episode_0043

“There are bad rumors going around about Professor Valentine these days…”

I would have just brushed it off if she’d only mentioned it casually.

But Yuri’s expression was anything but ordinary.

“Just ignore it. She’s not someone who concerns us anymore.”

I quietly pulled Yuri into my arms, hugging her head.

I intended to silence her with my chest, but she wasn’t about to stop.

“Are you really going to leave her like this?”

“…Yuri.”

Instead of answering, I quietly looked down at her.

My uneasy expression was reflected in her bright, doe-like eyes, shimmering with moonlight.

A night of much thought.

I laid Yuri down on the bed, spread out my arms, and quietly covered her with the blanket.

As I patted her, like putting a child to sleep, she asked no more questions.

In the dark corner of the dormitory room.

A light, visible only to me, flickered.

『[Character Story: Lulu] progress has increased.』

I hated that transcendent, square window.

It felt like it kept trying to pry open my desire to ignore it.

Even with my eyes closed, Lulu’s name burned onto my corneas, refusing to leave.

Thanks to that, sleep was out of the question.

Using Yuri’s gentle breathing as background noise, I silently began my one-man strategy meeting.

.

.

.

“Good morning, everyone.”

Forcing a bright greeting after a sleepless night is difficult.

“What’s wrong, Narias? Did you have trouble sleeping?”

And it’s easy for them to notice my complexion.

“Is something wrong?”

“Are you okay?”

Now that I’ve become a central figure in the class, if one person starts questioning me, it becomes the topic of conversation for the entire class.

It’s a truly grateful thing, but right now it’s a little burdensome, so I waved my hands dismissively.

“Forget it, mind your own business.”

“Even worrying about me is a pain…”

“Don’t you want to eat?”

“I’m sorry!”

The guys began chattering and bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle before returning to their seats.

Still, there were plenty of eyes observing my condition, so…

I decided to change the subject.

I went to the lectern and cleared my throat.

“Ahem—The midterm exams are finally over. Good job, everyone.”

Cheers erupted from all around.

“Whew~~ I’m free now~”

“Yeah, there’s still the finals~”

“Shut up, you jerk! Enjoy this moment…”

“Narias-san, you worked hard too~”

We’ve climbed a mountain.

The 1-A cadets raised their voices, celebrating the end of the exams and congratulating and encouraging each other.

However, I know that most of them didn’t get high scores.

I checked all the cadets’ exam papers using the [Mana Barrier] I laid down in the classroom just before the exam.

Even though I openly released mana, the supervisor either didn’t notice or maybe using magic to cheat is part of the evaluation criteria in the Department of Magic.

There were no particular objections.

Anyway.

I noticed a subtle unease and tension behind the cheerful faces of the cadets.

It’s definitely true that the midterm exams have lower weights than the finals.

To be honest, as a 20-year veteran of [Acastus], I could get away with doing nothing for the academy’s midterm exams.

But for them, for the academy freshmen, the midterms are their first exam.

It’s their first impression of their time here, their first stepping stone to pursuing their dreams.

They had high expectations, put in a lot of effort, and the burden of poor results is undoubtedly a significant weight on them.

So I deliberately touched on that point.

“Everyone, didn’t you do well?”

“How do you know, master…?”

Did they forget my temper?

Running away is something I absolutely hate.

“Ugh, a sudden onset of my chronic illness…”

“No… Snap out of it, man…!! Think of your wife and children!!”

“I’m going to propose to her after the midterms…”

“Selling baby shoes, never worn…”

Suddenly, they all stared off into the distance and started spouting lines like they were about to die.

Weaklings…

Clap clap—!

I brought everyone back to their senses with two claps infused with mana.

“Now, now. Let’s save the lamenting for when you’re dead. You all know, right? That the midterm exam scores have low weight.”

The classroom atmosphere calmed down slightly, and sighs replaced laughter.

“We know…”

“…But the sense of loss is still significant.”

“What, I was the only one who didn’t know?”

“Shut up, you idiot…”

The tension fluctuated between celebration and a funeral.

At an age when they dream and adjust the priorities between ideals and reality, their emotions are severe.

But I like this emotional turmoil.

It doesn’t mean they’re weak just because they fall easily.

Like reeds bending in the wind.

I grabbed the lectern and raised my voice.

“Snap out of it, everyone. This isn’t the end. This is just the first exam. How are you going to survive the next few years if you give up now?”

…Silence.

“Don’t worry. Now that you have a sense of how the exams are, you can do better next time, right?”

…Silence again.

No matter what I say, it’s probably impossible to encourage them.

At least not right now.

Time will solve everything.

They will gradually regain their forgotten goals and return to this classroom with their usual cheerful demeanor.

Should I give up first?

Just as I was trying to adjust the mood, the silence dragged on. Suddenly, someone spoke.

“By the way, what time is it now?”

Looking at the clock, it was already the regular lecture time. I nodded to the bespectacled cadet sitting in the front row.

“Hmm… It should be Instructor Lulu Valentine’s lecture time, but she hasn’t come for 20 minutes already.”

…That woman again.

Everyone looked at each other and tilted their heads, and the atmosphere became unsettled, so I stepped forward.

“Be quiet. I’ll go get her.”

.

.

.

“Professor, in the Sorcerer’s Tower, I… I’d like to recommend a brilliant individual!”

I blurted it out. I couldn’t help but reach out.

I had thought I’d cut all ties, both feelings of resentment and affection, yet I ended up offering help.

‘…Affection is truly terrifying.’

Even though it should be empty, a little bit of feeling still lingered in a corner of my heart.

I only realized this just now.

Seeing her covering her body and face with her small hands, wearing that desperate expression.

I felt disgust.

Towards myself.

I don’t know why.

Professor Priest paused, lost in thought for a moment, then pulled out a bundle of papers from her drawer.

“Hmm, the researcher from the Free City who was supposed to come this year—”

She carefully examined a list of sorts, checking details, then smiled.

“—cancelled due to personal reasons. We have exactly one spot left.”

Excellent!

I clenched my fist.

…And fell into thought again.

‘Excellent… is right.’

I suddenly realized how significant Lulu Valentine still was to me.

So, I decided to simply accept it.

『[Character Story: Lulu] progress has increased.』

How great she was.

How much I liked her.

Without any exaggeration, I poured everything out to the professor.

And she nodded in response, smiling.

“I’ll arrange a position soon.”

“Oh, she might be busy, so please adjust the time with her.”

“Her…Ah.”

Professor Priest averted her gaze slightly and blushed. It seems she got together with that male staff member.

“That’s good.”

“…It’s all thanks to Cadet Narias.”

“What do you mean? I understand, I’ll see you then.”

Leaving her with a girlish blush on her face, I left the research room.

Time to start soon, without delay.

Operation ‘Expel’ Lulu Valentine.

* * *

Thud- thud-

The faces of the 1-A cadets I saw after a long time were somewhat gloomy.

Whether it was because of the poor exam results or their own miserable state, Lulu couldn’t tell.

She only wanted to hide, to not be seen anymore.

Only the instinct to escape remained.

She quickly wrote ‘Self-study’ on the board and left the classroom.

None of the cadets stopped her. It was natural in a way.

‘Who would want to learn magic from such a pathetic instructor.’

Lulu, completely melted by the cruel reality, walked down the hallway, driven only by the idea of pushing away the floor.

She looked exactly like a dying beast dragging its heavy body toward a corner to escape.

That was exactly what she was.

Lulu’s mind was surely about to snap.

Those meaningless moments of life. She thought about running away and getting a job at a brothel.

But her feet had already led her to a classroom in the corner of the department building.

She carefully opened the door, but the dark classroom was empty.

One step, two steps.

As she was about to completely submerge herself in the darkness…

“Uurp—!”

Crash!!

Something pounced on Lulu and covered her mouth.

.

.

.

Creak—Bang!!

Men came looking for this classroom to satisfy their lust. But it was empty.

“What? She’s not here…?”

“Did she run away~”

“Kukuk, where do you think you can run? Find her now!”

After quickly sending his underlings, something flinching could be seen in the darkness inside the classroom.

That small shadow was undeniably Lulu.

“Ooh, what’s this? You were here?”

“If you’re here, say you’re here, Instructor~”

The men, with grins splitting their faces, started entering the classroom, one by one.

One step, two steps.

As if mesmerized, just as the last man completely entered the classroom…

Creak—Bang!!

The classroom door slammed shut.

“Kukuk… Sister, these guys look funny, huh?”

“Leave them be. Maybe they’re having a nice dream.”

A chilling voice echoed somewhere. The men shivered, instinctively gathering in the middle of the classroom.

“Wha, what is this…!! You bastards!!”

“Tch, it’s too dark to see…”

“Damn it, who are you guys!!”

The small shadow they’d chased began to rapidly multiply.

The shadows, now far too numerous to handle, completely surrounded the men.

“Shall we kill them, Master?”

“Just keep them alive, and bring them to me.”