CICN 55

Chapter 55

The main building at the heart of the gifted academy housed the dean’s office, the academic affairs office, and the offices of the head professors.

Because of that, the main building had only a few classrooms.

Getting a classroom there was a point of pride not just for professors, but also for the students attending classes in those rooms.

Right now, Professor Malres was proudly puffing out his chest in that very place.

“Behold! Your new classroom!”

He pointed at the door with pride, chest pushed forward.

“From now on, you won’t have to walk so much just to get to class. And since no other students besides you four can use this room, you can leave heavy stuff here. I don’t have any other classes besides this one, so no one else needs it!”

He wasn’t exactly free of classes, but he had stubbornly refused to take any others—and the kids didn’t know that.

“Wow! It’s really a new classroom!”

In front of Professor Malres, Evi threw up both arms in delight.

For several days, she had been holding hands with Irene, walking together to the math classroom.

Sometimes, on days when other classes ended late or the weather was bad, they had to hurry.

And when Evi fell once more, scraping her knees and hands, Irene had given Professor Malres a fierce glare.

“Oh dear, you’re going to get a slap from the professor at this rate!”

“Huh? Is that allowed?”

“I’m just saying! Look at how wild those eyes are!”

Still, after class, Professor Malres carried Evi on his back and took her to the nurse’s office.

“No, you can’t just wrap the bandage like that!”

“If I wrap more than this on a small knee scrape, it’ll be hard to move.”

The staff sighed and asked Evi,

“By the way, you have a lot of scrapes from falling down. Do you run around a lot? You should be careful, or those wounds might leave scars.”

At the question, not only Irene but also Ruska and Arsel quietly stared at Professor Malres, as if he were the cause of Evi’s condition.

And today, the day after, the professor had finally finished preparing the new classroom and brought the four of them here.

“May we come in?”

“Of course, child. Come in quickly and take a look.”

When the professor gave permission, Evi knocked politely on the door.

“Excuse me.”

At that sight, Professor Malres smiled fondly.

“Whose student is so polite?”

At his muttering, the other three—except Evi—exchanged glances and shook their heads, as if to say, “Let’s not talk about it.”

The classroom was absolutely perfect.

Though it wasn’t very large, since it had originally been a professor’s office, it was actually better for the four students.

A too-large, unused space can cause distraction.

Thanks to some arrangements Professor Malres made with Seraphina regarding his retirement timing, the room was well-stocked.

There were various math books, a long sofa to lean on when tired, and even a table.

It wasn’t just to make the professor feel good.

“If you have nowhere else to go between classes, feel free to use this room. It must be tiring to keep going back and forth to the dormitory all the time.”

“Yes!”

Evi answered energetically to the professor’s words.

“Well then, that’s all for today’s class.”

“Yes!”

Ruska raised her hand and answered quickly.

“This one is just happy because class is over.”

Professor Malres clicked his tongue and glared at Ruska.

But that was only for a moment before a satisfied smile returned to his face.

“At first, I only wanted to teach Evi, but look at this. The others are quite capable too.”

At first, he had thought the other three were just annoying extras who came along with Evi.

But after teaching, Professor Malres gave all four of them passing marks.

“Irene Terins is indeed quick with numbers, just like her merchant family.”

She didn’t seem to have much enthusiasm for deep academic research, but once taught, she understood very well.

Also, she had a strong pride, and if she didn’t understand something, she would catch him and ask repeatedly until she got it.

“Ruska is the same.”

Ruska was the most restless during class.

She yawned repeatedly and sometimes collapsed on the desk saying she couldn’t do it.

But she sometimes came up with unusual solutions even Professor Malres, who had spent decades on math, had never thought of.

Most were nonsense calculations, of course.

But a few actually had correct answers.

Professor Malres had to stare at them for a long time to understand why those worked.

“Hah, sometimes these kids really discover amazing formulas.”

Though seeing them groan in exhaustion after solving one problem made him want to give them a little smack.

“And then there’s Arsel.”

Arsel’s academic performance was flawless.

His name had been known throughout the empire for years.

Professors everywhere talked about how the son of Duke Kairen was a genius.

Among the four, Arsel was the only one who had mastered all advanced math.

A truly complete talent.

“To be able to teach a class with only these kinds of kids.”

Professor Malres clenched his fist.

He never expected such luck in his later years.

“I must work even harder.”

Just settling for having one classroom wasn’t enough.

He had to reconnect with old acquaintances and gather his students.

“That way, Evi will have strong support after graduation.”

Unaware how important that gathering would become to the empire later, Professor Malres hummed a tune as he headed to the academic affairs office.

After Professor Malres left, the four immediately started organizing their books.

“Ugh… I’m tired…”

Irene stretched her arms and groaned.

Despite working hard, the long class hours were exhausting.

“Tired?”

Evi, who was tidying up, approached worriedly, and Irene stretched out her arms, hugging Evi like a doll.

“Hmm, the class was tiring, but I think I’m even more worried about the weekend.”

Saying this, Irene gently held Evi’s cheek without hurting her.

Thanks to the effort to feed her well at every meal lately,

“She’s definitely gained some weight.”

The cheek in hand had softened compared to before.

Still, she was far from the ideal seven-year-old shape Irene hoped for.

“Why the weekend?”

Evi’s pronunciation was a bit off due to her cheek being held, but it was understandable what she meant.

“This weekend will be the first time since classes started that we can go outside.”

“Oh.”

Evi recalled something she had read in the gifted academy’s handbook.

Once the students got somewhat used to the academy, they were allowed to go outside on weekends once a month.

“All the branch members of the Terins family living in the capital gather at the townhouse, so we’re supposed to go out and meet them… but they’re so noisy. My head already hurts.”

Irene groaned, and Ruska frowned.

“I have to go home for the weekend too. My brothers said the academy’s sword training is boring and told me to come home so they can spar with me.”

Ruska, who had three older brothers, lowered her head imagining herself getting pounded like a sparring dummy.

Then she quietly asked Arsel, who was calmly reading.

“Arsel, what about you?”

“I’m going home too. There’s a meeting, and I want to bring some books from home. There’s a festival at the park near the townhouse on the weekend, so it might be noisy…”

Arsel spoke absentmindedly but then shut up when he noticed Evi listening quietly.

Irene and Ruska were the same.

Ruska tried to ease the situation.

“Uh, well, Evi, how about going somewhere too? Like the festival Arsel just mentioned… Ah!”

With a thud, Ruska grabbed his shin.

Irene gave him a kick under the table with a look that said, ‘What are you saying, you clueless idiot?’

“Irene, you…”

Ruska’s eyes welled with tears as he started to complain to Irene.

Then, smack!

This time, a precise kick hit the back of his knee, and Ruska staggered and almost fell down.

Behind him, Arsel spoke with his usual expressionless face.

“Sorry, I accidentally kicked your leg.”