Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Artist
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The summer break at Robern Academy had ended, and it was time for the students to return.
The academy, which had been rife with rumors and incidents at the start of the year, had finally settled into a period of stability.
On top of that, word was spreading about the necromancer's tireless good deeds over the summer break, drawing even more attention to Robern Academy where he served.
It had even become the only place in the Griffin Kingdom where one could learn black magic, so renowned mages were flooding in with requests to attend Deus Verdi's lectures under the pretext of special guest talks.
With the necromancer as bait, the schedule was packed with special lectures from heavyweights.
Parents were sparing no expense in donations upon hearing the star-studded lineup, and the students' anticipation was only growing.
And the dean's plump belly was swelling even more.
"Heh heh heh! Deus Verdi is the best!"
The dean cackled with laughter, practically ready to bow toward Northsweden.
Even though his lectures were only three days a week, they'd prepared the largest auditorium for him.
Students aside, countless mages coming for the lectures would be peeking in, after all.
"Heh heh heh."
Plus, everything he'd requested at the time of his contract was ready. Using his authority, the dean had secured access to the forbidden section of the Millennium Library and even created a special form for research equipment requests.
Gifts like these should satisfy him, right?
Eager to see Deus soon, the dean grinned and gazed out the window with his hands clasped behind his back.
Clunk.
The health professor, Karen, entered without even knocking, a candy stick in her mouth.
"Dean, Professor Deus is running a bit late."
"What!?"
The dean immediately flew into a tizzy, his eyes bulging wide.
* * *
Students gathered in front of the massive bulletin board.
All eyes were fixed on a relatively small notice compared to the board's size—a petty whim of the dean's hoping no one would see it.
"The necromancer's late?"
"Aw, I was looking forward to it."
"Didn't he solve that unsolved Scollia serial murder case? I wanna hear the scoop."
"I was planning to fish for details on that creepy case with bodies scattered everywhere for my paper."
"But seriously, it was all ghosts? I didn't really buy it."
"After what happened this year, everyone's realizing ghosts are a real threat."
Students who despised black mages and knew little of evil spirits chattered idly.
But they all planned to attend Deus Verdi's lecture anyway.
The first semester had left them traumatized.
In an academy overrun by evil spirits, they desperately felt the need to learn from the necromancer to protect themselves.
So when his delayed arrival pushed back the lecture, it was naturally on everyone's minds.
"He's not skipping out, is he?"
"Nah, the schedule and syllabus are all set."
"It's impressive he's doing professor duties on top of royal service."
As the chatter continued, Elenoa subtly slipped away from the group.
'Tch.'
She'd originally planned to come to the academy with Deus, but his maid had vanished briefly, so he'd asked her to wait and insisted she go ahead.
Even when she offered to wait with him, he pushed her away, saying students should act like students.
'And yet he's the one who's late!'
She was thoroughly annoyed but had no choice. Her thoughtful self would just have to endure!
Elenoa hurried back to the lecture hall and plopped into her seat from the first semester, pulling out her notebook and pen.
The others admired her, thinking, "As expected of the princess—reviewing on the first day of term."
But Elenoa just stuck out her tongue and scribbled doodles furiously.
She'd gotten hooked on drawing, and she'd even gotten permission from her subject.
Right now, she was sketching Kim Shin-woo in Griffin Kingdom attire.
'Formal noble clothes suit him, but the casual robe like a mage fits even better.'
Having drawn Kim Shin-woo countless times, Elenoa was dressing him up in outfits that matched him.
She wasn't sure if Deus would like it that much, but he'd permitted the drawing, at least.
Today, too, she shopped for outfits in her mind while sketching Kim Shin-woo.
"What're you drawing?"
"Eek!"
A ghostly chill from behind startled her, and Elenoa slapped her hands over the drawing.
Long black hair cascaded onto Elenoa's shoulder, its owner—Aria Rias—glaring at her with a creepy expression.
"You didn't draw me again, did you?"
"N-No!"
They'd ridden the same carriage from Northsweden to Robern Academy.
Elenoa had been drawing in the carriage, and Aria had caught her.
It wasn't Kim Shin-woo that time.
Elenoa had no intention of showing his face to anyone.
She'd been drawing Aria.
In a flashy, over-the-top magical girl outfit.
Aria had flipped out and shredded the drawings, but still.
"You didn't put me in some weird outfit again, did you?"
"I said no! And that was an outfit the professor told me about!"
Deep into magical girls, Elenoa shouted, and Aria's eyes went wide.
"An outfit the professor told you about? Not that magical girl thing from before?"
"Yeah! He said he told you directly!"
Seeing no lie in Elenoa's expression, Aria tilted her head.
"He likes that stuff?"
"...Probably?"
"Hmm. Then show me."
"You shredded them all, so they're gone!"
"Just redraw it."
Aria naturally slid into the seat next to Elenoa. With a flick, she covered the ongoing Kim Shin-woo sketch, flipping the notebook to the next page.
Elenoa plopped her pen on the blank white page and said,
"Fine, you model again. Strike the pose I say, and I'll draw it."
"...Fine. Can't you just draw the outfit?"
"No way! This is my artistic integrity!"
"A princess, an artist?"
Sighing in disbelief, Aria pondered. The gaudy outfit was embarrassing, but it wasn't real, and...
It might offer a glimpse into ironclad Deus's tastes.
"Alright, got it."
"Awesome! I'll draw now, so prop your chin on your hand and look at the blackboard."
Aria hadn't expected to start immediately but awkwardly assumed the pose.
Right hand propping her chin, gazing at the blackboard. A bit stiff, but Elenoa didn't care.
Scribble scribble scribble.
Elenoa drew furiously, racing to finish before lecture.
"Did the professor say anything else?"
Aria probed casually, but Elenoa didn't fall for it.
Her conversations and knowledge from Deus Verdi were treasures to her.
"Be quiet."
"Tell me one more thing, and I will."
"..."
Glaring curtly at Aria, Elenoa sighed deeply and answered.
"Those magical girl fans? He said they're called 'otaku.'"
"Otaku?"
The word felt off-putting from the start, wrinkling Aria's brow, but Elenoa seemed thrilled.
"It just fits perfectly. And the real meaning is someone super obsessed with something."
"Oh?"
Elenoa puffed proudly and beamed.
"Yeah! So I decided to be an otaku! I really like magical girls anyway."
"Something tells me you shouldn't."
Aria muttered, scratching her cheek with her propped hand. Elenoa pouted.
"What? You hounded me for more magical girl info, and this is what I barely got."
"Yeah... The professor wouldn't teach anything weird."
But maybe he'd just said anything to shake off persistent Elenoa?
Aria still couldn't warm to "otaku."
"Ta-da!"
Done with the drawing, Elenoa spun the notebook around.
There was Aria as a magical girl, chin propped, lost in thought.
Flashy dress, magic wand on the desk.
And at the bottom, Elenoa's signature.
- by. Otaku Elenoa Luden Griffin
"It's kinda like a logo, right? Otaku Elenoa! Rolls off the tongue, super master-artist vibe?"
"...Beats me."
Aria resolved to ask the professor later if a princess of a nation could really flaunt such a title.