I Need the True Ending to Graduate - Chapter 100

Taking Isabella’s wise advice, Jeran lived a calm life no different from before, without taking responsibility for all of Lucia Even’s existence.

He spent his days teaching students, preparing lessons, agonizing over exam questions, grading them, and conducting research in between.

Teaching was still unfamiliar, but as time passed, he gradually grew accustomed to it. Along with that, his sense of tension also eased.

It was a life that was satisfying and peaceful beyond measure.

There were no troubles that plagued him, and everything proceeded smoothly.

If things continued this way, he would likely maintain his professorship without incident and enjoy a successful old age in both academic and teaching activities.

In the midst of such a smooth, enviable life that anyone would admire, Jeran felt a sense of emptiness that was difficult to put into words, as if there were a hollow hole somewhere inside him.

And the one person who had given him that feeling was Lucia Even.

That’s right.

Jeran was feeling empty while thinking of Lucia Even.

In truth, when he’d offered her his final farewell, he thought he’d given up on coveting her and resigned himself.

Isabella was cold but discerning, wise and intelligent. Her advice surely couldn’t be wrong.

However, Lucia Even wouldn’t leave Jeran’s mind.

The image of her sitting in her usual seat with a doll-like, expressionless face, the rare moments when her eyes sparkled as she listened to his lectures with interest, and the way her eyes widened slightly as she demonstrated overwhelming concentration when activating a magic circle kept resurfacing.

No matter how much he thought about it, he wanted to take her in as his disciple. No, it had to be Lucia Even.

Every professor would covet her and welcome her with open arms, but he couldn’t erase the belief that he was the mentor best suited for her.

‘Even I have to admit this is nothing but arrogant conviction.’

He found it ridiculous that he felt such baseless confidence, and yet, those feelings were honestly his own.

As a result, even now, a year after being appointed as a professor at the Academy, Jeran had not taken in a single disciple, making Isabella’s other advice seem pointless.

It wasn’t that there were no students seeking his guidance. There were times when he’d called them to his laboratory for consultations.

But quite naturally, and yet terribly rudely, he found himself comparing the student before him to Lucia Even.

As a result, students were no longer evaluated as themselves, but through the standard of Lucia Even.

Though it was something he did unconsciously, he found himself appalled at the thought that he’d regarded his precious students that way, and so he decided not to accept any disciples.

And just as Isabella had predicted, his reputation began to drift in a less favorable direction.

“Professor Ennessy, you’ve been at the Academy for quite some time now. Are you not taking in any disciples?”

Once, during a tea time gathering among professors, one of them asked him that question.

Jeran pushed aside the complicated feelings stirring within him and answered with a gentle smile.

“I’m not refusing to take disciples. Nurturing the next generation is also an important duty of a professor. It’s just that I haven’t yet found a student who truly needs my help. I suppose I’ll find one little by little.”

“I suppose Professor Ennessy is of an age, and given your remarkable achievements, you must be quite conflicted about choosing a disciple.”

As hearty laughter rose up from the table, the others all laughed along with him in unison.

Jeran couldn’t bring himself to laugh at the sarcastic remarks poking fun at his young age, so he covered his mouth as if taking a sip of tea.

After that, words poured out that he couldn’t tell whether they were advice or mockery.

“The students are still young, so it seems they haven’t recognized Professor Ennessy’s true worth yet. So don’t be too disheartened. A good disciple will come to Professor Ennessy soon enough.”

“That’s right. You became a professor at such a young age, so how could students possibly doubt Professor Ennessy’s abilities? They just don’t know yet. So don’t be too discouraged.”

“Or would you like me to give you a few pointers? If you’re all right with it, Professor Ennessy, I think I could be of some help.”

“No, it’s fine. I should think of this as part of the learning process. If you try to take the easy path, you end up losing things quickly.”

Jeran responded appropriately to the other professors and let it pass.

Every word they spoke subtly insulted him and looked down on him, but Jeran didn’t lend an ear to words that would disappear in an instant.

Objectively speaking, the research he’d been doing was proceeding very smoothly, and accordingly, results were steadily following, and his lecture evaluations weren’t bad either.

There was absolutely no reason for him to be swayed by them.

When Jeran showed no sign of being shaken at all, the topic naturally drifted elsewhere.

Despite going through such things, Jeran still didn’t take in any disciples, and without mustering the courage to hold on to Lucia Even, time continued to pass.

It was around the time when being unable to do this or that had become as natural as breathing.

While sitting in his laboratory reading books absentmindedly, he grew a little tired and lifted his head, only to realize that it was already pitch dark outside the window.

‘When did it get this late?’

Startled, Jeran checked the time. The clock hands were pointing to one in the morning.

‘It’s already well past the time I should be sleeping. I’ll read the rest tomorrow and head home now.’

Jeran stood up from his seat, roughly tidied the desk, and left the laboratory.

Perhaps because it was so late at night, the corridor was pitch black without a single human shadow. Only the area where his laboratory was located was lit.

It seemed that seeing the light on in his laboratory, someone had left the corridor lights on for his sake instead of turning them all off.

‘Ah, dear. I’ve troubled the building caretaker as well.’

With both gratitude and apology in his heart, Jeran moved his steps.

The empty building was quiet like a grave. Not only did the sound of his footsteps echo louder than usual, but it felt like he could even hear the footsteps of passing ants.

Though he hadn’t stolen anything, the strange feeling of having become a thief made him unconsciously soften his footsteps as he slowly went down the stairs, when a strange sound came from somewhere.

“Sob…!”

At that moment, Jeran stopped in place and looked around.

‘I thought I heard something just now….’

It had passed in an instant, so he couldn’t tell exactly what he’d heard, but it was clear that he had heard something.

As his heart tightened with tension, Jeran pricked up his ears. Then he slowly, quietly continued moving.

“Sob….”

Had he gone down about half a floor? Once again, a sound similar to before reached his ears.

This time, because he was paying close attention, he could hear it clearly. It was a faint sound, like someone groaning or sobbing.

In the middle of the night, someone was crying inside the Academy building.

‘Who on earth is crying like this….’

Given the situation, it was frightening, but thinking that it might be someone in danger or distress, Jeran headed toward the direction the sound was coming from.

As he went down the stairs, the sound gradually grew closer, and when he reached a certain floor, there was no longer any doubt. Clear, distinct sobbing could be heard.

“Sob… sob….”

It was a sorrowful cry that weighed heavily on the listener’s heart. Judging by how thin and fragile the sound was, it seemed to be a student.

While feeling pity over how hard things must be for someone to be crying so bitterly in secret at this hour of night, Jeran also felt a strange sense of incongruity.

Somehow, the voice felt familiar, as though he’d heard it before.

‘Have I heard this voice somewhere before? Where on earth?’

Holding onto that lingering question, Jeran quieted his footsteps and headed toward the corridor where the sound was coming from.

In the deep, pitch-black darkness where silence reigned, there was only one door standing slightly open, bright light leaking out from inside.

And that place was none other than Karl Evenhart’s laboratory. The sound was coming from there.

‘Why would Professor Evenhart be here at this hour…? And that sound just now doesn’t seem to be Professor Evenhart’s….’

As if sensing something in advance, his heart began to pound noisily and his hands started to tremble.

Even so, Jeran didn’t stop walking. As if drawn by the light spilling through the crack in the door, he silently approached Karl Evenhart’s laboratory.

Though he knew he shouldn’t, Jeran couldn’t help himself and peered inside through the slightly open door.

“….”

Jeran froze in place.

No words came out, and he couldn’t say anything at all.

As if the world itself were roaring, his heart thundered violently, and the blood throughout his body turned icy cold. His mind grew distant, and he clenched his teeth tightly, barely suppressing the nausea rising within him.

As he trembled silently at the horrific scene visible through the narrow gap in the door, Karl Evenhart’s voice rang out.

“…If you dare shove this kind of pathetic trash in front of my eyes again, don’t expect it to end with just this once.”

“….”

“Do you understand?”

“…Yes, Professor.”

As sheets of stark white paper scattered like snow before her eyes, Lucia answered while barely holding back her tears.

Then she stared blankly at the thing lying strewn about like garbage, likely a paper or assignment she had written.

Her face was filled with such deep despair, devoid of even a single spark of light, that it was impossible to bring oneself to reach out to her.

Jeran fled from the spot.