I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 793 - Side Story 66: A New Method (3)

Julia Plumhart was quite shocked. She had greeted him with what she thought was her most charming smile, and he fainted at the sight of it?

She had thought that if she showed off her charm, seducing this naive-looking junior would be no trouble at all.

Faced with a reality completely different from her expectations, her pride was considerably wounded.

"Julia. Look at yourself right now. Even a normal person would mistake you for a ghost and run away." 

"Ah."

Julia belatedly realized her mistake. She had been so absorbed in the materials Rudger gave her that she stayed up all night, completely forgetting that she wasn't in a normal state right now.

In fact, from the moment she started living in this research building, she had drifted far from a normal life, so it took her a bit long to realize this.

"Phew. I should go wash up for a moment. Teacher, would you wait in my research lab?"

Naturally, the research building was equipped with shower facilities. The research building was the optimal place where one could solve all matters of food, clothing, and shelter. That's why graduate students couldn't escape from this place.

Rudger levitated the fainted Robert and headed to Julia's research lab.

The interior could hardly be called clean, even generously speaking. From materials scattered everywhere to all sorts of miscellaneous equipment and clothing filling the space.

Even if it was her personal space, this wasn't what it was given to her for—to use so freely.

Considering Julia's usual image, this was a somewhat disillusioning sight, but it also meant she was so busy that she couldn't pay attention to such trivial matters.

"Well then."

Since the sofa meant for guests was also full of clothes, Rudger used telekinesis to neatly organize all the clothes and stack them in one corner.

Once he had removed just the clothes, it looked a bit unbalanced, so he quickly organized the books and documents fallen on the floor with telekinesis.

The sight of countless papers fluttering in the air and moving on their own was truly spectacular.

It was as if each piece of paper had its own soul, knowing where it should go and flapping its wings.

"Ugh, uhhh."

Just then, Robert, who had been laid on the sofa, opened his eyes. As soon as he opened them, what he saw was a feast of books, papers, and miscellaneous objects busily moving around the entire room.

"Po, poltergeist!"

Robert uttered that one word and fainted again. Just as the organizing was finishing up, the door to the research lab opened and Julia, having finished washing up, entered.

Perhaps knowing a guest was waiting, she had come in a bit of a hurry, so her hair wasn't completely dried and was slightly damp.

"Did you wait long?" 

"It was nothing. More importantly, are you okay now?"

"Well, I do feel much better after washing up. I should say my mind has cleared up."

Julia blushed slightly, realizing what an embarrassing state she had been in when she approached Robert. Then she belatedly realized that her research lab was organized far too neatly.

"Don't tell me you cleaned this up, Teacher?" 

"It was too messy. While I was waiting, I tidied up a bit." 

"I didn't make it messy, okay? I had arranged everything according to what I needed at the time."

Julia made an excuse that wouldn't be believed at all while going through the organized documents one by one.

'Huh?'

Julia was quite flustered internally. She had thought that Rudger had just organized her messy research lab to look pleasing to the eye.

However, looking at the contents of the neatly arranged documents and books, they were clearly categorized.

"Don't tell me you looked at all the contents and categorized them separately?"

"If I just organized them randomly, you'd have trouble finding materials later."

Rudger spoke as if it was nothing, but Julia couldn't help but be shocked at those words. Because she knew better than anyone how vast the amount of materials in the research lab was.

Rudger had checked and organized the massive volume that would take at least a week to roughly go through, all in the short time it took Julia to wash up.

What kind of cognitive ability was this? Not only was it fast, but the accuracy was absurd. It wouldn't be strange if his brain had melted.

'Right. Who am I worrying about?'

It was none other than that Rudger Chelici. Moreover, the realm of magic he had achieved now was beyond even Julia's ability to gauge.

Imperia? Honestly speaking, even at that level, Rudger would be an unprecedented genius. But Julia's intuition told her it wasn't just that.

"More importantly, this kid is still fainted? He's big, but his body is weaker than I thought."

In fact, he had woken up once in the middle, but mistook Rudger organizing the room for a ghost appearing and fainted again.

Rudger didn't bother to mention that.

"More importantly, did you check all the materials I sent you?"

"Yes. It was worth staying up all night." 

"There must have been quite a lot, I'm worried you might have pushed yourself." 

"Those words coming from the person who gave me that data bomb? Well, honestly I could have taken it a bit easier, but I didn't want to."

If the process had been merely painful, she wouldn't have poured time into it while abusing her body like this.

Honestly speaking, while looking at the materials Rudger had organized and given her, Julia thought it was enjoyable.

Should she say the process of putting information into her brain was rewarding? The sight of the path that had been blocked and frustrating until now gradually becoming clearer gave her an indescribable catharsis.

Of course, considering the path she had to take going forward, that was merely the very beginning.

From here on, even more obstacles and trials than before might be waiting.

But she thought it was okay.

Rather than being unable to do anything and spinning in place. Even if unknown dangers lay ahead, moving forward was much better.

If one walks dreams, one should naturally do so. She had been taught this way and had grown up watching the backs of such people.

'And that child that Teacher Rudger brought is supposed to be able to help me too.'

There was no more doubt. Since Rudger said so, there was a high probability it was really true.

No, it was certain.

"Oh right. But I haven't offered a guest even a cup of coffee. Please wait. I'll make some right away." 

"Then it would be good to make one more cup."

"You mean for that fainted student too?" 

"No. That can wait until Robert wakes up, and the cup I mentioned is for someone else." 

"Who else is coming?"

When Julia asked that, Rudger looked at the air instead of answering. Julia also naturally followed that gaze and looked at the air.

Soon she could see mana gathering in the air, drawing a very complex yet systematic spell.

As the magic was completed and light flashed, a woman appeared in the air and slowly descended to the floor.

"Yay-ho. Julia. I came to visit." 

"Rene?"

Rene, who had appeared through spatial movement, waved her hand at Julia with a bright smile.

"Oh? Oppa, you're here too?"

Rene grinned at Rudger. 

Julia asked Rene.

"What brings you here? Usually you contact me before coming." 

"I just wanted to see your face after a while. I was also worried about how you were doing." 

"Didn't we meet just last week?"

Rudger listened to their conversation quietly.

The two, who had various points of contact since their first year, seemed to have become quite close as they continued their connection afterward.

Seeing them meet periodically like this even after graduation.

'Considering how busy Rene as a magic researcher and Julia now must be, they couldn't have made time easily.'

Even though Rene possessed the power of spatial movement and could escape spatial constraints through it, they must have had to squeeze and squeeze time to make appointments.

It also meant that their friendship had become thicker than before.

"Be honest. You just skipped work because you didn't want to work, didn't you?" 

"Uh, uhh? That's not it! I just, you seemed really busy lately, so I came because I was worried."

Although Rene waved her hands and adamantly denied it, Julia's eyes only narrowed further. Julia, who was quick to notice such things, didn't miss Rene glancing at Rudger while saying that.

I see. So that's what it was.

"Really now. Even if you're in a hurry, how can you come without even contacting me?" 

"Hehe. Sorry."

Julia decided to let it pass graciously. At the same time, she felt like supporting this affection her friend harbored.

Rene naturally changed the subject and asked Rudger.

"Oppa, have you been well? I heard that you returned to work as a teacher at Theon."

"It's not a complete return. Rather than conducting regular classes, I'm giving special teachings to a small number of students." 

"Ah. It was called the special class, right? I heard about something like that around when I was graduating. Is that fainted child one of them?" 

"Something like that." 

"Hehe. Seeing Oppa at Theon again, it feels somehow new. Back then I had to call you teacher."

At Rene's shy words, Julia let out a sigh.

She was quite surprised that her friend, whom she thought was unexpectedly timid, was appealing her charm more actively than expected.

From the subtle eye-smile she made to obviously sweeping her side hair with her fingers while talking.

Moreover, for someone who came suddenly, there was even a subtle hint of makeup on her face. It wasn't just any makeup. It was subtle makeup that looked natural yet wasn't—quite difficult makeup actually.

That Rene who usually had no interest in makeup at all.

Regardless, Rudger and Rene were having an animated conversation.

"Oppa. More importantly, I recently researched something new, would you look at it?" 

"Ah. Is it that thing you mentioned before?"

Rudger received the materials Rene handed him. He didn't bother asking why she brought such materials when she came to visit a friend.

Rather, his interest was more drawn to the magic Rene was thinking about.

In the center of handwritten notes presumed to be written directly by her, a complex form of magic circle was drawn.

The appearance of the magic circle was somehow familiar, and Rudger could recall that it resembled an astronomical clock.

Rudger read the contents in detail with a more serious expression while Rene watched the scene with slightly nervous eyes.

Looking at it this way, memories of submitting assignments or taking exams to Rudger suddenly came to mind.

"I've confirmed it."

Rudger neatly organized the materials he had finished reading and handed them back to Rene.

"H-how is it?" 

"It's hard to say with certainty right away how it is. But if, if the magic you've devised is completed, this might cause an upheaval that could change the world."

It was an evaluation that even Julia, listening from the side, was quite surprised by. Considering that Rudger didn't make empty remarks, he must certainly think so sincerely.

" Rene, what kind of magic are you trying to make?" 

"Just, something related to the characteristics of my mana." 

"You mean spatial attribute mana?"

The magic Rene was preparing was an expanded version of spatial magic according to the characteristics of her mana.

"This should be called dimensional magic, not spatial magic."

Rudger, having seen Rene's materials, gave it such a name.

"Dimensional? Rene, you don't mean......"

Rene smiled awkwardly and nodded at Rudger's words.

"Being able to come up with this idea is all thanks to Oppa. What I'm trying to make is a more advanced form of the Crystal Corridor that Oppa once made." 

"Mine was just something that could be used as a disposable. But yours is much more stable."

And while Rudger had fixed the coordinates of the Crystal Corridor only to Earth, the coordinates of Rene's magic weren't fixed to any one place.

So her magic meant that if she wanted to, she could see dimensions even farther away than that like the other dimension similar to this one that she had mentioned that day.

"It was something I had only vaguely thought about, but now I can finally properly start working on it. Of course, I'll run into difficulties, but at that time, can I ask Oppa for help?" 

"Well, I'll help if I'm not busy. I've also become interested in your magic."

Words like multi-dimension, spatial curvature, and parallel worlds were exchanged between the two. Julia, who had been listening quietly, muttered with a sigh-filled voice.

"Somehow, my magic feels shabby."