EP.222 The Nightmare Returns (1)
Something went wrong.
I sensed that the situation was oddly turning, and I was hitting an unexpected problem. With my chin resting on clasped hands, I fell into deep thought.
‘Kelharlem is more popular than I thought.’
No, he wasn’t just popular—he monopolized the students’ affection. Even after leaving the Dean’s office, I observed Kelharlem from a distance, and one fact became clear.
‘Just sitting there, students gather around him…!’
Kelharlem was simply sitting on a bench, yet students flocked around. Some asked about assignments, while others engaged him in casual conversation, and sometimes, they even brought him coffee.
‘…Have I ever received coffee from my students?’
I thought I had, maybe.
‘But not a single student has brought me cake.’
I recalled the image of Kelharlem enjoying a cake brought by students. For some reason, my stomach hurt. Not just my stomach, but my mouth felt a bit bitter too.
Sip…
I craved something sweet and took a gulp of coffee loaded with syrup. It tasted overly syrupy, yet today it felt just bitter to me.
“Professor Lrutia should continue teaching.”
“He teaches well and accepts questions gracefully.”
“The assignments are reasonable! That’s the best part.”
“When Professor Rania comes back, is she leaving again? Ah…”
Even while savoring my coffee, I could still hear the voices of students from moments ago. Their tones seemed to express sadness, wishing Kelharlem wouldn’t leave.
‘So I see.’
Their tone seemed to suggest they didn’t want me here.
“Why???!!!”
Thud!
Setting down my coffee cup, I pinched the bridge of my nose.
Are they saying I’m… worse than Kelharlem? Of course, when it comes to the refinement of teaching, I might lag behind. I can boldly acknowledge that.
Who is Kelharlem?
He is the one who held the position of the headmaster of the prestigious academic city, Artiya. Finding someone with a better track record in education than him would be quite a challenge.
‘I… lag behind… right, yes. I lag behind.’
In terms of education, I can’t compete.
There’s no way I could surpass someone with a hundred years of teaching experience when I’ve barely been at it for just over a year.
‘The level of my classes isn’t vastly inferior, but still, I’m falling short…’
I could admit that far.
I could acknowledge defeat and acceptance.
“But this is a completely different matter.”
Kelharlem, gloriously grabbing all student attention.
In a mere moment, he eroded the distance I had carefully cultivated with them over the past half year.
‘This is about popularity.’
Popularity.
I’ve never thought there was anything wrong with my personality or demeanor. Really, not once. Compared to Sara and Remia…
‘No, they’re not even human, so they don’t count.’
When compared to Princess Lruiel…
Well, she’s a bit different.
‘Kalt?’
“The spiritual pillar of Hound.”
“A commendable and dignified knight.”
No, even he is rated highly…
‘My Master is, of course, superior to me. The Dark Tower Master? No, even that person…’
My choices in my mind dwindled one by one.
When I try to compare accomplishments within the realm of popularity, all I see are people superior to me.
“Hmm…”
After much agonizing, I unconsciously muttered as my coffee cooled.
“I’m not rated very well, am I?”
So…
“…Is there something wrong with my character?”
No, that can’t be.
I’m normal. There’s nothing wrong with my character. Shaking my head, I stood up.
‘For now, I’ll observe a bit more.’
Observation, tailing, and investigation.
I needed to understand this situation more thoroughly.
2.
‘Not just students, I need to investigate the professors’ evaluations as well.’
With that thought in mind, Rania began wandering around the academy to discern Kelharlem’s reputation.
“Professor Lrutia? Ah, he’s a good person. A bit curt, but his classes are tidy, and his behavior is gentlemanly… plus, he’s quite handsome, isn’t he?”
“By the way, Professor Rania, I see you’re back from your vacation? You could have taken your time coming back…”
Among the female professors, his reputation was very good.
However, it was clear that his looks played a role in that. Interpreting the data with such a narrow view, Rania continued roaming through the academy.
“Professor Lrutia? A good professor.”
“There are many things to learn from him. Especially how neatly he conducts his classes. In a single class, he wraps everything up in that short time frame. I hear he hardly gives any assignments.”
Well, even so…
“Huh? Not about class, but character? Personality?”
“Really, what’s wrong with his character? With student ratings being so good, and while he’s a bit curt, he mingles well with other professors… he seems to have no significant issues with popularity?”
…….
“Honestly speaking, he’s better than you…”
“W-wait, what? Why do you say that?”
……. The professors’ reputation was also high.
Rania grit her teeth and acknowledged that fact as well.
“Oh, Professor Rania, you’re back…?”
“With you gone, did the classes stumble? Empty chair? No, I don’t think anyone felt that at all…”
Rania listened to the students’ words.
However, no matter whom she asked, there wasn’t a single student who said, “I missed you, Professor!” Rania swallowed her bitterness, continuing her walk.
“Why did you bring cake?”
“Hmm, I just wanted to give you something?”
‘A professor who’s good enough to want to bring something in return.’
“It’s so sad that you’re leaving…”
“Do you know when you’re leaving? We were thinking of throwing a send-off party for you…”
They want to throw a send-off party.
They’re sad about the departure.
He’s a good professor; it’s unfortunate.
Those kinds of reactions were most of what she got. Growing tired of detaining students and listening to their stories, Rania felt her steps growing heavy.
‘…He’s quite popular, Kelharlem.’
Thud.
She sat down in a corner of the garden.
Though Kelharlem’s spot looked warm and inviting from afar, the bench she sat on felt cold as ice. From a distance, Rania watched Kelharlem.
He was still surrounded by students.
Not a single student came to recognize and approach her, even after her month-long vacation. Not one. For some inexplicable reason, her heart ached.
“Tsk…”
It almost seemed as if the sunlight favored that spot over her own.
‘No, that’s a good thing…’
It’s good that Kelharlem perfectly conducted his classes while she was gone and helped the students. It was her intended outcome.
‘But then, what is this?’
Why does my stomach hurt?
Why does my insides feel itchy?
She felt an extremely strange emotion. Frowning, Rania pondered this newfound feeling. Why is it that she’s feeling resentment despite encountering something good?
“Hmmm…”
An extremely, extremely provocative emotion welled up. Rania bowed her head, sinking into thought. What could be the reason that students didn’t miss her?
‘…Am I being too strict?’
Maybe she should have eased up a bit.
But then again, when she thinks about future jobs at the Tower or on the battlefield, she had to be tough. Her Master had said to assign tough homework, and she thought she had been quite reasonable in her expectations…
‘Still, maybe I should have been a little softer.’
The first emotion crashing down on her was regret.
Should she have done better? With that thought, Rania looked at the seat that Kelharlem occupied. Initially filled with regret, that gaze gradually warmed up.
Laughter filled with joy from students.
Kelharlem breaking cake gifted by students.
The frigid magician, who couldn’t join that warm scene, gritted her lips and muttered.
“That’s my spot…”
That spot over there is mine.
I was supposed to be sitting there.
The coffee and cake were to be mine…
Regret gradually shifted into obsession. With this transition from regret to obsession, one would typically expect it to lead into ‘depression.’ Usually, people would blame themselves for not performing better amid regret and obsession, sinking into despair.
‘No, wait, thinking about it, that’s quite infuriating, isn’t it?’
But Rania was different.
She never succumbed to despair.
Proving she was far from ordinary, she glared at the students surrounding Kelharlem with wide eyes. Now that she thought about it, it felt quite infuriating. Shouldn’t at least one person come to recognize her?
There hadn’t been enough assignments.
She hadn’t provided those breaks for her students.
Shouldn’t she have periodically reminded them not to forget her?
Plans from every angle buzzed around Rania’s head repeatedly. Each one was evidently a scheme aimed at drawing screams from students, which was very much her style.
‘Maybe I should separate midterms and finals into assignments and practical exams spread across several days…’
She could have regrets and obsessions, but despair was not for her to bear.
Despair was meant for the students who forgot her.
Just as Rania was cementing her plans, someone called out her name.
“Oh, Professor Rania, you’re back?”
Rania’s head swiveled. She looked at the student standing behind her.
“It feels like it’s been ages. Did you have a good vacation?”
A bright-smiling girl.
“Professor Rania, would you like some of this?”
In her hand, the girl held a muffin that seemed fresh from the café. She passed it to Rania and sat next to her. Rania gazed at the muffin in her hand.
It was warm.
And it looked fluffy.
Then Rania turned her head to look at the girl sitting beside her. The girl smiled warmly and spoke.
“I’ve learned so much in this past month; I still missed you, Professor Rania. It was tough, but what I learned really helped too.”
There was one person who missed her.
Rania wiped her eyes at that realization. She folded the plans swirling in her mind and shoved them to a corner.
‘For a minute there, I must have been crazy.’
It really did seem she had gone briefly insane. Rania beamed brightly and patted Chloe on the shoulder.
“Chloe…”
“Yes?”
“You’re the best, just because.”
“Huh? Where’s that coming from?”
A freshman nearly on the brink of corruption had interrupted the professor. Without even realizing it, Chloe had unwittingly achieved a remarkable feat.
3.
“Oh, you’re back, Senior?”
“Yeah. Have you been doing well?”
“Well, you know.”
Kalt scratched the eyepatch covering one of his eyes.
“I think I’m slowly getting used to having just one eye. I can manage seeing with one eye.”
It was challenging to gauge distances, but adjusting would be a matter of time. As Kalt chatted lightheartedly, Raniael smiled faintly.
“Really?”
She halted in front of Kalt, who was seated in the office chair. Leaning slightly, Raniael looked down at Kalt.
“No need to do that.”
“…No need to do what?”
“How long has it been since you felt the wall?”
An unexpected question.
Though it was odd, her senior had always been impulsive, causing Kalt to answer.
“About three or four years, I guess. It might’ve been longer, though.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but why do you suddenly ask?”
Raniael retrieved something from her coat.
“It’s about time to leave.”
“Leave for what? The afterlife?”
“No, you superhuman idiot. Superhuman.”
Raniael brought the cup in her hand down to Kalt’s head with a thwack. Kalt rubbed the top of his head, blinking. Superhuman? Did he hear that wrong?
“What…”
He stopped mid-sentence.
The cup that his senior was holding. The cup that had just smacked his head made his gaze wobble.
“What… is that?”
In the cup, starlight shimmered.
With something that was clearly beyond ordinary placed in front of him, Kalt inquired, and Raniael answered.
“The Holy Grail.”
She smiled.
“A miraculous relic that leads one to the realm of superhumans without losing them.”
Author’s Note:
Regret, obsession, despair (?)
Rania will not forget this incident.
The plan has only been temporarily postponed, not abandoned…!
