A Veteran Teaches Very Well

part 19

“Magic Missile!”

Boom—!

A girl in a light green hood chanted the spell.

Then, a mass of blue mana struck the target directly.

On the small electronic board above the target, the letter B appeared.

“Ah….”

The girl sighed slightly, as if feeling a bit disappointed.

The professor silently pointed to the next student.

“Next, Song Seok-hwan.”

“Yes.”

Unquestionable battle magic and the top student.

The professor looked at Song Seok-hwan with a satisfied expression.

A genius overflowing with talent, more so than any student he had seen during his teaching career. That kid would not only uphold the pride of the department now but would later advance magic itself.

Just seeing his face brought a smile.

He felt happier looking at Song Seok-hwan than he did when he looked at his own son.

As Song Seok-hwan raised his staff, he activated a magic missile without even a chant.

A massive, radiant mass of mana was launched, shining more brilliantly than any student before him.

Boom—!

The magic struck the target directly.

The score that would appear on the scoreboard was obvious without even looking.

“A+! As expected of Seok-hwan! Did you all just see that? This is the exemplary magic missile. Learn from it. Got it?”

“Yes.”

While the professor was delighted, the teaching assistant beside him spoke in a small voice.

“Um, Professor. Isn’t that kind of magic dangerous? He’s packed in more mana than necessary, and without a chant, the mana is too unstable…”

“Shut up, you brat! A teaching assistant like you is just jealous of a kid! Just keep your mouth shut! Tsk.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Though he was scolded by the professor, the assistant muttered to himself inwardly.

Students shouldn’t be learning things like that.

Song Seok-hwan’s method was far from good.

It was merely a showmanship that he could pull off because he had a lot of mana and was confident in his control; in reality, he wouldn’t be able to perform high-level magic like that.

He didn’t know why he was conscious of the lack of a chant, but it was a bad habit.

“Next is… Seo Da-yoon.”

“Yes, yes!”

Before she even started, the professor clicked his tongue.

To the professor, Seo Da-yoon was an incompetent student.

How did such a talentless girl get into our academy?

Today was no different.

Her slow casting and feeble mana paled in comparison to Song Seok-hwan’s.

The score displayed on the electronic board was merely a C.

The professor spoke in a dry, monotonous voice.

“Next.”

Seo Da-yoon lowered her head deeply and returned to her seat.

This professor was notoriously known for favoring only the top-tier students. He didn’t even bother with the others.

In contrast, the teaching assistant had been observing the students closely.

He remembered that Seo Da-yoon had received a D last time.

‘Her control over magic has become more delicate since last week. What’s going on? What kind of growth…?’

Some whispered, perhaps thinking similar thoughts as the teaching assistant.

─ Seo Da-yoon, hasn’t she improved a bit?

─ It’s probably just that she’s in good condition today.

─ Or maybe last time was just particularly strange…

─ No way. She’s always been bad at that. But today, she’s really gotten better.

─ Is she doing it on purpose? Or could it be…?

Seo Da-yoon noticed a group whispering about her and quickly turned her gaze away.

She didn’t know what they were saying, but it didn’t seem like anything good. Perhaps they were mocking her lack of skill?

It was terrifying.

The thought of being gossiped about made her break out in a cold sweat.

“Haah…”

At the end of her line of sight was Song Seok-hwan.

Song Seok-hwan was not the prince Seo Da-yoon had imagined. He was just a punk.

She no longer idolized him like before, but she still felt a twinge of envy.

‘Seri said I have talent.’

Seri was amazing.

She was much smarter than someone like Seo Da-yoon and not a punk like Song Seok-hwan. If the world were to end right now, Seo Da-yoon might actually believe her.

But still, but still.

The words that said she had more talent than Song Seok-hwan.

That was where Seri was wrong.

Of course, it was true.

One was a genius who monopolized the attention of all the professors, while the other was a complete outcast, a failing student.

—

Even a child could tell who was more talented.

“I feel so foolish…”

During this week’s practice, I was useless again.

Song Seok-hwan said he found the golem in the swamp in an instant, but Seo Da-yoon couldn’t do the same.

Did she break the golem in the end?

If it were Ahn Se-ri, she could have shot multiple arrows at once and destroyed both. The only reason she didn’t was to force Seo Da-yoon into a role.

What will happen during next week’s exam?

It’ll be the same. She’ll do nothing but hold the team back, and in the end, Se-ri will extend a hand of pity again.

…I don’t want it to be like this.

I felt sorry for Jo. I felt sorry for Ahn Se-ri.

I was just sorry for everything. And I was ashamed.

I wanted to be stronger.

So, just a little, I decided to muster some courage.

* * *

“So… you want to be stronger?”

“Yes!”

On a leisurely afternoon, an unexpected visitor arrived.

Seo Da-yoon.

The girl who always came to my office with Ahn Se-ri was here alone.

Thinking back, it was the first time I was alone with Seo Da-yoon.

If I were to describe our relationship, it was like a friend of a friend with Ahn Se-ri in between.

It’s easy to misunderstand, but a friend of a friend is never truly a friend. While sociable people might blend in quickly, I certainly wasn’t one of them.

Of course, Seo Da-yoon probably hadn’t thought of me that way… but I felt a bit awkward.

Still, let’s think positively.

It might actually be a good thing.

Since we’re bound to see each other more in the future, it would be nice if we could strengthen our bond now.

The problem was why she had come to see me.

“I feel like I lack talent… my self-assessment is harsh.”

Seo Da-yoon hung her head low.

She wanted to be stronger because she didn’t want to hold her teammates back.

The words were nice.

But Seoda-yoon’s growth had already been fast enough.

No, it was too fast.

In my memory, or rather in the game, there had been hardly any time when I had grown as quickly as this.

The only exception was when I directly controlled Seoda-yoon as a playable character.

If it were something that could be done on its own, why would I bother being a professor?

The kids would clear the game on their own anyway.

“Alright. I’ll give you a little help.”

“Really?”

At my words, Seoda-yoon’s face brightened instantly.

She must have come to me because she had nowhere else to turn, but it seemed she didn’t have high expectations.

Honestly, I was feeling lazy too.

If it were someone else instead of Seoda-yoon, I would have flat-out refused.

So what should I do?

It would be hard to grow more noticeably than this right away.

Should I help her find an item? Even if it wasn’t as good as Anseri’s clairvoyance, there were quite a few useful pieces of equipment early on.

However, it wasn’t good to get her into the habit of relying on equipment so soon.

Then, I guess what I should do is… instill some confidence in her.

I took Seoda-yoon to the central magic tower.

Florian’s Central Magic Tower. The largest and best-facilitated place, where I attended classes.

Seoda-yoon reacted like a country bumpkin who had just arrived in the city.

“Wow, this place is amazing.”

“Haven’t you ever had a class in the magic tower?”

“I’ve been here, but the place we came to during class was very different from this.”

Well, every magic tower has its own character.

The central tower here was rarely used for classes. Many people visited, and freshmen found it hard to step inside.

There weren’t any special rules about the tower, but there was a bad custom in Florian. The so-called upperclassmen’s territoriality was severe.

Some authoritative professors emphasized hierarchy, empowering upperclassmen, and as a result, it became an unspoken rule that lowerclassmen, especially freshmen, couldn’t set foot here.

A few upperclassmen whispered as they saw us.

—What’s that? Isn’t that a freshman?

—

─Looks like a first-year student, but where are you…?

Florian’s uniform allowed for differentiation by grade through the color of the ties for boys and ribbons for girls.

Seo Da-yoon looked like a newcomer, but she must have gained confidence from seeing the ribbon.

However, no fool would dare to assert dominance with me right beside them, regardless of hierarchy or petty bullying.

─The professor is right next to us. Don’t start any trouble for no reason.

─I’ve never seen them before, who are they?

─They’re a new hire this year, so don’t think about messing around. They seemed to get along really well with the professors who come to the Magic Tower.

That’s not true.

Those people were just seasoned veterans who enjoyed nurturing newbies, so they would be kind to any beginner.

However, students might talk unnecessarily, so they targeted professors or researchers.

If only they would use half of their passion for teaching on their own lectures.

“This is the Magic Tower. It’s often said that knights have training grounds, scholars have laboratories, and wizards have the Magic Tower.”

Seo Da-yoon’s eyes sparkled upon hearing my explanation.

This was a common symptom among beginners.

When first starting out, they would dreamily gaze at the unfamiliar instruments, but the reality was a swamp.

It’s enjoyable to touch the instruments for the first time, but just a few days later, they would realize it’s the most tedious repetitive work in the world.

“From now on, I’ll teach you the routine, Da-yoon. Pay close attention and learn.”

“Yes!”

“First, we’ll start with a simple warm-up. The beginning of all training starts with unlocking the mana circuits. Draw mana from the mana heart and circulate it throughout your body.”

Huff- ha-, huff- ha-

Seo Da-yoon began to take deep breaths.

There’s no special physical activity required to pump the mana heart. However, for beginners who are unfamiliar, adopting a specific routine can be helpful.

I could feel the mana stirring within Seo Da-yoon’s body. Her breath became increasingly labored.

The mana circuits were starting to move in earnest. Perhaps thinking it was enough, Seo Da-yoon stopped her movements.

“Good. Next is this.”

There was nothing quite like starting with this.

Rough band.

It’s a training device where you stand on a wide band containing machinery.

This helped in increasing the total amount of mana.

Upon seeing its appearance, Seo Da-yoon cast a doubtful glance.

—

“Isn’t this… a treadmill?”

“It’s a rough band.”

“No matter how I look at it, it seems like a treadmill…”

“I told you it’s a rough band. Get on top.”

Seoda-yoon shot a skeptical glance but followed the instructions for now.

Then, with a thud, mana burst from her feet.

“Eek!”

“How does it feel?”

“Ugh, it hurts…”

Seoda-yoon cried out. I didn’t care whether she was actually in pain or not.

“The surface of the rough band is a kind of medium. Its effect is to push away anything that doesn’t carry mana. To stand on it, you must continuously release mana from your body.”

“Okay.”

“Once you get on, you mustn’t fall off, no matter what happens. Do you understand?”

“Yes!”

Seoda-yoon successfully climbed onto the rough band, following my instructions.

Now it was time to begin the real training.

“There’s a machine with handles in front of you, right? Set the intensity to 10 with the button.”

“Okay.”

Click, crackle—

Mana similar to sparks burst forth, and the machine started to operate.

The belt on the ground began to move.

As the belt shifted, Seoda-yoon was pushed backward.

“This is definitely a treadmill! How is it not?”

“Hey, focus.”

Seoda-yoon moved her legs frantically to avoid falling.

If she stopped, she would fall right off.

It wasn’t difficult to concentrate and release mana while standing still, but if it involved intense activity, a mage would surely be in for a rough time.

“Gasp, wheeze. Professor, you’re a liar… What kind of magical training is this?”

“Last 5 minutes.”

And she was whining over just an intensity of 10. I had started at 20.

Five minutes later, Seo Da-yoon descended from the rough band, looking like a ghost.

“Ugh, huff….”

“Move to the next apparatus.”

“P-Professor… I’m going to die… Just a moment, let me rest….”

“Stop whining and follow me.”

At my call, Seo Da-yoon moved as if she were crawling.

Was that too much?

Her already petite frame looked even smaller as she seemed about to collapse. I reluctantly decided to let her rest a bit.

“Alright. Let’s take a short break.”

“Really? I’ll go get some water!”

Before I could finish my sentence, Seo Da-yoon sprang to her feet.

What’s this? Clever girl. I was completely fooled.

While I was fumbling, Seo Da-yoon dashed away.

“This is something….”

Kids these days.

They lack perseverance, perseverance.

Back in my day, we would run on the rough band for at least two hours straight.

And they give up after just ten minutes? They’re just not desperate enough yet.

…Of course, this was all happening in a game.

“But when is she coming back?”

Five minutes should be more than enough time to finish a bottle of water, right?

Why isn’t she back? The water cooler is just outside the hallway, so there’s no way she could get lost.

Could she have run away?

She doesn’t seem like the type. She’d rather say she can’t do it… but then again, that’s not her either. She’s the type to stubbornly endure even when it’s tough.

I didn’t think sitting and pondering would yield any answers.

I decided to go look for her myself.

Fortunately, I found her quickly.

As I stepped into the hallway, I immediately spotted Seo Da-yoon’s back. She wasn’t alone; she was with other students.

“Tsk, those second-year kids. Aren’t they supposed to train the freshmen properly?”

“Right? These days, freshmen are so fearless. How dare they enter the central training tower?”

“Hey. Which department are you in, and who are you?”

“Um… I, uh…”

Seo Da-yoon was surrounded by upperclassmen, sniffling quietly.

What is this?

I knew from the start that they weren’t friends, but my student was tangled up with these pests? It wasn’t a pleasant sight at all.

Damn brats.

“What’s all this commotion?”

* * *

Once out in the hallway, Seo Da-yoon easily found the water cooler.

She gulped down water with her dry throat.

Gulp, gulp—

“Ah, I can breathe again…”

After catching her breath for a moment, the muscle pain eased a bit.

While running on the treadmill—though the professor insisted it wasn’t that hard—the most challenging part wasn’t the breathlessness or the mind control, but the pain in her legs.

Maybe it was because she had never been into exercise, but Seo Da-yoon decided to reflect a little.

If she were a hero fighting monsters in a dungeon, she needed to be in good shape.

“Let’s hang in there, me.”

She wanted to rest more, but if she did, she might fall behind for life.

She didn’t want to be powerless like this.

Just as she made that resolve and was about to head back, a group walking from the opposite end of the hallway spotted Seo Da-yoon and blocked her path.

“Hey, you’re a freshman, right?”

From the left, there were boys with red, yellow, and green hair.

Looking at the color of their ties, they were third-years.

For Seo Da-yoon, who had barely spoken to her classmates, upperclassmen felt overwhelmingly intimidating. But she couldn’t just ignore them either.

Seo Da-yoon replied in a voice that barely crawled out.

“Yes. I’m a first-year…”

“See? I told you she looks like a freshman.”

“Ha! Do the new students have no fear these days?”

She couldn’t follow the context of the conversation.

While Seo Da-yoon hesitated, the upperclassmen held a brief discussion.

As if a conclusion had been reached, the red-haired one spoke on behalf of the group.