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Chapter 13
You can’t know the inside by looking at the outside.
The research building where professors’ offices were located had an appearance that perfectly fit those words.
Overwhelming height like a skyscraper.
A bizarre form like a giant nail hammered in.
This, combined with the lobby regulation “General students prohibited from accessing the 4th floor and above,” created all sorts of strange rumors.
‘……A ghost with gouged-out eyes wanders the research building corridors every midnight.’
‘……There’s a bioengineering factory that mass-produces the meat served in meals.’
‘……There’s a torture chamber where blood and organs are extracted from monsters.’
But these were just cute thoughts that only students would have; naturally, the research building wasn’t such a place.
Pure white walls and sacred objects of the Rune Order placed throughout the corridors.
Contrary to the rumors, it even felt sacred.
Hermione, newly appointed as a teaching assistant, was walking energetically through those corridors.
Robespierre, her fellow teaching assistant, was also with her.
“You know what, Pierre? Being a Lykeion teaching assistant is a completely secure job? They say you won’t get fired until graduation unless you make really serious mistakes!”
Generally, teaching assistant positions required assisting professors’ work, so upperclassmen were usually selected.
Even on the rare occasions when first or second-year students were selected as teaching assistants, only the top academic performers were carefully chosen.
Therefore, it was exceptional in many ways for Pierre, a first-year underachiever in the bottom tier of grades, to be selected as a teaching assistant.
Then, Hermione continued chattering with a flushed face.
“Well…… it’s largely thanks to Senior George suddenly withdrawing and leaving the position vacant, right? Anyway! Let’s really work hard and go together until graduation!”
Hermione clenched both fists while her emerald eyes sparkled.
Regardless, Robespierre just stepped forward calmly.
“……”
Robespierre glanced up the stairs.
It was such a faint amount that ordinary students wouldn’t even notice, but Robespierre could definitely feel it.
‘From the upper floors?’
Black mana was slowly condensing.
It was growling low like a hunting dog on a leash.
It was definitely flowing from the sealed artifacts in the Old Magic artifact warehouse.
Old Magic artifacts that the Rune Order had scraped together from across the entire continent.
To Robespierre, they were more mouth-watering prey than anything else.
‘……The mana’s purity is high. Not bad. There might be something quite useful.’
Whatever reason Professor Sanculotte had for recommending Pierre as a teaching assistant, there was absolutely no reason for Robespierre to refuse.
This was a good opportunity to ransack the Old Magic artifact warehouse.
Hermione brought her highly excited face close.
“Are you listening to me, Pierre? This is really, really an amazing opportunity!”
“……Opportunity, I understand.”
Hermione nodded her head vigorously and continued.
“That’s right! If there’s something you don’t know, you can ask the professor right away, right? Plus, from now on, research support funds will come in regularly every month, and they say you can view classified books in the library that regular students can’t see and borrow them for free! And also……”
Hermione particularly emphasized the financial aspects repeatedly.
According to rumors circulating in society, she had grown up under a poor single mother.
Given that, it would be quite a struggle just to arrange tuition, let alone living expenses or allowance.
Then, Hermione straightened her shoulders triumphantly and spoke confidently.
“I can finally buy all the reference books I wanted! Well…… about one book every two months freely!”
Another advantage of the teaching assistant position was receiving scholarship benefits.
For Hermione, the teaching assistant position that would reduce tuition burden while allowing her to focus on studies was literally like a dream job.
Eventually, Robespierre and Hermione reached a reddish-brown door.
The tightly closed wooden door had the name ‘Sanculotte’ carved in neat lettering.
Soon Hermione lightly knocked on the door.
Knock- knock-.
“This is Hermione from Silver Owl Class. I’ve come to receive the teaching assistant appointment letter. May I come in?”
Then heavy footsteps could be heard from beyond the door.
And then.
Creak-.
The door opened wide with an antique sound.
At the same time, Professor Sanculotte appeared with an expressionless face.
He wore his usual spotless white robe, but deep fatigue was evident on his face.
“You’ve come. Enter.”
“Hello, Professor Sanculotte!”
Hermione greeted brightly and stepped into the research office with Pierre.
The interior of the research office gave a feeling of cleanliness bordering on obsessiveness.
Perfectly arranged desks, bookshelves, and chairs.
In the compulsively white room, only the books inserted in the bookshelf showed off their colors as if alive.
Eventually Professor Sanculotte said while brewing coffee.
“Sorry, but wait a moment. The senior teaching assistant has gone to get the appointment letters.”
At the mention of senior teaching assistant, Hermione turned this way and whispered quietly.
“I hope the senior teaching assistant is a good person. Right?”
“……”
Robespierre showed an ambiguous reaction that was neither positive nor negative.
‘A bad guy would be better than a good guy.’
Then.
Thud-.
Professor Sanculotte set down coffee cups in front of the two and said.
“Since we have some time, you may ask questions if you have any.”
Then Hermione raised her hand as if she had been waiting.
“Um…… what kind of person is that senior teaching assistant?”
“Nothing to worry about. You won’t overlap that much with each other, and he’s a kind fellow. Plus there’s not much work to do.”
“Yes? Not much…… work? What do you mean……?”
Professor Sanculotte slowly picked up his coffee cup and said.
“Because I usually handle things directly myself, except for simple errands. The teaching assistant system is merely a system for the school to support students so they can focus on their studies. I think it’s absurd for professors to abuse it arbitrarily. Moreover, this is final exam preparation period. I can’t distribute grade-related work to you all. The process and results must always be fair and just.”
A smile crossed Hermione’s face.
A kind senior teaching assistant and a professor who handled most things himself.
It was truly the optimal working conditions.
Eventually, Professor Sanculotte looked at Robespierre and opened his mouth.
“However, student Pierre, I’d like to ask why you didn’t come to see me.”
“……?”
Robespierre blinked as if he didn’t understand.
Then Professor Sanculotte coughed awkwardly and continued.
“Ahem, did you forget what I said at the end of the last debate class?”
“……Hmm.”
Only then did Robespierre recall the events from the debate class a few days ago.
‘Your grade is B+. If you’re curious about the deduction factors, come to my research office after class.’
Just before ending class, Professor Sanculotte had certainly added that.
Robespierre answered in a calm tone.
“I wasn’t curious, so I didn’t go.”
“……Weren’t you curious about where and how points were deducted?”
“Yes.”
An immediate answer with no trace of hesitation.
Professor Sanculotte opened his mouth after a brief silence.
“……I see. Hmm, indeed.”
Sanculotte brought his coffee cup to his mouth.
Actually, the reason Sanculotte had told him to come was because he wanted to continue the debate personally.
‘Seek enlightenment above (上求菩提), transform beings below (下化衆生).’
Even among Lykeion Academy’s faculty, it was hard to find someone who clearly knew that passage.
But here was a student who knew a passage from an ancient document lost long ago.
Just how good was the home education he received from his family?
‘……At least much more constructive debate would have been possible than with the narrow-minded high-ranking Order officials.’
It was regrettable, but now that he had become a teaching assistant, there would be plenty of opportunities for conversation.
Professor Sanculotte nodded while planning for the future.
Then.
Creak-.
The research office door opened and a pile of papers stacked like a tower entered.
More precisely, it was a female student holding an armful of document piles.
“Professor Sanculotte! I’ve brought all the Artifact Studies documents you requested. And I got the teaching assistant appointment letters too. Oh, you must be my successors? Nice to meet you~.”
The senior teaching assistant put down the mountain of documents on the table and smiled brightly.
Cat-like slightly upturned eye corners and lips.
Stylishly groomed hair and eyebrows.
A small beauty mark dotted above her nose bridge created a mysterious charm.
Professor Sanculotte pointed to the senior teaching assistant and opened his mouth.
“Let me introduce her. Lykeion Academy Cleric Class graduating student, fourth-year Alma Chipness. She’s the senior teaching assistant who will teach you about teaching assistant duties from now on.”
Hermione bowed her head as if she had been waiting.
“Hello, senior! I’m Hermione, a first-year from Cleric Class!”
Chipness also smiled gently and placed her hand on Hermione’s shoulder.
“I’ve often heard about you. I heard you’re the first-year valedictorian? I’m so happy that such a reliable junior has joined~. And we don’t need to be so formal among ourselves. Ask me anytime if there’s something you don’t know. I think you’ll adapt quickly and do well.”
“Yes! I’ll work hard! Please take care of me!”
Hermione bowed again.
Then Chipness scratched her cheek awkwardly and laughed.
“Hey, you don’t need to be so stiff. Among teaching assistants, there’s no hierarchy.”
“No! I’ll learn a lot!”
Hermione nodded with bright, sparkling eyes.
Chipness just smiled silently and soon looked at Professor Sanculotte and continued.
“Professor, should I give you the teaching assistant appointment letters right now?”
“Yes. Let’s process them immediately.”
Eventually Professor Sanculotte held the appointment letter in one hand and drew a sacred mark at the bottom.
Following that movement, white mana flowed out and embroidered Sanculotte’s name.
It was a magical signature mainly used in official business.
Documents with magical signatures were recognized as official Lykeion Academy documents.
Soon Professor Sanculotte handed the document to Hermione.
“Here, this is the appointment letter. Well, I have a faculty meeting to attend. We’ll talk about the details later. Chipness, I’m entrusting the new teaching assistant training to you.”
“Yes, don’t worry. Today I’ll start by carefully teaching basic clerical work.”
“Good, that’s reassuring. Then I’ll go first.”
With those words, Professor Sanculotte strode out of the research office.
Watching that scene, Hermione muttered quietly.
“The professor is incredibly busy. There must be many meetings because it’s final exam season. Right, I should work hard too!”
A bright future seemed to be waiting for her.
A strict but good professor, an angel-like senior, and even a reliable peer.
Surely happy days would continue to unfold ahead.
Hermione looked at Chipness and opened her mouth in a cheerful voice.
“Senior Chipness, then what work should I start with……?”
However, Hermione soon felt that something was going wrong.
Because Chipness was glaring at her with a completely different, cold expression from before.
“You should call me Senior Teaching Assistant, not senior. Is your etiquette education completely messed up because you’re from a commoner background?”
“……What?”
Hermione blinked with a bewildered expression as if she couldn’t understand the current situation.
Regardless, Chipness sat on the table and continued speaking.
“Well, I’ll still praise you for seeking work. Though we’ll have to see how far you can go.”
“……”
Cold.
As soon as Professor Sanculotte disappeared, a suffocating tension began to hover in the research office.
Hermione had a blank expression.
Was this woman making an arrogant expression in front of her really that angel-like senior?
But whether Hermione believed it or not, Chipness continued while fiddling with her nails.
“Now, I’m going to tell you the rules you must absolutely understand. Understand them in one go. Don’t make me repeat the same thing multiple times.”
Eventually, Chipness began explaining the rules perfunctorily.
- Every day, buy fresh cream cake and royal milk tea from Sucre bakery in front of the school. The cake must be made with 100% animal-based fresh cream. Also, it must have at least one piece each of strawberry and blueberry decorated on it. Never buy cakes that include vulgar fruits like mango or guava. This is a snack for the professor, and it will be given to him after the senior teaching assistant inspects it, so absolutely submit it to the senior teaching assistant first.
- At the end of each month, offer gift certificates equivalent to 1/10 of your salary to the professor. As a token of gratitude for taking good care of us. This must also be given through the senior teaching assistant, so submit this to the senior teaching assistant as well.
- When the professor is absent, the senior teaching assistant is the professor. So conduct your words and actions with the same reverence as you would to the professor.
- When the coffee in the professor’s and senior teaching assistant’s mugs falls below half, always refill them with fresh coffee.
- During the probationary period, all salary received must be paid to the senior teaching assistant. This will be recalculated based on work done after consulting with the professor and returned.
·
·
Hermione, who had been taking notes of what Chipness was saying, soon asked in a trembling voice.
“Um…… Senior Teaching Assistant?”
“What?”
“Are all these rules matters that have been agreed upon with the professor? According to what the professor said, our work would be simple errands except……”
“Haa…… I heard you were the first-year valedictorian, but in reality you’re a girl with an empty head.”
“What?”
“Hey, first-year valedictorian. What was the third rule I mentioned?”
Hermione swallowed dry saliva and looked down at her notes.
“Ah, that…… When, when the professor is absent, the senior teaching assistant is the professor……”
“Right. But you just asked me if it was ‘agreed upon with the professor’? Is the valedictorian’s head only that much? This is disappointing.”
“……”
It was too clear circular reasoning.
But Hermione couldn’t easily refute it.
Soon Chipness brushed off her clothes and stood up from the desk.
Click-.
Her pointed shoe heels pressed down on the floor as if crushing it.
At her overbearing expression, Hermione hesitated and stepped back a little.
But Chipness approached even closer as if she had been aiming for that.
“Hey, I know kids like you too well, you know? Kids who think they’re so great just because they grabbed valedictorian once in some entrance exam, kids who can’t tell heaven from earth and act up.”
“No, no. I’ve never done that……”
“Look at this. You’re immediately insisting that my words are wrong and yours are right? Huh?”
“……”
Chipness adjusted Hermione’s collar and whispered quietly.
“But you know what? I know too well how to handle kids like you. Let’s see…… Yes, here would be good. It won’t be noticeable either.”
“What? What do you mean……?”
Eventually, Chipness pulled out a short whip about an arm’s length from inside her clothes with her other hand.
Then, without a moment’s hesitation, she swung it toward Hermione.
Crack-!
The black whip tore through the air like a snake’s tongue and struck Hermione’s chest.
“Aaah-!”
Hermione clutched her chest and collapsed.
Soon a pitch-black shadow fell over her head.
“Hmm, not bad. You have quite good impact, you.”
Chipness spun the whip around with an amused expression.
Soon Hermione looked up at Chipness while squinting one eye.
“Wh-why are you doing this?”
Chipness bent down slowly with a kind expression.
Then she gently caressed Hermione’s cheek and muttered like this.
“……Have you ever heard of ‘hazing’?”
