Na Sua's Lecture
Of course, that was nothing more than a single thread of hope. It was still only the first week of lectures, orientation day, so it was far too early to expect anything grand or particularly enjoyable. Orientations like this often wrapped up quickly. It was entirely possible for a lecture meant to last several hours to end in just a few dozen minutes. Less studying. Some people would probably like that. Especially those who despised studying might even welcome it as a brief respite. But for someone like me, who was already turning into a shut-in, it was nothing short of a disaster—the time and excuse to go outside were shrinking. And if I tried to escape this misfortune by wandering around outside anyway, that would create its own set of problems. If Cheon Mari happened to call, I would have to head straight home. Though, it was just a friend's call. She was merely the girl I lived with. I could have brushed it off, thinking she could entertain herself just fine and there was no real need to rush back. But ignoring Cheon Mari's call to go play would bring its own troubles.
“Huu~ This lady even said she was bored…… Where exactly have you been gallivanting off to, my dear friend?”
“Mom.”
The next day, she appeared with that damn concept again. Getting beaten up a few times only for it to continue all day long was nothing short of a disaster. I never wanted to experience something like that again. That was why I decided to add an extra one or two hours to the scheduled three-hour lecture time and roam around to my heart's content.
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“Lecture. They said it's not online.”
“Really? Then bring back some Merona on your way back.”
I stared blankly at Cheon Mari, who was scratching her belly vigorously in my room while issuing orders to her employees via her rugged laptop. Soon, she moved her hand and began lightly scratching her thighs, exposed by her dolphin shorts.
“As you can see, I'm making money in a rather luxurious fashion right now.”
“Weren't you just saying you were disciplining the company employees earlier?”
“Ahem, did I say that?”
She was trying to whitewash her own past in real time. It was quite impressive how she kept trying to run the washing machine even though it was clearly broken and wouldn't spin.
“Just take it easy. Don't go making unnecessary enemies.”
“Oh come on, this is also a way of making money.”
Well, I suppose if the disciplined people sold something, it would count as making money. Whether those people were truly happy was another matter entirely.
“Whoa, your eyes look like you're seeing a black company CEO who's abusing employees and pushing them toward death.”
“Good grief……”
“Huh? For real? No, right now I'm only disciplining them because it's necessary. You have no idea how well I usually treat my employees~”
“I'm sure you do……”
When I graduate, I absolutely must not join Nartica Corporation. Working under a boss like her would be no different from hell. Especially considering the Haehae Guild and the smaller guilds that Nartica had recently acquired. Some of their affiliated hunters had opposed the acquisition and apparently ascended to heaven in Shareltea. I shook my head, wondering how anyone could possibly marry someone who used the security department as their personal guard. After receiving Cheon Mari's whining, I left the house and was on my way to the lecture hall when a thought occurred to me.
“By the way, do they even sell Merona in Puerto Rico?”
I had no idea. If they didn't have it, I'd just have to buy Shooting Star ice cream or something instead.
Perhaps because I had come out with rather tight timing, many people were already seated when I arrived at the lecture hall. I scanned the crowd as if hurriedly searching for something. After a slow but precise analysis, I arrived at one conclusion.
“None?”
There were no other Korean students besides me. Not a single person with white-toned hair and pointed ears like mine, or even just an East Asian. They were all ordinary-looking Westerners or people sporting something that certain enthusiasts would appreciate. Because of that, while it might have felt somewhat lonely, it also struck me as good news. An ordinary Korean who had steadily learned ice school magic through public education. Someone whose skills were mediocre due to unrefined fundamentals from public education, insufficient mana, and overlapping training from other schools. If these two types competed based on exam scores, I would most likely end up in the lower-middle ranks. But if I learned from the basics alongside complete beginners like now, reaching the upper ranks would be entirely possible. Moreover, the professor was none other than Sua Noona. If worst came to worst, I could just cling to her and get private lessons. I sat down in the corner with a bright smile. Since there wasn't a single person nearby, it could truly be called spacious. It was also peaceful, and I felt like I would be able to focus on the lecture. It was an excellent spot where I couldn't even chat because I didn't know anyone.
“……”
Huh? Why are there tears?
I trembled at an inexplicable chill. And then it happened. With a creak, the lecture hall door opened, and a coolness—not just chilly, but distinctly cold—poured in.
“Hello, everyone~”
When I turned my head, Na Sua came into view. She looked almost the same as usual, except she was wearing a suit and her cleavage was more visible than normal. As she walked toward the blackboard, she spotted me and gave a slight smile. Then, while passing by, she gently patted my head. Since coming to Puerto Rico, I had half-forgotten and hadn't contacted her, but seeing her now, it seemed she had been doing just fine without any issues. Na Sua stood at the podium in front of the blackboard. She then operated the computer and brought up a presentation introducing herself. What followed was somewhat predictable.
“I'm Na Sua, and I'll be in charge of this basic ice school magic lecture. I look forward to working with all of you students!”
A simple self-introduction. Traces of being a new professor were evident throughout.
“Even though I'm a visiting professor, my experience is rather lacking, isn't it? I first learned magic several hundred years ago, yet I've only worked in political circles.”
A detailed career introduction. In truth, since it was so sparse, there wasn't much to detail even if I called it detailed.
“What? You're asking if I can show a large-scale spell? Well, there's no reason I can't. Snow Cloud!”
A magic demonstration that was easy for her but close to the extreme for the students. Some students realized through this that Na Sua's skills were genuine.
“As you all know, this lecture is about learning the basics of ice school magic. Therefore, the education will focus on spells that are easy yet highly applicable.”
An explanation of the educational objectives. It meant she planned to teach at a level appropriate for everyone.
“As for assignments and exams…… The professor who taught this lecture before was my junior. According to him, students apparently like it when there are lots of assignments and difficult exams.”
Creating fear. Resentment toward the junior professor poured out.
“Just kidding, just kidding. Of course, there will be some assignments and exams for the sake of differentiation. Attendance will also be checked fairly strictly.”
Real fear. Murmurs spread, and even people sitting far apart began exchanging words.
“Still, since you've all probably taken the 'Basic Mana Manipulation' lecture, it shouldn't feel too difficult.”
Basic mana manipulation? Huh? I didn't take that.
“What? You couldn't take it because you're a freshman? It's fine, it's fine. I'll briefly explain the manipulation methods before moving on to the ice school content.”
Thank you. But if it's 'basic' mana manipulation, isn't that the one I know?
“Of course, we'll only do it briefly before moving straight into ice school magic. Those who feel they're lacking should definitely review on their own~”
Maybe I got worked up for nothing. Suddenly, that thought crossed my mind.
“Well then, does anyone have any questions? Ah, since it's the course registration adjustment period, I won't be taking attendance for the first few weeks~”
With no questions forthcoming, it felt like the day's lecture had ended. While the food-obsessed students who judged it as orientation and thus the end of class were packing their things, the new professor Na Sua wore an expression as if asking what everyone was doing.
“Since it's orientation, we'll lightly taste the lecture and then finish~”
Where do you all think you're going? You have to at least taste the lecture before leaving. As a bonus, the students' faces crumpled at those words. However, those expressions didn't last long. Many felt a chill upon seeing Na Sua glaring at them with narrowed eyes. In the end, their expressions changed, and the attempt to slack off on orientation day sank without a trace.
Still, even if it was all for naught, it wasn't entirely meaningless. Being told what kind of magic we would learn allowed us to gauge the approximate difficulty of the lectures. My evaluation of Na Sua's lecture was simple.
“How the hell do you do that?”
I had no idea. I had clearly learned a bit of ice school basics from Noona before, so why had she never shown me what she was teaching now? It felt like a red alert had lit up on my grades. As soon as the lecture ended, I approached Na Sua. I asked as politely as possible so as not to reveal that we knew each other, inquiring whether we wouldn't be learning certain basic spells.
“Hmm~ First, could you wait on the side for a moment, Sian?”
That was the answer I received. Even though it was a question she could answer right away, why did she tell me to wait? Suddenly, I found myself in the position of quietly watching other students receive their answers. I waited patiently, and eventually the moment arrived when only the two of us remained. Just as I thought I would finally hear the answer—
“Here, hold this and follow me.”
“Huh? Okay.”
Without understanding why, I had no choice but to follow Na Sua somewhere. We walked down hallways, went up floors, and walked down more hallways.
[Ice School Magic - Wide Area Type]
[Na Sua]
After that grueling process, the place we arrived at was Na Sua's professor's office.
“Huh……?”
“It's a bit messy, isn't it? There's just been so much work.”
Trash was scattered across the floor, documents were piled up, and the bookshelves were in complete disarray. It was shocking that she had already been buried in work despite not having been here long. She set down her belongings and sat me on a long bench pushed against the wall. Then she sat down demurely beside me. I felt question marks floating above my head. It seemed like my single question had doubled. She then leaned in close and subtly pressed her body against mine in a friendly manner. Her cleavage was blatantly exposed, and she even gently stroked my thigh. What on earth was this? She had always been like this, but today she seemed especially strange.
“Sua Noona?”