Please Do Not Abandon the Adopted Heroine

Chapter 1 – Advising Professor and Student _1

1.

“So, Chairman, are you telling me to accept the hero’s lover as my student…?”

“Ugh… Ha! Huff…! No! You misunderstood my point, Professor Nepherna.”

Sweat formed on the face evaporates as steam. Although a desk stood between us, it felt as though it might as well propel a steam engine.

The school’s chairman, a man of wild nature, ceaselessly works his muscles, seeming ready to burst at any moment. His muscles alone could equal dozens of pounds of meat.

That’s my boss.

Despite his advanced age, his chocolate-colored skin was devoid of a single wrinkle. It’s as though he’s a living advertisement for ‘health and vitality!’

He summoned me to his office on this peaceful afternoon.

His goal? To assign me a new student.

“Ugh… The ones transferring to our school… Ha! Total of three. … Huff! The hero of the sixth holy sword and his lover from the Crorand family. Also…”

I interrupted him at the word ‘hero’.

“Are you referring to the young boy frequently mentioned in recent news? The one who joined the expedition?”

“Indeed. A bright young man who hopped over from another world. He’s experiencing success at a young age, with great honor guaranteed… More than anything, he’s in a romantic relationship with a young noblewoman. What pot of gold. He’s like a protagonist straight out of a fairy tale. It’s enough to make you green with envy, ha!”

Beads of sweat trickled down his shiny bald head. The light reflecting off his sweat today made his head glimmer. How could a human head shine like that? A shiny bald head. It’s quite impressive, if you ask me.

The second I thought that, the Chairman began flaunting his muscles to the woman beside me.

She grimaced, frantically trying to distance herself.

“Huff! It’s coming…! The stimulus is coming! Woaaa! How about it, Professor Freya? Look at my arm, muscles ready to burst!”

“I dislike it, Chairman. It’s making me uncomfortable. Please keep your distance.”

“Oh, of course, how could I. It’s rude for me to behave this way in front of a lady. I’m sorry.”

“… Lady?”

Freya took a step back, her delicate eyebrows creased in consternation.

Her radiant platinum blonde hair had a calm presence. Her skin was as finely sculpted as porcelain and her nose neatly aligned. Her lips soft, with gentle arcs.

If there were an encyclopedia to introduce beauties, her face would have adorned its first page. Her slightly stern countenance only added to her allure, causing most people to look on in awe.

Frayer, however, squawked with great gusto as a form of protest.

“Again! For the numerous times I’ve reminded you, I’m not a woman! I’m a man, a man!”

“Sure, sure. Even if the Professor Frayer reincarnated as a woman in this life, you can’t ignore the 15 years you’ve lived as a man in your previous life. Transgendery reincarnation is indeed harsh, isn’t it? Isn’t that right Professor Neferna?”

“Don’t ask for my agreement, Chairperson. This infringes on the newly revised interdimensional discrimination law.”

The chairman turned his robust laughter towards me. Feeling sympathy for the dispirited Frayer, I quickly changed the subject.

“… Also, I won’t ever accept a member of the Hero Party as a student.”

“Actually, there seems to be a misunderstanding. What I’m requesting isn’t ‘the Hero’s lover.’”

“What? Then…”

“Even I know Neferna isn’t particularly fond of the Hero. As the chairman, the school principal, and your cherished solitary friend! I wouldn’t ask such an unreasonable request. hahahaha! What I want to request is a different student who hangs around with her.”

“… Whatever it is, I won’t accept a student in this manner.”

“Of course, you won’t regret it, my old friend.”

The chairman dried his sweat with a towel while speaking.

“I heard you haven’t recruited even a single student yet. One class… seems to be dangerous.”

“………!”

“Our school’s faculty evaluation is quite strict as there are often complaints even from full-time professors. Especially in the case of part-time faculty like yourself… if the evaluation is bad, you can’t ignore the multiple penalties.”

I swallowed nervously, my recent teaching evaluations had hit rock bottom. That must have been reported to the chairman. But that’s not my fault! It’s because of grade terrorism!

“Well, then….”

“Appoint the professor as the mentor for that student. Whether you have a student in charge or not significantly impacts the score. Normally this wouldn’t be possible for a part-time lecturer, but I can use the privileges of a Chairman and Principal.”

“Eugene Se Neferna. Accept the gracious favor of the Chairman and turn any student into the school’s best talent!”

“Mhm, absolutely consistent Professor Neferna. You never disappoint me! hahahahaha!”

“Of course, when have I ever disappointed you, Chairperson. hahahahaha!”

“I anticipated you’d say that and called the student here. Cecilia, you can come in now.”

“hahahahaha… Ha…ha…Expr…ession?”

What did he say?

“Are you deaf? He got you good.”

Freyja reproached me with a faint sigh. While I was stuttering, the door opened and a woman appeared.

“She’s a fox tribe member and, as you already heard, she has practical experience as a member of the 6th Holy Sword Party assisting the heroes. She already excels at elemental magic and is an impeccable student.”

Her meticulously pink-tinted hair seemed as if it had been dyed with painstakingly blended paints.

She was a tall beauty. That was the first impression I received, and it couldn’t just be because of her long legs under the student uniform. Her fox ears pointed above her head made her seem even more so.

“Cecilia, from now on, Professor Eugene Ser Neperna will be your advisor.”

I turned my creaking body to look at the student named Cecilia.

If I get flustered here, it would be a blow to my dignity as an adult. I have to remain composed and bold even in this sudden encounter. While maintaining an intellectual and authoritative look as a professor, I spread my shoulders and deepened my voice like a cave.

“Greetings, I am Professor Eugene Ser Neperna. I hope you have a good time here.”

“Don’t try to force a stern tone with a twitching mouth, it gives me goosebumps. Could you please not do that?”

Freyja looked at me pitifully. Cecilia, without even giving me a glance, nodded slightly and gave a courteous greeting.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Cecilia.”

“……”

“……”

Is she a student who doesn’t speak much? She seems embarrassed…

“And the woman next to you…Oh, my apologies. She’s not just an ordinary woman.”

“……”

“Professor Freyja, who mistakenly thinks she is a man, is a reincarnator from another world with memories of that world. Currently, she is in charge of the elective subject of this world’s studies at our school.”

“Director, please stop with the unnecessary talk… I’m sorry, Cecilia. It was a bit noisy, wasn’t it? Nice to meet you, I’m Freyja, in charge of the mandatory subject ‘Living in Another World with Reincarnators – Let’s Understand this World Together’. It’s my first time meeting a fox tribe member, and your tail and ears are really beautiful! We’ll definitely meet in class someday, so take care.”

As Freyja smiled softly, it seemed as though the surroundings melted away.

Even though it was an expression that would make anyone’s heart race, it only temporarily diverted Cecilia’s dry gaze.

“……Yes.”

“My nose feels stuffy.”

“… If I say one more word, I’ll stuff your nose too.”

“Tch. You’re so annoying.”

Freyja, who had come out of the office next to me, stopped in her tracks and stuck her tongue out for a moment.

“I have to go to class now, what about you? Didn’t you have a class at this time?”

“…W-what are you talking about? Did I have a class?”

“Ah, I guess it got cancelled in the end. What a shame.”

“Yes, you were only four?! If there were just four more students, we could have had a normal class without any problems! Ugh! I even tried viral marketing anonymously on the bulletin board in front of the school dormitory!”

“Ugh, what are you doing on the students’ bulletin board? Aren’t you embarrassed?… Anyway, five is not a bad number to have. Give up.”

“No! I can’t do that! Giving my all until the end is my motto.”

I declared, striking my chest firmly, and looked back at Celia who was following behind.

“That’s why, Celia, who has become ‘my assigned student.’ There is somewhere we must go together.”

“Hold on! You’re going to show that to a student who just came on the first day?”

“Heh…! Today is the last day for course registration. There couldn’t be a better day to move the students’ hearts.”

“Sigh… Celia, if you don’t want to, you can say so. Just ignore what that brat says. There’s no class today, right? Or you can come to my class and audit it if you want.”

You’re shamelessly stealing my student, Freyja.

“… It’s okay.”

But Celia, still expressionless as if she had no interest at all, replied with a calm tone. The tone was so plain that it carried a hint of loneliness.

***

Being a lecturer is nothing more than a producer providing the service of education.

In that case, it is not entirely wrong to think of students as consumers who consume my lectures.

Courses that are not chosen naturally fade away.

For a faded lecturer, there is no future.

Thus, even someone like me, a not-so-popular lecturer peddling on the streets, can be seen as merely surfing the wave of survival methods that the era demands. At least, that’s how I see it.

Thump Thump!

As the beats of the drum resounded strongly, the students turned to look at me.

Thud! Thud!

The heart-thumping sound of the drum.

Mmm, indeed last time’s impulse purchase was a good idea.

“Ah, the opportunity that doesn’t come every day! Who am I? Around 30 years ago, having gained victory in the Eastern ‘Snowfield,’ the second magic swordsman, the hero Neferna…! The only remaining! Son! That is me, also referred to as Eugene Ser Neferna. ‘Son of a Hero,’ it’s a bit… embarrassing to say out of my own mouth, but don’t be surprised yet. Taking over the proud warrior’s bloodline, Professor Eugene Ser Neferna’s ‘Basic Magic Structure!’ Can you believe it? Dear me! Amazing! Up until the 4-class qualification exam, it’s a free pass for structural studies!”

“Hey, is that true? If he’s the second magic swordsman, then he’s the Silent Knight who exterminated the monsters from the eastern ‘Snowfield’ 20 years ago. Is he really the son of that legendary hero?”

“Professor Neferna. Neferna… That’s right. The hero’s name was also Neferna. Would a lecturer lie? Is he really the son of a hero?”

Unsurprisingly, a student caught interest almost immediately.

While trying to hold back my grin, I carried on promoting.

“This isn’t all~ If you enrol now? My proud father’s heroic tales from his active duty are free! The empire’s top lecture that neighbor’s sisters, brothers, younger brothers, and elders rave about! If you enroll now, there’s a special gift……”

“……Oh right, didn’t you say you have taken Professor Neferna’s lecture before? How was it?”

“Don’t even mention it. I had to take his class last semester because I failed to register for Professor Alexander’s class. It seems like he’s teaching, but it’s very vague. Most importantly, his lecture skills are rubbish. I can’t understand what he’s talking about. He doesn’t even give high grades, so he’s not popular. Only those gullible ones who fell for his half-tempered face might have registered.”

The students who heard that conversation started to leave their seats with disgusting expressions. Damn it. It’s over. I have to skip this wave.

“Phew, Cecilia. It’s hot, right? Should I get you some beverages?”

“…… No, thank you. Please don’t worry about me.”

Cecilia turned her head coldly as always. She seemed to be completely uninterested in what was happening around her, let alone me.

There was a trend of individualism in the recent hero parties. This friend seemed to belong to this trend.

Of course, as her ‘supervisor’, I am ready to understand everything about her.

Hmm, ‘supervisor’.

I think it sounds cool…?

“Oh my~ Professor. You. Are. Here. I’ve looked for you for a long time.”

A familiar voice was heard. Her face naturally appeared in my mind. I didn’t even turn around and spoke dismissively.

“The student recruitment has finished.”

Snap.

A twisted noise had struck my spine.