Quit The Hero Party

EP.56 Can I Solve It? (3)

Alone in the professor’s office, I gazed at the papers laid out on the table. They were the exam papers I had created.

Hmm…

As I stared intently at the exam paper, various thoughts crossed my mind, mixed with questions.

‘When was the first time I made a problem?’

Suddenly that thought came to me.

One thing was certain; this wasn’t the first time.

‘I think it was about 7 years ago when those little brats from the Magic Association were making a fuss.’

It was probably during my time as the next Master of the Tower.

There were quite a few Magic Association folks who nitpicked my thesis. A lot, actually.

‘They said this is a fake thesis, or a thesis with omitted steps has no value…’

It was more or less like that.

I remembered making an evil problem just to shut those mouths up.

‘I threw a problem that mixed dozens of circuits, right?’

It was a problem I intentionally threw out there saying, “Don’t even think about solving this.”

You could solve it, but it would take an absurd amount of time.

And its effect was quite certain.

‘People were talking about it being a major problem for about half a year.’

That was my first problem submitted to the Magic Association, documented as a tough problem.

Reflecting on those old memories, I slowly opened my eyes.

‘…’

Then, without a word, I lifted the exam paper.

As I held it up, the words left by the Master of the Black Tower echoed in my ears.

-Shouldn’t you lower the difficulty a bit?

-To be honest, this feels like a tough problem from the Magic Association. Isn’t this too hard for the students?

I scrunched my face in distaste.

“Is this problem on the same level as that one?”

It didn’t look like that to me.

Frankly, I found it kind of unfair.

‘Unlike back then, I didn’t fill this with malice, and I even presented a method in question one to guide them…’

A tough problem, huh.

‘Isn’t it solvable?’

It was something I couldn’t comprehend.

Especially since I based this on a problem the professors circled for reference.

‘Aren’t the students supposed to be at this level?’

Maintaining this level but lowering the difficulty?

I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.

“Hmm.”

No matter how long I pondered, I couldn’t reach a conclusion.

I had no idea how or where to make adjustments. Only the poor paper was getting crumpled.

“Hmm.”

There’s a method for this.

I gathered the exam papers in my arms and stood up.

‘Let’s go to the Master.’

If I don’t know, I can just ask.

It was a simple and effective method.

2.

The professor in charge of Mana Trading Studies.

Rosel van Trias.

He looked at the piece of paper he held in one hand.

Eight circuits were drawn on the paper, with the task requirements listed below them.

Rosel was a Mage, professor, and elder of the Tower.

Having taught and evaluated someone for a long time, he was used to assessing the quality of problems.

‘…’

Rosel narrowed his eyes.

What caught his attention first were the circuits inscribed in each problem. If there’s an error in the circuits, that’s a problem before we even discuss quality.

Rosel quickly scanned the circuits.

‘The circuits themselves are perfect.’

He reached his conclusion immediately.

There was nothing more to examine about the circuits. Their intricacy was flawless. An example without flaws.

‘Next is the task requirements.’

The requirements outlined by the problem were straightforward.

It wasn’t the kind that twisted the explanatory text. It simply fought on the basis of its content.

Truly, that straightforwardness deserves praise.

“Hmm.”

After confirming several elements, Rosel lightly nodded.

‘Not bad.’

Overall, it was a pretty good problem.

The requirements were clear. The examples were flawless, and the topic wasn’t too challenging.

The problem discussed the basics from start to finish.

Given that Mana Trading Studies is the foundation and base for all subjects, this is commendable.

Rosel put down the paper and said.

“This is a good problem.”

As he said this, Rosel lifted his head.

His disciple, sitting across from him, smiled brightly.

“Right? It’s decent, right?”

Raniel shrugged. With an expression of assurance that he was right, he nodded. Then he sprang up from his seat.

“Then let’s submit it as it is…”

“Stop talking nonsense and sit down.”

“Huh?”

At his disciple’s bewildered expression, Rosel spoke decisively.

“I said it’s a good problem, when did I say you could submit it as it is?”

“Uh…”

“Raniel, have you ever seen Dean Aaron genuinely angry?”

“No, not really…”

“If you submit this problem as it is, you’ll see it. You’ll witness a sight that would make anyone feel sorry for him.”

Aaron tears his hair out when he’s angry.

Watching the remaining strands fly in the air brings about a sense of guilt, even when you haven’t done anything wrong.

‘…If I turn this problem in like this.’

I would probably get to see that very scene.

The image of a friend screaming vividly flashed in Rosel’s mind.

“Sigh…”

Rosel let out a deep sigh.

Instinctively, his palm slapped against his forehead. Somehow, it feels like the frequency of me hitting my forehead has been increasing lately.

“Raniel, what subject are you in charge of?”

“Uh… Mana Trading Studies?”

“The basics. It’s the basics of Mana Trading Studies. I said it’s the basics.”

Rosel stressed.

“Basics! You foolish disciple. How can you put a problem here that’s something the Magic Association would hand out in an advanced exam…”

His voice mixed with a sigh, Raniel tilted his head.

“Uh… Isn’t it solvable?”

“…What did you say?”

As Rosel glared, Raniel flinched and pulled out a few pieces of paper from his coat.

“No, um…”

Then he replied in a squeaky voice.

“Other professors do this level of questioning too. So I thought if it’s at this level, it should be solvable.”

“…Let me see.”

Rosel looked at the exam paper he received.

Seeing the starred exam paper made Rosel feel his blood pressure rising.

‘It’s maddening, really.’

The difficulty was enough to leave one speechless.

Rosel felt as though he was looking at a research report with the amount of passion poured into these exam questions.

He wanted to say something, but since the culprit who drove them to madness was right in front of him, he couldn’t really hold the professors accountable.

“Sigh…”

The sigh continued to rise.

As darkness clouded his vision, Rosel pulled out a pen. Then, he underlined the annotations on the exam paper.

Even if they went wild, the professors at Apuria are excellent educators. They wouldn’t have set a question that was impossible to answer.

The proof is right here.

“Now, look here.”

Rosel held the exam paper before his disciple’s eyes.

“Do you see the underlined parts? These professors, even if they make tough problems, at least give some direction. Like this.”

The annotations at the bottom of the paper show a general solution method. Even if it doesn’t show the whole thing, the direction can be understood.

“This means there’s at least a hint.”

“A hint?”

“Yes, a hint. If your problem throws the students into the middle of the ocean with just a few pieces of driftwood, telling them to build a boat and survive…”

Thud, thud, Rosel pointed to the exam paper.

“These professors’ problems at least provide a model next to it. So they can follow it and see.”

“Oh…”

Raniel made a subtle expression.

He still didn’t seem to fully understand.

“In any case,”

Rosel leaned back in his chair and spoke.

“It must be made solvable. A problem where they can’t even imagine a solution can completely kill their motivation.”

Then, he summed up his conclusion.

“In short, we need to adjust the difficulty.”

“How do we adjust the difficulty?”

“Make the problem itself simpler or put hints about solving methods in the problem… something like that.”

Raniel played with his lips.

“Hints, solving methods…”

Watching his disciple mutter like this, Rosel shook his head. I thought he was starting to grasp things as an educator after the last class, but…

‘If one gets solved, another becomes a problem.’

It felt like problems were popping up incessantly.

“Ah.”

Suddenly, Raniel exclaimed.

He had an expression as if he had just realized something.

“If I give hints, then even if the problem is a bit difficult, it’s okay, right?”

What the heck is that supposed to mean?

For a moment, Rosel doubted his ears.

Of course, it’s not wrong. It’s not wrong, but…

‘Why does that conclusion emerge?’

Rosel nodded his head with a somewhat displeased expression. It wasn’t wrong, after all.

“…For now, it’s not wrong.”

“And you said the problem itself was fine, right? No errors in the problem and good intentions.”

“I did say that.”

“Then, let’s leave the problem as it is and just add constraints like you draw constraint circuits to lower the problem’s cost… wouldn’t that work?”

Rosel fell silent.

Raniel continued speaking.

“Ultimately, it’s about maintaining a high standard, right? If we just lower the level of the problem to match the students’ capabilities…”

As he watched his disciple muttering something, Rosel felt substantial headache coming on.

‘Their mindset is completely different.’

Their way of thinking is different from that of an ordinary person.

Even the most talented individuals may momentarily lose words when faced with something distinctly different from themselves.

Rosel lost his words.

“If you see the problem itself as an incantation… then the constraint circuit would serve as a hint here.”

“…That seems right.”

“Then I’ll give it a try.”

What will you try?

Before Rosel could even ask, Raniel stood up from his seat. He nodded his head.

“I feel like I can manage it somehow.”

So what exactly will you manage?

“…Where are you going?”

“I’m going to outline the next class.”

“Haven’t you already outlined it?”

“I’m going to explain the problems. If I explain the solution entirely, maybe we won’t need to lower the difficulty?”

He said this beautifully, smiling brightly.

“Isn’t it okay?”

Seeing that bright smile, Rosel closed his eyes.

“…Alright, do as you wish.”

3.

The midterms were just around the corner.

This week was the last class before the exam.

Most professors conducted classes by briefly summarizing the content covered in previous lessons.

They understood the importance of the class.

But the students, tormented by assignments, attended the class with half-dazed minds.

-I haven’t finished my assignments.

-Exam preparation? What’s that?

-The assignments aren’t finished…

-I hate the professor. I really hate the professor…

They looked eerily similar to the undead.

If someone were to gather their murmured words, it would make for a splendid medium of black magic. The voices of the students were devoid of energy.

All that was contained in those voices was despair. While sighing beneath the weight of despair, the students shuffled down the hallway.

-A notice has been posted on the student board.

-A new notice has been attached.

Someone murmured like that.

At those murmurings, the students gathered in front of the notice board.

-Class announcement notice.

There was an unfamiliar notice posted there.

A class announcement notice? Could it be that there’s a cancellation? Clutching onto a glimmer of hope, the students read the notice.

And then.

The moment they saw the name written there, their faces darkened more than before.

-Mana Trading Studies (Basics).

-Professor in charge: Rania van Trias.

Rania van Trias.

The new nightmare of Apuria.

No student was unaware of her name.

There were still many students suffering from her vicious assignments.

‘Rania van Trias.’

The notorious professor who assigned tasks with both quantity and quality, surpassing even her mentor, Professor Rosel in some respects.

The despair of Apuria.

The moment they saw her name on the notice, no good thoughts crossed their minds.

‘What is she planning now?’

Such worries surfaced first.

Slowly, they read through the notice.

“Huh?”

In due course, the students’ eyes widened.

“What is this?”

Someone murmured.

“This…”

Someone pointed at the notice board.

“Isn’t this the exam paper?”

On the board, papers were affixed.

Above the number of students, the papers bore labels. The students recognized the labels at a glance.

“This is the midterm exam paper.”

One by one, midterm exam papers were posted on the notice board.

Not only that, but the exam papers had security spells placed on them.

One for each student, and along with the silence spell to prevent them from discussing exam-related content.

In other words.

It was indeed the midterm exam paper.

“…What is this?”

Someone murmured.

It was the one remark that represented all the students’ hearts.

Author’s Note

You ask, is there a professor like that in the world?

There is.

I wish there weren’t. :<

---