NOVEL NEXT Chapter 45
EP.45 Enlightenment, and Growth (1)
Lately, incidents have been frequent.
Suddenly, a thought struck Dean Aaron of Apuria, and he momentarily set aside his quill. As usual, the table was piled high with a mountain of documents.
“I feel like there are more than usual these days.”
As he scanned the mountain of paperwork, Aaron leaned back. He knew very well the reason why there was so much to deal with.
In the past month, incidents had surged.
There were especially many of them.
“Rosel, promoting his adopted daughter to professor, giving her a class, preparing for a public lecture…”
Of course, he didn’t regret giving a position to an outstanding professor. If it meant getting busier with those matters, Aaron would willingly roll up his sleeves.
However, the current busyness was not so pleasant. It stemmed from unfortunate incidents.
“The Apuria Terror Incident.”
Betrayers were targeting Apuria.
The purpose remains a mystery.
All that is certain is that a certain figure, known as the Prophet among the traitors, is leeching off Apuria.
“I can’t even begin to guess…”
Aaron massaged his temples.
There were no suspects that could be guessed as betrayers. Professor Kelt, the associate professor of Battle Magic, looked gloomy, but he was a diligent person.
“For such a professor to suddenly become a betrayer.”
It felt fishy.
“Mackhart, that friend of mine, was taken in by the knights for being a betrayer… and was eventually released without charges.”
Mackhart.
Just remembering that name made a sigh escape him. It was because of the ‘certain incident’ that started with that professor.
“Ugh…”
Aaron cast a glance at the documents laid out on the table. The names written on the papers varied, but the content was the same.
– Class Cancellation Request / Elemental Magic – Charlotte.
– Class Cancellation Request / Mana Analysis – Kurte.
The rush of class cancellations stemming from Mackhart.
The professors who suddenly wanted to take a break from their lectures made Aaron’s already complicated mind turn into a tangled mess.
“Umm, ugh…”
Aaron groaned.
He tried to think by running his hand through his hair, but there wasn’t much hair left to run through.
“That must be because I pulled my hair out so much back in the day…”
He felt a little sad.
But still, the habit didn’t leave him; as he pondered, his fingers naturally grabbed the little hair he had left.
Knock knock.
Just when Aaron was seriously contemplating whether to pull out what little hair he had left.
– Aaron, are you there?
A sudden voice came from outside the door.
This voice…
It was the familiar voice of a friend.
However, at that moment, Aaron couldn’t feel much enthusiasm for it and replied languidly.
“…Come in.”
Rosel opened the door and stepped inside.
Aaron narrowed his eyes and glared at Rosel.
“…Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”
“What do you mean?”
“This!”
Aaron shouted BAM, lifting the class cancellation requests and shaking them in front of Rosel.
Of course, the professors who had requested class cancellations had nothing to do with Rosel. But still, there was a good reason for Aaron to vent his frustration on Rosel.
“Your disciple! Your adopted daughter! Why are professors submitting class cancellations for every class that Professor Rania attends?”
Rania van Trias.
It was already well known that she had been attending various professors’ classes lately. When he heard that her aim was to understand the ‘education’ that she felt she lacked, Aaron was even moved.
“I should have stopped it back then.”
He regretted having encouraged her to listen to her heart back then. He should have done everything he could to stop it.
– Class Cancellation Request.
Aaron stared at the request in his hand.
There was a lengthy letter filled with reasons written on it.
– Author: Charlotte.
– What I was teaching wasn’t magic. I feel inadequate as a professor… How can I teach students when I lack confidence in my own magic?
I’m sorry, Dean Aaron.
I will take some time to reflect on myself and adjust the curriculum…
Such letters.
– Author: Kurte.
– What I was doing wasn’t analysis. I was a frog in a well. I am not a professor…
I cannot possibly stand on the church order.
I will take some time to recharge…
It wasn’t just one or two pages.
Professor Rania attended a total of five classes, and the class cancellation requests in Aaron’s hand numbered four.
What about the one remaining professor?
It was Mackhart. His own class was also canceled as he was bedridden from being interrogated by the knights.
“If this keeps up, we’ll end up extending the vacation for three more months!”
“Hmm…”
“Just what is your adopted daughter doing that professors are in such turmoil? Didn’t she say she wanted to understand the teachings?”
“…That’s right.”
“Why is it that each professor is breaking their pens… just what is she doing…”
What did she show them that left them in such a state?
Aaron was utterly clueless…
“If this goes on, I’ll lose all my remaining hair…”
Aaron’s desperate cry echoed through the dean’s office.
Rosel merely shrugged in response.
“Well, at least there are only two left now.”
“…We can consider that two, I guess.”
“One of those is my class. I won’t be taking a break, so don’t worry.”
“……”
Aaron squinted his eyes and glared at Rosel.
Rosel van Trias.
The Rosel Aaron remembered was always a person of plans. So, there must be a plan for this situation as well.
…Aaron wanted to believe that.
“Let’s think positively.”
Yes, Apuria is already in chaos.
“Perhaps this is a chance for the professors to have a time of reassessment…”
Aaron’s worries didn’t linger long.
Someone knocked on the door again.
– Dean Aaron, are you there?
“…I’m here. Come in.”
A professor entered the dean’s office as the door opened.
The face of the professor who walked in was familiar. He was one of the professors deeply associated with both Aaron and Rosel.
Professor Gerect, in charge of Understanding Circuits.
He had been working as a mage prior to coming to Apuria. In terms of teaching experience, few could surpass him even in the Royal Capital.
Moreover, Gerect was the very first professor Aaron had recruited when Apuria was established.
“But why is he here?”
Aaron tilted his head in confusion.
“Professor Gerect? What brings you here?”
“Hey, Aaron? Haven’t I been working quite hard lately?”
That opening line was unsettling.
But Aaron nodded. It was true that Gerect had been putting in hard work. After all, he had not missed a single class since Apuria’s establishment.
“…Thinking I might take a break.”
“…Is something wrong?”
“I’ve been a little shocked lately.”
Aaron asked, just to make sure.
“Is it about Professor Rania?”
“What? You knew? If you knew, you should speak up faster. That young professor presented a theory in my class, and I want to…”
Gerect suddenly handed over a paper.
– Class Cancellation Request.
Aaron closed his eyes and tilted his head back.
Unbothered by Aaron’s state, Gerect was passionately articulating his points.
“I plan to research and teach this groundbreaking approach to students, so I’d like about a week off…”
“……”
Aaron’s hands naturally moved towards his barely remaining hair. He tugged at it.
Snip, snip.
Whatever was left of Aaron’s hair fell away.
With a face of enlightenment, Aaron muttered.
“…Sure, how could I possibly stop you? Make sure to rest well and come back.”
2.
Rosel Professor’s Mana Trading Studies class.
The students waiting for the start of the class were particularly lively. Normally, they would be in a zombie-like state, drifting between sleep and consciousness, but today their eyes sparkled.
There was a good reason for that.
Mana Trading Studies and other essential courses were scheduled such that they overlapped. One was allocated just before the Trading Studies class, and another just after.
In other words, they had to attend one class early in the morning, then the Trading Studies class, and go to yet another one shortly thereafter.
Moreover, since it was a required subject, they couldn’t skimp on it.
There was no way tired students could endure a 3-hour consecutive lecture on Mana Trading Studies and then go to another class soon afterward.
However, today was different.
For some reason, all the mandatory subject professors, except for Rosel, collectively decided to take a break.
While it may boil Aaron’s blood, it was a delightful surprise for the students.
“After this class…”
“I heard this restaurant in the Royal Capital…”
Just imagining what to do after class brought joy. While students gossiped cheerfully,
“……”
Resti was silently flipping through her notebook.
She had no friends to talk to, and preparing for this class was plenty overwhelming on its own.
‘Today’s progress…’
Rosel’s class was difficult to follow.
Especially, if you lost the flow during the class, it would take twice as long to understand the content.
To catch up with the lessons, she must be aware of what the flow is. Resti reviewed the parts she had prepared in her notes.
Tap.
Just then.
“…?”
Someone placed a writing utensil next to Resti. They pulled out a chair and prepared to sit next to her. Resti tilted her head at the occurrence.
The aspiring Ashen Master title.
Resti’s aloof, quiet personality.
The combination of the two meant that very few students approached Resti, especially now. Yet, even with many empty seats, someone chose to sit beside her?
Resti subtly turned her gaze.
She thought to at least catch a glimpse of the person.
Rustle.
The first thing that caught her eye was the now-familiar ashen hair. Then came the pale skin and blue eyes.
“Hello.”
She waved her hand briefly.
Resti’s eyes widened.
“…Professor Rania?”
“Yeah. May I sit?”
Resti nodded.
Professor Rania dragged the chair, scrape, and seated herself. Resti turned her gaze back to her notebook, but the content was hard to absorb.
Thump thump.
For some reason, her heart raced loudly.
Should she say something?
It felt bizarre to think that way.
‘…But how should I start a conversation?’
Nothing came to mind.
It wouldn’t do to bring up the last assignment right before class starts.
“……”
After contemplating for a moment, Resti rummaged through her bag and pulled out a pile of papers. The papers were the study materials that Professor Rania had distributed, and of course, all the blanks were filled in.
‘It should be related to what we’ll learn today.’
…Or at least she hoped it was.
Resti carefully placed the densely filled study guide where Professor Rania could see it, hoping that she might offer compliments like last time.
Author’s Note
Today, I achieved the top rank for the first time…! To be honest, it’s thanks to a few authors maintaining a strong rank taking a break…!
Anyway!
I’m incredibly happy to have achieved first place 
*I noticed some comments expressing concern about repeating the same patterns in my story.
To some extent, they were right, and I couldn’t help but nod along (…)
Ahem, regarding that part.
I don’t intend to continue with loose, repetitive storylines!
The protagonist is growing as a professor, and as they grow, I hope to delve deeper into the magic lectures.
There are various stories in store, so please look forward to it!