SRS 41

They bowed to Yohan and his friends.

“Ugh… we’re sorry! We’ll apologize on his behalf! We’re really sorry!”

“Professor Menoua, you apologize too!”

“Look at that… he’s very sorry… so terribly sorry…”

They bowed in apology, then grabbed Professor Menoua’s head and pushed it down, forcing him to bow as well. The way they apologized for him while blocking the deranged professor’s mouth and dragging him back was a testament of how many times they had dealt with situations like before. The first-years stared at them, dumbfounded.

…He was acting like a maniac just a moment ago, but he feels less scary now.

They’re subduing a professor like that. Who are they…?

They looked at the upperclassmen with a mixture of awe and fear. Thinking they were being misunderstood, the unfamiliar upperclassmen awkwardly apologized again.

“We’re really sorry. If today causes any problems, please come to Professor Menoua’s private research room! He’ll be sane by then!”

They bowed once more and walked off, hauling away the unhinged professor.

“Good grief, professor. When will you fix the habit of attacking the dorm whenever you drink?”

“Mmphh!”

“No, even if you do that, they’re not going to become professors. That whole thing is an illusion, an illusion.”

“Mmph!”

“Why did I choose Cursed Arts as my major… why am I stuck with this cleanup duty…”

“Taratul, once we’re back, check the fifth-year entry list for the commercial district. I’m sure one of them was the one who bribed him.”

Yohan and his friends watched them disappear with vacant, spellbound expressions. None of them could speak. They were just stunned.

Once the suspicious students and the insane professor were finally far enough away that even their shadows were gone, Isaac and Melek came running with what seemed like every remaining first-years in tow.

“Ha, ha! You didn’t wait too long, right?! We’re he… Wait. What? It’s over?”

Their urgent sprint ended in a screeching stop as they looked around. Anyone could see the situation was already resolved, and seeing their confused faces made Yohan feel guilty even though none of it was his fault. He hurried to explain what happened.

“What? Professor Menoua attacked, you barely pushed him out, and then other students showed up and dragged him away?”

That was exactly right. When Yohan nodded, the other dorm students, who had been running at full speed thinking it was a dire emergency, fell to the ground in defeat.

“Thank you for coming.”

“Seriously! We didn’t think you’d actually come help…!”

“We won’t forget this!”

The East Tower students were delighted that the first-year bond had been upheld, and they fussed over the ones who had come running. The smiles on their faces made the others feel a little proud too, and they laughed weakly.

A crisis that could’ve turned into resentment had instead strengthened their camaraderie. Naturally, the topic shifted toward bragging about how they survived the professor’s attack like it was some heroic tale. Eventually, the conversation turned toward the mysterious upperclassmen who appeared at the end.

“But who were those people?”

“They looked like upperclassmen.”

“Maybe fifth-years. They told someone to check the fifth-year entry list earlier.”

“The top year…!”

“…So once you’re a fifth-year, you can even pin down a professor like that?”

“…That’s terrifying.”

Shocked by the upperclassmen who handled a professor so effortlessly, the students stuck out their tongues and began worrying whether they would end up like that one day.

Meanwhile, Suhyeok and Yohan furrowed their brows for completely different reasons.

“…So if you give Professor Menoua wine, he gives you a commercial district entry pass?”

Suhyeok’s eyes sparkled as he latched onto the one cunning detail everyone else ignored.

“…And what did the fifth-years mean by saying we’re not going to become professors even if Professor Menoua did that?”

Yohan shuddered, rubbing his arms as the upperclassmen’s scolding echoed in his ears.

Then, he suddenly remembered the angel professor’s words. The day that professor had told him he had the makings of a professor, it was imperceptible but he looked a little happy.

Why had he been happy?

He had never struck Yohan as someone who felt pride in raising future faculty.

Feeling restless, Yohan furrowed his brows, lost in thought. His friends patted his back in concern, but he didn’t respond, too caught up in unraveling the thoughts in his head.

“…Professor… becoming a professor…”

And there were still more questions.

Why were all the professors in Fantasiademia unhinged?

At first, he thought the academy was just insane and hired insane people. But what if that wasn’t it?

What if the professors had originally been normal, and something in Fantasiademia changed them in what they are now.

What if something in this place was making professors lose their sanity?

Each new hypothesis made Yohan’s skin crawl. Cold sweat dampened his forehead as he bit his lip.

Then another thing occurred to him, that one conversation in the headmaster’s office.

Hadn’t the headmaster said he became headmaster because he lost at rock-paper-scissors?

He hadn’t wanted to become Fantasiademia’s headmaster in the first place. That meant the headmaster hadn’t taken the position willingly.

And if the professors were in a similar state…If they hadn’t wanted to become professors either…If that was why they were so desperate to pass their positions on…

‘Little lamb. You have the potential to become a professor.’

A shiver ran down Yohan’s spine.

His nape prickled, it felt like a murder warning. His face drained of color, and Suhyeok became even more worried. .

“Yohan. Are you really fine? You haven’t responded to anything for a while.”

Yohan had always been pale, but now his complexion had gone all the way to a sickly gray. When Suhyeok leaned closer with concern, Yohan slowly nodded.

“…I’m fine.”

Nothing was certain yet. It was all just speculation. Telling himself not to overthink it, Yohan shook off the ominous feeling. He frowned as he remembered the small egg in his drawer.

He definitely wasn’t going to open that drawer again.

Because of today’s questions, the headmaster’s smiling face—when he’d said Fantasiademia’s divine beast had chosen its master—suddenly felt unlucky and frightening. Steeling his resolve, Yohan pushed himself up and dusted off his clothes.

“I just washed, and now I’m a mess again.”

Thanks to Professor Menoua’s chaos, everyone was covered in dirt. The sight made them laugh, and they finally disbanded. After parting with the students from the other towers, Yohan returned to the dorm and showered again.

“…I’m exhausted.”

Fresh from the shower, Suhyeok was sprawled on his bed, mumbling tiredly. Facing Professor Menoua’s pressure at a close range must have taken a toll on him; he even looked a little haggard than in the morning.

It was unfortunate, but Yohan had to admit that Suhyeok had finally run out of energy and gone quiet. However, doing his duty as a friend, Yohan used a blessing on the two exhausted students.

“You need one too?”

He asked Mikael just in case. The young man shook his head.

Yohan wasn’t convinced and examined his face carefully.

“You used an incantation earlier too. Wouldn’t a blessing help you recover faster?”

“I’m fine. I only chant when the spell is big. What about you, Yohan? You were praying for a long time.”

“Mm…”

It was true, he had used far more divine power than usual today. His concern backfired instantly. Yohan cleared his throat, opening and closing his fist.

“I’m not drained yet.”

“Then that’s good.”

“Yes.”

He heard gentle breathing sounds coming from beside him. After confirming Suhyeok was asleep, Yohan, thinking the quiet dormitory would be a good environment for studying, opened his Spirit Studies textbook.

“I’ll go train for a bit.”

Kylus left with his sword. Yohan returned to reading until Mikael slowly approached him.

“You’re working hard.”

“I’m just human. Because of my race, I have less natural affinity with spirits than others. If I want to make up for that, I have to put in the work.”

“Is that why you chose Spirit Studies?”

“…I need a way to defend myself if I can’t use divine power.”

“Ah. That’s smart.”

Mikael nodded in understanding.

“That’s why you took Herbology too?”

“Yes.”

“So you didn’t pick multiple majors without thinking. I thought you were making a foolish choice, but I was wrong.”

“…What do you even think of me?”

Taken aback by Mikael’s assessment, Yohan looked up, only to find Mikael had been looking down at him from the start. Yohan flinched slightly and cleared his throat.

“You think I’m strange too.”

Mikael whispered. Sitting on the desk and leaning down, his hair brushed Yohan’s ear. The soft rustle made it tickle. Yohan tucked his own hair behind his ear and replied:

“I don’t think you’re strange.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You’re not strange because of what I think. You’re just strange.”

“……”

Mikael fell silent.

Yohan stared at him until Mikael blinked in confusion, then he laughed.

Surprised, Yohan blinked, but since Mikael genuinely seemed amused, he let it be and returned to studying.

He didn’t get far.

Bang Bang Bang Bang!

The rude pounding shattered his concentration.

“…What?”

Half-asleep, Suhyeok immediately sat up. Yohan went to the door for him and opened it.

Their neighbor, Melek, was grinning ear to ear.

“Did you hear? As a reward for protecting the dorm, we got entry passes to the commercial district!”

Yohan and Suhyeok’s eyes widened at his triumphant announcement.