I ruffled Belly’s short hair over and over again as I reminisced about the past.
Though he could have been irritated by my rough touch, Belly closed his eyes and savored the sensation. He looked as if he were savoring a delicacy that would never exist again in this world. His sharp, fierce face melted sweetly only under my hand.
“Master, what are you planning to do from now on?”
“Mm… nothing?”
Though I’d spoken so grandly earlier, the truth was I had no particular plan. In the first place, when another personality was active, I couldn’t move unless my life was threatened. It was a limitation of the persona. Even this much was something I’d fixed through experimentation.
“I’m not going to do anything. The only one moving will be Jay.”
I was curious how the character who was likely to be a main character in this novel would react to Jay’s insertion. If Jay as a variable could accelerate the characters’ awakenings, nothing would be better than that. I was truly looking forward to what results Jay’s meddling would create.
“Everything will be interesting according to Master’s plan.”
Having spent a long time by my side, he knew well what my purpose was. Since I had some worry in a corner of my heart, his words gave me great relief. It was like scratching exactly where it itched.
That night until I went to sleep, I read the novel with Glutton while petting Belly’s head. It was truly a fulfilling, happy night.
“From today, Professor Doe will be in charge of managing and supervising your assigned students. It’s the same schedule as the other professors.”
Jay woke up early today and read the report written by the professor who had taken leave. As Vinoshu had said, it contained things he would need to record from now on. When he recalled anew the frighteningly detailed report, Jay unconsciously shuddered.
From simple things like the students’ condition to their trivial habits, things they disliked, and even changes in their state of mind. Even the handwriting that recorded these things was beautiful, creating a sense of dissonance. At the thought that he would have to write such reports from now on, Jay rubbed his arms where goosebumps had risen.
Jay was better at managing his expressions than expected. If he deliberately became conscious of and controlled his expression, others couldn’t tell what he was thinking from his outward appearance. Only I could see clearly into Jay’s inner self from within him.
“After waking in the morning, students should straighten themselves up and then go to the classroom. The professor checks the students’ condition at that time. If there are any students in poor physical condition, send them to the infirmary. The infirmary professor will handle it.”
“Yes.”
“If there are no problems, after that they have breakfast time and then students move according to their personal schedules. Professor Doe will also conduct lectures in the lecture hall.”
According to the setting created through the persona, Jay Doe had majored in classical literature. Because it wasn’t practical, classical literature was a liberal art that only nobles learned. Therefore, the setting was that he had great difficulty finding work. This was because there were various difficulties in getting hired by noble families.
Of course, that useless knowledge was suitable for Connubium’s students to learn. It was fortunate for Jay who had been looking for work.
Vinoshu handed over a file with various things written in it.
“Here’s the lecture schedule. Professor Doe’s lecture hall is in Building C of Pine Hall, so please note that. Also, I’ve written down places Professor Doe cannot go, so please check.”
The papers in the file contained the lecture timetable Jay had to follow, a simple map of the school, and other rules the students had to follow. The rules were truly diverse, and among them were some notable items.
[Students have an obligation to diligently attend all classes. Failure to comply will result in penalty points, and upon reaching a certain standard, their grade will be lowered.]
[Students cannot refuse the reformation ordered by this school.]
[When merit points reach a certain value through proper behavior determined by this school, their grade will be raised.]
[The moment they enroll in this school, all students’ status is below that of professors.]
[The moment they enroll in this school, all students’ status is equal.]
“Um… what are merit points?”
“That’s an item that doesn’t concern Professor Doe. For now, just know that such a thing exists. Just don’t forget to write everything in the report.”
At Vinoshu’s sharp answer, Jay stopped asking. Like Carter, and like Vinoshu, the professors at this school had a cold side that made them difficult to approach.
It’s temporary anyway, so I don’t need to know in detail. Jay suppressed his curiosity and forced himself to swallow his questions. He obediently lowered his eyes and nodded as he answered.
“Yes, I understand.”
Then he bowed in greeting and moved to the lecture hall assigned to him. According to the layout drawn on the map, next to the lecture hall was a small preparation room and a guidance room of appropriate size attached together.
The preparation room was the lecture preparation room assigned to him, and the guidance room was the place where the students he was in charge of would come. From now on, they said he would supervise the students’ meals and check their condition in that place.
“I guess there’s no separate cafeteria.”
Usually schools have a separate cafeteria. But no matter how many times he checked, Jay couldn’t see a cafeteria.
There were various reasons why Connubium didn’t set up a separate cafeteria. Among them, the biggest reason was to prevent many students from gathering in one space.
When students crowded into a large space, interaction would inevitably arise and emotions would develop. It would be too much to monitor so many people in such a state all at once. Jay didn’t know that fact, but through reasoning he drew out a fact close to the truth.
“To monitor them in such detail like in the report, a cafeteria really wouldn’t be suitable…”
The way they monitored students to a frightening degree sparked fear in Jay’s heart. The excitement about the unexpected good fortune had truly been fleeting. Jay was already regretting coming to Connubium and let out a deep sigh.
“Come to think of it, why have I never heard stories about Connubium at home?”
Jay tilted his head in doubt. Even fallen nobility was still nobility, so shouldn’t he also have known about Connubium, he thought.
However, according to the setting, Jay’s family had fallen in his father’s generation and wasn’t wealthy enough to send children to Connubium. This was because when sending students to Connubium, one had to pay some donation money.
“Ugh… my head hurts.”
The more Jay continued thinking about his family, the more his head hurt, so he squeezed his eyes shut.
There seemed to be detailed settings about his family based on remarks Jay had occasionally made. But since I hadn’t decided on those settings, even I didn’t know in detail. Perhaps the pain Jay felt was a defensive reaction to the act of recalling what didn’t exist. He was already receiving enough stress from this school alone.
Thinking there was no need to needlessly inflict pain on himself, Jay shook his head vigorously to empty his mind and headed to the guidance room with quick steps.
The way he bustled about was so funny that I laughed for a long while inside Jay.
“Phew…”
In front of the guidance room—finally, it was the first day of work at Connubium. Jay was so nervous he let out a sigh deep enough to sink the earth.
“Okay.”
After sighing like that several times, his back which had been damp with tension calmed down a bit. Jay’s eyes sparkled brightly as he carefully opened the guidance room.
Was it because he came too early? The guidance room was completely empty. Though it was ridiculous to have come in so prepared, Jay felt relieved that no one was there and slowly looked around the guidance room.
“It really is white.”
The inside of the guidance room was white to the point of feeling neurotic. The guidance room with a hospital room-like atmosphere looked difficult to clean since the floor, wallpaper, and everything was white.
“It’s more spacious than I thought…”
In the space that was neither narrow nor wide, there were three desks for students, and the spacing was generous enough that it would be fine to bring one more desk.
However, despite being that spacious, the guidance room felt stuffy compared to the space provided. It was because of the small window the size of two palms put together. Except for that one small window, there was no way to look outside. It was a malicious design.
“Haa…”
Moreover, the window was made unopenable with solid bars. Touching it made Jay feel like a prisoner, and a sigh naturally escaped his lips.
He quickly turned his gaze to examine other things.
At the very front of the guidance room was a chair that looked comfortable. The chair that alone stood out incongruously in this space that was stuffy to the point of being obsessive was the seat where Jay, as a professor, would sit. Jay hesitated before carefully sitting in that chair.
The soft chair was comfortable enough to sit in for hours. In the classroom that felt cramped and somehow evoked discomfort, the only comfortable thing was the seat where the professor would sit. Jay felt uncomfortable in one corner of his heart.
While waiting like that for students who hadn’t arrived yet, Jay recalled the students’ profiles he had looked at in advance. How long had he spent time reviewing them over and over? Finally, the door to the guidance room opened quietly.
“Hello. Are you the new professor?”
With long black hair and red eyes, the face with a small smile possessed elegant beauty. An appearance like a freshly bloomed lotus flower was beautiful enough even if not flashy. According to the documents Jay had checked, the student wearing light makeup was the class’s only girl.
Finally, a new character who seemed to have significance that I’d been waiting for so much!
Jay was momentarily surprised by the appearance like a graceful deer, but soon smiled back and said,
“Hello. I’m Jay Doe, who will be in charge of classical literature for a while.”
