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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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The students of Rahel Academy fundamentally did not take on dangerous, or unpleasant challenges.
They were children who had grown up being called geniuses or prodigies until their enrollment.
If they chose the wrong class, they would simply suffer needlessly for an entire semester, so why would they seek out an unfamiliar professor for a new challenge?
All they had to do was follow the same path as their seniors or predecessors, who were also called geniuses among geniuses.
That alone would allow them to reach the first-class level.
However, if a student belonged to the dropout class, the story changed entirely.
Although wearing the Rahel Academy uniform, these students were not treated as equals within the academy itself.
This was not merely about receiving disdainful looks from other students.
The quality of education differed, the level of facilities they could use differed, and even the meals provided were different.
The reason for thoroughly excluding underperforming students was simple:
It was more advantageous for the academy to publicly announce that the students withdrew of their own volition rather than being expelled.
Was there any fault on the academy’s part?
If the students couldn’t endure and chose to quit, what could they do?
It was the students’ own decision, wasn’t it?
You don’t like it? Then just quit.
That was precisely what the academy was telling the dropout class students.
These students, who had not even been promised graduation, attended like they were on death row.
It was before them that Adrian suddenly appeared.
Of course, since nothing had been revealed about him except for his name, the dropout students were still cautious to an extent.
But they had no choice, did they?
They might as well give it a try once.
Within them, they harbored an earnest ‘what if’.
Rather than living on borrowed time, they chose to become the experimental rats on the perilous operating table.
More than anything, there was one rumor that couldn’t help but catch the students’ interest:
‘Even the great Michelle couldn’t stand up to Adrian.’
A thrill and anticipation they had never experienced since being labeled as dropouts.
The students sat in the classroom, filled with those feelings, waiting for Adrian.
What kind of professor would he be?
Was the rumor true?
Was there substance behind his overflowing self-confidence and demeanor?
Eventually, as the front door of the classroom opened, Adrian revealed himself.
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‘Full attendance.’
A classroom without a single empty seat.
As he gazed upon it, he was swiftly struck by the realization that he held the position of a professor.
He had intended to catch his breath for a moment, having avoided the bad ending Charlotte would face on the first day, but this – was it good news or bad news?
Everyone was looking at him.
He could read the expectation mixed with the inquisitive gazes.
‘The uniforms and name tags are a varied assortment.’
There seemed to be ill-fated freshmen who had been placed in the dropout class right after enrollment, as well as quite a few students sporting senior-level name tags.
This was going to be hectic, but he couldn’t let that discourage or put him off based on that reason alone.
‘Rather, I should wholeheartedly cheer them on and applaud them.’
For freshmen, attending classes alongside seniors was bound to be quite burdensome.
Would the seniors feel at ease, then?
No, they too must feel a sense of urgency, having grown older yet still being in the dropout class.
The personal concerns each of them carried would be no different between commoner and noble students.
No matter how they tried to not show it, there would undoubtedly be subtle undercurrents and discomfort between them.
And yet, despite considering all of that, they had chosen to attend this lecture.
‘It was an oversight on my part.’
Passion and hope were not exclusive to the protagonist and named characters; each of these students must have harbored something in their hearts.
The four documents he had been holding felt laughable.
Thorough research on the named characters he found memorable – Charlotte, Michelle, Lotten, and Isabel…
‘Didn’t I need data on the remaining fifty-nine as well?’
He also felt ashamed.
If his actions had ignited the students’ self-respect, then the best course of action would be to strive further, until he ignited their passion as well.
It was the proper thing to do.
He would take responsibility for all sixty-four of them.
Of course, there were students who did not regard him favorably.
A prime example was Michelle Meinens, whose gaze seemed to say she would pounce on any mistake he made.
As he had always done, he would do what needed to be done this time as well.
There were still a few days until the next death flag.
Then, what he needed to do now was simply give her utmost effort to this lecture.
Of course, he could not start the lecture right away.
He needed time to additionally observe the fifty-nine.
So for today’s lecture… This would be the best way to proceed, wouldn’t it?
“I’m in a foul mood,”
He said confidently, standing before the students after hanging his coat on the rack.
“The number of you I dislike has just increased to sixty-four.”
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Today’s classroom atmosphere was quite different from usual, with a tense feeling hanging in the air.
The cause was obvious – a dignified man standing there as though he owned the classroom, regardless of how many students were present.
It was because of Adrian.
As always, he exuded confidence. Even the coat hanging on the rack seemed to resemble the noble man’s back.
“I’m in a foul mood. I dislike you all.”
Despite starting the lecture with such words, the students remained attentive to him.
There was undoubtedly something peculiar about him.
“Does anyone have an original text they brought with them?”
At those words, the students unanimously tilted their heads.
It wasn’t just that no textbook was listed on the lecture syllabus – Adrian’s lectures simply had no syllabus to begin with.
It was only natural that they could not prepare any original texts.
Some diligent students had even searched for published works under Adrian’s name, just in case, but there were none he had authored.
“I don’t distinguish between authors. If you have any original texts you brought, take them out.”
Wondering what his intentions were, the students glanced at each other’s faces.
However, there were no students brave enough to defy Adrian’s instructions.
The few who had brought original texts silently came forward and presented them.
Thunk—
And an original text came flying toward Adrian’s lectern.
It was the one Michelle Meinens had brought, submitted using telekinesis.
A small act of defiance, perhaps.
Uh-oh.
And she had made eye contact with the professor.
‘I won’t lose. I absolutely won’t lose…’
“I hurt my leg.”
And her arm, too.
She found herself muttering those words without realizing it.
It wasn’t that she had lost the staring contest.
She had simply spared him because he wasn’t worth fighting.
…For real.
She was the next head of the proud Meinens family, after all.
Of course, her leg wasn’t so injured that she couldn’t walk at all, and she could have walked forward to submit it, but…
Ah, whatever. Michelle disliked Adrian.
She couldn’t help but dislike him, because most of the students in attendance kept glancing at her.
They held expressions that seemed to say, ‘Does Michelle really not dare oppose Adrian, either?’
The professor looked over the original texts submitted before him.
Then, with a snicker, he broke into laughter.
“Really… carrying around such useless things. This is why I dislike you all.”
Fwooosh—!
“……?”
“……!”
He burned up all the original texts submitted before him, cleanly reducing them to ashes.
Leaving only the distinct scent of burning paper, all the original texts vanished without a trace.
It was only natural for the students’ eyes to widen in shock.
“I clearly said this lecture would focus on practical application,” Adrian said, snapping his fingers to fill the blackboard densely with writing.
Spells? Magic circles? Magical theory?
No, it was nothing so complex or difficult. Those were simply…
‘Names.’
Densely written in bluish mana-formed letters were none other than the students’ own names.
“What you’ll be doing today is self-introductions.”
Self-introduction
‘The self-introduction to oneself’ had already begun within their hearts.
“You over there.”
Adrian pointed at one student with his chin.
As much as she had hoped otherwise, once again – it was Michelle Meinens herself.
“Yes.”
Michelle rose from her seat.
She didn’t know what his intentions were, but she had no reason to be unduly afraid or evasive.
Heh. Michelle was very well aware that the branch she was most skilled in was telekinesis.
When it came to telekinesis, one thought of the Meinence family.
And the Meinence family was synonymous with telekinesis.
I can confidently introduce myself. No matter who asks.
“I’m Michelle Meinens. My specialty and forte is telekin—”
“No.”
Huh?
Adrian abruptly cut off Michelle’s words.
“From now on, we’ll be using the classroom space more freely. Use your telekinesis to clear away the desks.”
“……Pardon?”
The two things Michelle Meinens hated most in the world:
One was insects.
The other was group activities.
‘And now there was a third.’
……Adrian as well.
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Hoo boy. He really got under her skin huh
Thanks for the chapter!
I thought she was an alchemy prodigy and her family specialized in that?
LMAO Adrian is being put besides insects and group activities. Damn.
Really getting under her skin.