I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 836 - Side Story 109: Sometimes a Wise Response (1)

'What on earth is this?'

Cain knew without looking in a mirror that his face had become hot. He couldn't help but be aware of this heat flowing through his entire body.

The fact that the reason was simply seeing the smile of the person in front of him made Cain's heart even more agitated.

'Has this woman ever smiled like this before?'

Absolutely not. From years ago when she held the title of professor, up until now when she had become a teacher at Theon.

Even after tracking her traces and making contact several times, even through all their conversations up to now.

Rudsela had never once smiled. Not even once. If you had to call something a smile, it would be a sneer that chilled the other person's heart. Naturally, no one called that a smile.

'It must be because of her personality.'

It might be that Rudsela's original personality wasn't particularly warm. But Cain was convinced that Rudsela harbored some worry that couldn't be explained in words to others.

A detective's intuition. To dismiss it as mere idle thought—he had never been wrong about this until now.

'There's some reason she can't tell others. I can tell. Why would a woman with this much ability hide her identity and cause all sorts of major incidents.'

If Rudsela had been the villain of the century, there would have been no room for concern. But Cain Selmore knew. Rudsela Chelici was not a villain. Wasn't he the one who had tracked her most persistently?

A hunter carefully examines and considers the basic behavior patterns and habits of their prey. The same goes for a detective. A criminal's psychology, their motives for crime, principles and purposes. These were naturally fundamental aspects that had to be understood.

Cain's intuition was high. Befitting a genius detective, it far transcended that of criminals. And this Cain had been fixated on just one person for several years.

Even if he hadn't analyzed her 100% perfectly, it was enough to know the outline of the person called Rudsela.

And among the facts he could discern, the most surprising fact was that she was definitely not a villain.

Though not a villain, she hid her identity, was connected to crimes, and caused many incidents. It didn't make sense by any standard. Cain realized that several puzzle pieces of memory he didn't know were missing.

Going back to the original point of the story.

'Rudsela harbors some secrets unknown to others. And because of that secret, she cannot live a peaceful life. The reason she could never smile her whole life was also for that reason.'

It was natural since she had no peace of mind. And yet Rudsela smiled. What's more, she laughed out loud, blooming a bright smile on her face.

For just a moment, Cain saw a hallucination of a flower field in full bloom around her. The destructive power of Rudsela's smile was that high.

"Are you, you drunk?" 

"I told you I drank. As a gift to myself." 

"Drinking and being drunk are separate things. You can wash away all the intoxication with mana if you want to." 

"Then there would be no reason to drink, would there? I drank to get drunk. To feel this kind of feeling."

Cain truly doubted whether Rudsela was the same person he knew. Perhaps sensing that ominous gaze, Rudsela chuckled.

"I know. My behavior right now isn't like my usual self, is it?"

"Well, I can't say it isn't." 

"Having this conversation makes it feel like we're friends who've known each other for a long time. Well, considering the years, it's not entirely wrong. We are among those who've known each other the longest."

Rudsela gazed into the air. The street was hazy due to the dawn fog, but it wasn't enough to block out even the light of the sky. The moonlight visible beyond the streetlights was just right to see.

"Did some kind of wind suddenly blow through you?" 

"I realized that you can't just keep running forward looking only ahead forever." 

"Running forward looking only ahead?" 

"Because that was all there was for the moment, I thought it would be sinful to rest even a little. But when I look back on it later, I realize I was too blind. I thought I'd been carefully avoiding it, but in fact I was already submerged in the swamp."

Laziness. Indolence. These things weren't only bad. Even machines need repairs and lubrication. The same goes for people. Appropriate rest was essential.

"So this is a kind of gift to myself. It's also a wish that Rudsela Chelici would walk a path somewhat different from 'me.'" 

"What? What does that mean...?"

Cain didn't understand Rudsela's words. His superhuman intuition was telling him that the Rudsela before his eyes was not her. But it didn't make sense. The Rudsela before his eyes not being Rudsela. The sense of incongruity wasn't great enough to call them separate beings.

"You look confused."

Naturally, Rudsela—no, Rudger—fully understood Cain's feelings. If he were the same as Casey Selmore of this time period, he couldn't not know what she was thinking.

Just as a hunter observes their prey, the prey also observes the hunter. In the end, it's the same as looking in a mirror. When the other person looks at me, I can also see the other person.

"Well, I understand. Worrying about it won't give you an immediate answer. And you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you honestly." 

"What is it?" 

"So try searching hard for it. Detective. It certainly won't be easy, but with your talent, you'll surely reach the truth."

Truth. At Rudsela's words, Cain swallowed.

She was now giving him a hint about his floundering and struggling through the fog. He had even thought about giving up, doubting whether it even existed. But Rudsela had nailed down that the truth exists.

With just that alone, he could refocus his purpose and not lose his motivation.

"Why are you telling me that? Isn't it disadvantageous to you?" 

"Well, just think of it as a gift I want to give seeing you from your naïve days." 

"Me from my naïve days. You talk as if you've seen the mature me." 

"Hmm. Mature, perhaps? Well, depending on one's perspective, maybe." 

"What on earth does that mean? Did you come from the future or something?" 

"What do you think with that excellent intuition of yours?"

Cain didn't answer. But in his mind, he couldn't shake the thought that the Rudsela before his eyes had crossed over from the future, or somewhere similar to it.

"Truth is important. Because a detective must chase it. But truth doesn't always make things clear and refreshing." 

"It's still important." 

"Right. That's why I'm advising you like this. It's fine to chase the truth, but even if it's different from what you thought."

Rudsela turned around.

"Never be broken."

Cain swallowed. The figure of Rudsela receiving the faint streetlight in the fog was as beautiful as a mirage. It felt as if her body would melt into the fog and disappear if he so much as reached out his hand.

Rudsela was the one who drank, so why did it feel like he was the one who was drunk?

"The conversation went long. It's late, so I should get going." 

"Going? So suddenly like this?" 

"The alcohol wore off a lot while we were talking. Why? Unless you'd like to escort me? Just kidding."

Rudsela snapped her fingers. Her magic beast, Aether Nocturnus, wrapped around her body.

"Ah. But I really don't know this, I'm asking because I'm curious." 

"What is it? You have things you're curious about too." 

"Do you really like me?"

...Huh? Cain's expression became like someone who'd been hit in the back of the head with a hammer. That's how much Rudsela's question exceeded his expectations and caught him off guard.

"Wha, whwhwhwhwhwh what are you!" 

"I just asked. I'm really leaving now."

Rudsela said that and walked toward the fog. Shadows wrapped around her body and concealed her in the darkness. The clicking sound of her shoes melted into the air and disappeared.

Cain Selmore could only stand there blankly for a while, as if time had frozen.

After that, ordinary days passed. Rudsela prepared lessons, assigned homework, and taught students with her best effort. It reminded her of old times, and she couldn't deny that she approached it with more passion than before.

And she also met other people.

Since everyone's genders had changed, even meeting people she was already familiar with gave her a new feeling.

"Hoho. The tea is quite delicious, isn't it?"

A small-framed girl smiling with narrowed eyes. She looked that way, but was actually quite old, an elf who might be the eldest at Theon.

Bielin Dentis. He—no, she—who even in the original world had a strangely grandfather-like quality, was here truly no different from a ‘hoho’ grandmother.

When she was male, she tried to appear formal and stiff, feeling like a child trying to act like an adult.

Now, her age naturally showed through her experience and behavior.

Just watching her smile with narrowed eyes made that clear.

"This is tea specially cultivated by our family. I hope it suits your taste." 

"Ah, yes. It's delicious. Thank you for serving me something so precious." 

"Ohoho, what are you saying? Our Teacher Rudsela works so hard, and as a workplace senior, I should at least provide this much hospitality."

Was it an illusion to think she was like a meddling neighborhood auntie? Even in the original world she had the feeling of a grandfather looking after his grandchildren, so it wasn't particularly strange. It was right when Rudsela was about to take another sip of tea.

"So how's your love life going?"

Rudsela almost spit out the tea she had in her mouth without realizing it.

"Ahem. Love life?" 

"Why, Teacher Rudsela is pretty, so many men swarm around you." 

"Swarm, you say. There's no such..."

Rudsela, who was about to say there wasn't, held back her words for a moment. There was. Rather, it was a problem because there were too many more than expected.

People she already knew, in this world just by having their genders changed, had strangely increased in their obsession.

The fact that the kind Celina made her feel an inexplicable chill in this world quite surprised Rudsela.

"Ohoho. Teacher Rudsela has so much luck with men, it must be quite tiring."

Bielin Dentis waved her hand frivolously while laughing. She had no intention whatsoever of hiding her amused reaction.

'She's exactly like a housewife watching a morning drama.'

Isn't that too blatant? But Rudsela couldn't point it out. Objectively speaking, the situation she was in had the kind of fun reminiscent of a morning drama.

A female protagonist mysteriously obsessed over by men. It was natural that Bielin kept showing interest. The problem was that she herself was the subject. Rudsela sighed.

"Aren't you a bit too interested in romance?" 

"Is there anyone not interested in such things? Besides, in Teacher Rudsela's case, the picture is so good. It's quite fun to watch." 

"I don't find it fun at all." 

"Ohoho. Don't be like that. It's also this old elf's wicked hobby. You need something to enjoy in life, don't you? Of course, it's not just you, Teacher Rudsela."

Whoosh.

A small wind spirit appeared and circled near Bielin's cheek.

"I'm also watching other love affairs happening within this campus." 

"Wait, you've been secretly watching that?"

Are you saying she controls wind spirits like remote drones to spy on students' budding romances? There's no busybody quite like this busybody.

"I told you. Without this kind of enjoyment, how dreary would life be? Rather than that, Teacher Rudsela, take a look too. These kids are a particularly interesting relationship I'm keeping an eye on. They happen to be down there outside the window." 

"You're slyly trying to make me an accomplice..."

Of course, while Rudsela said that, she stood by the window following Bielin....Honestly, wasn't she curious? Watching students whose genders had changed have their own budding romance was a novel experience and quite fun.

Looking down below the campus through the transparent glass window, Rudsela saw Rienon standing face to face with a female student.

'Rene? Wait. Then the female student in front of her right now is.'

Rudsela's gaze fixed on the woman standing with her arms crossed in front of Rienon.

"Rienon. Are you really going to do that?"

The voices from outside the campus sounded as clear as if they were being exchanged right in front of her. Rudsela glanced at Bielin. Bielin smiled broadly and brought her index finger to her lips. Using a wind spirit not only as a remote drone but also for illegal wiretapping.

Still, thanks to that it felt more real, so Rudsela listened attentively to their conversation without complaint.