Research Life of a New Professor at Magic University

Claire Lacton was wearing a light, airy dress.
It was a feminine outfit suitable for noblewomen, but somehow, it felt awkward, though not necessarily unsuitable.

In fact, it would probably be hard to find a more suitable outfit at first glance.
However, she seemed unfamiliar with such attire, and her demeanor appeared unnatural.
Though if the rumors are to be believed, she’s more accustomed to armor than dresses.

“Thank you for agreeing to this sudden meeting request, Professor Atwell. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“No, the pleasure is mine.”

I was so flustered that I hadn’t even bothered to offer her a greeting, let alone consider basic etiquette.
Frozen with embarrassment, I awkwardly attempted to behave properly to get through the encounter smoothly.

After calming my surprised heart, I finally had the chance to observe her.
Even though she was wearing a serious expression now, her face closely resembled Stella’s.
Even if she looked very different at the moment, with a slight smile, she would be identical to Stella.

Perhaps they’re sisters?

They might not look like it at first glance due to their small age difference, but since Stella mentioned she’s the eldest, Claire must be her younger sister.
The younger one seemed composed, while the older sister appeared quite carefree.

“I heard that you specifically requested to meet me.”

“Yes, I had a task in mind that I wanted Professor Atwell to handle.”

Stella is lively and talkative, while Claire is calm and reserved.
The older sister has a smile in her eyes, while the younger one has a firm gaze.
A wizard with calloused fingers holding a pen, while a swordsman has calloused palms.

Even though they looked alike, it was easy to tell at a glance that it wasn’t Stella, mainly because the atmosphere was so different.
Despite being sisters, they didn’t resemble each other much apart from their appearance.

She requested this meeting, but she hasn’t mentioned the purpose yet.
Should I bring it up first?

“So, what made you want to meet with me?”

“As you’ve heard, it’s related to the sword.”

“But why me?”

“My sister has told me much about you.”

Claire confirmed my suspicions.
It wasn’t an unpleasant remark, but why do I feel so uneasy?

“I’ve heard that your lectures are excellent. Stella mentioned that you explain things very well.”

I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Her sister is quite an unpredictable lady.

“Not at all. Stella is such a bright student that she grasps things quickly.”

“My sister has always been very good at studying since she was young. There was no wizard in our household with talent like hers.”

Feeling the urge to scold her for wasting time, I checked Stella Lacton’s grades from last year.
Surprisingly, Stella Lacton was the top student in her department.

“But she never specifically praised a teacher or professor by name. This means that among the teachers she met, no one taught as well as you.”

It’s almost too much praise.
I’m skeptical if I can believe her words.

“And that was only in a week. Perhaps because of this prejudice, I still have a positive impression of the professor.”

“Maybe I can get along well with you too.”

“Oh, my. Suddenly, my impression of you has worsened.”

“Oh, you siblings really look alike. Please forget what I just said.”

Indeed, gossip is the best way to get closer.
And I could tell right away.
She’s making an effort to get close to me.

I wanted to gossip more about Stella, but it’s not good to keep adjusting to the other’s rhythm.
I extended my hand with a somewhat firm attitude.

Well… I wish we had more time to chat after finishing the business.

“So, what’s the matter? Your sister always used to talk about other things for quite a while before getting to the point. I don’t want to see any similarities between you two in this regard.”

Claire’s face stiffened momentarily, but she didn’t seem particularly uncomfortable.
Like Stella, who was more of a wizard than a noble, Claire seemed more like a commoner than a noble.
She didn’t want to unnecessarily waste time by getting into a needless confrontation.

“You have an impressive sword.”

Claire smoothly put aside the awkward noble mannerisms and got straight to the point.
There’s a saying that every house has a black sheep, but it didn’t seem to apply to these sisters.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not something I can sell. I can’t lend it to you either. Naturally, I can’t permit replication either.”

This isn’t simply a matter of my will.

“Oh, I’m sorry. You misunderstood. What I want is simply a sword, not ‘that’ sword.’

“You mean a magical sword. A request for enchantment?”

“Yes. That’s correct. You catch on quickly.”

The story Stella brought up when she first approached me was about a magical sword.
Did she look into it for her younger sister? That rascal has some commendable traits after all.

“What enchantment do you want?”

“Well, it’s difficult to explain. There’s nothing specific that’s been decided.”

What’s this? Has the person who commissioned the item not even decided what they want?

“Please elaborate.”

“I’m not very knowledgeable about magic. I can handle mana, but I don’t know anything about spells. So, I’m not sure what kind of enchantment should be inscribed.”

“What kind of sword do you want then? Surely, you have some preferences.”

“Since it’s a sword, as long as it’s easy to wield, sharp, and durable, that’s all I need.”

Just ‘Hardening’ and ‘Sharpening?’ Those are simple.
It’s not something to bother a professor from the Magic University about.
You could find a pre-inscribed item at a workshop.

“That’s a bit strange. You wouldn’t need to come to me if it’s something like that.”

“The commission fee is 50 gold coins. I’ll give you 20 coins as a deposit. You can keep the deposit regardless of the success.”

“I accept.”

Oh no!
The words came out before I could stop them. This isn’t something to accept immediately!

“…You’re quick with decisions.”

Claire seemed a bit taken aback by my lightning-fast response, too.

My mouth! I blurted out without even going through my brain.
It’s because the conditions were so outrageous.

A sword with hardening and sharpening enchantments doesn’t even cost ten gold coins.
But giving me 50 coins? And what’s with the 20-coin deposit?

“I didn’t expect you to agree so readily.”

Neither did I. When the conditions seem suspiciously good, you don’t just jump on it; you start by doubting.
Since I can’t take back what I’ve said, I need to calmly assess the situation first.

“Your conditions were so generous. I’m actually curious. Why are you offering so much?”

“Do you dislike it?”

“Of course not. But considering the amount, I can’t help but think there must be significant demands.”

“Well, actually, I wanted to become… No! That’s not the case.”

It was clear that Claire Lacton was also not accustomed to such situations.
Though she denied it, admitting to having ulterior motives is as good as confessing.
Just as she didn’t anticipate my swift acceptance, I didn’t expect her to reveal her true intentions so easily.

Her face was filled with a sense of defeat.
Was my expression like that a moment ago?

She’s probably racking her brain over her slip of the tongue, so it’s pointless to push further now. Thinking I should change the subject to something else, I spoke up.

“Oh, I have a question before that.”

“What is it?”

“I heard you’re the heir, but…”

Even from our short conversation today, I could tell.
She wasn’t raised to be an heir from the start.

Stella mentioned she’s the eldest in a family of three brothers and three sisters. So, Claire’s succession rank is, at best, fifth among the six siblings.
But she’s the heir? What could have happened…

But I couldn’t continue my words. It was the worst time for someone to arrive.

“Huh? Claire! You’re already here? I told you to contact me first… Oh, Professor! Professor!”

Whether it was the interruption of the conversation or the inability to gossip about her afterward, I couldn’t tell which was more disappointing.

*

“Sis, I told you….”

“How was your talk?”

“How was it… What…”

“Tell me already!”

I became apprehensive about what she might say about me.
Since she didn’t seem likely to answer anyway, I was just going to ignore it, but her glances and whispers made me uncomfortable.

“Miss Lacton, I’m talking with Miss Claire right now…”

“Huh? Why am I Lacton, and she’s Claire?”

“There are two Lactons, so we need to differentiate.”

“Then call me Stella! No, you knew me first, so why don’t you call me that? It’s not fair!”

“Our relationship as a student and a professor; we must distinguish more thoroughly.”

“But Assistant Arien calls seniors by their nicknames! Isn’t that even more blurred?”

“The lab assistant is different.”

“Just call me by my name too. Or… Oh, maybe Claire is special?”

Oh, I could just die of frustration, seriously!

Wasn’t Stella the one who arranged this meeting?
But why is she interfering like this?
No, does she even realize she’s interfering?

Looking at Claire’s face, she seemed bewildered. This doesn’t seem like something agreed upon.
Seeing her unsure what to do, I felt a slight camaraderie.

If Stella’s intention was this, then she succeeded beautifully.
I felt as close to Claire now as when we were gossiping earlier.

“Professor, Professor! How is she, Professor?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Obviously I’m talking about Claire! How is she? Isn’t she just like you, so obedient and pretty?”

“Sis…”

“Sigh… Working with the elf must have made you blind to even notice her face. How sad.”

“Sis, please. Just stop…”

Claire seems even more disgusted than I am.
I’m just an outsider, while Claire is family, so naturally, she’d feel more embarrassed.
I can’t keep up with what’s going on anyway.

“Oh, right. Professor, the magic department Dean was looking for you.”

“For me? No way.”

“Yes.”

Why did she only mention it now?

“Claire and I are having a touching reunion. Go ahead and come back later!”

Is she trying to dismiss me?
Claire called me here, and now Stella suddenly wants to end the conversation like this?
Their rudeness borders on impudence, and when I shot Stella a look, her expression was different from usual.

She’s apologizing with her eyes.
That’s the feeling I get.

She’s slightly lowering her head so it’s not too obvious and silently saying,

“I’m sorry. I’ll explain.”

I don’t like being played, but I’ll let it go this time since everything’s already out there.
It’s not the time to have work-related conversations or gossip about Stella.
I’ll let it slide just this once.

“Well, I’ll be off then. We’ll talk later.”

“Sure! See you later!”

“Oh… Oh? Professor? See you! Sis! Are you leaving? Now? Wait a moment!”

“I’m busy!”

“No, just a moment, sis!”

“I’ll be back soon.”

Stella was still secretly apologizing with her head bowed, without her sister noticing.

*

I explained the situation to the Dean.

“That’s what happened. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay.”

“Anyway, I have a question. Claire is the second daughter of the Lacton family, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“But how did she become the successor? According to the succession structure, she’s fifth among six siblings.”

Stella clearly mentioned having two brothers. There’s also a younger brother.
Well, even without considering the brothers, isn’t Stella herself older than Claire?
The Dean seemed startled.

“Do you seriously not know? Ah, I see. My mistake.”

“I’m not well-versed in noble families or their political dynamics.”

“But then, how did you know there were six siblings in the Lacton family if you don’t know about the Lacton family?”

I realized as I saw the Dean’s suddenly serious expression.
Stella did indeed intervene deliberately.
She probably anticipated I would ask about this issue, so she secretly listened instead of coincidentally timing it well.

“Did something happen to the eldest son of the Lacton family?”

“He perished during the civil war.”

It seems like it.
But there are two or more sons.

“What about the second son?”

“While the eldest son was alive, there was a fight over the successor position. Eventually, he withdrew and went off to become a monk.”

“And what about the youngest?”

“He passed away first, even before reaching adulthood.”

Hmm, I almost stepped on a landmine.