Chapter 19: Day 2 as a Temporary Professor

It was the second day since I became a professor.

The plan to ruin my reputation, which I had set on the first day, had spectacularly failed.

I was on the verge of achieving my goal when my two disciples’ silver tongues turned everything upside down.

Their eloquence was so good that they could easily sell plain water as holy water.

Moreover, with their credibility as the future hero and saint, I stood no chance against them.

In the end, my reputation actually skyrocketed.

‘How much crazy stuff do I need to pull off for my excuses to stop making sense…’

No matter how much I thought about it, it seemed that I had to deal with Erin and Lucia first.

‘If I revealed that I wanted to ruin my reputation, the two of them would probably try to persuade me in the opposite direction.’

After all, no disciple would want their master to be hated.

‘I should give up on ruining my reputation through class.’

I didn’t achieve my first goal, but that was fine.

I hadn’t accepted the temporary professorship just to ruin my reputation.

I was here to do things that only someone in the position of a professor could handle.

‘I should enjoy the benefits as much as I’ve lost.’

Since there was no class today, I was freely roaming the academy’s main building.

When I was the gravekeeper, I had to watch my back around students, but as a professor, that was no longer an issue.

Professors, like students, had no restrictions on using the academy’s facilities.

For that reason, I headed to the library.

“Welcome! You’re at the Wellton Academy Library!”

“Hello.”

As soon as I entered the library, a tiny fairy greeted me.

The fairy, dressed in the Empire’s standard uniform, was both a librarian and a spirit.

Though small, she was a mid-ranking spirit capable of direct communication with humans, with power on par with most professors.

It was easy to underestimate her, but doing so would be a big mistake.

“Are you new here?”

“I’m Tao, the temporary professor at Wellton. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Bell! I look forward to working with you!”

When I extended my finger, Bell grabbed both my hands and shook them vigorously like we were shaking hands.

“It’s amazing that someone with such extraordinary abilities is a temporary professor!”

“Extraordinary? I’m pretty average.”

“Ah! You must be extraordinary! No one who has received Lord Elquier’s favor could possibly be ordinary!”

“You know Elquier?”

“Of course! I don’t think there’s a spirit in the spirit world who hasn’t heard of Lord Elquier!”

Elquier was the wind spirit with whom I had formed a contract.

***

About a year ago, while I was meditating deep in the forest, Maya had brought the spirit to me.

She introduced me to a spirit she wanted me to meet, and after some initial hesitation, we hit it off and quickly formed a contract.

Though Elquier was often absent due to his carefree nature, it was surprising to hear that he was so famous.

“I didn’t realize Elquier was that well-known.”

“Well, he’s one of the few high-ranking spirits!”

“Huh? Who is?”

“Lord Elquier! Didn’t you know? You’re favored by him and still don’t know this?”

“I didn’t know. He always looked like a cute puppy.”

The contract was made after we bonded over a game of frisbee.

‘Who would have thought that the spirit, which looked like a fluffy Shiba Inu, was a high-ranking one?’

“That was because Lord Elquier purposely acted like a puppy. His true form is a majestic wolf with a silvery mane.”

“You really think that was necessary?”

“Maybe he wanted to become closer to you after recognizing your strength.”

“That’s a bit shocking… So, a dignified wolf turned into an adorable puppy to play with me.
It feels like I just took a red pill after watching my favorite VTuber.”

“That means Lord Elquier really liked you. Ah! Please don’t tell him I said this! If he finds out I’ve been blabbing, he’ll eat me alive!”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Please!”

Bell clung to my pant leg, crying and begging for a while before I reluctantly agreed.

The spirits, especially the wind ones, were known for being fickle, but Elquier was particularly attentive to me.

It seemed that, as a high-ranking spirit, he was also obedient to me, his contract holder.

“Phew~! By the way, you came to the library to look for books, right?”

“That’s right. I’m looking for a specific book.”

“If you tell me the title or any part of the content, I can find it for you!”

“No, it’s fine. I want to explore the library myself and find the book.”

“Alright. If you need help, feel free to call my name!”

“Got it.”

***

After my first meeting with Bell, I headed toward the rows of bookshelves.

The library was filled to the brim with books, leaving no space between the shelves.

There were so many books that even if I read all my life, I wouldn’t finish them all.

It was no exaggeration to say that every book in the world had been gathered here.

‘If someone hid a book on purpose, no one would ever find it.’

Finding such a hidden book would be my task from here on.

Considering the size of the library, it was better for my mental health to give up early.

Luckily, I knew exactly where the hidden books were.

[J-12 shelf, 12th shelf]

“J shelf… J shelf… J shelf…”

It took forever to reach the shelf with the hidden books.

People who frequently use the library might see Bell as an angel.

“Is this it?”

The shelf was filled with thick, scholarly books.

At the top of the shelf was a label that read [J-12].

I carefully lifted the shelf with one hand and searched the bottom.

After a long while, I didn’t feel anything, but then I sensed the rough texture of paper.

Quickly, I grabbed the bundle of paper and returned the shelf to its original position.

“I found it!”

As I dusted off the old, faded book, I revealed a thin, ancient text.

The author of the book was someone who lived about 500 years ago, which meant the book itself was that old.

I carefully tucked the book into my clothes to prevent it from getting damaged and headed to a table.

I was eager to read it immediately.

The book I found was Jerome the Dragon Knight’s diary, the only one of its kind throughout history.

Jerome had loved dragons so deeply that he was able to soar through the skies with them.

In this book, he had recorded every piece of information about the dragons in existence.

From their favorite foods to their habitats, habits, traits, culture, weaknesses, and even their sensitive areas.

If it was related to dragons, even the tiniest details were thoroughly documented.

The special thing about this book isn’t just its content.

Surprisingly, this ancient book had a magic that engraved the contents directly into your mind.

Simply reading it would grant you knowledge that would last a lifetime.

Luke, who had read the book, used Jerome’s knowledge to defeat Karen in a surprising turn of events.

This was the turning point where Karen, who had always dismissed Luke as insignificant, began to take an interest in him.

‘Normally, Luke would have had to find this book through an inscription left on Jerome’s grave, but it wouldn’t be necessary for him now!’

On the other hand, it was the book I needed.

After everything that had happened, I was now in a situation where I didn’t know when or where Karen might come at me.

‘If I were to lose to her, not only would I never be able to approach Karen again, but I wouldn’t be able to rely on her help either.’

Since I had decided to stand in for Luke for the next three years, I was planning to establish a close relationship with Karen.

‘Even without Jerome’s knowledge, there are many ways to defeat Karen, but there’s no need to take a long detour.’

To be honest, I was also curious about where a dragon’s sensitive spot was.

In the novel, it’s only mentioned that there is a sensitive spot, but it never explains exactly where.

Now, I was about to lay my hands on forbidden knowledge.

“Ugh!”

Just as I was about to open the ancient book, a cute hiccup sound came from directly in front of me.

Looking up, I saw Azuki standing rigidly, still holding the book.

“Oh, older brother?”

“Azuki, come here.”

“What brings you to the library… Ah, you’re here to read a book.”

“Is there anything else to do in the library besides read books?”

“That’s true.”

I glanced sideways at the title of the book Azuki was planning to read.

It was a book titled Introduction to Curses, detailing everything about curses.

It made sense since Azuki had come to Wellton to break the curse placed on her.

“Is there someone you want to curse and kill?”

“No, no! It’s just… just…!”

“I didn’t mean to make you worry about something I said in jest. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m the one who took your joke seriously. I’m sorry.”

I bowed my head, and Azuki quickly shook her head, bowing deeply as well.

For me, it felt like WWE, but for Azuki, it must have felt like UFC.

Yet, she forgave my joke and even apologized to me.

‘How kind is Azuki? I almost felt like I wanted to hug her.’

“By the way, the book you’re reading… doesn’t have a title. And I’ve never seen such an old book before!”

“I found this book while treasure hunting in the library. I’m about to read it now.”

“Is there anything besides reading books in the library?”

“That’s true.”

I sneakily looked at the title of the book Azuki was planning to read.

It was titled Introduction to Curses, and it covered everything related to curses.

Azuki was here to break the curse placed on her, so it made sense.

“Is there someone you want to curse?”

“No, no! It’s just… just…”

“I didn’t mean to make you worry about something I said in jest. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m the one who took your joke seriously. Sorry about that.”

I bowed my head, and Azuki shook her head quickly and lowered hers too.

For me, it felt like WWE, but for Azuki, it must have felt like UFC.

Yet, she forgave me and even apologized.

How kind is Azuki? I almost wanted to hug her.

I almost felt the need to start a fan club.

“The book you’re reading, Brother… it doesn’t have a title? More than that, I’ve never seen such an old book before!”

“I stumbled upon it while treasure hunting in the library. I’m just about to start reading it.”

“May I take a closer look at the book for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Jerome’s journal didn’t lose its effect just because someone looked at it once.

I handed the book over to Azuki without hesitation.

‘How would Azuki react after discovering the dragon’s erogenous zones?’

I waited, expecting her to become flustered and embarrassed—but she didn’t open the book at all.

Instead, she carefully examined the back cover, tilting her head at various angles.

“Is something wrong with the book?”

“Well, actually… there’s a seal on it.”

“A seal?”

“Yes.”

This wasn’t just a book you skimmed for knowledge and tossed aside.

There was a hidden secret inside—one that Azuki had just revealed.

“Can you break the seal?”

“It’s not difficult. You just have to wipe off the stain on the back cover. The only problem is…”

She paused.

“I don’t know what will happen once the seal is broken.”

“Hmm.”

This wasn’t in the original story.

It could turn out to be a disaster—or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Still, it’s probably safer to leave it alone, right?”

“No, let’s break the seal.”

“What?! Are you serious?”

“Sorry, I’m the type who can’t hold back once I get curious.”

I reached out and took the book back from Azuki.

There was a noticeable stain on the back of the ancient book.

Without hesitation, I wiped it off with my sleeve.

PAAANG—!

In that instant, a flash of light burst forth like a camera flash.

As I shut my eyes tightly, I felt my consciousness being pulled far, far away.

When my drifting awareness finally settled and I opened my eyes again…

A blue-scaled dragon was gazing at me with warm, affectionate eyes.

And a moment later, an enormous chest came floating toward me.

“It’s time for lunch, my sweet baby!”

Ooh, bwoo-dyaaaii…