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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Affinity 45.
This was the most crucial stage.
‘I have to be extremely careful.’
He had to consider Cecilia’s reaction once her affinity reached 50. He also had to factor in the other girls’ affinities. If his actions were discovered, nothing good would come of it.
But…
‘Teacher and student.’
The forbidden love trope provided excellent cover. Both Spenny and Egenir had to keep their relationship secret. That was paramount.
“…”
Spenny’s claim about needing to discuss the mana circuit method had been a lie, of course. They ate her packed lunch in silence.
“Nice weather.”
“It is.”
The stilted conversation, reminiscent of an awkward first date, created a slight distance between them.
“Teacher, I think I’ll join your mana studies department.”
The planned line. He’d been saving this for when her affinity reached 40, and this tense moment was the perfect opportunity.
“Really?!”
A gifted student offering to become her assistant. Spenny’s face lit up. The research paper was done, but she was a mage at heart.
She was constantly swamped with student affairs, research, and academic reports. Given the low popularity of her classes, no one had volunteered to join her mana studies department, let alone specialize under her.
Zero students.
A few had passed through, but currently, she was on her own. High-ranking nobles handled their own affairs. It was usually commoners, hoping to secure some work after graduation, who took on the departmental chores.
Swordsmanship students could at least find mercenary work, but the magic department was strictly merit-based, making it the least popular department in the academy.
Students flocked to established mages, hoping to get their names on publications and attract offers from Magic Towers, but Spenny, a young mage who had yet to publish her groundbreaking mana circuit method, was alone.
“…Are you sure?”
Knowing her own situation, she questioned his decision, worried about hindering his future. Once her mana circuit method was published, students would be clamoring to join her department, but not yet.
Having struggled for years without support, Spenny’s confidence as a department head was at rock bottom.
“Of course. You’re going to be a great mage, Teacher.”
Boosting her self-esteem was key to raising her affinity.
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“Want to…grab a drink?”
A student offering a teacher a drink was unheard of. But Egenir knew her weakness.
She loved to drink, and with a little persuasion, she’d agree.
“Students…”
Egenir was old enough to drink legally, but he was still a student. There were secret drinking circles, but Egenir, hardened by eight regressions, hadn’t joined any. His only clandestine drinking had been with Spenny.
She was a delightful drinking buddy. Alcohol, magic knowledge, and a mega-dere personality without the yandere baggage. She was the only one.
“Teacher.”
He truly couldn’t think of a better way to raise her affinity and enjoy a drink. He’d spent a considerable amount of time in her lounge.
“I don’t want to drink just to…rebel.”
“Huh?”
“They say mages need a change of perspective.”
That was one of Spenny’s mottos. The reason she’d started drinking. Her own master, a notorious drunk, had told her.
“Do you know it?”
“Yes, and I want to be a great mage like you, Teacher.”
He’d combined flattery with a justification for drinking. This was his most effective line, appealing to her self-esteem and referencing her past.
“Well…that’s…”
She hesitated, conflicted.
Drinking with a student was a taboo she’d never considered. It was risky and could lead to misunderstandings.
“I want to…expand my magical horizons with you, Teacher, over a drink.”
“Expand your horizons…”
She always turned to alcohol when her research hit a roadblock, and it was through those drunken moments that she’d developed her new mana circuit method.
Now, Egenir, who seemed to understand her method perfectly, was suggesting the same.
‘What if…I mentor him, and he publishes groundbreaking research?’
He could become a great mage, despite his swordsmanship background. She already owed him a debt for the mana circuit method, and she wanted to help him. He was even willing to join her unpopular department.
‘This could be a good opportunity for the magic department.’
Perhaps teaching him how to drink responsibly would be beneficial. Secret student drinking circles were common. Some students even ruined their academic careers because of alcohol.
Egenir would inevitably be tempted, and perhaps guiding him, as his teacher and mentor, would be the right thing to do.
Driven by a combination of these thoughts and a maternal instinct to protect him, she considered the unthinkable.
‘She’s almost there.’
Her sense of duty, combined with the reality of academy life…Students inevitably found ways to drink.
Openly drinking was against the rules, but teachers couldn’t punish students who hid behind the protection of their families and their social circles. The no alcohol rule was rarely enforced.
The academy was a battlefield, where students fought for sponsorships and future careers.
Forbidding alcohol wouldn’t stop them, and the academy wouldn’t protect them from the consequences.
“But not now.”
Egenir nodded, as if he’d expected this.
“You have afternoon classes.”
“Right…I guess I was too eager to discuss magic with you, Teacher.”
“Perhaps, but you should focus on your studies.”
He listened to her lecture with one ear, letting it go out the other. He nodded contritely.
‘He’s so cute.’
Spenny found his act endearing. She worried about corrupting him with alcohol, but felt obligated to guide him.
“Come see me after classes.”
They’d finished their lunch. She’d already packed up, her mind made up.
[Spenny’s affinity increased by 1.]
He’d successfully boosted her self-esteem and sense of responsibility. The affinity increase was a bonus.
“Should I bring my textbook?”
“Focus on the fundamentals.”
The mana circuit textbook was useless to her, but she assumed it was different for Egenir. Even a genius like him was still a beginner.
She was prepared to share her personal insights and knowledge, information not covered in the textbook, over drinks.
“Okay.”
Egenir stood up, eager to leave.
“I’ll go prepare for my next class, Teacher!”
“Go ahead.”
Spenny smiled warmly.
He was just a naive boy, hoping to further his magical studies with the help of a little alcohol. She felt a renewed sense of purpose, a duty to guide him.
‘Click!’
The door closed, and Egenir smirked.
‘Just as planned.’
She always fell for this. The easiest affinity target, with no penalties. Spenny was his safe haven. The teachers’ lounge was private, rarely visited by students. Other teachers didn’t pry into each other’s private lives.
There were rumors of some teachers engaging in… extracurricular activities with prostitutes in their lounges, but no one dared to investigate.
The academy valued its teachers’ privacy, and the lounges were soundproof. Accusations could ruin careers. It was proof that most teachers, except for Spenny and a few others, had secrets.
“Egenir, isn’t it?”
Except for that damn hot-blooded Horfin.
“T-Teacher Horfin?”
“What are you doing here? It’s still lunch break.”
Why was he loitering near the teachers’ lounge? Fortunately, he hadn’t seen Egenir exit Spenny’s room.
‘He doesn’t usually come here…’
Horfin preferred training in a secluded corner of the training grounds. He wasn’t the type to indulge in the rumored…activities.
‘What should I say?’
He couldn’t say he’d been in Spenny’s lounge. That wouldn’t be good for either of them.
He could claim it was a misunderstanding, but Horfin, ever the moral compass, would probably launch into a lecture about the impropriety of male and female students being alone together. And the bastard had a loose tongue, having already blabbed about the Dragon Swordsmanship to Spenny.
“I was looking for you, Teacher. You weren’t in the training grounds.”
“Huh?”
A born swordsman who spent even his lunch breaks training. He stared at Egenir, surprised.
“Why?”
“I wanted to learn swordsmanship.”
A desperate measure, but his best option.
“Is that so?”
Horfin’s nostrils flared.
A former knight, crippled in the line of duty, now a swordsmanship instructor. He’d witnessed Egenir’s duel with Sestern. He didn’t seem to disapprove of Egenir’s brutal fighting style. In fact, he probably saw it as a mark of a true warrior.
A promising newcomer seeking his guidance…
“Let’s go to the training grounds right now!”
“But my next class…”
“Most students skip those pointless classes anyway. You’re interested in mana circuit methods and swordsmanship, right? Are you dreaming of becoming a Magic Swordsman?”
His next class was basic alchemy. Useless, but the excuse didn’t work. Most students skipped alchemy, and attendance wasn’t mandatory.
“Egenir, I watched your duel with great interest. If you aspire to be a Magic Swordsman, you must prioritize swordsmanship!”
He was stuck with this muscle-brained idiot.
“Let’s go! I don’t have any afternoon classes! Just come to the training grounds whenever I’m free! I’ll train you!”
‘Damn it!’
This was the worst-case scenario. Reasoning with this kind of idiot was impossible.
“Let’s go!”
Horfin grabbed Egenir’s hand, a wide grin on his face, and practically dragged him to the training grounds.
‘I wish he’d just die.’
The problem was, the muscle-bound swordsman was too damn healthy to even consider dying.
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Foreshadowing?