Research Life of a New Professor at Magic University - Chapter 8

Entering the university, the excited freshmen filled the campus with energy and the smell of alcohol.

At the School of Magic, there were no restrictions on admission based on status.
However, the tuition fee was not something everyone could afford.

As a result, most students, with few exceptions, came from affluent households.
The new freshmen, exposed to new knowledge, brought life to the shops around the university with their wealth.
The campus resembled a giant beast awakening from hibernation.

At Imperial University, often, the freshmen brought life to the sullen atmosphere of the school.
Watching influential figures sternly admonishing their young children was quite a sight.
Perhaps my amusement stemmed from seeing my mentor reprimanding secular authorities.
Anyway, most households paid particular attention to education, so it was not a common occurrence.

Buildings that hadn’t yet been hit by the wave of students were lively yet peaceful.

My lab was a bit away from the areas frequented by undergraduates, so I didn’t have many opportunities to see them directly.
Still, whenever I went to the faculty building or the department office or went out to eat, I could feel the changes it brought about.

“Is it okay if I sit here if you’re alone?”

Because of this, more people suddenly struck up conversations without any reason.
Many would demand to sit together abruptly or just plop down their tray without asking for my permission.

While it was understandable due to lack of space, why keep talking to the person at the table?
Due to their overly friendly behavior, as if it were their duty to accompany me, staying in restaurants became quite uncomfortable.

Thanks to this, outings with Arien became more frequent.
People who used to sit with me as if it were natural didn’t approach me when there were two of us.
I worried it might be uncomfortable, but Arien seemed to secretly enjoy these situations.

“Still, it’s fortunate we can coordinate our schedules. Good job.”

“Is tomorrow the first class?”

“Yeah.”

“Do I need to come too?”

“Since it’s the first class, it’s probably better if you show up. They should at least know your face. They probably won’t ask for introductions, so don’t worry. Do you have any classes?”

“No, my classes are mostly concentrated on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There’s some on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, but it won’t be a problem if I skip morning classes with your permission.”

My theory classes were on Monday and Wednesday mornings, and the lab sessions were on Friday afternoons. Arien had arranged her schedule well to avoid conflicts.

Monday and Wednesday afternoons. From Tuesday to Thursday afternoons until early evening.

“It might be difficult to schedule experiments. We’ll be quite busy during the semester.”

This meant experiments couldn’t be conducted during the lunch break.
Perhaps it would have been better to schedule them to overlap with my theory classes.

Well, it’s pointless to worry now.

Even during vacations, I can keep busy with experiments, so it won’t be an issue.
When I have to attend conferences or similar events, missing a day of class shouldn’t matter.

“Sure. I’ll do my best even if it’s tough.”

“Yeah. It’ll get better eventually. Let’s head back now that we’re done eating.”

That’s not a lie.
I just didn’t know how long that would be.

Despite being prepared for the first week of classes, it wasn’t time to relax.
Arien needs to prepare lecture materials twice a week. Plus, there’s the lab session once a week.

I also need to start with the assignments I must submit to the university, which I don’t want to do.
Additionally, I need to think about topics for research with Arien and perhaps plan some experiments.
I’m also considering writing another project proposal to secure research funding for this semester.

That’s just what needs to be done in the lab.
Thinking about various seminars, conferences, internal university matters, and reporting achievements is already making my head spin.
Thanks to this, I’ve been declining or postponing minor meal invitations.

“How will you conduct the first class? Professor said you’ll handle it yourself.”

Ah, I haven’t really thought about it much.
I figured I’d give a brief introduction and talk about some essential topics, and the students would figure out the rest.

“What’s there to an orientation? I take attendance, introduce myself, and introduce the course topics, and that’s it. Have a brief Q&A session and finish early if there’s nothing else to say. Students usually appreciate getting out early.”

“…That makes sense, but can you really say that, Professor?”

“What difference does it make? Some students skip courses right after the first class. But that’s usually because the course load is heavy. There’s no need to give a bad first impression.”

Such classes are never canceled, even during the week before exams.
If there’s a cancellation due to the professor’s circumstances, they usually schedule another session later.

“You’re not wrong…”

“I’ll handle today’s class, so start preparing for the experiments. Once the semester starts, we’ll focus on research.”

“Huh? Are we starting right away in the first week?”

“Yeah. You need to be present in the lab sessions too. There’s more to do compared to theory classes. That’s why you need to study the process beforehand.”

“I thought I wouldn’t need to participate in the lab sessions…”

“Still, you should be able to answer some questions. You might need to assist students with their experiments, and there might be situations where I can’t handle accidents alone. I wouldn’t have called you if I thought you’d just be standing around.”

I handed over a paper related to the first experiment. Arien seemed somewhat worried.

“What kind of experiment is it?”

“You’ve seen all the equipment and materials. It’s a stamina recovery potion. Since commercial products are easy to acquire, it’s simple to verify if it’s well-made.”

“Do we feed it to injured people?”

“… That would be human experimentation. You can’t feed unverified substances to people. Well, not even to animals.”

“So, how do you know if it’s well-made?”

“There are experimental products, but they’re too expensive. I’ll mainly rely on magic sensitivity or sample reactions. Since we have an alchemy workstation, we should make the most of it.”

“And you can determine the efficacy of the potion with that?”

“To some extent. Of course, the actual effects may vary. But this experiment is about replicating a potion that is already well-known for its ingredients and efficacy. The exact portions and detailed processes of this potion have been disclosed. So, we can get a fairly good idea with simple tests.”

“It’s disclosed? Isn’t that usually kept secret?”

“It varies depending on the type of potion.”

There are dozens of types of stamina potions, and even within the same type, the effects can vary depending on the creator.
Among them, this product is mass-produced and supplied cheaply, so there aren’t any special ingredients or methods.
Perhaps it’s disclosed for quality assurance purposes, as people tend to doubt its efficacy due to its weak effects.

“It’s complicated… I thought I was prepared enough, but it seems I underestimated it.”

“Oh, and don’t leave any books or notes next to the potions. If anyone finds them, you must immediately get it out of sight.”

“I know that much.”

“You don’t need to tell me when you move them; just leave them in a drawer.”

“Got it.”

“Yeah. You’ve worked hard, so rest for today, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thank you. Goodbye.”

Arien’s expression suddenly brightened, and she hurriedly bid farewell and left.
Come to think of it, if tomorrow is Monday, then today is the weekend.

The next day, after briefly checking the lecture materials, I headed to the classroom after reading my textbooks in the lab.

I’ve confirmed that there are about 20 students in the class.
Considering that students from the Alchemy Department also attended this lecture, there were fewer people than expected.
The sudden change in professors might have contributed to this.
Initially, the capacity was 2-3 times larger than this.

It’s somewhat relieving that it’ll be easier to manage.
I don’t even have the confidence to memorize the faces and names of these twenty people.
Of course, I wouldn’t try to reduce it.

As I crossed the undergraduate living area and passed by the library towards the lecture building, I could feel eyes on me.

Some freshmen still couldn’t shake off their youthful demeanor, current students who exuded ease through their expressions and gestures, and occasionally tired-looking graduate students, all sending glances my way.

Some even stopped walking just to stare.
While I’m used to getting attention to some extent, today was different from before.
Perhaps it’s because there’s an elf beside me.

Glancing at Arien, I found her surprisingly nonchalant.
Typically, someone experiencing this level of attention for the first time would feel incredibly embarrassed and keep looking around nervously.

But Arien showed no signs of that.
She just had a slightly mischievous expression.
It seemed like she was accustomed to this kind of attention.

Well, having an elf among the humans for four years would have made her quite famous.
It must have been challenging for her to even attend classes, let alone roam around campus.
I guess we’re in similar situations after all.

Fortunately, there were no incidents where I couldn’t arrive at the lecture hall on time due to annoying individuals blocking the way or trying to talk to me.
They simply made way without even glaring or gesturing.
It’s pretty convenient to be a professor in situations like these.

I arrived at the lecture hall three minutes before the start of class.
I casually placed my books down and prepared myself mentally.

As I observed the students quietly, many stared intently at Arien.
Some male students seemed so distracted that they didn’t even realize their mouths were hanging open.

Today, Arien wore a loose-fitting cloak she didn’t wear in the lab.
Given the current situation, I could understand why.
Even after some time, some male students didn’t even glance in my direction.

In contrast, the female students seemed much more attentive.

When we entered the lecture hall, the girls glanced briefly at Arien, then immediately shifted their gaze towards me, urging me to start the class already.
Those big, clear eyes filled with academic zeal brought tears to mine.

“Alright, everyone.”

As I spoke, some attention finally gathered towards me.
However, some students still indulged in seeing the elf’s beauty without pretending to listen.

Perhaps I should use some light magic to help them concentrate?

The room instantly filled with light and disappeared a moment later.
Now, their eyes were on me.
Some were impressed by the skillful and subtle use of magic, but most had mocking expressions.

I paid no heed to their childlike behavior.

Because it wasn’t directed at me.

It was one of the male students who illuminated the room.
As the light snapped the other students out of their stupor, they awkwardly lowered their heads, causing suppressed laughter throughout the room.

Though it’s a bit regrettable to resort to this, I hope it serves as a lesson.
While it’s understandable for men to admire beauty, they should still focus on their studies during class.
Aren’t they embarrassed in front of other students trying to study?

Anyway, thanks to that, the atmosphere became a bit livelier.
I began the class while looking at the smiling faces of the students.

“Welcome. I’m Roger Atwell, your instructor for this semester’s ‘Utilization of Magical Materials’ course.

In this class, we will study various magic spells, magical materials, and the practical applications of tools. I hope you all can learn a lot through this course. Please trust me to guide you through this semester.”

Arien glanced at me with confusion and relief as I finished my introduction.

Come to think of it, was this her first time seeing me speaking politely?

While graduate students are considered staff, undergraduate students are treated as customers.
So, it’s natural for the treatment to differ.