The next day.
Yujin checked his clothes in his lodging and spoke to Tiamat.
“Wow, for some reason I feel nervous. Part of me still can’t believe I’m a professor. Honestly, in my world, professors were considered very high-level professionals with significant social status. I was at the bottom once, so this feels like quite the achievement.”
[You’ve been a dragon for quite some time now, and you still find it amazing to be a human professor?]
“I can’t help it. Becoming a dragon feels so surreal that it never really sunk in. But being a professor… how can I put it? Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but it feels like a dream come true.”
[Pff, I see. That’s good to hear.]
Noticing Yujin’s slightly elevated mood, Tiamat smiled with satisfaction.
Then it happened.
“By the way, she really seems to be an impatient person.”
Yujin spoke while looking outside the door, and Tiamat responded with a somewhat exasperated look.
[…But Yujin, that is entirely your fault.]
“You don’t have to keep reminding me. I’m well aware.”
Yujin answered with a bitter smile and stepped outside.
“Oh?”
Then, as if he had been quite surprised, he looked at the person standing in front of the door.
“Professor Sahart, what brings you all the way here?”
“……”
Pretending not to know, Yujin spoke to her as though he were astonished. His words were directed at none other than Reina.
She stood with a stern expression on her face while waiting by Yujin’s door.
Yujin spoke with a smile.
“Haha, did you perhaps come to pick me up for our joint lecture? Thank you.”
“…I won’t let things go the way you want.”
Although the remark was abrupt, it carried a certain resolve. Yujin tilted his head and spoke.
“Hmm? I’m not sure what you mean. In any case, good morning, Professor. Have you had breakfast?”
“…No, not yet.”
“Then would you like to join me? I haven’t eaten yet either. I heard the academy’s cafeteria is quite nice…”
“…Sure. I’d be happy to.”
It seemed Reina intended to keep a close watch on Yujin from the start, given how she answered. And so, the two of them headed to the academy’s cafeteria.
***
By now it was almost unnecessary to say, but the academy’s cafeteria was also extremely luxurious.
In the student cafeteria, high-quality food was preserved with magic and displayed in an appetizing way, similar to a modern buffet. Meanwhile, in the professors’ dining hall, dedicated chefs prepared requested menus on the spot.
It went without saying that the food was excellent, especially since the professors frequented it.
Yujin and Reina likewise took their seats in the professors’ dining hall and began their meal.
Since it was morning, they chose lighter foods that wouldn’t burden their stomachs. Only then did Yujin realize that this world’s dining culture was more normal than he had initially assumed.
When I stayed at Aunt Mary’s inn, every meal, morning, noon, and night, was a full feast…
Since his first meal experience in this world had been at Mary’s inn, it was only natural that Yujin had misunderstood its overall food culture.
Yujin’s meal was chicken breast salad with soft dark bread. Reina’s was the same. Because he didn’t know much about the professors’ dining hall, he simply ordered the same thing she did, though Reina seemed a bit displeased.
[Not bad. The portions are small, but the quality is pretty good.]
Tiamat laughed happily as she tasted each bite Yujin took, but Yujin himself couldn’t do the same.
…It feels like she’s staring a hole right through me.
It was because of Reina’s gaze, which was so intense that anyone else might have lost their appetite on the spot.
She was openly displaying her characteristic sharp aura while focusing all her attention on Yujin.
Thinking he should say something, Yujin finally spoke up.
“How does the lecture schedule look?”
“……”
Yujin asked Reina about the lecture plans. Although she seemed wary of him, she did respond.
“…In the morning, we mostly cover theoretical lectures, and in the afternoon, we focus on practical sessions. We usually repeat that schedule, but sometimes we devote an entire day to dungeon exploration.”
“Hmm, I heard that time flows more slowly inside the labyrinth compared to outside. Do you really need a whole day for it?”
“For first-year students, yes. They typically don’t go beyond the tenth floor. The main point is to give them all sorts of experiences in the labyrinth, so we allocate plenty of time.”
“I see.”
With that, the two continued eating while talking about how lectures were generally conducted.
Yujin mainly asked questions on how to run classes, and Reina answered without any real difficulty.
However…
…This is awkward.
Reina never once lowered her usual sharp demeanor. In fact, it felt like she became even more guarded the more Yujin asked.
Yujin couldn’t help but think that, had it been anyone else sharing a meal with her, they would have found the tension overwhelming. Such was the intensity of her presence.
Indeed…
– …Is Professor Reina in a bad mood today?
– I want to chat with Professor Yujin too…
– Professor Reina… She’s scarier than usual today…
– She always had a rather imposing presence, but it’s especially strong today…
Nearby professors seemed to want to speak with Yujin too, but they couldn’t simply join him because of Reina. They could only linger around while listening to bits of their conversation.
Then it happened.
“Reina, mind if I sit here for a moment?”
“…Linne?”
A woman approached them without hesitation.
She was a beauty with ash-gray hair and blue eyes.
She was Linne Eneria, a professor of alchemy.
“What’s with this all of a sudden…”
“I just thought it might be nice to have a meal together for the first time in a while…”
Right after saying that, Linne looked at Yujin.
“I also wanted to talk with Professor Yujin for a bit. Would that be alright?”
“Ah, I don’t mind. Please, do whatever makes you both comfortable.”
When Yujin said that, Linne turned to Reina. Reina hesitated for a moment but eventually gave a small nod.
“Then, excuse me.”
Linne took the seat next to Reina and sat across from Yujin. Her blue eyes seemed to pierce right through him.
It seems she has her own intentions as well.
Yujin, deciding to go along with her gaze, opened his mouth to speak.
“May I ask what it is you’d like to talk about?”
“It’s nothing major. Professor Yujin, you’re originally from the Eastern Continent, aren’t you?”
“That’s correct. Although, in truth, I only lived there as a child. I spent most of my life on the Western Continent, studying magic.”
Yujin lied effortlessly, smoothly replacing “Eastern Continent” with “hometown” as if it were natural.
When she heard this, Linne asked another question.
“Then, do you have a master who taught you magic?”
“A master, you say… Yes, I do. However, they’ve since passed away.”
Yujin skillfully twisted the truth. While he had initially taught himself magic, there was Tiamat, who had provided him with foundational knowledge about it.
If he considered Tiamat as his master, his statement wasn’t entirely a lie. And, in fact, it was true that she was no longer alive.
“They must have been an extraordinary person. To have trained a mage as skilled as you, Professor Yujin.”
“Yes, they were truly extraordinary. Without a doubt, they were the greatest being I’ve ever encountered.”
After all, Tiamat was the queen of dragons. It wasn’t an exaggeration.
At those words, Linne’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.
“Someone so great that even Professor Yujin would speak so highly of them… I’m very curious about who they were.”
“Haha, truth be told, I don’t know much about them either. They didn’t share much about their personal life with me.”
At that, Yujin could feel a slight flinch from Tiamat. She must have sensed that the conversation was somehow about her.
Of course, Yujin didn’t pay it much mind.
How long are we going to keep up with this meaningless small talk?
The conversation they were having now was nothing more than casual chatter meant to ease the tension. Yujin knew full well that Linne’s purpose in approaching him wasn’t just to ask such trivial questions.
Then Linne suddenly posed another question.
“Professor Yujin, in that case, how would you compare your master to a Transcendent?”
“…A Transcendent, you say?”
So this is the main point. Yujin thought to himself with a slightly suspicious expression.
Transcendent… Why is this topic being brought up now?
After thinking for a moment, Yujin looked into her eyes.
In her eyes, he saw something deeply embedded. A mix of obsession and a hint of madness.
…Aha.
Yujin let out a quiet chuckle. Then he spoke.
“Transcendent… I see. I suppose there’s an unbridgeable gap between mortals and transcendents. That’s just my opinion, regardless of my own dreams.
“…Is that so?”
“But… a transcendent…”
Yujin gave a meaningful smile and said to Linne.
“Sometimes, I wonder if even mortals can become transcendents.”
“!”
“Haha, well… it’s nothing more than a thought from my imagination.”
At those words, Yujin noticed Linne’s eyes waver slightly. He then stood up and turned to Reina who had been quietly observing the conversation.
“Professor Sahart, shall we get going?”
“…Yes, let’s go.”
She glanced at Linne briefly before following Yujin.
“……”
Linne who was left alone rested her chin in her hand and fell into silent contemplation.
***
Meanwhile, in the magical studies lecture hall…
In the room where the elemental studies class was scheduled, one girl approached another girl and asked a question.
“Elly, how do you think you did on the test?”
“Haah… No matter how I think about it, I messed up. I made too many mistakes at the start, and I actually got scolded for it too…”
“Really?”
“What about you, Sarah? How do you think you did?”
“Me? Do you think I did well?”
“No.”
“You’re so mean~ But, well, you’re not wrong.”
The brown-haired girl, who had been pretending to be hurt by the black-haired girl’s words, quickly brightened and asked eagerly,
“Hey, Elly, did you hear about this? Apparently, Professor Reina is giving a joint lecture with another professor today!”
“What? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what I said. Didn’t you see the announcement that Professor Reina is holding a joint lecture?”
“I didn’t see it.”
“Figures. It seems like a lot of people didn’t know about it since the announcement was made suddenly yesterday.”
“Really…? Which professor is she doing it with?”
“I don’t know. I heard it’s a newly appointed professor.”
“A new professor… Hmm, who joined the magic department recently?”
“Elly, were you dozing off during the entrance ceremony? There wasn’t any new professor introduced to the magic department.”
“…You just said it was a new professor!”
“Well, yeah, but apparently he was appointed suddenly after the entrance ceremony. Right after the exams ended. There’s no way you’d know him.”
“What? He was appointed after these exams? At this time of year?”
“That’s what I’m saying! It’s strange, right? Anyway, that’s what I heard. Oh, and get this. The new professor is supposed to be ridiculously handsome!”
“Ridiculously handsome…? All of a sudden?”
“Mhmm! And here’s why. Apparently, Professor Reina was spotted heading to the dining hall this morning with a man!”
“What? Professor Reina? With a man?”
“That’s what I’m saying! Can you believe it? Professor Reina went to have breakfast with a man! Isn’t that wild?”
“Are you sure it’s not just a rumor?”
Professor Reina having breakfast with a man? Elly honestly couldn’t believe it. The girl named Sarah continued speaking.
“Right? That’s what I thought too at first, but there were so many people who saw it happen! And they’re saying the guy was an insanely good-looking man with this dangerous kind of charm!”
“An incredibly handsome man with a dangerous kind of charm…”
At those words, Elly involuntarily thought of someone. Someone who still made her body tremble just by thinking about him.
“How about it? Not too hard, right?”
His smile, his voice, his words… Even now, just remembering him sent chills down her spine.
As she recalled the man who had smiled so casually and said those words to her, even as she was struggling after such a terrible experience, Elly’s face instinctively turned pale. Sarah noticed and asked.
“…Elly? What’s wrong?”
“…Ah, ah, it’s nothing.”
“Really…? Well, if something’s bothering you, let me know. What if you’re not feeling well later when we have to go to the practicum?”
Sarah sounded genuinely concerned. Elly gave a small nod.
“M-Mhmm …”
“Everyone! The professor is here!”
At that moment, a student standing by the door called out, and all the students quickly took their seats. Elly and Sarah also snapped out of their conversation and turned their attention to the front.
And then…
Click, click.
Step, step.
Two people entered the lecture hall.
A pair of a man and a woman walked in, each with a completely different aura.
The woman had neatly trimmed short hair and an incredibly sharp, disciplined demeanor. In contrast, the man exuded a soft, gentle atmosphere and was wearing a relaxed smile.
As the two walked in, all eyes in the room were naturally drawn to them. Among those gazes…
Wh-What… That person…?
Elly found herself staring at the man with the relaxed smile. Meanwhile, the woman standing at the lectern spoke.
“Good morning, everyone.”
– …Yes! Good morning, Professor!
Only then did the students snap out of it and greet the woman, Reina. Reina spoke.
“Today is the day you’ll be checking your exam scores, but… as I announced yesterday, there will also be a joint lecture with another professor. I understand this might feel sudden to many of you, but I believe this will be a valuable experience. Furthermore, the professor joining us for this lecture is someone we’ve worked hard to bring here, so I hope you will welcome him warmly. Professor Yujin?”
“Yes.”
As Reina finished speaking, the man named Yujin stepped forward and began to speak.
“It’s nice to meet you, students. I am Han Yujin, the newly appointed professor.”
“……!”
Thud!
Elly, without thinking, shot up from her seat as she heard his introduction. Her pale face was immediately noticeable.
Yujin too turned to look in her direction.
“Ah, Miss Elly. It’s been a while. A week… maybe a little more, hasn’t it?”
“…This can’t be happening.”
Unaware of the attention she was drawing, Eri could only mutter blankly to herself.
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