When Enid opened the classroom door, what she saw didn’t match what she’d pictured.

  It wasn’t the room itself. The massive blackboard, the round lecture platform, the tiered seating, even the lighting, everything was fine.

  The problem was simple.

  There were barely any people.

  This was a large lecture hall that could seat over two hundred students, but the number actually sitting there was five.

  If you counted the audience seats in the back row, the total was seven.

  "Something’s off."

  Enid glanced at the clock. Class would start in five minutes.

  She checked the room number again. No mistake.

  Maybe the rest of the students just hadn’t made it back yet.

  Either way, there were still five minutes, so she decided to wait and see.

  Five minutes later.

  The bell in the clock tower rang, signaling the start of class. The room still only held four students in the front and two listeners in the back.

  One of the earlier five had been in the wrong classroom and finally realized it, then slipped out in embarrassment.

  "All right, then."

  Enid had prepared herself for her class not being popular at first.

  She just hadn’t expected it to be this bad.

  She checked the roster placed beneath the lectern. There really were only four students listed for the Nature Faculty.

  "Let me confirm something. The Nature Faculty students did receive the notice that this course was starting, right?"

  She directed the question to a purple-haired human boy in the first row.

  According to the roster, his name was Nino de Fabion, second son of Baron Fabion within the Stashier Empire. He was a third-year student and also served as the Nature Faculty student council president.

  Nino answered with an awkward expression and an even more awkward tone.

  "As the student council president, I did try to get people to come."

  "And only three students responded to your call?"

  "I’m really sorry. I guess I wasn’t good enough."

  "It’s fine. I’m not blaming you. At least you brought three people with you."

  Enid could already guess why things had turned out like this.

  The Nature Faculty was small, and most of its students came from noble families.

  Many of them were second sons or younger children, which meant Enid had to consider how nobles worked in this empire.

  A lot of noble houses here traced their titles back to old wars and military honors, and most of their founders had been excellent mages. So thanks to bloodlines, babies born into noble families often grew up able to sense one element, sometimes more, from the start.

  But noble inheritance in the Empire usually followed primogeniture.

  So what happened to the extra children, the ones who were talented in Nature Magic but weren’t the heir?

  The answer was simple.

  They were left to fend for themselves.

  Most noble families focused their resources on the heir, usually the eldest son or eldest daughter. Once those heirs reached adolescence and finished intermediate schooling, they were typically sent to the Military Faculty at Stashier Comprehensive Academy of Magic, or another faculty that fit their future.

  The remaining children usually became marriage pieces, or backup heirs in case something went wrong.

  Compared to the eldest, parents treated them far more casually.

  Still, in noble circles, not receiving higher education was considered humiliating, so those younger children were sent to the academy anyway.

  The problem was that most second sons and daughters were raised with the idea that they were “spare,” overlooked, not essential. That kind of upbringing left dents in a personality. Some became timid, some lazy, some hot-tempered.

  And the reason many second sons chose the Nature Faculty was obvious.

  Nature had suffered from a long-term lack of talent, which caused teaching quality to collapse. The current lecturers and professors rarely took things seriously, and the graduation credit requirements were low.

  So students who ended up in Nature were usually one of two types.

  They either genuinely loved Nature Magic, or they were here to coast and collect a diploma.

  Tuition at the academy wasn’t outrageous. Even commoner families could scrape together enough to send a child here. The reason there were so few commoners in Nature was the same as everything above.

  Commoners pursued higher education to build a future and chase ambitions, not to waste money and time in a faculty that even stray dogs wouldn’t bother with.

  And Nino was a textbook example of a Stashier-style noble second son.

  Timid. Weak-willed. No leadership presence. Maybe with a hint of slippery cleverness underneath.

  Making someone like that the “president” of a student council packed with nobles was almost cruel.

  Or it might simply be that everyone else saw the job as a headache, and Nino became the unlucky one stuck with it.

  As a baron’s son, he couldn’t possibly establish authority in front of kids from counts, marquises, or even ducal houses. It was entirely possible he’d been pushed into the role, half-volunteered and half-forced, because he was the easiest target.

  To confirm her suspicion, Enid asked anyway.

  "Don’t tell me the Nature Faculty student council is literally just you."

  Nino answered, "No."

  Enid thought, so there are other student council members? Did I read this wrong?

  Nino continued, "Besides me, there’s one more student. Eleanor, sitting next to me. She’s the vice president."

  All right. Enid hadn’t been far off.

  Eleanor had slightly wavy, vivid red hair that fell long. She was cute, the textbook kind of pretty girl. Her big eyes were sharp, and her expression and posture were serious, almost like a tiny adult.

  After Nino introduced her, Eleanor gave a small nod in greeting.

  Enid took in the situation and realized it was even worse than she’d expected.

  Still, she didn’t back down. If the class was small, that just meant she could teach more precisely.

  Back when she taught Antonio, she’d never had more than five students at a time, either.

  And if these kids showed up for a brand-new professor’s brand-new class, it had to be because they truly loved Nature Magic and refused to join the crowd that only came to coast for credits.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  That had to be it.

  Right.

  Probably.

  "Okay. Since there are so few of you, I’ll keep things a bit more relaxed."

  "Let’s start with quick introductions so we can get to know each other. I’ll go first."

  "My name is Enis Florand. You can call me Professor Enis or just Enis. I’m a nature, sorry, slip of the tongue. I’m a high elf. Hobbies are classified. Age is classified. Next."

  The first student to introduce herself was Eleanor.

  "Nice to meet you, Professor Enis. My name is Eleanor de Francisca. I’m the second daughter of House Francisca and the third child in my family. I’m human. I’m a second-year student in the Nature Faculty and the vice president of the Nature student council. My hobby is reading. I’m sixteen. It’s a pleasure."

  Her pronunciation was crisp. Her tone was serious. Exactly what Enid expected.

  Eleanor was probably the type who didn’t bend easily, didn’t get pushed around by the room, held herself to strict standards, and could lock in and study anytime.

  That said, being so rigid and so bad at lying might come back to bite her someday.

  It didn’t stop Enid from feeling the urge to scoop her up and plant a big kiss on her cheek. Enid had always been weak to the contrast of cute and serious living in the same person.

  She forced herself to keep a straight face and motioned for the next student.

  Next came a tall beast-eared young man with short pale teal hair. He was handsome, and extremely quiet.

  "Wolfgang Hartmann. From the Sagraf Empire. Fourth year. Wolf beastkin. I like meat."

  Then Nino.

  "Nino de Fabion. Nature student council president. Third year. Hobbies, I guess drawing. Anyway, nice to meet you."

  With three introductions done, only the last student remained, sitting in the far corner of the front row.

  This student wore a hood. When she noticed everyone looking at her, she grabbed the edge of the hood with both hands, as if holding it tighter could somehow pull her out of everyone’s attention.

  Enid had checked the roster. Her name was Esme de Leroy, a first-year student, the fourth daughter in her family. Like the Francisca family, House Leroy was one of the Ten Ducal Houses.

  Enid had seen enough to recognize the type immediately.

  This one was probably a top-tier, clinical level introvert with a heavy streak of insecurity.

  If nothing changed, she would lock herself in her room and only appear when absolutely forced to. The classic ghost student.

  That kind of personality didn’t come from nowhere. Sometimes it was inborn, but it was also shaped by upbringing.

  Growing up in an environment where people constantly looked down on you and dismissed you, you eventually stopped reaching out. You sealed yourself off one disappointment at a time. Cold neglect at home was especially lethal.

  Kids like this were sensitive and hard to approach. If the Nature Faculty students weren’t required to sit in the front, Enid wouldn’t have been surprised at all if Esme had chosen the back row and stayed in the audience seats.

  It was tricky, but Enid was a professor. She wasn’t going to give up on a student just because they were difficult.

  She stepped down from the platform and walked over to Esme, moving slowly and gently.

  "Esme. If you’re comfortable, could you introduce yourself briefly? No pressure. You don’t have to take off your hood. Just one short sentence is fine."

  When Professor Enis came close, Esme assumed she was disgusted by her, that she’d come over to scold her.

  But Enis didn’t do anything like that. She spoke softly, almost kindly.

  "I, I"

  Esme still couldn’t get the words out, and Enid knew this couldn’t be forced.

  The fact that Esme came to class at all was already rare. It meant she wanted change, deep down. And there was a good chance she genuinely liked Nature Magic.

  After a few minutes, with Enid staying beside her, Esme finally managed to take that first step.

  "I, I’m Esme de, de Leroy. I, I’m first year. I’m human. I, I like, I"

  Her voice wavered as she spoke. It grew smaller and smaller, and then a tremble crept in, the edge of tears.

  Enid recognized it immediately. Esme was spiraling into panic. Self-disgust and lack of confidence were common in kids like her, so Enid decided to steady her before she collapsed inward.

  "Esme, it’s okay. Calm down. Come on, take a deep breath. Yes, like that. Breathe in. Let’s settle your nerves first."

  Esme was terrified of making mistakes.

  Because if she messed up, people would yell at her.

  So she moved through life carefully, always watching her steps, always trying to do everything right.

  But the more careful she tried to be, the tenser she became.

  And the tenser she became, the more likely she was to slip.

  This time was the same. She had even ruined the simplest thing, a basic self-introduction.

  Fear rose in Esme’s chest. Invisible pressure tightened around her heart, squeezing until she felt dizzy and short of breath.

  Her vision blurred.

  Her ears filled with chaotic noise.

  Her thoughts started to scatter and fade.

  Esme clenched the edge of her hood even harder and lowered her head. She was scared that if she looked up, she would see the same thing she always saw, faces full of disgust and impatience.

  "The older students and Professor Enis must be really disappointed in me.

  I’m useless. I can’t even introduce myself.

  I should’ve just stayed in my dorm. What am I good for besides causing trouble?"

  While her mind spiraled, a hand settled on her back.

  It began to pat gently, steady and rhythmic.

  The noise in her ears softened, then thinned out. Through it, she heard Professor Enis telling her to breathe.

  Esme obeyed.

  After a few deep breaths, the tight grip around her heart finally loosened. Light returned to her eyes, and her breathing began to smooth out.

  Enid saw the change immediately. The breathing worked. Good. That meant she could move to the next step.

  "Calm down. Yes, that’s it. Esme, when you’re ready, could you slowly lift your head and talk to me face to face? You still don’t need to take off your hood."

  Professor Enis’s voice was incredibly gentle, like an older creature coaxing a skittish young one out of its den.

  To Esme’s surprise, she didn’t hate being touched.

  Finally, Esme let go of the hood. She was still nervous, but she felt, somehow, that facing this professor wasn’t as hard as facing everyone else.

  That was when Enid finally got a clear look at Esme’s face beneath the hood.

  And the instant she saw it, Enid felt her emotions stir again.

  Esme, like Eleanor, was naturally beautiful.

  But where Eleanor’s charm came from that serious, adorable contrast, Esme was the fragile kind of cute, the kind that made you want to pull her close and protect her from the world.

  Her pale lavender hair was a little messy from being neglected too long. Her bangs fell to her eye line, hiding one eye perfectly. The eye that showed was like a bright red gemstone.

  Every time she blinked, it hit Enid right in the heart.

  No, this was dangerous. Way too dangerous. Enid had to stop staring before she actually hugged the girl on instinct.

  And it made her wonder, what kind of monster looked at someone this sweet and decided to torment her?

  Even now, Enid couldn’t understand why short-lived races were so eager to hurt others, sometimes even their own children.

  If Esme were Enid’s, she would be too busy spoiling her to do anything else. She’d probably have to worry about spoiling her too much.

  Enid could only sigh. Nature students really were something.

  Good family background, solid talent, great looks, and a personality that was, unfortunately, a little heartbreaking.

  Not wanting to scare Esme, Enid forced down the smile threatening to climb higher and kept her expression soft and kind.

  "All right. So that’s the face you’ve been hiding. It might be hard to look other people in the eye, but looking at me shouldn’t be too difficult, right?"

  Esme nodded slowly, almost dazed.

  It was her first time seeing a woman this beautiful.

  Enid’s snow-white hair looked like moonlight reflected on a lake. And behind that gentle smile, Esme felt something almost sacred, distant, untouchable, yet strangely comforting at the same time, warm in a way she couldn’t explain.

  Enid watched Esme stare at her.

  The other students stared too, watching the two of them stare at each other.

  The classroom fell into a strange, awkward silence.

  When Esme finally realized she’d been looking too long and lowered her head in embarrassment, she noticed something.

  She didn’t feel the usual spike of panic.

  Esme didn’t know it yet, but that brief, gentle contact had already made her feelings toward Enid shoot up in a straight line.

  She wasn’t afraid anymore, at least not in front of her.

  Somewhere in Esme’s mind, a quiet certainty settled in.

  Professor Enis was different.

  She wouldn’t scold her.

  She wouldn’t look at her with disgust.

  In the end, with Enid’s encouragement, Esme managed to finish her first complete self-introduction since arriving at the academy.

  The other three students watched the whole thing, and it was obvious they had noticed something.

  Professor Enis was not like the other professors.

  The academy had plenty of good teachers who cared about their students, but someone like Professor Enis, someone who genuinely cared about a student she had just met, and who praised and encouraged without holding back, was rare.

  In the Nature Faculty, a professor like that might be a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

  At first, Nino had assumed the new professor would be like the previous ones. The moment she saw the near-empty classroom, she would either explode and blame him for failing to gather students, or simply refuse to teach at all.

  Clearly, he had judged her wrong.

  As for Eleanor, she liked a gentle professor too, but what mattered most to her was whether this new professor actually had skill.

  Eleanor truly wanted to learn the Nature Magic system properly.

  She loved Nature Magic, not because she was talented, but because she sincerely liked it, from the bottom of her heart.

  So whether Professor Enis was truly qualified would depend on the quality of her teaching from here on out.

  Wolfgang stayed silent and expressionless.

  He was only here because he was short on credits. He heard Nino say the new professor would basically hand out easy major credits, and he followed the scent.

  He had no idea Nino had misled him again.

  Still, Professor Enis looked easy to deal with, and Wolfgang figured the credits were basically guaranteed. The way his tail kept swishing behind him gave away how happy he actually was.

  For the record, Wolfgang’s silence wasn’t because he was rude.

  His Imperial Standard was terrible since he came from a major country east of the Empire, the Sagraf Tsardom.

  And the blank face was simply because he had a natural poker face.

  Enid didn’t know any of that yet, so she mistakenly assumed Wolfgang had a problem with her, and she kept thinking that for quite a while.

  Of course, that was a story for later.

  As for Esme.

  She did like Nature Magic, and her talent wasn’t bad. When she heard the new professor would be teaching Nature Magic theory, she worked up the courage to come.

  But right now her head was a mess.

  To Esme, the professor standing in front of her was simply too dazzling.

  In Esme’s eyes, Professor Enis, someone who could accept even a worthless person like her, felt like the embodiment of warmth and something almost holy. Without thinking, Esme wanted to draw closer, to earn her favor, to stay near her, to spend time with her.

  Enid had no idea how deeply her normal, straightforward care for a student had imprinted itself on Esme’s heart.

  And she certainly couldn’t imagine that one day, the student who used to be so shy she could barely speak would grow into someone carrying a heavy mix of attachment, admiration, and a needy kind of love toward her teacher.

  In any case, after the introductions and a first round of getting acquainted, Enid began her very first lesson.