CHAPTER 9 – KKONDAE (1)

September 14, 2022 — 1 Comment

“…Why do you ask that?”

Is this how it feels like to have a sinking heart and the whole body’s blood cooling down?

I couldn’t hide my trembling voice and asked Rina.
And I didn’t forget to gently cover my right hand.

Rina looked puzzled for a moment when I was embarrassed, but soon answered my question.

“Most of the officers working in the Imperial Palace have calluses there.
I wondered if Isaac had the same reason.”

Like she said, the typewriter was not yet invented here, so writing was mostly done by hand only.
Therefore, calluses inevitably formed in the hands of those who filled out the documents, especially the officers working in the Imperial Palace.

In the face of an impending crisis, I quickly spun my brain.
Fortunately, Rina had no idea that I was writing a book.
If I answer this in an understandable way, I can pass the situation wisely.

After much deliberation, I was finally able to speak the correct response.

“…It’s from studying.
I have a habit of taking notes while studying.
It makes it a little easier to remember.”

“Hmm… Really? Well, it’s not unusual to have that habit if you want to acquire complete knowledge.
I used to do that when I was being educated at the Imperial Palace.”

Fortunately, it appears to have worked to some extent.
Even though I was a suspect because of my reaction, it’s better than being caught.

After that, just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Marie, not Rina, chimed in.

“But now that I see it, your hands are so pretty.
Can I take a look?”

“Huh? My hand?”

“Yeah.
Let’s compare it to mine.”

Marie extended her hand and encouraged me.
I was initially perplexed, but I quickly accepted it because it was an insignificant issue.

“Wow, your hands are so pretty.
I think they’re prettier than mine.”

Comparing her own hand with mine, one marveled at her sincerity.
Probably because of the pen-hook, the hand itself was very pretty.

Not only were my fingers long and thin, but the skin was white, and the idiom ‘seomseomogsu’ suited me well.

[T/N: ‘seomseomogsu’ or ‘섬섬옥수’ is an idiom that means ‘thin(섬) and slender(섬) woman hands(수), like a jade.
(옥)]

I scratched my head and smiled shyly at Marie’s admiration.
Even my mother praised it, but when I heard it from others, it made me feel embarrassed for some reason.

“Are you taking care of it separately?”

“No.
It’s just been like this from the beginning.”

“I’m so jealous.
My skin cracks easily and it annoys me.”

Marie grumbled, but her hands were also very pretty.
Since she was a duke’s daughter, she must have paid attention to various aspects as well as her appearance.

Perhaps it was the change in atmosphere that caused my heart, which had been pounding with tension, to gradually calm down.
I chuckled as Marie looked at her hand.

“Oh, right.
Cecily, can you show me your hand too?”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yeah.
I’m curious what a demon’s hand looks like.”

Cecily blinked her red eyes in response to Marie’s surprising question.
She didn’t seem to mind that she spoke in a casual manner.

Cecily, hesitating for a moment, cautiously showed her hand.
However, there were far too many calluses on her hand for a princess of a country.
The palms, in particular, were rough and cracked, much like a tortoise’s shell.

When everyone was unable to open their mouths due to her hand’s completely unexpected state, I looked at it closely because it reminded me of something I’d seen somewhere.
It’s the same with my father’s, brother’s, and sister’s hands.

This is a sign of countless training.

“Do you use a sword?”

“Ah.”

In response to my question, Rina exclaimed, realizing it late.
Cecily replied, wrapping her hands in embarrassment.

“Yes.
I learned swordsmanship from a young age.”

“Aren’t demons specialized in magic?”

That’s what I heard when I gathered information related to demons.

The Demons, along with Elves, were inherently superior to other races when it came to magic.
If humans express magic by calculating all kinds of complex calculations, demons perform magic as if they were just breathing.

Furthermore, ‘black mana’, which can only be used by demons, was several times stronger than normal mana.
So, when a normal wizard throws a ball of fire, the demons drop a Meteor altogether.

“It’s true, but since I’m a princess of Helium, I’ve learned various martial arts.
As you know, ‘control’ is an essential skill for us demons.”

“A healthy mind resides in a healthy body.
You mean this, right?”

Even in my previous life, if you look at athletes, firefighters, and special forces soldiers, they were both physically and mentally at an incredible level.

You can’t do what you want; you have to do what you must do, and sometimes you’re forced into extreme situations, so your mental strength will be tested.

As I spoke with that thought, Cecily’s eyes widened.
Cecily then nodded as if she had gained enlightenment and murmured quietly.

“A healthy mind resides in a healthy body… That’s a really good saying.
I’ll always keep it in mind.”

“…I’m honored to be of any help.”

When I glanced at Rina, I saw her eyes had become more subtle.  I tried to ignore it.

After a while, Rina’s lips were about to say something.

Jjaak!

The sound of applause resounded out of nowhere in the classroom.
If it had been simple applause, it would have been buried in the surrounding sounds, but it resounded like an echo, drawing everyone’s attention.

So I, as well as three people, turned our heads forward and saw an elderly man standing proudly in front of the blackboard, unaware of when he came to the classroom.

If Beerus, who was a professor of humanities, had a strict image overall, the professor who came in this time had the impression of being kind.

In addition to that, he has a thick beard, and his long white hair looks like Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings.

“Hmm.
Now I’m ready to speak.
Now that the break is over, let’s all focus.”

The new professor gave instructions with a heavy nod as the students focused on him.
I looked at the professor who looked like Gandalf and checked the timetable.

The timetable read ‘Leaf Magner,’ and he was a professor of magic and one of the critics of Xenon’s biography.

“My name is Leaf Magner, a professor who will teach you the knowledge of magic.
Nice to meet you.”

As soon as Professor Magner announced his name in a low-pitched voice, applause erupted in unison.
As I applauded, I took out the notebook and magic pen I had brought in advance to the desk.

Professor Beerus, who was a professor of humanities, didn’t feel the need to take notes, so I didn’t take them out, but it seemed something different this time.
Not only was it different from the original style, but it’s magic.

When we think of fantasy, we naturally think of power and magic.

As I said before, magic was close to a privilege that only high-ranking people can use.
Furthermore, even if knowledge related to magic is published in a book, there are many words that cannot be understood.
It was so unkind to record it so that only the wizards could recognize it.

“Are you interested in magic? You didn’t do it like now.”

“Yeah.
I’m interested.
I’ve never seen it before.”

Even when Marie asked in a voice that was unexpected, I answered immediately.
Magic! What a wonderful sound!

Although I may not manifest magic directly like Martial Arts, it was enough to hear the theory.
For me, as an Earthling, this knowledge was more valuable than anything else.

Soon, the sound of applause that filled the classroom faded, and Professor Magner opened his mouth in an old voice.

“Before I go into a full-fledged class, there was a little jarring in my ear.
Did you say Xenon’s biography?”

“…Huh?”

Xenon’s biography was mentioned as soon as it started.
It was time to think so.

Professor Magner made a displeased expression and made a remark that made my eyes twitch.

“Be careful not to mention that low-grade novel at the time of my lecture, if possible.
Because I don’t want to admit that as a novel.”

“… …”

It was a new concept of malice.
No.
I saw malicious comments in newspapers, and those were just gossip.
It was slander thrown in front of the person concerned.

I don’t know that the main character of the malicious gossip is in the same space, but I still don’t feel very good.
Beyond bad, I felt very dirty.

Still, what can I do? I just have to think of him as an idiot.
I let out a long breath in frustration, then glanced at the sides alternately.

Unsurprisingly, none had very good expressions.
Among them, Cecily was the worst, twisting her face and exhaling a ferocious aura as if she would go fight right away.

It was a little scary for me as a general person, although I was presumed to be patient.

“…Cecily?”

“…Huh?”

“It’s going to get a little cold…”

“Ah…! Mi, sorry…”

Fortunately, when Rina quietly pointed it out, Cecily quickly regained her energy and apologized immediately.
I looked straight ahead, rubbing my trembling arm.

Should I say it is an overreaction? When Professor Magner talked about Xenon’s biography, the classroom became as quiet as a dead mouse.
Like it or not, Professor Magner clicked his tongue and regretted it.

“Tsk tsk tsk… that bullshit made me lower my eyes.
I’m sorry.
I’m really sorry.”

Then you shouldn’t have used difficult words from the beginning.
Even the nobles are blaming others for putting in words that are difficult to understand.

Professor Magner started the lecture, regardless of the sudden chilling atmosphere.
It was a distinctly different atmosphere from Professor Beerus’s time, but it seemed good to take a class.

“First of all, it is important to know that learning magic doesn’t mean you can use magic.
So what’s the difference between the two? It’s simple.
One is about learning knowledge related to magic, and the other is literally learning magic.”

Compared to the previous life, one is learning the history of machines, and the other is making those machines.
Even if magic is a power granted only to high-ranking people, it has already been ingrained into life, so its history will be very vast.

‘It would have been better if he hadn’t said something useless at first.’

I am very interested in magic.
However, the professor is very rude.

The dislike of Professor Magner has long since penetrated the floor and reached the mantle.
Anyone who has worked hard for their creations will be offended if they are criticized right in front of them.

square- square-

I wrote it down in my notebook with a magic pen while calming my boiling inside.
Maybe it was because no one other than me had a notebook or pen, but the sound of scribbling was particularly loud.

“Then before I ask you a question… the red-haired student.”

“…Huh?”

Why me again? Is it because of my red hair?

While I was greatly perplexed, Professor Magner explained why he had called me.

“I saw you recording something earlier, but if it’s related to magic, don’t record it.”

“…Why?”

“Magic is a power that can only be used by those who have been chosen since ancient times.
It should never be spread arbitrarily.
Even if it is a piece of knowledge.”

“No, what is that…”

Isn’t that an old-fashioned idea? So, what about this magic pen or the temperature control function placed in the dormitory? Refrigerator?

It was so absurd that the words did not come out of my throat.
Even that statement is in direct opposition to Professor Beerus’s beliefs.

Somehow, books related to magic were rare, so there were only so many wizards.
It’s understandable to see such thoughts taken for granted.

“Then does the professor deny the idea that knowledge should be widely spread?”

In the end, a student who I couldn’t see asked a question.
I also wanted to say that, so I waited for Professor Magner’s answer.

But when Professor Magner heard the question and stroked his voluminous beard, he came up with an unexpected answer.

“That’s not it.
It’s limited to magic, and other knowledge doesn’t matter.
Magic is a dangerous power.
You can tell by looking at the races that use that power as if it were breathing, that is, demons and elves.
What if you can’t control it? It’s a walking disaster.”

“… …”

“In that bullshit, they are described as a being with a tragic fate, but after all, demons are just demons.
No matter how much they pretend to be human, their essence does not change in the end.”

That’s outright racial discrimination.
Of course, as soon as Professor Magner made those remarks, many eyes turned to Cecily.

I was afraid that Cecily would be angry, but she only smiled bitterly.
This was a look that was roughly expected.

No matter how much Xenon’s biography has changed the views on demons, there were still many people who still treated demons as an element of anxiety.
In addition, Professor Magner was an old-fashioned person who denied Xenon’s biography.

“It’s okay.
Cecily.
You don’t have to worry about what that professor says.
Okay?”

“…Yeah.”

Even as Rina hummed and comforted her, Cecily’s face didn’t seem to straighten out at all.
Rather, she lowered her head in despair.

I mulled as much as I could after seeing it.
Even if it means getting kicked out of the classroom, let’s screw Professor Magner.
Let’s screw him so that he will never forget.

Luckily, Professor Magner called me again.

“Then put off the useless words, there the red-haired student.”

“…Yes, Professor.”

“What does the student think magic is?”

What’s that? It’s a fucking mysterious force.

If I said it straight away, I wouldn’t be able to screw him and I would just be kicked out, so I answered roughly.

“…I think it has the power to relieve people’s troubles.”

“Can you tell me more?”

“Well…”

I got up slowly from my seat.
Just like with Professor Beerus, when I stood up again, I could feel gazes focused on me.

Then I returned the remarks that Professor Magner had made just before.

“Magic is certainly a dangerous power, but it is a power that, if used properly, can save people’s lives or achieve desired ends.”

“What?”

“…Mr.
Isaac?”

Professor Magner frowned at my answer, and Cecily looked at me with her eyes wide open.
But this was not the end.

“Magic can only be used by the chosen one, but if you look closely, it is ingrained in our lives.
Being able to control the temperature of the classroom now is also magic, and the ID card issued when entering Halo Academy has magic.
Like this, magic is a double-edged sword.
Sometimes it threatens people’s lives, but sometimes it saves people’s lives and adds convenience to their lives.”

“… …”

“It doesn’t matter if the subject who uses that power is the demon.
Right now, it is absurd to discriminate against demons as we humans are using magic as a weapon of mass destruction.
So I think it’s right to say that the disaster you mentioned are not the demons, but the wizards themselves.”

The more I continued, the more Professor Magner’s expression hardened.
To be honest, if it were me, I would also be uncomfortable.
Because it’s like a single young man is denying everything you thought was right.

Professor Magner took a deep breath as if to calm his anger and then opened his mouth in a subdued tone.

“…It must be the ability to beautify stupid talk.
But the question I asked is the definition of magic, not the argument.”

“Then what do you want me to do?”

“I’m asking you to tell me the definition of magic.
Magic definition.”

I answered that question in a sarcastic tone.

“If I explain it in difficult words, you won’t understand it anymore.
As you know, the students here have low eyes.”

Ha ha ha ha ha!

At my words, feeble laughter resounded in the classroom.
Marie burst into laughter, and Rina smiled precariously as if it was refreshing.

Only Cecily was looking at me with a mysterious expression, but when I made eye contact with her, I smiled.

When I smiled, she, who had been depressed before, smiled a little.

“Whoa… Look.
Student.”

At that moment, Professor Magner called me.
The lecture hall, which had burst into laughter at the same time as the professor called, became quiet in an instant.

“Yes, Professor.”

“I don’t need an unfaithful student like you.”

Professor Magner then sentenced me with an angry face.

“Get out.”

“…yes?”

“I’ll lower my eyes and tell you what you want.
Get out.”

Professor Magner pointed out the classroom and said firmly.
The atmosphere in the classroom was even worse than before.

I had a snowball fight with Professor Magner for a while, then looked around.
Marie was watching, Rina looked surprised, and Cecily looked worried.

At that, I smiled and opened my mouth as if to reassure.

“I’ll be back in the next hour anyway.”

“What are you murmuring about? Get out of here fast!”

Eventually, Professor Magner couldn’t contain his anger and shouted.
It was so loud that an echo could be heard.

As soon as he screamed, I hurried down to the door.
As I went down to the door, Professor Magner looked at me and muttered.

“Spoiled bastard.
These days, kids…”

Yes, yes.
Thank you for what you said.

But do you know that? The big shit doesn’t end here.

I pretended to go to the door, then turned back as if I had remembered something.
Professor Magner asked me with a tone of annoyance as soon as he saw me going back.

“Why are you coming back?”

“I left something behind.”

“What is that?”

As soon as Professor Magner asked, I faced him directly.
I could vividly feel the students sitting at their desks looking this way.

Now, it’s time to eat the last shit.
You’re an old-fashioned malicious commenter.

Without a single stutter, I uttered a vast amount of words one after another.

“It consists of a lot of blank paper, on which you can record and summarize or organize the knowledge you have learned, sometimes it is necessary to analyze information, sometimes it is necessary to draw a picture and to produce it you need the help of a printing house.
In the past, it boasted a high price, but now it is easily available in the market.”

[T/N: kind of reminds me of the scene from ‘3 Idiots’.
]

“… …”

Uhhhhhhhh.
Breathless.
It’s in a movie, too.
But I was satisfied that I did it to the end without stuttering.

I checked Professor Magner’s reaction while pretending to be as calm as possible.
He opened his mouth slightly, not knowing what he heard.

“…What the hell is that?”

What is it?

“Notebook.”

Some of my notebooks I left behind.

ha ha ha!

Contrary to the lengthy explanation, laughter once again resounded in the classroom at the identity of the object, which was so simple.
But Professor Magner’s face was slightly red from his humiliation.

After a look at the students, Professor Magner rebuked me in a voice that was more of an absurdity than anger.

“It’s just a notebook.
Why did you explain it that way? Are you testing me?”

No.
I’m trying to screw you.

I couldn’t say those words exactly, but I could answer a similar point.

“I thought that a professor with high eyes would understand.”

Ha ha ha ha ha!

Unlike the inside of the classroom, which eventually became a field of laughter, Professor Magner’s expression was worth seeing.
I left Professor Magner in disbelief, went back to my seat, and took my notebook and pen.

“Isn’t that too reckless?  What if you go beyond suspension and get expelled?”

While I was taking my notebook and pen, Rina was concerned about my safety.
Even if she said so, she seemed to be happy inside as she was smiling.

To that question, I shrugged my shoulders and answered in a calm voice.

“Then the professor’s evaluation will get worse? Well, the evaluation is still bad.”

Politics like this is simple.
In fact, if I take excessive discipline, Professor Magner’s identity cannot be guaranteed.

In front of many students, Professor Magner denigrated Xenon’s biography, which caused a stir as a low-level novel, and further discriminated against demons.
This alone has little chance of being buried socially.

‘I’m sure I’ll hear from my parents, but…’

It was that moment.

“…it’s fun too.”

“Huh?”

“No.
Nothing.”

Even if I asked again, Rina only smiled.

*****

It was the next day.
As I sat down in the classroom, Marie, the beautiful woman with white hair, sat down next to me and told me some great news.

“Hey, did you hear that?”

“What?”

“You know Professor Magner.
He’s been stripped of his professorship.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah.
I heard that it was because he called Xenon’s biography story bullshit.”

“… …”

I realized the power of my work again.

‘If I conclude it with a bad ending, I won’t be burned at the stake, right?’