“Astrid…”
“….”
“Astrid….”
“Chirp!”
Astrid jolted awake, lifting her head from her folded arms. The strange chirping sound slipped from her lips before she realized it.
Sophia, sitting beside her, blinked in confusion.
“Did you just….”
“What?” Astrid rubbed her eyes, feigning ignorance.
“You chirped. Like a bird.”
“You’re imagining things,” Astrid said, brushing her hair back like nothing happened.
“Uh… sure,” Sophia muttered, shaking her head. “Anyway, what’s up with you? You’ve been sleeping a lot lately.”
“Is that so…?” Astrid scratched her cheek, glancing away.
Truth be told, she hadn’t been sleeping at all. She’d been spending her free time experimenting with her new spell “Becky.”
That was also what she named her bird.
She wanted to improve her proficiency with the spell. At the moment, she could only maintain Becky for ten minutes before it vanished completely.
At first, she only used Becky for combat practice. With the bird’s vision, she had a full 360-degree view of her surroundings, letting her see everything without turning around.
But then, a thought struck her.
Couldn’t she use the spell to explore the Empire—all while staying in the confines of her home?
So, she did.
That’s when she saw him.
Professor Vanitas.
For someone so mysterious, with a past so questionable that everyone seemed to keep their distance, she couldn’t help but wonder.
What does he do in his free time?
It wasn’t stalking.
Of course, most buildings in the Empire had barriers. It was impossible for Becky to trespass them.
And, given the timer on Becky, there wasn’t much Astrid had seen.
But still, from what she gathered.
∎ The Professor wears rather casual clothes outside of the university, hoodies, plain t-shirts, and jogger pants and so on.
∎ For an aristocrat, the Professor has a strange fondness for instant food and street-side stalls.
∎ Surprisingly, the Professor has friends outside the university. I always thought he spent his free time holed up in his estate with the lights off.
∎ He rarely shows expressions of anger or frustration. Even when street vendors mess up his order, he just sighs and waits for it to be fixed. Not a single complaint.
.
.
So on and so forth.
It wasn’t much.
Just mere observations.
Again, it wasn’t stalking.
To become a proficient student, one must know their professor.
At least, that’s how Astrid justified it to herself.
After all, understanding the professor’s habits, preferences, and thought process could help her better understand him. It was all for academic purposes, nothing more.
Just then, Astrid’s attention focused on the front as Professor Vanitas pointed at her.
“Chir—Ah!” Astrid stammered. “Me?”
Vanitas tilted his head, staring at her with an incredulous look. He was probably hearing things as she shook her head immediately after.
“You first,” Vanitas commanded.
Through Becky, she could shift her sense of sight. But that was the limit. Her hearing remained tied to her own body.
Astrid had been paying attention. She knew exactly what he was talking about.
Flick—!
With a flick of his finger, a magic circle materialized above Vanitas.
“Go on,” he said, his eyes locked on her. “Dismantle it.”
The entire class went silent. All eyes shifted toward Astrid.
“Okay,” Astrid nodded her head and took a deep breath.
She extended her hand forward, and a faint golden glow enveloped her arm.
The task was clear.
Decipher.
Dismantle.
Overpower.
It sounded simple on paper, but anyone with half a brain knew that wasn’t the case.
‘Of course it’s a self-adjusting spell,’ Astrid thought, narrowing her eyes.
She pressed her fingers together, focusing her mana like threads of silk. Slowly, she reached toward the circle.
‘If it’s self-adjusting, then it’s constantly rewriting itself,’ she thought. ‘But it can’t rewrite everything all at once. There’s always a gap.’
A spellformula flickered within the circle.
‘Found it.’
She gripped that flickering point, and with a sharp tug, she pulled the thread of mana loose.
Snap!
“Ah?”
“Try again.”
She thought she almost had it. But there was a miscalculation.
Snap!
“Try again.”
Snap!
“Try again.”
“….”
Astrid’s brows furrowed. Sweat formed on her brow. It was much harder than she thought.
Snap!
“Again.”
Snap!
Her classmates watched in silence. Some leaned forward. They could see it—she was close. But close wasn’t enough.
Her mana threads slipped into the gaps of the spell, weaving themselves into the core.
She twisted them tight and locked them into place for the nth attempt.
‘If it’s self-adjusting, then I’ll make it adjust for me.’
The flickering stopped.
“Break,” she muttered.
Crack—!
The glow of the circle shattered like glass. Fragments of purple light scattered in the air before fading away.
Astrid blinked. Her fingers slowly curled into a fist, and she exhaled deeply.
“Finally….” she muttered, shoulders dropping.
“Good,” Vanitas said. “You broke it faster than I thought. An A.”
Astrid’s eyes widened for a moment before a small smile crept onto her face. She turned away to hide it, casually stretching her arms.
“Next,” Vanitas said, glancing at the roster. “Charlotte, you’re up.”
“Ah, yes,” Charlotte hurriedly stood up and exhaled.
Snap!
“Try again.”
Snap!
“Try again.”
“….”
Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!
It took much longer than Astrid’s attempt, but regardless, Charlotte managed to do it in under twenty minutes. Astrid on the other hand, had done it under eight.
“Good job,” Vanitas said, flipping his clipboard. “B. Sit down.”
*
The session went on.
Most students took at least 20 minutes to dismantle the magic circle. Some barely made it before the time limit—25 minutes.
“Next, Ezra,” Vanitas called out.
“Hoo….” Ezra stood up from his seat.
Finally, it was his turn.
Astrid’s eyes followed him closely. ‘Can he do it like me?’ she wondered. ‘Under eight minutes?’
This was her chance to measure the gap between them.
It wasn’t just her.
Around the room, students watched him with mixed expressions.
How well would the supposed ‘top student’ fare?
Snap!
“Try again.”
Snap!
“Try again.”
Crack—!
Vanitas’s brows lifted slightly. “Four minutes? Not bad.”
“….”
Astrid’s mouth hung open, disbelief written all over her face. Four minutes?
Her eyes darted toward Ezra, who calmly dusted off his hands like it was nothing.
What in the world….
The other students weren’t any better. Whispers rippled across the room.
——Did you see that?!
——Four minutes…. he only took four minute….
Ezra scratched the back of his head, his expression awkward as he glanced around at the murmuring students.
“Good,” Vanitas said. “An S.”
An S?!
By college standards, that was a 4.00. Meanwhile, Astrid’s A was a 3.50. Charlotte’s was a 3.00.
‘Four minutes….’ she thought, still gripping her desk. ‘How did he do it so fast?’
And then, Vanitas’s words back then resounded in her head.
‘It’s not just numbers and symbols on paper. It’s creativity and intuition.’
Now that she thought about it, that statement perfectly described Ezra. He wasn’t the type to rely on rigid formulas or structured methods.
He followed his gut.
Intuition over logic.
Astrid tapped her fingers on the desk, eyes still locked on Ezra.
It made sense. Ezra wasn’t someone who memorized step-by-step processes. He felt his way through it. Like instinct. While others calculated, he acted.
Her gaze narrowed as she watched him yawn, stretching his arms behind his head.
That’s what annoyed her the most. His complacency. How laid back he was.
Minutes passed. The next student finally dismantled the circle. Vanitas gave him a nod.
“C,” Vanitas said. “Take your seat.”
***
With a stack of papers in hand, Vanitas and Karina made their way to his office. But they stopped when they spotted someone peculiar waiting by the door.
“Margaret?”
There she was—Margaret, her snow-white hair tied in a ponytail, standing by the door like she’d been waiting for them.
“Ah, uhm… You told me to find you if I’m unsure,” Margaret said, her gaze flickering between Vanitas and Karina.
Karina, meanwhile, glanced back and forth between the two.
“Come in,” Vanitas said, unlocking the door. “What’s the problem?”
Margaret followed behind him. Karina trailed after, her eyes still flicking between them.
Once inside, Vanitas set the papers on his desk and turned to face Margaret.
“Well?” he asked, crossing his arms. “What part are you stuck on this time?”
“The first lesson…. I think I made it too simple.”
“Too simple?”
“Yeah…. I thought easing them in would help, but now I’m worried it’s too easy. They’ll finish it too quickly. If the students think it’s too easy, they might not take the rest of the lessons seriously.”
“Show me,” he said.
Margaret handed him a few folded sheets of paper. Vanitas unfolded them and scanned.
While the structure is more or less the same, using Vanitas’s outline as the base template, Margaret added her own refined touches.
“This is fine,” he said.
“Eh?” Margaret blinked, confused. “You’re sure?”
“You’re overthinking it,” Vanitas replied, setting the papers aside. “If it’s too hard right from the start, they’ll hesitate for the rest of the course.”
“Ah, I see… I didn’t think of it like that.”
“Don’t overcomplicate things,” Vanitas added. “Besides, if you did make it too easy, you can always increase the difficulty in the next lesson.”
“Right, thanks.”
“Anything else?”
Margaret hesitated before speaking.
“….Actually, yeah. About the sparring portion, should I request wooden swords or real weapons? And if I do request them, who do I ask?”
Vanitas gave her a flat look.
“Real swords,” he said. “They’re first-year university students, not high schoolers.”
“But… wouldn’t that be dangerous?”
“That’s the point. If they never feel the weight of a real sword, they’ll never understand the real pressure of battle. Wooden swords are for practice swings, not training knights.”
Margaret tilted her head, absorbing his words.
“Besides,” he continued, “If you’re stuck, just think back to what you did in your first year. If it worked for you, it’ll work for them.”
Margaret’s eyes widened slightly, her lips parting in realization.
“….Oh. Right, I guess I was a bit too careful.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” Vanitas added. “They will get hurt. But that’s why you’re there. To make sure they learn without breaking.”
“Understood.”
“Good,” Vanitas nodded. “For requests, submit it to the equipment manager, 3rd floor, west wing. Tell them it’s for the Crusade Instructorship Program. They’ll prioritize it.”
“Got it.” Margaret nodded her head. “Thank you.”
As Margaret turned, she noticed Karina’s gaze on her. Their eyes met.
“Ah, sorry,” Margaret said with a slight bow. “Nice to meet you. I’m Margaret Illenia, the Crusade Order’s representative for this year.”
Karina bowed back. “Hello, I’m Karina Maeril, Professor Vanitas’s assistant. We met a while back.”
“Ah, yes.” Margaret’s eyes widened a bit as she recalled. “You were the one who reported the Mage Killer, right?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
Vanitas glanced between the two, rubbing his chin. It was like looking at a pair of doppelgangers.
The silence that followed was awkward for some inexplicable reason. No one seemed to know what to say.
Margaret cleared her throat.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me.” She bowed slightly and turned, closing the door behind her.
Vanitas’s gaze shifted to Karina.
“Karina,” he said.
“Yes, Professor?” she replied, tilting her head.
“Are you free right now?”
“Yes, I think so. Why?”
“Follow me,” Vanitas said, turning on his heel without waiting for a response.
Karina blinked, watching him for a second before standing up and hurrying after him.
The more they walked, the fewer students there were. The lively chatter of the main hall slowly faded. The air felt colder too, and the dim lighting didn’t help.
“….”
A chill ran down Karina’s spine, and she rubbed her arms to push away the feeling.
‘What’s with this vibe….?’ she thought, glancing around.
Her gaze shifted to Vanitas, who was walking steadily ahead of her without a word.
But that only made it feel worse. They’d passed the alchemy department five minutes ago, but he didn’t stop.
Tak. Tak.
The halls grew narrower.
Tak. Tak.
The air felt heavier.
Ba… Thump! Ba… Thump!
Karina’s heart began to race.
Her eyes darted around nervously as the dim lights flickered.
‘Why is it getting darker…? W-We’re alone….’
Her breathing became uneven.
Her mind wandered to places it really shouldn’t have gone.
‘Oh no…. oh no, oh no, oh no.’
Her eyes widened in realization.
‘This is it. I knew it. I knew it.’
Her steps slowed as her mind spiraled.
‘He’s finally going to do it. He’s going to ‘do’ me—!’
Her hands gripped the hem of her shirt. She glanced at the cold, empty hallway behind them. No students. No teachers. No witnesses.
‘N-No. He wouldn’t…. would he?’ She glanced at him again. ‘No, no, no, get it together, Karina. You’re just being paranoid. He’s a professor. Professors don’t—’
“Karina.”
“….!”
Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.
“Y-Yes?!”
“Why are you slowing down?” Vanitas asked, looking at her from over his shoulder. “We’re almost there.”
“….”
Her blood ran cold.
‘A-Almost where?!’
She gulped, taking a step back.
“Uh, uhm…. Professor?” Her voice trembled slightly. “Where exactly are we… going?”
Vanitas raised a brow at her. “The storage room.”
Karina froze on the spot.
Her pupils shrank as she repeated his words in her mind.
‘The storage room.’
‘The. Storage. Room.’
‘The storage room?!’
Her face went pale. Her breathing quickened.
‘No. No way…! That’s where Shirley told me she had her first time—!’
Her eyes darted around, searching for an escape.
‘No. Not like this. I’m too young for this. I still haven’t paid off my student loans!’
Vanitas stared at her, tilting his head.
“Karina,” he called out. “Are you coming or not?”
“Y-Yes! I’m coming! I’m coming!!” Karina blurted out.
But her mind was in shambles. There was no one else around. If she retaliated, who knows what would happen to her?
‘No, I’m not coming. I’m not coming. Someone help me. SOS. Please, to the Gods out there, hear my prayer….!’
Her heart raced faster than her footsteps as she trailed behind Vanitas. The cold air of the hallway felt like it was getting colder.
‘If I just stay calm, nothing will happen. Yeah, yeah, it’s fine. Everything’s fine. It’s just a storage room. Just a storage room.’
She felt the urge to cry, but she held it in. If the professor was into that sort of thing, it would only fuel his desires.
Not that she could blame him. She had maintained her figure, her looks were above average, and, well…. her chest wasn’t exactly small.
Vanitas reached for the doorknob and glanced back.
‘This is it.’
Her eyes darted left and right. No one was coming. No witnesses. No one to help.
‘Run? No, no, if I run, he’ll chase me. He’s faster.’
Her eyes squeezed shut, her entire body trembling.
‘Just accept it, Karina. Just accept it. It’s not that bad, right?’
After all, the professor wasn’t ugly. In fact, he was actually kind of good looking. Tall, sharp features, well-built, and that quiet, mysterious vibe.
‘Plus…. he’s helped me a lot. A dozen times at least. He even lent me money when I was struggling.’
Her face heated up like a furnace. She probably looked like a tomato right about now.
‘It’s fine. I owe him anyway. Maybe this is his way of collecting the debt.’
Before she realized it, her mouth moved on its own.
“P-Professor!”
Vanitas raised an eyebrow, turning his head to face her fully.
“Hmm?”
Karina swallowed deeply. Her face beet red, and her hands clenching at her sides.
“If you’re going to do it…. at least…. l-let me keep my clothes on!”
“….”
An awkward, suffocating silence.
Vanitas’s face twisted into an expression of pure confusion.
“Huh?”
“W-Wait, no, I mean, um—” Karina flailed her hands. Her whole face burned like it had been set on fire.
‘Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did I say that?!’
Vanitas pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a long, exhausted sigh.
“Karina.”
“Y-Yes, Professor?”
“Just get in here.”
Gulp!
Vanitas slowly, very slowly, opened the door. Karina braced herself and entered the alchemy storage room.
‘Be strong, Karina. Be strong. If it happens, just go limp and accept fate.’
But when she stepped in, her eyes darted around, expecting something sinister.
What she saw instead….
Shelves.
Glass bottles.
Stacks of parchment.
A faint smell of herbs and ink filled the air.
“It’s…. an actual storage room….”
Her eyes settled on a figure standing in the middle of the room.
A girl with wavy dark–brown hair, wearing round glasses. She was writing something on a clipboard with a focused look on her face.
“Ah, Professor!” The girl’s eyes lit up when she noticed them.
“You said you needed help, Roselyn,” Vanitas said, stepping inside. “Sorry, but there’s a faculty meeting for Professors today, so I’ll leave Karina with you.”
“….”
Karina’s brain froze for a second as the realization was sinking in.
Her legs wobbled.
“This is Karina,” Vanitas said, gesturing at her with a slight tilt of his head. “She’s my assistant. She’ll be the one helping you today. Is that fine with you, Karina?”
“….”
Her face twitched as she forced a smile.
“Yes, absolutely! I’d love to help!”
Her voice was high-pitched and cheerful, but inside she felt like wanting to end it all there.
“I’ll come check later,” Vanitas said, closing the door behind them.
As the door clicked shut, Karina covered her face with both hands and crouched to the ground.
“Kill me…. Just kill me now….”