I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy - Chapter 14

A week had passed since the incident of the barrier malfunctioning.

“Make sure the balance isn’t too one-sided.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

The barrier, which had stopped functioning for unknown reasons, resumed operation the very next day.

“And make sure the young clerics don’t bring out any chocolate or candy.”

“You told them yesterday and the day before.”

Some professors were still wasting their precious time wandering around the campus and grounds, trying to find the unknown cause.

“Arrival at 13:00—”

“Yes, yes. I’ll send all the believers back before then, so please leave now.”

At the Arena Academy branch of the Temple of the God of Amusement.

Lee Yesol, the priest who had helped Baek Hana change her clothes the other day, sighed and said to Claire, “Executor, you’ve been saying the same thing for three days now. I’ve memorized it after hearing it twice. Today is the fourth time. You don’t need to say it if you don’t want to. Just go already.”

“……Hmm.”

Above Claire, in terms of rank, there was only one being—the God of Amusement, Bwiar.

The fact that Lee Yesol, an ordinary priest, was pushing Claire away like this was enough to give an idea of the atmosphere among Bwiar’s believers.

“Go on.”

Kwang—

Claire, who had been pushed out of the temple by Lee Yesol, tied her hair, which fell below her shoulders, into a neat bun with a black ribbon.

With the ring battle indefinitely postponed due to the barrier incident, Claire had accepted Baek Woo-jin’s suggestion and had been visiting his house regularly for the past few days.

And currently, the Academy was in a state of commotion.

Professors and clerics were scouring the campus and Academy grounds, looking for intruders who didn’t exist, so the noise was to be expected.

Even in this chaotic situation, Claire stood out.

Like a beautiful ice sculpture crafted by a master craftsman.

A cold-looking woman with a chilly aura.

Even without her title as an Executioner, she was a woman who drew people’s attention with her stunning appearance.

– She’s going in again…

– How did she break through?

– I don’t know. Ask her if you’re curious.

– Are you crazy?

It was only natural that rumors were spreading, as she had been entering the Infinite Labyrinth at the same time every day for several days now.

She had considered wearing her perception-obscuring glasses, but given the sensitive situation after the barrier incident, that was not an option.

Most importantly…

[I prefer you without the glasses, although you look good with them too.]

The client preferred her without glasses, so that was that.

Claire stepped into the labyrinth.

Those who had been following her hesitated for a moment before turning back. This was because news had spread that some people who had followed her into the labyrinth had been trapped inside for a day before being released.

“Haa.”

Claire let out a breath as she entered the labyrinth.

A quiet place, free from annoying gazes and noisy sounds.

With a lighter heart, Claire walked according to her mood, and the labyrinth guided her to its owner’s residence.

A cottage that was gradually becoming familiar.

Click—

A door that was always open.

Just as she had done the first time she brought cereal, Claire opened the door and walked in.

– Claire!!

– This kid.

– Waaah!!

Noisy sounds from the kitchen.

Claire hung her coat on the rack by the entrance.

Her pure white coat hung next to Baek Woo-jin’s black one.

Leaving the rack behind, she walked towards the kitchen. With each step, Baek Hana’s grumbling became clearer.

“Claire!!”

Baek Hana jumped down from the chair and ran towards her.

Claire bent down slightly and picked up the little girl, who ran into her arms.

Baek Hana, in Claire’s arms, pouted and pointed to Baek Woo-jin, who was sitting at the table, as she spoke.

“Woo-jin hit me again!!”

Baek Woo-jin, who had been looking at his phone, glanced at Baek Hana and Claire and said, “Don’t be spoiled. And don’t always give in to her.”

“I wasn’t being spoiled!!”

Baek Hana shouted.

“You don’t even know what being spoiled means.”

At Baek Woo-jin’s words, Baek Hana blinked and looked at Claire, asking, “What’s being spoiled?”

“Pfft…”

Claire couldn’t help but laugh at Baek Hana’s cuteness and unexpected behavior. A pure child with hair as white as snow.

“Being spoiled means… well, it means when you whine and cling to me after being scolded by Professor, or when you try to stay on his lap for too long.”

“Huhhh……!!”

Baek Hana’s eyes widened in shock, and she looked at Baek Woo-jin, who was still focused on his phone, with a gloomy expression, and asked in a sad voice, “I can’t be spoiled?”

“……”

No immediate response.

After a while, Baek Woo-jin looked up from his phone and at Baek Hana.

“Twice a day.”

“……Three times.”

“……Okay, three times.”

Baek Hana, who had been gloomy, smiled brightly again.

Claire sighed softly and smiled at Baek Woo-jin, who bowed his head again.

Baek Hana was pure, but sometimes she could be cunning. What she had just done to Baek Woo-jin was one of those cunning acts.

Baek Woo-jin knew this, but he played along anyway.

Claire enjoyed watching the unique dynamic between these two very different individuals.

She sat at the table and had breakfast with Baek Hana.

The menu was the cereal she had brought before.

While the flavor was tailored to children’s tastes, the nutritional content was designed to appeal to parents, so Baek Woo-jin had approved of it.

Baek Woo-jin, who had been looking at his phone for a while, got up and took the two empty bowls to the sink.

“Claire!!”

“Yes.”

Claire, who had been watching Baek Woo-jin’s back for a moment, looked down as Baek Hana pulled on her arm, and stood up from the chair.

She took Baek Hana’s hand and headed to the library, a room filled with books.

The fourth time she had visited this place.

Claire took Baek Hana’s hand and walked towards the rocking chair in the back of the library, where a picture book from yesterday lay open. She sat down in the chair, holding Baek Hana in one arm and the book in the other, making sure it was at Baek Hana’s eye level.

What Baek Woo-jin had asked of her was truly nothing special.

Reading books to Baek Hana and explaining the words she didn’t understand.

Also, teaching her things that a man might find difficult or sensitive to talk about later on.

Finally, interacting with the young clerics from the temple.

Since Baek Hana was still immature in many ways, Baek Woo-jin had no plans to send her to school until those issues were resolved.

However, she couldn’t stay cooped up in the house all the time, so for the sake of her emotional well-being, he decided that interaction with others was necessary, and that’s where Claire came in.

Even the youngest cleric was three years older than Baek Hana, but perhaps because of that, not only the young clerics but also the other clerics and paladins adored her. In fact, both her appearance and behavior were adorable.

– Woooouuung.

A small vibration from Baek Hana’s pocket.

“Lunch!!”

“Is that so?”

Neither Claire nor Baek Hana, who had been asking questions about the Korean fairy tale, which Claire had never read before, realized how much time had passed.

Baek Hana jumped out of Claire’s arms and ran towards Baek Woo-jin, who was in the study.

Left alone, Claire put the book back on the chair and quietly closed the door to the library before leaving. Not long after, Baek Hana returned, wearing a white fur coat and a fluttering scarf on her neck.

“Lunch~!!”

It seemed she liked the food prepared by the temple, as she hummed a tune as she ran past Claire towards the entrance.

“You must greet Professor before you leave, so don’t go without me.”

– Yee~

Claire quietly opened the door to the study, which was at the very end of the quiet hallway.

‘……A comfortable smell.’

A cozy space that soothed the mind.

Baek Woo-jin could be seen sitting at his desk, writing something.

“I’ll bring her back before 7:00 p.m.”

“Okay.”

A brief reply.

Claire watched him for a moment before quietly stepping back.

“Kkhhhrrraaappp―!!”

Baek Woo-jin spat out a handful of reddish lumps.

“Pro―”

Claire stopped speaking as Baek Woo-jin reached out his bloodstained hand.

He wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth and said, “It’s nothing serious. So don’t worry about it and go.”

“……Yes.”

Nothing serious?

The stench was so horrible that she couldn’t bring herself to say those words.

Claire quietly closed the door to the study, unable to shake off the horrible smell.

“Claire. Are you mad?”

“……”

At Baek Hana’s question, which came from the entrance where she had been waiting, Claire quickly wiped her face with both hands.

“I was hungry… yes, I was hungry, so that’s why.”

“Aha.”

Claire left the mansion, holding the hand of the little girl, who nodded in pure sympathy for her lie.

Fwoosh!

The rotting, bloody lumps of flesh that had been emitting a putrid stench were instantly engulfed in flames and reduced to ashes.

“Ah, much lighter now.”

As his body recovered, he expelled the stagnant death energy that had been building up within him.

Ever since he opened his eyes in this body, he had been plagued by a pervasive lethargy that was now significantly diminished. Not only had he purged the lethargy, but he had also created more room within himself to accommodate his magic power.

Aside from the abruptness of it all, he was quite pleased with the outcome.

‘The lethargy hasn’t completely vanished, so I’ll have to do this a few more times.’

He decided that the next time, he would make sure Baek Hana didn’t witness it. Not because of any particular reason, but simply because the smell was atrocious.

“Tsk…”

Along with the bloody mess, the journal he had been keeping was also reduced to ashes.

It wasn’t a matter of losing control, but rather, those bloody remains were so exceptional that it was necessary to dispose of them in such a manner.

‘Eight years, I believe.’

It was time to start working for Baek Hana in earnest.

He had a plan in place and had already completed more than half of the necessary preparations.

Through Kim Sung-won, he had secured a highly sought-after schedule for the students’ practical training in the rift, all in the name of Baek Hana. He had also used the internet to gather information on key individuals and the locations of certain items he required.

‘There’s no need to worry about variables.’

His very existence was the biggest variable of all.

And if any other variables arose, he was confident in his ability to handle them.

He opened a new page in his journal and began transcribing the conversations and interactions he had with Baek Hana the previous night before falling asleep.

‘… Puberty.’

Baek Hana, who always demanded to be carried on his lap and slept with him, was now entering puberty.

“I can’t even imagine it.”

The purest child he had ever known, always smiling and cheerful, now wearing a frown and throwing tantrums.

‘It might be a bit troublesome, but it will certainly be entertaining.’

Even those moments would become cherished memories.

…

February 3, 2023.

Exactly one year since he started living with Baek Hana.

The changes in her came surprisingly quickly.