A Veteran Teaches Very Well

part 4

As a heavy groan escaped my lips, Lee Ye-eun’s expression stiffened in response.

When I let out an exclamation of admiration, her face brightened.

“Tsk.”

As I clicked my tongue, Lee Ye-eun’s complexion turned pale.

She was experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions in real-time, reacting to my responses. It was quite entertaining to observe.

If her outward appearance was like this, her inner feelings must be even more intense, right? Her heart was probably racing, and she was likely feeling anxious.

Once I flipped through to the last page, Lee Ye-eun clasped her hands together, waiting for my evaluation.

“I’ve read Ye-eun’s report well.”

To confess the truth, I didn’t understand it at all.

After all, I hadn’t grasped it even when it was explained verbally; what would change by reading it in writing?

Still, I felt burdened by her gaze, which seemed to demand a more thoughtful response.

Look at her; she didn’t openly show it, but it felt like her face was screaming, “I did well, right? Please praise me.”

If it were up to me, I would have liked to just compliment her and send her off, but what if this report was flawed? My reputation as a professor would be ruined.

It seemed awkward to remain silent, and Lee Ye-eun tilted her head in confusion.

“Professor?”

Should I try to change the subject? That would be a poor strategy. Lee Ye-eun wasn’t the type to back down easily.

In the worst-case scenario, if I dodged the question, she might start doubting my abilities.

If she decided to dig deeper, there was no way my clumsy skills could deceive her. Just a few basic questions would have me stammering and avoiding the answers.

What should I say?

In that moment, a memory flashed through my mind like lightning.

─I’m so glad. Ah-ya, you are a genius born from the heavens to save the world.

─Th-thank you…

─I’m not just saying that. I’ve met countless people over many years. You, among them, are the most special, Ah-ya.

This was an event that could be seen when the player recruited Lee Ye-eun as a companion. President Ryu Jeong-ah recognized Lee Ye-eun’s talent and became her sponsor.

From this moment, Lee Ye-eun’s true worth began to shine.

─Let me give you one piece of advice. Look at Professor Yagao’s paper on the relationship between mana dynamics and natural science.

Later, Lee Ye-eun would reveal that this single piece of advice was more helpful to her than any material support provided by Ryu Jeong-ah.

Perhaps this would be the key.

But did that paper really have anything to do with the current situation? I don’t know.

I only held one card in my hand.

Should I play that, or should I not even try and just fold?

Naturally, it was the former.

“Ye-eun, have you ever read Professor Yagao’s paper on the relationship between mana dynamics and natural science?”

“No. I’ve never heard of such a paper.”

“Read it and come back with your revisions. Until then, I will hold off on the evaluation.”

“…Yes.”

She answered readily, but her expression didn’t show understanding.

I had no choice but to hope that the answer lay within the paper.

“I’ll revise it and come back.”

Nodding silently, Lee Ye-eun stood up from her seat.

It wasn’t a gamble with low odds. The probability was better than fifty-fifty.

I couldn’t just sit here idly.

I called the nurse beside me.

“How much longer do I need to stay?”

“The patient’s condition is not good right now. You can be discharged in about three days, but you need to rest for a week.”

It was a firm answer, but that couldn’t be the case.

If I was going to take care of my body, I should have quit being a professor long ago.

“I’m discharging myself now.”

“What? No! The patient absolutely needs to rest right now…”

The nurse gasped in shock and tried to stop me, but I pulled out the IV from my arm and gathered my clothes.

The late-arriving doctor urged me to rest, insisting that I needed to stabilize.

Yet, more than the thought of my own body deteriorating, I hated the idea of not being able to review the report my student had worked so hard on.

* * *

“I’m back.”

Lee Ye-eun’s voice echoed in the empty house.

It wasn’t a statement expecting a response. It was merely a habitual greeting.

“I’m hungry. I need to eat first…”

Lee Ye-eun opened the refrigerator and pulled out half a leftover ham, some kimchi from the market, and a pack of instant rice. The selection was pitiful.

She placed the rice in the microwave and took out a frying pan, laying the ham on top.

Even while her hands busily prepared the meal, her mind began a simple calculation.

How to manage this week’s living expenses with the current bank balance, and what to do about next week’s living costs.

The conclusion Lee Ye-eun reached was that money was tight.

“Ugh, I hate this…”

I had barely managed to enter the lab, but the scholarship application period had long passed.

It was all because of the professors.

“Damn those people, I hope they go bald.”

The former advisor was a despicable man, and I resented the professor who had acted as if he would support me after I was dismissed.

If it hadn’t been for that man, I might have been able to seek out another advisor before the scholarship application deadline.

Still, I was grateful that he had introduced me to my new advisor in the end.

If I hadn’t been able to enter Cha Eun-woo’s lab… I didn’t even want to imagine it, but I might have gone back to my former advisor.

Lee Ye-eun was desperate enough to be ready to abandon herself.

Fortunately, that didn’t happen.

“The new professor was kind.”

Cha Eun-woo seemed like a good professor.

He wasn’t overbearing or self-centered.

Most professors don’t regard students as equals.

This doesn’t simply mean they have a good or bad personality. Professors operate under the assumption that they are entirely right and that students are ignorant.

All the professors Lee Ye-eun had encountered had not tolerated students denying the concepts held by the professors. But Cha Eun-woo understood that.

Moreover, he was handsome.

Though she had no intention of pursuing anything with her advisor, it certainly didn’t hurt that he was good-looking.

For a moment, her previously relaxed face crumpled again as the grim reality came to mind.

“What am I going to do about next week’s living expenses…”

Lee Ye-eun finished her hasty meal, then turned on her laptop and entered a research paper search site.

She typed in the phrase “the relationship between mana dynamics and natural science,” as Cha Eun-woo had mentioned.

She felt uneasy from the moment she heard the name, and sure enough.

Next to the paper was a label indicating it was paid.

“Ugh, seriously! What kind of paper costs twenty thousand won?”

A diligent student, Lee Ye-eun had read most of the well-known papers out there.

However, she had a principle of not even glancing at paid papers when selecting one.

If it was a paper she had never even heard of, it was safe to assume it was paid.

“Ugh, I don’t even have living expenses…”

She swallowed her tears and paid the blood-like money.

It better not be anything trivial; she would definitely go to Cha Eun-woo and demand an explanation.

Still, perhaps because it was an expensive paper, the quality was quite impressive. It simplified the complex topic of mana dynamics through natural science.

Lee Ye-eun read the paper with interest, as if she had never complained at all.

By the time she turned the last page, she felt no regret about the money spent.

Just being able to read such a paper felt like a stroke of luck.

If the unpopular topic of mana dynamics hadn’t been the subject, it might have been a huge hit.

She felt satisfied, as if she had spent her time meaningfully.

But one question lingered in her mind.

“Why did you want me to read this?”

It was obvious, but there were countless well-written papers out there.

A professor at the pinnacle of a field wouldn’t write a paper that wasn’t beneficial, summarizing their own research.

She thought Cha Eun-woo had recommended it because it was related to her research topic, but what was this?

“Anyway, he’s a strange professor.”

Lee Ye-eun sighed and opened her report file.

She had been asked to revise it after reading the paper, but she had no idea what to change.

Slowly, she went through the report paragraph by paragraph, but all she found were typos.

“Surely, he can’t be trying to tease me, right? Is this just to lift my spirits?”

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out. She got up, washed the dishes, and tidied up the trash before sitting back down in front of her laptop to read the paper again.

“Mana Dynamics… there’s nothing to connect this with.”

Perhaps focusing on Mana Dynamics was a mistake. I began my third thorough read of the paper.

But if you take Mana Dynamics out of a paper about Mana Dynamics, is there anything left?

If what remains is without Mana Dynamics…

There was something.

The method used in the process of developing the paper. When I substituted the phenomena appearing in Mana Dynamics into the formulas of classical physics, they matched perfectly.

Lee Ye-eun spread her report as if she were entranced by something.

Numbers written in red, mere guesses without actual figures. Initially, Lee Ye-eun’s logic was that these didn’t align perfectly, but since approximate values appeared, the theory was likely correct. Even she found it somewhat forced.

When she substituted the newly acquired values into those, everything aligned. Lee Ye-eun bared her gums and broke into a bright smile.

“Yes! I was right after all!”

Without pausing, Lee Ye-eun revised her report.

What had been a mere plausible guess now seemed like a valid assertion.

It felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest.

With this, even the professors who had dismissed her would have no choice but to acknowledge her.

“Just wait. Once the research is complete, I’ll make them laugh.”

She had secretly worried all this time.

Was it that the professor was authoritative and dismissed her opinions, or was it that Lee Ye-eun, in her arrogance, couldn’t trust the professors?

It made sense, considering they were professors; if those esteemed individuals all said it couldn’t be done, could it really have just been a matter of pride?

If she thought of it as her simply chasing a vain dream, everything fell into place.

But today, she gained certainty.

That she was not wrong.

“Hehe…”

Lee Ye-eun chuckled to herself, recalling Cha Eun-woo’s face.

It was all thanks to Cha Eun-woo. If she had been alone, she wouldn’t have been able to believe in herself and walk the right path.

It was truly fortunate that Cha Eun-woo was her advisor.

Tonight, she felt she could sleep soundly without dreaming of that day’s nightmare.

Chapter 3. An Se-ri

In general, in fantasy worlds, magic towers had a strong image of being closed off.

It was a common setting for wizards to hide their research, passing it down only within their schools or to their disciples.

However, the magic of Florian Rhapsody was much more open than that.

—

Even an ordinary person could easily access papers written by the world’s greatest wizards online. Of course, how to utilize that knowledge was up to the individual.

Florian Academy Central Library.

A place where one could say all the knowledge humanity has accumulated about magic is gathered. Though it was a meager amount compared to the god of knowledge, the teachings of Sethhet were limited in what could be applied.

At the very least, I had to obtain as much as I could from here.

“Modification of the magic circle. This was definitely an event that appeared in the game.”

The reason why Lee Ye-eun was a top-tier NPC for recruiting wasn’t simply because she was strong.

In the early game, there were few playable characters stronger than Lee Ye-eun, but in the later stages, there were almost none that performed worse than her.

By design, Lee Ye-eun was a genius.

However, being a genius was all there was to it.

Playable characters grow not only through talent but also by acquiring numerous opportunities in their stories. It was only natural that they would become stronger than Lee Ye-eun, who had talent alone.

Yet, the reason why recruiting Lee Ye-eun was important was because of the achievements she would accomplish in the later stages of the game.

With the player’s help, Lee Ye-eun prepares for her doctoral program and publishes a paper on magic circles.

A paper claiming it is possible to modify a magic circle that is known to be perfect in itself.

This brought about a revolution in magic.

From the moment Lee Ye-eun’s paper was published, all experts began researching magic circles.

For instance, one wizard briefly modified an existing magic circle to make the process of learning magic much easier. Another wizard enhanced the magic circle to increase the overall power of magic.

As a result, by the late game, the overall quantity and quality of wizards had significantly improved.

All of this was a result that could only be achieved thanks to Lee Ye-eun’s research.

What would happen if the announcement of that paper were moved to the early game?

“Humanity’s level would rise a step, allowing for smoother progression of the subsequent scenarios.”

Especially the great war scenario that occurs in the mid-game.

Humanity loses much on that day.

However, if Lee Ye-eun’s paper could be completed and released early, many things would change.

“To do that, I need to work harder.”

After staying up all night, I was finally able to understand the report that Lee Ye-eun had brought.

The doctor had advised me not to overdo it, but now was the time to push myself.

“Advanced Introduction to Elemental Studies, Professor Brings’ paper from two years ago, a proper understanding of mana, part two… hmm?”

Tap.

The moment I reached out to pull out a book, I bumped into something. It was a hand, small like a fern.

As my gaze turned to the owner of the hand, a girl in an academy uniform stood there.

Blonde hair and deep amber eyes. Her fox-like gaze gave off a capricious impression, creating an overall glamorous atmosphere. She looked like someone who could easily be called a queen.

“Ah, are you looking to borrow this book?”

Contrary to her first impression, the girl looked up at me with a pitiful expression. If I hadn’t known her identity, I might have completely let my guard down.

“Do you need it?”

“Yes! Is it possible?”

“Then take it.”

“Uh, yes?”

She coolly flipped through the book and turned away. I could sense her flustered demeanor.

The girl’s name was Anseri.

A freshman who ranked fourth in the entrance exam, she was set to become the heir of the prestigious Gold Jade Guild, and she was the playable character from Florian Rhapsody—Anseri herself.

I never expected to encounter her in a place like this. Contact with her was something I hadn’t calculated.

Throughout my time playing Florian Rhapsody, I had never heard that Anseri visited the library before her enrollment.

What could be the reason for Anseri being here?

Could it be that the child of a massive guild has nowhere else to study and came to the academy library? That seemed unlikely.

In this situation, there was only one possibility I could think of.

A variable that didn’t exist in the game—my presence had drawn Anseri here.

I decided to test if that was truly the case.

“I don’t think I’ve seen your face before; are you a new student?”

As I posed the question, Anseri quickly seized the opportunity to respond.

“Yes! I’m enrolling this year. How about you, um, excuse me. What year are you in, senior?”

Hah, this sly girl.

It was quite cute how she pretended it was a mistake and called me “oppa.” No, it was insufferable.

“I’m not your senior.”

“Really? Then are you an outsider? That’s strange. Outsiders aren’t allowed in here.”

“Don’t worry about the little things. Did you come to study?”

“Yes!”

I didn’t think I could have a productive conversation by just going around in circles like this. Perhaps it was time to break that facade.

“That’s quite a difficult book; do you understand it?”

“Um, actually, it’s a bit hard.”

“Then how about doing something that would help you right away instead?”

An Se-ri tilted her head slightly before answering.

“Something that would be helpful?”

“Yes. For example… how to surpass Se-hyun.”

Stunned.

An Se-ri’s expression froze.

The smile that had been on her face literally came to a halt. It could no longer be called laughter. Perhaps it would be more fitting to say her facial muscles were contorted.

“Why is that, Se-ri?”

As her name was called, An Se-ri’s expression changed moment by moment.

Surprise, curiosity, embarrassment, and anger all flickered before settling into a blank stare.

The mask she wore was completely stripped away.

“What are you really?”

The future master of the Geumok Guild.

The woman who would soon inherit Geumok.

But for now, she was merely the daughter cast out, longing for the throne.

The current heir of the Geumok Guild was the eldest son, An Se-hyun.

An Se-ri harbored feelings of inferiority towards An Se-hyun, who had possessed what she could not since birth.

Their relationship was the worst.

“Weren’t you deliberately coming to see me? You must know my name at least.”

She pretended to be relaxed, but inside she trembled.

An Se-ri never forgot her grudges, no matter who the opponent was. Even if it was a professor, it was the same. They had touched her sore spot, and she would surely seek revenge in some way.

However, this was the most certain method to strip away An Se-ri’s mask.

An Se-ri recovered her mental composure earlier than expected and donned her mask once more.

“I was just a bit curious about who would be teaching me going forward, so I did a little background check on the new professor, Cha Eun-woo.”

A “little background check” was an understatement.

The reason An Se-ri investigated professors was to build connections with capable individuals.

She would have thoroughly dug up everything about that person, as even the slightest hiccup could not be allowed.

“You’re wasting your time. Don’t you know that a professor’s information is protected by law?”

An Se-ri chuckled as if she had heard an amusing joke.

“Sometimes, there are those who are above the law.”

“That’s frightening. So, do you think I seem like a trustworthy person?”

An Se-ri shook her head and answered the question.

“I searched everywhere, but I never expected to find not even a speck of dust. So I came to see who you are in person… You know me?”

“It seems so.”

It was an obvious outcome. Cha Eun-woo hadn’t existed in this world until last week.

“You’re not really a professor, are you?”

“Or what?”

“A hired assassin planted by An Se-hyun, perhaps. To obstruct me.”

Instead of answering, he smiled, causing An Se-ri’s cheeks to flush slightly.

No matter how skilled, even a professor couldn’t create a fake identity to the extent of conducting background checks.

Especially if it wasn’t the entire guild’s movement but rather a personal reason of a single heir.

“…Well, it’s fine. I was curious enough to come, but that’s all. What does it matter who you are?”

“You give up quickly. But what if I have no intention of letting you go easily?”

“Huh?”

An Se-ri looked at me with a bewildered expression.

In a building filled with CCTV, the professor had the face of someone who could do anything to a freshman.

Of course, I had no intention of using physical force here.

“I have a proposal. Attend my class.”

I just needed to make her come to me willingly.

“I’ll decline. I don’t want someone whose identity I can’t ascertain by my side.”

An Se-ri turned elegantly and walked away.

I wondered if she could still act so haughtily after hearing this proposal.

“If you attend all the classes, I’ll give you what you desire.”