WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Natty
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Regressor and the Blind Saintess ◈
Chapter 124: Lecture
──────
The first class ended without incident.
After class, Rene returned to the hallway with a troubled look on her face and quietly said to Vera,
“The professor... was nervous, weren’t they?”
She was referring to the professor from their previous class.
The middle-aged professor teaching [Introduction to Advanced Spell Formulas]. Their voice had trembled so obviously throughout the lecture that Vera nodded slightly at Rene’s remark.
“...Yes.”
A sigh escaped Rene.
“I feel bad for him.”
She wondered if they had disrupted his class.
If they had always been like that, they would not have been able to teach as a professor in the first place. And had she not noticed how they kept stopping in the middle of their explanations and rustling through things?
Thinking about it for even a moment led to the conclusion that the professor might have been unable to lecture normally because they were conscious of her and Vera.
Seeing Rene look troubled, Vera answered as if it were nothing.
“You need not worry about it too much. We did not ask the professor any difficult questions. Besides, it is ridiculous for a professor to be intimidated by the status of the students they teach.”
“Mm, yes.”
A small laugh slipped from Rene. Vera’s attempt at comforting her seemed rather aggressive.
Rene shook off her lingering discomfort with a smile and changed the subject.
“By the way, what did you think, Vera? Was the class all right?”
She was still speaking about the previous lecture.
“It was not bad.”
Vera did not sound displeased, and Rene brightened.
“Right? I found it quite fascinating too. I had no idea that the Spell Formulas I use involved those kinds of theories.”
Someone might wonder how a Saintess could be unfamiliar with the theory behind Spell Formulas, but it was only natural for Rene.
“If I simply think I want something, it forms on its own. I never thought to wonder about it. I should reflect on that.”
Spell Formulas simply formed when she wanted them to. Weaving one was like operating a machine that had already been built. The result came about without her needing to consider the principles behind it.
That was why she had never even thought to examine their mechanisms.
Vera nodded slightly as Rene spoke with excitement.
“I can certainly understand why you would feel that way, Saintess.”
“Didn’t you?”
“I already knew everything covered in the class, so I did not find it particularly new.”
“Ah.”
A brief look of surprise crossed Rene’s face, soon followed by a playful smile.
“You’re quite full of yourself, Vera.”
“...I merely stated a fact.”
“So you’re not pretending to be impressive. You really are impressive?”
“I will not deny it.”
It might have sounded shameless, but Vera did not care.
It was the truth.
His personality might have had its issues, but in every other respect, whether physical or mental ability, he possessed enough talent that he would not lose to anyone.
And had he not trained those talents with all his strength?
Vera believed that falsely acting humble about such things was itself a deception of the other person. Rather than humility, one should take proper pride in what they had earned.
As Vera considered this, Rene continued.
“For someone so impressive, you’re hopeless at romance.”
“...Saintess.”
“I’m not trying to tempt you. I’m just saying.”
An awkward expression appeared on Vera’s face. Rene giggled as Vera’s hand tensed.
“You should work on it.”
“...I will not.”
“We’ll see how long you can hold out.”
“Today...”
“Who said I was going to do anything today? Why are you feeling guilty on your own? Or are you perhaps looking forward to it?”
Vera closed his mouth.
The more he spoke, the more it felt as though he was sinking into a mire. He decided that continuing would only bring losses, and that silence was far better.
* * *
The following [Introduction to Advanced Swordsmanship] proceeded much like the previous class.
The only difference was that this time, the professor was only walking on eggshells around Vera.
It was not difficult to understand. Vera was a paladin who had fought and defeated the Mage Tower Master. At this point, when news of it had spread throughout the continent, there was no way a professor would not know.
That would be easy enough to think, and let pass.
“Vera, that was too much.”
As they walked down the hallway, Rene let out a long sigh and said so to Vera.
“Yes?”
“If you ask that many questions, you make the professor uncomfortable.”
The problem was Vera’s questions.
His barrage of questions had begun not long after the lecture started. Rene clearly remembered the professor answering them in a voice that sounded close to tears, and she continued with an exhausted look.
“Do you know? The professor spent about half the class answering your questions.”
“...Did I take up that much time?”
“I felt bad for them. But you said you were confident in swordsmanship, so why did you have so many questions?”
“I am not particularly knowledgeable about theory.”
Vera continued with an embarrassed expression.
“I tend to swing my sword by instinct, so I had questions while listening and ended up asking them. I will find the professor later and apologize.”
“I think they’d hate that even more.”
Rene giggled, then continued thinking.
‘He’s working really hard.’
Unlike his reluctance the day before, once he entered the lecture hall, he attended classes with remarkable enthusiasm. For some reason, she found it amusing.
Then another thought occurred to her.
‘...Would he have listened to chicken fighting and staring contests like this too?’
Would he have shown the same passion while attending those classes? At the question, Rene suddenly felt a touch of regret.
Vera earnestly dedicating himself to chicken fighting seemed as though it would have been cute. She regretted rejecting those subjects for no reason.
‘Mm... well, there will be another chance.’
If the opportunity arose later, perhaps she could take one of those classes too. With that thought in mind, Rene entered the lecture hall for their next class, [History of the Divine Age], and tilted her head.
“There must be a lot of people here. I can sense so many.”
“...Yes. It is full.”
Vera narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the lecture hall. Around a hundred seats were filled to capacity.
“It seems to be a popular subject.”
“You had good instincts, Vera.”
“I will take that as praise.”
As Vera, privately irritated by the thought of having to sit beside other students, led Rene toward seats in a corner, the nearby students flinched and stiffened.
Feeling a little hurt by their reactions, Rene quickly composed herself and greeted them with a smile.
She had already known that people might find her difficult to approach. Rather than be discouraged by that, she thought it was right to approach them first.
“Hello?”
Rene put as much friendliness as she could into her greeting.
“Gasp...!”
The male student in front of her jolted, then quickly answered.
“H-Hello, Saintess. May the Lord’s blessing be with you.”
The other nearby students followed with greetings of their own.
Their fresh, formal manners, as if they were putting into practice something they had only just learned, deepened Rene’s smile.
She had rarely had the opportunity to speak with people her own age, and even fewer chances to experience such freshness.
“Is this a popular class?”
She continued with a question. She was not speaking to anyone in particular. She had merely tossed it out because she wanted to talk with people her own age a little longer.
The male student who had first greeted her answered.
“Y-Yes... It is Professor Miller’s class...!”
Rene and Vera froze.
“...Pardon?”
Rene asked blankly.
Why was that name coming up here? What had she just heard?
Not knowing her thoughts, the male student in front of them, Levin, thought his explanation might not be suitable for outsiders and quickly added more.
“Ah, Professor Miller is one of the most famous professors at our Academy! His lectures are short, and he gives grades generously, so they are always popular!”
The two of them began to wonder whether something was wrong with their ears.
“The lectures are... short?”
“It seems there are two professors named Miller.”
“Ah, I see!”
It was an awkward conversation that belonged in a play.
Watching them, Levin tilted his head and continued.
“There is only one Professor Miller. He is a senior professor in the Department of Spellcraft.”
Rene squeezed her eyes shut.
She had thought she would never see Miller again, yet she might have to suffer through that person’s chatter once more.
Vera felt the same. Realizing that the subject Vera had chosen was a dud, he looked deeply dismayed.
Glancing uneasily at Rene, Vera opened his mouth and offered what sounded like an excuse.
“Why would a professor of spellcraft teach history...?”
“I heard that he considers lecture time a waste! He is passionate about his personal research, so he mainly teaches general education courses with lighter schedules...”
At Levin’s answer, Vera’s expression twisted.
“...His qualifications as an educator are questionable.”
Levin flinched at Vera’s somewhat harsh words. Then, with an awkward smile, he defended Miller without knowing why. For some reason, he felt like he should.
“W-Well, Academy professors are scholars first and foremost, so perhaps you could call it scholarly passion...”
As Levin spoke while nervously watching him, Vera realized he had snapped at an innocent person and firmly shut his mouth.
Rene patted the back of Vera’s hand and comforted him.
“U-Um... It will be all right. The class period is fixed, and they say his classes are short too.”
“...I am ashamed.”
“It happens.”
An awkward atmosphere settled over them.
Please do not let there be another long, worrying speech. Please just get to the point.
Those thoughts arose in both their minds at once.
* * *
Fortunately, what they feared did not happen.
Miller wore such an unmotivated expression that they wondered whether Miller was truly the same person they had met before. Miller carelessly recited material that even a three-year-old would know.
[Yes, so they all perished, and now only the elves remain.]
“He teaches so carelessly.”
Rene whispered, her voice equally filled with surprise and happiness. Vera replied in the same manner.
“Yes, fortunately, it does not seem as though it will interfere with our other plans.”
A breath of relief escaped him.
Even though they were not paying attention and were whispering to each other, Miller continued staring blankly into space. He clearly seemed to be thinking about something else.
Thinking that Miller likely did not even know Vera and Rene were there, Vera asked Rene,
“What would you like to do for dinner afterward?”
“I heard there is a student cafeteria. Shall we try it?”
“I will tell Hella that we will make separate arrangements for dinner.”
“Thank you.”
They briefly discussed their plans afterward, and then Miller added, still wearing a blank expression.
[Then that concludes today’s lecture.]
Now they could leave.
Just as Vera began preparing to leave the lecture hall with that thought in mind, Miller added something they could not ignore.
[Ah, an assignment. Form groups of three and prepare a presentation related to the Divine Age. The topic is up to you.]
[The deadline is our next class. That will be all.]
Scrape.
As Miller left the lecture hall, complaints erupted from the remaining students. Rene also frowned and asked Vera,
“Vera.”
“...Yes.”
“Do we have to do it too?”
“...”
At the ensuing silence, Rene let out a sigh.
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
