Chapter 27
According to Aaron, Blair was quite gentle, and having grown up in a wealthy family where he received much affection, he had a pleasant, amiable personality. However, the Blair that Kyle saw was somewhat at odds with that description. The Blair that Kyle observed seemed indifferent to everything and appeared uninterested. He seemed like someone whose body was present but whose mind was elsewhere.
Contrary to Aaron’s testimony, Blair didn’t seem particularly amiable at all. Being famous as the son of a wealthy family, he had many acquaintances who greeted him, but his personality itself didn’t seem to naturally draw people in.
Even when other students actively approached him with greetings and conversation, Blair remained indifferent. He seemed to tolerate Aaron, whom he’d apparently known for a long time, but it was obvious that he wasn’t particularly pleased with Kyle either. He was impeccably polite and courteous, but that rigid formality actually made Blair more difficult to approach.
Aaron, with his unusually sociable and lively personality, seemed to be an exception since they’d known each other for a long time. No matter how Kyle looked at him, Blair was an unusual person. Despite being two years younger than Kyle, Blair often felt like a much older adult. He displayed a calmness and composure unsuitable for his sixteen years of age.
“Has everyone opened their books?”
The history professor surveyed the audience before speaking. “Yes,” the voices of several students mixed together in response.
“Since it’s the first day, we’ll keep it light. I’m going to talk about the founding history and the beginning of the Crassia Empire. Before we start the class, what is the symbol of the Crassia Empire?”
The professor scanned the students. His eyes gleamed behind his glasses. True to popular opinion, he had snake-like eyes. Although no student here would be ignorant of the symbol of the Crassia Empire, every student avoided the professor’s gaze. Naturally, no one wanted to be called on.
The professor, who had been looking disapprovingly at the students desperately trying to avoid his eyes, discovered a student sitting calmly without turning his head away. It was Blair.
“You there.”
“Yes.”
Blair, whose eyes had met the professor’s, answered in a composed voice.
“Right. What’s your name?”
“Blair Shuho Monetery.”
“Right, Monetery. What is the symbol of the Crassia Empire? Surely you wouldn’t be ignorant of such basic common knowledge?”
This was the problem with this professor. He could have simply asked what the symbol of the Crassia Empire was, but he always added an extra comment to intimidate students. Of course, everyone here knew the answer to the question. No, everyone in the empire would know it.
But with him speaking like that, if someone were to give a wrong answer, what embarrassment that would be. It was understandable that students avoided his gaze, given his notorious reputation. Anyway, Blair had to answer. He was too hardened by the storms of his life to be intimidated by such bullying. Blair answered leisurely.
“The white tiger, Professor.”
That was right. The symbol of the Crassia Empire was the white tiger.
That’s why Blair, before his retirement and return to his hometown in the past, had tried to hunt and present a white tiger to Kyle as his final act, even if it meant pushing himself too hard. He really hadn’t expected to die from an arrow wound then. He should have caught a white ermine or something instead. No, the white tiger wasn’t the problem.
He shouldn’t have gone to the hunting competition in the first place. Although it was already in the past, he regretted it deeply. To think that he couldn’t even live a single day as a Duke, living large. Damn it. The more he thought about it, the more unfair it felt.
“Right. As everyone probably knows, the symbol of this empire is the white tiger. Then, Monetery, do you know why it’s the white tiger?”
“It’s because of the legend that the first Emperor was a descendant of the white tiger.”
Even while his mind was elsewhere, the answers flowed smoothly from Blair.
“Good, that’s right. Can you explain a bit more?”
“It is said that the first Emperor was born between a white tiger and a human. That’s why it’s said that the first Emperor possessed the same bravery as the white tiger.”
“Correct.”
Pleased with the smooth exchange, the habitually prickly professor’s lips melted into a soft smile.
“Of course, there are various theories about the legend that Crassia I, the first Emperor, was a descendant of the white tiger. Recently, the most common opinion is that it was embellished by later generations to add divinity to him, but personally, I tend to agree that the legend itself might be true.”
The professor, who had turned to the blackboard, began writing. Giving writing assignments on the first day? That gentleman was certainly extraordinary. Blair took out paper and began writing with a scratching sound.
Kyle glanced sideways at Blair sitting next to him again. Yes, this was the source of that strange dissonance. Blair possessed a composure that didn’t match his age. It wouldn’t be wrong to call it courage either.
The more Kyle looked at him, the more unusual Blair seemed. Kyle, who was retaking the class because he couldn’t take the exam due to being suddenly summoned to the Imperial Palace last time, wasn’t confident that he could engage in such a smooth dialogue with the professor as Blair just had. Of course, it wasn’t because he didn’t know the answers. It wasn’t easy to maintain composure under that sharp, snake-like gaze and biting tone that pushed people to their limits.
“Although it’s hard to find such things now, it’s said that thousands of years ago, when the empire was first founded, there were many things that were beyond common sense. As you’ve surely read in books, there were beings called witches who performed strange arts, and there were many non-human entities with intelligence, like fairies. It’s said that souls dwelling in objects were not uncommon. These are things that cannot be found today.”
The professor, who had been writing on the board and reciting the content of the lecture, suddenly turned his head to scan the students. Eek, the students pretended not to notice and avoided his eyes again. The professor’s gaze, which had briefly rested on Blair, moved on.
“Of course, there are theories that all these stories are legends and fiction, but recently, materials that could serve as evidence have been discovered, giving strength to the idea that they weren’t entirely fictional. Perhaps the legend that the first Emperor was born between a white tiger and a human is not simply a fabricated legend to add divinity, but a story that actually happened.”
Blair nodded. The first thing Blair had done after returning to the past for unknown reasons was to search through all the books in the Monetery family library. Blair was aware that many fairy tale-like stories existed in the early days of the Crassia Empire.
In fact, Blair had also thought in the past that such legends were nonsensical stories. But he himself had returned to the past. He was the witness and the evidence. If Blair wasn’t suffering from a mental illness and experiencing hallucinations until now, it meant that there were other beings who could exert supernatural powers. Beings like witches, who were rumored to have made pacts with devils to do things beyond human capability. It meant that such things that could turn back time existed.
Blair searched and searched through books for mysterious beings that have been passed down to the present. But no matter how many books he thoroughly examined, the trail of mysterious beings like fairies, devils, and witches had been lost thousands of years ago. In the end, Blair had to close the books without much gain. He was still curious about why he had returned to the past and the identity of the transcendent being that had sent him back.
The professor scanned the classroom again. What caught his eye was the vivid blonde hair sitting next to Blair. This was the disadvantage of having a splendid and handsome appearance. Even if one tried to hide, they couldn’t. It was because he had an appearance that stood out too much anywhere. Kyle was someone who stood out even among hundreds of people.
“You there.”
But Kyle, who had been called, was lost in thought. No matter how you looked at it, Blair didn’t appear his age. He seemed calm and leisurely even in front of the professor who intimidated everyone. The more he looked, the more unusual Blair seemed.
Blair lightly touched Kyle’s hand, who was lost in thought. Startled by Blair’s signal, Kyle hastily answered.
“Right. Would you read from the second paragraph of page 18? Start from ‘began the war with neighboring countries.'”
“Yes.”
Kyle picked up his book and began looking for the part the professor had mentioned. But not long after, Kyle’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as he scanned the book. The second paragraph on page 18 didn’t contain the phrase “neighboring countries.” It seemed the editions were different. History textbooks that included the achievements and reign of the current Emperor were periodically renewed. He thought it would be fine since it hadn’t been that long since he took the course, but it seemed the content had already changed in those two years.
Kyle hesitated, unable to read the book. Not long after, Blair, who noticed Kyle’s difficulty, slightly pushed his own book towards him. It was thanks to having served as a slave for more than ten years, always attentive to Kyle’s mood. It was almost like an ingrained slave mentality. Should I become a head attendant in this life? Somehow, it felt like he could do it very well. An unfounded confidence welled up. Being the third son of House Monetery should be sufficient to become a head attendant.
When Blair pointed to the place Kyle needed to read with his long finger, Kyle immediately began reading aloud.
Even a rotting croaker is still a croaker; Kyle, who had been educated as a prince from a young age, had excellent pronunciation and vocalization. Being still young, his voice lacked a deep, mature quality. But as he grew older, he would have a low, thick voice. Just as he had in the past. Kyle read the book with a clear voice that resonated in the lecture hall. Having read the assigned portion, Kyle exhaled a small sigh of relief.
Satisfied with the first day’s class, the professor closed the book a little earlier than the scheduled time. It was a very unusual event for him, who typically not only filled the class time to the brim but often exceeded it, causing students to be late for their next classes. It was evidence that he was in a very good mood.
“Then, we’ll end here for today. Since it’s the first day, there’s no homework. See you next time.”
The professor, who had ended the class, stood up first and left the lecture hall. The students followed the professor out of the lecture hall in small groups. Blair, who had closed his book, packed his writing tools and stood up. Kyle, who had been sitting next to him, called out to Blair.
“Hey, Blair.”
“Yes?”
Blair turned to Kyle with a disinterested, indifferent expression. Kyle flinched slightly at that apathetic look, but he had to say what he wanted to say.
“Thank you for earlier today.”
[To be continued in the next episode…]
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
