I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

There was only one more turn until Baek Hana’s turn.

-Peep! Beep! Peep!

“…”

Claire was looking at the fairy, who was sticking her tiny fists out of her pocket, with worried eyes.

Just in front of them was a transparent glass wall.

Inside, a student was taking the test, holding a shield as big as himself.

[Grr! Ugh! Ugh…!!]

[Roar!!]

The student’s groans and the summoned monster’s roar echoed throughout the auditorium through the speakers.

[Ugh…?!]

Im Gyeong-su, a male student whose stature matched that of a six-meter-tall Iron Bear, was barely holding his ground.

He was one of the remaining students in my lecture and had been in the same group as Baek Hana during the previous practical session.

‘He’s still terrible.’

Of course, I had put him in the same group as Baek Hana with the future in mind, but even taking that into account, watching Im Gyeong-su’s performance was a waste of time, as it was embarrassingly poor.

[Crack—!!]

The mass-produced shield he was using, which was larger and heavier than his usual one, eventually shattered.

[You’ve done well.]

Soon after, the dismissal command was given, and a sweaty Im Gyeong-su left the summoning device with a gloomy face and disappeared into the waiting room.

Choosing a shield that was bigger and heavier than what he was used to was a minus point, but the bigger problem was that he had no intention of attacking.

“Professor…”

As I watched the summoning device being cleared, Claire called out to me.

She was looking at the fairy, who was giggling out of her pocket, with worried eyes, and said to me, “I’m worried that this might be a bit too violent for her…”

-Beep?

I don’t know how it knew we were talking about it, but the little rascal looked up at me with a round, green eye and blinked. I looked into that eye and replied, “It’s overprotective.”

“…”

A subtle change came over Claire’s gaze as it reached me. When I turned to her, I saw a hint of embarrassment in her blue eyes.

“With those tiny hands, even if she hit someone, it wouldn’t even itch, and fairies like to play pranks; they don’t enjoy hurting others.”

“Ah, ah… yes.”

Claire shook her head, dispelling the worry in her eyes, and nodded.

[Student Baek Hana, number 62, please enter the summoning device.]

Baek Hana was called over the broadcast.

“It’s Hana’s turn.”

“She’ll do well since you taught her.”

“Ahem.”

I covered my mouth with my free hand and coughed lightly.

If I had met her for the first time, she would never have shown such shyness.

“Hana’s out.”

“I see.”

I was about to say that it wasn’t a polite remark, but I decided against it. Fortunately, the power of nothingness had offset his greed, but if I wasn’t careful, I couldn’t maintain the right distance, like now.

I closed my mouth and turned my gaze to Baek Hana, who had walked out in front of the summoning device.

With her snow-white hair neatly tied up, she entered the summoning device, wearing the gloves I had given her.

‘She’s starting to resemble Claire more and more.’

While her eyes were a little sharper, Baek Hana, when facing others, generally exuded the same cold aura that Claire used to have.

-Beep!! Beep beep!!

The little rascal, who had been quiet for a moment, tried to fly towards Baek Hana as soon as she spotted her. It seemed that she had taken a particular liking to Baek Hana, even though they had only been together for the weekend.

“Now isn’t playtime.”

-Beep…?

Claire gently stroked the fairy, who was fluttering about on the end of a magical thread, and placed her on her shoulder.

“I’ll let you meet her later, so stay still for now.”

-Puuu, puh…!

When the little rascal pouted and puffed out her cheeks, having learned some strange things from Baek Hana, Claire poked her lightly and smiled faintly.

[5-second countdown starting now. Get ready.]

The numbers began to count down over the speakers, and Claire, who had been calming the fairy, turned her head back to the summoning device.

[3, 2…]

The Iron Bear, which had been summoned and was standing still, bared its sharp teeth.

[Roar!!]

As soon as the countdown ended, the Iron Bear charged at Baek Hana.

-Beep!! Beep beep!!

Unlike with Im Gyeong-su, the fairy flapped her tiny hands, pointing at Baek Hana and chirping nonstop.

-Beep, beep?!

Just as the distance was about to close, the Iron Bear lowered its head and charged at Baek Hana with its sharp teeth bared. The fairy, on the other hand, covered her eyes with both hands. It was a completely opposite reaction to the one she had shown earlier when she had been enjoying Im Gyeong-su’s suffering.

[――!!]

-Bam?!

An incredible sound reverberated throughout the space through the speakers.

“Her physical strength has increased a bit over the past few months.”

Just before colliding with the Iron Bear, Baek Hana punched it in the head, and the Iron Bear instantly disintegrated into magical particles.

She had achieved this without using her abilities, relying solely on her magically enhanced physical strength.

[The second stage will begin in a 10-second countdown.]

A giant mantis, the same one Baek Hana had faced during the entrance exam, was materialized in the place where the Iron Bear had been.

-Beep…?

The fairy blinked, looking puzzled as if to ask what was going on. Meanwhile, the countdown continued.

[Squeal—!!]

The materialized mantis spread its wings and charged at Baek Hana.

[Squeal!!]

The mantis, Mantis, closed in at twice the speed of the Iron Bear, slashing diagonally with its sharp forelegs.

It was a speed that an ordinary person could never react to, but Baek Hana’s eyes followed Mantis’s forelegs precisely. And then…

[Squeal?!]

Baek Hana grabbed Mantis’s foreleg with her gloved hand and struck its vulnerable joint with her other hand.

Baek Hana jumped and slammed Mantis’s foreleg, which had come off, into its chin.

Mantis was rendered combat-ineffective, and it, too, disintegrated into magical particles.

-Beep, beep…!!

The little rascal, who had been watching anxiously, clapped her tiny hands and jumped up and down.

“Excellent. She targeted the weak points with minimal movement.”

Claire was now looking at Baek Hana with serious eyes, evaluating her.

The third and fourth stages were also passed without incident.

-Incredible…

-According to the published information, she’s a transformation-type.

-So, does that mean she’s able to do all that without using her abilities?

Many students would have passed the fourth stage, but no one would have done so as smoothly as Baek Hana. That’s why the guild representatives, who had come as observers, were so surprised.

-Should I give it a try…?
-Don’t. Our guild can’t handle that level of talent.
-The students at the Academy that ranks in the world’s top are on a whole different level…
-I feel like going home now.

“Ahem.”

Claire, who had been evaluating Baek Hana a moment ago, coughed lightly and lifted the corners of her mouth slightly. She, like me, had been listening to the evaluations of Baek Hana.

[Would you like to challenge the fifth stage?]

The observers, who had been chatting among themselves, fell silent and focused their attention back on Baek Hana.

The fifth stage.

It was the final stage of the test, intended for students who wanted to showcase their talents. It was literally a stage that the professors had arbitrarily added out of curiosity about the talents of the rare geniuses who entered the Academy.

A mid-tier gatemonster, almost impossible for first-year students to defeat, would be summoned. The professors wanted to see Baek Hana’s true abilities.

[No. I’ll stop here.]

However, Baek Hana did not fulfill their wish.

A sigh, almost a groan, escaped from the observers and even the professors.

[You’ve done well.]

The door of the summoning device opened, and Baek Hana walked out and headed towards the waiting room.

“It’s a shame. I wanted to see her true abilities, too.”

Claire, who rarely showed disappointment, did so now. I straightened her hair, which had been messed up by the fairy, and said, “Then you can see it on the last day.”

“Yes, that would be good. Ah, would you like Hana to join us as well?”

“If you want her to.”

“Well, I promised this little one that she could meet Hana…”

I nodded and took out my smartphone to send an email to Baek Hana.

The first day’s test was over, and after a check-up with the priest waiting in the room, the students were free to return to their dorms.

“Go.”

“Yes.”

We exited through the door we had entered, and the area was spotlessly clean, with no trace of what had happened earlier, thanks to Nam Goong-min’s efficient handling.

-Beep!!

The fairy, who had been listlessly hanging on Claire’s shoulder, suddenly perked up and waved its wings excitedly as it spotted Baek Hana waiting behind the auditorium.

“……?”

Baek Hana, who couldn’t see or sense us until I was close, turned towards me accurately as I approached, and I placed my hand on her head and infused her with magic power.

“Ahh!!”

Baek Hana, now able to perceive us properly, widened her eyes and opened her mouth in surprise. And then…

“Sister!!”

“Wh-what…?”

Baek Hana hugged Claire tightly and beamed.

“Were you watching from the beginning?”

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

“Ugh~ I was so sloppy…”

-Beep!!

“Ahh!! You’re here, too!!”

Baek Hana then gently stroked the fairy sitting on Claire’s shoulder, and her face lit up with delight. If the people in the auditorium could see her now, they would surely doubt their eyes. That’s how silly Baek Hana’s expression looked at that moment.

“U-Woo-jin…?”

Baek Hana, who had been playing with the fairy, finally turned to face me.

“Are you no longer angry?”

“I wasn’t angry in the first place, but if you ask that question, I—”

HUG—!!

Baek Hana, who had been clinging to Claire, suddenly jumped towards me and hugged me.

“Hehe…”

I straightened her hair and continued, “Finish your reflection essay. Today is an exception, so I’ll specially allow you to leave the dorm.”

“……Ack.”

Baek Hana, who had been grinning, suddenly pouted and looked up at me with a sullen expression.

“Professor.”

As I was detaching Baek Hana from me, Claire, who had been checking her smartwatch, called out to me.

“May I make a quick stop at the temple before we go back?”

“Sure.”

“Ah, I, I can go alone. Just this little one…”

I took the fairy from her hand and reconnected the magical thread to Baek Hana.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Hurry back!”

Claire bowed her head slightly to us and quickly disappeared from sight.

“Woo-jin.”

“Get off.”

“Chee…”

Baek Hana pouted and moved her arms from my waist to my shoulders.

“I want to eat gratin.”

“If we have the ingredients.”

“Yayy!!!”

I lightly tapped her nose and walked towards the mansion.