—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The Lamia incident during the exam remained a hot topic at the academy for quite some time.
The Lamias and their attack were the subject of endless discussions among the students and faculty. Fortunately, despite the widespread attention, the casualties were fewer than expected, which was a relief.
Several factors contributed to the relatively low number of casualties.
Firstly, due to the nature of the exam, the students were scattered throughout the forest, working individually with no communication between them.
They were unable to receive news while carrying out their tasks, and as a result, many were unaware of the incident.
Secondly, the Lamias had concentrated their forces on the assembly point instead of spreading out through the forest.
While this strategy might have been effective from their perspective, it ironically minimized the threat to the students.
Only the students who were at the assembly point or returning after completing their tasks witnessed the Lamia attack firsthand.
The rest were still engrossed in their assignments, completely oblivious to the unfolding events.
Some students left the forest without encountering any Lamias at all, while a few unlucky ones simply thought they had encountered ordinary monsters, successfully defeating them or escaping.
Because of these varied experiences and circumstances, few fully grasped the scale of the incident.
Of course, there were casualties. Some students were seriously injured after encountering Lamia patrols on their way back to the assembly point, and some were even taken captive.
However, once he subdued and defeated Carla, the Lamia forces lost their will to fight and retreated into the forest, dispersing. In the process, all the captured students were rescued.
They were terrified and exhausted, but their safe return was a great relief.
After the incident, the academy launched an investigation into the Lamias and a systematic review of the exam procedures.
Some faculty members expressed remorse for not having been aware of the Lamias’ presence and territory beforehand and promised to improve the exam’s safety measures in the future.
“…That’s the current situation.”
“I see.”
Under a clear blue sky, in a quiet corner of the academy, he and Professor Adria sat side by side on a bench, discussing the recent events.
“By the way, how is the academy planning to resolve this situation?”
He asked, his question driven more by a need for confirmation than genuine curiosity.
“They’ll issue a formal apology, of course. And offer compensation, depending on the situation.”
She looked up at the sky, as if stating the obvious.
“And as you know, this evaluation was completely invalidated due to the Lamia attack. So, they’re planning to move up the final exam.”
“Since the ability assessment, which was originally supposed to be held in two parts, will now be conducted as a single test, the students will have to prepare thoroughly.”
It seemed the story was progressing as it did in the game. He had been worried about unforeseen variables due to his intervention, but it seemed like his actions hadn’t significantly altered the main storyline.
“As I’ve said many times, I’m incredibly grateful to you. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here, enjoying this warm sunlight.”
She continued, her voice still carrying her usual air of authority, but without its usual harshness.
“Don’t mention it.”
“No, no matter how many times I thank you, it won’t be enough. I nearly died without ever getting married, at almost 30 years old…”
She chuckled self-deprecatingly, but there was a hint of seriousness in her voice, as if it wasn’t entirely a joke.
“By the way, Professor Adria, are you thinking of getting married?”
“O-Of course!!”
Her face flushed crimson. Her eyes, though wide, held a warmth, and her flustered expression betrayed her shyness.
“It’s… It’s human nature, isn’t it? Ugh, what am I saying to a student…”
She muttered, covering her face with her hand as if to hide her embarrassment.
Her voice lowered to a whisper, and the blush on her cheeks didn’t fade. Her hand trembled slightly, her flustered demeanor more like that of a young girl than a stern professor.
“Is that so? Then what kind of man do you like, Professor?”
“Th-That’s…!”
Her lips trembled, and she couldn’t speak.
He was worried that he had overstepped his boundaries, but just as he was about to apologize, she averted her gaze and muttered,
“Someone… strong… I guess…?”
“It won’t be easy to find someone stronger than you, Professor.”
He replied playfully, and she narrowed her eyes and glanced at him.
There was a flicker of something in her eyes, but she quickly looked away and said quietly,
“Not necessarily… To be honest, there is someone I know…”
“Who?”
She didn’t answer his question. A long silence followed, and a faint sigh escaped her lips.
“Th-That’s…! Well…”
She placed her trembling hand on her lap, as if trying to suppress her emotions, unable to speak.
Her eyes held a multitude of unspoken words, but her lips wouldn’t form a single syllable.
“Let’s just say… he’s someone… relatively close.”
She averted her gaze, but she kept glancing back at him hesitantly, her gaze as if trying to give him a hint. But he couldn’t decipher the hidden meaning.
One thing was certain: she had someone she liked. And that, for some reason, made him feel relieved.
“I’m rooting for you, Professor.”
He smiled gently, offering his encouragement. It was almost time for class, so he slowly stood up.
“I’ll head back to the classroom first.”
“Oh? W-Wait…! N-No, it’s nothing… Don’t worry about it…”
She started to say something, then stopped and lowered her head.
The slight tremor in her voice lingered in his mind, but since she didn’t seem to want to say anything more, he quietly left.
Her small, faint sigh seemed to echo in his ears long after he was gone.
………
“Ugh…”
Were these feelings wrong?
Probably.
He was her student, and she was his teacher. There was a significant age gap between them, and their student-teacher relationship created a clear boundary.
It was foolish of her to harbor such feelings.
“…….”
But strangely, her heart refused to acknowledge reality.
It had started that day at the tavern, when she had made a fool of herself while drunk.
She had initially dismissed the fluttering sensation she felt whenever she saw him as mere embarrassment and shame. But this incident had made her realize that the feelings she had developed that day were more than just embarrassment.
‘Are you alright?’
In that moment of chaos, when she had given up all hope amidst the overwhelming pain,
Arnold had appeared like a hero and saved them all.
The way he wielded his sword, the way he dispelled the threat with his powerful magic… it had seemed like a scene from a myth. And in that moment, she had realized how reliable and… attractive he was.
“Haa… Attracted to a student… What am I thinking?!”
Her face burned, her heart pounded, and his face wouldn’t leave her mind.
She felt ashamed and foolish for having such feelings. But she couldn’t deny them.
“…….”
Arnold seemed completely oblivious to her feelings. Well, it was to be expected.
She had never expressed them, and he would never think of her, his teacher, as a romantic interest.
“I’m the strange one…”
She tried to convince herself, but her heart wouldn’t let go. It was crying out, telling her not to give up, that these feelings weren’t wrong.
“Arnold…”
She whispered his name and sighed softly.
Yes, it wasn’t appropriate for a teacher to have such feelings. Should she just let them go?
…No.
She didn’t want to give up completely. She wanted to cherish this subtle flutter of excitement, even if it was just a small flame in her heart.
“W-Who knows… Maybe Arnold likes older women…”
It was a foolish hope, perhaps. But as they say, hope springs eternal.
She decided to hold onto that hope, a small ember flickering in her heart.
“…Should I get going?”
She stood up, her mind clear, her body feeling lighter. A faint smile touched her lips.
It might have been just self-delusion, a way to motivate herself, but that sliver of hope made her steps lighter.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m new to translating so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
