Chapter 452
The professor in charge of Katarology was already as good as decided.
One of Keyzen’s proudest star professors. A prodigy so overwhelming that he was still an active member of the Crows at a young age.
A professional lecturer with classes that drew out high engagement, a gentlemanly manner, and an attitude toward students that made him the professor most students at Keyzen wanted to emulate.
Bahil Amagar.
But then—
“There is one announcement regarding Katarology.”
At Belya’s unusual statement, the auditorium stirred.
“……Hmm, how should I explain this?”
As she scratched her head, not a broadcasting underling but an actual employee from Keyzen headquarters ran up and whispered something into her ear.
She nodded and spoke.
“Right, well. As you all probably expected, the professor in charge of Katarology is Professor Bahil. However, he has not attended this Inauguration.”
The students murmured, and Dick narrowed his eyes.
“They won’t even give us a reason? Just absent from the event?”
Maelyn looked at him as if he were pathetic.
“What, you think he resigned from Keyzen or something? Professor Bahil?”
“Seems like he has some personal business.”
“Is that so? Simon, do you have any idea what’s going on?”
“……”
Simon forced a smile and shook his head.
“I don’t really know.”
“Yeah?”
As the three shifted topics, Simon quietly pressed his hand to his forehead.
‘……No way.’
On the last day of his first year, Simon had gone around to greet the professors of each department.
But Katarology’s Bahil had not been there. Only his chief assistant, Chehekle, remained in the research office.
Simon recalled that conversation.
— After Professor Bahil visited your hospital room, he started acting strange. Then he cut off all contact and disappeared.
— D-Disappeared?
— Can you tell me what you two talked about in the hospital room?
Simon had hesitated then.
Should he tell Chehekle everything? About Compellonia’s secret, and Bahil’s ambition to curse the world? But Simon still didn’t know who Chehekle really was.
— It’s obvious what he said.
But before Simon could answer, Chehekle spoke first.
— He offered to take you as his direct disciple, and told you to come to Katarology, right?
It was true, so Simon nodded obediently. Chehekle let out a long sigh.
— Don’t worry too much. He’ll be back once the new semester starts anyway.
Simon had believed her and returned to Leshill.
But now—
‘He still hasn’t come back to Keyzen?’
At the seats behind the podium where each department’s professors sat, Chehekle was occupying the Katarology professor’s chair in his stead. Seeing her troubled face, Simon couldn’t help but worry.
If his schedule allowed tomorrow—or even today—he would make time to seek her out.
“Now, lastly, the most popular department of all: Darkness Dynamics. You’ve all been waiting for this, haven’t you?”
“Yeeeees!”
Countless students shouted in excitement. Maelyn trembled as she whispered under her breath.
“Please, Professor Eric Aura……!”
“They say Professor Tyler of the second class isn’t any less popular either.”
It was the duel of Eric, the theorist, and Tyler, the man of practice.
Whoever lost would inevitably suffer a massive handicap in their professorial career.
So, who would take charge of the 2nd-year Darkness Dynamics?
“Hm!”
Belya checked the name on the document and gave a meaningful smile.
“Alright, here it is! The professor for 2nd-year Darkness Dynamics is Professor Eric Aura—”
“Wooooooaaaahhh!”
The students of the front class, including Maelyn, erupted in cheers.
“—Or rather, was!”
Belya added, and silence fell again.
“Four days before the opening ceremony, Professor Eric Aura suddenly announced his retirement.”
Murmur! Murmur! Murmur!
The entire hall was thrown into chaos. Even the 3rd-years at the back—many of whom had taken Eric’s classes—were equally shocked.
“It’s not that he was involved in an accident or incident. He simply stated that rather than training successors, he wanted to focus more deeply on research and theory. He’ll no longer be a professor—he’s joining Pentamonium as a full-time scholar.”
It was surprising news, but Simon thought it made sense.
Eric was the quintessential academic, someone who prioritized theory above all.
Yet during his tenure at Keyzen, he had been forced to teach students practical, immediately usable black magic, which had seemed to wear on him.
‘I’ll be cheering for you, Professor Eric.’
Indeed, Simon thought, Eric suited the life of a scholar more than that of a professor.
“Soooo! You’re all wondering who’ll be in charge of 2nd-year Darkness Dynamics now, right?”
One student from the back class shouted loudly.
“Professor Tyler!”
“For reference, Professor Tyler is already assigned to teach Darkness Dynamics for this year’s freshmen. He’s preparing the 1st-year curriculum. He also doesn’t want to rise by sheer luck, and we can’t suddenly change what’s been decided.”
The students grew even more confused.
Then who would teach Darkness Dynamics to the 2nd-years?
“The preface has been long. Time for the introduction!”
Clack. Clack.
With the sound of heels rising up the stage, a woman pushed aside the curtain and stepped onto the podium.
A sleek black suit that fit perfectly, a restrained bob cut, and cold eyes brimming with charisma.
“Count yourselves lucky! Vice-chancellor Professor Jane Olivia herself will be taking charge of 2nd-year Darkness Dynamics!”
A thunderous roar erupted from the underground auditorium, shaking the ceiling. The 2nd-years completely lost their minds.
“Professor Jane!! Our Professor Jane is teaching Darkness Dynamics!!”
Maelyn was so overjoyed she jumped up and down, hugging Kamibarez who was bouncing beside her.
“Aaah, I’m so happy! If this is a dream, don’t wake me!”
“Congratulations, Maelyn!”
“…Wow, this is—”
Dick gave a dumbfounded laugh.
“Darkness Dynamics is shooting through the roof! This year’s course enrollment is going to be absolutely insane.”
Jane’s ability was legendary, but the A-class students knew it better than anyone.
She had led Class A to rank first among all fourteen classes, with the best grades and the lowest dropout rate.
“Simon! Simon, you’re taking Professor Jane’s class too, right?”
Kamibarez asked with wide eyes.
“Of course I am.”
Simon’s spirit was burning with enthusiasm.
From the second year onward, once the departmental system began, students could take not only major courses but also general classes.
Majors were fixed at three to four courses. But in the general courses, a registration war would break out, since every professor, besides their major courses, was expected to open at least one general class for all students.
Just imagining failing to get into Jane’s Darkness Dynamics as a general course made his vision go dark.
“Choosing a department is tough.”
“What should I do?”
Darkness Dynamics was already popular because of its wide applicability, but with Jane teaching it, some students were seriously weighing their original plans against the temptation of Darkness Dynamics.
“Now, Professor, a word please!”
Jane accepted the voice-amplifying crystal handed to her by the assistant and looked out at the students.
Ahem. Ahem. A slightly husky yet thin, clear voice resonated.
“That’s how it is.”
That was Jane’s first line.
“As rumors say, if I think you don’t belong, I’ll cut you off— even if you’re in the 3rd year. I don’t want you wandering in with shallow thoughts and regretting it later.”
Expressionless, she lowered the crystal, but then paused, let out a faint smile, and brought it back to her lips.
“And all former students of Class A will take my class. That is all.”
“Wooooooaaaaahhh!”
The students looked around in shock. The previous year’s 1st-year Class A students were going crazy, chanting her name.
“We love you! Professor Jaaaane!”
Maelyn, on the verge of tears, shouted with all her heart. Simon and Kamibarez grinned and high-fived, while Dick whistled.
“Ugh, favoritism toward Class A!”
“But we’re all 2nd-years.”
A few students grumbled in jest, but the A-class students weren’t listening at all.
The one most moved was Class A’s leader, Jaime.
“Sniff… Please marry me, Professor Jane!”
“Huh? Rep! What about Hector, you—”
Blushing bright red, Jaime silenced Dick with a Silence curse.
Soon after, Jane too sat down in the professor’s seats, completing the lineup of all department heads.
“Aw, Professor Jane is going to the 2nd-years.”
“I really wanted to take her advanced black magic course.”
“Isn’t Keyzen spoiling the 2nd-years too much?”
The 3rd-years grumbled with deep regret.
Just last year, Jane had only taught 1st-year Class A and some 3rd-year classes.
But this year, with her completely assigned to the 2nd-years, unless the seniors lowered themselves to auditing their juniors’ classes, they’d hardly see her face.
“Are the faculty out of their minds? Jane, Bahil, and Hongpeng are all teaching the 2nd-years.”
“…If only Aizel were still here, we wouldn’t be stuck like this.”
It was merely a series of coincidences, but among some of the 3rd-years like Leonard and Will, a sense of victimization and resentment was steadily growing.
* * *
And then came today’s main event and highlight: the Department Selection Ceremony.
Each department’s maximum capacity was 60 students. From rank 1 to rank 400, the students would step up in order and choose their department.
So naturally, the very first student to walk onto the podium was:
“2nd-year top rank, Simon Follentia, step forward.”
It was Simon.
Even among the professors of Keyzen, a subtle tension filled the air at his appearance. Jane closed her eyes, Hongpeng rested her chin anxiously on her clasped hands, and Aron, unusually tense, pushed back his messy hair.
“That’s the one.”
The professors of Spiritology and Haematology from the back classes also lit up at the sight of the top-ranked student.
“Well, well~ the Student Council President, Milord.”
Belya grinned with her shark-like teeth and tapped Simon on the shoulder.
“Our Toxicology Department’s perfect candidate is standing right here! Especially with your resistance stats—top of the year, right?”
“…Ahaha.”
Simon gave an awkward smile.
At those words, Jane crossed her arms, displeased, while Hongpeng’s expression hardened. She whispered something sharply to the assistant at the side of the stage, who quickly ran over and whispered into Belya’s ear.
“Alright, alright. Just kidding.”
Belya muttered.
“Well, the choice of the top 1st-year is important! I wonder which department he’ll pick. Care to say a word?”
Simon gave a faint smile.
“From the moment I entered Keyzen until now, there’s been one field of study that’s always set my heart ablaze. Of course, there are many wonderful classes and professors here, but looking back, I think my heart was already decided from the start.”
Simon strode forward.
In front of the podium stood seven pedestals.
The effigy emblem of Katarology.
The witch’s hat emblem of Darkness Dynamics.
The zombie emblem of Summonology.
The ghost emblem of Spiritology.
The blood drop emblem of Haematology.
The broken potion bottle and skull emblem of Toxicology.
The ring-clad fist emblem of Magical Combat.
Taking a steady breath, Simon approached one pedestal and reached into the blazing fire.
It’s not hot.
What he felt inside the flames was a single card.
He pulled it out and showed it to all.
On the back of the card was the zombie emblem.
“Rank 1, Simon Follentia, chooses Summonology!”
A cheer exploded through the hall as Simon looked at the front of the card. Flames shimmered, and his name appeared upon it.
< Keyzen Summonology 2nd-year, Simon Follentia >
It was a brand-new 2nd-year student ID—an ID granting command authority in wartime.
‘So this is the thing I’d only heard rumors about!’
Carefully tucking the student ID into his chest, Simon followed the assistants’ instructions and stepped down.
On the professors’ side, Aron was rising from his seat.
Jane and Hongpeng showed disappointed faces, but truthfully it was only a faint hope. Among the professors, it had already been widely expected that Simon would choose Summonology.
“Welcome.”
Aron extended his hand with his usual indifferent expression, though his lips twitched slightly. Simon clasped it with a bright smile.
“I’ll be in your care this year as well, Professor Aron.”
Aron, the department head of Summonology, and soon to be Simon’s direct professor. There could be no stronger backing for his departmental life.
“The other professors of Summonology are eager to meet you too. I expect great results.”
“Yes! I’ll do my best not to let anyone down.”
After shaking Aron’s hand, Simon began to step down as directed.
“Ah, student.”
Just as he was about to return to his friends, the assistant pointed elsewhere.
“Once a student has chosen a department, they join their seniors of that department right away.”
He pointed to the tables at the back, where the 3rd-year Summonology students were seated.
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters