The busy days ticked by like clockwork, and in the blink of an eye, several more had passed.
That thing the adjutant had warned her to “keep an eye on” had yet to stir up any trouble at Oselenka Magic Academy—it felt more like a fleeting warning from some ephemeral mindscape.
During lunch break that day, the teachers’ cafeteria was, as always, filled with the aroma of food and the soft murmur of quiet conversations.
Sefina sat at a table with her fellow new teacher from the same cohort, Shalina.
Yet, out of place in the otherwise leisurely atmosphere, Sefina had more than just a lunch tray in front of her—spread out was a thick stack of papers, all scrawled with childish handwriting.
She was truly overwhelmed. With midterms approaching, the homework and in-class quizzes she assigned had naturally increased, and with them came a mountain of grading work.
The workload had grown so immense that she was forced to use even her meal breaks to catch up.
Sefina felt utterly swamped. Nights spent grading and preparing lesson plans had left faint dark circles beneath her wine-red eyes; her gaze was unfocused.
Her usually perfectly groomed, silky blue hair now sported a stubborn ahoge sticking up at the crown of her head, swaying a little as she bent forward—somehow… making her seem unusually dazed and adorable?
At that moment, the “dazed and adorable” teacher was shoveling an exquisite little cake into her mouth without even looking, chewing mechanically.
Her other hand gripped a red pen, moving swiftly over student papers with marks and notes, brows furrowed, her whole being immersed in the “judgment” of knowledge.
Sitting across from her, Shalina finally couldn’t resist putting down her fork, asking in surprise:
“Sefina, are you… this busy? Even using your lunch to grade papers?”
At those words, Sefina looked up briefly from her busy work. What Shalina saw was a pair of tired, dark-circled eyes and that trembling ahoge quivering atop Sefina’s head as she lifted it.
“Mm.” Sefina answered vaguely, voice tinged with fatigue: “There’s… a lot of homework.”
Shalina tilted her head, her confusion deepening, then leaned in a little closer and lowered her voice to ask:
“But… Sefina, why not have a teaching assistant do this tedious grading work?”
Teaching… assistant…?
At those words, Sefina’s swiftly moving red pen froze in place, leaving a tiny red dot on the page. She was stunned, as if struck by lightning.
Teaching assistant… Oh no! She’d completely forgotten!
Teachers at Oselenka could be assigned student assistants!
Only now did she belatedly recall the Academy’s policy to help teachers with non-core instructional tasks.
She’d let herself get utterly muddled by all the administrative tasks, magic sigil headaches, unexpected emergencies, and this mountain of teaching work.
So… she’d been slogging through all this alone the whole time?! No wonder the other teachers always seemed to leave on time and relax after hours.
Sefina silently berated herself, then couldn’t help stretching her stiff back and massaging her throbbing temples as she said helplessly:
“I… don’t have a teaching assistant.”
Shalina looked at her colleague’s suddenly sheepish and regretful expression, and finally understood why this powerful teacher always seemed so harried and pressed for time—she was, unexpectedly, a little “dense” about some things.
She couldn’t help but chuckle and quickly offered a suggestion:
“So that’s it! Sefina, you really need to recruit a couple of assistants! The Elemental School is a major department—how could you possibly handle grading for a class of over a hundred by yourself?”
Sefina sighed in deep agreement and nodded. She asked offhandedly, “Shalina, how many assistants do you have?”
Shalina replied, “I teach the Summoning School elective—fewer students, under fifty in total, and the coursework and assignments aren’t nearly as complex as the Elemental School’s, so I only hired one assistant—a third-year girl named Feliel, very capable and well-behaved.”
She paused, then sincerely suggested, “You should definitely get at least two, Sefina—three wouldn’t be too many. Divide the work and you’ll have a much easier time.”
Sefina nodded seriously, agreeing with her. Recruiting assistants really was the most direct way to ease her workload. She had to get on it, fast.
But… there was still a practical problem right in front of her.
Unlike Shalina, whose teaching style was lively and friendly and whose manner was warm and approachable, Sefina’s approach was stern, strict, and uncompromising.
The students held her in awe—who would dare, or even be willing, to serve as her assistant and feel her “low pressure” atmosphere up close?
Sigh… Sefina let out a silent sigh.
***
The next day, in the Elemental Magic class.
After completing the lesson as usual, Sefina stood at the lectern, cleared her throat, and in her typically cool and concise tone, briefly mentioned the recruitment of assistants.
“With midterms approaching and coursework increasing, I need to recruit two teaching assistants.” Her calm gaze swept over the classroom.
“Assistants, according to Academy regulations, will receive corresponding credit rewards. In addition, I can personally provide extra guidance in magical studies for those who take the role.”
She paused, then gave clear instructions: “Anyone interested can come to my office this afternoon for an interview.”
With that, she closed her notes, waiting for any response from below.
But—
The room fell into utter silence.
The students glanced at each other, exchanging looks, but no one volunteered or spoke up.
Most of their eyes were filled with “awe” and “hesitation.”
After all, working for Teacher Sefina—even if the credits were tempting—the pressure would be enormous!
If you made any mistake, just one cold look from her, or a merciless critique…
The mere thought made their scalps tingle.
Watching the silent sea of faces, Sefina sighed inwardly once again.
As expected—it was only natural.
Nothing she could do, she couldn’t force it.
Hopefully… at least one or two fearless souls would show up this afternoon.
Otherwise, she really would drown in this mountain of work.
***
Time slipped quietly by, and afternoon arrived.
Sefina, as usual, sat in her office, buried in a seemingly endless pile of documents and ungraded assignments.
The slanting sunlight outside cast dappled shadows over her petite figure.
The tip of her pen made soft scratching sounds across the paper, accompanied by the occasional faint sigh of fatigue.
Just as she was fully absorbed in reviewing a lengthy report on next semester’s teaching resource allocation—
“Knock knock knock—”
A gentle but clear knock sounded, breaking the office’s quiet.
Immediately after, a slightly nervous and tentative clear voice came from outside the door:
“Sefina, are you in?”