How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World[part2]

Chapter 234: Balance (1)

Let me say it again. I am not a slave to Professor Elena at the Halo Academy, but rather a teaching assistant. I might even be considered as a potential successor as the next assistant after Cindy.

Naturally, I have a lot of responsibilities, not just assisting Elena or teaching Cindy, who recently obtained a doctoral degree, how to write.

In addition to writing, there was a lot of work to be done. Furthermore, while working as a teaching assistant, I have learned numerous advantages and disadvantages.

First, let me talk about the disadvantages – it's busy. Incredibly busy. It's not just a matter of being busy; there is a mountain of research to be done, and I have to move around here and there.

Not only do I have to approach other professors for information related to Elena's research, but I even have to reach out to professors from different departments, not just in history, to request materials. As mentioned before, there is no internet here, so to find information, I have to either read books or, if not that, physically run around. And I was currently in the midst of doing just that.

Furthermore, Elena often sought my opinions whenever she was writing papers, as she seems to highly regard my knowledge of history and philosophy. The problem is that she, having accumulated knowledge and experiences that ordinary humans could never fathom, can be quite daunting in many respects. Therefore, I am making efforts to assist her even a little.

Next, an advantage that is similar to a disadvantage is her vast knowledge related to history, pouring out like a rushing stream. Elena's research lab was already filled with numerous historical books and papers, even containing ancient texts whose origins remain unknown.

There's even a diary written by a human soldier from the era of racial war. Not only that, but it's so well preserved that it's an immensely valuable relic of history. Yet, Elena casually tossed it to me, suggesting I should give it a read.

When I asked her if it was alright for her to give me something so precious, she simply replied that it wasn't a significant period by her standards. Thanks to her, I am once again reminded that she is an elf with a lifespan close to a thousand years.

To an elf, 300 years ago would be like 30 years ago to a human, so differences in perspective are inevitable. Nevertheless, by my standards, it's quite an important item.

'It seems the army is the same wherever you go.'

The contents of the diary were indeed very military-like, whether one should call it rough or just realistically practical. It's filled with the mundane details of an insignificant soldier rolling about.

Whether it's rushing forward to take down an elven warrior by any means, even if comrades fall, or drinking improperly purified water leading to stomach troubles, or finally, biting into bread only to feel the grit of sand.

One striking aspect here was PTSD. There's a daily rant about the army, yet surprisingly, there's almost no depiction of symptoms related to PTSD.

Of course, occasionally they dream of colleagues dying or hear their voices as if they're haunted. There have been mild symptoms, but compared to the harsh conditions of the military, they were relatively minor.

The reason became apparent with each battle against the elves. Every time they fought them, a strong sense of hatred and resentment emerged, calling them 'ear freaks' or feeling indifferent even if tearing apart those damn creatures.

'It seems there's contempt directed towards the elves.'

While it's difficult to treat stress after trauma, there's a way to somewhat alleviate it: by justifying one's actions.