear at once, rumors can grow until people start saying I’m engaged to Professor Anette.

And objectively speaking, while Professor Anette is pretty, she’s not my type.

Her small stature and delicate appearance might appeal to a certain demographic, but I’m not part of it.

“Lael, if you’re done, please return to your seat.”

“Yes!”

After confirming that Lael had returned to her seat, I began the lecture.

“Continuing from yesterday’s lecture, today we’ll discuss combat methods using black magic…”

The students taking the black magic course were model students. Not a single one dozed off or got distracted; they all listened attentively.

Though I haven’t been a professor for long, I feel proud at times like this. It feels like I’ve truly become a mentor.

If only there wasn’t a student trying to frame me among my disciples.

But that student who was trying to frame me eventually followed me all the way to my office. It seems she’s now determined to trap me completely.

Before entering my only sanctuary, I turned around and asked Lael:

“Lael, what is it?”

“Um, I wanted to talk…”

“It’s lunchtime.”

“Ah, yes. So…”

When Lael started to reveal something she had been hiding behind her back, I immediately went into combat mode. I thought it was strange that she kept her hands behind her back—it must have been a weapon.

But she had clearly made a mistake. While she might be able to slowly wear me down in unavoidable situations, she had no chance of defeating me in direct combat.

As her hand came forward, I drew the dagger from my waist.

“How did you know? I was sure I hid it well.”

Know what? I don’t understand anything. I’m so confused I’m getting dizzy.

In her hand was an apple. A well-ripened red apple.

The traditional method—trying to kill me with a poisoned apple.

“As expected of you, Professor. You were planning to peel the apple with that dagger, weren’t you?”

I was actually thinking of killing you?

But I couldn’t say what I was thinking. If I did, it would look like I was trying to kill the duke’s daughter.

I put the dagger back at my waist and said:

“It’s healthier to eat apples with the skin on. And please eat the apple yourself.”

With those words, I entered my office.

I wanted to just ignore her and go in, but there were two eyes glaring at me from the end of the corridor, so I couldn’t.

Does Ludmila dislike me that much?

It’s painful to know that the number of students trying to frame me has increased to two, but thinking about it only tires me out. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, sat in my chair, and opened the wooden box on my desk.

Inside was a neatly packed sandwich that my master had prepared for me this morning.

Indeed, my master is the only one on my side.

Or so I thought—until I took a bite of the sandwich.

Master, perhaps you should practice cooking a bit more? How can something that just requires stacking and cutting ingredients taste so bad?

Still, I ate it all. Knowing that my master had woken up earlier than usual to prepare it, I couldn’t leave any as a disciple.

But why a sandwich of all things?

I had clearly told my master that Lael, or rather, a student, brings me sandwiches every morning. Considering that, couldn’t she have prepared something else for me?

But expecting that much might be asking too much. I should be grateful she prepared anything at all.

After finishing my meal and starting to drink tea, it was soon time for the afternoon lecture.

Rest periods always pass so quickly; it feels like life is cheating me.

I grabbed my lecture materials and headed from my office to the classroom.

When I arrived, the classroom felt somewhat empty, as if the number of students had decreased.

Counting the students with my finger, there were only five present. One of the students trying to frame me was missing—specifically, the Academy’s top student, Lael Gideon.

I put my lecture materials on the table and asked:

“Ludmila, where is Lael?”

I couldn’t just be happy about Lael’s absence. If the Academy’s top student suddenly skipped the black magic course without permission, it was obvious where the blame would fall.

Ludmila shrugged and answered:

“She left early because she was sick.”

“Ah, I see.”

I nodded lightly.

Was the apple she offered me earlier an apology for not being able to attend class?

If so, that’s quite irrational. She could have just said she was sick; what was the apple for?

Still, at least there was a reason for her absence, which was fortunate. I wouldn’t have to deal with accusations of mistreating the top student, which would further diminish my standing.

I marked “Lael Gideon – Afternoon Absence Due to Illness” on the attendance sheet and began the lecture.

“Now, continuing from this morning, Combat Methods with Black Magic Chapter 2, on the efficient use of black magic…”

The lecture proceeded as usual. I lectured from the front, and the students listened.

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t concerned about Lael. Among all the students, she was the least proficient in black magic, and today’s lecture covered the most important parts.

But she would probably return tomorrow. When we were adventuring together, her recovery ability was second to none.

However, I didn’t have to wait that long to see her again.

As I was leaving the Academy after finishing the afternoon lecture, she stopped me at the entrance.

Wearing armor and carrying a massive greatsword on her back. Just like when we used to adventure together.

“Let’s have a mock battle, Crow.”

Lael was a being beyond common sense.