I Broke Off My Engagement and Got a Job at the Academy

21 – Goal

After teaching my juniors and disciples today, I was taking a break in my room.

Lately, due to a lot on my mind, I found myself spending more time quietly in my room than going outside.

To be more accurate, it’s safe to say that I didn’t have the energy to do anything else.

And during one of those moments, someone knocked on my door.

“Who is it?”

Opening the door, I found Professor Cordelia standing in front of my room.

I naturally closed the door and spoke.

“Goodbye.”

I had a premonition that I might get entangled in something bothersome again. However, Professor Cordelia did not allow me to rest.

“Open the door.”

A slightly irritated voice. Ignoring that voice would undoubtedly lead to big trouble.

After a deep sigh, I opened the door again. Professor Cordelia looked at me and spoke.

“Hey, can you just stay quiet like this?”

“…What?”

What is she talking about? As I stared blankly at Professor Cordelia, she annoyingly narrowed her red eyes and said,

“Don’t you want to become a full professor?”

“…Come in for now.”

After ushering Professor Cordelia into the room, I brought out teacups and a teapot. She looked at me with her arms crossed.

“Let’s hear what I have to say first. Why the sudden suggestion of becoming a full professor?”

“The school year is about to end soon, and you wouldn’t want to remain as an assistant professor forever, right? So, you should aim for a quick promotion to full professor.”

“…But even if I want to be promoted to a full professor.”

The conditions for promotion to a full professor in the Department of Magic were different from other departments.

While other departments verified skills, the condition in the Department of Magic was to achieve academically meaningful results.

In other words, creating new systems or magic was the requirement.

Knowing this, Professor Cordelia made an amused sound and said,

“Hey, don’t worry. It’s easier than you think.”

“It might be easy for Professor Cordelia…”

By the way, the reason Professor Cordelia was a full professor from the beginning of her appointment was because she was recognized for her achievements as an anti-magician in the Magic Tower.

Knowing this, I could only respond negatively to the idea of becoming a full professor.

“I’ve only been appointed for less than a year, and why are you recommending me for a full professorship?”

Usually, most people aimed for a full professorship after serving as an assistant professor for about 2-3 years.

However, is there a reason to turn someone like me, who has not been in office for long, into a full professor?

As I pondered this, Professor Cordelia took a sip of her tea and spoke.

“I want to give you a goal.”

“A goal?”

I furrowed my brow at the abrupt remark. Professor Cordelia looked at me with eyes as red as blood and said,

“Do you have anything you can call a goal these days?”

…I didn’t.

I applied for the assistant professor position because I didn’t like the feeling of slowly dying without a goal, but now that I was an assistant professor, the goal had disappeared.

To someone like me, Professor Cordelia had said,

“People wander without goals. You haven’t been coming out of your room lately, have you?”

“…”

“What were you planning to do during the vacation?”

After returning to Seris’s mansion…

…I don’t know.

“See? Since the time you looked upset not long ago, it feels like you’ve been completely absent-minded.”

…Was it apparent even to others? I bit my lip slightly.

“So, it’s only natural for a teacher to give assignments when the disciple is foolishly idle.”

In short, she had come to deliberately give me something to do because she was worried about me.

“Well, becoming a full professor by the end of the vacation. That’s the homework I’m giving you.”

“…I appreciate the thought, but can I really do it?”

Upon hearing that, Professor Cordelia widened her eyes, looked at me, and burst into laughter.

“Hahaha, what are you worried about? Hey, I’m the one who knows your abilities, and if it’s you, can’t you do it and even surpass others?”

I heard those words and felt a peculiar trust from her towards me, causing a tingling sensation in my chest.

“…Thank you.”

Professor Cordelia patted my back and nodded approvingly.

“Sure, let’s go ahead and attach Professor Jung’s nameplate before the end of vacation. It might help with the entrance exams too, especially for the kids entering this time around.”

Hearing those words, I recalled something I had forgotten.

“…Ah.”

“Hmm?”

“Come to think of it, among the newcomers this time… there was Jezel Ikalkali.”

Perhaps noticing the change in my expression, Professor Cordelia spoke with a hint of confusion.

“Uh, um? Oh, right.”

Determined, I made a mental note.

By the end of this vacation, I would become Professor Jung without fail.

After all, Duke Ikalkali was already my enemy.

Sure, I wouldn’t do anything to Jezel Ikalkali, the Duke’s daughter, but it was equally undesirable to be mocked as an assistant professor by the daughter of my enemy.

Alright, decision made.

“…I will make sure to strive and become Professor Jung by the end of this vacation.”

Though Professor Cordelia seemed visibly taken aback by my words, she earnestly patted my head and smiled.

…

As Professor Cordelia left the room, she sighed deeply.

“Haah….”

Encouraging such a foolish disciple was one thing, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going strangely.

“Well, it’s good that he’s enthusiastic even if it’s in that way….”

Professor Cordelia pondered about her student, with only about two and a half years’ difference in age. In the world’s eyes, it might be seen more as a relationship of learning from the same mentor than a master-disciple one.

However, her disciple, without caring about such distinctions, consistently treated her as his mentor.

That was commendable. Despite his innate status and exceptional talent, he remained respectful to everyone.

That’s why she had taken him as her direct disciple and cherished him.

Being the successor to a dukedom wasn’t important. What mattered was that he was her disciple and wielded her magic.

And when her former disciple, who had left upon graduating from the academy, returned to her side after facing hardships in just a few months, she couldn’t help but worry about him.

It was even more pronounced since his expression had darkened. Thus, Professor Cordelia went to find him, hoping for the return of his vitality.

Fortunately… he seemed to have succeeded somehow.

Thinking about it, she smiled faintly.

“Well, then… I’ve helped a disciple who couldn’t get his act together even after becoming an adult… Now, shall we prepare for the next semester?”

The next semester would not only include Giselle Irikalli and Vanessa Delfier, but also various talented and dangerous individuals entering the academy.

Thinking about it, after becoming a professor, Eden might regret the timing of his promotion. Cordelia chuckled to herself.

“So… first, let’s prepare for the entrance exams, shall we?”

Entrance exams were one of the most crucial tasks in selecting gems, requiring careful consideration. The academy professors were also deeply involved.

Suddenly, Professor Cordelia felt a thought flicker in her mind.

“…Once I become a professor, should I have Eden participate in the entrance exams?”

…

Ariel rested her chin on her hand, contemplating something while looking out the window.

“My lord?”

The attendant in front of her spoke, and Ariel made an apologetic sound.

“Sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment. You may leave now. I’ll have Cieline handle that matter.”

Ariel shuffled through the documents, passing them over. The attendant bowed deeply and left her office.

As soon as he disappeared from view, Ariel stretched and closed her eyes. Perhaps sitting for too long had made her eyes stiff.

She stood up, walked to the window of her office, and looked outside. The sky had already started to darken as the sunset painted the world in hues of red and gold.

“…Beautiful.”

She uttered that brief remark and instructed her maid to tidy up her place.

“Well, at least today ended relatively early.”

Certainly, she had never been idle since becoming a duchess, but these days were particularly hectic. Finishing work around dinner time was a miracle.

There was time left. What should she do?

Ariel entered her room. However, she couldn’t think of anything in particular to do.

As she pondered, Ariel suddenly looked at the chessboard placed in one corner of the room.

…How about a game of chess after a long time?

After becoming a duchess, she had been too busy to find time for chess. She unfolded the chessboard and arranged the pieces.

…However, there was no one sitting across from her.

“Looks like I’m fishing over there.”

Suddenly, a voice that had laughed and said that to her came to mind.

The one she used to play chess with was not in front of her.

“…Let’s just play.”

Ariel tidied up the chessboard again and simply lay on the bed.

…Until she met him in person, it seemed like there was nothing she could do due to the absence of the opponent on the other side.