Chapter 42

(2)

4.

With the bell signaling the start of the lecture,

Professor Dirck turned around.

“Nice to meet you. I am Dirck Ormin, in charge of the lecture ‘Understanding and Detection of Magic Flow.'”

With a brief introduction,

his dry gaze swept across the room.

“There are familiar faces from the aptitude test, and those who aren’t, but rest assured. I don’t favor only talented students.”

As soon as his words ended,

sighs of relief could be heard here and there.

It was natural. Among the five departments of Arcen, the Magic Department was notorious for its favoritism toward those with talent.

However, Professor Dirck was the opposite.

He didn’t particularly like talented mages. The reason was simple. He himself had no talent.

In other words, it was due to his inferiority complex.

Thus, he was more accustomed to bias (偏憎) than favoritism. And this time, his bias was about to be directed at the barbarian, Ulan, who didn’t even know the subject.

“······This is the schedule for the first semester. Any students with questions?”

After finishing the explanation of the upcoming lecture schedule, Professor Dirck looked around. When no questions came, he spoke again.

“If not, I’ll ask a question.”

The professor’s sudden question.

The students reacted with heightened tension.

But they didn’t need to be nervous. After all, the question wasn’t directed at them.

“The purpose of this lecture is to understand and explore the flow of magic. So, what do you think is the ultimate goal of such research?”

“······.”

The classroom was engulfed in silence.

An expected reaction. This was a common trait among freshmen who had gone through the academy.

Perhaps due to the tension of being in an unfamiliar environment?

Freshmen tended not to answer unless they were sure of the correct response.

“Disappointing. Does no one know?”

With a slight frown,

Professor Dirck executed his plan.

“Then I have no choice. I’ll have to ask Ulan, the top scorer.”

As soon as his words ended,

all eyes turned to Ulan.

“What do you think? Why do you want to understand and explore the flow of magic?”

After finishing the question,

he smiled inwardly.

The answer was obvious even without hearing it. Surely, he would say it was to find the core of the demon beast.

‘But that’s a one-dimensional answer.’

Anyone could give such a clichéd answer without even entering the academy. So, Professor Dirck planned to respond like this:

「Not wrong, but disappointing. I’ll give you another chance, so give me an answer worthy of the top scorer, not such a clichéd one.」

From then on, he would keep asking questions until Ulan’s shallow foundation was exposed.

In other words, Professor Dirck’s intention was to reveal that Ulan was not as smart as the top scorer and that he was an outsider to magic.

‘Now, answer quickly.’

That will be your last moment.

Just as Professor Dirck’s lips twisted,

an answer came.

“The Source of Magic, Arcen.”

A calm voice without hesitation.

Like a spring breeze swirling around the campus, a soft voice enveloped the classroom.

“To accurately grasp the origin of the magic surging from the center of the Source.”

After the answer came,

Professor Dirck frowned.

Not Ulan, but a third party had answered. And it was almost a perfect answer.

‘······What is this guy?’

As his plan to humiliate Ulan failed, his eyes flashed fiercely.

Bravely facing this was the black-haired girl glaring at Professor Dirck next to Ulan.

It was Noa.

After her answer,

the atmosphere in the classroom turned cold as if cold water had been poured.

Naturally.

Not only did she answer instead of Ulan, who was supposed to be questioned, but she was also glaring directly at Professor Dirck.

As the silence lingered,

Noa observed Professor Dirck’s expression.

‘His intentions are obvious.’

He holds a grudge against Ulan.

The evidence is that he has been glaring at Ulan with displeasure ever since he entered the classroom.

Probably because he didn’t like that Ulan luckily got an S-rank in the aptitude test he supervised.

‘So, he planned to humiliate him.’

In the original game, Professor Dirck is portrayed as a person with strong pride and an inferiority complex.

Thus, he envies talented students and hates those who go against his feelings.

Truly the epitome of pettiness.

The fundamental reason he turns into a monster during the midterms, swallowed by magic, can also be attributed to this inferiority complex.

‘I planned to stay quiet until the midterms······.’

But if Ulan is touched, the story changes.

The reason was simple.

Because it was Noa who recommended this lecture to Ulan. So, it’s only right to minimize any harm coming his way.

‘Besides, when Professor Dirck turns into a monster, we’ll need Ulan’s help anyway.’

So, until then, she planned to help Ulan as much as possible. As Noa’s blue eyes filled with determination,

a voice broke the silence.

“Who are you?”

Professor Dirck’s voice.

Along with a displeased expression.

“I wasn’t asking you, but the student sitting next to you, Ulan.”

“Ah, sorry. The question was so easy that anyone could answer, so I just······.”

Noa smiled awkwardly.

It was a somewhat annoying smile. Naturally, Professor Dirck’s brows furrowed.

‘My question was easy?’

So easy that anyone could answer?

A short laugh escaped him momentarily. It was absurd. Soon after, anger spread in his eyes.

‘Well, there are occasionally such students.’

Mainly among freshmen.

Those who are desperate to show off their shallow knowledge. The cheeky ones who try to attract the professor’s attention.

‘Wait, now that I think about it······.’

That girl, she seems familiar.

Where have I seen her? Professor Dirck searched his memory. Then he remembered.

‘Right, Noa Darshen.’

When he visited Count Dermore’s mansion.

He had heard from the butler, Alond. About the black-haired girl who entered the academy with Ulan.

‘I see. Now I understand.’

Ulan and Noa are from the same tribe.

So, the relatively smarter Noa answered instead to protect Ulan, who is from the same tribe.

After finishing his near-certain speculation,

Professor Dirck’s eyes flashed sharply.

‘Then before cooking Ulan······.’

First, let’s expose this girl’s shallow foundation.

With the eyes of a hunter targeting prey, Professor Dirck nodded slightly.

“Ah, my mistake. You’re right. This is a question anyone could answer.”

After readily acknowledging Noa’s words,

he didn’t hesitate to get to the point.

“Then let’s raise the level a bit and ask a few questions only mages can answer. Is that okay?”

“Yes, of course.”

Noa readily accepted.

It was what she wanted too.

Then their Q&A began.

At first, the questions were about the concept of magic flow or basic theories, but as time went on, the difficulty increased.

Questions that couldn’t be answered without taking the Magic Flow lecture came up. But Noa answered them all smoothly.

Even all correct.

By this point, Professor Dirck realized something was wrong.

‘But······.’

He couldn’t stop now.

If he backed down now, it would be like admitting defeat. So, with his lips tightly clenched, he forced out words he didn’t mean.

“Truly impressive. I didn’t expect a freshman to understand magic flow this much.”

“Overpraise.”

Noa answered with a smile.

Suppressing the urge to spit on that face, he soon asked a triumphant question.

“Then one last question.”

A question that only those who have studied magic flow for a long time or have innate talent can answer.

“There are four sources of magic in this classroom. Can you identify the origin of the magic flow from these sources?”

Reading the flow of magic.

Something impossible without the talent to observe mana with the eyes.

‘Of course, some can do it.’

Only those like Professor Dirck, who has dedicated his life to magic flow research, Diplyn, the headmaster who has reached the level of a High Mage, or Delia Arpen, the genius mage of the Duchy, could do it.

Anyway, this is the end for that girl.

Professor Dirck was confident. But just 5 seconds after the question started, his confidence crumbled.

“The back door of the classroom, the window right next to it, the center of the ceiling, the podium, and finally, under your left foot, Professor.”

“······!?”

His confident expression shattered.

Professor Dirck looked at his left foot.

Focusing his mind, he could faintly sense the magic flow and source. This was the fifth source he hadn’t noticed.

His eyes gradually filled with shock.

Naturally. Achieving such results at that age could only be explained by talent.

Realizing this,

Crunch!

Professor Dirck bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. Along with it, the inferiority complex tightly coiled inside him spilled out.

“Amazing. Truly amazing.”

With a voice suppressing his emotions,

he glared at Noa as if to kill her.

“But on the other hand, I have a question.”

“Huh? A question?”

“If you’re like this, you don’t need to attend my lecture, do you? If you came here to show off your talent and knowledge, then······.”

He was about to tell her to leave.

But Noa was a step ahead.

“I still have much to learn.”

“What? To learn?”

“Yes, so I applied for this lecture to receive more in-depth teaching. Surely, Professor, you are much greater than me, right?”

Noa smiled brightly and asked back.

Facing this, Professor Dirck felt a pang of regret.

‘······I’ve been had.’

A feeling of cold blood running through his body.

It was understandable.

If he denied Noa’s words here, it would be like admitting he wasn’t greater than her.

But if he agreed, he couldn’t handle the upcoming situation.

However, his dilemma didn’t last long.

His pride, tightly coiled with his inferiority complex, pushed forward.

“Ahem! Of course.”

Professor Dirck nodded with a forced cough.

He tried to hide his flustered feelings and put on a bold front.

“Alright. I’ll give you the in-depth teaching you desire.”

“Yes, I look forward to it.”

Noa smiled happily.

The smile of someone who achieved what they wanted.

After the stormy time passed,

the familiar bell rang.

The signal for the end of the lecture. Professor Dirck looked at the students and spoke.

“That’s it for today’s class. And from the next lecture, we’ll proceed as scheduled, so everyone, make sure to bring your textbooks. That’s all.”

After finishing his words, he left as if fleeing. As Professor Dirck left, all eyes in the classroom turned to Noa.

Discomfort, displeasure, wariness, jealousy, etc.

Eyes filled with all sorts of negative emotions.

Along with murmuring voices.

“It must be nice to know so much.”

“Did you have to show off that much?”

“Tsk, no wonder they’re barbarians.”

“Can’t even learn manners.”

Open voices of hatred and jealousy.

At that moment, Noa’s body trembled slightly.

Soon after, she bit her lip slightly and buried her face in Ulan’s shoulder.

“Noa?”

“······Sorry. Just let me stay like this for a moment.”

A small hand tightly gripped his arm.

A slight tremor could be felt beyond it. Ulan asked curiously.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?”

“No. I’m just not used to receiving so much attention.”

Her trembling voice carried an unknown fear. He didn’t know why she was so afraid of others’ gazes, but he knew one thing.

Noa showing such a reaction.

Was because of the other students’ eyes.

‘Then just remove the cause.’

After making the decision,

Ulan’s eyes turned ferocious. It was the gaze of a warrior who had roamed the battlefield for decades.

Not something mere students could handle.

“······!?”

Goosebumps rose all over their bodies.

And as a result,

the students who were glaring at Noa turned pale and rushed out of the classroom.

After all the causes disappeared,

Noa finally returned to her original state.

“Phew, thank you. I’m fine now.”

“Really fine?”

“Yes, see? I’m fine, right?”

Noa pointed to her arm with a smile.

As she said, the trembling had completely stopped. It seemed removing the cause had an effect.

Meanwhile, Ulan shook his head.

“That’s not what I’m asking.”

“Huh? Then what?”

“I’m grateful you helped me, but if you end up being disliked by the professor because of it······.”

“Ah, it’s fine. I’m used to being disliked.”

Noa smiled brightly.

A somewhat sad smile. But she brushed it off as if it was nothing.

“More importantly, we made a promise, right? If something difficult happens to Ulan, I’ll help.”

Thinking about it, there was such a thing.

While moving to the Source of Magic for a field trip, Ulan carried Noa’s heavy luggage for her.

Remembering that, Ulan bowed his head.

“Indeed, it was helpful. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. It’s not a big deal.”

As she smiled and finished her reply,

a loud sound was heard.

Growl!

The sound came from Ulan’s stomach. It was an alarm asking for something to eat.

“Just in time for lunch. Let’s eat together before the next lecture starts.”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

On the way to the dining hall,

Noa suddenly remembered something and asked.

“Ah, by the way, what’s the next lecture?”

“Practical Hunting.”

Professor Stella’s Practical Hunting lecture.

The location was unusually the Eastern Forest.

5.

Centered around the freshman dormitory, Spring Hall,

to the east lies a vast forest.

A forest so large it could be believed to be a miniature version of a jungle. It’s mainly used for hunting, tracking techniques, and mock battles.

After finishing lunch,

Ulan arrived at the Eastern Forest.

But even though the lecture time was approaching, the professor in charge was nowhere to be seen.

“Why isn’t the professor here?”

“Maybe it’s canceled?”

“No way, not on the first day?”

“Probably just running late.”

Students made various speculations.

Meanwhile, Ulan showed no particular agitation.

Because Professor Stella, in charge of Practical Hunting, had been nearby long before the bell signaling the start of the lecture.

Specifically, on the large tree in front of them.

Lying there, observing the students.

‘What is she doing there?’

And hiding her presence so thoroughly.

Ulan looked puzzled.

Then suddenly, he made eye contact with Stella.

“······!”

Stella made a startled expression.

Soon after, she smiled brightly and covered her nose with her index finger. It meant to be quiet.

‘Not sure what her intentions are······.’

But she must have her reasons.

So, he ignored it.

Thinking she would come out eventually. As he was about to look around, a familiar voice reached his ears.

“Ulan.”

A quiet voice echoed.

Ulan turned his head silently.

In his sight was a silver-haired girl wearing a wide-brimmed hat. She smiled faintly upon seeing Ulan.

“As expected, you applied.”

Delia Arpen.

Her appearance surprised Ulan.

For a simple reason. It was unexpected for her, a mage, to apply for a hunting lecture.

In fact, among the students around, Delia was the only one wearing a mage’s robe.

“Why did you······.”

Apply for a hunting lecture?

Ulan moved to ask the reason.

But then.

Swish!

Delia quickly stepped back.

What? Ulan approached her again.

But this time, the result was the same.

“Why are you running away?”

Ulan tilted his head.

Fortunately, the answer came immediately.

“······Yesterday, that thing, happened.”

“That thing?”

“Still, embarrassed.”

A faint blush appeared on her pale cheeks. Delia seemed to realize this and covered her face with her hat.

Meanwhile, Ulan looked puzzled.

There was nothing particularly embarrassing in their conversation yesterday.

‘Was there something I didn’t know about?’

As he tried to recall,

Rustle!

With the sound of leaves rustling,

a few leaves fell from above. At the same time, Stella, who had been hiding her presence, jumped down to the ground.

“Phew, seems like everyone’s here now.”

“······!?”

Perhaps because she appeared without warning,

all the students were startled.

“Pr, Professor?”

“Were you up there the whole time?!”

“Yeah, I drank too much yesterday.”

Stella yawned lazily.

Meanwhile, the students looked dumbfounded.

They couldn’t understand the connection between drinking and being on the tree.

“And I waited to see if any student could sense my presence, but as expected, no one did.”

At this, the students laughed awkwardly.

Naturally.

Stella Natalia. She was once the top hunter active in the Eastern Jungle.

Especially the incident where she single-handedly defeated a 7-star monster is still legendary.

How could a mere student sense the presence of such a skilled person?

So, they thought it was a joke.

But then.

Stella smiled mysteriously.

“Except for one.”

Her yellow eyes looked at Ulan.

The students looked around in confusion. But no one could figure out who it was. Ulan remained unresponsive.

“Alright, let’s start the lecture.”

After lightening the awkward atmosphere,

Stella grinned.

Chapter 13. You Shouldn’t Have Done That

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