I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy - Chapter 08

In the car on the way back to the Academy.

Claire, who was driving, glanced at the rearview mirror, just as quietly as when she was heading to the auction house.

The girl, who had looked a bit dopey when she first took the stage.

Through her ragged appearance, small stature compared to her peers, and thin body, it was clear how she had been treated in the facility, without needing to investigate further.

Perhaps because of this,

Rather than worrying about the future, it seemed the fatigue was getting to her more, or perhaps she was just naturally dopey. The girl dozed off, nestled in the man’s arms, clutching his large hand tightly.

The man just stared at the girl’s face, and nothing else.

‘Maybe I should have kept him alive and locked him up.’

No matter how she looked at it, the man’s attitude towards the girl in his arms was unusual. He treated her like a precious treasure, his every action careful and deliberate, a level of caution he hadn’t shown yesterday or today.

‘It’ll be fine.’

If he had intended to do that, he would have given the order before leaving the auction house, Claire thought.

‘There are no signs of abuse, either.’

There was no reason to do anything that would reduce the value of an item up for auction, regardless of its intended use.

Claire took her eyes off the rearview mirror and focused back on the road ahead.

The Academy was like a small city unto itself.

The wall that separated the Academy from the outside world came into view.

Thirty meters high. A height that awakened could easily jump over.

But there was no need to worry.

The towering wall that loomed before them was just that – a simple wall.

In reality, what protected the Arena Academy was not this visible wall, but a thin, dome-shaped membrane hidden behind it.

An iconic feature of the Arena Academy, this membrane kept out all unauthorized individuals and deflected all magic.

Whether it was a type of magic or something else entirely, even the renowned and stuffy magicians of the Clock Tower had been unable to decipher its structure.

Some said it was the power of an ancient artifact, while others claimed it was one of the unique abilities of the founder.

Only the founder himself knew the truth, but he had no intention of revealing it.

Claire slowly reduced her speed and glanced at the rearview mirror.

The girl was fast asleep, drooling, and the man was still staring at her face, unconcerned.

As they approached the checkpoint,

The car they were in was registered to the Temple, so they could usually pass through without stopping and enter the Academy. Both Claire and the man were already registered.

However, they now had a new passenger, one who was not registered with the Academy and thus required a pass.

‘A novice priestess should suffice.’

As Claire was creating a temporary identity for the girl in her head,

“Just go on in,” the man said softly, the first time he had spoken since getting in the car.

“As you wish,” Claire replied, not asking any questions and doing as the man wished.

The car reached the checkpoint, and as the scanner recognized the license plate, the gate opened.

The car, which had been stopped, slowly picked up speed again and passed through the open gate.

There were no issues.

No alarms sounded, and the girl was not repelled.

‘…Is he an acquaintance of the founder?’

The man, whose identity was a mystery, wore a black ring that drew the eye, like a piece of the night sky.

The god had referred to him as a disaster, but the man, holding the girl in his arms, looked like nothing more than a slightly unusual adult.

As Claire drove into the parking lot assigned to the Temple, keeping an eye on the man, she smoothly parked the car and unbuckled her seatbelt.

She looked at the rearview mirror and said,

“What kind of documents should I prepare for the child?”
“A guardian.”

Claire nodded.

“Preparing the documents will take about an hour. In the meantime, at our temple…”
“No. I’ll visit the temple tomorrow.”
“As you wish.”

The man wiped the girl’s drool with his hand and looked up.

“Do you take your meals at the temple?”
“Yes. Everyone, including me, takes their meals here.”
“Then, could you prepare a generous amount of your favorite food for tomorrow morning?”
“My… favorite, you say.”
“Is it something the child would have trouble eating?”
“No, not at all. The child can eat it… in fact, she’d probably find it easier and more enjoyable.”
“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

The man got out of the car, still holding the girl.

Caught off guard by the man’s unexpected request, Claire quickly regained her composure and followed him out of the car.

“Where shall I take you?”
“The Infinite Labyrinth.”

Claire was taken aback once again by the man’s answer.

It was a place she herself had attempted to challenge in the past but had failed.

**

“Sleeping soundly, aren’t you.”

How dare you sleep so peacefully, not knowing who I am.

I closed the door and hung the coat I had taken off the girl on a hanger. Then, I gently shook the girl, who was sleeping soundly.

“…?”

Her half-closed eyelids lifted, and through her long bangs, clear, transparent eyes blinked and looked up at me.

“Now walk on your own.”
“……Okay.”

The girl replied sleepily.

I let her down from my arms, and she stood firmly on her two feet. The only thing that bothered me was that she didn’t let go of my hand.

‘First, I need to give her a bath.’

Aside from her ragged appearance, it wasn’t hygienic.

While magic could be used, it wasn’t a cure-all. There was a difference in the feeling of using magic versus actually using water to wash.

“If you need anything, speak up.”
“Okay.”

As if she had woken up, the girl looked at me with alert eyes and nodded vigorously.

‘Is it because of the glasses…?’

For whatever reason, she seemed to accept me amicably, which was fortunate.

Holding her small hand, I headed straight for the bathroom.

The house wasn’t big, but it had everything one needed.

Shaaaaaa—

The sound of water gushing from the showerhead.

Soon, steam began to rise from the water.

“Wow.”

The girl, still wearing her tattered clothes, had followed me into the bathroom and was now tugging at my hand as she gazed at the hot water pouring from the showerhead.

“The water’s warm.”
“It is.”
“The place I was before only had cold water.”
“……So that’s why you didn’t bathe.”
“Yeah. I hate winter because it’s cold. I like summer because it’s cool.”

A very simple reason.

Of course, the real problem was the facility that provided such an environment for the children.

“Do you know how to bathe?”
“I do.”
“Then, go ahead and bathe. I’ll wait outside.”
“Okay.”

The girl immediately took off her tattered clothes and threw them on the bathroom floor before stepping into the bathtub. I picked up the discarded clothes and left the room.

‘I’ll keep this for now.’

It was easy to throw things away, but once they were gone, it was difficult to get them back.

‘When she brings food, I’ll have to ask for some clothes as well.’

I only had a shirt that would fit the girl, so I took it with me back to the bathroom.

-I’m done showering!!

“Dry off and come out.”

-Okay~

“…….”

Something felt strange.

The girl seemed to be in a good mood, perhaps because of the warm water, as she opened the bathroom door and stepped out. And I frowned.

Her hair was still matted, and the smell remained.

“Why?”
“……Go back in.”

I took the girl back into the bathroom and patiently explained how to wash properly. How to shampoo her hair, what to use on her body, and most importantly.

“Ouch! My eyes sting!”
“……Haah.”

I taught her what would happen if she didn’t close her eyes properly.

After finishing her shower, the girl put on my shirt and sat down on a chair.

“Uhuu~”

She enjoyed the feeling of my hands drying her hair and the breeze on her skin, swinging her legs back and forth.

-Grrrrrumble.

I don’t feel hunger, so this sound must be coming from the girl sitting in front of me.

However, the little girl showed an unexpected reaction.

She had been dozing off in my arms nonchalantly, speaking casually, and I expected her to ask for food when she was hungry.

“Umm……”

But instead, she just stopped swinging her legs. She didn’t ask me for food.

My chest felt tight.

With a sigh, I said,

“If you’re hungry, it’s okay to say so.”
“……Really?”
“Yes.”

The girl, who had been sitting with her back turned, looked up at me and shook her head.

“No, it’s fine. I know food is expensive. I understand.”
“……”

How could she know about the cost of food when she didn’t even know how to wash her hair properly?

As I reached out to touch her disheveled white hair,

Knock. Knock. Knock.

-It’s Claire. I’ve brought what you requested.

Claire, cloaked in my magic, had made her way through the Infinite Labyrinth.

“Wait patiently.”
“Okay.”

I left the girl for a moment and headed to the front door.

Claire was already there, holding it open for me.

As I approached, she held out a slightly large paper bag and said,

“As you requested.”

I took the bag from her and looked inside.

There was a box of colorful cereal and two packs of milk.

“……So she likes light, simple foods.”
“Please keep this from others.”

I had nothing to say, so I nodded.

“I’ll also need some clothes for her tomorrow.”
“I’ll prepare a few plain girl’s outfits. We can discuss it tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow, then.”
“Yes. Have a good night.”

Claire bowed politely and left.

‘Well, it’s true that she’d probably enjoy this more.’

Although I hadn’t intended to ask for this, I was satisfied with the result, so I took the bag to the kitchen.

Then, I poured some cereal into an adult-sized bowl and brought it to the girl.

“Gulping……”

As soon as the girl saw what I was holding, she swung her legs, which were dangling from the chair, and swallowed hard.

Her eyes stayed fixed on the bowl, and she licked her lips. Then, she glanced up at me with her blue eyes, blinking rapidly.

【You’re really… giving this to me?】

【Thank you. I’ll eat it all.】

【……That bread you gave me before was delicious.】

The wolf, the girl, had saved my life by giving me just a piece of bread. She had sacrificed herself.

‘Never……’

I pushed away the unbidden memory and said,

“Don’t hold back. Eat as much as you want.”
“……Really?”
“Yes.”

When I nodded again, a big smile spread across the girl’s face.

And,
Splosh―!!

The girl buried her face in the bowl of cereal.

“Phew~!!”

She lifted her head to take a breath and then.

Splosh―!!

She buried her face in the bowl again.

Watching this, I closed my eyes softly.

‘We have a long way to go.’