Ecology Lecture Period 2
Fravio, A-5 of the Knight Academy.
In the Ecology class, he sat in the very back row, just like the other students.
He didn't concentrate during the lecture, just like the rest.
At its core, the class was boring.
If they simply read the textbook alone, what was the difference between that and listening to a lecture?
There was no point in gathering everyone to study together. It was the epitome of inefficiency.
'At first, I was a little angry and even thought about standing up.'
Seeing that calm, careless attitude of Flavio, who simply ignored Lir Austrin's words and dismissed her completely, he gave up on his expectations.
If you listened carefully, it seemed like the professor was reciting the content of the textbook by heart...
'So what? The book was wrong.'
As a knight family member, Flavio had been taught the knowledge passed down in his household.
His father had already retired from the front lines, but he had plenty of knowledge and had roughly taught him about monsters.
Even Flavio's gaze saw that the teachings of Professor Jeremy Hasmach were full of inaccuracies compared to reality.
'It would have been far more helpful if I had gone near the battlefield with Father.'
Father was all about practical experience.
He personally moved close to the battlefield, showed him directly, and let him feel it.
Lessons were practical, and for Ecology, they were taught slowly by having him touch and handle things himself.
Of course, there had been many injuries and dangers along the way.
'It was worth the risk.'
But he felt no value at all from this professor.
That's why, for Flavio, Ecology class had turned into a time for goofing off or staring blankly, just watching the absent-minded students.
Most of the content was already known.
Any wrong parts could simply be memorized and submitted for the exam.
Today, he was planning to spend the time that way and head home, but at the very end, one event finally captured his interest.
"I thought I should confirm just how useful the content in the book actually is for all of you."
It was a farce.
Even if there was something that grated on his nerves by his standards.
It was truly pointless to create a situation where the professor would openly humiliate a student like this.
Despite knowing that everyone else understood the narrow-minded behavior, Lir accepted the proposal.
In Flavio's eyes, no matter how much so, since Professor Jeremy had already set the stage, Lir was sure to be in trouble.
'I should tell Lir even a little bit about monsters...'?
"No, there's no need."
Since Lir was from the same A-class, Alto didn't want to see her in any trouble.
Before that, he had thought of telling her a bit about monsters, but Alto spoke from beside him.
Alto, who always listened attentively from the front row, was sitting in the back row this time.
It was because he couldn't concentrate at all from the front.
Even if the back row wasn't completely focused, he said he wasn't zoning out at all.
Anyway, Alto, who had heard Flavio's voice from beside him, said,
"Why? Lir could be in trouble."
"No, Lir won't be in trouble. No, she can't be made to."
Alto said it plainly.
"Why do you think so?"
"...Intuition."
Intuition. What kind of words were those.
Anyway, as the students one by one left the classroom and Lir passed by his side.
Fravio tried to grab Lir as she brushed past, but he stopped midway.
He saw it. A faint smile on Lir's face as she turned away from the professor.
The smile wasn't bright or cheerful.
It was a cold smile. A terrifying smile, as if she was plotting something.
Seeing that, Flavio had no choice but to close the mouth he had been about to open toward Lir.
"Why are you like that? Flavio?"
"...Your instincts seem correct, Alto."
***
Two days later.
For the first time, the Knight Academy students came out to the academy's backyard.
Actually, calling it the backyard wasn't accurate. It was so large that it could be called a mountain the academy possessed.
There, under strict security, a small number of monsters were being raised.
Many students were buzzing with excitement, and in front of them stood Professor Jeremy Hasmach, who was still wearing an impossibly green dress.
The students were anticipating not just the excitement of their first practical, but the rivalry between Lir, who had high visibility with her unusual charisma even among A-class, and the Professor who had steadily stacked dislikes.
"Everyone is gathered. Only a few minutes left until the start."
Serpin took out a pocket watch from her pocket and checked the time.
Lir still wasn't visible anywhere.
Serpin looked around the surroundings, searching for Lir's whereabouts.
"Didn't she get lost? You came here for the first time, right?"
"I should at least search for her...
But there wasn't enough time to go search for her. The class was supposed to start in only one minute.
The students hoped Lir would flatten Professor Jeremy's nose, but since Lir didn't come, they had no choice but to suppress their disappointment.
"Lir student isn't coming? Tsk, what a shame. I don't know the details, but since a student who doesn't attend class isn't here, it won't be a problem."
Professor Jeremy was the first to look for 'Lir Austrin' in the attendance register.
She placed the clock beside her and picked up the pen.
"The time has come. I will call the roll. Lir Austrin student."
And without even a moment's pause, she continued seamlessly.
"Isn't here? What a pity."
Click. At that moment when she tried to draw a line with the pen, a calm voice came from far away.
"No, Lir Austrin. I'm here for attendance."
The students, gripped by disappointment, all turned their heads toward Lir's voice.
Lir's expression was bright and cheerful as usual.
Moreover, her cheeks were slightly flushed, making her smile even more confident and radiant.
Lir, who had worn black boots, raised her hand and said again, looking at Professor Jeremy who was gazing at her.
"Professor Jeremy. Lir Austrin. Attendance registered."
***
"Everyone attended. Then, please follow me?"
When the students' disappointment was fading, Professor Jeremy Hasmach's heart still held a trace of it.
Even so, the thought of properly teaching Ecology to that student hadn't changed.
She was a scholar.
She had great pride in the knowledge stored in her mind.
Now that she had reached the age of considering the twilight of life, she was more confident in what she had studied than anyone else.
She didn't realize that that confidence had turned into arrogance.
Moreover, she overlooked the ecology of the battlefield where mana and magic were mixed and forms constantly changed.
If it was far from the battlefield, changes in ecology over hundreds or thousands of years were normal.
But since she hadn't gone to the battlefield herself, she didn't know.
For ten or twenty years. Perhaps even in a few years, mutations could occur, and even with the same appearance, it could be a completely different life form.
That's why she arbitrarily declared the knowledge she knew as absolute truth.
Students who raised legitimate objections were treated as if they had committed a sin by doubting 'absolute truth'.
'I need to wake them up.'
Because she thought other students might also have doubts like that student.
Taking this opportunity to firmly nail it down, Professor Jeremy planned the practical.
The monsters captured near the battlefield had all been handled so they wouldn't be threatening.
The preparations were perfect.
She had finished preparing everything to remind the students of the excellence of the textbook she had studied when she was a student.
Professor Jeremy gradually entered the deep forest.
Following her, the students walked while looking around.
After about thirty minutes of walking, a large building appeared before the eyes of Professor Jeremy and the students.
It was shabby but incredibly large.
The subtle stench emanating from inside made Professor Jeremy's expression slightly wrinkle.
"This is the third eye's enclosure. Today, from the third eye to the Phrexiton and so on. I will observe the ecology of a total of three monsters."
When she opened the enclosure door, the gathered stench and stench inside pricked the noses.
The students, of course, and Professor Jeremy herself backed away.
Among them, only Lir was quietly observing.
"Everyone, shall we go in first?"
Professor Jeremy stood beside the door and extended her hand to the students, telling them to go in first.
Of course, no one was eager to step forward.
But among them, only Lir raised the corners of her mouth and stepped forward.
And, slightly lifting her head, she said to Professor Jeremy.
"Professor, let's go in together. After all, it will be visible from outside, right? Since I'm the only one who can help, it shouldn't matter if the other students watch from here."
"Lir student, still, the students should watch up close...
"We're fine. But if Professor doesn't go in, the class won't proceed."
Fravio, who had been glancing inside from outside the door, said to Professor Jeremy.
"Professor, if you think it's dangerous, contrary to expectations it might be safe, so you can come in."
The words were polite.
She first extended her hand with an undertone of provocation, as if subtly challenging from outside the building and the fence.
The content was a clear provocation doubting Professor Jeremy's knowledge.
Since Professor Jeremy couldn't tolerate that provocation, she furrowed her brow at the stench while stepping inside.
Lir's eyes sparkled.