Chapter 473: The Senior TAs~
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 473: The Senior TAs~
"Hmm... this should be the place."
I looked at the conference room before me. This was my first time here.
Teacher Lina had just called me, informing me that my previous application had been approved. I was now a "glorious" joint exam teacher.
According to Teacher Lina, since there weren't many applicants for the teaching assistant positions this time, I would be placed under her wing for the time being. She had also added me to a temporary joint exam TA group chat. Aside from Teacher Lina and myself, there were only three other TAs in the group. All of them were my seniors in terms of experience.
The four of us formed the "Mobile Squad" for the upcoming joint exam—otherwise known as the errand runners.
We primarily followed Lina’s arrangements and secondarily took orders from the other mentors in charge. In short, we were at the beck and call of any Transcendent Witch who happened to need something and spotted us.
That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but that was the gist of it.
When I joined the chat, the other three were already there. It was still unclear if a fifth TA would be joining us.
After a brief round of welcomes, the conversation died down, so I didn't say much else in the group.
I pushed the door open to find only two girls in the massive conference room. Even Teacher Lina, who had summoned me with a phone call, was nowhere to be seen. I instinctively checked the room number to make sure I hadn't walked into the wrong place.
"Hey~ sister! You're in the right place. You must be Xiao Han, the new TA, right? Come sit by me!" A girl who didn't look particularly tall greeted me enthusiastically, pulling out a chair beside her.
Her light purple, medium-short hair was striking, shimmering with a certain translucency as she moved. But the most eye-catching feature was the pair of cat ears atop her head.
"Thank you," I replied with a smile, taking the seat. However, I instinctively shifted a bit to maintain a polite distance.
My gaze, however, remained fixed on those cat ears.
I could tell... was that a spell effect?
"If you keep staring at my ears like that, I’m going to get shy~"
The girl covered her ears with both hands, feigning bashfulness. Meanwhile, the other girl, sitting some distance away, couldn't help but let out a snort.
"Pfft... Hmph. It’s hard to imagine you being shy. At least, not the way you're faking it now."
"This is exactly how girls act when they're shy!"
She didn't seem particularly annoyed at being called out. She simply reached up to tug at her small jacket, which had slipped down her shoulders. Beneath the open jacket was smooth skin and a shapely waistline. A uniquely styled, dark, single-shoulder undergarment pushed her modest peaks together.
I looked at this boldly dressed girl. It was hard to believe someone who dressed like this could actually be shy.
"It’s not very polite to stare, you know? Anyway, I’m Lifaeya. I know who you are, Xiao Han—the star of the freshman class."
"I guess I don't need to introduce myself then?"
For some reason, it felt like everyone I met already knew me, while I didn't know them at all. It was honestly quite awkward.
However, I shouldn't have to deal with that kind of awkwardness anymore.
I had my Identification Art. Ley Line Information didn't lie, and it recorded basic data—such as the individual characteristics of anyone who had passed through here. It wasn't something they could hide just by staying silent.
"Of course you don't. After all, I’ll be counting on you to look after me, Xiao Han."
"More like she'll be cleaning up your messes," the other girl cut in, calling her out again.
I turned my gaze toward her. By now, the Ley Line Information had finished processing. Her name was... Lin Yi. A name so simple I almost thought there was an error.
"Hello, Xiao Han. I’m Lin Yi. To become a TA as a first-year student, you must have some extraordinary qualities. It’s good to meet you."
"Hello. My full name is Yang Yuehan. Here is my business card," I said, handing one over.
"Thank you. This card..." She took it readily, but her expression turned to one of surprise as soon as it touched her hand. "Traces of alchemy. What did you do to this? I saw you make a special mark on it before giving it to me."
"You have a very keen eye..."
"Forget her 'keen eye'! Xiao Han, why are you being so warm to that girl? I was the one who talked to you first! Don't I get one?" Lifaeya stood up from her seat, looking as though she had been deeply wronged.
"With your thirst for attention, I truly worry for the freshmen. Besides, it’s rude to interrupt. Can't you let Xiao Han finish?" Lin Yi said bluntly. It was clear she was interested in the secrets of my card.
"Here, have one. I was planning to give you one anyway, since we'll be working together for a while." I pulled out one of my few remaining cards and handed it over, already thinking about refining a few more. "There’s a summoning ritual on this card. It’s a marker linked to one of my Reverse Summoning Spellbooks. If there’s an emergency, you can use this to summon me directly."
"Oh? Then can I summon you into my bed tonight? What time do you go to sleep? Do you like sleeping naked? And, and..." Lifaeya clutched the card, her excitement overflowing as the words tumbled out of her mouth.
"Stop. If you keep talking like that, I’m putting you on my blacklist. Besides, I hold the initiative for the summons. Performing the ritual only lets me sense that you're calling me. Whether I actually show up depends on my mood." I immediately cut off her lesbian banter. If she actually tried something like that, I was afraid Sister Bai would level her house with a lightning strike instantly.
"I see... how boring..." Hearing that the spell didn't work the way she hoped, she immediately reined in her emotions.
However, I made a mental note of her words. Next time... maybe I could play like that with Sister Bai. Honestly, it sounded pretty thrilling.
"A Reverse Summoning Spell... interesting. I’ll accept the card, but I won't use it lightly," Lin Yi said, tucking it away solemnly.
"Right. I won't usually respond to a summons unless it's an emergency. If it's urgent, you can try summoning twice in a row; I might take it more seriously then."
"A wise decision. It’s better to rely on oneself than others. For a moment there, I thought you were one of those 'bleeding heart' types who loves helping everyone."
"Not quite. I’m just a bit casual and a stickler for details," I replied. "But let me ask, is it just the three of us for now?"
"For the moment, yes. Teacher Lina and one other person haven't arrived yet," Lin Yi explained.
"I see..." I nodded and said nothing more. However, as my gaze swept over the lingering data regarding Lin Yi, I discovered a secret!
This senior TA named Lin Yi... was actually once a kidnapped... boy.
Well, at this point, that fact wasn't even surprising. I could sense a masculine way of thinking in her speech, even though her behavior and appearance were entirely that of a girl. Witchification really is a curse... or a blessing for humanity, I suppose.
I then instinctively looked at Lifaeya, feeling a bit curious about her as well. Such a distinctive TA must be a legend within the Witch Academy. I wondered if she went around hitting on the younger students.
Judging by how she had just treated me, the probability was high.
While I was observing, I was forced into some small talk with them.
Using the Ley Line Information Identification Art to identify someone's background was naturally a bit slow.
After all, a person's information is incredibly complex. To get more detailed Ley Line data, one needs to expand the methods of acquisition. Fortunately, these TAs hadn't severed their Ley Line Shackles yet. If I tried using my Identification Art on a Transcendent Witch, the results would definitely be much more limited.
A moment later, the information I gathered revealed a recent "glorious" deed of this senior. It seemed closely related to why she had joined this joint exam Mobile Squad.
During her most recent mission, Lifaeya had caused a large-scale disaster outside the school. Although the matter had been suppressed and there were no public reports, she had received a warning and a formal critique from the academy. Furthermore, her freedom to leave the campus had been restricted—she was essentially under campus arrest.
She had used her mentor's endorsement to join the joint exam Mobile Squad, which was her loophole to... finally leave the campus?
I had to hand it to her; she really had the guts to exploit the Witch Academy's rules.
What a troublemaker. The reason the Main World isn't in total chaos is probably largely due to the academy placing heavy restrictions on people like Lifaeya. Thank goodness for the Witch Academy.
While Lifaeya was chatting with me about this and that, Teacher Lina finally arrived. I instinctively checked the time we had agreed upon. There were about two or three minutes left. She really was cutting it close.
Lin Yi and I both stood up immediately and gave a polite greeting.
"You're all here. Lin Yi, Xiao Han, and... wait, is one missing?" Lina looked pleased to see us, but after a quick scan, she noticed someone was absent.
"Teacher Lina~ what about me? How could you leave me out?" Lifaeya stood up again, speaking in a mock-tearful tone.
"Oh, and you, Lifaeya. Happy now?" Lina looked utterly exasperated by Lifaeya's attitude.
I might have been confused before, but after learning about even one of her "glorious" deeds, I understood perfectly.
Just as Lina was about to say something, a figure suddenly appeared at the conference room door.
"Perfect timing. Teacher Lina, you arrived 2 minutes and 8 seconds early."
I looked at the girl holding an exquisite pocket watch. Her tone was incredibly calm, even when facing a Transcendent Witch like Lina.
My first impression of her was that she was a bit mysterious and slightly arrogant. Her jet-black hair was simply tied in a few braids to keep it in place, while the rest flowed down her back.
"Since everyone is here on time, take your seats. I gathered you all for a brief meeting to go over some precautions." Lina didn't dwell on the girl's comment and gestured for everyone to sit.
"I assume you all know each other? This is Xiao Han. She just became a TA, so please look after the newcomer," Lina said.
"The famous Xiao Han? I heard you can use three Over-consumption Spellbooks all by yourself. Quite the reputation," the last girl to arrive remarked.
"Just rumors spread by people who want to mess with me. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Senior Adalin," I said with a smile.
"You know me?" Adalin seemed surprised. She didn't recall ever having contact with me.
"I do now. Here is my business card." I smiled and handed one over.
As for knowing her name, I naturally had the help of my Identification Art.
I suppose this was the "dimensional reduction strike" of having severed my Ley Line Shackles. They were still in the cradle of the Main World, while I had jumped out ahead of time. Although I had paid a small price, with the suppression of the Alchemy Collar, that price was practically negligible.
"A business card?" Adalin didn't dwell on how I knew her name. Instead, she took the card with great curiosity, sensing the traces of alchemy on it.
"Hmph~ crude alchemical craftsmanship. Is there some kind of solidified spell ritual on this? Fine, fine~ since you've offered it to me, I suppose I’ll accept it." Despite her words, Adalin tucked it away. She couldn't quite figure out what the solidified ritual was, but she was certain it wasn't for eavesdropping or recording.
She planned to go back and study it thoroughly. As a Prospective Witch who built her reputation on alchemy, the fact that she couldn't immediately see through a minor alchemical item was practically a personal challenge!
Since the girl knew her name, she must know her well. Giving her such a "low-quality" alchemical item was clearly a challenge to her professional expertise! But she had to admit, she really didn't recognize this solidified ritual. She had never seen it before.
At that moment, Adalin was already concocting all sorts of imaginary scenarios in her head.
I was unaware of her internal monologue, but she was right about one thing: I did know a bit about her now.
Alchemy was her specialty, which explained why she instinctively belittled my card. I admitted my craftsmanship wasn't great, but I hadn't been studying alchemy for very long.
Also, this girl had quite a lot of internal drama. Her stunning hair was a major source of her pride. She was proud because she had broken the "curse" that says one must choose between a full head of hair and mastery of alchemy. Her long hair was maintained entirely through her own care, without any magical hair-growth spells.
To have deep expertise in alchemy and a full head of hair... she certainly had reason to be confident.
"I’m glad you'll accept it, Senior. Please look after me in the future. Also... Senior, your hair is beautifully maintained~"
"Oh? Is... is that so? Hmph~ you have good eyes." My sudden compliment caught her off guard, making her feel a bit bashful.
Usually, even though she "showed off" her hair in hopes of a compliment, almost no one ever used it as an icebreaker. It had reached the point where she felt it was a trivial matter not worth envying. Now that she had been praised so directly, the sense of unreality made her daze for a moment.
"Alright, now that you've all met, let's get down to business." Seeing the conversation drifting, Lina quickly steered us back to the matter at hand.
I looked at Senior Adalin. I didn't expect her to be a bit of a tsundere. Heh... handled.