Originally, the classes for first-year students were conducted in a single classroom. In that one place, professors of each subject came and went, conducting classes while students listened. However, this story is from last year when the student count was around 50, and this year’s incoming literature students were a whopping 150. Splitting them into groups of 50 results in three classes, thus requiring three classrooms.
Of course, there’s no academy with only one classroom. The Minerva Empire also predicted the increase in student numbers at some point and designed accordingly in advance. Thanks to that, there haven’t been any disasters of having to teach students all together in one place.
Concerns about confusion in classes were also unfounded. Divided into three groups, each had its own set of lessons.
What if a student from Class A wants to attend the history class in Class B? It’s fine. There aren’t any bonus points anyway, and they would just be wasting their own time.
Exams are scheduled to take place at fixed times, so there’s no possibility of cheating. Still, with the student count tripling within a year, there will likely be many vulnerabilities.
Since immediate actions can’t be taken, the plan was to proceed with the classes for now, in a kind of a “let’s give it a shot” approach.
“A Class is on Monday at 1 PM, B Class is on Wednesday at 1 PM, and finally, C Class is on Friday at 1 PM. By the way, this is for the first year; the second year is separate.”
The lecture building they reached for the first class and orientation. Elena walked to the classroom where the classes would be held and explained the rough schedule.
For the second year, not only literature students but also non-literature students are together, making for a tight schedule. While there’s only one class of second-year literature students, there are a whopping three classes for non-literature students.
One of the schedules was incredibly tight. Thankfully, the 3rd and 4th years have different history professors, or else there wouldn’t have been time to write Xenon’s Biography.
Thinking that there would be plenty of time, I became a teaching assistant early on, but it felt like I got even busier. Still, my graduation will go smoothly, so I’ll take comfort in that.
“But can you graduate faster if you become a teaching assistant from the second year?”
“For the time being, yes. If the professors approve, you can graduate within a year. However, that’s assuming you’re working on your graduation thesis. With your writing skills, it might be possible.”
“Are you really going to let me graduate?”
“If it appeals to me. If the topic of your thesis is interesting, I might be able to help. Or you could work together with Cindy.”
“Um…”
I’m not sure if I should be happy or sad. Given Elena’s straightforward personality, she would graduate me if I write a satisfactory thesis. But a thesis wasn’t a trivial matter, and I haven’t mastered the art of writing one yet. I can learn that gradually by Elena’s side, though.
In the meantime, I’ll probably also write Xenon’s Biography, but I strongly felt that I would have a pretty busy schedule.
“Have you read all the books in the research lab?”
“No. I haven’t finished reading them yet.”
As I talked with Elena, we somehow arrived at the door of a classroom without realizing it. It wasn’t the same classroom I used to go to in my freshman year but a different one. It looks no different on the surface, but it seems like it hasn’t been properly renovated yet, as the distinct scent of wood lingered. However, it was more of a natural scent rather than an unpleasant one, and fragrant.
Soon enough, Elena opened the half-closed door and entered, and I followed her inside. As I stepped in, the classroom, which had been somewhat bustling, grew quiet.
“Huh? What’s this? An elf? There’s an elven professor?”
“But who’s the red-haired person next to them? An assistant, perhaps?”
“Seems like an assistant, but their hair is really long. Longer than mine, it seems.”
Amidst the tranquility, occasional sighs could be heard. Somehow, I felt tense amidst these unfamiliar emotions I hadn’t felt before. It might be natural, as this is my first time as a teaching assistant.
As my heart started to beat faintly, Elena stood at the center of the podium and slowly scanned the students. And the students, now faced with an elven professor instead of a human, displayed expressions filled with curiosity and interest.
During a brief silence, Elena adjusted her glasses and then opened her mouth with a clear voice.
“Hello, new students. I am Elena Heavensinger, the professor who will be teaching you history from now on. Please take care of me.”
Just as I did when I was a new student, Elena introduced herself and bowed politely. The students responded with enthusiastic applause to her introduction.
Then, as the applause subsided slightly, she pointed towards me and spoke.
“And this redhead is my teaching assistant. Say hello.”
“I am Ducker Michelle.”
As I greeted them with a slightly trembling voice, the students responded with another round of enthusiastic applause. I took a deep breath, calming my nerves, and looked around at the students.
Various colors of hair and eyes caught my attention. Each student had a unique appearance. I skimmed through to see if anyone else had red hair like me, but as expected, there was none. The same goes for snow-white hair like Marie’s.
However, there was one color that stood out conspicuously.
‘…Pink?’
Even though I was far away, there was one color that caught my eye – the color of hair that was pink like cherry blossoms. Although their face was obscured by the person in front of me, it stood out prominently.
In this world, there are wigs but no hair dye. Therefore, the color of that hair was natural like mine. I turned my gaze away from the student, thinking that this world was also a fantasy world. It might arouse needless suspicion if I stared too intently.
“Today, I will explain how my class will proceed. Earning extra points in my class is simple. You can either answer the questions I ask or ask me interesting questions. The class I will give you is about the fundamentals and essence of history.”
Elena, with her distinctive and rhythmic pronunciation, explained to the students about the upcoming class content. Similar to last year yet with different content, I also listened attentively.
The teaching assistant, me, wouldn’t just be left idle like a folding screen, surely she’ll find some way to utilize me. Bringing a teaching assistant treated halfway like a graduate student all the way to the lecture hall – there must be some use for it.
Just as Elena’s explanation was about to conclude, one of the students raised their hand swiftly. It was a female student sitting in the front row.
“Professor, does that mean Teaching Assistant Isaac will just stand there quietly and watch?”
A truly audacious question. Well, it’s possible to think that I’m not doing anything while just standing there. Even I entertained that thought for a moment.
The student and even I turned to Elena, seeking an answer. After hearing the student’s question, Elena chuckled briefly, then smiled as she provided her response.
“It’s definitely not true. Assistant Isaac will engage in discussions with you when interesting topics arise. If Assistant Isaac leads the debate, you will receive a significant bonus point. Of course, it’s up to you, the students, to bring up those discussion-worthy topics.”
“Wow!”
“… …”
So, that’s how it is. The girl who asked the question sparkled with excitement, but I let out a bitter laugh. While some of this might be due to the course’s nature, it seems like she’s planning to assign scores under the pretext of debates to properly evaluate me. I might have won Elena’s favor with my eloquent writing, but she probably hasn’t properly assessed my level of knowledge.
“In addition, Assistant Isaac will handle tasks such as exam supervision and various administrative duties. Speaking of which, Isaac?”
“Yes.”
“While I explain, could you distribute the papers?”
“Of course.”
Following Elena’s instructions, I began distributing the papers that I had prepared in advance, one by one. Calling them papers was hardly different from saying they’re lesson plans for the future.
I can’t even begin to describe how much my hands suffered while jotting this down. Ironically, Cindy being away on a business trip meant that I single-handedly operated the magic quill.
What’s fortunate is that Elena can use the duplication spell. If she were human, I would’ve had to do everything manually.
“Someone once said, ‘History possesses the power to predict the future through a dialogue with the past.’ Just as there is a cause if there is a result, history is no different. Due to specific causes, significant events erupt, much like…”
While distributing the papers, Elena’s lecture continued. The students also focused on her, and when I handed out the papers, they received them with both hands.
As I was distributing guide papers to the students seated at the back, I found myself facing the same pink I had seen earlier. It wasn’t a mistake—her hair, flowing down to her shoulders, was entirely pink.
However, just as my gaze was fixed on her hair, when I lowered my gaze slightly, I couldn’t help but startle. It was because of her chest, which seemed to display a particularly noticeable presence.
I had already guessed that she was a female student, but when I saw her size, perhaps even bigger than Marie, maybe comparable to Cecily, I couldn’t help but be surprised. Although she seemed to have adjusted her uniform somehow, she was shouting for the clothes to be more accommodating.
“… …”
Did she feel my gaze on her? Somehow, the female student, who had been bowing her head for some reason, slowly lifted her head. Thanks to that, I could properly meet her eyes.
Cherry blossom-colored irises that seemed to match her pink hair. With a delicate appearance that suited her large eyes, she gave off a doll-like image.
However, there was one problem that overshadowed all of this—the eyes.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that there was no life in her eyes. Like a dead fish, there was no trace of light in them, creating a gloomy and eerie atmosphere. I couldn’t really tell if she was truly alive or not.
As I mentioned before, if her features looked doll-like and cute, now she was literally like a ‘doll’ with no signs of life. A doll that moved as if controlled by a person.
With this, I even felt a sense of impending doom, wondering if she might end her own life someday.
“…?”
The female student looked at me without taking the paper and smiled. Even so, she blinked without showing any strangeness.
I hurriedly composed myself and cautiously handed over the paper. However, the female student didn’t even take the paper and continued to stare intensely at my face.
Feeling a bit uneasy and eerie, I cautiously spoke.
“Aren’t you going to take it?”
“… …”
Only after my careful question did the female student finally shift her gaze towards the paper. She then slowly reached out her hand and took the paper.
With relief washing over me as she accepted the paper, I took a step away.
“…Red.”
I tried to ignore the voice coming from behind. Somehow, it gave me shivers.
‘The Roseberry family’s characteristic is…’
I had heard it from Marie before the start of the school year. Cherry Blossom Roseberry, the one who always delivers fan letters to me, her family was known for having pink hair as a characteristic trait.
If the Michelle family was famous for their red hair, and the Marie’s family, the Requillis, was known for their white hair, then the Roseberry family was recognized for having pink hair.
Furthermore, in the last fan letter I saw, Cherry mentioned that she would be enrolling in the academy soon. Thanks to that, I had thought we would meet again soon.
However, the atmosphere was far from what I had anticipated. The Cherry in the fan letter was lively, passionate, and full of vitality.
However, the female student I had just met was not like her. Along with a gloomy atmosphere, her eyes were dark, as if lifeless. Not human, literally like a doll.
‘…Probably not.’
I finished distributing all the papers and returned to Elena’s side. As I returned, I didn’t forget to glance at the female student. She was staring at me with her dead eyes, directly and precisely. Without blinking her eyes even once, she was gazing at me fixedly, as if truly inhuman or something.
Feeling a sense of unease and even fear, I tried my best to avoid making eye contact. Her face was beautiful, yet lacked any vitality, making it difficult to even look at her.
“…So, what do all of you think about history? Depending on your answers, I’ll give extra points.”
In the meantime, Elena’s long explanation came to an end, and the question time followed. As with any first class, at the beginning, there was hesitation, but one by one, hands went up to answer.
Satisfying Elena, good answers came forth, as well as somewhat odd ones, but still, just the act of answering seemed to be sufficient. Even the commoners who were being cautious showed courage and expressed their own thoughts.
However, amid all this, the girl with pink hair remained utterly focused on me without a trace of wavering. Elena also seemed to notice it vaguely, but she didn’t point it out to avoid embarrassment.
Of course, not being attentive from the very first class and daydreaming was quite difficult to bear. After all the students finished answering, Elena cleared her throat and brought up a different topic.
“Thank you for your great answers. Now, before I explain the most important cause and effect in history… I’ll ask you a question that you might find interesting. Until last year, there were only 50 literature students, but now, there are a staggering 150. The number of literature students has tripled in just a year. Does anyone know the reason?”
“… …”
It seemed like there was no student eager to tackle the rather challenging question. Well, before even listening, I wondered why it was like this. Perhaps it was a natural reaction.
Elena, as if expecting this response, looked around the class and offered a hint.
“Let me give you a hint. There’s currently one book leaving the biggest cultural impact. If you connect it, it’ll be very easy.”
“… Are you talking about Xenon’s Biography?”
“It seems like that might be it.”
“What’s the connection with Xenon’s Biography’”
Despite the hint, the students only murmured among themselves, and no one raised their hand with confidence. While the students were debating, I glanced at that girl from earlier, who was now in my line of sight.
Her gaze was the same, but perhaps due to the mention of Xenon’s Biography, there was a faint spark in her eyes. However, it was so subtle that the difference was negligible.
Could that girl really be Cherry? The sense of dissonance was so strong that it was incredibly difficult to conclude.
“Since no one is giving an answer, I’ll pick someone. First…”
Elena paused for a moment and then shifted her gaze to the back. Towards the girl with pink hair who had been staring at me intently from before.
Following that, Elena stared directly at the female student and quietly called out her name.
“The girl with the pink hair over there?”
“…?”
“Would you try to answer?”
When she was pointed out, the pink-haired girl turned her gaze towards Elena. I inwardly sighed with relief, waiting for the pink-haired girl’s response.
“…Me?”
The pink-haired girl answered quietly, tilting her head slightly with a playful smile. She seemed unaware that she had been singled out, staring blankly at me. Elena, too, instinctively sensed that something was amiss and asked with a somewhat trembling voice.
“…Yes. By any chance, what is your name?”
“…”
Despite the follow-up question, the pink-haired girl didn’t answer right away. Not blinking her eyes once until the end, she grew increasingly eerie. Then, the pink-haired girl turned her head slightly and shifted her gaze back to me. And in a quiet voice devoid of any vitality, she uttered word by word.
“Cherry…”
“…”
If Cindy’s tired voice had been wavering.
“Cherry Blossom Raspberry…”
Cherry’s had absolutely no strength left, as if she were about to die.
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