‘Can you tell me what that class is?’
‘I, I can’t…… can’t…… do it.’
At that time, Vittorio’s face was filled with heavy fear as much as when he had octopus in front of him.
“That class……”
That class Ivan had taken. Ivan who became half-dead after the class. Vittorio whose condition worsened just from talking about it. Jay was certain that class had made the students like this. Otherwise, there was no way such a reaction could come out.
Just what is that class? Since not all novels about Connubium had been updated, there was no information about the reformation class. I too, like Jay, couldn’t help but fall into doubt. Could they be beating students indiscriminately? With this school, it didn’t seem like an impossible thing.
Jay retraced his memories. However, Ivan had worn his uniform meticulously, and on his face visible from the outside, there were no traces of violence. There was also the possibility it was in places not revealed on the outside, but it wasn’t like he could strip the students’ clothes off to check.
Without definite physical evidence, he couldn’t know what kind of actions were being done.
“Haa……”
Jay eventually let out a sigh mixed with deep resignation and moved for his usual schedule. But in his head, the pitiful image of Vittorio suffering yet trying to persuade him kept circling.
“I hope Valli doesn’t suffer too much from this.”
Jay’s heart was heavy. Vittorio had desperately tried to speak, but it was already too late. Moreover, even if Jay had heard those words early, he had no intention of stopping helping Ivan.
“Whew……”
Jay sighed and hastened his steps. He still had things he needed to do.
* * *
“An essay contest?”
Jay looked at Vinoshu in confusion. It was not long after thinking he didn’t know what kind of nonsensical things were happening at Nokeum Hall, so his reaction was natural.
I too couldn’t help but be surprised at Vinoshu’s words. To think even this strange school held school events that seemed normal. No matter how it looked, a school was still a school.
“That’s right. The student who writes up the most correct content will be given merit points. Monitor the students so they don’t commit violations.”
“Violations? Isn’t it just an essay contest?”
Vinoshu instantly changed her gaze sharply and glared at Jay. It seemed she didn’t like Jay’s words.
And rightfully so. Contrary to Jay remaining as a temporary professor as an outsider because he wasn’t from this school, Vinoshu had gone through student life at this school and sat in a formal professor position.
That meant Vinoshu was a survivor who had personally experienced and survived the absurdity of this school. Even if Jay had spoken without much thought, to them it was no different from treating their pain lightly. Given this school’s characteristics, the essay contest surely wouldn’t be ordinary either.
In Vinoshu’s eyes, jealousy and anger toward Jay surged like a tidal wave. It was emotion toward someone who had grown up normally in a completely different environment from hers.
But Vinoshu’s emotion quickly subsided. Vinoshu was too rational a person to explode with emotion. Her appearance instantly calming her emotions was no different from the doll-like, inorganic appearance of the various students entering Jay’s class. Her button-like eyes gleamed.
“Do you know what the method is to raise one’s grade in Connubium?”
“Merit points…… right.”
Jay recalled the rules he had seen at the very beginning. An item he couldn’t understand because there was no detailed explanation for him. It was a rule that even until now he couldn’t properly understand because as an outsider, Jay had no authority over merit or demerit points.
The self Jay remembered had served as a private tutor for a wealthy commoner family. He couldn’t assign demerit points to his employer just with the veneer of being a noble. All of that was setting values I had created, but Jay believed it firmly.
“In this Connubium, grade is everything. Merit points can be obtained through various methods, but methods to obtain them peacefully like this are rare.”
“Ah……”
“How rare and…… grateful it is to be able to obtain them without fighting with others, you probably can’t imagine.”
Jay was dazed for a moment. It was hard to empathize with Vinoshu’s reproachful words. Life was a series of struggles. To survive, one had to compete and seize. He too had struggled hard to survive.
In truth, Jay didn’t properly know life in Connubium. However, it was the same for Vinoshu not knowing life outside Connubium. Vinoshu didn’t know that in the outside world too, one had to give their all to survive.
Therefore, Jay found Vinoshu’s attitude somewhat ridiculous, but since Vinoshu was the superior in their relationship, he laughed awkwardly. Because he had nothing to say.
“Anyway, what I want to say is.”
Perhaps recognizing that her behavior was excessive, Vinoshu coughed lightly to clear the awkwardness and refreshed the atmosphere. Jay obediently waited for the next words.
“Monitor the students so they don’t do foolish things for those merit points. Did you understand?”
“Yes, Professor Vinoshu.”
“Good. Since all students have no morning classes for the essay contest, spend your schedule in the guidance room until lunchtime.”
Jay bowed politely and came out of Vinoshu’s office. Jay, coming out with his back turned, didn’t stop grumbling inwardly.
Watching their appearance, I felt inwardly disappointed. If a character like Vinoshu caused a scene, it would be interesting…… I was disappointed that the situation that would have occurred if Jay couldn’t hold back his displeasure and had been even slightly sarcastic didn’t happen.
But Jay Doe’s setting values were already determined, and I couldn’t modify his personality. It wasn’t that I disliked Persona’s limitations. I was satisfied that creating something like this with my ability was already a miracle.
But if I could have worked on it just a little more, a more dramatic character would have been completed…… Smacking my lips in regret, I began watching Jay’s story again.
“Today, you’ll write essays on this book as the theme.”
Jay lifted up the book he had received from Vinoshu. The title of the neatly bound book was <The Virtuous Woman>. That book from Garan Kingdom was full of old-fashioned and discriminatory content.
But such content was precisely what matched the modest appearance Connubium demanded. Jay wanted to hold the contest with a somewhat more fun and interesting book if possible, but it couldn’t be helped.
“I heard you’ve all learned it in class…… If you need time to read, tell me. I’ll provide separate accommodations.”
“No, Professor. There probably isn’t a single student in Connubium who hasn’t read that book.”
Chung said with a smile. That modest appearance was pure and clean like a well-maintained flower. Jay thought the appearance of a virtuous woman described in <The Virtuous Woman> was similar to Chung and laughed awkwardly.
“Then let’s write until before lunch. I’ll hand out paper.”
Jay handed out the papers one by one and met eyes with the students, warmly encouraging them. It was encouragement as soft as down feathers.
Chung smiled back at that gaze, but it was just a mechanical smile.
Vittorio shyly lowered his head at the affectionate gaze. Thinking he seemed uncomfortable with that appearance, Jay quickly passed by. Vittorio wriggled his fingers in disappointment. But unfortunately, Jay didn’t notice that appearance.
Lastly, Ivan. He didn’t even make eye contact with Jay. His appearance obediently lowering his eyes was a withered, dried flower itself. The rebellious appearance occasionally seen couldn’t be found at all.
“……”
Because Ivan wouldn’t make eye contact to the end, Jay left his spot in disappointment. Only after he left did Ivan slowly caress the paper.
Like that, the essay contest quietly began.
Vittorio who hesitantly barely filled one sheet of paper. Ivan who couldn’t even fill half. And Chung who wrote faster and more elegantly than anyone. Jay slowly read what the students had submitted and entered into his own evaluation.
In Jay’s hands, the manuscripts the students had written fluttered. Jay’s eyes reading the writings sparkled like stars.
* * *
The time when the sun set and night arrived. Jay fell asleep and I woke up screaming in disappointment.
“She writes so well!”
The manuscript Chung had written was too good to waste on just a school contest. Even though it wasn’t pleasant content to see since the theme was a virtuous woman, her writing skill was tremendous enough to be considered interesting. She was truly talented in both literature and writing. The more I thought about it, the more regret about Chung bloomed.
“If she wrote novels with that skill, it would be really interesting!”
Not just the characters of this world but their creative works were also one of my interests.
Any work that was interesting approached me as great joy. As such, the appearance of a well-writing author was always welcome. Rather than winning the lottery, one author with good writing skill was more desperately needed by me.
“Is that so? Belly was in your pocket so he couldn’t see.”
He slowly stroked my shoulder as if calming an excited bison. Even at that slow touch that would have calmed me normally, I couldn’t calm my excitement. I snorted like a steam locomotive and passionately spoke at length.
“Yeah! This kid’s writing skill is really…… Whew, if she just writes one Eastern-themed work, I’d buy her a house.”
“You must like it very much?”
“Yeah! Yeah!!”
As I was stamping my feet and expressing my frustration with my whole body, Belly gently pulled me and confined me in his arms. Then the excitement that had heated my whole body subsided and the situation from before came to mind.
The hot breath touching my neck. The pleading low voice. His body binding my body…… Everything had approached me fearfully, but at the same time, I had felt other emotions that day. The tension as if a beast I had barely forgotten was closely chasing behind climbed up the back of my knees.
