Chapter 7: Anxious Start(5)
Chapter 7: Anxious Start(5)
"Ooh~ look at the big brain on you!"
"Shut it."
Even though it was a compliment, I didn't feel happy at all. A compliment should actually sound like one; the way she said it with that smirking face made it feel more like she was mocking me.
More than anything, I was currently more concerned about the countless gazes that had just been showered upon me than the professor's extra credit. Lina and Cecile looked curious, but some of the other stares were far from friendly.
I didn't know how things would unfold from here, but for now, keeping my mouth shut and staying quiet was the best policy. As the applause gradually died down, Professor Virius began to explain in a relaxed voice.
"Just as Student Isaac answered, knowledge is no different from a weapon that can become power. For humans, power is a relationship that can never be severed. Furthermore..."
Unlike during the presentation, his lecture continued rather tediously. Still, I—and all the other students—focused on the professor's words.
It was boring, just like university classes in my past life, but it wasn't useless. Besides, it really made it sink in that I was attending an academy straight out of a fantasy novel.
After about thirty minutes of the professor's long-winded explanation, he brought up a topic that managed to grab everyone's attention.
"I'll pause here for a quick question. Has any student here read the book Xenon Biography?"
"...Huh?"
Why is my book suddenly being mentioned? While I was internally panicking, the professor cleared his throat as if realizing a mistake and spoke again.
"My apologies. I misspoke. Is there any student here who has not read Xenon Biography even once?"
As soon as the professor asked that, I looked around. No matter how popular Xenon Biography was, surely one or two out of fifty people wouldn't be interested, right?
However, as if to prove my prediction entirely wrong, not a single student raised their hand.
Wait. Seriously?
I was bewildered at first, but it wasn't completely incomprehensible. Even if this was a fantasy world where magic existed, it was still close to the Middle Ages. There were very few cultural activities to enjoy during leisure time.
Since smartphones, computers, and even televisions hadn't been invented yet, the options for leisure were extremely limited. Furthermore, nobles would read books for their own refinement, so they would have naturally come across Xenon Biography.
Thinking about it this way, there was no other way to describe it than having been born at the perfect time.
"Then this makes things easier. As you all know, Xenon Biography is a work that appeared like a comet a year ago. I couldn't help but be astonished while reading it. Just how much knowledge must one possess to have the ability to create an entire world?"
That stuff is everywhere in my past life. Fantasy is all pretty much the same. As long as you season it well, readers will find it interesting even if it's a similar story.
"And just how much experience must one have to write such a beautiful story? I am certain that the author of Xenon Biography has undergone experiences that an ordinary person couldn't even imagine."
...I just read a lot of books at home. Still, the professor's words weren't entirely wrong, given that I was a 'reincarnator.'
Not only had I experienced a different world, but I had also easily encountered civilizations that people here couldn't even fathom. I suppose that counts as experience in its own way.
Moreover, because I had easy access to stories created by others—namely comics and novels—creating a new story was quite simple.
"Above all, the most important factors are the power of expression and readability. You all know the feeling of a scene playing out vividly in your mind. I can only guess how much the author agonized and researched to write such sentences."
If you keep praising me like that, I'm going to get embarrassed. I almost let a bitter smile slip.
He's acting like this over a book I wrote; if he saw The Lord of the Rings or Sherlock Holmes, he'd probably faint from shock.
I wondered what kind of impact Tolkien or Conan Doyle would have made if they had reincarnated here.
Ah. Tolkien might be flustered since the world he created actually became reality.
"Writing an immortal masterpiece like Xenon Biography is certainly difficult, but since the author has already paved the way, following that path won't be hard. However, the knowledge and experience to create a new world are essential."
"Professor. May I ask a question?"
While Virius was continuing his explanation, someone raised their hand high. It was a female student with auburn hair sitting in the very front row. Perhaps because she was in the front, I couldn't see her face.
Since no professor anywhere dislikes questions, Professor Virius asked her with a bright expression.
"Of course. Your name?"
"I am Leona."
"Right. Student Leona. What is your question?"
As Leona stood up, all eyes turned toward her. Then, in a clear but blunt voice, she spoke her mind.
"As you explained, Professor, Xenon Biography has done more than just leave a mark on the cultural world; it has presented a new path. Thanks to that, it currently enjoys unprecedented popularity."
"Indeed."
"However, some critics evaluate it differently. They say that while it is a book that can be enjoyed regardless of social class, it is lacking when it comes to building one's refinement. I would like to ask for your thoughts on this, Professor."
I had a rough idea of what she was getting at. When Xenon Biography became a hit, most people showered it with praise, but a small minority criticized it.
Their argument was that it was utterly inadequate for building one's culture. I had snorted when I saw that.
If they're so bitter, they should try writing as accessibly as I do.
As I mentioned before, the novels in this world were like CSAT English questions. Words you might hear once in a lifetime were all crammed into a single book, so you couldn't even understand the meaning, let alone the story.
The professor seemed well aware of this point, as he nodded after hearing Leona's question.
"I understand what you mean. As you said, Xenon Biography is easy for anyone to read, but there are bound to be people who dislike that. But do you know what they have in common?"
"What would that be?"
"The commonality among those who criticized it is that they are all novelists. Specifically, they are authors who, before Xenon Biography came into the world, were most well-known only among the nobility, not the commoners. One of them is Professor Megner, who is one of the people who will be passing on knowledge to you besides myself."
The professor emphasized the word 'only' quite pointedly. Professor Virius took his eyes off Leona and paced back and forth in front of the blackboard, explaining in a relaxed tone.
"The reason they were only well-known among the nobility is that, until now, most novels could only be read by nobles. For commoners, there were so many difficult words that it was practically like decoding a cipher. Naturally, readability suffered, and eventually, the flow of the story would get twisted in strange directions."
"..."
"However, Xenon Biography possesses simple sentences and expressive power that even a commoner can easily read. That it cannot build refinement? That is nothing more than nonsense. Inherently, refinement is something that should be attained through the acquisition of academics and knowledge."
The professor stopped his pacing abruptly. Then, he finally looked Leona straight in the eye and asked her a question.
"Now then, Student Leona. I shall ask you a question in return."
"Yes, Professor."
"Student Leona, how many volumes of Xenon Biography have you read?"
"I have read all of them, including the most recent release."
Upon hearing that answer, Mari whispered.
"Whoa. Even I haven't read the latest one yet. How did she get her hands on it?"
"She probably had her ways."
Regardless of our whispering, the professor nodded at Leona's answer and spoke gently.
"In that case, after reading Xenon Biography, what do you think of the Demon Clan?"
"..."
Leona didn't answer but shifted her gaze toward where Cecile was sitting. Cecile flinched slightly, not expecting to be mentioned, but she met the gaze head-on.
After a few seconds of staring at Cecile, Leona seemed to reach a conclusion and spoke bluntly.
"My apologies. It seems I asked the wrong question."
"No. It was a very sharp question. I will give Student Leona extra credit."
"Thank you, Professor."
Despite the unexpected extra credit, Leona replied in a monotone voice. To someone who didn't know her, she might have seemed like a robot.
"Anyway, in order to truly make specific knowledge your own, you must first grasp what that knowledge is trying to tell you. In that regard, Xenon Biography can be called an extremely advanced novel."
Wow. He's really dressing up a novel I wrote as a hobby without much thought. That was a talent in itself.
From then on, as if he thought the timing was perfect, the professor continued the lecture while occasionally mentioning Xenon Biography. The students also began to listen to the lecture with more interested faces than before.
"In particular, what I want to emphasize here is that even in the final moment, you must never become arrogant..."
Midway through, the professor even made up meanings for the story that I hadn't even known existed. The irony was that the author himself had written those parts without any special meaning.
They say that people who are too smart tend to interpret simple traps in overly complex ways, and he was the perfect example of that.
So, from the middle of the lecture, I listened with a lukewarm expression, half-tuning it out. Glancing to the side, I saw Mari listening with sparkling eyes.
"Hmm... it seems time is almost up."
How much time had passed? The professor checked his wristwatch and announced the end was near.
I didn't know about myself, but for the other students, it seemed to have been quite interesting, as I could hear a few groans of disappointment. Was it really that fun?
Professor Virius seemed pleased by the groans and chuckled.
"You don't have to be too disappointed. There is plenty of time besides today."
"Professor, what do the other professors teach?"
"History, Theology, Magic, Medicine, Administration, Politics, Philosophy, Biology, and so on. Each professor will teach you basic knowledge. Also, once this session is over, we plan to issue your timetables."
"Do we have to get good grades in all of them?"
One student asked in an anxious voice. It would certainly be a headache to take every single one of those. You could call it the height of inefficiency.
However, Professor Virius shook his head, denying the concern.
"No. It doesn't matter if you only take the lectures you want. However, you will need a certain number of points to avoid failing the year."
"Does that mean we don't have to attend majors we're not interested in?"
"It doesn't really matter. The professors will only focus on the students who are interested in their lectures anyway. Instead, as I said before, to secure a certain number of points, it would be best to attend as many lectures as possible to at least get attendance points."
As explained earlier, everyone takes common classes until the second grade, but if you can secure enough points, it means you don't necessarily have to take lectures you're not interested in.
Looking at this alone, it was a system quite similar to the universities in my past life. The difference was that the majors were pre-determined even if I didn't register for them myself.
Still, it was a familiar system to me, so I was satisfied.
"It's time now. It was a pleasure meeting you all, students."
As soon as the lecture ended, Virius bowed like a gentleman. Naturally, since it had been an impressive lecture, the students responded with applause.
Soon, Virius left the classroom, and people presumed to be teaching assistants entered to distribute papers to the students. It seemed to be the timetable the professor had mentioned.
"Crazy. What is this?"
And as soon as I checked the timetable, I couldn't help but be horrified. I didn't mind the classes being packed from 9 AM to 5 PM, but the number of majors was staggering.
There were so many that even when I tried to find the same major, they were all different. Mari also clicked her tongue and muttered in a troubled voice.
"There's just way too many. So we just have to secure a certain number of points from these, right? Which majors are you going to take?"
"...I'll have to try them all first. There are so many I don't even know. For now, I'm considering History, Theology, and maybe Biology."
I answered Mari's question vaguely while staring intently at the timetable. To be honest, I was confident in the three subjects I mentioned. The wealth of knowledge I had gained through books was stored in my head.
Naturally, I would attend the majors I wasn't interested in only once and ignore them afterward, but there was exactly one thing that worried me.
I don't care about the grades, but will there be group projects here too? That would be a pain.
It was while I was peering at the densely packed timetable with a serious expression.
"Mr. Isaac?"
"Yes?"
A woman's voice, as clear and melodious as rolling jade beads, pierced my ears. At that, I looked up from the timetable.
And...
"You're considering History, Theology, and Biology?"
Lina, radiating a beauty as bright as the sun, was looking at me with a beaming smile. A strong sense of curiosity dwelt in her blue eyes.
Furthermore, Cecile was standing beside her, looking at me with a similar gaze, though not as intense as Lina's.
...God dammit.
I'm going to curse that professor to hell.