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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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Chapter 154 - Head Theoretical Professor Kaiden (6)
The end-of-semester assessments were right around the corner, only a week away.
Knightley was so nervous she seemed on the verge of a breakdown, while Merilda appeared relatively unaffected.
As for Hindrasta, she didn’t even seem aware there were exams coming up.
Lately, she had taken to occupying my office and lounging around whenever she felt like it, whether I was there or not.
"Don’t you need to study for the exams?"
"Ugh, no way. My head hurts just thinking about it. Besides, as long as I ace the practical, it doesn’t matter if my theory score is bad, right?"
She wasn’t wrong. This was the Special Missions Academy, after all. They didn’t automatically fail students based solely on total scores.
Even if a student struggled in one area, as long as they demonstrated competence in specific missions, they were allowed to graduate.
Apparently, Hindrasta had picked up on this rule somewhere, which explained her carefree attitude.
Not that she was entirely incorrect—she really was hopeless with theoretical subjects, so I decided to let it slide.
Still, her frequent visits to my office were becoming an issue.
Not because I found her presence bothersome, but because she kept raiding my stash of snacks!
"Don’t touch that!"
"Come on, just a little! I’ll replace it later!"
She had somehow sniffed out the madeleines I had hidden, and as she reached for them, I yanked her by the scruff of her neck.
"Urk! I can’t breathe!"
Hindrasta flailed, swatting at my arm. She ended up tripping over her own feet and falling forward.
Catching her was like trying to hold up a collapsing tower—so heavy that I stumbled, and we both ended up on the floor in a heap.
Of course. A dragon is a dragon, after all.
"Dian."
At that moment, the door opened, and Kaiden stepped in.
"What are you doing?"
"Ah, Kaiden. Don’t misunderstand."
I shoved Hindrasta off me with my foot, pushing her away.
"This little punk was trying to steal my snacks, and I was stopping her. We just happened to fall over."
"I see."
Kaiden’s gaze shifted to Hindrasta, who was now happily munching on a stolen madeleine.
"Sophie, isn’t it? It’s class time. Why are you here?"
"I don’t usually attend class."
"I see. But as a student, don’t you think you should?"
Hindrasta, clearly uninterested in a lecture, stayed silent and avoided Kaiden’s gaze.
"Sophie, you’re a special student on a scholarship, aren’t you? Do you know where that money comes from?"
"Nope."
"It comes from the taxes paid by the citizens of the Empire—people who work hard and sacrifice. It even comes from the taxes paid by Dian, your esteemed professor."
"So?"
"Therefore, as someone benefitting from those taxes, shouldn’t you study hard and repay society by becoming an exceptional operative for the Empire?"
"And why should I?"
Hindrasta shot back, unbothered.
"I never asked for the scholarship. The Academy just gave it to me on their own. Why do I have to pay it back?"
"Fair enough. You’re not wrong."
Kaiden smiled, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"But if you’re skipping class, why come to the Head Professor’s office instead of hanging out somewhere else?"
"Because it’s comfortable here."
"Dian must be treating you well."
"Yeah, he does."
"Do you like him?"
"What kind of question is that?"
Hindrasta responded without hesitation.
"Of course, I like him. Isn’t it natural to like someone who treats you well?"
Hindrasta tilted her head, as if confused by Kaiden’s strange question.
"I see. So, Sophie, you like Dian."
"I do! A lot! At first, I wanted to kill him, but later, he helped me out and even sided with me. He got me money I couldn’t have gotten myself."
"True. Dian is a good person."
Kaiden smiled warmly, as if in complete agreement. I, however, was the one left flustered.
What nonsense is Hindrasta spewing now?
"That’s why I come here when I have nothing to do. Dian doesn’t nag at me like you do."
"It’s nice to see such a strong bond between a teacher and student. But don’t push your luck."
"Push my luck? How?"
"For example, the spectacle you created when I walked in just now."
"That was an accident!"
Kaiden simply smiled, locking eyes with Hindrasta in silence.
Hindrasta stared back blankly, unfazed.
"Both of you, stop it."
I stepped in to diffuse the situation.
"You two already know each other’s true nature, don’t you?"
Back during the exhibition at the Illusion Tower, Hindrasta had met Kaiden.
Kaiden, of course, had long since figured out that Hindrasta was a dragon in polymorphed form.
So this back-and-forth about professors and students was pointless.
"Kaiden, like I told you before, she’s a dragon I forcibly kept in the Academy. Of course she’s not interested in classes."
"Naturally."
"So let her do as she pleases. It’s not causing any major problems, is it?"
"Of course not, Dian. Dragons are inherently free creatures."
Kaiden immediately backed down with a nod.
"My apologies, Hindrasta. I spoke thoughtlessly, imposing human perspectives on you."
"Uh, okay…."
Caught off guard by Kaiden’s sudden shift, Hindrasta scratched her head awkwardly.
Kaiden had been like this even ten years ago.
Blindly supportive of anything I said.
Despite being far more intelligent and capable as a mage, he treated my words as if they were gospel truth.
Maybe it was because of what happened during his recruitment into the Demon King Slaying Special Force, but the exact reason remained unclear to me.
Perhaps he thought I could predict the future, like a prophet, due to my knowledge of the original timeline.
Kaiden continued.
"Still, Hindrasta, there are certain lines you must not cross."
"Such as?"
"This is the Head Professor’s office. It’s a place where the leader of the Academy’s Combat Department works. Please refrain from visiting for personal reasons."
"Fine, whatever…."
Kaiden’s calm yet firm tone left Hindrasta with no choice but to nod sheepishly.
"I now need to discuss the evaluations with Dian. Could you give us some privacy?"
"Yeah, sure…."
After Hindrasta left, Kaiden turned to me with a faint smile.
"Dragons are truly fascinating creatures, so complex yet so simple at the same time."
"That’s part of their charm, isn’t it?"
"It is. A very unique charm."
Kaiden nodded, his serene smile unwavering.
"They’re certainly fascinating creatures. And with that kind of appearance, even more so."
Right. Since the topic had come up, I decided to ask something that had been on my mind.
"Polymorph—does the form they take get decided by them?"
"Hmm, I’m not entirely sure, but I doubt it’s as flexible as molding clay. It’s not magic but rather a racial trait. From what I’ve heard, the appearance of each individual is predetermined by their nature."
Hmm. If that’s the case, Hindrasta was destined to take the form of a twin-tailed pink-haired busty girl. What an odd fate.
Thinking back to her true form, I remembered that as a white dragon, her scales had a faint pinkish shimmer to them, an unusual hue.
"So, what did you want to discuss about the evaluations?"
I turned the conversation back to Kaiden.
"Hasn’t Headmaster Kirrin already finalized the plan?"
But Kaiden remained silent.
"Dian."
He finally said.
"Do you find Hindrasta’s appearance attractive?"
"What? Where did that come from?"
"I’m just curious."
"Well, objectively speaking, it’s not bad. But knowing what’s inside, I don’t think much of it."
"I see. Understood. Shall we go get lunch now?"
I glanced at the clock—he was right; it was nearly lunchtime.
"Didn’t you have something to discuss?"
"I forgot. I’m hungry. Let’s go."
Suddenly, a thought struck me.
"Kaiden."
"Yes?"
"Why are you really here?"
"I believe I've already told you, haven't I?"
Kaiden smiled faintly and gently tugged at my sleeve
# # # # #
"What’s going on?"
Hindrasta muttered to herself, pausing in the hallway and scratching her chin.
She could have sworn she’d been through this corridor earlier.
Turning around, she found the exact same hallway stretching out behind her.
Sure, the main building’s corridors all looked similar, but this was ridiculous.
Ever since Kaiden kicked her out, Hindrasta had been wandering in circles, trying to find Dian’s office again.
She had planned to grab lunch with him, but no matter how much she wandered, she couldn’t find the office.
What was going on?
The layout of the main building wasn’t even complicated. It was a simple barracks-style structure with a central staircase and corridors extending out on either side.
She’d visited Dian’s office so often she could practically find it blindfolded.
But now? Nothing. Not even a single person to ask for directions.
A nagging thought crept into her mind.
That magician. He must be behind this.
His specialty was illusion magic, wasn’t it?
If this was an illusion spell, breaking out wouldn’t be easy.
Testing her theory, Hindrasta reached out to touch the wall.
If it really was magic, brute force might not work, but it was worth a shot.
She charged at the wall with all her strength, only to bounce off and tumble onto the floor.
"What are you doing?"
A voice broke through her confusion.
Opening her eyes, Hindrasta saw Professor Lina standing over her, looking down with a bemused expression.
Hindrasta quickly realized she was now at the entrance hall, not the corridor.
It really was magic, then.
That magician… just who does he think he is?
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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