Chapter 181 : Chapter 181
Chapter 181. Meeting a Direct Senior (1)
The official second semester began.
In accordance with the tradition of the academy, the first week major classes started was set aside for meetings with the seniors.
It was a time for the 2nd-year direct major seniors to foster one-on-one friendships with the 1st-year students and introduce them to their respective majors.
Radel was in the process of visiting Professor Marianne’s office to receive information regarding that matter.
“For that reason, the professors will not be lecturing for a week. Be sure to guide the 1st-year students well.”
At Professor Marianne’s words, Radel asked a question.
“Then what will we be doing with the seniors during that time?”
“That will depend on who your direct senior is.”
Radel understood the meaning behind Professor Marianne’s words.
It meant that if he met a good senior, he would spend a decent time, and if he met one who was not, he would spend a time that was not so decent.
‘I had forgotten because I only met the seniors from the Grade Representative Meeting.’
The seniors from the Grade Representative Meeting were favorable toward Radel from the beginning.
Later on, even the cold Senior Shartea had grown closer to him after finding a commonality in swordsmanship.
Even Radel thought he was lucky.
Not all seniors attending the academy would have pleasant personalities, but the seniors he had met so far were people he could communicate with.
However, there would also be seniors who would give sharp criticism or treat their juniors roughly.
Even looking at Estina, the 4th Princess, that was the case.
She had beaten Radel under the pretext of a duel when he visited the Combat Magic Workshop, sending him to the Treatment Room.
‘That is what school life is, after all.’
If one was unlucky, they might get picked on by a senior or get into a fight with a classmate.
Moreover, this was no ordinary school.
It was the Imperial Magic Academy, the best magic educational institution in the empire.
Looking at the peculiar professors here, it would not be strange for anything to happen.
These were the seniors who had survived for more than a year under such professors.
Thinking that way, a sense of respect for the seniors welled up.
Radel vowed to keep an open mind regardless of who he met.
Then, Professor Marianne looked at Radel and spoke as if she had just remembered.
“Come to think of it, you are an Integrated Major. Then does that mean you have five direct seniors ?”
“……I suppose that would be the case.”
Radel realized his situation, which was different from others, once again.
Who he met was not the only problem.
How many people he met was also an issue.
It meant that if things went wrong, he could end up meeting as many as five difficult seniors.
* * *
The first major class he attended was Alchemy.
‘I wonder what kind of person my Alchemy direct senior will be.’
Radel, having braced himself for the reality of having five direct seniors, passed through the herb garden and arrived at the Alchemy classroom.
He intended to respond calmly even if a senior with an unexpected personality appeared.
When he arrived at the classroom, Tunia, who had become an Alchemy major, was already there before him.
“What about the seniors?”
“They haven't come yet. I think only the 1st-years are here right now.”
At Tunia’s words, Radel looked around.
It seemed that all the 1st-years who were likely to major in Alchemy, such as the friend who worked hard pulling weeds during Alchemy class and the friend who was very interested in making potions, were gathered there.
Leon, who had applied for the Integrated Major, was also there.
As soon as Leon made eye contact with Radel, he jerked his head away as if he had seen something unpleasant.
Seeing that, Tunia lowered her voice and asked Radel.
“How long are you going to hide it?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“The relationship between you and the 9th Prince.”
Radel only blinked, not quite understanding.
What was she talking about?
“You don't need to hide it from me. When I attacked you before, the 9th Prince came to help you.”
Only then did he recall the incident during the Imperial Hunting Competition when Leon appeared and fought over Radel’s life when Tunia had ambushed him.
‘I think the deal was that whoever won between the two of them would kill me.’
It was a chilling atmosphere even thinking about it now.
He wondered what would have happened if Leon had not appeared then.
From Tunia’s perspective, since Leon had saved Radel, it was understandable that she had misinterpreted the relationship between the two until now.
“So right now…… you think Leon and I are close?”
“Forget it. You don't have to say it. There must be some circumstances since it involves the royals.”
When Radel was flustered, Tunia reached her own conclusion and nodded.
“No, it's not like that…….”
“I also pretend not to know my younger siblings when there's work to do.”
In this kind of atmosphere, he could not say that his only younger brother was truly sincere about killing his older brother.
Radel had to welcome the seniors without being able to reveal the truth to Tunia.
“Hello, 1st-year juniors!”
Just then, Anesha Holton, the 2nd-year representative and an Alchemy major, entered with other seniors.
“It was a truly excellent choice to apply for the Alchemy major. Did you know that when you become an Alchemy major, you are originally given a personal workshop? However, it took some time because we were refurbishing the workshops you juniors will be using. So today, we decided to gather here.”
He had wondered why they were gathering in the place where they always had lectures, and it turned out there was such a reason.
Radel recalled the Alchemy major workshops he had looked around previously with Professor Cailin.
It was a mysterious building where box-like personal workshops were clustered together.
He remembered Senior Anesha, who had spoken proudly about the Alchemy majors' furnaces that were never extinguished throughout the night.
Anesha was boasting about the Alchemy Workshop to the juniors, just as she had back then.
“You might not know because you haven't seen it yet, but our Alchemy Workshop is really wonderful. You juniors will definitely like it too.”
The seniors standing next to her agreed with Anesha’s words.
“That's right. Unless something happens, we are always in the workshop. It means it's that comfortable. Of course, we also collect ingredients or tend to the herb garden.”
“Because those are necessary processes to make potions. You guys understand too, right?”
“Making something is important, but you will find out that procuring materials is more important than anything else.”
Looking at the faces of the seniors, they were not unfamiliar.
They were the seniors who had set up the Alchemy major booth with Senior Anesha during the Academy Spring Festival.
And he thought he had also caught a glimpse of them during Alchemy night classes.
Somehow, it felt like he might have passed by them in the academy black market as well.
Looking at the seniors, Radel felt like he could vaguely grasp the tendencies of Alchemy majors.
They were all sociable and had bright personalities.
After finishing the introduction to the Alchemy major, they had time to meet their **direct seniors one-on-one.
Radel’s direct senior was Anesha.
“Tada, I am Radel’s direct senior. Surprised? I look forward to working with you.”
Anesha offered a greeting with a bright smile.
Radel, who had been prepared to get along well with whatever senior he met, felt his tension melt away when he saw the friendly Senior Anesha.
“Yes, I was surprised. In a good way, of course.”
“Ahaha, were you nervous? The first time meeting a major senior is quite trembling.”
Anesha added as if she understood Radel’s feelings.
“But the Alchemy major seniors wouldn't have been bad no matter who you met. They would all communicate well with you, Radel. We are on the realistic side.”
They said that while one might think alchemists would be stuck somewhere in a smoky workshop stirring a cauldron and only manufacturing potions, modern Alchemy majors were not as closed-off as they used to be.
It was said that they were the ones with a sense of reality superior to anyone else.
“The persistence to repeat the same task multiple times or the meticulousness in handling ingredients is also important. Not to mention having fast hands. That is why friends with delicate personalities often choose the Alchemy major as well.”
“Are you that way too, Senior Anesha?”
“In my case, would you say I'm quick-witted rather than delicate?”
Indeed, seeing how well she had communicated with Professor Cailin last time, one could tell how excellent Senior Anesha’s social skills were.
The fact that she was close to Venus, a 2nd-year who was not even in the same major, proved she was truly worthy of being the grade representative.
Anesha laughed as she told him how much the 2nd-years had looked forward to the meeting with the juniors.
“Actually, I wanted to let you know at the last representative meeting that I had become your direct senior, but I was curious to see your surprised face. Ahaha.”
Senior Anesha really loved surprising people.
It was while Radel was listening to Anesha explain things like how to procure the materials needed for the Alchemy major or how to haggle for lower prices from the Marcellent herbalists.
CLATTER!
“H-How could you say such a thing……?”
A commotion broke out on one side.
The heads of the grade representative Anesha and Radel turned quickly.
Standing there was an Alchemy major senior with shocked eyes and Leon with a frigid expression.
Radel instinctively had a premonition.
Leon had undoubtedly caused some kind of trouble.
* * *
From the beginning, Leon did not like anything about this.
Being accepted into the Integrated Major was good, but to put it another way, it meant he had to see Radel regardless of which major class he went to.
As expected, he saw Radel’s face from the very first lecture.
Leon’s mood turned sour as soon as he made eye contact with Radel.
‘How annoying.’
He could just ignore that fellow.
However, he could not understand why he had to participate in such a useless event on top of seeing that unpleasant guy.
To Leon, studying was something done alone.
Why create such an uncomfortable meeting between seniors and juniors?
What was the point of being close to seniors in the first place?
“Hello? You're Leon, right?”
No matter how much one was a royal, inside the academy, everyone was just a student.
While there were people who addressed royals with high titles, there were also many who treated them casually.
Among the 1st-years, there was no one bold enough to treat Leon that way, but the story was different for the 2nd-years.
The senior who approached with a greeting was also calling Leon casually.
“Yes, that's right.”
Leon’s personality was not so wretched as to show his unpleasant feelings even in such a situation.
“I knew it. I am your major senior. If there's anything you don't know in the future, you can ask me.”
“I wonder. Will such a thing ever happen?”
……At least, that was what he thought of himself.
“What do you mean? What do you mean by saying such a thing won't happen?”
At Leon’s cold tone, the startled senior asked back with a trembling voice.
“It is exactly as I said. If one has to ask a senior because they don't know something, it means they don't have the ability to solve it on their own. It means I didn't enter the academy with such a weak spirit.”
“……What?”
The senior was shocked and lost his words.
This was the first time he had met a junior who disregarded a senior like this.
Furthermore, this senior happened to be someone with a very delicate personality, even among the Alchemy majors.
“T-Then me…… I, who asked my seniors whenever I got stuck…… are you saying I had no ability?”
“That would be the case.”
CLATTER!
Startled by Radel’s cold words, the senior stepped backward and ended up knocking over a chair.
The gazes of the people in the classroom converged on them.
Radel and Anesha were also startled and looked at Leon and the senior.
“H-How could you say such a thing……?”
“Did I say anything wrong? If there is something pricking you, place your hand on your own conscience and look back. I wonder if you actually have the capacity to teach a junior anything.”
At the words that were being thrust down without mercy, the senior’s heart was being torn to shreds.
And the more they heard Leon’s words, the more the people who were together became appalled.
Was that something a junior should say to a senior?
Just as Radel had expected, Leon was excitingly causing trouble.
And it was a very large-scale accident at that.