I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

Students, staring intently at the old-fashioned blackboard, moved their wrists as if performing a dazzling sword dance.

-Ugh…!! I wrote it, but I can’t read it at all!!
-Be quiet, I’ll show you later.

Among them, only Yoon Iseul calmly read the contents on the blackboard, leaving the note-taking to her shadow.

“I’ll end today’s lecture here.”

As soon as I made the announcement, the students’ hands moved even faster than before. They probably thought, as usual, that I would erase the blackboard and leave.

“The assignment is due at the start of Friday’s lecture. Baek Hana.”
“Yes, Professor?”

The fluffy white furball, which had grown significantly recently, perked up its head and looked at me.

“Before you leave the lecture hall, please erase the blackboard.”
“Huh? Oh, yes, yes!!”

Baek Hana’s face showed a bit of surprise.

Not only her, but the other students who were busy taking notes also looked at me with wide eyes, as if they had witnessed a miracle.

‘I’ve been tightening the leash, so it’s time to loosen it a bit.’

And as they felt a sense of freedom from the vanished leash,

I would tighten a new, stronger leash around their necks.

The only difference this time was that instead of expelling them, I planned to create a more rigorous environment for their field training. With a priest and an alchemist in the group, they should be able to mimic a small-scale raiding party.

-Uuuuhhhh…!!
-What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly shaking and acting weird?
-No, I suddenly felt a chill…

Despite being the only tank, Lim Gyeong-su, who still couldn’t fulfill his role properly, stopped taking notes and rubbed his arms. I gathered my things and left the lecture hall.

Clunk.

“Professor…”

Unlike usual, Na Yeon-ju’s voice was unusually timid, so I stopped and turned around. But the one who had been peeking out from behind the door quickly walked up to me and stood in front of me, saying,

“Th-thank you…”
“You’re welcome.”

Although Claire had mentioned leaving the fairy with Yesol yesterday, she was indeed a woman who handled matters swiftly.

“I hired you, so if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask me.”
“Yes, yes…”

As I nodded once, intending to turn around,

“Ah…”

Na Yeon-ju’s body trembled as if she had expected something and was now disappointed.

“Do you have something else to say?”
“Ah, no, that’s not it…”

She bowed her head and glanced at my hand, her hands clasped together at her lower abdomen, fidgeting nervously like a child asking for something.

Although the person herself seemed to lack the courage to speak up, it wasn’t difficult for me to guess what she wanted based on her subtle actions.

Thump.

“Ah…”

When I placed my hand on her head, she trembled slightly and then leaned into my hand, making it easier for me to pet her.

“I’ll take care of lunch.”
“Yes, yes… Hehehe.”

Finally satisfied, she smiled and bowed before scurrying back into the lecture hall.

‘It’s not a matter of affection.’

Although she didn’t grow up in the hands of her biological parents due to her personal circumstances, she had received more than enough affection from the other priests.

‘I don’t know.’

The only certainty was that the feelings she harbored towards me were not romantic in nature.

If she could feel satisfied and fulfilled just by having her head patted, there was no reason to refuse. Moreover, it was the quickest and most peaceful way to calm her down without disrupting the atmosphere.

Drip, drip, drip—

The rain, which had started early in the morning, showed no signs of letting up as noon approached, soaking the earth that was hunkering down in preparation for spring.

“Huff!! Oh, hello…”
“You’ve worked hard on your lecture!!”

As I entered the main building with the umbrella Claire had prepared, the instructors and professors in the lobby greeted me respectfully.

I nodded once in acknowledgment and headed towards the elevator.

Ding.

After getting off the elevator, I walked down the hallway and opened the door to the research room with the nameplate that read ‘Jayden’.

“Oh, you’re here.”

The guy who had been sitting at the desk and operating a tablet stood up and naturally headed towards the pantry. Soon, he returned with a cup of instant coffee.

“I adjusted the ratio a bit, so I hope it suits your taste.”

He placed the cup on the sofa in front of me and sat down across from me.

“It’s better than the last time.”
“Huff, it’s worth all the taste tests I did.”
“You have time on your hands.”
“Hmph! That’s not possible.”

He made a face that seemed to irritate me, but he quickly stiffened and shook his head.

“I squeezed in practice time during my nonexistent free time. I’m serious.”

Although I didn’t intend to interrogate him, his words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

“Do whatever you want with your time, but get to the point before I throw you out. What happened at dawn today?”

“Hmph, my master contacted me early this morning.”

Sean Connery.

The master of the Clock Tower and Jayden’s mentor.

“About ten months?”
“It’s probably been around that long.”

After investigating the crystal and the crack it created, the one who had disappeared without a trace reappeared.

“So.”
“Professor… He asked about you, starting from the most recent events and gradually going back.”

The closing ceremony party.

The duel with Ben Stiller.

And other events within the Academy that weren’t publicly known.

“How much did you tell him?”
“He told me to answer everything without hiding anything, so I blabbed about the summer festival and the barrier.”
“What was his reaction?”
“He didn’t show any particular reaction. And he said to inform him if you have any external schedules, especially if you need to enter the crack.”

The guy narrowed his eyes and sighed softly.

“It smells really fishy. If you know anything, could you share it with me?”
“Nothing has been confirmed yet.”

I don’t trust him.

To be precise, I don’t trust his insatiable thirst for knowledge.

‘I’ll respect whatever choice you make.’

However, every choice comes with responsibility.

I have no intention of giving him a second chance.

The will I imprinted in his heart will explode his heart if he ever harbors negative feelings towards me.

In other words, the fact that he’s still alive means he hasn’t harbored any negative feelings towards me. But a recent event I heard from Claire has shaken this assumption.

The disappearance of children between the ages of 10 and 14.

And heart extraction.

Coincidentally, the physical age of Sean Connery, who became younger after obtaining an opportunity from the gate, is very close to that of the missing children.

Is this just a coincidence?

‘Whether it’s a coincidence or not, it doesn’t matter much to me.’

To me, he’s just a convenient tool, and his absence wouldn’t make much difference.

If I had to wish for something, it would be for him to act as a trap to catch the rats hiding in the shadows.

“I’ll let you know if I find out anything.”
“I understand.”
“And at the end of this year, tell him that I’m going to meet the Eternal Witch.”
“The Eternal Witch…”

The guy stroked his chin, deep in thought, and then said,

“Oh, I heard about it from Professor Yoon Do-sik. He said he had scheduled it nine years ago.” “I heard it from Yoon Do-sik.”
“Huh? Oh, yes…”

The guy, who seemed about to blabber about the Eternal Witch, suddenly avoided my gaze and closed his mouth.

I took out my smartphone and pressed the name of the one registered in my sparse contacts list.

And precisely when the ringtone sounded twice.

-I’ve received the call. This is Kim Sung-won from the finance department.

The guy answered the call with a lively voice.

“I clearly told you not to tell anyone about anything related to me.”

-Huh? Of course!! I swear, in the nine years I’ve served you, I’ve never once told anyone about the matters you instructed me to keep secret!!

“How did Yoon Do-sik know about the schedule with the Eternal Witch?”

-The Eternal Witch…

The guy, who seemed confident about his innocence, suddenly fell silent.

And the silence continued.

“Kim Sung-won.”

-I’m, I’m sorry!! Th, that human, Yoon Do-sik, during the vacation period, I, I drank soju at his house, and… I think I slipped up then…

“You must have had a great time.”

-Ah, th, that, that…

“Well, it’s not a secret worth hiding, so it doesn’t matter.”

-Huff…!!

A sigh of relief, perhaps.

A heavy sound came from the speaker, probably because his legs gave out and he sat down on the floor. But as I said before, I have no intention of giving him a second chance.

“When you drink, your mouth becomes loose.”

-Professor…!!

“Pray for your past self, so you don’t say what you shouldn’t.”

After ending the call with the guy,

“Professor.”
“What is it?”
“Is there a spell to erase memories?”
“I know a way to make someone an idiot.”
“Oh, no, it’s not that…”

His already pale skin turned even whiter, and he said with a determined look,

“From today onwards, I’ll quit drinking—”
“Jayden.”
“Yes?”

I pointed to the door of the research room, looking at the guy who was staring at me tensely.

“Shut up and go get Yoon Do-sik.”

“Yes…”