Side Story 5. The Magic School and the Monster in the Basement (4)
Perhaps my surprise showed on my face, but Dane Walker smiled and shook his hand.
"Oh, don't worry. The missing guy crawled out of somewhere a month later. Anyway, the guys who explored were scared to death and started looking again. Since he disappeared suddenly. At that time, all the guards were dispatched to search, and there was such a commotion unlike anything before.” He chuckled as if it was a funny memory now.
"In the end, they couldn't find the missing one, and the people who went to the basement laboratory search felt guilty and had awful expressions for the month. But a month later, when it was a full moon again, he was suddenly found sleeping in a corner of a laboratory."
"Really?"
"Yeah, so when he was closely questioned about where he had been for the past month or if he had really been to the secret workshop with the basement monster, all he said was that he couldn’t remember.
"He couldn’t remember?"
Magic that made one forget memories was quite difficult. Of course, if it's not magic, but a physical shock, then it’s different.
"Yeah. My friends and I thought he must have run away to have a secret meeting with a girl at a nearby café. He had a fiance because he was a fairly high-ranking noble. If he got caught cheating and broke up, he probably would have been beaten to death by his father."
"That's convincing."
He happily smiled. "Right?"
It was a topic I brought up to just change the subject, but it was surprisingly interesting. I arrived at the dean's office while talking to Dane Walker.
-o-
Just arriving at school, Yuria sat next to her friends, Arelia and Milpia, and started chatting.
"Guys, did you know? That the person who came from the Adventurers' Guild as an instructor is the same age as us?”
Milpia knew why Yuria was making such a fuss, but asked skillfully, pretending not to know, "Really? If he's the same age as us, when did he pass the civil service exam?"
At Milpia's sly question, Arelia was genuinely surprised and was amazed.
"I know, I heard that the civil service exam is quite difficult, so that’s amazing. Don't you think so, Alice?”
"Yea, that's amazing," Alice answered awkwardly and nodded. She wanted to immediately say that they knew him, but because Yuria wanted to surprise them, she kept her mouth shut.
Milpia and Arelia frequently visited the boarding house and knew Den.
At Alice's awkward answer, Milpia noticed what she was thinking and smiled and said, "Hmm, calculating it, he probably got accepted last year? Come to think of it, didn't Den, who lives in the same boarding house with you, pass the civil service exam as the youngest?"
Yuria nodded awkwardly, rolling her eyes. "Oh…! Yeah, that's right."
When she saw Yuria, who couldn't hide her expression at all, Arelia also noticed who was coming as the instructor and smiled teasingly. "Hmm, come to think of it, did you say that Den also belonged to the Adventurers' Guild?"
"Huh? How do you know that?" Alice queried.
Arelia replied with a light smile. "At the New Year's festival, my older brother lost his wallet, and Den found it. So he looked into Den to be able to return the favor. But I don't know if he did or not.”
"Oho, something like that happened?”
It was Milpia who reacted to Arelia. She was inwardly happy, thinking she got information that she could use against him if all went well.
While the four were chatting, a bell rang to announce the start of class and the professor entered the front door of the classroom.
"Let's skip the greeting. There will be lectures by instructors invited from the Adventurers' Guild from today. One of the instructors has reached the level of madosa, so don't miss the opportunity to learn."
The students were surprised and buzzed at the professor's words. Even if one were to search the entire empire, the number of madosas was extremely low, so it was a natural reaction.
"Quiet. Let’s start class. Open the textbook to page 179.”
At the professor’s instruction, the students became quiet and opened their textbooks.
-o-
As I entered the dean's room, a magician that looked like a magician from an old timeless story with a long beard greeted us.
"Welcome, everyone. Dane Walker, I don't have to introduce myself to you, but since I've never seen that young friend over there before, I'll give introductions. I'm the dean of the Magic School, Polarisia von Pelereon."
I bowed my head slightly and returned the courtesy. "Nice to meet you. I am Den von Mark, here as an instructor from the Adventurers' Guild headquarters this year. Mr. Roseland is the one to usually visit, but with his promotion, although I am lacking, I will be taking on the role of an instructor this year."
The dean waved his hand with a nice smile. "No such thing. What’s lacking, I heard you're a top alchemist.”
"I’m still too lacking to be called the top."
"Ahaha! How modest. You're the one who treated the reckless guy next to you, right?”
"Oh, that's..."
When I trailed off, the dean leaned against the back of his chair and smiled.
"And I looked up your records because I thought your name was familiar, and last year, you saved Director Pelgrant in the poison attempt by creating an antidote on the spot and contributed greatly to apprehending the criminal."
"I was just lucky."
Why are we talking about last year all of the sudden? My senses went on high alert.
The dean looked at me and smiled broadly. "It's impossible to know what the poison was and make an accurate antidote with just luck. After hearing your story, I heard the head of alchemy even tried to contact you. Although, apparently he gave up because he heard that General Asilante and His Highness the Prime Minister had an argument over you.”
They fought over me? It was the first time I heard of it. It meant that if something went wrong, I could have been dragged to the Treasury, which I screwed over.
I was sweating cold sweat.
"On that note, do you have any thoughts of entering the Magic School? I'll provide you with a full scholarship for a transfer student through special admission."
That was why the dean talked about my deeds for a long time. Fortunately, it wasn't a big reason.
I smiled a little and spoke as if I were disappointed on purpose. "It's a great honor and thank you for your words, but I'm satisfied with my current work."
The dean smacked his lips and stroked his beard. "Hmm, is that so? That's too bad. Well, please don't make a decision right away. Oh! That's right. Why don't you audit a class when you don't have a lecture to give?" He recommended, saying it was a good idea.
I didn't know he would be so blunt. It’s not good to refuse too much, so I nodded. "Yes, all right."
"Then I'll tell the head of the students. It won't be a bad experience."
Then, he asked us to take good care of the lectures as a formality and sent me and Dane Walker out.
As he came out of the dean's office, Dane Walker whistled briefly.
"What a waste, why did you say no? It's not a common opportunity."
"I don't know. I wasn’t really tempted."
Of course, it would have been a very attractive proposal for an ordinary magician. Unlike the Knight School, where most of the tuition was covered by the government, the students of the Magic School had to pay their own expensive tuition fees.
Of course, magic materials were so expensive that they would be expensive even if the government covered some.
"The fact that the dean said that, I think he thinks highly of your talent."
Dane Walker smacked his lips and regretted that an opportunity had been missed. How nice of him.
In terms of opportunity in the first place, the proposal to come under the Duke of Asteria was a bigger opportunity than to enter the Magic School.
I put my fingers behind my head and smiled lightly. "And above all, I'm satisfied with my life right now.”
With my honest words, Dane Walker knew nothing could be done and nodded. "If you say so, then that’s good." Then he added as if he still thought it was a shame. "You may think that there is nothing to learn here, but if you stay here, it will be a great help to polish yourself."
"Well, I'll think about it.”
It was clear that it would be far below the facilities of my workshop, but it was not bad to take a look around. If there's anything good, I'll order some from Milpia.
"Then, I have a tight lecture schedule, so I'll go first. I'm telling you, it's been a while since I've been to my alma mater, but he's only taking advantage of me."
I took a glance at Dane Walker's timetable, and unlike me, he had lectures scheduled from morning to late in the evening. On the other hand, I had a relaxing, leisurely schedule. Of course, Dane Walker was one of the few madosa in the empire and I was just a civil servant, so it was natural.
Seeing Dane Walker walk away while grumbling, I smiled.
What a funny guy.
-o-
In the Magic School, there was a public laboratory like a teacher's office set up for visiting instructors like me and Dane Walker. Perhaps because it was usually used as a lounge for professors, there were quite a few ashtrays and snacks.
By the time I finished preparing for a simple lecture, forgetting the snacks in the public laboratory, the professor, who was the head of students, came to me. The head of students was a woman who seemed to be quite strict but also familiar.
"Dean-nim asked to allow for Instructor-nim to audit classes. This is an auditing badge. Please wear it around your neck during the auditing class."
I received the auditing badge from the head of students.
"Yes, I understand.” But where did I see her from?
Oh! When Alice and Yuria were taking the entrance exam to the Magic School, she was one of the professors who sat as test supervisors. Later, I heard that when Yuria was late, she was the one who deducted 10 points.
"Please feel free to audit the classes but not interfere with them, and not affect your future lectures."
Come to think of it, was this person who Alice cursed as being strict and old-fashioned? She certainly did look very strict.
"Yes. I'll be careful."
The head of students nodded satisfactorily and took the lead. "I'll guide you to the classroom that you’ll audit. Follow me."
I followed her to the classroom to audit it.
"Do you have any questions before entering the classroom?"
"Not particularly, oh! I'm interested in the latest magic facilities. Is it okay to look around later?" I asked.
The head of students answered expressionlessly, "That’s no problem. You'll probably be able to see it naturally while you audit the classes."
"That's nice."
"Now, this is the classroom where Instructor-nim will do the auditing in the future. Originally, you were going to be with the students who had just entered the school, but I decided to bring you here because you claimed to be acquainted with the students in the very upper grades."
Acquainted? Was it Yuria and Alice? I don't know whether to say this was a good thing or annoying.
"If it was a lie or you don't think you can keep up with the progress of the class, please tell me anytime. I'll change it for you.”
The head of students seemed to think that I would not be able to keep up with the class. Well, personal information of civil servants is at least a Class 3 secret. In particular, considering that I have the right to access the Adventurers' Guild headquarter’s confidential information, my personal information was likely Class 2 confidential information.
As the dean was the head of an organization, he might have the authority to read up to Class 2, but even if the head of students was in a high position, there was no way that a teacher could read my information.
"Thank you for your consideration."
I thanked her with a smile, and the strict head of students opened the classroom door as the bell sound indicated the break time.
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