The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 46
I hastily brushed aside that horrible thought that crossed my mind.
It just had to be that both of the departments were in the Humanities and the Support, but it couldn’t possibly be a coincidence.
‘Even the most well-behaved protagonists might happen to oversleep today, huh?’
…It was a story of slim possibilities, even to me, but I refused to give up hope and made my way to the Chancellor’s office.
There was a general announcement for the newly appointed temporary professors.
‘They say there’s been a directive from the Ministry of Education? What could it be about?’
Kansir and Balas, who were already there, showed hostility towards me.
“…Tsk, I might be unlucky today, to think that I have to see that face as soon as the semester begins.”
“Professor Van, your enthusiasm is only up to now. The new semester has begun, so brace yourself.”
However, it wasn’t the usual disdainful gaze beneath me; I sensed a different emotion.
I will not let this slide.
At that moment, a message spell whispered in my ear.
Dare to offend the angel. Shall I kill them both?
It was Amanda!
‘…Can you stop telling scary messages with a blank voice? You seem sincere when you’re expressionless.’
No, it’s probably sincere. I mean, she’s from the Assassins’ Clan.
I shook my head to silence Amanda and turned my gaze away, only to lock eyes with another figure.
It was Rune.
‘Rune, come to think of it, who is he really? A disciple from the Sky Island?’
The Sky Island was a sanctuary of magic.
A place where eccentrics gathered solely for the pursuit of magic, without any interest in the affairs of the world.
I wasn’t exactly sure who resided on Sky Island.
‘Somehow, it feels like I’ve encountered Rune in a scenario before.’
The intuition of a Grand Practitioner was speaking.
Rune was definitely not just an ordinary new professor.
But then, at that moment,
‘Did he just… smile?’
I wondered if I had seen it wrong, but it seems I hadn’t.
Rune gave me a sly smile.
However, it wasn’t a pleasant smile.
I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it felt unsettling.
Just as I was about to speak up…
“Ah, greetings, esteemed new professors!”
Chancellor Karak appeared in an absurdly ornate outfit, adorned with jewels like a Duke.
“Seeing the dignified appearances of our new professors fills my heart with joy. Especially you, Professor Van, I’ve heard all about your contributions during the magical faculty training.”
As Chancellor Karak singled me out, the surrounding area erupted in murmurs.
It’s worth noting that in this gathering, it wasn’t just the new professors from the School of Magic present; all the new professors from every department had assembled, creating quite a crowd.
“It was nothing special.”
“Hehe, even pretending to be humble while exuding arrogance, it truly makes my heart flutter. I’m excited to see what wonderful things you’ll continue to accomplish. Especially with the assignment I’m about to announce.”
At the mention of the word “assignment,” everyone in the room wore a face.
I too wore an expression.
‘Suddenly an assignment? And for the professors?’
Chancellor Karak looked somewhat uncomfortable.
“There’s been a directive from the Ministry of Education. They’ve requested that even the new temporary professors be assigned ‘Welcome Classes’ for this new semester.”
The unexpected announcement caused a stir among those present.
“Everyone is probably aware that the next two months will be a period of student adaptation. During this time, students can attend common classes regardless of their majors and, if they wish, take exams to change their majors.”
‘Welcome Classes’ are temporary classes that students belong to during this adaptation period, usually taught by junior professors.
‘But to assign them to temporary professors as well? This has never happened before. Could it be?’
I felt a sinister chill creeping up.
The Ministry of Education was under the influence of the Apostles of Ouroboros, the Second Prince.
Indeed,
“However, since the temporary professors are not yet official faculty members, your Welcome Classes will be voluntary for students. Only those who apply will join the Welcome Classes taught by temporary professors.”
“!!”
I caught on to the intentions of the Ministry of Education, or more precisely, the Apostle of Ouroboros, Second Prince Renius.
‘My reputation still remains adverse. No student would choose me, so they want me to fail this assignment and get expelled from the academy.’
“Hoho, while it’s a directive from the Ministry of Education, I think it’s a good idea. Allowing students to choose for themselves can also be considered a professor’s ability.”
“…”
“The performance of Welcome Class instruction will be reflected in faculty evaluations, so please give it your best effort. Especially you, Professor Van, I’m particularly looking forward to your performance, hoho.”
Chancellor Karak smirked at me as if to say he would be watching, then disappeared, leaving me frowning.
The directive from the Ministry of Education included detailed evaluation criteria, which stated the following:
If a class fails to meet a minimum of 6 students, the temporary professor will be stripped of their teaching qualification.
It was clearly aimed at me.
Lindon and Hans were making a fuss.
“Senior Van, is this okay? There’s no way there’ll be six fools applying for Senior Van’s class, right?”
“Huh! Lindon, you scoundrel! How dare you disrespect the Young Van?! Even if he gets expelled from the academy, Master Van will have plenty of places to go! Should I ask His Grace to reserve a spot for him in advance?”
“I bet you’re even more annoying than I am, old man.”
The announcement was made promptly, and the freshmen buzzed with excitement.
“We can join the Welcome Classes of the temporary professors too?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just join the classes of the regular professors?”
“No way. So many famous temporary professors have come this time. Honestly, it’s better than the junior professors.”
“I’m going to apply for Professor Balas’s class, the genius of magical theory.”
“I’m going to join Professor Kansir from the Swordsmanship Clan’s class.”
“I’m interested in pursuing a career as a War Mage, so I’m thinking of applying for Black Bird Amanda’s class.”
But they weren’t the only ones.
This time, the new interim faculty at Ruby Academy was particularly strong.
Famous figures from all disciplines attracted freshmen regardless of their majors.
Of course, it had nothing to do with me.
“But wait, isn’t there someone named Van Ecclesia? Is that the same Van I know? Is it true that Van has been appointed as an interim professor at our academy?”
“They probably parachuted him in. The Ecclesia family talks about integrity and justice, but they pull off stunts like this. Disappointing.”
“But haven’t you heard strange rumors lately? That Young Van has changed.”
“Do you believe that? Van changing? It’s more likely that our house dog will evolve into a Cerberus.”
“I heard another rumor. They say Van has gone insane and suffers from delusions, claiming to be the protagonist of something.”
Ironically, my reputation was more firmly established among the freshmen than among the general public.
Perhaps because the younger students heard rumors among themselves rather than accessing objective information.
Thanks to this, Kansir and Balas were thrilled.
“Van, pull yourself together. If you, who won in the duel, can’t even gather six students and end up getting expelled, it will be a blow to my dignity as well. Even if you try your best, it is probably impossible to gather six students anyway.”
“I am worried that too many students will avoid you. Should I give you a few students who would come to me? Of course, there won’t be any students who agree, but still.”
Then, the Black bird remarked with such a tone of voice.
“Should I kidnap, threaten, and torture some students to force them into Professor Van’s class?”
“…Hold your tongue.”
By the way, even the eccentric assassin clan member Amanda and the gloomy Rune from Sky Island, along with over ten professors, applied.
Among all the temporary professors from every department, I was overwhelmingly at the bottom.
‘But, there aren’t zero applicants.’
There were two.
And they were none other than,
“Here are the class application forms. Please sign it here. What’s with that expression? Professor Van, I’m not applying because I am fond of you, you know? It seems like nobody else is applying for your class, so I’m just doing it out of pity.”
“I-I’m applying because I genuinely like you as a professor. Please accept me into your class.”
…These two were far from being pleased.
It was Catherine and Libel.
“I don’t need it.”
I tore their application forms to shreds.
“What’s this nonsense?! I applied because I was genuinely concerned! Do you realize I could be in serious trouble now?”
“I, um, I didn’t apply out of concern. I would just really like to be in your class, Professor.”
“That’s right, Senior Van. Now is not the time to be picky. Regardless of who the other person is, you should accept them!”
“Professor Van, if it’s because of your pride, then let the students… No, I’ll do it instead! Lindon, you fool! What are you doing! Show some respect to those precious students!”
Even Lindon and Hans tried to intervene.
But,
“I clearly said I don’t need it.”
“Why do you keep…!”
“Who exactly is in trouble here?”
Everyone fell silent.
I calmly spoke up.
“It seems like there’s a misunderstanding here. What trouble? I’m Van Ecclesia. This means nothing to me.”
They all looked bewildered.
It seemed like they thought I was showing off.
‘Surely, the situation isn’t ideal.’
There was only a week left.
Recruiting six students within that time frame wasn’t easy, and even if by some miracle I managed to gather six, that wasn’t the end of it.
‘The number six is just the immediate benchmark for failure. To remain as a professor in the academy, I’ll need to be the top among the temporary professors.’
In other words, to secure the top spot, I needed to recruit at least 30 new students.
Considering the number of students flocking to Balas, who was currently in the lead, it seemed daunting.
But…
‘As the former Sales Master. I’ve faced tougher situations than this.’
I’ve always achieved the best results even in the worst situations.
This time was no different.
“You don’t need to worry about me. So, take back these applications.”
“…”
“Instead, go find professors who can really help you.”
In truth, I was grateful to them.
They had gone out of their way to support me.
Nevertheless, it’s essential to distinguish between personal and professional matters.
‘…As grateful as I am, I can’t be the professor in charge of the top-tier protagonists’ classes.’
Above all, they needed to meet professors who could truly help them, not someone like me, a mere nylon.
“Catherine, you’d probably do well with Professor Karl from the Swordsmanship Order faculty. During the adaptation period, you can choose classes regardless of your faculty. Alternatively, Ian Kyeong, a junior professor in the Magic faculty and a Sword Mage, might suit you well.”
“…That’s not my option.”
“…What did you say?”
“I said I don’t need them!”
Catherine yelled with frustration, her face turning crimson as she glared at me.
“I didn’t apply because I was worried about you, it’s just because I wanted to be guided by you, Professor. Do I really have to spell it out for you? How irritating.”
“…”
I was left speechless.
Beside her, Libel muttered with a stern gaze,
“I-I’ve said it before, I applied just because I want you to be my professor. So… please don’t reject us like this.”
