Chapter 85

◈ Chapter 85: Elemental Studies Class (1)

Elyse stared intently at Rudger's test paper, muttering in amazement.

"Hmm? Wow. This... what...?"

Muttering incomprehensibly, she soon pursed her lips and picked up a pen to start solving the problems.

Willford, who had been watching the scene, quietly stepped back.

It was rare to see Chancellor Elyse so engrossed in something, and he didn't want to disturb her.

Besides, with her skills, she would finish everything in less than five minutes.

However, Willford's prediction was wrong.

Even after five minutes had passed since Elyse started solving Rudger's test problems, there was no sign of her finishing.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen minutes.

Twenty minutes passed.

All this time, Elyse continued to work on the problems as if she were under a spell, her pen moving endlessly.

'Has the Chancellor ever spent this long on a problem?'

Willford was inwardly flustered by the unexpected situation.

Elyse always solved the test problems submitted each semester on the spot, writing down the answers immediately.

This was a form of evaluation for the teachers at Seolren.

And all these evaluations were made solely by Chancellor Elyse herself.

Elyse preferred to solve the test problems herself.

She was a magician with a great passion for learning.

Encountering a new type of problem she didn't know was a delightful experience for her.

Occasionally, for problems below her level, she would just glance over them without solving them.

But once she started solving a problem, it usually took her less than five minutes to finish.

Even the difficult 4th and 5th-grade test papers were no exception.

Problems that made students' heads spin didn't give her much excitement.

Perhaps that's why.

Elyse had been feeling a bit bored lately.

So when she encountered something extremely interesting, she would become overly engrossed in it.

Just like now.

Scribble, scribble, scribble.

Elyse recalled a long-lost feeling.

Back when she was still exploring the unknown field of magic, learning something new.

The sense of accomplishment and pleasure when she finally conquered a new piece of knowledge, despite the initial confusion.

Thirty minutes.

That was how long it took Elyse to solve Rudger's test problems.

For someone who usually solved any test in five minutes, spending thirty minutes on it meant not only that Rudger's problems required diverse thinking but also that she was savoring the experience like a delicious meal.

Of course, even if she had put in her full effort, it would have taken at least 15 to 20 minutes.

"Amazing."

"Finally finished?"

Willford, who had been waiting quietly, asked in a surprised tone.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting."

"Hehe. No, it's fine. On the contrary, it's a relief to see the Chancellor so enthusiastic after a long time."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Elyse didn't deny that she had been engrossed in the problems.

She thought they were really good.

They required a solid foundation but also asked for flexible thinking and diverse opinions.

While solving them, she found multiple traps, but instead of getting annoyed, she felt delighted.

"Really amazing. That a new teacher created these problems. I almost want to make other teachers solve them too."

"Is it that good?"

"I thought Rudger was a boring person, so I expected his test to be just average."

Elyse shrugged.

"I was wrong."

Thinking about it, Rudger had shown magic beyond basic knowledge.

The [Source Code] magic he demonstrated in his first class, for example.

A magic that could implement magical formulas at an incredibly fast speed, allowing for rapid spell casting.

A formula for creating formulas.

A magic that no one would even think of trying to create with ordinary thinking.

"There was nothing to criticize about the problems."

"Compared to Mr. Chris's test?"

"There's no comparison. A problem that shows serious exploration and respect for the subject versus one that boasts the teacher's knowledge. Putting them on the same level is an insult to one of them."

Chris Benimor tried to prove he was superior to Rudger Chellisi through this test.

To the same manifestation class, he wanted to show he knew more and was better.

It was a childish and immature fight.

But Rudger didn't do that.

He didn't even care about Chris Benimor. He just did his best.

Can this really be called a fight?

"If I make Mr. Chris solve these, his expression will be quite amusing."

Elyse smiled mischievously, imagining what would happen soon.

Willford shook his head, saying it was beyond help.

* * *

Rudger organized the test papers and put them in his suitcase.

Since he had finished the first round of tests, he only needed to grade them during the remaining test period.

'Actually, I put a lot of thought into these problems. I'm curious about the answers the students wrote.'

Would the students who usually paid attention in class get good results?

What kind of bizarre wrong answers would the students who didn't study properly come up with?

As a teacher, he had a strange sense of anticipation.

Even though his identity was fake, he felt a natural affinity for his job.

On his way back to his quarters, Rudger noticed a group of students gathered ahead.

'Testing during the exam period? Ah, it must be a practical test.'

About fifty students.

Leading them were teaching assistants, and the person at the front was someone Rudger knew well.

The first thing he saw was the shining pink hair, reflecting the bright sunlight.

A teacher who was kind to everyone and always wore a smile, like a princess from a fairy tale.

Selina.

'This must be an elemental studies test.'

Selina specialized in <Elementals> in the summoning category.

Elementals are beings that embody the natural energy of the great outdoors.

Elemental studies is the study of communicating with these elementals to borrow their power.

As a result, the theoretical part is mostly the history of elemental studies, and most of the classes are practical.

From calling elementals to making contracts and communicating with them to use their power.

Since it was early in the semester, even if it was a test, it wouldn't be too difficult.

'There are no elementals around the students. The first test must be a contract with an elemental.'

Since elemental studies can only be learned by a limited number of people, the tests are mostly absolute evaluations rather than relative ones.

Even an average student would get a passing grade if they successfully contracted with a lower-level elemental.

Just as he was thinking this, Selina noticed Rudger approaching.

"Ah, Mr. Rudger!"

The distance had closed.

Selina smiled and greeted him.

"Have you finished your exam? I remember you said it was your first exam."

"Yes, I just finished and am on my way back."

"Oh, I see. I'm just starting my exam now."

"An elemental studies exam?"

"Yes. Would you like to watch?"

Rudger was about to say he was fine, but he couldn't refuse the desperate look in her eyes.

Selina was sending an SOS with her intense gaze.

'She's nervous.'

Rudger understood why she asked him to come along.

This was Selina's first test. She probably didn't feel like a teacher yet, and evaluating students was a stressful and nerve-wracking task.

So she asked for help from Rudger, who had already finished his exam.

Rudger couldn't really help her since he wasn't in charge of elemental studies.

'But at least having a fellow new teacher by her side would be reassuring.'

Under normal circumstances, he might have easily dismissed it as someone else's problem.

Or he could have used grading as an excuse.

But then he thought,

'After all, we've eaten together and had conversations. It would be too cold to refuse now, wouldn't it?'

'Even if my identity is fake, as a teacher, it wouldn't be good to be disliked by my colleagues.'

He was already in an adversarial relationship with the noble faction teachers, led by Chris Benimor.

If he easily turned down Selina's request for help, not only from the students but also from other teachers, his reputation would surely suffer.

'Actually, such a reputation can be ignored, but...'

The important thing was that he had received help from Selina and couldn't ignore her request.

Thanks to her, he had been able to start conversations with other teachers.

"Sure, I'll come."

Rudger nodded, and Selina's expression brightened noticeably.

The students watched the two of them with curious eyes.

"What? Mr. Rudger is coming too?"

"More importantly, what's the relationship between them? Are they dating?"

"No way. They were both newly appointed, so they're just colleagues."

"Oh, right. You liked Ms. Selina, didn't you?"

"What, what?! No, I don't!"

While the students were chatting, Selina, emboldened, spoke up.

"Everyone, the exam is about to start, so let's move! We need to finish quickly!"

"Yes."

The students moved busily at Selina's command.

Selina led the way, followed by Rudger, and the students followed behind.

They arrived at the entrance of one of the three great forests of Seolren, the 'Dream Forest.'

A vast forest filled with elementals, animals, and various ecosystems.

The Dream Forest was the largest of the three great forests in Seolren.

It was rated as a level 3 danger zone, and entry was prohibited for ordinary people.

However, compared to the other two forests, which had a danger level of 2 or higher, the Dream Forest was