NOVEL WEB Chapter 87
“…What the hell.”
With an indescribable unease lingering in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but be surprised by what I was hearing from Paid’s lecture.
Paid Haberon.
This guy… is seriously good at teaching.
Of course, I didn’t really need to attend such basic lectures. When it comes to mana manipulation, I’m the best among my comrades.
I’m even confident in explaining it myself. Unlike Paulo, Kaloso, or Arisa, my ability is honed not through talent but through hard work.
In fact, Yurasia has been rapidly improving after learning from me.
But even I… can see that there are things to learn from Professor Paid’s lecture.
Not in terms of learning about mana manipulation, but learning how to teach others.
Sometimes, when Yurasia came across parts she didn’t understand, I would first make her swing a sword and punch – I mean, have sparring sessions to help her grasp the concepts.
But Professor Paid simply pointed out those aspects one by one with straightforward explanations.
“…Oh ho.”
And so, it’s interesting.
I keep thinking about how to teach Yurasia when she returns and how to overcome her stumbling blocks.
Maybe I have a knack for teaching?
As I chuckled, imagining Yurasia’s reaction to the changes in me after just a week, I suddenly noticed Pina next to me diligently taking notes. So naturally… questions about Pina popped into my head.
If she needed supplementary classes for such an easy lecture… how dense could she be?
I squinted and stealthily glanced at Pina’s neat little notes.
“…Hmm?”
Spoken in round, bubbly handwriting.
Incredibly neat.
She had the recording function turned on her device, and her notes were decorated with colorful highlights of the main concepts and parts she didn’t understand.
But what she didn’t understand is likely something that every student here could grasp without issue.
Could it be that she was taking supplementary classes because of something she couldn’t understand? What the heck?
I turned my attention back to Paid’s elegant board work.
Clear and sophisticated.
His voice is dignified, and his intonation is relaxed.
Considering the time elapsed and the content covered, it seems like he’s managing time excellently, allowing students ample time to understand and take notes.
It’s nearly a flawless lecture.
If I were to nitpick… maybe he slips in concepts that might baffle students here and there?
But that doesn’t feel out of place.
It’s more like… just letting them know such concepts exist?
He implies that it’s good to have prior knowledge of topics they will learn later.
…Was my worry unfounded?
Chew chew- Rolling the now smaller mint candy under my tongue, I rested my chin on my hand.
Still… that unpleasant feeling hadn’t dissipated.
In fact, it felt stronger than before.
Shit.
What kind of vibe is this?
I thought attending the lecture would ease my worries, but it ended up amplifying them after confirming that nothing was wrong.
Is this what they call, in contemporary terms, “answering a question you never asked”?
I’m not a kid, so why is this happening?
“…This is annoying.”
“Eek!”
Pina jumped at my mumbling and carefully looked over at me.
“Not you.”
Ugh… Slowly nodding, Pina returned her gaze to her notebook.
Scratch scratch-
With her tiny hands, Pina was diligently taking notes. The students around her, sprawled out, looked totally fine.
Everyone is putting in their best effort.
But my mood isn’t getting any better.
…Am I due for my period?
It’s around the third week… so it should be about time.
Rubbing my belly absently, I sighed.
An hour passed, and Paid’s lecture finally came to an end.
“If there’s anything you didn’t understand or found a little confusing, feel free to come to my office. If anyone wants, I also offer supplementary classes after school, so you can come leisurely.”
His tone, seemingly cold at first glance, was oddly gentle as Paid bowed.
“Today’s lecture ends here.”
And without any hesitation, he left the classroom.
Unlike Adelia, who throws strange glances, and Wivir, the chief professor who insists on continuing the lecture during breaks.
He wrapped it up very neatly and exited.
However, the students didn’t get up from their seats.
They remained silent, busy taking notes, absorbing today’s lecture.
Meanwhile, Pina put her pen down.
After taking notes diligently, she seemed to finish a step ahead of the other students.
Beaming- Pina flashed a delightful smile at me, making me feel cheerful just by looking at her.
[Today’s lecture was fun!]
“What’s fun about it? We didn’t exchange any dialogues.”
Tap tap- Hesitating while tapping her device, Pina shook her head and typed a new message.
[Just being with Lady Eliaernes is fun!]
What in the world does that even mean? But it dawned on me quickly.
Pina sees spirits.
And the spirits flock to me.
Whatever that might look like from her perspective, it must be a sight she doesn’t see every day.
So that’s why she thinks it’s fun.
I nodded and chuckled.
“Right. Just looking at my face should be amusing.”
At that, Pina’s eyes widened in surprise.
I wanted to tease her more, but I held myself back.
Zing- I felt several students in the classroom glaring at me.
Before long, they’d be complaining about my breathing too, honestly. I looked around at the students glaring daggers at me.
And then…
I sensed something eerie.
It wasn’t just me they were staring at.
Pina was also in their sights.
No, to be precise.
They were glaring at the space around Pina and me.
Above, beside, behind, on my hands, on my shoulders, and behind my back.
They weren’t looking at me; rather, they were staring at something else.
I couldn’t tell what it was, but I had a suspicion.
Spirits.
Even I, who is beloved by spirits, couldn’t see what those three students were observing.
*
I quickly took Pina and stepped out of the classroom.
Still holding onto my hand, the bewildered Pina followed me, tilting her head in confusion.
We arrived at my personal training grounds.
Handing Pina some mint chocolate milk, I asked her.
“Hey, Pina.”
Tilt?
“Are you having supplementary classes today too?”
Wide-eyed and deep in thought, Pina tapped on her device.
[No supplementary classes today!]
Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she gazed at me.
“…Really?”
[Yes! I would be very free today!]
Her brown eyes were twinkling, her cute lips were fidgeting.
Watching Pina express her desire to play with me was amusing; I chuckled at the absurdity of it all.
Well… even if she didn’t look this excited, I was going to stick around for a while anyway.
If she said she didn’t want to, I’d simply tie her up in my room. But this turned out well.
“So, shall we hang out after school today?”
Pina’s eyes widened in surprise.
Nod nod nod-
[If Lady Eliaernes wants, I would love to!]
Nodding vigorously, she eagerly showed me the hastily typed message.
“Okay, then… for today, tomorrow, and the day after. I’ll help you with your mana manipulation during these three days.”
[Yes! Thank you!]
“Oh, and I saw your timetable and noticed there’s nothing related to basic physical fitness, right? That’s not acceptable. Pina, even if you’re a rear-line fighter, basic fitness is crucial. You never know when you might need to escape if your mana runs out. Right?”
Her nods started slowing down.
“So let’s exercise together every morning. Wake up at 5 a.m., get ready, and meet me by 5:30 a.m. We could jog for about two hours, have breakfast, then head straight to class. Wouldn’t that be great?”
Now, the nodding slowed to a stop.
Pina’s face, which was just moments ago bright with happiness, turned pale.
“So you attend class, and after school, you’ll practice mana training with Stella, right?”
[Yes. Lady Stella said she would help guide me until I reach Circle 3.]
“How late do you practice with Stella?”
[Usually, after class at 5 p.m., we work until 8 p.m., then we have dinner together.]
“Oh, perfect! So after dinner, around 9 p.m., we’ll start training together. At night, I’ll teach you self-defense. What’s with that face? Learning self-defense is super useful! Better to learn it now than regret it later when trapped in a mana-sealing barrier.”
Pina’s nodding ceased.
Her previously lively tapping on the device also coming to a halt.
Trying to give her the friendliest smile possible, I continued.
“Pina. We’re friends, right?”
“Eek…”
“I really hope my friend Pina never gets hurt because she didn’t know self-defense in a potentially dangerous situation.”
“Sniffle…”
Her head finally resumed its nodding, and the smile that had faded from her pale face returned.
[As you say, Lady Eliaernes, I will follow your wishes.]
Although her response seemed unusually solemn… it was exactly what I wanted.
With difficulty suppressing a grin, I firmly held Pina’s hands.
“If we keep this up, we’ll become very special and important ‘friends’.”
Nodding vigorously, Pina’s enthusiasm returned.
With each nod, little drops of warm tears fell onto my hand.
“Of course, it’s not just you. Stella will also come out to exercise with me every morning and learn self-defense at night, too.”
While she might loathe the idea of training with Stella, it’s just something that cannot be avoided.
If she owes me, she has to match my energy.
Pina kept nodding away as I ruffled her head and got up from my seat.
“What’s the next lecture?”
[Today is the day for Understanding and Interpretation of Magic Circles A.]
I pondered if I should tag along to gauge the classroom atmosphere.
Those suspicious glances from earlier had left me uneasy.
“Pina.”
Tilt?
“Do you remember the faces of all those kids sitting in the lecture you just attended?”
Deep in thought, Pina shook her head. Then she presented her device.
[If I saw their faces again, I could remember them.]
“Then when we head to the next lecture, let’s check if there are any students from the [Mana Manipulation B] classroom.”
[Yes. Understood.]
“Take a look around and see if you can learn their names. Feel free to sneak pictures with your device.”
Pina hesitated for a moment before looking at me.
[You want me to take secret photos…?]
“Yep. Why?”
[I’m sorry to ask, but… can I inquire why you’re asking this?]
I smiled brightly, staring at Pina’s message for a moment.
“Pina, we’re friends, right?”
Suppressing her curiosity, Pina followed suit with a bright smile.
*
After the 3rd and 4th periods, as the lectures came to an end and we made our way to the dining hall.
“Oh, good day, Eliaernes student.”
Professor Paid Haberon from [Mana Manipulation B] called me over.