I Became a Demon Professor at the Academy – Chapter 5

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

 
Adrian.

Apart from his outward appearance, observable to the naked eye, Charlotte knew nothing about him.

It hadn’t even been a day since she had met the man.

It hadn’t even been a day since she witnessed his noble mannerisms, his self-assuring confidence, his piercing eyes that seemed to penetrate one’s soul.

And yet, it felt as though she had been under his tutelage for an immensely long time.

He left such a profound impression on Charlotte.

“Do you understand?”

Despite his voice being warmly toned, which wasn’t too cold, Charlotte found herself unable to respond readily.

Was there a particularly demanding condition among the five he had imposed upon her?

Something that required advanced magic?

Anything pertaining to being a mage?

No. There was none.

Just conditions to attend the academy diligently and to return home safely.

Perhaps he was indirectly suggesting that she should give up on being a mage.

A mage is one who draws answers from mana.

One who walks in search of truth.

No matter what variables are presented, the premise of finding answers remains unchanged.

However, hadn’t she failed to find any answers despite spending six and a quarter hours of that long duration?

She had merely been indulging in a fantasy.

The misconception that as one grows older, one naturally becomes an adult, and as an adult, one naturally grows stronger, and by then, she would be able to defeat the demons and avenge her parents.

Perhaps he was personally shattering that fantasy and misunderstanding.

“Ah…”

Far from winning the confrontation, she could no longer even answer his simple questions.

Charlotte merely lowered her head deeply once more.

It had been predetermined, and perhaps she had a vague awareness that it would turn out this way.

She had grown up without even her parents’ touch from an early age.

She had failed spectacularly in the aptitude assessment.

Had it not been for the letter of recommendation left by her parents, she would not have been admitted to this academy.

There must be an enormous gap in ability between her and the other students.

Even among the upper-grade senior students, it was said that those with experience in subjugating demons were extremely rare.

The notion of surpassing the talents and efforts they had accumulated over time with mere resentment alone seemed like the foolish thinking of a frog in a well, when she looked back on it now.

“I understand…”

The girl felt the tears she had barely managed to hold back start flowing again.

Today, she had come face-to-face with her own incompetence that she had been trying so hard to deny. She could no longer muster even the vague aspiration that things would somehow work out.

“Um, excuse me…”

She turned around and called out to him, her shoulders trembling.

She had clearly acknowledged her incompetence.

She just wanted to ask one more time, in order to accept this defeat.

It was the mindset of a convict longing for the guillotine to fall swiftly.

“I… won’t be able to defeat the demon race, will I?”

“Of course not,” Adrian replied.

His voice had somehow grown stern again.

“Fundamentally, the output of all your magic is weak.”

The cold reality struck Charlotte.

“Furthermore, your casting is not swift enough. No one will entrust their back to you.”

It hurt.

Each truth he uttered was excruciatingly painful for Charlotte.

Now, she almost wished for it to hurt even more.

Because then, she might be able to give up magic without any lingering attachments…

“Your emotions get in the way, and when things don’t go as intended, you shed tears. You lack even the basic qualities of a mage.”

No, her wish for it to hurt more must have been spoken in ignorance of herself.

His words were so painful, so excruciating that she could hardly bear it.

“However, even if you are a mage lacking in fundamentals,”

He took a step closer toward Charlotte, who had her head lowered.

“Even if you are a crybaby ruled by emotions, even if you deserve the label of a failure,”

One step.

Another step closer.

“If you were to somehow truly encounter the demon race,”

The final step.

It was now a distance where he could not come any closer.

Charlotte stopped wiping her eyes with her sleeve and lifted her head.

He remained composed as ever.

He possessed the level-headedness that Charlotte desperately needed.

“…There is a chance, if you survive.”

There is a chance.

What did those few words mean?

Something that had been frozen solid melted, causing her tears to flow endlessly once more.

“Do you remember the five conditions?”

It was too much to wipe away.

Resigning herself, the girl nodded vigorously, her emotions welling up to the point where it was difficult to speak.

“First… from now on, I will attend diligently…”

“You, more lacking than anyone else, must study more diligently than anyone else. You must participate in the lectures conscientiously.”

Instead of wiping her tears, Charlotte clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.

Now, even as she cried pathetically, revealing an unsightly appearance, it did not hurt.

It was peculiar.

Despite having become so unsightly, despite being reprimanded so harshly, something was still blossoming somewhere within her.

Thus, Charlotte persisted in a foolish voice.

“Second… I will return home… before ten at night…”

“You are not permitted leisure. Return home early, review your lessons, and get adequate sleep.”

Now her nose was running along with her tears.

Even as she sniffled through the tears and mucus, she recited the next one.

“Third… if I encounter a demon… I will flee…”

“Acknowledge your current weakness. Simply survive. Prolong the opportunity given to you by even a single minute.”

“Fourth… I will not fight… with other students…”

“Discard the foolishness of insisting on doing everything by your own strength. Maintain good relationships with your friends as much as possible.”

Now there was only one condition left.

The fifth and final one.

“Hick, hick! Huaaaaah…”

But now her tears were pouring so heavily that she could no longer utter a word.

The welled-up emotions made her breathing rapid, not allowing Charlotte to form the words.

In the end, instead of vocalizing it, she traced a horizontal line in the air with the tip of her index finger.

It was the line Adrian had instructed her not to forget.

A line that Charlotte could never forget, no matter what it meant.

A line she would remember for the rest of her life.

The professor nodded silently.

“You have memorized them well, Charlotte.”

He lowered his knee and bent his waist.

Soon after, something descended upon Charlotte’s head.

“As long as you abide by those five,”

Something that had grown cold in the morning air.

Yet it did not feel cold – it was Adrian’s palm.

“…You will surely achieve your aspiration.”

With those brief words of encouragement, Adrian swiftly turned away.

However, it still felt as though he remained by her side, for his voice lingered in Charlotte’s ears.

“Hick… huff… hah!”

Charlotte somehow managed to hold back her tears.

She steadied her breathing.

There was something she desperately wanted to say before he disappeared.

“I, I woooon’t!!!!!!”

Adrian did not stop despite Charlotte’s outcry.

But he was undoubtedly listening.

Undoubtedly lending her his ear.

Thus, Charlotte continued shouting.

“I will never… never forget today’s defeat! I will truly… truly become strong! Incredibly strong!!!”

“You did not suffer defeat.”

Rather, you overcame it.

Twenty-one times.

Leaving those inexplicable parting words,

he departed.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Regardless of everything, the next day still arrived.

After the orientation, it was time to return to lectures.

Even the students who had not appeared in the classroom at the time must have heard about the general content of the orientation.

‘In the original, there were four.’

The teacher of the dropout class in the original was merely an old man interested only in receiving his salary on time.

In the end, only four students persevered in attending until the very end.

Excluding the protagonist, that meant only three.

He had already compiled the data on those three.

As named characters who appeared, he would have to observe them carefully, just as he would the protagonist.

‘For the next week, Charlotte will be safe.’

Perhaps it was a gift for Charlotte, who had overcome twenty-one ordeals.

Fortunately, there were no bad endings directed at Charlotte for the next week.

‘This week, I should focus on those around her.’

Well, it wouldn’t be too difficult a task.

Half or more of the students would likely feel discouraged and not attempt to attend lectures.

Some would avoid the classroom, dissatisfied with his attitude.

While taking care of everyone would be a heart-warming nice story, such a thing was unlikely to happen.

If he took care of only those he could definitely look after, that would still be more than half.

He would do it that way, without being overly greedy.

He opened the front door to the classroom.

“Welcome…”

He inadvertently paused.

It was just a momentary hesitation, likely not noticed by any of the students, but the important thing was that something made him pause.

“…back.”

Forcing himself to finish the greeting naturally, he saw an unexpected sight.

Sixty-four individuals.

The full enrollment of the dropout class.

They were all present without a single absence, seated in their places.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇