Chapter 37: Group Project(1)
Chapter 37: Group Project(1)
Even though I had managed to create the first "dark history" of my current life at that gathering, my daily routine remained unchanged. Although I suffered through a weekend-long hangover, it didn't significantly hinder my writing.
I just had to make quite a few trips to the bathroom. I’d heard that wine hangovers were worse than other types of alcohol, and I felt that truth poignantly.
Regardless, despite the minor setbacks, my writing proceeded as smoothly as a ship with a tailwind. The historical knowledge I gained while teaching Cindy composition and the details about demon ecology I learned from Cecile were incredibly helpful.
However, it was inevitable that my progress would be slower than when I was at home, as my free time had been cut by more than half. It was only natural, considering I used to focus my entire daily schedule on writing.
At this rate... the next volume will take at least two months, even if I hurry.
Back home, I could submit a manuscript every fifteen days at the earliest, or a month at the latest. But given the current circumstances, that was proving to be very difficult. In fact, even a two-month estimate was remarkably fast.
Because of this, I often found myself wishing for a machine like a typewriter. In a world where papermaking and printing were advanced enough to produce newspapers, why was it so incredibly lacking in machinery?
Well, what can you do? The era is still essentially the Middle Ages.
In this world, there wasn't even a concept of "engineering," let alone an Industrial Revolution. Objects that could be called "machines" hadn't truly appeared yet. The refrigerator in my dormitory, the temperature control functions, and even the magic pen I used were products of "magical studies," not engineering.
Even if this world eventually reached an industrial revolution, it would likely involve a bit of magic rather than being purely mechanical like in my previous life. I briefly recalled the steam locomotive I had written about in Volume 8, then shook my head.
That’s not something for me to worry about right now.
I just needed to do my job. I was writing with the magic pen my father had given me as a gift when I suddenly stopped.
Come to think of it, is the group project starting tomorrow?
The mere thought of a group project made my brow furrow involuntarily. I didn't have a single good memory of group projects from my past life.
It was never a "miracle at the terminal"; instead, during every group project period, someone’s parents would suddenly get sick, they’d have to attend a funeral, or their phone would break, making them unreachable.
Absences for various reasons were common, and there was even one bastard who literally ran off to join the military.
The most infuriating instance was when I did everything by myself, and the professor gave me a C. I still vividly remember being scolded because a leader should exercise leadership to guide the members, and I was asked why I had done it all alone.
I didn't care about anything else; I just hoped that wouldn't happen here. If they said they couldn't do it, I’d do it all myself—I just wanted them to show up.
I’m a damn writer; surely I can handle this much?
Perhaps because the trauma of past group projects resurfaced, a curse slipped out. That was how much I loathed them.
Some might ask if things wouldn't be different since this was an entirely different world. Unfortunately, the essence of "humanity" remains the same no matter where you go. Furthermore, since this was a class-based society, it could potentially be even worse.
But there’s no PowerPoint here, so how should we do it? Should I draw pictures?
The difference between having visual effects and not having them is enormous. As the saying goes, "Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times."
I figured it would be wise to ask the professor about this later. If possible, I wanted to give a presentation even if it meant drawing crude sketches. The higher the grade, the better.
We have to select a topic, too... It’s going to be harder than I thought.
Well, not for me, of course. I pushed the thoughts of the group project aside and focused on my writing for now. My priority was finishing the settings for the Seven Deadly Sins.
Let's make Lust a demon. And her appearance...
The hand moving the magic pen came to a halt. When I thought of a demon governing lust, Cecile immediately popped into my head—specifically, in the dress she wore at the gathering.
According to the rumors I heard at the entrance ceremony, she was said to be a descendant of a succubus. Looking at her behavior and her alluring aura, those rumors seemed highly credible.
...If I write it like that, people will get suspicious, so let's describe her differently. I'll add a setting where she was betrayed by a human man who had treated her, a demon, without prejudice. And for the name...
Lilith, obviously. The beastkin representing Wrath is named Satan, so what’s the problem?
A beastkin named Satan. Truly...
I chuckled to myself and continued writing the story without a hitch.
*
There is a certain proverb regarding group projects.
United we fall, divided we stand.
Normally, the proverb should be the exact opposite, but not for group projects. The moment two or three people are assigned to a task that could be done by one, the efficiency paradoxically plummets.
Of course, that’s just a saying; it’s not like only bad things happen during group projects. It can be an opportunity to get closer to people and build a network, or even develop a deeper relationship.
It’s just that I always seemed to end up with bottom-of-the-barrel teammates. Thanks to that, I was able to experience the vivid process of becoming a misanthrope.
Anyway, to make a group project even "slightly" efficient, you have to keep the groups small. That’s a must.
As the saying goes, "Too many sailors lead the ship to the mountains." Four people are manageable, but the moment it becomes five, problems arise. There’s always someone who runs away, thinking, It’ll be fine if it’s just me slacking off.
I plan to snitch on every single one of those bastards to the professor.
"As I mentioned last time, today we will form random groups and I will assign the project. The topic is to predict the future development of the Xenon Biography. You must explain why that hypothesis arose and provide evidence to support it."
As Monday arrived and the Humanities class began, the professor immediately brought up the group project. As usual, sitting in the front row, I smirked inwardly after hearing his words.
It’s finally here.
Even in my past life, where social classes didn't exist, group projects were perfect for inducing a loss of faith in humanity. I was truly curious to see how it would be here.
Professor Virus counted the students in the lecture hall one by one before speaking in his characteristically gentle voice.
"There are exactly 46 students currently taking my lecture. I will divide you into groups of four, and the remaining two will be placed randomly. I will hand out slips of paper; please write your name on them and place them in the box."
With that, Professor Virus handed a stack of small papers to the student at the very front. I took one from the stack and passed the rest back.
"I hope I end up in the same group as you. You're the most comfortable person to be around."
As I was folding the paper with my name on it into a neat square, Mari, who was sitting next to me, spoke up. I completely agreed with her sentiment, so I nodded.
Rather than being with total strangers, I hoped to be with someone I knew, even if I ended up doing all the work myself.
"I hope I'm in the same group as Isaac, too. I feel like Isaac would already have the entire plot of the Xenon Biography figured out."
Cecile, sitting behind us, spoke up in her typical playful tone, having overheard Mari. As soon as I heard her words, I couldn't help but flinch slightly.
I didn't know why she said that, but it wasn't a good sign for me. Moreover, her words felt strangely pointed.
"Cecile. Does that mean you're just going to take help from Isaac and do nothing yourself?"
Lina, seated next to Cecile, asked in her characteristically soft voice. To that, Cecile shrugged nonchalantly and replied.
"Who knows? What about you, Lina? Since you're the Imperial Princess, I'm sure others will just do everything for you."
"I would appreciate that, but I do have a conscience. I should help out."
As Lina spoke with a faint smile, Mari's expression soured instantly. Mari glanced back at her, then turned her head forward again.
She then muttered under her breath, making her discomfort clear.
"...Conscience, my foot. She’s saying things she doesn't even mean."
"..."
I intentionally pretended not to hear. It wasn't the first or second time Mari had expressed her displeasure toward Lina, so I could now let it go in one ear and out the other.
A moment later, Professor Virus collected the slips of paper one by one and placed them in the box. To ensure they were well-mixed, he shook the box vigorously and reached inside to stir them. He was mixing them as if he were making bibimbap.
"Now then, I shall draw. The first person chosen is..."
As soon as the professor unfolded the neatly folded paper, a strange light flickered in his eyes, and he looked directly at me. I had somewhat expected it the moment I saw the neatly folded paper, but it seemed it was true.
While I was thinking that, Professor Virus tugged on his mustache with an interested air and called out the name.
"Student Isaac Ducard Maishal. And the next is..."
Please let it be someone I know. Oh, but not Jackson.
As I waited with bated breath, the professor pulled another slip from the box. Then, in the same powerful voice as before, he called the name.
"Aira Ben Mathews."
"Yes!"
As soon as the name was called, a spirited shout came from the back. Judging by the name and the voice, it seemed to be a girl.
I turned my head back to see who my teammate was. A female student with brown hair and a cute appearance was raising her hand.
Naturally, she was someone I didn't recognize. Given her middle name, I assumed she was a daughter of a noble family.
"Next is Benjamin Blank."
"Y-Yes!"
An answer came from not too far away. I craned my neck to look toward the side where the voice came from.
A boy with dull blonde, curly hair caught my eye. For some reason, he looked visibly nervous.
Unlike me and the girl named Aira, he didn't have a middle name, so he seemed to be a commoner. I knew that for a commoner to enter Halo Academy—especially in the Literature Department rather than Martial Studies—they had to go through an incredibly grueling process.
Comparing it to my past life, it was like a student who had only completed middle school getting into Seoul National University through the regular admissions process. Unless one was a genius, admission was nearly impossible.
That meant he was at least not incompetent. I considered that a relief.
"And finally... Leona Lyons."
Wait. What?
As soon as I heard the name the professor called, I blinked. I’d never heard the surname before, but the first name was very familiar.
I looked around to find the face I knew and locked eyes with a woman. Her usually expressionless face was clearly showing signs of flustered confusion.
It was Leona, the beastkin woman whose secret I had discovered.
...I don't know if I should be happy about this or not.
I suppose this is fate in its own way. Seeing Leona, I debated how to react before giving her a small wave.
In response, Leona quickly wiped the flustered look from her face and hurriedly turned her head away. I felt a bit slighted that my greeting was ignored, but I understood her position.
"These four will be one group. Next is... Jackson Mirel Kerison."
Once my group was set, the person I was keeping an eye on, Jackson, was called. Since he wasn't in my group, I was about to stop paying attention.
"Mari Hausen Rekilis."
Surprisingly, Jackson and Mari were placed in the same group. Was this also a coincidence?
As soon as the professor called Mari's full name, I checked her reaction.
"Of all people, it has to be him..."
Mari had a deep scowl on her face, looking as if she’d just stepped in something foul. Well, since she had seen Jackson flirting with Lina and Cecile with her own eyes, such a reaction was understandable.
For context, Jackson had tried to hit on Mari once, but never again after she bluntly told him to get lost with a string of curses.
But the problem didn't end there.
"Lina Urmi Christine."
"Hmm?"
Even Lina, whom Mari hated so much, ended up in the same group. Glancing back, I saw that Lina also seemed surprised, as she had one eyebrow raised.
This was already problematic enough, but the finishing touch came right after.
"..."
Professor Virus, who had been calm even when picking Lina, froze the moment he checked the next slip of paper. He wore a look of bewilderment before turning his gaze toward me.
Watching him, I felt a sense of dread and waited for him to speak. And then...
"...Cecile Drat Aisilia bin."
Defying all odds, a total chaos party had been formed.