Chapter 10

■ Chapter 9. Old Guard (1) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

“...Why do you ask that?”

My heart sank, and the blood in my body turned cold. I couldn’t hide the trembling in my voice as I asked Lina. At the same time, I didn’t forget to subtly clasp my right hand.

Lina’s expression turned momentarily puzzled when she saw my flustered state, but she soon answered the question.

“Most of the clerks working in the palace have calluses on their hands. I thought Isaac might have them for the same reason.”

As she said, this place hasn’t invented the typewriter yet, so documents must be written by hand. Therefore, the hands of those who write documents, especially the clerks working in the palace, naturally develop calluses.

I quickly turned my mind in the midst of a crisis. Fortunately, Lina doesn’t know that I write books. If I give a plausible answer, I can deftly get out of this situation.

After much deliberation, I finally managed to come up with an appropriate response.

“...It’s from studying. I have a habit of taking notes while studying to help me remember better.”

“Hmm... Is that so? Well, it’s not strange to develop such a habit to fully acquire knowledge. I used to do the same when I received home education in the palace.”

Fortunately, it seemed to have worked to some extent. Although she still looked at me with a suspicious gaze, it was better than being caught.

Just as I was heaving a sigh of relief, Lina was interrupted by Marie.

“By the way, your hands look really pretty. Can I see them?”

“Huh? My hands?”

“Yeah. Let’s compare them.”

Marie showed me her spread hand, encouraging me. I was initially taken aback, but since it wasn’t a big deal, I accepted it right away.

“Wow. Your hands are really pretty. They look even prettier than mine?”

Marie genuinely marveled after comparing her hand with mine. Indeed, except for the pen callus, my hands were very beautiful.

They were long and slender, and the skin was white and smooth, fitting the idiom “slender and delicate hands” (纖纖玉手).

I scratched my head with an embarrassed smile at Marie’s admiration. Although my mother had praised this part, it felt somewhat embarrassing to hear it from someone else.

“Do you take special care of them?”

“No, just naturally like this.”

“I’m so jealous. My skin tends to crack easily, which is frustrating.”

Although Marie grumbled, her hands were also very beautiful. As a noble lady, she must have paid attention to various aspects, not just her appearance.

Thanks to the change in atmosphere, I felt my heart, which had been pounding with tension, gradually calm down. I smiled at Marie, who was grumbling about her hands.

“Ah, right. Cecil, can I see your hands too?”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yeah. I’m curious about what a demon’s hand looks like.”

Cecil blinked her red eyes at Marie’s sudden question. She didn’t seem to mind the casual way Marie spoke.

After a moment of hesitation, Cecil cautiously showed her hands. However, for a princess, her hands had too many calluses. Her palms were rough and cracked like a turtle’s shell.

As everyone was speechless at the unexpected state of her hands, I felt a sense of familiarity and examined them closely. They were exactly the same as my father’s and my siblings’ hands.

These are the marks of countless training sessions.

“Do you use a sword?”

“Ah.”

My question made Lina realize something, and she gasped. Cecil, embarrassed, wrapped her hands and answered.

“Yes. I’ve been learning swordsmanship since I was young.”

“Aren’t demons specialized in magic?”

When I gathered information about demons, that’s what I heard.

Demons, along with elves, are inherently superior in magic compared to other races. While humans have to perform complex calculations to manifest magic, demons can do it as easily as breathing.

Moreover, the “black mana” that only demons can use is several times more powerful than ordinary mana. So while a regular mage might throw a fireball, a demon can drop a meteor.

“That’s true, but as a princess of Helium, I’ve learned various martial arts. As you know, ‘self-restraint’ is an essential quality for us demons.”

“A healthy body houses a healthy mind. That’s what you mean, right?”

In my previous life, I saw that athletes, firefighters, and special forces soldiers had not only strong bodies but also incredible mental fortitude.

They can’t do what they love and must do what they have to, often facing extreme situations, which naturally strengthens their mental fortitude.

As I thought this and spoke, Cecil’s eyes widened. Why did she look at me like that?

Then, Cecil nodded as if she had a great revelation and murmured.

“A healthy body houses a healthy mind... That’s a really good saying. I should always remember it.”

“...If it helps, I’m honored.”

I glanced at Lina and noticed her eyes had a subtle change. I tried to ignore it.

Just as I was about to, Lina’s lips were about to open.

Clap!

Suddenly, applause echoed in the lecture hall. If it were just simple clapping, it might have been drowned out by the surrounding noise, but it reverberated, drawing everyone’s attention.

I, along with the three others, turned my head forward. An old man, whose arrival was unknown, stood confidently in front of the blackboard.

While Professor Virius, the humanities professor, had a generally strict image, the new professor had a kind and gentle appearance.

Moreover, with his full beard and long white hair, he looked like Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings.

“Hmm. Now I’m ready to speak. The break is over, so everyone, please pay attention.”

The new professor, seeing that the students were focused on him, nodded heavily and gave instructions. I looked at the professor, who looked like Gandalf, and checked the schedule.

The schedule read “Rif Magnor,” a professor of magic and one of the critics who had condemned the life of Zeon.

“My name is Rif Magnor, and I am the professor who will impart knowledge of magic to you. It’s nice to meet you.”

As Professor Magnor announced his name in a steady voice, applause erupted. I clapped and took out the notebook and magic pen I had brought to the desk.

While Professor Virius, the humanities professor, didn’t feel the need to take notes, this time it seemed different. Not only was the style different, but it was magic.

The power of magic, which naturally comes to mind when thinking of fantasy.

As I mentioned before, magic is almost a privilege of the upper class. Even if a book about magic is published, it’s full of incomprehensible words, recorded in a way that only mages can understand, which is very unhelpful.

“You seem interested in magic? You weren’t doing this before.”

“Yeah, I’m very interested. I’ve never seen it before.”

When Marie asked in a surprised voice, I answered straightforwardly. Magic! What a wonderful sound!

Although I won’t be able to manifest magic directly like a martial artist, just hearing the theory is enough. For me, a former Earthling, it’s invaluable knowledge.

Soon, the applause that filled the lecture hall subsided, and Professor Magnor began speaking in an old, resonant voice.

“Before we start the actual lesson, I heard something that slightly irritated me. Was it about the life of Zeon?”

“...Hmm?”

Why is the life of Zeon mentioned right at the start? As I thought this,

Professor Magnor made a face that showed his displeasure and made a statement that made my eyes twitch.

“Try not to mention that low-grade novel during my lectures. I don’t want to recognize it as a novel.”

“... ...”

Is this a new kind of hate comment? No, it’s not. Hate comments are what I saw in newspapers, and this is just a hate speech. Moreover, it’s hate speech directed at the person right in front of him.

Although he himself might not know that the main character of the hate speech is in the same space, it still feels very unpleasant. More than unpleasant, it feels very dirty.

What can I do? I should just think of him as an old guard. I let out a long sigh and looked around.

Sure enough, everyone’s expressions were not good. Especially Cecil, who looked like she was about to fight, with a twisted expression and a fierce aura.

I assume she’s trying to maintain her composure, but as a regular person, I found it a bit scary.

“...Cecil?”

“...Yeah?”

“It’s getting a bit cold, isn’t it?”

“Ah...! S-Sorry...”

Fortunately, Lina quietly pointed it out, and Cecil quickly calmed herself and apologized. I rubbed my goosebumps and looked forward.

Should I call it a sudden chill? When Professor Magnor openly criticized the life of Zeon, the lecture hall became as quiet as a graveyard. Despite this, Professor Magnor clicked his tongue and sighed.

“Tsk tsk tsk... That wretched kindling has lowered people’s standards. It’s a pity. Truly a pity.”

Then, why didn’t you use simpler words from the beginning? If you included words that even nobles find hard to understand, it’s your fault. I can see you waving your hand in frustration and running away.

Professor Magnor, undeterred by the suddenly cold atmosphere, began his lecture. The atmosphere was clearly different from Professor Virius’s, but it was better to listen to the lecture for now.

“First, you should know that learning magic theory doesn’t mean you can use magic. What’s the difference? It’s simple. Magic theory is about learning knowledge related to magic, while magic is about learning to use magic.”

Compared to my previous life, magic theory is like learning the history of machines, while magic is about making those machines. Even if magic is a power granted only to the upper class, it has already permeated daily life, so its history must be vast.

‘If he hadn’t said those unnecessary things at the beginning, it would have been better.’

I’m very interested in magic theory. But the professor is really a pain.

My dislike for Professor Magnor has long since penetrated the mantle. Anyone would get angry if their hard work was criticized right in front of them.

Scratch, scratch

I calmed my boiling insides and recorded it in my notebook with a magic pen. Perhaps because no one else had a notebook and pen, the sound of writing was particularly loud.

“Then, before I ask a question... You, the red-haired student.”

“...Yes?”

Why is it me again? Is it because of my red hair?

While I was flustered, Professor Magnor explained why he called me.

“You’ve been writing something down. If it’s related to magic, don’t write it.”

“...Why not?”

“Magic is a power that only the chosen ones can use from ancient times. It must never spread recklessly, even if it’s just a fragment of knowledge.”

“No, what do you mean...”

Is this an old guard’s way of