Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 27

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Still, once I obtained the external access permit, I’d be able to freely move between departments and participate in school events—a silver lining. If I could access the Academic Department, I could assist Seian Crowell far more effectively. I was simply counting down the days until my permit arrived.The volunteer service requirement was thirty hours, and I’d only spent thirty minutes attending to Seian Crowell recently, leaving me with twenty-nine hours and thirty minutes remaining. I needed to use my time wisely. Ideally, that foolish Seian would forget about the previous incident and credit me with the full thirty minutes.
My volunteer hours are thirty hours, and since I only spent thirty minutes attending to Seian the other day, I have twenty-nine hours and thirty minutes left. I need to use them wisely. Ideally, I hope that dumb Seian forgets what happened the other day and gives me back those thirty minutes.
“Hmm….”
Thinking about etiquette scores reminded me that Heinrich must be sweating through the exam period. Typically, professors delegated some test-writing to their teaching assistants, but the Magic Department had not a single assistant from the Nobility—making it obvious he couldn’t even get a simple photocopy done properly.
If the “I’d rather die than touch a commoner” condition was purely psychological, there was little I could do. But if it were a skill-related issue like mine, I might actually help. And while I was at it, I could squeeze out some decent wages. His family had money, so he’d pay well. The moment I finished my work-study shift, I rushed to the Professor’s Research Office floor and knocked on the door to his office.
Since Heinrich didn’t say to come in, I simply kicked the door open and entered.
“How rude!”
“You didn’t invite me in.”
“Without permission, you should leave!”
“I have business to discuss.”
Heinrich slammed his desk repeatedly, his hysteria evident. The dark circles under his eyes told me he’d been handling all the lecture materials and exam questions alone. His face, which had looked pristine at the semester’s start, was visibly deteriorating day by day.
“Let me help. Looking at you, I doubt you’ve even approached your assistants about this.”
“You’re a student, and midterms begin next week! Regardless of how exemplary your conduct usually is, Evan…!”
I strode across his office, yanked off his gloves, and grabbed his hand. The professor’s eyes rolled back white as he let out a scream.
“Aaaahhhhh!”
So it really was just a psychological issue? If he passed out, I’d need to take him to the Infirmary. As long as he didn’t vomit.
If he threw up, it would ultimately be my responsibility to clean it up—something I wanted to avoid. Where was the nearest cleaning supply closet around here? If he at least vomited into a trash bin, it would save me effort.
I spotted a trash bin near his desk and reached for it, but suddenly the professor’s screaming stopped.
“Uh, u-uh?”
“Good. It was a skill issue after all.”
I quickly put his gloves back on and fell into thought. I wanted at least triple the minimum wage…, or failing that, even double. Otherwise, working beside that finicky bastard wouldn’t be worth my time.
“Student Evan Laef. I’m unfamiliar with any Nobility bearing the Laef surname.”
“I’m sure you are.”
“You…, are you perhaps an illegitimate child of some house?”
“You don’t need to know.”
“No, if you’d clarify your status, I could offer you appropriate compensation….”
“You don’t need to know.”
Whatever skill he possessed, it was impressive that he could identify noble bloodlines. Or perhaps it wasn’t a skill at all—maybe Heinrich simply hadn’t remembered. He might have even met my brother Mitchell before.
Though I had no memory of meeting this professor in the past…, someone who couldn’t even remember the names of siblings he’d known his whole life certainly wouldn’t recall the faces and names of other nobles. I could barely recall the Emperor’s face myself.
“I’ll take thirty thousand crowns per hour. If you’re unwilling to pay, I’m leaving.”
“Student Evan, let me be clear beforehand.”
“What?”
“I won’t have you handle the exam questions.”
“Tch.”
I’d hoped to at least learn the testing patterns, even if only some questions were outsourced.
As I clicked my tongue and furrowed my brow, Heinrich chuckled softly and spouted nonsense.
“Student Evan, you resembled the Department Head Professor just now.”
I must be wearing quite the displeased expression right now. Heinrich had caught sight of me and actually laughed, letting out a hearty “ha ha.”

◇ ◆ ◇

I’d been busy enough already, but taking on Heinrich’s part-time work made things exponentially worse. Morning exercises, washing up, cleaning duties, attending lectures, gathering the professor’s materials, borrowing contemporary fantasy novels on Seian’s behalf because he found it embarrassing to do so himself, serving as a communication bridge between the teaching assistant and professor, and then holding hands with Kanna to lay the groundwork for tomorrow’s grand scheme—it was relentless.
Busy, busy, busy. The dormitory had become nothing more than a waypoint where I’d return books before heading out again.
I tossed a criminal law textbook onto my bed and was about to leave when Reina, already preparing to lie down, called me back sharply.
“Hey!”
“What.”
“Haven’t you been ignoring me lately?!”
What was she talking about? Had this lunatic finally lost it? A chill ran down my spine as I raised both hands, clenched my fists, and extended only my middle fingers, waving them in sequence.
“You’ve been totally neglecting me! Even if you’re going for some cold, aloof concept, you can’t act like that in private!”
“I never agreed to any concept like that with you.”
“You’re so cold! Too cold! What are you even doing with who that you’re being so distant with me?!”
“I’ve reached enlightenment in my indifference toward you.”
I opened the door to make my escape, but this mad woman sprang from her bed and clung to my back, wrapping both arms and legs around me. She whined that if I was going, I had to take her with me.
“Get off. Forget about the concept or whatever.”
“If I cover my face, no one will know!”
“There’s no one else with long limbs and red hair clinging to my back like you.”
“Most people don’t pay that much attention to others! How would anyone tell me apart in a crowd!”
“Both students and professors alike know the heir to House of Letem.”
“Damn it! Why is our family so famous!”
Your mother isn’t to blame. Perhaps you should fault your own peculiar personality instead.
I couldn’t understand how this aloof act—or whatever it was—made people around her like her, but in any case, most first-year students in the Magic Department disliked her antics, excluding Reina herself.
The reason no one picked fights with her despite her sudden outbursts, brawling, and kicking up dust clouds that maxed out everyone’s displeasure was simple: she was absurdly strong, and I was absurdly strong too, so challenging either of us seemed foolish. It certainly wasn’t because anyone actually liked her.
True, when we fought on the Common Grounds, screams of “Kyaa! Kyaa!” would echo from somewhere… probably just startled shouts. That was likely it.
“Do whatever you want. I’m heading to my part-time job.”
“Fine! I’ll do whatever I want!”
I made my way to Heinrich’s office with Reina still clinging to my back. As I passed through the corridors, people offered sympathetic words about my hardship, and those I was on familiar terms with exchanged high-fives or fist bumps in greeting.
“My cool, intelligent character type doesn’t have this kind of social aptitude.”
“I’m not a cool, intelligent character type.”
“Yes, you are. Your hair is blue, your eyes are blue, you wear glasses, and you use ice magic. Blue and coolness are symbols of each other, and glasses symbolize intelligence.”
“I’m neither cool nor intelligent.”
“That’s a lie! You’re always cold to me!”
“That’s because you’re Reina Letem.”
“That last comment scored high points for coolness. Well done.”
Yes, I’m glad you’re happy.
Since carrying her on my back was quite cumbersome, I gave up and properly hoisted her, supporting her legs. Now that I had a proper grip, her position stabilized. I climbed to the Professor’s Research Office floor, entered Heinrich’s room, and greeted him.
“I’m here, Professor. Give me the work.”
“….”
“….”
The professor’s gaze swept past my shoulder, and his expression twisted as though he’d spotted a ghost.
My confinement had ended, and though I had nothing to feel guilty about, Reina Letem buried her head deep into my back.
“Lady Reina Letem. What is the meaning of this?”
“….”
“Lady Reina Letem?”
“There’s no Lady Reina Letem here.”
Had this idiot seriously just tried the ostrich approach? Did she genuinely believe that hiding her head would make her unrecognizable? The sheer stupidity of it made my eyes narrow, and the professor’s expression soured as well.
I’d always thought Reina Letem was foolish, but this confirmed it—she was genuinely an idiot. How many times had I told her? Everyone in the Magic Department knew who Reina Letem was. It wasn’t about hair color or facial features; her silhouette alone was unmistakable. How could she possibly think no one would recognize her?
“Evan Laef.”
“You told her not to wander around alone, so I carried her here.”
“Ah….”
Anticipating the professor’s question, I answered preemptively. Heinrich offered me sympathetic condolences and an apology, then handed me work to do.
“Make seven copies of this for the students and bring them to the lecture hall beforehand.”
“Seven copies? Wasn’t there a total of eight second-year students?”
“One died during practical training yesterday.”
“I see.”
This brutal Magic Department was something else. I needed to finish my four years and return to society as quickly as possible.
I was heading toward the second-year lecture hall with Reina Letem still on my back when the professor sighed deeply and called me back.
“Wrap this around your waist.”
“Why?”
“Well….”
Heinrich looked as though he wanted to gouge out his own eyes. He handed me a blanket, then, apparently too embarrassed to announce it loudly, leaned close and whispered the situation to me.
“You see, Lady Reina Letem’s, that is to say, her skirt….”
“Ah.”
So this idiot had been flaunting her underwear to the entire world on the way here. The thought of how horrifying it must have looked made me grimace, and the professor sighed once more, patting my shoulder as though I truly had my hands full.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————