Ch.34Chapter 34 – The Mechanic Enrolls in the Academy (2)

“Alright, that’s all for today’s lecture. Please submit your assignments by next week. Good work, everyone.”

Elena, having finished her morning class, gathered her textbooks and notes as she rose from her seat.

“Elena. I have a meeting with the professor today, so I don’t think I can have lunch with you.”

“That’s fine. I hope your meeting goes well.”

Since Mina had a professor consultation scheduled for today, Elena parted ways with her and headed to the dormitory alone.

It wasn’t that Elena didn’t have friends other than Mina.

But starting this week, individual assignments had been pouring down like a waterfall.

So Elena’s friends were also losing sleep every night trying to complete their personal assignments.

Elena herself had been reducing her sleep hours daily to study and complete the assignments given to her.

‘I’m so tired…’

Elena walked toward the dormitory with an exhausted face.

What she needed right now wasn’t nutrients for her body, but rest time to allow her weary flesh to recover.

Fortunately, today she only had morning classes, so she planned to return to the dormitory and rest.

However, upon arriving at the dormitory entrance, she encountered an unexpected person.

“Huh?”

“M-Mr. Pathos?”

It was none other than the owner of Pathos Repair Shop and the man chosen by the Great Goddess.

“Mr. Pathos, what brings you to the Academy?”

Pathos, whom she considered an apostle of Epitrina, was standing at the dormitory entrance with Shannon, the principal’s secretary.

“Oh my? Miss Elena. Do you two know each other?”

Shannon seemed quite surprised that Elena recognized Pathos.

“Ah, yes.”

Elena answered Shannon’s question vaguely.

This was because if she explained how she came to know Pathos, she would have to confess in detail what embarrassing behavior she had displayed at his shop.

Revealing all of this would not only damage her pride but also expose the fact that Pathos was an apostle of Epitrina.

There had been no word yet from the Great Goddess Epitrina’s temple about any oracle regarding an apostle.

So if she arbitrarily told someone that Pathos was Epitrina’s apostle, and that fact became known worldwide?

Surely she and her family would face divine punishment for going against Epitrina’s will.

This was because Epitrina was not a merciful goddess who would lightly overlook disobedience to her will.

Therefore, Elena, who knew the Goddess Epitrina well, had no intention of revealing that Pathos was her apostle.

“My friend Mina’s magic wand had a broken crystal orb, and Mr. Pathos here repaired it perfectly. That’s how I know his name.”

Despite her fatigue, Elena answered politely, trying her best to maintain her composure as a well-bred noble lady.

“Oh my, is that so?”

Shannon was quite surprised, as if hearing this story for the first time.

“Well, that’s fortunate! Miss Elena, could you help Mr. Pathos adjust to the Academy?”

“I’d like to, but we’re in a period where individual assignments are pouring in daily, so it would be difficult.”

Elena politely declined Shannon’s request with her exhausted face.

“Hmm, I guess it can’t be helped then. I’m sorry. I just thought it would be nice if someone familiar could guide him around the Academy. It seems I was asking too much. You look tired, go in and rest. I’ll ask another student to show him around.”

“Yes, thank you. Then I’ll…”

Elena passed by Shannon and Pathos and entered the dormitory.

She needed to get some sleep in the afternoon to build up energy for her assignments.

Upon returning to her dormitory, Elena collapsed onto her bed, and shortly after, only the sound of snoring echoed throughout her room.

◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈

I watched Elena’s retreating figure as she entered the dormitory.

Her exhausted back view heading up to the dormitory reminded me of myself in my previous life.

“Everyone seems quite tired.”

“Our Academy gives many individual assignments instead of midterm evaluations.”

“So there are no exams at all?”

“Only ‘midterm’ evaluations. End-of-semester evaluations still exist. They assess everything learned in a semester, so the final evaluations are actually more difficult than what they’re going through now.”

End-of-semester evaluations are more difficult, huh? She speaks as if from experience.

Could Shannon also be a Glesius Academy graduate?

“You speak as if you’ve experienced it yourself.”

“Of course. I’m also a Glesius Academy graduate, though it’s been about 10 years.”

Hmm, as I thought. It seems she is indeed a graduate of Glesius Academy.

“But if it’s been over 10 years, that means Shannon’s age must be at least thir—”

“Mr. Pathos? Shh.”

As I was about to mention Shannon’s age, she raised her hand and gently pressed her finger against my lips.

“Asking about a woman’s age carelessly is a very rude behavior.”

—Nod, nod.

With Shannon’s finger pressing against my lips, I could only nod in response to her words.

Seeing me nod, Shannon seemed satisfied and removed her finger from my lips.

“Now, follow me. I’ll show you the room where you’ll be staying for the next four years.”

Shannon guided me to a rather luxurious building.

It was the same building that Elena had entered earlier.

“Since you’ve been confirmed as an ability user, you’ll receive the same treatment as nobles from now on. So, the principal has arranged for you to stay in the noble dormitory.”

Come to think of it, Serin had mentioned this.

Ability users, even if commoners, receive noble treatment, and upon graduating from the Academy, they are granted noble status.

It seems this principle applies from the moment of enrollment in the Academy.

But, don’t academies usually treat commoners and nobles equally within their walls?

That’s how it was in other novels I’ve read, but maybe it’s different here because this is a game?

“But don’t commoners and nobles receive education on equal footing within the Academy?”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

Shannon made a puzzled expression upon hearing my question.

“I mean, shouldn’t educational opportunities be provided equally?”

“Oh, what are you saying? Ah, I remember you mentioned that in the Eastern Continent, everyone receives the same education regardless of status. That might be the case in the East, but at Glesius Academy, education differs according to one’s status.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. Glesius Academy is not an institution for equal education, but for higher education appropriate to each person’s position.”

Shannon’s explanation was as follows:

In the Celebrio Empire, education was not a means to climb to a higher position, but a tool to create the talent needed by the Empire.

Therefore, at Glesius Academy, commoners and nobles were set to receive different educations.

“Then, what kind of education will I receive?”

“Hmm. I’m not sure? That’s not something I can determine, so I don’t know. You should visit the principal later. If it’s you asking, Mr. Pathos, I’m sure he’ll explain everything kindly and in detail.”

I was puzzled by Shannon’s answer.

It sounded as if the principal wouldn’t respond kindly to questions from others.

I asked Shannon about this again.

“Well, honestly, this is a secret… but since you fixed the principal, I suppose you can hear it.”

Shannon checked that no one was around before bringing her mouth close to my ear and beginning to speak.

“Actually, the principal had been unable to go outside for nearly three years due to side effects from the Elixir of Youth. The side effects made it difficult for him to meet people. The position of principal of the Empire’s finest Academy naturally attracts many enemies.”

From Shannon’s story, it seemed that the position of Academy principal was by no means an easy one.

Of course, the position of a leader guiding an organization is always fraught with challenges and dangers.

“After the principal became unable to go out, I essentially became the face of the Academy. We told people that the principal had temporarily left the Academy for research. It was really difficult after that. The Academy came under attack from all sides. Minister Bergen provided some protection, but since the Academy is officially an independent institution, he couldn’t openly take our side. The only solution was for the principal’s side effects from the Elixir of Youth to disappear.”

So, to summarize Shannon’s explanation, the principal couldn’t engage in public activities due to the side effects of the Elixir of Youth, causing many problems, and I had fixed that issue.

“So Mr. Pathos is the principal’s one and only benefactor in this world. The benefactor who solved his biggest problem.”

“That’s why the principal said Mr. Pathos can visit the principal’s office anytime,” Shannon said with a smile.

Only after hearing Shannon’s answer did I realize what I had done.

Perhaps my actions had affected the main story?

However, there was nothing I could do about it right now.

If my fixing the principal had changed the story I knew…

‘I’ll help the heroines a lot and make them stronger. That way, I can make the world safer!’

I concluded that to live a long and peaceful life, the answer was to strengthen the heroines.

But at that time, I didn’t know.

That this decision would lead me to a life far from the quiet, long existence I had hoped for…