Chapter 24: The Professor, The Lecture, and The Unbearable Cookie

“Class Dismissed”

“…Time’s up already. That concludes today’s lesson. Thank you.”

Sion bowed politely as he finished his lecture.

He had been so immersed in teaching that he lost track of time.

The students, too, looked surprised to hear that the class had ended.

The first to break the silence was Gae Bolg.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

“A splendid lecture, Sion!”

He shot up from his seat, applauding enthusiastically.

The other students hesitated at first, but seeing Gae Bolg’s energetic response, they followed suit.

Clap, clap, clap!

Applause echoed throughout the classroom.

Sion bowed once more in gratitude before returning to his seat beside Patrick.

A few moments later, Professor Lunia staggered toward the front of the class.

“O-Once again, I’d like to thank Sion Ha… student Sion… for today’s class… The n-next lesson will also be held here… S-So, dismissed! Yes, please go now!”

At her somewhat chaotic dismissal, the students began to rise from their seats.

Sion felt their lingering gazes as he packed up his notes.

Just then, Gae Bolg clapped a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Whoa! G-Geez, you scared me.”

“Hahaha! Why so jumpy, Sion? If anything, I’m the one who’s shocked. That was an incredible lecture! You’re as good as any professor at the academy!”

He flashed a thumbs-up.

Sion scratched the back of his head with an awkward chuckle.

Of course, his teaching skills were polished.

‘Guess I got carried away… It reminded me of my old days as a teaching assistant.’

Back then, he had often taken over his professor’s lectures.

Whether the professor had drunk too much the night before, suddenly decided to travel, attended a child’s sports event, or simply didn’t feel like teaching—it was always Sion who covered for them.

Yet, none of the students ever complained.

If anything, they preferred his lectures over the actual professor’s.

“You’ve got a knack for surprising people, Sion. You’re good with a sword, you pick up magic quickly, and now you’re even great at lecturing?”

“I just… got lucky.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Ack! Okay, okay! I surrender!”

Patrick playfully locked his arm around Sion’s neck, making him tap out.

Not just Patrick and Gae Bolg, but even the other students in the Magic Department—

Their gazes toward Sion had changed.

‘Maybe teaching… isn’t so bad.’

Originally, he had started the lecture on impulse, simply to prove a point to Professor Lunia.

But seeing such a positive reaction left Sion feeling oddly satisfied.

Now that class was over, the three of them were about to head back to the academy together when—

“S-Sion…?”

“Professor Lunia?”

Lunia approached hesitantly, fidgeting with her fingers.

“About the lecture earlier… a-and the spirit contract… I’d like to discuss some things with you…”

She glanced up at him with an odd mix of warmth and intensity.

A shiver ran down Sion’s spine.

And at that moment, he had a terrible realization.

‘…I’m not going to be stuck talking until dinner again, am I?’

He remembered last week, when he had gotten caught up in a long-winded discussion with Lunia.

After making an offhand comment about improving her lectures, he had been dragged into an hours-long debate on “what makes a great professor.”

It had been a draining experience.

Sion resolved himself.

Even if she looked at him like a lost kitten—

“A-Am I… not allowed to…?”

“Uh, Professor, that’s—”

“Lunia Professor!”

Thunk!

Before Sion could decline, Gae Bolg stepped between them.

‘He’s… helping me?’

For the first time today, Gae Bolg’s broad back looked reassuring.

Given his usual blunt personality, Sion expected him to brush off Lunia with a hearty laugh and say he was taking Sion elsewhere.

Hope filled his eyes as he looked at Gae Bolg’s back—

“Please take care of Sion for the next two hours! He has another class afterward, so he’s all yours until then!”

“…What?”

“Sion, I hope you have a great time with the professor! Patrick and I will be heading back now so we don’t get in the way. Hahaha!”

Gae Bolg grinned and walked off with Patrick, heading back toward the academy.

‘…Gae Bolg?’

Sion watched his departing figure.

Just moments ago, that broad back had seemed so reliable.

Now, it looked like the back of a traitor.

He reached out toward his vanishing friend—

Tug.

Someone gently pulled at his sleeve.

Of course, it was Professor Lunia.

“S-Sion… let’s go to my cabin and talk… I have so many questions about h-how you teach… H-Hehehe.”

She giggled while tugging on his sleeve.

“…Alright, let’s go.”

Sion forced a smile, his lips twitching.

As he followed Lunia toward her cabin, he swore—

He would not let Gae Bolg off the next time they met.

‘Everything’s the same as last time…’

Just like before, Sion found himself dragged into Lunia’s chaotic mess of a cabin.

The place still had no concept of organization.

He carefully stepped around scattered junk, making his way inside.

“A-Ah, you haven’t had lunch yet, have you?”

“No. The academy’s schedule usually consists of one morning class and one afternoon class.”

“In that case… I-I’ll prepare something for you!”

“…Lunch?”

Sion, who had already resigned himself to skipping a meal, was pleasantly surprised.

Though, he had one concern.

‘It would be rude to question the hygiene… right?’

The cluttered state of the cabin, the haphazardly stacked items, the floor completely covered in trash—

All of it screamed that cleaning should take priority over cooking.

If she prepared food here, it wouldn’t be shocking if he got sick.

But Lunia seemed oblivious to his worries.

“H-Humph, just wait a bit… I-I’ll whip something up quickly!”

Humming to herself, she disappeared into the kitchen.

Sion sighed and settled into the cleanest-looking chair by the desk.

‘She really is a professor… There’s evidence of research everywhere.’

Scattered across the desk were papers, dried-up quills, and empty ink bottles.

Books and documents were piled high.

Even in the midst of the mess, the sheer volume of written material proved that Lunia was dedicated to her studies.

As he absentmindedly observed the room, something unusual caught his eye.

‘…What’s this?’

A piece of paper was pinned to the wall, placed so that anyone sitting at the desk could see it clearly.

The handwriting was terrible, making it difficult to read.

Sion leaned in to decipher it.

It read:

[Sion’s Advice List (Do Not Forget!)]

1. Students prefer shorter class hours. Pack in as much information as possible within a short time!
2. Students don’t like being directly asked questions. Avoid putting them on the spot!
3. Students dislike group projects. More specifically, they hate being in situations they can’t control! If group work is necessary, provide clear guidelines!
4. Keep orientation brief. Skip unnecessary introductions and dive straight into the lesson!
5. ……

One by one, the list outlined the very advice Sion had given Lunia in their previous discussion.

It contained everything—from what professors should do, to what they absolutely shouldn’t.

The entire sheet was filled with notes based on his words.

‘Did I really say all this?’

It was so neatly compiled that even Sion felt surprised.

“Professor’s Notes and the Unbearable Cookie”

Sion’s eyes trembled slightly as he stared at the paper.

‘This is… kind of touching.’

What’s the most frustrating thing about giving advice?

People might come up with different answers, but for Sion, it was this—

When you give someone sincere advice, yet their behavior or mindset remains unchanged.

‘If they don’t change, then what’s the point of explaining in the first place?’

People don’t change.

Or rather, ‘people don’t change unless they have a strong reason to, along with immense effort.’

That was what Sion believed.

And yet, seeing Professor Lunia make an effort to change…

Even though she could be overbearing, it was hard to dislike her.

How could he resent someone who genuinely tried to follow his advice?

Instead, he found it endearing. He was grateful, even.

“D-Done…! Hihi, let’s e-eat together…?”

Lunia walked toward him, holding a large plate filled with what looked like cookies.

She carefully maneuvered through the scattered junk on the floor, trying to keep her balance.

Sion couldn’t help but feel nervous as he watched the plate wobble dangerously in her hands.

And at that moment—

Lunia suddenly realized something.

Sion had been reading that paper.

“Sion… w-what are you looking at…?”

“Huh? Oh, I just saw something stuck on the wall and got curious, so I read it—”

“Y-You read that?!?”

Her eyes widened, and her ears twitched rapidly.

With hurried steps, she rushed toward him, knocking over scattered items in her path.

“Professor, p-please calm down!”

“Awwuu… S-Sion! Don’t read that…! I-It’s just something I wrote to remember your advice b-better…! Ah, a-and since my desk is where I spend the most time, I thought if I stuck it there, it would help me remember…! I-I’m sorry! If it made you u-uncomfortable, I’ll take it down immediately—Eek!!”

“P-Professor!”

The plate slipped from her hands.

Brown cookies flew into the air, and Lunia herself stumbled forward—straight toward Sion.

Sion reacted instantly.

“Wind!”

Fwoosh!

A controlled gust of wind shot from his palm, cushioning the plate from below.

Thanks to that, the cookies were saved from crashing into the pile of junk on the floor.

But while he had time to save the food, he had no time to stop Lunia from falling.

If there’s no magic, use your body instead.

Sion swiftly reached out—

And caught her by the waist.

Lunia’s body bent backward, her long hair brushing the floor.

It was a picture-perfect scene.

A moment straight out of a romance movie.

“S-Sion…?”

Lunia’s eyes blinked rapidly, darting back and forth in confusion.

Sion suddenly realized—

This position was… not appropriate between a professor and student.

Quickly regaining his composure, he tightened his grip and helped her stand up.

A beat later, Lunia’s face turned as red as a beet.

“A-Ah, I-I’m s-sorry…!! I…!”

“Can you walk?”

“I-I mean… y-you should l-let go first…!”

“I already did.”

“Ah—R-Right! O-Oh no, I didn’t r-realize…!”

She flinched, flustered, and stammered incoherently.

Seeing her overreact so much made Sion more self-conscious as well.

The feeling of her surprisingly slender waist.

The fresh herbal scent that had wafted past him when he caught her.

‘G-Get it together!’

Sion quickly shook his head to rid himself of unnecessary thoughts.

This was a professor’s office.

One wrong move, and he might as well be dragged into graduate school against his will.

He straightened his posture and dispelled his wind magic.

‘…But how do I deal with this awkward atmosphere?’

Neither of them spoke, both struggling to find words after the unexpected contact.

Sion sneaked a glance at Lunia.

She was still staring blankly into space, her face completely red.

It looked like her mind had short-circuited.

Sion decided to just go for it.

He reached for one of the cookies on the plate.

‘Might as well eat and change the subject.’

With that thought, he picked up one of Lunia’s cookies.

‘…Wait, is this really a cookie?’

The brown, round thing on the plate.

It was much bigger than a normal cookie—almost the size of his palm.

It was also oddly thick.

And when he touched it, the texture was unsettlingly sticky.

But refusing to eat wasn’t an option.

Sion took a big bite—

And immediately regretted it.

“…Cough! Cough!”

“S-Sion?! A-Are you okay?”

“Professor… what is this…?”

Sion was at a loss for words.

‘It’s not mud, right?’

Logically, he knew a professor wouldn’t serve a student mud cookies.

But the taste…

It was far beyond anything edible.

The texture was a slimy, sticky mess.

The flavor was simultaneously bitter, sour, sweet, salty—and spicy?!

It was impossible to tell what ingredients had gone into it.

On top of that, the unappetizing brown color, the roughly mashed shape, and the faint earthy smell made it downright terrifying.

He had never tasted anything this awful in either of his lives.

“A-Ah, this? It’s an e-energy cookie a professor friend of mine gave me…!”

“…Energy cookie?”

“Y-Yes! It s-supplies more than a full meal’s worth of energy in just one serving! I-Isn’t that amazing…?”

Lunia explained proudly, as if she had discovered some revolutionary invention.

Essentially, it was like an energy bar or protein bar from his previous life.

But why was it this bad?

“Can I ask a few questions about this cookie?”

“H-Huh? Oh, s-sure!”

Sion’s expression grew serious as he began his interrogation.

“Does it contain any grains or nuts?”

“Hmm… No, I think it’s mostly animal fat? Chocolate? Cheese? T-Those kinds of ingredients…”

Sion’s face darkened.

“How many of these do you eat per day?”

“W-Well… usually two or three… M-Maybe more as snacks…?”

“So, you do eat real food sometimes, right?”

“Ah! Well, I went grocery shopping yesterday, so I made some r-real food… b-but normally, I just eat these…”

“Professor Lunia.”

Sion smiled.

“You said you went grocery shopping yesterday, right? Where’s the food? Also, could you show me to the kitchen?”

“…Huh?”

Lunia blinked in confusion.

A diet consisting almost entirely of fat and sugar-packed energy bars.

The fact that she was still alive was nothing short of a miracle.

Sion made up his mind.

His years of living alone as a university student would finally be put to good use.

He was going to cook her a real meal.