Chapter 45

Anyone can be a professor (3)

Late at night. The darkness of the northern forest is not so kind to intruders.

The wild animals roaming around in the forest as if it were their home may be a space as familiar to Ed as the front yard but it is very unfamiliar to Claire.

Claire followed Ed patiently freaking out every time he stumbled or heard a rustling sound in the grass.

In the end the end of the trail was reached at Ed’s camp.

No it has already surpassed the scale that can be called a camp. At this point the expression should be changed to a hideout.

‘this... What is this all about... !’

Smoke flows out of the chimney of a beautifully designed cabin.

Smokers drying tables work tables tool organizers etc. are lined up around the campfire in the front yard of the cabin and there is a fairly sturdy looking wooden rest area in one corner.

A hammock made of netting is hanging from a tree on the right side of the cabin and a large amount of firewood is piled up in a makeshift storage made from nailed plywood. Pre-made blocks of different sizes are leaning against the wall of the hut.

hideout... To say that it feels like it has a bit of a scent of life in it. Claire was dumbfounded hiding behind a tree.

Ed set the fawn’s body down near the campfire and roughly tossed Lucy into the wooden shelter. Then she straightened her rolled-up skirt threw a leather bag containing some beef jerky around and sat down by the fire to begin trimming the wood.

‘Did I faint...? ? Even if Lucy was a student known for being lazy there was no way she would fall asleep in a situation like this... !’

Claire doesn’t know Lucy’s true power which allows her to remain asleep in this situation.

At first glance it looks like he forcibly knocked Lucy unconscious and then kidnapped her to his hideout.

‘I overpowered that Lucy student... ?’

Lucy completely unconscious is stuck in the corner of the shelter and does not move.

“... Oh by the way I guess I had an appointment early tomorrow morning.”

Suddenly Ed’s words to himself rang softly.

“... I have a lot of work to do but I think I’ll go to bed early today to take care of my physical strength. hmm... .”

Ed muttered that and quickly finished the work he was doing and turned off the camp fire.

The front yard of the cabin became dark with only the residual fire remaining.

Ed grabbed some cloth to use as a blanket and went into the cabin.

A soft flame leaked out from beyond the glassless window. It was not difficult to imagine Ed lying down on a bed near the stove inside the cabin.

‘We have to save student Lucy...’ !’

I don’t know the exact circumstances. Still we can’t leave and leave Lucy who was caught in a place like this unattended.

Claire is a professor after all. Although actual combat magic is not my major it is nothing compared to being a student.

Still you must not let down your guard. First of all it doesn’t make sense for Claire who is weak at first glance to physically attack Ed and push him down and even leaving that aside... There is no way to know what kind of secret the opponent who overpowered Lucy might have hidden.

It is best to approach the camp as cautiously as possible and leave the camp with only the fainted Lucy.

As you can tell just by looking at Lucy she is as light as a feather. Even if he doesn’t use magical power too much he can easily drag Claire out on his own.

Claire swallowed dry saliva lowered her posture and slowly approached the camp.

I was nervous because I didn’t know when the cabin door would burst open and Ed would come out.

In order to preemptively respond to unexpected situations I concentrated all my attention on my magical senses.

As I slowly holding my breath made my way to the wooden rest area I saw Lucy lying on her stomach exhaling like a baby.

‘Slowly... as quietly as possible... !’

It was the moment when I lowered my posture and extended both hands towards Lucy.

– Whiik!

– Tak!

It was like a split second.

Lucy’s eyes suddenly widened and she quickly swung her magical power and threw away Claire’s hand.

“What?!”

Claire let out a short scream in embarrassment.

Lucy was also startled so she grabbed the witch’s hat put it on her head and ran to the fire to increase the distance.

He lowered his posture and looked up at Claire with cold eyes.

It doesn’t look friendly to anyone.

roo... Lucy student... ?”

who?

If we were to compare Lucy to a stray cat it would also be consistent in the fact that she never touches humans.

Its keen senses are also similar to that of a wild animal allowing it to quickly detect unauthorized contact no matter how asleep it is.

However it was so bad that I couldn’t recognize the face of Claire the assistant professor in charge of the grade. It can be said that she is like Lucy who lives with her own flow.

“I.. that.. student Lucy... !”

Before Claire could say anything more Lucy moved with her characteristic quick movements grabbed the bag of beef jerky from the wooden shelter and disappeared.

She was so agile that when she came to her senses only a few gently blowing leaves remained where Lucy had disappeared.

“... ”

The camp became quiet again and there was only silence.

‘... Let’s go back first.’

I don’t think Edgar noticed Claire’s presence. She didn’t know what it was but it seemed clear that Ed was a very suspicious student so she just wanted to confirm that.

I’m sure I’ve caught a clue. Interrogating Ed comes after securing solid evidence.

Until then let’s approach the nitty-gritty slowly and cautiously.

Claire thought about that and nodded once.

‘anyway... Except for Lucy no one knows that I entered this forest! ‘No one will know for a while!’

*

“I heard that Assistant Professor Claire went to the northern forest yesterday. Did you meet him by any chance? Ed?”

huh? okay? “I didn’t really meet him.”

“... okay?

The next morning.

We met in front of the Yenika and Student Square quite early.

The wooden benches surrounding the magnificent fountain were empty. This is because it is still so early that there is fog.

It was time for other students to be in bed rubbing their eyes somehow putting off the start of the day.

“Why did you stop by the northern forest? “Haven’t you heard anything else Yenika?”

“Umm... Well... That’s what I heard too... ”

When I heard it was Claire I felt uneasy for no reason.

Although he didn’t have much importance he was a character who had a place in the scenario and he was very curious and had a tendency to wander around.

What I saw in Phase 2 of the Glast Battle was... It was definitely nothing more and nothing less. The boss difficulty was so easy that I could just pass by it.

However something worth noting... The point is that he actively participates in Professor Glast’s operation to steal the Sage’s seal.

Assistant Professor Claire was not a professor with any significant moral flaws and was a person so disgusting that he would quit the class when he was called Professor Glast in the first place.

It was quite surprising that Assistant Professor Claire participated in Professor Glast’s plan of her own volition rather than through threats or trickery.

Although it is said in the official history that he only followed the instructions of his advisor... I felt like the reason was somewhat weak.

“Well maybe you had to stop by for school work? “She was worried that Ed might think she was living in the forest.”

“In the first place the forest is almost neglected because it is difficult to manage even in the academy... “As long as you don’t do anything that stands out too much there won’t be any unnecessary harm.”

“Yes Ed is right.”

Yenika smiled and nodded.

“I’m sorry for calling you out so early in the morning Ed. Clara and Anis were trying to tell me not to go out shooting late at night... “I was so angry because I kept being late to check the number of people in the DEX building.”

but... There is a long distance between the camp and Dex Hall. “It must have been a bit difficult for you who often stops by the northern forest.”

“You mean that Ed... ”

Yenika suddenly lowered her head brushed her bangs and spoke as if she were embarrassed.

“My I and I go to camp together every day... Keep it as secret as possible from other kids... ”

huh? “Do you really need it?”

that... What should I say... I’m a little embarrassed to say it with my own mouth... “I have a lot of friends.”

It’s embarrassing and natural.

This is Yenika the 2nd year senior and hopeful. When she walks around the campus she gets tired just from answering each and every child that greets her.

“It’s like home to Ed so I feel really sorry if it gets crowded because of me. lol.

is it?

“If possible let’s just keep it to ourselves okay? “What’s the point of having more people coming in and out of the camp?”

If you think about it all such gazes are a burden to Yenika who was born with sincerity.

He’s expressing sorry for me but the truth is he probably needs his own resting place.

“To begin with I’m still not well-received within the academy... “There won’t be a situation like that you’re worried about right?”

“But these days it seems like such rumors have decreased a lot. “Ed lives a quiet life just doing his own thing and there are a lot of internal and external things going on.”

Jenica tugged at the shawl she had wrapped around her shoulders and started shaking it then suddenly came to her senses.

“Anyway get to the point! Get to the point! “There’s a reason why we made an appointment today!”

“Oh yeah.”

Professor Glast let out a bitter laugh as he thought about such things that others might see as trivial. I wonder if it has become so easy to eat and live that I no longer have to worry about being full.

In any case Glast’s own role became clear.

In a world full of trash I am discovering the shining gems of talent and advancing the history of my world.

No matter what field it is a brilliant talent accelerates the progress of the world.

– Bang!

It was his student and new assistant professor Claire Elphin who broke the silence in the lab.

“Professor Glast!”

“Aren’t you going to knock?”

“Sorry I was in a hurry!”

Claire went out and closed the door again and knocked. Professor Glast sighed heavily.

“Okay come in.”

yes!

Claire came striding in clutching a file and a crystal ball and dumping them on Professor Glast’s desk.

“I have something to report! Professor Glast! This is a really big deal! “Prepare for a surprise!”

“... ”

“Ed Rosstaylor! Do you know the student called Ed because he was excommunicated?!”

“I don’t remember the names of all the talentless trash.”

“You’re saying such harsh things again! Just listen!”

Claire made a fuss slamming Professor Glast’s desk.

“You know Lucy?! Lucy! “Lucy Mayril the student Professor Glast really cares about!”

“... ”

“That Lucy student was so overwhelmed by Ed that she couldn’t even use her strength?! No I mean... I was investigating the occupation of the Ofilis Building because it was suspicious and I witnessed it... No before that let me explain why I went to the northern forest... ”

“There is absolutely no rambling in the story Assistant Professor Claire.”

There were a lot of things I wanted to say but I was so excited that I couldn’t organize the story. Seeing an assistant professor who had to lecture in front of students doing that made Glast feel like he was going to sigh again.

“So I... Anyway anyway you used the ‘Salt Record Magic’ on the first floor of the Ofilis Building?!”

“Yeomsa record magic? “Have you received permission to study?”

“Of course I didn’t get it! I just brought the magic engineering supplies for dyeing after giving it to the department in charge! Wow the professorship is great! Even if you do something like this you won’t even be suspected! “I couldn’t even dream of it before I got my degree!”

“... .”

Salt record magic is a part of reenactment magic that allows you to relive something that happened in the past at that location.

Magic that deals with time consumes a very large amount of magical power unless it borrows from the theory of aspect magic which has not yet been studied.

Most of the time it is done using magical engineering products made by great wizards and in some cases such magical engineering products are equivalent to the price of a single building.

It is a fairly expensive product and its operation is complex so it must be used officially after obtaining permission from the academic administration. However Claire took advantage of her authority as a professor and used the equipment as she pleased.

Although it is not an item that wears out with use it was a clear abuse of power.

“Get ready to write your final letter.”

“I knew that would happen so I wrote it down in advance!”

“Is that bragging?”

“But there are probably extenuating circumstances! “Look at this!”

Claire held up the crystal ball where her dark past was recorded.

“The academic investigators didn’t even bother to use salt-recording magic during the investigation! When I wondered why I realized that the circumstances of the maid Alice’s confession were very clear and all the testimonies at the scene were consistent... “In the first place the scope of salt recording magic is too narrow right?”

Claire did not stop speaking as she poured magic power into the crystal ball.

“It would be too inefficient to cover every part of Ofilis Hall with a magical engineering product that has complex procedures and complex activations so we didn’t expand the investigation process to that point! There was no need for that! “It’s like your belly button is getting bigger than your stomach!”

so?

“But I don’t know... Based on Tailie’s testimony that she met and fought Ed on the first floor I only dyed the first floor central hall! “The procedure is so complicated that I just cut it short!”

Even if you are an insider there are degrees. Professor Claire’s behavior of being honest when her intuition cries out is truly disgusting.

If Professor Glast raised an issue it could have been brought to the disciplinary committee right away... Glast was not a great person worthy of that. Right now there is a shortage of internal manpower at the university.

so?

“Look at this! Ed student was captured! “The preservation period is short so I brought it quickly!”

That scene was the moment when Ed sat alone in the first floor concourse and greeted Tailly. At first glance it looks like a still photo but when you look at the raindrops hitting the window it is clearly a moving scene.

“Look at this! “It’s completely dark right?”

“... ”

“I am in darkness... ! Can you see me holding my form like that?”

“... ”

Professor Glast wiped his face once and looked straight at Assistant Professor Claire.

“... Is this all?”

yes?

“I asked why you were so confident that you just kicked in the door with this?”

“No that... As I mentioned roughly I saw Ed passing by while lifting up the unconscious student Lucy... ”

“Lucy Mayril has a lazy nature so she falls asleep whenever she can and once she falls asleep she rarely wakes up. “Wasn’t she just moving Lucy May Lil who was sleeping?”

Unfortunately that was the correct answer.

“But when I approached him he clearly overreacted... !”

“I’m not just doing this to you. This is Lucy Mayril’s typical reaction when something is touched in her sleep. Paradoxically this proves that it was true that he was sleeping.”

“... ah! In addition student Ed set up a hideout in the northern forest and conducted survival activities... ”

“Can you explain what that has to do with the occupation of Ofilis Hall...? ?”

uh... that... I... ”

Professor Glast sighed.

“... Assistant Professor Claire. “I tell you this but you have a tendency to trust only your intuition and proceed too thoughtlessly.”

There was nothing more to refute.

Ed was certainly a suspicious student but there was no physical evidence to speak of.

Ed has already completed his testimony regarding the occupation of Ofilis Hall. Although the records are somewhat vague in the data files the circumstances themselves can be ascertained.

The reason Ed went to Ofilis Hall was because he had a personal appointment with Yenika. He had an appointment to meet in the rose garden in front of him and Jenica confirmed that fact.

Then something seemed to have happened in the Ofilis building so I went into the building to check on the situation and decided that the building was now in a dangerous situation.

That’s why they blocked Taily’s group from trying to force their way into the building. Of course Ed’s attempts to dissuade him fail.

I stopped my junior from entering a dangerous place. This is such an amazing senior. At least that’s the case if you look at the testimony.

Putting aside Ed’s usual behavior there is nothing worth criticizing in the testimony itself. I have a lot of heartache but that is a completely separate issue.

“Assistant Professor Claire please think differently between mental evidence and physical evidence.”

“Ugh... Sorry... ”

Finally Claire who was speechless lowered her head.

“Please bring a letter.”

yes... ”

I sighed when I saw Assistant Professor Claire leaving the lab her excitement disappearing and her appearance showing signs of intimidation.

Professor Glast sat down again and organized all the files.

And finally when I looked to sort out the crystal ball that Professor Claire had brought I saw that Ed had stood up from his seat in the salt temple. It looked like a battle was in progress.

Formerly Ed Rosstaylor. His current name is Ed.

Looking at what Professor Glast does not remember he is a person who was not born with any significant talent.

Even at first glance the total amount of magical power appears to be low and the level of magic used does not appear to be high.

Humans are scattered everywhere and can be easily found. He has no talent.

Standing in front of Tailly Elvira Ayla with such qualities is not courage but rather arrogance.

It was also written in the data file. Ed tried to block Tailley and his group but they were quickly broken through.

That’s the way everything is in the world. Nothing can be solved by will alone.

Professor Glast is a professor in charge of the Ministry of Magic. He had also taken a look at the students of the Combat Department and the Pension Department.

Although we do not have direct evaluation authority we have clearly confirmed that several people are naturally gifted.

Elvira is gifted with the sword saint’s sword and has natural insight as a Taily alchemist.

Is there any way that an ordinary human being could stop those two?

With that thought in mind Glast looked into the crystal ball.

It was to confirm once again the talents of Taily and Elvira.

Glast is a person who aims to identify talents that are like shining gemstones and determine their value.

“Hoo... ”

Professor Glast watched the battle between Ed and Tailley for a long time.

“... .”

After a while Professor Glast rested his chin and fell into thought.

I didn’t move for a long time immersed in deep deep thoughts.