Free Web Novel"Professor! How about inviting that student to the research lab sometime?"
"What?! I'm against it. I heard he's a nasty kid who started throwing his weight around with his family name and bullying students from powerless families right after enrolling. He's also incredibly possessive of his fiancée. It's best not to associate with that kind of person."
No sooner had the master's research student suggested that Professor Radvisin summon me than the doctoral research student grabbed his arm and tried to stop him.
It's only natural for her to react that way, knowing about the atrocities this possessed body committed in the past.
'But I didn't expect the rumors to spread so far that they would even reach research students buried in papers...'
I'm guessing that once it became known that I couldn't grant toxicity to my Ether, my past deeds from last semester also started spreading alongside the rumor.
Whether among people who enjoyed gossiping and belittling others, or scholars researching Ether-related topics.
Karvaldr's Ether defect would be an interesting subject of conversation, so they probably all started with, "I heard there's a kid with a problem with his Ether~," and passed it around.
Just like the conversation taking place right now.
"Whaat?! What kind of guy is he?"
"Exactly. Besides, not fully inheriting his Ether ability must be a huge complex for him, right? Do you think he'd cooperate if we brought it up and said we wanted to research it?"
"Ugh... Now that you mention it, you're right. He'd probably get furious and try to get revenge."
"That's what I'm saying."
It seemed the story that Karvaldr was reflecting on his past and trying to clear his karmic debts, or that he didn't care much about being unable to use poison abilities, hadn't spread at all.
Well, it's natural for rumors to be extremely biased, since their direction is determined entirely by sensationalism and entertainment.
'If I step in and actively defend him now, and it's later revealed that this body is Karvaldr, that would be pretty embarrassing, wouldn't it?'
So I decided to stay quiet for now.
It was also a good opportunity to hear how stories about this possessed body were currently spreading.
The research students would be terribly embarrassed once I revealed this body's identity later, but since that wasn't an emotion I needed to feel, it didn't matter.
That was when it happened.
"Newcomer, what do you think?"
Suddenly, the master's research student asked for my opinion.
Was he asking me to join in on the backbiting he mistook for gossip and help keep the conversation going by criticizing Karvaldr together?
Or was he asking whether Karvaldr would willingly cooperate with Ether research?
Since I couldn't figure out his intention, I decided to give an answer that would work for both.
"I also think Karvaldr has done things worthy of criticism. If you had proposed researching his Ether last semester, he definitely would have thrown a hysterical fit, just as you seniors said. So it's natural for you to judge him as someone not worth associating with and avoid him."
"If even the newcomer thinks that, then it's a shame, but I guess we'll have to give up..."
"But if it were now, he would cooperate with the research."
"Really?!"
A glint flashed through the master's research student's eyes.
The doctoral research student's gaze wasn't much different.
An Ether with dual attributes was already rare, and the inability to use one of the two abilities wasn't merely rare, but nearly unheard of.
For people studying Ether attributes, it would be difficult not to be interested.
"Why do you think so?"
"You can tell just from the fact that he's taking the 'Ether Attribute Enhancement' lecture, can't you? Even if the professor doesn't call for him, he'll probably visit the research lab himself first. He may have already visited."
"Then shouldn't we head back to the research lab right now?!"
"There's no need to go that far."
"Ah... right. He needs to eat too, so he'll probably come after lunch."
I had subtly implied that he might have already visited, but apparently he didn't catch on.
It seemed they truly weren't considering the possibility that I might be Karvaldr.
If so, then that was a good thing.
The moment they realized the person they had been badmouthing was standing right in front of them, a wave of guilt would wash over them.
If I forgave them, that guilt would not only double, but would also turn into gratitude.
The prejudice born from rumors would shatter.
'Maybe they'll even start correcting the bad rumors about Karvaldr?'
Having finished my calculations, I smiled slightly, the corners of my lips lifting.
However, I lowered my gaze to make it look like a bitter smile.
So the onlookers would feel puzzled, and later, when they recalled this moment and wondered, 'Why did he make that face?', they would mistakenly assume it was because he had been hurt.
"It looks like everyone's finished eating, shall we go?"
At the professor's words, we cleared the table and left the campus cafeteria building.
Come to think of it, while the two research students exchanged negative remarks about Karvaldr, the professor hadn't added a single comment.
Suddenly, I became curious about how he would evaluate this possessed body.
"Professor, if Karvaldr came to the research lab and asked for help, what would you do?"
"What a silly question. As a professor, of course I would help him."
The answer came immediately, without the slightest hint of hesitation or falsehood.
It was so unexpected.
Perhaps a surprised expression showed on my face without me realizing it, because Professor Radvisin smiled gently and added an explanation.
"He may have done wrong, but he's still a young student. A professor is not only a scholar, but also an educator. Therefore, I believe it's our duty to guide students onto the right path, rather than blindly hating them. Of course, before that, we would need to confirm whether the rumors are true, and if they are, we would also need to ask why he did such things."
It was not only a sensible statement, but one that revealed the character of a principled person, so I couldn't help but be impressed.
The swordsmanship professor and martial arts professor should hear this.
"This is why I like our professor!"
"I know, right?! We really chose a great advisor professor! Don't you think so too, newcomer?"
It seemed I wasn't the only one impressed by the remark that embodied what an educator should be.
The research students proudly praised Professor Radvisin as their advisor.
At the same time, they asked for my opinion as well...
"This is only the second time I've met Professor Radvisin, but I also think he seems like a good person."
"Huh? You chose him as your advisor professor without even knowing him well?"
"Pardon? What are you talking about...? At Valhalla Academy, you can only choose an advisor professor after becoming a research student, right?"
"That's right. Once you're a research student."
"......?"
"......??"
The master's research student and I stared blankly at each other, unable to understand what the other was saying.
Then, suddenly, the master's research student's eyes widened in horror.
"Y-you...! What's with your eye color? A purple eye with a sky blue stain?! It's exactly the same as the rumored Austri Family young master's?!"
"Wait, look at the color of his necktie! It's red!!"
As the master's research student freaked out, the doctoral research student also cried out in alarm.
It seemed they had only just noticed this possessed body's eye color and necktie.
Since they hadn't identified this body even while it was right in front of them, I guessed they hadn't really looked closely at my eyes.
'Don't tell me they didn't even know I was a first-year...'
Then what exactly did they mean when they kept calling me a newcomer?
Wasn't it because I was a freshman who had just enrolled this year?
If so...
"I really don't think this makes any sense, but I'll ask just in case. Did you think I was a new research student?"
"......"
"......"
"......"
At my question, not only the two research students, but even the professor nodded with dumbfounded expressions.
If this possessed body had looked as old as Ríolíkin, I might have somehow understood, but that wasn't the case at all, so I was completely bewildered.
I genuinely had no idea how this misunderstanding happened.
"No wonder... You looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place your face. I wondered why, but it was because I had only seen you once, briefly, during the last lecture."
"Professor, what do you mean?! Didn't you recruit a promising student from the recent summer graduates as a research student?"
"Hahaha. I thought that was a little strange too. I didn't remember taking on a new research student, but suddenly the number increased. I just thought, 'the more the merrier,' and let it go, but it seems I shouldn't have."
"This is exactly why I hate you, Professor!"
The doctoral research student, who had declared just moments ago that she liked the professor, immediately reversed her opinion.
Even after hearing that, Professor Radvisin merely laughed awkwardly with an embarrassed expression.
He must also think mistaking me for a new research student was absurd.
"So... student Karvaldr? Right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"I apologize. For my disciples speaking carelessly about a student earlier, and..."
"That's fine. They weren't exactly wrong, so I don't resent them or intend to harm them, so there's no need to worry."
"Hmph..."
When /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ I answered politely, Professor Radvisin let out a sigh.
His reaction suggested that he felt I was different from the rumors his disciples had been chattering about, and he seemed worried that I might be suffering because of false rumors.
I glanced at the two research students and saw them looking at me as though they felt terribly sorry and completely at a loss.
'It's not like they did anything wrong.'
I couldn't point fingers and scold them for being swayed by rumors and criticizing someone they didn't know, because everything they said was true.
If there was someone to blame, it would be the people who deliberately left out the fact that I had resolved to live righteously and publicly declared that I didn't care about my Ether defect.
'Still, if the criticism I heard earlier had actually been directed at me, it definitely would've hurt...' fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Anyway, all of it was just talk about the original Karvaldr.
In other words, it was merely gossip about someone else.
And it's not like they made anything up.
So as I maintained a calm expression, Professor Radvisin cautiously approached me in a suggestive tone.
"And also... I suddenly asked you to compile and organize theses, so you must have been very flustered, right?"
"Yes, a little... I wondered if that was why you told students they could come to your research lab at any time."
"An absurd misunderstanding! I just thought you were a research student because of the dark circles under your eyes!"
From my perspective, mistaking a freshman for a research student because of dark circles was the truly absurd misunderstanding.
But Professor Radvisin and his research students clearly saw things very differently from me.
Whether it was the professor waving his hands while saying that, or the research students vigorously nodding in agreement.
I suspected they had done so much research that their minds had become slightly unhinged.
"It's true. Most students who finish their undergraduate studies still struggle to properly analyze even a single thesis, so how could I ask a first-year student who just enrolled to do compilation and organization work...?"
Perhaps he interpreted my dumbfounded expression differently, because Professor Radvisin began adding supplementary explanations to justify himself.
Then, midway through speaking, he suddenly stopped and looked at me as though he had discovered a precious gem.
"As soon as we get back to the research lab, let me see what you've done with the table of contents. Ah, come to think of it, you said you checked and classified various things while reading the theses too, right? I should look at that as well. I want to hear in detail how you derived the core topic just from reading the introductions and tables of contents. And also..."
The way he kept chattering with complete excitement written all over his face.
I had no idea where the professor who had been so apologetic just moments ago had disappeared to.
