“Hmm~ hmm~.”
In the first year A class of the Caldera Imperial Academy, a girl named Chloe, who stood out with her remarkable magical abilities, had unexpectedly earned the title of ‘Second Place in Grade-by-Grade Duel’.
She was in a good mood today.
“…Did she eat something weird today?”
Elin, sitting next to her, found it hard to believe. Although she usually maintained a high energy level, today’s excitement seemed different.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Only after Elin asked directly did Chloe turn to face her. The two girls were sitting side by side in the middle row of the classroom, so they could easily meet each other’s gaze.
“No? I’m feeling perfectly fine!”
“…Oh, I see.”
In a normal conversation, a follow-up question such as ‘Then why are you so annoyingly excited?’ would have emerged, but Elin chose not to pursue it.
It was natural to be curious if her childhood friend, whom she had known for a long time, was acting oddly, but it wasn’t enough to warrant a lengthy conversation. Elin leaned her upper body towards the desk.
“I’m going to sleep. If the professor comes in, wake me up.”
“What? Are you sleeping again?”
“…It’s your fault.”
“Hehe, that’s true!”
Perhaps she had rolled out of bed. Elin found herself unconsciously considering whether to take Chloe to the academy’s infirmary.
‘…It can’t be anything serious.’
Having been caught in Chloe’s chitchat until dawn—mostly consisting of Chloe chattering while Elin provided vague responses—she no longer had the energy to maintain her sanity.
Even after Elin had faintly collapsed from exhaustion, Chloe had no intention of stopping her humming. Her feet began to sway back and forth, as if they recognized the excitement of their owner.
There were two reasons for her overwhelming joy.
First, today was the day of Professor Antorelli’s class.
Thinking about Professor Antorelli filled her mind with strangely fluffy imaginations, which were too complicated to explain verbally, yet Chloe found something about it to be rather enjoyable.
Moreover, it was the time for Professor Antorelli’s class, which existed only twice a week. It was rare to see Professor Antorelli, who could typically only be spotted in the professor’s office, the seminary main chapel, or occasionally during lunchtime in the cafeteria.
Additionally, if combined with his lessons on theology, it was even more special.
Twice a week—the sheer scarcity of his class days had indeed fostered such feelings.
Adding to this, the second reason why Chloe felt as if she could soar.
‘I can finally….’
Her magical accomplishments had finally begun to shine.
She had displayed an outstanding performance in the Grade-by-Grade Duel, and Chloe herself had been astonished at her talent.
In fact, she had boldly reached the finals in the Grade-by-Grade Duel against Lady Laura von Adelheit, who was called a ‘magical genius’, among all sorts of prodigies gathered at Caldera Imperial Academy.
Although that final match ended in her unbelievable defeat, it was true that she had at least once pushed the absolute top student of the first year, Laura von Adelheit, into a defensive position.
Laura von Adelheit. Not just anyone, but that Laura von Adelheit.
She was the current head of the Adelheit Ducal House, renowned as a master of magic. Having ascended to the heights of the Archmage rank, reaching the 7th circle, she had become the hero of the Empire with her groundbreaking strategies that tilted the flow of the Great War.
She was the eldest daughter of the Adelheit Ducal House, inheriting strong bloodlines and hailed as a prodigy of magic.
‘Laura von Adelheit….’
However, she had ‘nearly’ defeated her. In fact, considering her skill level, academic growth, and all other factors, it was almost equivalent to having truly beaten Laura.
This was something to be proud of. Laura was genuinely proud of this, having honed her talents discovered after a long time, and had intended to proudly hold both the title of top student and excellent student in her second year.
As if her wishes had been granted, her efforts had finally begun to shine.
‘Professor Esther helped me a lot….’
Esther Garrett, a professor from the Department of Illusion Magic who was close to Professor Antorelli and the only person Chloe felt she could truly open up to at the academy. Her assistance had played a significant role.
‘Just a bit more effort from here on out.’
Only one more step remained to transform her past efforts into results.
Chloe envisioned the three precious individuals she wanted to inform first if that time came.
‘Elin, Professor Esther, and… Professor Antorelli.’
Chloe recognized her talents, worked hard to nurture them, and had finally come close to the fruits of her labor, largely due to Professor Antorelli’s influence.
If that day were to come, she would have to share the joyful news with the seniors in the Occult Research Club, but for now…. The first ones she wanted to tell were indeed those three.
Recognizing one’s talent and cultivating it was important in many ways. Chloe hoped her heart would remain unchanged, realizing that the time her body remembered was drawing near.
‘58 minutes.’
Chloe’s gaze settled on a large wall clock hanging at the end of the room.
The clock hand surely pointed at numbers 9 and 28.
9:28 AM. And the time for Professor Antorelli’s theology class was set precisely at 9:30 AM, without a moment’s delay.
The realization that class was about to start was not just felt by Chloe. The other students sitting around her began to murmur softly.
“It looks like he’s coming soon.”
“What did we cover in the last class?”
“…Are you crazy? It’s Professor Antorelli’s class; didn’t you take notes?”
“No, I lost my notes….”
“Oh, um, good luck.”
“Everyone, be quiet!”
With the shout from an unnamed student, everyone immediately shut their mouths, almost as if synchronized. The modest noise that had filled part of the spacious classroom vanished in an instant.
Anyone observing this scene would think these were future talents who would carry forth the proud new millennium of the Empire!
Of course, the reality was somewhat different.
Based on what Professor Antorelli had announced in the last class, it was unlikely he would go straight into the lesson today.
Instead, he would address issues regarding year-end course plans, announcements regarding winter break, some things to mention about the second-year classes, and a brief discussion about the mid-term assessments.
Since this was the first year-end after the students of the Caldera Imperial Academy had entered, there were too many things to learn.
Moreover, the first-year A class students were particularly looking forward to the discussion about the mid-term assessments.
The topic of the mid-term assessments was none other than a review and Q&A session regarding the theology exam they had taken earlier.
Professor Antorelli had clearly stated, “I will not entertain any questions regarding exam results or problem explanations; that is something you’ll have to think about on your own.”
However, when the first-year students, especially those from class A, strongly demanded a review of the questions, Professor Antorelli eventually conceded and announced he would provide explanations.
While the mid-term assessments had been conducted in September, waiting three months to provide clarifications in December was indeed somewhat awkward.
‘But still, this is something!’
Students genuinely thought so.
However, due to the logistical challenges of gathering all the first-year students for an explanation in the auditorium, the solution for the professor’s exam questions would become a privilege exclusive to the first-year A class.
Other students from different sections might plead with solemn faces for notes to share, but students from the first-year A class had no intention of doing so.
Professor Antorelli’s class was a privilege for A class students.
To seek benefits from it was nothing short of shameless. The A class students, who held what one could describe as a baseless sense of superiority, would not accept this truth.
Of course, among those who thought little of it, like Chloe and Elin, or those at the top like Laura, it would be favorable if they could just hear it.
‘29 minutes….’
As students filled with expectation opened their notebooks and completed their preparations for note-taking, time quietly flowed by.
Chloe, who had finished preparing to take notes well in advance, found her gaze fixed on the wall clock before she suddenly turned to Elin sitting next to her.
“Elin…! It’s about to….”
“…What’s up?”
“…Oh, never mind.”
Every time this hour came, Elin would rise like a ghost and finish her preparations for class, and once again, all Chloe could do was shake her head in disbelief.
Thus, a minute filled with the hopes and wishes of all students flowed like 60 minutes.
– Clunk.
At last, the front door of the classroom opened. The students’ eyes naturally turned toward it.
Standing at the front door of the classroom was a man, Professor Lucio Antorelli.
To put it simply, yes.
His appearance was somewhat unusual.
What was unusual, you ask? Upon a careful examination, there were only a few differences from his usual self.
Professor Antorelli was holding a bundle of paper in his hand. A large amount of paper wrapped in thin, transparent plastic that occupied one whole arm.
Unlike ordinary paper, it seemed to have a slight shine and looked like it was made of unusual materials, yet it was indeed paper. There was nothing strange about that.
The truly strange part was his face.
To be precise, it was his expression.
His brows slightly furrowed, eyes shimmering more sharply than usual as he scanned the students one by one, tension appearing in his jaw.
‘Is he… angry…?’
It looked as though he was indeed upset. Chloe and a few other students tilted their heads in confusion upon noticing this.
He silently scanned each student for a moment and then entered the classroom with his usual rhythmic steps.
– Stomp. Stomp.
Professor Antorelli, whose footsteps echoed on the podium, finally opened his mouth to address the thirty-two students staring at him with bated breath.
“Good to see you all.”
Unlike usual, the atmosphere felt a bit stifling…
Thus began the class.
