cat, cat, cat (3)
Assistant Professor Claire Elphin was quietly resting her head on her desk in her personal lab.
Her wavy blonde hair decorates the table like waves, and her glasses, which she took off briefly, are neatly folded by her head.
Most new assistant professors who are hired for the first time after receiving a degree in elemental science and begin their teaching career walk around the school building with a bright complexion and a romantic face for the first month.
However, once I realized how cruel the lives of professors who only looked good and had authority were actually enduring, I soon wanted to go back to the degree program where I only had to focus on my studies.
The same was true for Claire, who was now in her second semester as an assistant professor.
“I want to die… ..”
Fair, child-like skin, two eyes that instantly captivate those who see them, and a unique youthful beauty that stimulates protective instincts even as one ages, were Claire’s pride.
However, if you raise your head for a moment and look at the hand mirror near your eyes, you will see that a corpse is alive and moving.
Even though I take care of my skin every day for fear of it becoming dull, the dark circles that are slowly expanding under my eyes are likely to unify the continent in the near future.
“I want to die… .!!!”
I shout quietly, but no one listens.
Even if a bachelor’s course is a basic course, there are so many things to prepare for.
At the same time, we must also pay attention to the academic achievement of each student.
In addition, I submitted more than 6 research proposals to various magic towers during the semester, but all of them were rejected.
It would be nice if you could tell me the reason, but it seems to be mostly due to the lack of trust in the new assistant professor.
Since research data cannot be updated proactively, sources that can be included in the paper are limited.
As your research performance is poor, pressure comes from your bachelor’s degree.
In the meantime, why do students have so many accidents? Most of the post-processing is the responsibility of Claire, the youngest professor.
“… ”
If I keep going like this, by the time I become a full professor, the fear of turning into an old lady full of wrinkles creeps up my back.
Claire also once attended an academy where she was considered a gifted child. By the time he was in his 20s, he had completed all of his advanced degree programs and was even awarded a professorship in his own laboratory.
Excluding emeritus professors, he is probably the person who achieved achievement at the youngest age, at least within the academic department. But now it looks like this.
I thought that flowers would have bloomed in my life now, but I never thought that the ordeal that awaited me would be even more difficult.
– smart.
As I was pessimizing my life, there was a knock on the lab door. Did the teaching assistant who finished checking the supplies for the elemental science class come to report?
-bang
Claire raised her head to take a look at the corpse-like appearance before asking her to come in, but the door opened on its own without giving way.
“… “Were you resting?”
Glast, who has served as Claire’s advisor since her degree program, is a senior professor in charge of first-year students who is famous for being a so-called ‘cheesy skeleton’.
This is Assistant Professor Claire, who worked as a disciple of the inflexible Professor Glast for over 5 years. Now is the time to feel embarrassed just because you look like a corpse.
However, his journey gives off an ominous feeling.
“Oh my. Professor Glast. What’s going on, coming all the way to the assistant professor’s personal lab? “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“No, that’s enough. Claire. “Just deliver the business and leave.”
Claire felt cold sweat rising on her forearms, but smiled without showing it.
“W-what… ?”
“Did you receive a report about the accident at Ofilis Hall?”
“… yes.”
“The investigation by the inspection department regarding the truth has been completed. The date of the disciplinary committee regarding the disposition of the ringleader was also decided, but there were not enough people on the academic side to observe. If this continues, only the dean will be left to go to the field.”
“Well, I see. Professor Olveig, a third year senior professor… ”
“I’m out at the Magic Tower for school work.
“Professor Kelbrame… .”
“Chloel, you are busy giving advice to the imperial family. “I can’t cause any unnecessary interference in handling the royal family’s affairs.”
“oh! Come to think of it, Professor Delfina returned from vacation!”
“I got hurt and my back hurts.”
Well, what about Professor Glast himself? I couldn’t even get the word “he” out. It was obvious that he was going to get kicked out for some ridiculous reason and go do research on his gender identity.
“You can receive reports on the case summary, determine the facts, write opinion submissions, and leave other simple paperwork to the assistants under you, but you will have to make important decisions yourself.”
“Professor Glast. I’m sorry, but it’s the beginning of the semester and I’m in charge of the basic course… I’m a bit out of my mind these days… I also have three research proposal drafts left to write, and if I don’t start working on my elemental science thesis within this semester, I’m in a bit of a precarious situation… ”
“Right. “Then I guess I’ll have to sleep less.”
Nodding his head in agreement, Professor Glast put down the folder containing related materials and quickly left the lab.
“… ”
Claire opened the folder without changing her expression. As I skimmed through it, I found that the truth about the occupation of Ofilis Hall was briefly summarized.
Ofilis Hall maid Jean Ellis’s ‘solo work’.
By persuading Shenny and Kelly, and negotiating with Willane, he attempted to express his dissatisfaction by taking the Ofilis Hall facility hostage.
The main motivation was dissatisfaction with the bachelor who continued to force him to work hard despite his worsening health condition.
Because his usual work attitude was sincere and his character was good, no one could have expected something like this to happen, so the damage was severe.
In addition, Tailley, Ayla, and Elvira were listed as subjects in the store grant agenda, and Ed, Yenica, and Ziggs were listed as subjects for further investigation… If the truth is clear, they seem to be considering omitting additional investigative manpower.
–There was no reason for Claire to feel strange that Lortel’s name was not mentioned anywhere.
Anyway, after taking a quick look at it, I came up with an estimate for the amount of work.
“What, it’s nothing special.”
Claire took off her prescription glasses.
“Check the investigation plan, collect the academic opinions and submit opinion documents, make the student disciplinary plan concrete, determine whether additional investigation is necessary, attend the committee, check the stenography to see if there is anything wrong, and report to the academic management and the dean’s office. All you have to do is report to Professor Glast that the work was done well, give him a work processing number, and submit the collected data to the records room… !”
At the same time, shouldn’t all you have to do is combine academic work and research work?
Claire folded her glasses and put them back on her desk, opened the window behind her, and screamed.
“The youngest professor is also a person… !! help me… !!!!!”
“right. I forgot to mention that several research proposals were rejected due to lack of budget this semester, so they asked me to check and report on the collection of assets that could be sold by the academic department due to lack of budget. “Let the teaching assistants do this.”
When I suddenly turned around, Professor Glast was back in the lab.
Assistant Professor Claire hiccuped and turned her head, but the blunt Professor Skeleton still stood still as if he didn’t really care.
“… sorry.”
“Maybe a day or two? “I don’t care, so just take care of your work.”
“… yes..”
Claire sat down and lowered her head. He looked like someone who had already given up on living.
*
The next night, Jeon Seo-gu flew in.
– ‘The plan to sell janggi has been passed. Review of the plan to overthrow Hoeju has been completed. Elte’s actual power is largely limited. The fall from office is certain, and the trend seems to be over. ‘I want to report your personal condition.’
Traces of information being compressed and sent on a small piece of parchment. The secret struggle was so simple compared to its scary image.
“If the situation has progressed to this point, my father would be making a last stand at the head office of the company. It may be a futile struggle, but… “Anyway, there’s no time to worry about Sylvania here.”
“What is the probability that Elte has hidden some other number?”
“Because that person is just as treacherous as me… It may not be zero at all. Still, I have no choice but to trust in the slog aiming for the next club president position. “I’m far away from the scene, so there’s nothing I can do other than that.”
A flickering bonfire chases away the darkness of the night. It was late and Yenika went back soon.
Late summer or early fall.
This is the northern forest where people are changing clothes on the border. Already, some of the broad-leaved trees on the outskirts are starting to change the color of their leaves.
The familiar sound of grasshoppers has also decreased significantly compared to midsummer, and the forest at night has become more quiet.
As for changing clothes, it’s not just the forest, it’s also me.
“Isn’t it a bit worn out for a school uniform that has already been repaired?”
“If it’s like this, it’s worth wearing.”
“hmm… . hmm… .”
There is nothing good about being absent for a long time, so I plan to go to school right away starting tomorrow. I tried on the school uniform as a test, and it was pretty neat so it was okay.
“Well, I’m in a safer position right now… “I feel relieved.”
Grinning, Lortel pulled the hem of his robe and sat down.
“There is a lot of work to do right now. First of all, your future is also a problem… ”
“It is said that restoration of Ofilis Hall will take a semester no matter how hard we try.”
“that’s right. I need to check if there are any spaces left in the temporary accommodation… We also need to take care of the incident… “For the most part, it seems like it ended well,”
I heard stories of empty academic offices in the faculty building or abandoned academic buildings in the southern part of the island being hastily remodeled and turned into temporary lodgings.
I organized it neatly in my own way, but there was no way the hastily constructed accommodation would satisfy the students of Ofilis Hall. Still, since the situation is like this, I have no choice but to endure it.
“The biggest concern was about Mr. Ellis, but it seems to have been ‘settled’… ”
“… ”
I threw some more firewood into the fire.
“Elise said you didn’t reveal that you were the mastermind behind this, right?”
“Well, that can only be the case. This… “It’s a ‘prepayment’ concept.”
“prepayment?”
“Think about it, senior. Maid Jean Ellis would have tried to stick with the winner between me and Elte.”
Lortel took out a small piece of parchment from his pocket.
This was relayed by Belle Maia, who visited Ellis immediately after the incident.
The parchment was filled with a list of the various orphanages that Ellis had supported throughout her life, as well as annual maintenance fees and sponsorship methods.
“Since my victory was somewhat certain, I just tried to stick to my side again. but… “It is difficult to regain trust that has already been lost.”
Ellis has already betrayed Lortel once.
No matter how necessary it may be, will Lortel trust Ellis one more time?
Even if trust is given again out of necessity, there is a high possibility that it will be discarded once its usefulness disappears.
No one will continue to use someone who betrayed them once.
“Mr. Ellis… Because I knew very well that I wouldn’t trust Mr. Ellis. She must have kept her mouth shut as an example. To instill confidence in me. Well, from my perspective, I don’t want it to be revealed that I am the one behind this occupation, so I have no choice but to join in.”
Ellis also has a poisonous tumor.
The heavy workload is constant, and his health is deteriorating, but the bachelor doesn’t even listen.
In the end, he became unable to work and take responsibility for the orphanage he supported… You’re betting your life.
He was always blunt and showed little emotion, so no one recognized him, but he was in quite a bit of a corner. No, the expression “no one recognized me” means… It might be wrong.
The back gate of Ofilis Hall on a rainy day.
I still remember Shenny’s face, looking up at me with bloodshot eyes from underneath me.
At least those who followed Ellis had some understanding of her situation and psychology.
“Do you have any ill feelings toward Ellis? “I was betrayed?”
“Of course I’m very angry. “If you meet someone, wouldn’t you be guilty even if you slap them first?”
“For something like that, you look relieved.”
“Well, it’s okay now. now.”
What’s so great about it? The way it looks at me, sitting by the fire, resting its chin on both hands and smiling, looks very fox-like.
“To begin with, I’m not a good person enough to proudly stick out my chest. If necessary, even the person who once hit me in the back should be used again. “This floor has no permanent enemies or permanent allies.”
“Okay, please don’t pretend to be with me.”
“Sure. Seniors.”
Lortel, who was laughing, stood up and brushed off her skirt.
Anyway, once safety has been secured to some extent, it is time to get busy.
Even if Elte’s fall was certain, there was no way a greedy girl like Lortel would give up the wise man’s oath. If the incident has progressed to this level, they will most likely try to obtain that seal as well.
Now is the time to go back to Sangdo and live the life of a merchant.
Staying at the camp and doing nothing all day, staring blankly at the fire, lying still and counting the stars in the night sky between the trees in the forest… such a romantic life was just a brief escape.
“I’ll leave soon. Are you going to stop by the Sanghoe branch to sign a contract sometime next week?”
“yes.”
I put down the bow I was sharpening, took out a poker from the bonfire, and gave it the ignition spell.
For the time being, it will maintain a certain level of magical power and serve as a torch. The forest at night is dark, so if you are not familiar with the geography, you will need a light source like this.
When I went over to Lortel, who was about to leave, and handed him the torch, Lortel started to worry, humming with half-moon eyes.
“… “What are you thinking like that?”
“no. senior. “You’re taller than I thought.”
“suddenly?”
“hmm… As expected, I’m wondering if it’s a bit hasty. Even so, I still think I might have to go a bit overboard to overtake… ”
Suddenly, he mumbled something unintelligible, so I held out my hand and told him to quickly grab the torch and go on his way.
However, Lortel did not accept the torch and suddenly started saying something else.
“You know what, senior? “The essence of human relationships is push and pull.”
“what?”
“Like that tie. Look, it’s crooked.”
Lortel came up laughing and grabbed the back of the knot of my tie.
“Like this, you have to pull the back part of the knot and push the front part to tie it straight.”
“Why is it that my clothes are so uncomfortable when no one is watching anyway?”
“Well, what’s wrong with always keeping yourself neat and tidy? “We are students at Sylvania.”
After saying that, before I could respond, Lortel grabbed my tie with one hand and pulled it tightly.
When my head was jerked forward due to the sudden surprise attack, Lortel thought that this was the time, so he raised his tiptoes and-.
…
“… The raspberries we had for dinner were definitely delicious, right? “It’s nice to be reminded of it again.”
“… ”
“Oh my, I didn’t know you would be so serious.”
“Stay safe.”
“Be upset… ”
Only then did Lortel take the torch and walk backwards.
The line about being upset is meaningless, and he covers his mouth with one hand and chuckles. If it had a tail, it would most likely be in the form of a fox.
“They say if you pull or push too hard, you won’t be popular. “Next time, I’ll have a senior pull me a little harder.”
He turns around but still looks away and smiles as he adds.
“I need to practice pushing away too.”
Just like that, Lortel disappeared into the dark forest. As the torch’s light gradually moves away, it sometimes shakes or falls to the ground, but you won’t get lost.
Standing still at the spot where I had sent Lortel to meet him, I wiped my face.
I feel like I’ve been hit hard in the back of the head with a hammer. Let’s calm down and come to our senses.
I tried to avoid getting involved with the main scenario characters any more than necessary, but things in this world never go my way.
Above all, Elte’s downfall was brought about a long time ago due to this occupation of Ofilis Hall.
One of the main scenarios in the upcoming Act 2, Chapter 10, ‘Battle for the Wise Man’s Seal’ is Elte’s fall.
In other words, because the story was advanced, a large hole was created in the scenario.
However, one of Elte and Lortel had to leave, and in the end, there was no choice but to save Lortel, who had a bigger role to play in future affairs… For me, there wasn’t that much of a choice.
Anyway, Elte’s fall was something that had to happen, so I tried to think that the order would just be reversed and it wouldn’t have a big impact on the scenario itself… As expected, at this point, my anxiety grows.
I have experienced time and time again how one small influence can change the major flow of a story.
In theory, I think that if everything goes well, the overall trend itself will be similar, but… I can’t be sure about that idea anymore.
look at the sky The stars in the sky seen from the forest are still beautiful, and the moon is bright.
The sound of bugs screeching is still the same and the sound of a crackling bonfire is always the same… I feel like the trajectory of the scenario I’m in continues to twist.
While watching the scenario conclude smoothly at the edge of the story, my policy of only taking care of what I need to take care of has never changed.
Nevertheless… I felt uncomfortable, as if I was being sucked into the center of the story against my will, and I had no choice but to wipe my face.
There is no ambition. All I have to do is get a diploma and take care of my qualifications.
The policy that seemed easy… It won’t be too far in the future to realize how reckless and difficult this challenge was.
Summer goes and fall comes.
It was now the second semester.
