Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: A New Beginning
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Lovern Academy was fundamentally an academy with a lot of practical training. Whether it was due to some game-like constraints or because the students learned swordsmanship and magic despite being students, I wasn't sure.
The beginning of the countless practical sessions that lay ahead.
Inside the lecture hall, the first-year students were preparing to head out for their first practical.
I knew they wouldn't be pushed to extreme situations yet; it was just a three-day, two-night camping trip in a nearby forest where magic beasts appeared.
Naturally, I wasn't participating, but at Erika's request to help with forming groups among the students, I was there.
[I think I know why you were called here.]
The Black Necromancer smirked beside me, placing one hand over her mouth and tilting her head in an oddly irritating way as she spoke.
[It's the totem effect. In rural villages in other kingdoms, they put up scary-looking totems to drive away outsiders or stray ghosts.]
“……”
[Look at the students—they're too intimidated by you to even chatter. They just do as they're told.]
“I'm not threatening the students in any way.”
She chuckled again as I crossed my arms and replied.
[Just standing there silently like that is scary to them.]
The lecture itself wasn't overly difficult, but perhaps because I was a black mage who held a high position in the kingdom as a public official, the students felt burdened.
It wasn't a big deal, but as a professor, I wondered if merely standing there was giving them pressure.
[You can't fix that. You can't. How do you fix standing there so menacingly?]
While ignoring the Black Necromancer's voice as she subtly prodded me from earlier, a group of students suddenly swarmed toward me.
They looked like kids who had already formed a group for this practical.
“P-Professor Deus? Can I give the answer?”
A girl with small eyes among the commoner-looking kids shot her hand up eagerly.
Of course, I welcomed it.
“Yes, go ahead.”
The female student took a deep breath, met my eyes once, then quickly averted them like a hamster fleeing in fear.
The Black Necromancer snickered beside me, but I waited for the answer anyway.
“It's male? Big build!”
“……Wrong.”
[Oh, am I supposed to guess too?]
Only then did the Black Necromancer realize what the girl was trying to do.
As the girl dejectedly stepped back without regret, a male student behind her jumped in immediately.
“I'll give it a shot too! Female? Slender figure!”
[Say no, unless you want to die.]
“……”
The Black Necromancer immediately crossed her arms, thrusting out her mountain-like curves. I sighed and shook my head.
“No.”
The next question followed right away.
“Female! Voluptuous figure!”
[Voluptuous kinda sounds like fat, but whatever, let it slide.]
I hadn't planned on confirming it with her directly like this.
“Continue.”
Hearing me, the male student grinned brightly and went on.
“Black hair. A total beauty!”
“Wrong.”
[Hey!]
The Black Necromancer immediately pounced, whining at me. Ignoring her, it was quite tiring hearing the next kids' answers.
[She is a beauty!]
“How would I know that?”
With a translucent veil always covering her face, how could I tell if she was beautiful or not?
[Y-You can't even tell from the silhouette?]
“Appearance is subjective to personal perspective, so it's not valid for judgment. That student missed the mark.”
[……Tch.]
The grumbling Black Necromancer didn't seem inclined to remove her veil. Nor did I intend to force her.
[But even if they guess like that, you'll count it as correct?]
The students who had gone were less about pinpointing her appearance and more like playing twenty questions to infer it.
They had probably taken commissions from rich noble kids and sold their chances.
Not bad.
If something was half-certainly unattainable, selling the opportunity for profit was smart.
“Well, that's up to the students' discretion.”
I didn't know which noble kid had pieced together the puzzle of the Black Necromancer's appearance like that, but I hoped they completed the full picture.
So all this effort wouldn't go to waste like bubbles.
“Alright, have you all decided on your team members?”
Erika's voice echoed through the spacious lecture hall. For now, they were forming groups with whoever they wanted, and leftovers would be grouped separately.
Since this practical wasn't too difficult, it was left to the students' autonomy.
Unfortunate for the shy ones, but forming teams and blending harmoniously was one of the evaluation criteria.
That's when a girl at the far end caught my eye.
Unlike last time, her black hair was tied tightly in a ponytail, her uniform neat and proper, and the dull look in her eyes completely gone.
Aria Rias.
She was fidgeting with her hands, glancing furtively at one group.
It was the group made by her old four comrades.
“Haa.”
I didn't want to interfere with group formation, but since she wasn't far, I walked briskly along the wall without drawing attention from the students and stood behind her.
“What are you doing?”
“Mommy!”
Aria startled dramatically. Looking back at me with a slightly teary face, she hesitated and clenched her fists.
“N-No, I was... scouting! Seeing which group would be most efficient to join!”
“This practical's difficulty was already announced as low.”
It was basically a field trip.
More about teamwork than fighting magic beasts—focusing on meals, rest, and base-building during the three-day camp.
“……”
At my words, Aria puffed her cheeks and bowed her head deeply.
No retort, so she shut her mouth first.
“It's fine. Just act like yourself, and those kids will surely accept you.”
“B-But, last time I said something stupid...”
“High-maintenance student.”
Tap.
I gave Aria's back a push. Startled, she stumbled forward right up to her old comrades' group.
I could almost hear her resentful cry of “Profeeeessor!”, but with arms crossed, I decided to watch how she'd handle it for a bit.
“What the heck, suddenly.”
The assassin Jin asked curtly. Understandably displeased, given Aria's past manner of speaking.
“N-No, um...”
After hesitating, Aria took a deep breath as if resolved and bowed her head sharply.
“I'm really sorry about last time!”
The sudden apology flustered the four.
But soon, the archer Happy sidled up to Aria and asked,
“By any chance, are you good at cooking? None of us can cook.”
“Huh? Uh, yeah, for camping food, I know a bit...”
She'd traveled for years, so she had basic knowledge.
Happy then linked arms with Aria, grinning.
“Then let's add Aria to our group! Perfect! We didn't have anyone who could cook!”
“We might've died from poisonous mushrooms.”
Florensia approached from the opposite side. Jin sighed as if with a headache, watching the girls with firm resolve to include Aria.
“You guys... so recklessly.”
“I'm good with it.”
The blue-haired Leorus nodded with a bright smile right away.
Ultimately, 3 to 1.
Aria's recruitment was decided, and Leorus slowly extended his hand to her.
“Let's get along.”
Aria looked down at the hand for a moment, her shoulders trembling briefly with some heartfelt emotion.
“Yeah!”
She grabbed it with a radiant smile.
“Watch out, she's been eyeing you lately.”
“You know Leorus was peeking at Aria?”
Seeing the two badmouthing Leorus from both sides, Aria smiled with a mix of nostalgia.
Her life at Lovern Academy as a hero was already over.
Now, her academy life as student Aria Rias was taking its first step.
“Looking forward to it.”
Aria's bright smile was purer than ever.
[What a nice sight.]
The Black Necromancer, watching beside me, murmured warmly.
“Pretty smile.”
Me too.
A soft smile formed on my face as I watched.
“Better than seeing it on a screen—definitely better in person.”
[Huh?]
“Nothing.”
Blessing the future academy life of the remaining Aria Rias, I left the scene.
* * *
“Hey, Aria. What's your deal with Professor Deus, anyway?”
Happy whispered, glancing at the spot where Deus had already left.
Aria tilted her head curiously and followed Happy's gaze to where he'd been.
The man who pushed her back only to vanish soon after.
“Why suddenly?”
With the conversation flowing, talking with the four wasn't hard, and Happy asking this probably meant she felt they were getting close.
“No, you seemed kinda... uh, how to put it, fixated on Professor Deus.”
“Obsessed, right.”
Florensia chimed in softly. Even using polite speech, she stabbed right at the core, which still stung.
At the question, Aria pondered briefly before shaking her head with a smile.
“Just student and professor. Nothing special.”
Her answer seemed unexpected.
The two nodded like “I see,” but asked again, a bit suspicious.
“No, there were just some rumors. Like you liked Professor Deus and followed him around, stuff like that.”
“Haha.”
Aria laughed awkwardly and nodded.
“Yeah, easy to misunderstand that way.”
Her actions so far had been plenty interpretable that way.
“I mistook him for someone else.”
Aria replied with a vague, faint smile, and the two nodded like “Got it.”
Naturally, their gazes turned toward the podium, following the back of Deus talking with Erika.
“So it's not like I like him or anything.”
Taking in the sight, Aria whispered softly.
“Not yet.”
But.
Surely.
Someday.
Swallowing the rest, Aria resumed chatting with her friends.