At the Imperial Academy, the most popular general education courses outside of one’s major usually include Imperial History, Theology, or Social Etiquette. It’s always recommended for the upper class to have a strong grasp of these subjects, so it’s better to solidify one’s knowledge while at the Academy.
On the flip side, based on personal preferences, courses in weapon skills, magic, or engineering are also quite popular. Surprisingly, courses related to the arts also hold a decent appeal. Even if it isn’t enough to major in, there’s no harm in having some familiarity with music or literature, and since there’s enjoyment in learning them, many pick these courses surprisingly often.
However, amidst these arts-related courses, the Art Department’s offerings generally have the least appeal. Specifically, this semester’s Understanding Art class seemed neither practical nor interesting, typically standing on the verge of being canceled.
“The room’s already packed.”
“Should we just stand at the back and listen?”
“I didn’t want to hear it that badly…”
Despite the chatter, the Understanding Art classroom was already packed with both returning students and freshmen. Latecomers clicked their tongues, grumbling as they found no seats, but ultimately settled at the back without protest.
“Who would’ve thought the Third Prince and Lady Bluewell would attend this class?”
“Not just them; even Young Master Kyle from the household of Count Prious is here.”
“Really? I see them sitting right at the front. But who’s that beside him?”
Next to Kyle, the heir of the northern wall, sat a man with sky-blue hair. Considering his esteemed position, he wouldn’t just let any ordinary noble sit beside him, so this was someone of considerable renown, yet his face was unknown. As curiosity about his identity grew among students who should’ve easily recognized any noble of the Empire, someone finally shouted,
“It’s the Second Prince Adrian Belmont from the Kingdom of Sylvania!”
The classroom buzzed as recognition sparked. Despite not being from the Empire, the presence of a prince from a kingdom attending this class caught everyone off guard. With the Academy’s notable four students gathered here, attending Understanding Art became a must, regardless of interest. Even the slightest connection with one of them would render the course invaluable.
Creak.
In this unusual, overflowing Understanding Art classroom, the front door opened, admitting a young man. With curly blonde hair and glasses, his intellectual appearance captured the attention of the students, effectively calming the slightly noisy atmosphere. It was none other than Rupert Somerset, the Art Department’s new professor.
“It’s more crowded than anticipated. Since I introduced myself yesterday, there’s no need to do it again, right?”
Rupert greeted the students lightly, but no response came. It felt like a silent defiance, a refusal by the students to acknowledge Rupert as a professor. However,
“Yes.”
The answer came from the front row. Attention turned to those who answered, revealing the unexpected respondents— the Academy’s four notable new students. The Third Prince Edric Bell, who responded earnestly; Amelia Bluewell, answering with a bright smile; and even Kyle Prious and Adrian Belmont. Four voices were enough to give weight.
“Then, let’s proceed with the class.”
After acknowledging the four who answered, Rupert began the lecture.
“Have you ever thought about why we need paintings?”
Again, silence met Rupert’s question. This time, not as defiance, but genuinely because the students had no answer. Few had considered why art was necessary.
“More accurately, with the existence of magic cameras, why do we still paint?”
Persistently exploring this point, someone unwittingly replied,
“Some things a camera can’t capture?”
Snap!
Rupert snapped his fingers in approval of the response.
“Exactly. For instance, could we photograph a dragon’s image that we can’t normally see?”
“—More likely, we’d be struck by the claws of an angry dragon.”
Laughter spread through the classroom at Rupert’s remark.
“But that’s not all. Let’s look at this painting.”
Rupert took out a prepared painting and showed it to the students, passing it from right to left.
“What do you see in this painting?”
“An old woman.”
Those on the right nodded in agreement, while those seated in the center and left voiced vehement disagreement.
‘An old woman? Is that person’s eyesight bad?’
Denial sprayed forth as if implying that they perceived something entirely different. Rupert didn’t delay in asking the prince sitting centrally for his view.
“Prince, what does the painting appear as to you?”
“Please, speak comfortably, Professor Rupert. To me, it appears as a young woman.”
Hearing the prince’s response, Rupert promptly asked another student seated to the left. Answering that it appeared as a young girl’s face, the classroom was thrown into confusion.
Unable to comprehend why each student saw different aspects in the same painting, some wondered if Rupert had cast a spell. However, with many Magic Department students present, it seemed unlikely that any spell had gone unnoticed, had it been cast.
“Indeed, you all viewed the same painting, yet your answers varied.”
Unveiling the painting again, this time it appeared to all students as a young woman. But by adroitly twisting the painting left and then right, Rupert revealed the elderly woman’s face shifting to that of a child in real-time, astounding everyone.
“Photography undoubtedly captures moments well, but art holds wonders only paintings can reveal.”
Rupert moved to the board and sketched a simple drawing, a rabbit. The image seemed too crude to be from an Art Department professor, drawing snickers from the students sensing they could do as well. Yet his ensuing question halted the laughter.
“What does this drawing resemble?”
Before someone could say ‘rabbit,’ another shouted ‘duck,’ leaving students rubbing their eyes, fixated on the board’s drawing.
*
“Cut, this one’s out too.”
Even after Rupert’s first lecture concluded, he remained at his office desk, scrutinizing a mountain of documents instead of leaving for the day. The heap of applications for Understanding Art had swollen following the day’s debut lecture. With capacity set at just 40, Rupert sifted through them emotionlessly.
“Sorry, but the Military Department isn’t needed.”
When encountering applications from the Military or Humanities Departments, he regrettably excluded them at once. Normally the foremost picks at other departments, they weren’t what Rupert desired. Conversely, he took special care to preserve applications from the Department of Arts students. Particularly from those in music or art, who earned an automatic pass; they were precious gems for Rupert’s treasure trove. Furthermore, engineering students were aplenty with potential utility, so they ascended the priority ladder. Though doubtful about the need for the Magic Department students, receiving help from the Mage Tower sufficed, they were sorted around the third priority nonetheless.
“I didn’t expect so many applications.”
For a class of 40, a staggering 400 students applied, equating to nearly one-third of the Academy’s students. Rupert knew many weren’t genuinely interested in his lecturing style. A particular reason stood out among the applicants, especially the many freshman submissions—the presence of the main four from the original story.
With the protagonist, the Third Prince, Amelia, and even the second male leads Kyle and Adrian all selecting his course, it was only logical that students eager to bond with them would flock here. Although Rupert wished to reject them all, he recognized the backlash would be insurmountable, even for Yustaf, the principal. Thus, he had no choice but to endure.
‘Why is it always those fruitless departments?’
While the Military and Magic Departments held highest academe popularity, they were trivial to Rupert. Even if a connection with Amelia was plausible, others’ course enrollment puzzled him. Although he once crossed paths with the Third Prince at the princess’s palace, the rest were complete strangers to him. With increasing inexplicable occurrences, Rupert chose to overlook it.
‘The lecture was smoother than expected.’
Having once been an art tutor as part of a part-time gig at a test-preparation academy, he dealt effortlessly with students whose age mirrored those he used to teach. Confident no other within the Empire paralleled him in art knowledge, Rupert perceived himself as an authority.
In this world, overshadowed by the early advent of magic cameras, art hadn’t matured. Compared to Earth, where photography was mainstream by the 19th century, allowing art time to flourish, art seemed to have regressed here. He pondered what kind of response introducing the rich history of art movements beyond mere realistic portrayal might trigger in this world.
Realism, Impressionism, Cubism, and even Surrealism—transcending to contemporary art brimming with modern philosophy, even if distantly. With extensive historical tutorials, where countless masters dared against the cameras, Rupert found little challenge in conveying his learned knowledge.
And if art were to revive, the comic book venture Rupert engaged in could witness dramatic transformations. It’d be a rebirth of modern comics, not from Earth but from this world—a moment Rupert found himself longing to witness.
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