Ch.6Chapter 6

Tuesday morning. I quietly watched as the Professor busily gathered something.

Lecture materials, perhaps? But the first class of the semester is usually just a simple orientation, so I couldn’t understand why she was moving around so busily. It could be something other than lectures.

When the keyword “lecture” crossed my mind, I remembered yesterday’s events. My body trembled at the memory of the second-year students who seemed more energetic than awkward, probably because we’d run into each other often throughout the year.

It wasn’t that I found it disgusting, but standing on the podium with all those eyes on me was a bit overwhelming. Just thinking about all those confusing questions made me feel tired already.

“What are you doing today?”

“Today… I have a third-year lecture in the afternoon. ‘Demon God Magic Studies.'”

Even if I attended the class with her, I doubted I’d understand anything. Maybe I could follow the second-year classes? I could probably listen to the principles of Demon God creation like a story.

While I was pondering with a serious expression, the Professor asked as she organized her desk.

“It’s not that difficult. It’s not about how we use it, but rather how it’s used and how to respond to it.”

“Everything seems difficult to me.”

“Really? I wonder… Come to think of it, you don’t seem to use magic much.”

“I don’t know how to use it, and it doesn’t seem necessary either…?”

If someone had lived with magic from the beginning, they would probably find it very inconvenient if they couldn’t use magic anymore. But as someone who had lived in a world far from magic, I didn’t feel it was particularly necessary.

It’s like using warp points instead of cars—you just use the public facilities that are already built.

I sat quietly at the desk, swinging my legs. Perhaps because my legs were short, they swung in an arc like a swing when I stretched them slightly away from the chair.

“It’s a shame you don’t know how to use magic. It would be great to demonstrate magic in front of the third-year students during lectures.”

“Why?”

“Well… if the lecture becomes popular, we get quite a bit of funding…”

The Professor’s voice came out sheepishly, as if she thought she was being materialistic.

Embarrassed, she cleared her throat and slid closer to me.

“Anyway, if you can’t do it, there’s nothing we can do. Still, just having a Demon God there increases the students’ focus, which is good. You saw how the students reacted yesterday, right?”

“I felt it well, but… I don’t know. It seems difficult for me.”

“Really? When you get used to it, you’ll miss it when it’s gone.”

I wonder if that’s true. I don’t think so.

As I wore a lukewarm expression, the Professor smiled and stroked my back. I guess my back, half-sprawled on the desk, was in a good position to be touched.

It felt nice as I quietly received her touch. It was just that human touch, as long as it wasn’t rough, felt soft and warm, creating a pleasant feeling.

So I closed my eyes. I wasn’t particularly sleepy, but this moment when I could think of nothing felt good. It was more beneficial than being awake and wondering what time it was or how much time had passed.

“What should we eat today…”

The Professor continued stroking my back while thinking about lunch. I wondered if she was planning to eat something delicious after finishing her morning research and before going to lecture.

Afternoon. Lunch time was over. I walked through the Academy feeling a sensation I couldn’t tell whether my stomach was full or not. The Professor brought just one file and patted my shoulder.

It seemed like she meant for me to hang in there this time too, which made me smile bitterly. When I laughed dryly with a “haha,” the Professor whispered to me, “You can do it.”

I stood in front of the lecture hall. The classroom, which was more secluded than before, looked larger from the door. A space for practice, not theory.

The third-year students wore white with black. There was an air of sophistication. Whether it was because they had to mix in black, the black accents on distinctive parts were impressive.

Some were chatting with their groups, while others sat alone looking at their phones. Since it was the first day orientation, there wasn’t a feeling of needing to be particularly diligent. That was normal.

Following behind the Professor, I glanced at where the students were. Attention was already drawn just by the fact that someone other than the Professor had entered.

I was so distracted by the silent gazes of the students that I didn’t see the podium. My foot caught on the edge and I stumbled backward. My upper body lurched forward.

Ah, this familiar sensation.

“Ack!”

“Ourr?!”

I fell with a thud. Along with the Professor’s startled voice approaching me, I heard surprised voices from where the students were.

The fortunate thing was that I’d fallen so often that I could handle this quickly. In the beginning, I couldn’t handle it and would get nosebleeds.

“Ugh…”

As I placed my hands down and raised my upper body, the Professor grabbed my arm and helped me up.

“Can’t you watch where you’re going?”

“No, it’s just…”

Even though only the grade level had changed, the atmosphere felt completely different. I couldn’t bring myself to say that I’d been so distracted by the stares that I hadn’t seen the podium, so I let my words trail off.

With the Professor’s help, I got up and tried to walk forward again. But this time, my foot wouldn’t go up onto the podium properly, and I fell forward again.

“Eek!”

W-wait a minute… I was trying to watch the podium carefully this time…

“Ourr, oh my goodness.”

The Professor let out a sigh and quickly helped me up.

The belt must have loosened from the shock of falling once. My head was spinning. I desperately wanted to avoid having my skirt fall down in front of so many people, and I was utterly embarrassed.

My spinning head overheated, making my face burn hot. Feeling like I could die of embarrassment, I buried my face in the Professor’s chest as she approached me. The Professor, seemingly startled, held my head and looked at a loss for what to do.

I thought today would be like yesterday—just come in, introduce myself, and be done with it. Yet it was turning out differently, which was frustrating.

But who should I blame? I should blame myself for being distracted… This is maddening. I even checked my belt carefully before coming in today…

“Ourr… hugging is fine, but you need to pull up your skirt…?”

“……”

I had my face buried against her, but after thinking for a moment, I quickly lowered my body and pulled up my skirt. Then I hid behind the lectern on the podium, curling up my body.

I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but at least it was better than facing those people. I pouted my distorted lips and angrily grabbed at my innocent belt.

The belt seemed to have a temper of its own, refusing to fasten properly.

The Professor glanced at me and smiled bitterly. After clearing her throat to change the atmosphere, she began speaking to the students. It was similar to yesterday’s content. After introducing herself, she introduced me as well.

“This child’s name is Ourr, a Demon God. …Though she doesn’t seem like one.”

“Really…?”

The atmosphere was different from the second-year class. With the second-year students, I had managed to greet them properly, but in the third-year lecture, I had not only fallen twice but also exposed my underwear.

No, that’s not right… My shirt is big, so they probably couldn’t see, right? I probably just looked like I was wearing an oversized shirt with no bottoms…

While I was groaning with such meaningless desperation, suddenly a student made a suggestion to the Professor.

“She seems shy, so why don’t we let her sit in the corner? It doesn’t look like she’ll come out in this state…”

“Hmm, shall we do that for now…? Ourr, would you like to sit at the very back?”

I felt grateful for that suggestion. I had lost the courage to stand on the podium with the Professor and face the gazes of the other students.

When I nodded, the Professor carefully approached and took my hand. As I trudged along, at the end of the path, a female student with ocean-blue hair waved her hand. She seemed to be indicating that I should sit next to her, so I scurried over.

Emerald eyes turned toward me.

“Hello, your name is Ourr?”

“…Yes.”

When I nodded, she smiled.

“Really? I’m Sera. Are you really a Demon God?”

This student called Sera seemed to have recommended the seat beside her to ask me various things. Still, I liked being in the corner of the back row. As I curled up with my body pressed against the wall, Sera saw me and moved a bit closer.

“What does it feel like to be a Demon God? I heard you break rules, but how do you break them?”

“……”

“Did the Professor buy those clothes for you? Do you always wear such big clothes?”

I didn’t want to talk to anyone right now, but Sera seemed to be a talkative student. I would have preferred a student who wanted to touch my hair because it looked fluffy.

While I was glaring at her, Sera noticed that the other students’ attention was temporarily elsewhere and whispered quietly enough that only I could hear.

“…Do Demon Gods have sexual curiosity?”