Chapter 7

6.

Premus’s quarters were pretty well-equipped.

That Isabel, a noble lady to her very bones, didn’t feel any significant discomfort was proof of that.

Of course, it couldn’t compare in size to the Yurt family mansion.

Perhaps because it was faculty housing, there were separate facilities like a personal laboratory or study, which I found even better than a mansion. Researching my physical condition would have been troublesome in a mansion.

“Isabel~. Can you come here for a moment?”

After organizing both mine and Isabel’s luggage—two people in total—I called out to Isabel. I was planning to visit Premus’s grand library and wondered if she’d like to come along.

“You can stay here if you want. I’ll just be looking for some boring books.”

“Nope. I want to go too!”

Isabel readily accepted my invitation and immediately came close to me. Hmm, she’s kinda like a puppy.

Now that I think about it, calling someone dog-like might be weird, but she really does resemble a puppy just before going out for a walk. Her slightly cat-like face makes her actions all the more adorable.

After dealing only with students who had long since grown up, seeing someone as genuinely young as Isabel made me feel quite nostalgic. Hmm, those guys were cute once too, weren’t they?

‘Though others probably see little difference between us…’

Like some high school detective, though my body has gotten younger, my mind remains the same. While others might see Isabel and me as peers, to me, Isabel feels more like a younger sister than a friend.

“Shall we go then?”

“Yeah!”

Stepping out of the quarters, I walked alongside Isabel toward Premus’s grand library. What I was searching for was an ancient tome.

Though not comparable to the ancient kingdoms, Premus is a place with quite a long history. Especially its grand library, a repository of wisdom where books from all over the continent gather.

‘I should be able to find some clues here.’

The grand library was the most likely place to find information about the strange life-extension magic that turned me into this state. Orpheon, who brought me to Premus, also suggested visiting the grand library.

These factors ultimately led to opening the doors of the grand library. The sight of countless books piled up like Mount Tai greeted us.

“Wow, it’s huge…”

“It’s big alright. Definitely…”

Both Isabel and I were equally amazed by the scale of the grand library. For a moment, it felt like we’d entered a royal palace.

“Huh? Who are you…?”

“I’m…”

Thanks to the professor’s insignia given by the dean, the entry process didn’t take long. Though they seemed incredulous that such a young person could be a professor, after contacting the dean’s office, they let us in without much hassle. Though their faces momentarily paled when mentioning ancient dragons.

‘Hmm, where should I start…?’

Finally arriving at the center of the grand library, I looked around thoughtfully. Unexpectedly, Isabel, who had disappeared somewhere for a while, returned carrying romance novels.

When I asked her where she found them, Isabel simply replied with “instinct.” She said she felt like there might be interesting books hidden somewhere, so she searched and found these.

“Leter, do you want to read these with me?”

“Ah, no. I have something else to look for.”

Carefully declining Isabel’s offer, I moved towards the historical section. While searching for clues related to the ancient kingdom was one thing, all the novels Isabel brought were women-centric reverse harem stories.

‘No need to even read them; they’re definitely a pass.’

Reading novels where one woman gets entangled with multiple men would undoubtedly trap my sanity and time in a mental room. While Isabel might find them entertaining, they’re rather awkward for me.

Thus, I opted for thick hardcover books documenting the history of the continent, especially those concerning the region where the Dyark Kingdom once existed, and sat next to Isabel.

Soon, the only sounds heard were the pages of our respective books being flipped. Each of us was absorbed in our own reading.

However, about halfway through reading Beginnings Were Glorious, a unfamiliar voice tapped my shoulder and spoke.

“?”

Turning my gaze slightly, I saw a pendant engraved with the crest of the royal family.

Seeing that small pendant, exclusive to royalty, sent my heart plummeting. Thankfully, she wasn’t one of my disciples, but that meant I needed to show proper respect to this unfamiliar royal.

This was why I cautiously called Isabel over.

“Isabel, Isabel.”

“Huh? Why… Oh!”

Recognizing the symbol of the royal family, Isabel also showed proper respect. Naturally, I did the same.

Gripping the edge of my long cloak with my fingertips, I bowed slightly in greeting. Then came a somewhat flustered voice.

“Oh, I wasn’t trying to force you to bow or anything.”

The royal wearing a somewhat awkward smile introduced herself. Although her face was unfamiliar, her name wasn’t.

‘If she’s Princess Irina, then surely she’s…’

She was the child present during the moment in the royal palace when I announced Lilian as my disciple. The young girl who questioned whether her older sister was truly my disciple.

Now, she had grown to the point of being almost unrecognizable, exuding a touch of maturity.

Even though I recognized her late, I couldn’t pretend to know her.

‘Time sure flies.’

Lifting my head slightly, I met the princess’s eyes and carefully inquired about her purpose. At nearly the same time, her delicate index finger pointed to one of the books stacked on my seat.

“The Rise and Fall of the Araita Empire. If you’ve finished reading it, could I borrow it?”

“Ahh, yes. Here you go.”

“Thank you~.”

Though I hadn’t actually read it yet, rejecting the princess’s request would be akin to shouting “Arrest me for disrespect!”

It wasn’t a difficult request, so there was no reason to refuse unnecessarily.

However, upon receiving the book, the princess tilted her head curiously at me and Isabel.

“Were you on the train that got attacked? I think I saw you two at the station.”

Feeling a sense of déjà vu, I nodded slightly to confirm the princess’s question. Since she didn’t seem aware that I’m a professor, I refrained from further details.

‘I wonder how she’d react if she knew I was the one who flew the train like a rollercoaster…’

If she fell during the chaotic flight, I’d have to write a formal apology. Therefore, it was better not to reveal that I was the one who lifted the train into the air.

Fortunately, Isabel, who knows the truth, didn’t expose my real identity either. It seemed like she lacked the courage to converse with royalty, but regardless…

“It was nice meeting you, Princess Irina.”

Once again lifting the edge of my cloak with my fingertips, Isabel and I bid farewell to the princess. In response, the princess lightly waved her hand.

Technically, we were destined to meet again at the upcoming opening ceremony in a few days, but finding more clues about the ancient kingdom was more important right now.

Afterward, the sound of flipping pages filled the air once more. Occasionally, Isabel’s sharp intakes of breath caught my attention, but I didn’t have the courage to peek at the reverse harem novels.

***

“Um…how does it look? Does it suit me?”

“Yes.”

On the day of Premus’s opening ceremony, having just finished all preparations, I gave Isabel, dressed in her school uniform, a thumbs-up.

Sitting Isabel down on a nearby long bench, I responded with a photo magic spell as she looked puzzled.

“…It turned out well.”

This was more of a habit. When my disciples were still young, I used to take pictures to document their growth.

There wasn’t any particular reason.

Just to reminisce about the times with phrases like “Back then, it was like this…”

Taking a few photos instead of none seemed better, so I often snapped pictures whenever possible. Though I took fewer as the disciples grew older.

Anyway, heading to where the opening ceremony was taking place was more urgent than reminiscing about old memories right now.

Walking together with Isabel as usual, we arrived at the already noisy grand hall.

“Well, see you later.”

As a new faculty member rather than a new student, I headed to the area where the professors gathered instead of sitting next to Isabel.

Eventually, the opening ceremony of Premus began shortly afterward.

As the dean introduced the students from the podium, the faculty members were also introduced one by one.

– Course on the Design of Mana: Professor Leter Yurt.

Finally, when my name was called, I walked onto the podium like the other professors and briefly gazed at the numerous Premus students.

Currently, I was wearing a pristine white robe instead of a school uniform. Except for the emblem of the ancient dragon adorning its surface, it was an otherwise ordinary robe.

-Murmurs-

-Murmurs-

‘Hmm.’

The impact of the emblem seemed significant, as the murmurs showed no sign of subsiding.

Still, since my status as a professor had already been officially announced by the dean, I figured there wouldn’t be any issues.

Casually waving at Isabel, I quietly took my seat behind the podium. Deliberately ignoring Princess Irina’s expression of shock far away.

***

“That girl I met at the grand library was the professor. And she’s under the protection of the ancient dragon… What if I’ve offended her?”

“…Hmm.”

Holding Princess Irina’s letter at the tip of her fingers and tilting her head slightly, the woman fell into deep thought. Despite her sister not hiding anything, she felt like she was missing something.

“Leter Yurt…”