Now Even Games Demand Studying

So now even games require studying...

“I... beg your pardon?”

When the elf professor asked me to repeat myself with a stunned expression, I answered again in the same even tone.

“I said I can't agree with that.”

“...And why is it that you think so?”

I was a high elf.

At the same time, I carried the blood of House Elfosis, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and out of everyone in this class, I possessed the longest lifespan of them all.

In other words, of anyone in this room, I was the very person who had the deepest reason to agree with the professor's words — if you are not long-lived, give up.

“‘If you won't live long enough, graduating is hard, so give up rather than dragging yourself through this for nothing.’ That's what you meant, isn't it? Well, doesn't that apply to the long-lived races too?”

Every student who had been attending the academy for decades was long-lived.

Students who never even thought about graduation, simply lingering between their third and fourth years, drifting in and out of the halls.

They sat for the graduation exam every single time, yet hardly any of them actually pursued graduating in earnest.

“Honestly, coasting along for decades on the assumption that you'll graduate someday is even more pathetic.”

“Right now, that remark—”

“But the students who aren't long-lived are different.”

They strove with every moment they had.

Their lives were short, so they ran without rest toward the goals they had to reach.

Even if, from the standpoint of the long-lived, it looked like thrashing about in desperation.

It was anything but.

“...Hah.”

Heh heh heh.

The elf professor gave a composed laugh. Then, his expression turned to ice as he fixed his gaze on me.

“Is that the will of Lady Ria 'Elfosis'?”

“The will of 'Ria' Elfosis. I simply don't understand it, the way you all behave.”

“Then I take it Ria intends to graduate without spending decades here?”

His form of address had changed.

He was a rather skilled elf, and I was a high elf, so up until now he had spoken to me with honorifics — but at the end of the day, we were professor and student.

By academy rules, he had not the slightest reason to show me deference.

“By Ria's own logic, surely she'll graduate within four years. Ah, my mistake ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠— even that would be difficult, wouldn't it? Ten years should be more than enough for graduation.”

“......”

“Well then, Ria. Could you graduate within ten years?”

The students stirred.

It was true that at Eloni Academy, simply graduating within ten years earned you a reputation as a tremendous genius.

After all, the graduation exam taken in the fourth year had been crafted by the ancient elders.

In other words, to graduate at all, you had to be of a caliber that met the elders' expectations.

“Of course, ten years will be difficult. Even for Ria, a mere—”

“That's way too long.”

Who on earth spends ten whole years just to graduate?

No more, no less. Exactly right.

“Let's say I graduate within four years.”

“...What?”

The professor's expression froze over entirely.

Even the other students were reeling at what I had just said.

The only ones who remained perfectly calm were the pair of beastmen sitting behind me.

“That's nonsense—”

“Shall we make a bet?”

“A bet?”

“Yes. With me.”

My fingertips twitched.

Life mana bloomed faintly into the air, and small bracelets of mana etched themselves around the professor's wrist and mine.

“If I fail to graduate within four years, I will withdraw from the academy. Furthermore, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'll apologize before the entire student body for my reckless remarks.”

“...And if you do graduate?”

“Then the reverse applies.”

Tap.

“You'll lay down your professorship.”

An eye for an eye. A withdrawal for a withdrawal.

“Ah, and for the record, there's really no need for you to apologize. I will, of course, but still.”

“...Is she out of her mind?”

“I'm perfectly sane.”

“...Fine. I accept.”

Srrk.

A magical pact was engraved into being.

“I look forward to four years ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from now, then.”

“As do I.”

Not that I'll be here by then.

After Lily dropped her bombshell, the class proceeded as normal.

The elf professor — one Professor Denver Elbua — deliberately had Lily solve problems in order to expose her flaws, but...

Lily instead executed the professor's assigned problem even more flawlessly than he had.

And so Lily's and the professor's battle of nerves continued until the bell rang — at which point the professor, glaring daggers at her, walked straight out of the classroom.

“Huha...”

What in the world just happened.

“...I'll admit, I've certainly drawn attention.”

“Attention, you say?”

“Do you see over there?”

Students had gathered around Lily.

Mostly beastmen, kobolds, and other students with short lifespans or poor grades.

The students sent their thanks, saying it had been exhilarating, while the long-lived looked on at Lily with hostile eyes — but none dared to speak up.

Elves had very keen ears, and above all, 'Ria Elfosis' was simply that skilled.

Even if she couldn't graduate within four years, she was an unrivaled talent in Class C.

“I don't know about the others, but I've surely banked plenty of contribution from them. Not that it means much, since they'll never become the Child of the World Tree on their own...”

“So what matters is that Ria Elfosis has gained influence.”

“Exactly.”

Ria Elfosis had become famous.

And that fact would become excellent pretext for approaching the 'talents.'

Whether they picked a fight over how House Elfosis had defended lesser races,

or took interest in the story of the girl who bet her withdrawal against a professor's own—

Either way, a door for approach had opened.

Geomsin pricked up his wolf-like ears and rose from his seat.

“...No time to sit around here.”

“Where are you going?”

“To meet the talents. You go find your own, however you like.”

“Huh? Wait—!”

Aisha scrambled to her feet, but Geomsin vanished so quickly that her weakened eyes couldn't even track him.

“Ugh...”

She would never have missed him back in the day.

Aisha sank heavily into her seat, lamenting anew how diminished she had become.

Right. At this rate, she would most likely only be a burden to her brother.

Better to move in another direction.

For example...

Or perhaps reclaiming her original purpose.

“...Hehe.”

All of it, for the sake of her beloved Geomsin.

By drawing the attention of Class C, I had accumulated contribution from a great many people.

Those who had been harshly rebuked the moment they enrolled — or the moment they were held back a year — expressed their gratitude to me, and the contribution rose especially sharply whenever I solved the professors' problems.

From the people most likely to look down on them, the very ones who would sneer at them and press them down.

Because I had stood up to authority while putting myself forward for it.

“...Just as expected, then.”

But expected as they were, expected they remained.

These people's talents were ordinary.

To be precise, they might shine within their own species, but measured against the whole, they were mediocre.

“There are no talents in Class C. As I thought, I'll have to go to Class A.”

The entrance exam, I'd heard, involved not merely written tests but also an aptitude assessment for talent.

Examiners observed dormant, un-blossomed talent, or identified it through tools, and those found to possess exceptional gifts were placed in Class A or B to receive instruction.

Unfortunately, as the professor had said, these students might indeed never graduate in their lifetimes.

Still, the possibility couldn't be exactly zero.

Nothing is impossible.

Not for me — a mere young saintess of a small village.

Not for me — who once couldn't even catch a goblin and hid herself away indoors.

Not for me — who stepped out into the world, met another saintess, and despaired.

Not for me — the one who faced that day.

“......”

Just as I had ultimately pierced through the evil called impossibility,

they could do it too.

'Life is a series of hardships. Hm? What does that have to do with practicing a million spear thrusts?'

...Well, obviously.

'If you want to kill me, this much is the bare minimum. Don't you think?'

“...That absolute bastard.”

Though, of course, it would be a hardship of truly, truly colossal proportions.

“...And so, the formula is used like this. It's a light trigger created to prevent the mana from going out of control.”

“.......”

“Professor?”

“...Ah, ah! Y-yes, of course! Right!”

The female professor, who had been staring blankly at the magic circle I'd written on the blackboard, jolted upright in alarm.

It had been roughly three hours since I entered the dungeon, but the time had been skipped — I was now a full month into attending Eloni Academy.

I had become quite famous within the academy for magic, and whispers of 'watch out for Ria Elfosis' drifted idly among the professors.

The reason being...

“Well then, shall we move on—”

“Excuse me, Professor.”

“Y-yes?!”

“This part here. The mana core at the center.”

I pointed to the middle of the magic circle the professor had drawn.

“Wouldn't it be better to arrange the mana configuration of this section like so? Rather than routing it all the way around and losing mana, you could arrange it vertically and apply a stabilizing formula—”

“Er... um... yes, well. B-but! The students won't understand if the formula gets too complicated...”

“......”

“I-I mean, I made it, er, a bit simpler...?”

The professor swallowed hard and looked at me pleadingly.

The look in her eyes begged: please, stop pointing out my 'errors.'

I gazed at the magic circle with some dissatisfaction, then reluctantly nodded as though conceding the point.

“I see, so that was intentional. My mistake, then.”

“Ah. Ah... of course, that could be it...”