CICN 34

Chapter 34

He knew very well what kind of children had been admitted to the Gifted Academy this year.

“I heard the nobles went crazy trying to send their kids in.”

It was pathetic watching them scramble for a way to get into the emperor’s good graces.

“They’re probably all flocking together trying to build connections.”

There was no way children like that would take his class.

“I can’t stand that sort of thing.”

Even at the Academy, he was infamous for being difficult and unapproachable.

Besides, he wasn’t particularly close to any other nobles either.

That’s why Malles was confident that not a single student would sign up for his class.

But then he received word that one student had signed up — perhaps a child with vision problems.

“This is a problem.”

He had planned to quietly do research at the Gifted Academy for a year, then collect a generous retirement payout and finally retire.

He couldn’t afford to waste time on some presumptuous noble kid.

“So I gave them a completely unreasonable assignment on purpose.”

He told them to solve fifty advanced math problems within two days.

Any sane child would’ve screamed, “This professor is crazy!” and run for the hills.

They were probably already sitting in someone else’s class by now.

Malles opened the classroom door with a smile, imagining the empty, peaceful room.

“…Huh?”

He let out a dumbfounded noise.

He distinctly remembered the classroom being bleak and lifeless.

Just an ordinary professor’s desk and podium. About five student desks and chairs. That was all.

A few books he’d brought himself, and nothing else — a run-down, desolate space.

He hadn’t even asked for it to be cleaned, hoping the dusty atmosphere would drive that one student away.

“So why is it so clean?”

The classroom was spotless, not a speck of dust to be seen.

The scattered desks were neatly aligned, and the chalk dust beneath the board had been completely wiped away.

And that wasn’t all.

On his desk sat a vase holding a freshly bloomed flower, and a cool, pleasant spring breeze flowed in through the open window.

“Did the cleaning staff come by?”

Even if they had, this level of tidiness was surprising.

He may have chosen the shabbiest corner classroom on purpose, but like anyone else, he still preferred cleanliness.

As he surveyed the room with a satisfied expression—

“Hello!”

“…?”

He looked down, startled by the voice from below.

There stood a small child in the Gifted Academy’s uniform, looking up at him.

“And who might you be?”

“I’m Evie Elden. Are you Professor Malles?”

A clear, bright voice. And a strangely emotional look on the child’s face as she gazed at him — he nodded almost reflexively.

“Yes, I’m Professor Malles. But don’t tell me… you’re the one taking the advanced math course?”

“Yes, Professor!”

Evie answered energetically with a smile.

Malles was flustered.

He had wondered which idiot had signed up for his course — but to think it would be such a young child.

He had assumed the first assignment would scare her off and she wouldn’t even show up today.

And yet, instead of running away, she’d come to greet him.

“This… this wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Malles glanced at the writing he had left on the chalkboard and tried to refocus.

“Get a grip. I need to send this kid away if I want a peaceful year.”

She was unusually small and frail for a noble child.

And she didn’t have that arrogant air typical of noble brats.

But he couldn’t let himself waver. He was on the verge of retirement — he wasn’t about to spend it babysitting.

He deliberately spoke in a gruff tone.

“Right. Did you do the assignment?”

No way she had.

Each problem took at least one to two hours to solve — they were all extremely difficult.

Even if she was smart enough to get into the Gifted Academy, advanced math wasn’t something a kid could breeze through.

Evie’s expression stiffened slightly at his words.

The advanced math book was challenging even for those minoring in the subject.

There was no way such a young child had done it properly.

“As expected. She probably didn’t do it right. That’s why she’s trying to butter me up with a smile.”

He had seen countless students try to sweet-talk their way out of assignments.

To think a child was already trying to weasel her way through.

Just as Malles was preparing to scold her—

“I did try, but some of the problems were too hard, so I couldn’t finish them all.”

Evie answered in a small voice as she held out her notebook.

Malles took it, already assuming what he’d find.

“No doubt she only attempted the first few questions to make it look like she tried.”

He’d been a professor a long time.

They always scribbled down a few answers at the beginning and then gave up, whining that it was too difficult.

But the moment he opened the notebook, his eyes widened.

From the very first page, it was filled with dense formulas and calculations.

Round, neat handwriting filled the page from top to bottom. Malles found himself unconsciously following the solution with his eyes.

“…Huh.”

A soft gasp escaped him.

It was a beautifully clean solution. Good enough to go into a textbook.

His eyes flew to the next page. Another flawless solution.

He flipped through several more problems — all perfectly solved — before finally landing on one she hadn’t completed.

Instead of feeling pleased to find a flaw, he actually felt a little disappointed.

“Why couldn’t you solve this one? It’s just like the last problem — you use the same formulas.”

“I think from that one onward, I needed to use the Pirna equation together with it… but I haven’t learned that yet. I looked at the book’s explanation, but I didn’t really get it…”

Her voice grew smaller and smaller.

She’d managed to solve the earlier problems with enough time and effort, but from there on, she’d hit a wall.

“…Tsk. This won’t do!”

Malles thumped his chest in frustration.

Seeing the large professor looking so flustered, Evie shrank back further.

Is he angry? Is he mad that I joined the academy without knowing this stuff?

But then, Malles walked over to the desk and gestured at her.

“You, sit down here!”

One hour later.

“Now, child, this part right here…”

Malles was explaining in a warm, gentle voice.

“See this starting point? If you draw a straight line from here…”

He picked up a piece of chalk and drew several graphs and shapes on the board.

Evie watched closely and copied everything into her notebook.

“And then it ends like this. Got it?”

“Yes!”

Evie answered cheerfully, and a bright smile spread across Professor Malles’ face.

If anyone who knew him had seen that, they would’ve rubbed their eyes, thinking they were hallucinating.

Professor Malles — the grumpy, unsmiling professor.

At the Academy, he was notorious for making students cry.

Even students who could handle any amount of studying didn’t want to face him.

And now, here he was, explaining kindly — and even smiling.

“If anything’s too hard, just tell me. I’ll explain again.”

“No, I’m fine! When I looked at it in the book yesterday, it was really hard, but your explanation made it so easy to understand!”

“Did it? Must’ve been written by an idiot—”

Malles trailed off mid-sentence, suddenly remembering he was the one who wrote that advanced math book.

“Ahem. Well, yes, I may have written it a bit too difficult. I mean, it was written for adult academy students. If I’d known someone your age would read it, I’d have written it much more simply.”

He hurriedly made excuses and picked up the chalk again.

Just then, the distant sound of the clock tower’s bell echoed. Class was over.

“It’s over already…”

Evie’s face was tinged with disappointment.

To Malles, that expression was deeply endearing.

“Yes, this is how a student should be!”

Instead of rushing out the moment the bell rang, she felt regret for the learning left undone. That was the mark of a true student.

If anyone else had heard his thoughts, they would’ve shaken their heads.

Malles glanced at his book.

“We’ve only done one class today, and we’re already almost done with Chapter 1.”

Truly astonishing speed. Back at the Academy, it used to take him two whole weeks to get through one chapter.

But now, they were nearly done in just a day.

“She understands things incredibly fast.”

And despite the lesson going on for over two hours, she hadn’t lost focus once — her eyes lit up every time he explained something new.

Because of that, Malles found himself getting more and more excited as he taught.

“I can’t remember the last time I taught like this.”

He’d grown used to students who looked half-asleep, slumped in their chairs.

But now, he had a student who listened intently, asked questions, and made a sincere effort to understand.

His heart swelled.

“This… this is the kind of student I’ve always wanted to teach.”