Chapter 188: Second Year(2)
Chapter 188: Second Year(2)
Normally, second-year students, much like first-years, take a variety of classes to avoid failing. There isn't much difference from the first year, except perhaps for the change in professors.
However, even then, some professors change while others remain the same. From the third year onwards, students become teaching assistants, supporting professors or providing significant help in classes. Since they've essentially chosen their career path by then, they are treated less like assistants and more like halfway-graduated students.
Even if one hasn't decided on a career path, there are processes in place to earn a diploma, so it isn't an issue. In fact, fewer people decide on their careers early than one might think, so only about half of the Literature students become TAs starting in their third year.
Regardless, I plan to follow Professor Elena around, helping her with various tasks or participating directly in her classes. As mentioned before, History is a liberal arts course that even Martial students take.
Unlike Literature students, Martial students are far more numerous, and their classes are divided into several sections. According to Adelia, there were only three sections when she first enrolled.
Now, however, there are more than five. Surprisingly, more than half of them are commoners, while the number of nobles is unexpectedly low.
This means that in less than ten years, the Minerva Empire's ability to scout talent has leveled up, and a solid system has been established. Since the admission process is based on absolute evaluation rather than relative ranking, the numbers are bound to increase.
Because of this, the demand for personnel to teach Martial students must be met, so experts from various fields are currently being hired. For the record, my father was among those scouted, but he politely declined because he was too busy with the affairs of our territory.
"It'll probably be a very busy year. There are about 350 new enrollees. 150 of them are Literature students."
"Pardon?"
I had visited Elena's laboratory on the very first day of the Academy's opening.
While organizing materials, I couldn't help but be shocked by the story Elena casually tossed out. Last year, there were only 200 enrollees, and only 50 of them were Literature students.
But something had happened in the interim to cause the number of Literature students to triple. It was an explosive growth rate.
As I mentioned, since the entrance exam is an absolute evaluation, an increase in students is natural, but this was simply too many.
"Isn't that a bit of a sudden jump?"
"I thought it was strange at first too, but if you look closely, it's a perfectly understandable phenomenon."
"Understandable?"
"Yes."
Elena nodded, then began to lay out a hypothesis that sounded somewhat absurd to my ears.
"Do you know how long it's been since the first volume of Xenon Biography was released?"
"Probably... about a year and a half ago?"
Since I released the first volume when I was sixteen, that should be roughly correct. It only truly blew up starting from Volume 5, but it was quite popular even before then.
"But what about Xenon Biography? Are you saying it's because of that?"
"Exactly."
"..."
I kept my mouth shut as I looked at Professor Elena, who retorted as if asking why I even had to inquire. I felt so dumbfounded that I was at a loss for words.
It's true that Xenon Biography is an easy read for people of all ages, genders, and classes, but I could hardly say it was good for education.
Does reading genre fiction improve one's language or reading comprehension skills? One would be better off reading another literary classic or looking through a dictionary.
While many critics praised Xenon Biography, some pointed out its low barrier to entry as a flaw. They claimed it was too intuitive, making it difficult to engage in philosophical thought, or something like that.
Meanwhile, Elena pushed up her slightly slipping glasses and looked at my face as she spoke.
"The noteworthy point here is that while the number of nobles is similar to last year, the number of commoners has increased significantly. And Xenon Biography is a book that is easily read regardless of social class. Do you get the picture?"
"Not at all."
"You still have a long way to go. Well, I suppose that's expected, since you were born a noble."
Despite my blunt answer, Elena just shrugged as if she understood. When I narrowed my eyes, feeling like she was being sarcastic, she held up a finger and continued.
"Until Xenon Biography was released, commoners found it difficult to read books. Do you know why?"
"Because they were full of unfamiliar words and it was hard to grasp the overall flow. Right?"
"Exactly. On the other hand, the prose and readability of Xenon Biography are so peerlessly simple that one can easily imagine the scenes in their head. And the content, like the love between Sacran and the different races, is surprisingly profound if you dig into it."
Up to this point, it sounded like ordinary praise. Just as I was about to put on a bored expression, Elena pointed out a very important detail.
"In other words, it's perfect for taking the first step."
"The first step?"
"Yes. The first step. No matter what it is, the first step is very important. You should know this too."
As Elena said, taking the first step is the beginning of any endeavor. Ironically, however, that first step is the hardest to take.
Humans possess curiosity about the unknown, but they also harbor fear. There's a reason for the proverb, "Well begun is half done."
"If it were you, would you tell a knight who just finished his apprenticeship to hunt a dragon? Or an orc?"
"An orc, obviously. Are you trying to get someone killed?"
"It's similar to that. Before Xenon Biography came out, books were just too difficult. They weren't fun, they didn't spark interest, and even if someone was interested, they lacked basic reading comprehension, making it extremely hard to read. Picture books don't really count since they're only for children learning to read."
"Hmm... So you're saying Xenon Biography is perfect for getting people accustomed to the written word?"
"Precisely."
Elena nodded with a satisfied expression at my answer. Only then did I realize what she was trying to say.
Xenon Biography is simply a book that makes 'books' themselves accessible. Like Elena's analogy, if you told a knight who just finished his apprenticeship to subjugate a dragon, he would be dead before long.
Unless he awakened some unknown talent, he would almost certainly die. Unless it's a talent directly bestowed by a god, most talents require effort to back them up.
Xenon Biography is similar. In terms of 'growth,' it is more efficient than any other book and suitable for moving up to the next level.
'Well, I wasn't interested in books at all originally, either.'
I could relate deeply because I had followed a similar path in my past life. A friend had recommended a fantasy novel to me when I used to read nothing but comics, and I fell in love with the charm of the written word.
However, genre fiction has its limits, so I branched out to other books, eventually becoming deeply interested in history and reading history-related books. If my friend hadn't recommended that novel back then, I probably would have just spent my time browsing the internet instead of reading history books.
It was the same after I was reincarnated. It was a good thing I had formed a reading habit; otherwise, I would have just idled my time away.
The current situation was similar. Xenon Biography had gained unprecedented popularity, sparking interest in books, which naturally led to interest in other books as well.
Although Xenon Biography still dominated the publishing market, I had heard rumors that the sales performance of other books had also risen.
"For your information, it's not just Halo Academy; other countries are the same. The academy in the Ters Republic has seen a fivefold increase in Literature students."
"That's amazing. Is the increase in Martial students separate?"
"It is. Well, maybe they'll increase in a few years. Someone might enroll saying they want to become a hero like Xenon, right?"
Elena said it jokingly, but I smiled because it seemed plausible. Since ancient times, heroic tales have been more than enough to set children's hearts ablaze.
Of course, the reality is gruesome, but if that resolve carries through to the end, another hero might be born.
"Therefore, things are going to get very busy. Originally, all Literature students were put into one class, but now we have to divide them into three. Not just the first-years, but the second-year Literature students and the Martial students as well."
"...I'll still have break time, right?"
Surely she'd give me time to write Xenon Biography. That's why I became a Recommended Student in the first place.
Sensing the anxiety in my question, Elena smirked and replied.
"Of course you will. I might work a regular assistant hard, but I don't treat my TAs that roughly. I'll give you plenty of break time, so don't worry."
"That's a relief. By the way, what about Cindy? Where did she go?"
"Cindy went to the Holy Land for a bit. She'll probably be back within a week."
It seemed Cindy had become very busy after earning her doctorate. There were more days when her seat was empty than when I saw her face.
It was a bit sad not to see her characteristically limp face, but everyone has their own life, so I wasn't upset. I was going to be busy myself, so I wouldn't have time to worry about others anyway.
"Since the number of Literature students has tripled, will the system change as well?"
"It'll probably change soon. From now on, TAs might only be appointed from Recommended Students. And the higher-ups are probably having a massive headache right now. They never imagined things would turn out like this."
"Xenon Biography is changing a lot of things."
"It's providing the spark that's leading the golden age of human literature. There's a reason Lord Luminous praised it."
Saying so, Elena checked the time and stood up. For the record, the entrance ceremony was held yesterday, and orientation is scheduled to begin today.
Originally, History wouldn't be held at this time, but because the classes were split into three, the number of lessons had also tripled. Not only that, but she also had to conduct classes for the second-years, so as she said, it was going to be a busy time.
"Now, let's go get ready for class. Do you have your materials?"
"I have everything."
"Good. Don't be nervous; you can just stay by my side and watch how the class is conducted. Of course, I might hand things over to you occasionally, so don't zone out."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Afterward, I followed her to the lecture hall where the class would be held. The tripling of Literature students would interfere with my writing, but if I managed my time well, it wouldn't be a big problem.
I didn't forget to factor in dates with Mari and Cecile. Since all classes end at 5 PM anyway, that wouldn't change.
As I was carefully revising my plans in my head, a question suddenly occurred to me. It was something I had been wondering even before coming to the Academy.
Why didn't Professor Elena have any other TAs? Curious, I asked her as she led the way.
"Professor Elena."
"Yes?"
"Why haven't you taken on any other TAs until now?"
"Ah, that? It's nothing special. I don't accept TAs unless they're Recommended Students."
"Why?"
While I was wondering, she pushed up her glasses and answered casually.
"Because that's the only way there's any fun in raising them."
"..."
"By the way, all the history professors in the History Hall were my TAs."
The feeling that a Hell Gate had just opened before my eyes must have been an illusion.
'Yeah. It must be an illusion.'
It had to be.