“Is this really right?”
I tried to study what I learned today in my room, holding a pen instead of a sword, but it wasn’t as easy as I thought.
I was confident that I wasn’t that dumb.
If I were, I wouldn’t have been able to survive in reality by applying the countless books I read in the Forest of the Demon Realm.
But this was a whole different concept.
I was simply lacking the basics.
Since I entered in the third year, I lacked the concepts from the first and second years, making it hard for me to understand what I was reading.
Searching for terms, I ended up flowing back from the third-grade textbook to the first-grade textbook, like a salmon swimming upstream.
“Ha, I’m definitely not dumb.”
While feeling dumb in this situation, trying to cram knowledge into my head, Tana and Eve barged in, making a loud bang as they opened the door.
Wait, this is the Boys’ Floor. How are they coming and going so freely?
“Daniel! Where are you going?”
“Isn’t Batian the best option? Going to see the Cathedral would be great!”
“What would we do at the Cathedral? Pray? That’s boring! It’s the third-year field trip; we should go somewhere exciting! If we go to Taemin Plateau, we can ride horses across the vast plains and feel nature!”
Suddenly, they came into my room and started arguing. It was rare for them to be on different sides, and I was confused until they both looked at me.
“Where do you want to go? It’s 1:1, so your vote is the last one!”
“Think wisely and carefully!”
“…What are you talking about?”
Someone is busy studying, and I wonder what they’re babbling about when Eve handed me a piece of paper and read the large letters aloud.
“Third and Fourth-Year Field Trip……?”
Oh, this is that external educational activity to give students experiences and cultures outside of the Academy, not just studying.
That was the external purpose, but, frankly speaking, it was practically just a trip for students to have fun together.
“That’s not important to me right now.”
As I pushed the paper away and sighed, both of them glanced at my desk, then started to hold back laughter.
“Pfft, Daniel got yelled at for his poor Demonology grades, didn’t he?”
“Told you, I said we should study together.”
“Ha, I thought I could compensate with my practical skills.”
Normally, my practical skills were outstanding, so even if I got the lowest grade in Demonology, it wouldn’t be a big deal. I knew Ares was also covering classes like Demonology with his practical skills.
But the problem started with my attendance record and complaints from the professors and parents.
This meant I could no longer just get by as a student who was simply good at practicals.
“Let me see. Hmm, you’re looking at the first-grade material, right?”
Eve shot me a dumbfounded look. I sighed, trying to explain that I was just looking for terms and simple equations.
“Now that you know, you should go. I need to study. You guys decide where to go.”
Because if I get expelled, I might not be able to go.
“That’s a bit of a problem. Hmm, Daniel, come here. I’ll help you.”
Eve pulled out a folding table and plopped down on the floor. Tana seemed unwilling to study and turned her body away while making a face.
“I’ve got something to do!”
Tana dashed out the door. But Eve didn’t look like she was going to let her go that easily. Her target was firmly on me.
“Okay, shall we start? What do you not understand?”
“…Starting from here.”
It was a bit embarrassing, but being prideful and putting on an act would be even more foolish here.
Since Eve wasn’t good at practicals, she excelled in written tests, and I honestly asked her for help.
“Oh, starting from here? Don’t worry, Daniel.”
“Ha, student?”
“Oh hey, don’t interrupt when a teacher is talking.”
Eve pushed up her glasses slightly and seemed quite pleased. Watching her smile like that made me think, “Why not just go along with it?” so I grabbed the pen.
Ding ding ding!
“Daniel, I heard you’re studying, so I brought you a snack!”
With a clank, Rin opened the dorm door, brightening the room. Whether this was an apartment or the Boys’ Floor didn’t matter at this point.
I thanked her and focused on scribbling with the pen when I suddenly felt a chill from behind.
“But who’s that?”
Rin looked at Sen, lounging on my bed and munching on snacks, her eyes glazing over.
“No, she barged in to oversee if I was studying properly.”
For the record, Sen didn’t enter through the door but hopped in through the window. With a snack in her mouth, Sen made a peace sign with her hand, proud as ever.
Rin paused, then smiled sweetly.
“Have a sandwich. And I’ll help you study, it’s Demonology, right?”
Eve had already stopped by earlier to teach me in the morning, and now Rin was here in the afternoon. With Adriana, that witch, quitting school, Rin was practically on her own in the third-year Demonology.
Her magical talent and skills were impressive enough to attract even the dean’s attention.
“Then I’ll count on you.”
Having learned from Eve how significant a teacher is, I had no problem asking her, and Rin seemed a bit surprised by how easily I took it.
“Sure!”
With a bright smile, she nodded vigorously. I wondered why Rin seemed happier than me to be helping, but she suddenly got much closer.
“Okay, what are you doing?”
“…Isn’t that too close?”
In contrast to Eve, who, at 18, had a rather ample figure requiring a bit of distance, Rin was different. I thought we could sit comfortably beside each other, but she almost pressed herself against me.
“I need to get close to teach. I have bad eyesight, you know.”
“You have bad eyesight?”
She was the girl who could see everything I did through my window from the hill at the end of the village!
“Daniel, you shouldn’t doubt your professor. Looks like you need personal tutoring.”
Her words had an oddly suggestive tone, so I told her to just let’s get on with the studying, but Rin didn’t step back, continuing with the lesson.
Rin’s explanations for the third-year Demonology were straightforward enough to make difficult concepts easy to grasp.
“…Can I join in too?”
Sen, who had been lounging on the bed, came over and chimed in.
Upon hearing this, I couldn’t help but scoff.
“What can a practical skill student teach?”
Sen was also from my class with Ares.
Totally focused on practicals, they barely passed written tests with just enough scores to get by.
In truth, Sen had read my textbook a few times, but she seemed not to understand it well.
“Quit it. Just go eat your snacks, kid.”
Who does she think she is, trying to teach a 28-year-old at just 17?
I would accept a 10-year age gap, but not an 11-year one.
As I proudly elevated my nose, Sen looked annoyed, returning to her bed.
Thud!
The pillow that landed on the back of my head smeared the sauces from my sandwich all over my face.
“…Hey.”
“Bleh.”
With an emotionless face, Sen stuck her tongue out and fled through the window.
What a brat…
I sighed as I searched for something to wipe my face, and Rin pulled out a handkerchief, gently wiping my face clean.
“I-I can do it!”
“No, just stay still.”
Rin smiled softly as she wiped the sauce off my face. I insisted on washing the handkerchief myself, but she insisted it was fine and she would take care of it later.
This reminded me of the girl who held the position of first love in my childhood and had taken a place in my heart.
‘Even Ares fell for her, after all.’
When I thought about it, wasn’t Rin cooler than Ares?
Both Ares and Rin were popular with many suitors, but Ares liked Rin.
So was Rin actually one step above Ares? The moment I thought that, a finger jabbed into my cheek.
“Daniel, you need to focus.”
With a mischievous smile, Rin looked sweetly at me. My heart raced unconsciously, but I hurriedly insisted we should study.
Ding ding ding!
“Daniel! My husband! I came to help!”
The shrill voice pierced my ears.
What a voice that stood out from any delinquent you’d find!
May Plov entered my room, holding a stack of problem sets, looking utterly bewildered.
I had no idea what she was thinking, but judging by her somewhat revealing pajamas, being alone with her could’ve led to some serious trouble.
“What’s this? Why are there so many people?”
May, looking confused, pointed at the maid, Bertia, who was teaching me.
“Why is she teaching you?”
“I heard she’s well-versed in various studies to teach Elise. Maybe that’s why she’s teaching so well.”
“That’s quite a compliment.”
It was a secret that Elise was a princess, so Bertia pretended to be just a maid, but since she was in charge of princess education, she naturally possessed a high level of knowledge in Demonology.
Unlike Eve or Rin, she knew how to teach effectively.
Both were specialized in how to learn, making it easy to absorb the information. Now, it felt like chewing on what Bertia was providing with the teeth I had gained from those two.
“What are they doing?”
I pointed at Hayun and Elise, who were quietly sitting on my bed facing each other, as they both answered.
“Isn’t it obvious that I, Bertia’s lord, would be here?”
“I was going to help Daniel too, but it seems unnecessary now.”
May looked at the two with a tilted glance.
“So they’re just playing card games on Daniel’s bed?”
“…This is unexpectedly fun.”
Hayun blushed a bit, avoiding eye contact, while Elise confidently shuffled the cards and offered May.
“Want to join us?”
“Ha.”
May briefly glanced at me and subtly went over to sit next to Hayun.
“What game are you playing?”
“Can’t we just not?”
Some people are studying; others are simply playing around.
Ding ding ding!
I didn’t say I was dumb.
I felt quite proud to see that all the problems on a test paper prepared just for me were marked correct.
Even the dean gave me a round of applause, saying I did great.
“Well, does that mean there won’t be an expulsion?”
“Yeah, there’s no expulsion… an exp…ulsion.”
“What about expulsion?”
Feeling uneasy about this.
The dean seemed to suffer from a headache, pressing his head in despair.
“Recently, we’ve been getting numerous complaints from male students.”
“…Huh?”
A chilling sense of unease hit me from the back of my head, starting from my heels.
“The professors are strengthening surveillance between male and female dormitories and have said that a stern punishment is necessary for students who tarnish the Academy’s morals.”
“Wait, hold on.”
This is so unfair.
What am I supposed to do about them barging in on me!
“Yeah, I know how you feel, but right now, it’s just a trial run, and they decided to punish one person from each grade. A third-year student and a fourth-year student.”
“……”
“Besides, you’ve shown proof in Demonology but lack attendance…”
As I made a foolish expression, the dean apologized and declared.
“For this field trip, it looks like you’ll have to sit out.”
