Chapter 8

■ Chapter 7. An Uneasy Start (5) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

“Oh~ You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, don’t you?”

“Shut up.”

Even when you praise me, I don’t feel happy at all. Praise should be sincere, but when you say it with a smirking face, it feels like you’re mocking me.

More than anything, what bothered me right now was not the professor’s extra points but the countless gazes that had been directed at me just a moment ago. While Lina and Cecil’s gazes were out of curiosity, some of them were far from friendly.

I don’t know how things will unfold from here, but for now, the best course of action is to keep my mouth shut and stay quiet. As the applause gradually died down, Professor Virius began to explain in a leisurely tone.

“Like Isaac’s answer, knowledge can be a weapon, no less than power. Power and people are inseparably linked. Furthermore…”

Unlike the presentation, his lecture was dragging on tediously. Still, I, like all the other students, focused on the professor’s lecture.

It was as boring as university classes in my previous life, but it wasn’t entirely useless. Moreover, it made me realize that I was attending an academy that could only exist in a fantasy novel.

After about 30 minutes of the professor’s lengthy explanation, a story that could capture everyone’s attention came up.

“Let’s take a moment to ask a question. Has anyone here read the book ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’?”

“…Huh?”

Why is my book suddenly mentioned? As I was inwardly flustered, the professor realized his mistake, cleared his throat, and continued.

“I apologize. I misspoke. Has anyone here not read ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ even once?”

I looked around as soon as the professor asked the question. Even if ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ is very popular, among 50 people, there should be one or two who aren’t interested.

However, it seemed that my assumption was completely wrong, as no one raised their hand.

‘No way. Really?’

At first, I was taken aback, but it’s not entirely incomprehensible. Even in a fantasy world where magic exists, this place is still close to the medieval era. There must be very few forms of entertainment to enjoy during leisure time.

With no smartphones, computers, or even television, the options for leisure activities are extremely limited. Moreover, the nobles would read books to cultivate their own refinement, so they would naturally have come across ‘The Chronicles of Zyon.’

Thinking about it this way, it’s hard to explain how well-timed this is.

“Then the story will be easier to follow. As you all know, ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ is a work that appeared like a comet a year ago. I was utterly amazed when I read this work. How much knowledge must one possess to have the ability to create an entire world?”

That’s something you can find everywhere in my previous life. Fantasy is pretty much the same everywhere. If you mix the spices well, readers will find even similar stories interesting.

“How much experience must one have to write such a beautiful story? I’m sure the author of ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ has experienced things that ordinary people can’t even imagine.”

…Just read a lot of books at home. Still, the professor’s words aren’t entirely wrong, as I am a ‘reincarnated person.’

I’ve had unique experiences in a different world and easily encountered things that are unimaginable. If that counts as experience, then it is.

Moreover, because I could easily access stories created by others, such as comics and novels, creating a new story is quite simple.

“Most importantly, what matters is the expression and readability. I’m sure you all know the feeling of a scene vividly playing out in your mind. I can imagine how much the author must have agonized and researched to write such sentences.”

If you keep praising me like this, I’ll be embarrassed. I almost smiled wryly.

If someone sees the book I wrote and reacts like this, I wonder what would happen if they saw ‘The Lord of the Rings’ or ‘Sherlock Holmes.’ I wonder what kind of impact Tolkien or Conan Doyle would have if they were reincarnated here.

Ah, Tolkien would probably be shocked because his own created world has become reality.

“Writing an immortal masterpiece like ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ is certainly a difficult task, but since the author has already paved the way, following that path shouldn’t be too hard. However, the knowledge and experience to create a new world are essential.”

“Professor, may I ask a question?”

While Virius was continuing his explanation, someone suddenly raised their hand. It was a girl with chestnut-colored hair sitting in the front row. Because she was sitting in the front, I couldn’t see her face.

There’s no professor who dislikes questions, and Virius smiled and asked her.

“Of course. What’s your name?”

“My name is Leona.”

“Alright. Leona, what’s your question?”

As Leona stood up, all kinds of gazes were directed at her. She then spoke in a steady, matter-of-fact voice.

“Just as the professor explained, ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ has not only transcended novels but also set a new path in the cultural world. Thanks to this, it continues to enjoy unprecedented popularity.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“However, some critics have evaluated it as follows: While it’s a fun read for all classes, it lacks the refinement to cultivate one’s education. I’d like to hear the professor’s thoughts on this.”

I have a rough idea of what she’s trying to say. When ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ became a hit, most people praised it, but a few criticized it.

The criticism goes something like this: It’s far too inappropriate to cultivate one’s education. I snorted at this.

‘If they’re upset, they should try writing it as easily as I did.’

As I mentioned before, novels in this world are on the level of college English problems. Words that you might hear once in a lifetime are all gathered in one book, so you can’t even understand the story, let alone its meaning.

The professor, who seemed to understand this point, nodded at Leona’s question.

“I understand what you mean. As you pointed out, ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ is easy for anyone to read, but there are people who dislike it. However, did you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“The common trait of the critics is that they are novelists. Specifically, novelists who were most well-known among the nobles, not the commoners, before ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ was published. One of them is Professor Magna, one of the people who will impart knowledge to you, including myself.”

The professor emphasized the word ‘only.’ Virius took his eyes off Leona and walked back and forth in front of the blackboard, explaining in a leisurely tone.

“The reason they were only well-known among the nobles is that most novels before this were only readable by the nobles. They were filled with difficult words that the commoners couldn’t understand, making them almost like a code. This made them hard to read, and eventually, the flow of the story became distorted.”

“...”

“But ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ is written in such simple sentences and expressions that even commoners can easily read it. Saying that ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ can’t cultivate one’s education is nonsense. Education, by definition, is something that can only be acquired through academic and intellectual pursuits.”

The professor, who had been pacing around, stopped and finally looked directly at Leona, asking her a question.

“Now, Leona, let me ask you a question.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“How many volumes of ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ have you read?”

“I’ve read all the volumes that have been released recently.”

Upon hearing this, Mari said,

“Wow. I haven’t read the recent ones. How did she manage to read them?”

“There must be a way.”

While we were chatting, the professor, who had heard Leona’s answer, nodded and spoke gently.

“Then, how do you think about the demons after reading ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’?”

“...”

Leona didn’t answer and instead shifted her gaze to where Cecil was sitting. Cecil, who didn’t expect to be mentioned, slightly flinched but met her gaze steadily.

After a few seconds of eye contact with Cecil, Leona seemed to understand and spoke matter-of-factly.

“I’m sorry. I think I asked the wrong question.”

“No, it was a very insightful question. I’ll give Leona extra points.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

Despite the unexpected extra points, Leona answered in a flat tone. If someone who didn’t know her saw her, they might think she was a robot.

“Anyway, to completely create a specific knowledge, you must first understand what that knowledge conveys. ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ can be considered an extremely advanced novel in this regard.”

Wow, to package a novel I wrote as a hobby like this. That’s a skill in itself.

The professor, who seemed to think it was a good opportunity, continued his lecture, mentioning ‘The Chronicles of Zyon’ from time to time. The students, more interested than before, began to listen to the professor’s lecture attentively.

“Especially, what I want to say here is that you should never become arrogant, even at the last moment…”

The professor even made up the meaning of the story himself, which I didn’t even know. The trap is that the author himself wrote it without any particular meaning.

Too smart people tend to interpret simple traps more complexly, and that’s exactly what’s happening here.

So, from the middle, I started to listen half-heartedly with a bored expression. Glancing at the side, I saw that Mari was listening with sparkling eyes.

“Hmm… It seems the time is almost up.”

How much time had passed? The professor checked his wristwatch and announced that the end was near.

I didn’t know, but the students seemed to find it quite interesting, as sighs of disappointment could be heard. It was that interesting.

Professor Virius, who seemed to be in a good mood from the sighs, chuckled and said,

“You don’t have to be too disappointed. We have plenty of time, not just today.”

“What do other professors teach besides you?”

“History, theology, magic, medicine, administration, politics, philosophy, biology, and so on. Each professor will teach you basic knowledge. Also, after this session, we will distribute your schedules.”

“Do we need to get good grades in all of them?”

A student asked with an anxious voice. Indeed, listening to each one would be a headache. It’s like the pinnacle of inefficiency.

However, Professor Virius shook his head and denied it.

“No, you only need to attend the lectures you want. However, to avoid being held back, you will need a certain level of points.”

“So, we don’t need to attend lectures in majors we’re not interested in?”

“It’s not a big deal. Professors will focus only on students interested in their lectures anyway. However, to secure a certain level of points, it’s better to attend as many lectures as possible and get attendance points.”

As explained earlier, up to the second year, you will take common classes, but if you can get a certain level of points, you don’t need to attend lectures you’re not interested in.

Indeed, if you look at this alone, it’s a similar system to universities in my previous life. The difference is that my major was already decided without me having to register for it.

Still, it was a familiar system to me, and I was satisfied.

“Now, the time is up. It was nice meeting you, students.”

As soon as the lecture ended, Professor Virius bowed politely. As expected, the students, who found the lecture impressive, responded with applause.

Soon, Professor Virius left the lecture hall, and people who seemed to be teaching assistants entered and distributed papers to the students. It seemed to be the schedule the professor mentioned earlier.

“Crazy. What is this?”

And when I checked the schedule, I couldn’t help but be shocked. The classes from 9 AM to 5 PM were densely packed, and the number of majors was overwhelming.

How many are there? Even if you try to find the same major, they are all different. Mari also clicked her tongue and muttered in a troubled voice.

“There are too many. We just need to secure a certain score, right? What majors are you going to take?”

“...I’ll try them all first. There are too many, so I don’t know yet. I’m considering history, theology, and biology for now.”

I gave a vague answer to Mari’s question and stared at the schedule. The three subjects I mentioned were ones I was confident in, as I had a wealth of knowledge from books stored in my head.

Of course, I will ignore majors I’m not interested in after attending them once, but there was one thing I was worried about.

‘The score doesn’t matter, but will there be group projects here? That would be a hassle.’

While I was seriously looking at the densely packed schedule,

“Mr. Isaac?”

“Yeah?”

A woman’s voice, smooth like a rolling jade, reached my ears. I lifted my head from the schedule.

And...

“You’re considering history, theology, and biology?”

Lina, with a radiant beauty like the sun, was looking at me with a smile. Her blue eyes were filled with strong curiosity.

Next to her stood Cecil, who, though not as much as Lina, was also looking at me with a similar gaze.

‘...Fan girls.’

I’ll curse. Professor, you little brat.