“Oh, I’ve heard about it. But don’t be too late.”
Although there was a bit of doubt, Presia had indeed gotten permission from the dorm supervisor.
As I leave the dorm, the chilly night breeze greets me. It’s getting warmer, but the night air is still cold.
Unless there’s a special reason, there are no students outside at this hour. On the way to the magic research building, I only occasionally spot people who seem to be assistants.
Room 707 in the magic research building. I knocked lightly and, without waiting, entered the lab directly. During the day, some sunlight filters in through the gaps in the curtains, but with the sun completely set, the only light in the room is a small lamp.
As expected, Presia wasn’t in the first room. I headed to the inner room, almost as if it were natural by now. When I entered the adjoining room, I saw Presia lying sprawled on the sofa, fast asleep. She seemed to be in a deep sleep; neither my knock nor the sound of my careful footsteps woke her.
“Boss?”
Anyway, since the appointment was at 10 o’clock, I had to wake Presia. Since touching her might upset her, I got close and called her softly.
“Boss?”
Yet, she was still deeply asleep. I raised my voice slightly.
“Boss? It’s time to wake up.”
“Mmm… What…?”
Finally, Presia rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up, still dazed, not fully aware of who woke her or why I was here.
“You asked me to come at 10 o’clock, boss. It’s time to wake up.”
If it were daytime, I’d just open the curtains to let in some light, but that was useless at this hour with only starlight coming through.
Luckily, after sitting in a daze for a while, Presia quickly came to her senses. Her expression was even more alert than in the daytime. Presia seemed to be more of a night owl.
“Oh, you’re here. Right, we had something to do tonight…”
Presia finally got up, rummaged through her wardrobe, and casually threw on a short cape. However, underneath, she wore only a thin dress. It seemed she’d be cold dressed like that, but she didn’t appear to care.
“Come on, let’s go. Grab that prepared basket and follow me.”
*Slap*
As she passed by, Presia gave me a sharp slap on the backside and started walking ahead.
I have no idea why she does this, but I’m beginning to worry a little about my boss’s tastes. However, I lack the pride or courage to protest.
Long ago, I traded those away for salary and benefits. Honestly, for this pay, I can let a slap or two slide. Besides, when a small girl does it, it just seems cute.
Due to our different walking strides, I had to walk slowly behind her, and soon, we reached the academy’s outer wall.
Presia reached inside her cape, pulled out an arm, and placed her palm on top of the wall.
A wall of light began to glow brightly along the top of the wall. This was the barrier that surrounded the academy.
After all, the academy is the continent’s premier institution for nurturing talent, with numerous noble heirs attending.
Any attack, whether by terrorists, a sudden monster migration, or an invasion by demons, could be disastrous.
The durability of the academy’s barrier is said to rival the one surrounding the empire’s capital.
While I was observing in awe, I noticed a faint crack about 10 meters along the glowing barrier from where Presia placed her hand.
“Take out two of those from the basket.”
I immediately took out two translucent mana stones from the basket and handed them to Presia. She removed the mana stones embedded in the barrier and replaced them.
However, it didn’t seem to end with just the replacement; she began drawing several magic circles in the air as before.
A flash of light burst forth. Looking up at the barrier where the crack had been, it was now restored as if nothing had ever happened.
“There’s still much to repair… Take the replaced magic stones and follow me.”
I tossed the now dull, powerless magic stones back into the basket and started walking after Presia.
Even though we had been at this barrier maintenance for a while, not many spots had actually been repaired. With the barrier encircling the entire academy, we had to walk a long way along the wall.
“Achoo!”
Around halfway around the academy, Presia let out a small sneeze. She was shivering in the chilly night breeze, rubbing her arms under the cape to keep warm.
I had a feeling this might happen when she only threw on a thin cape over her dress…
I took off my school jacket and placed it over Presia’s cape. Since she was much smaller than me, it covered her well enough.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Thankfully, Presia held onto the jacket with both hands, shielding herself from the cold night air.
The night breeze was brisk for me too, but it wasn’t to the point where I’d catch a cold. Honestly, I probably should have convinced her not to leave the lab like that in the first place.
“By the way, why are you the one doing this barrier maintenance, Boss?”
I asked Presia the question that had been on my mind. Normally, the academy would handle things like this.
“They dumped it on me because I’m young…”
Apparently, passing off work to younger people is a universal practice. But to assign something as important as barrier maintenance to a student, and a first-year at that?
“But… aren’t you the same grade as me?”
“Same grade? No.”
Oh. I hadn’t even considered the possibility that she might be in a higher grade due to her youthful appearance.
If she had a complex about looking young, this could have been a sensitive question, but Presia didn’t seem to mind, and continued walking calmly.
“So… how old are you, Boss?”
“Me? I’m sixteen.”
What?
Most students enter the academy at eighteen. But she’s two years younger than that. And if she isn’t in the same grade as me, that means she’s at least a second-year. Is she some sort of prodigy?
“Wow… So when did you enter the academy?”
If the academy entrusted her with this level of responsibility, she must be at least a third-year, right? So… did she enter at fourteen?
“Hm? I’m not a student.”
“What?”
“I’m a professor in the Department of Magic.”
…What?
…What?!
“Well? Do you feel a bit more respect for me now?”
Presia smiled softly.
Wait a second. My mind was having a hard time processing this absurd information.
This tiny girl in front of me… is a professor in the Department of Magic? Even younger than me? And not just some scholarship student, but an actual professor?
Then, it finally dawned on me. That explains how this girl could stay cooped up in the lab, sleeping, even when class was supposed to start. And how she could have the lab entirely to herself.
She wasn’t a student to begin with, so she didn’t have to worry about class times. Plus, as a professor, she had her own assigned research lab.
“Uh… so what should I call you? Should I call you ‘Professor’ after all?”
“… Just ‘Boss’ is fine.”
Of course, I had no intention of looking down on her just because she was younger than me. In fact, I felt a deep respect for her, given that she had been invited as a professor despite her young age.
After all, in this world, respect is often tied to success and accomplishment. I’ve always held a sense of reverence for the Boss.
“So, what exactly do you teach, Professor? Based on the magic you used on me, it’s hard to guess.”
Reflecting on the spells she had used, I thought her specialty might be in buffs or debuffs, but there were also completely random spells. Curious, I asked her what her actual specialty was.
“Those were just spells I created as a hobby.”
Of all the things I heard today, the fact that my salary and bonuses were just funding her ‘hobby activities’ was the most shocking.
By the time we finished all the repairs, it was well past midnight. Unlike me, who was getting drowsy, our Boss looked even more energized.
“Well, I’ll head back now. Thank you for your hard work, Boss.”
“Yeah. I added a little extra for tonight as your night shift allowance.”
Receiving the silver coin pouch she handed me, I could feel it was a bit heavier than usual.
In this day and age, who wouldn’t respect a boss who made sure to provide night shift allowances? I gave her a deep bow at a 90-degree angle.
“Thank you, Boss. Call on me anytime.”
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Presia is the cat I bet