Primus’ accommodations were quite well-equipped.
The fact that Isabelle, a noble lady to her core, didn’t feel any particular discomfort was proof of that.
Of course, the size couldn’t be compared to the Yurt family mansion.
Perhaps because it was a professor’s lodging, separate facilities like a personal study and a library were provided, which made it more convenient for me than a mansion.
There were too many difficulties when it came to researching things like the condition of my body in a mansion.
“Isabelle~. Could you come here for a moment?”
After organizing the luggage for both of us, Isabelle and I, I called her over.
I told her I was thinking of visiting Primus’ Grand Library and asked if she wanted to come along.
“Of course, you can stay here if you want. I’ll just be looking for some boring books.”
“No, I’ll go too.”
Isabelle readily accepted my suggestion and soon clung close to me.
‘How should I put it? She was like a puppy.’
When I thought about it, calling someone dog-like felt strange, but her demeanor reminded me of a puppy right before a walk.
Though her face had a slightly cat-like appearance, her behavior was that of a dog, which was quite endearing.
Having been around students who had entirely shed their childishness, seeing someone like Isabelle, who was still a real child, was quite a contrast.
‘Hmm, those kids used to be cute too.’
‘Not that I’d seem any different to others, I suppose….’
Perhaps it was because I was like a certain high school detective—my body had regressed, but my mind remained the same.
While others might see Isabelle and me as peers, I couldn’t help but see Isabelle more as a younger sister than a friend.
“Shall we go, then?”
“Yes!”
***
I stepped outside the lodging and walked in stride with Isabelle toward Primus’ Grand Library.
The goal was to find old books.
Although it couldn’t compare to the Ancient Kingdom, Primus also had a fairly long history.
Particularly, the Grand Library was a repository of wisdom where books from across the continent were gathered.
‘I should be able to find at least a clue.’
The Grand Library seemed to be the most likely place to find information about the strange life-extending magic that had turned me into this.
Even Orphion, who had brought me to Primus, had told me to visit the library.
These were the reasons that finally brought me to fling open the doors of the Grand Library.
And what greeted me was the sight of countless books piled up like mountains.
“Wow, it’s huge….”
“It really is big.”
Both Isabelle and I were equally amazed by the scale of the library.
For a moment, it felt like I had stepped into the imperial palace by mistake.
“Excuse me, who… are you?”
“Ah, I’m—”
Thanks to the professor’s insignia given to me by the dean, the entry procedures didn’t take long.
Though they doubted that such a young child could be a professor and contacted the dean’s office to verify, I was eventually allowed inside without much trouble.
At the mention of something about an ancient dragon, their faces momentarily turned pale, but that was that.
‘Hmm, where should I start….’
***
Finally reaching the center of the Grand Library, I looked around and began to ponder.
Unexpectedly, Isabelle, who had disappeared somewhere briefly, returned with a stack of romance novels.
When I asked where she found them, Isabelle simply replied, “It was just intuition.”
She explained that she rummaged through the corners, feeling there might be interesting books, and found them.
“Letter, do you want to read them with me?”
“Ah, no. I have other things to look for.”
Carefully declining Isabelle’s suggestion, I headed toward the history section.
It wasn’t just to find clues about the Ancient Kingdom but also because all the novels Isabelle brought were reverse-harem romance novels aimed at women.
‘Definitely not for me.’
Reading about one woman surrounded by multiple men would surely trap my reason in some kind of mental void.
They might be fun for Isabelle, but they were immensely awkward for me.
So, instead of reading about noblewomen managing love interests, I opted for thick hardcover books documenting the history of the continent, especially records about the region where the Diark Kingdom once stood.
I sat next to Isabelle with these books, and soon, the only sounds that could be heard were the fluttering of pages being turned.
I became immersed in my books, and Isabelle in hers.
But around the time I was halfway through a book titled It Began Radiantly but…, a voice interrupted me.
“Excuse me….”
“?”
A stranger’s voice touched my shoulder, grabbing my attention.
I turned my head slightly and was met with a pendant adorned with the divine beast’s crest.
My heart sank at the sight of the small pendant, which only royalty could possess.
Although it was a relief that this person wasn’t one of my students, in a way, that made it even more important to show proper courtesy to this unfamiliar royal.
This was why I carefully called out to Isabelle beside me.
“Isabelle, Isabelle.”
“Huh? Why…? Oh!”
It seemed Isabelle also recognized the symbol of royalty, as she quickly showed proper respect.
Naturally, I followed suit.
I grasped the edge of my long cloak with my fingertips and bowed slightly in greeting.
Then came a slightly flustered voice.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to force you to bow.”
The royal, wearing an awkward smile, introduced herself.
However, while her face was unfamiliar, her name was not.
‘Princess Irina… could it be…?’
She was the same girl who had been there in the middle of the royal palace when I publicly declared Irina as my student.
At the time, she had been an innocent child, wide-eyed with surprise as she asked if her older sister was truly my student.
But now, she had grown so much that she even exuded a hint of maturity.
Although I recognized her as the princess after a brief moment of realization, I couldn’t very well act as if I remembered her.
‘…Time really flies.’
I cautiously raised my head to meet the princess’s gaze and carefully asked her business.
Almost simultaneously, her slender index finger pointed to one of the books piled on my desk.
“The Rise and Fall of the Arietta Empire. If you’ve finished it, could I borrow it?”
“Ah, yes. Here you go.”
“Thank you~.”
Although I hadn’t read it yet, refusing a princess’s request was akin to shouting, ‘I want to be charged with treason!’
Besides, it wasn’t a difficult request, so there was no reason to decline.
However, after receiving the book, the princess tilted her head while glancing back and forth between Isabelle and me.
Then came a question.
“By any chance, were you on the train—the one that was attacked? I think I saw you at the station.”
Seeing the familiarity on her face, I nodded slightly, confirming her question.
However, since it seemed she didn’t know I was a professor, I refrained from saying more.
‘What would she think if she found out I was the one driving the train like a roller coaster…?’
‘If she had fallen while I made the train take flight, I’d probably be writing an apology letter right now.’
It was better not to reveal that I was the one responsible for launching the train into the air.
Thankfully, Isabelle, who knew the truth, didn’t reveal my identity either.
She seemed more like she was too nervous to speak to royalty than actively keeping a secret, but still.
“It was nice meeting you, Princess Irina.”
With a slight lift of the edge of my cloak, Isabelle and I bid the princess farewell.
The princess responded with a light wave of her hand.
While we were destined to meet again at the opening ceremony in a few days, for now, finding more clues about the Ancient Kingdom was more important than conversing with the princess.
After that, the sound of turning pages filled the air again.
I was somewhat distracted by Isabelle’s occasional gasps, but I couldn’t bring myself to check out her reverse-harem novels.
***
“How do I look? Does it suit me?”
“Yeah, it looks great.”
On the day of Primus’ opening ceremony, I gave Isabelle a thumbs-up as she finished getting ready in her uniform.
The next thing I did was seat her on a long bench nearby.
Predictably, she looked at me with curiosity, but I responded by using a photo magic spell.
“…It turned out well.”
This was a habit of mine.
When my students were younger, I used to capture their growth through photographs.
There wasn’t any particular reason.
It was just to have something to look back on and reminisce about, like, ‘Ah, they were like this back then.’
Taking a few photos felt better than leaving none at all, so I would snap pictures whenever I could.
Though I didn’t take as many photos once my students grew up, it was still a cherished habit.
But now wasn’t the time for reminiscing.
It was time to head to the location of the opening ceremony.
As always, Isabelle and I walked together and soon arrived at the large, noisy auditorium.
“See you later, then.”
Since I was attending the ceremony not as a fresher but as a new professor, I headed toward the area where the professors were gathered instead of sitting next to Isabelle.
The opening ceremony of Primus began shortly after.
The dean took the stage, introducing the students and the faculty.
“Professor of Mana Design, Letter Yurt.”
Finally, when my name was called, I walked onto the stage like the other professors and briefly gazed at the many students of Primus.
At the moment, I was wearing a white robe instead of a uniform.
It was an ordinary robe, except for the emblem of an ancient dragon adorning its surface.
-Rustle, rustle.
-Murmur, murmur.
‘…Hmm.’
The emblem seemed to leave a strong impression, as the murmuring showed no signs of subsiding.
Still, since the dean had already announced my position as a professor, I didn’t see it as an issue.
Thinking it wasn’t a big deal, I waved lightly in Isabelle’s direction before taking a seat in the area behind the stage prepared for the professors.
I chose to ignore the shocked expression of Princess Irina, who was far off in the distance.
“The child I met at the Grand Library was a professor… and one protected by the ancient dragon, no less. What if I offended the professor…?”
“…Hmm.”
A woman holding Princess Irina’s letter between her fingertips tilted her head slightly in thought.
Although it didn’t seem like her sister was hiding anything, she felt as though something was being overlooked.
“Letter Yurt, huh….”