Teaching & Learning Methods [BL]

Untitled Part 9

The last student left.

The empty lecture hall had a strange atmosphere. I gathered the papers piled up like a mountain and put them in my bag. I left the lecture hall and went out to find Professor Oster or Professor Milman. There was something I needed to check.

After wandering around the building for a while, I met the two of them.

When I told them I wanted to know who the students were in this class, Professor Oster offered to guide me to the administrative office. Professor Milman followed with an unpleasant expression. He seemed curious about what I was going to do.

While I was copying the student roster in the administrative office, the two professors kept fidgeting. It seemed like they were trying to get under my skin.

Thanks to them, I learned that Albert Letier had not only been suspended, but was also on trial for embezzlement and breach of trust. I checked the date of the first trial. Albert Letier was at the <Flower-Eating Inn> on that day.

After a moment of thought, I decided that it would be better to inform the President of the Royal Academy that I was at the Academy today.

I put the copy of the student roster in my bag and asked the administrative staff for a blank piece of paper. He gave me two sheets of paper without saying a word.

Professor Oster was looking around with a face that couldn't stand his curiosity. Professor Milman pretended to be uninterested and pulled Professor Oster away.

I wrote a letter of explanation about why I missed the trial based on my statement to the police, and how I came to the Royal Academy to teach. I then wrote another identical document. I smiled and asked the professors who were wandering around to sign it. Neither Professor Oster nor Professor Milman could spit on their smiling faces.

The president's office was spacious. At first glance, it looked more like a merchant's office than a scholar's.

The president read the documents with a sullen expression. He put the documents down on the desk with a thud and said that by missing the first trial, it was as good as admitting the charges of embezzlement and breach of trust. He didn't seem to believe that I had been kidnapped. I nodded.

"The first trial is just over now. There is still the second and third trial left. It seems too hasty to judge me guilty."

The president's face flushed red. He grumbled and waved me out.

I walked out of the president's office and headed to the main gate. I quickly caught a carriage. Inside the moving carriage, I fumbled through my bag and lost myself in thought.

Enemies were all around me. I was relieved, but also anxious at the same time.

If there were many people who loved Professor Letier, it wouldn't have been easy to impersonate him. Someone would have noticed that he had suddenly become strange. That was fortunate for me.

Even so, it wasn't good that there were people who harbored ill will. What if someone suddenly came up and stabbed me with a knife? I wanted to live for at least thirty more years. I couldn't die like that.

While I was contemplating, the carriage arrived in front of my house.

I pulled the string next to the front door and the bell rang. No one came out. I thought Tan might be out, so I opened the door with my key. At the same time, the door opened.

"You are here?"

"Yeah."

Tan was brushing the dust off their head, but it wasn't coming off easily, and they grimaced. I reached out and tried to pick off a few pieces of dust. Tan grabbed my wrist, shook it off, and said, "It's alright. I can wash it off later," refusing my help. I obediently stepped back.