Chapter 49: You Must Be My Student

At this moment, Will had just finished his practical exam.

“Maybe I can still make it to Leah’s competition…”

He waved off Felix, who had run off the field in disgrace, and turned to leave the training grounds.

But after taking just two steps, he felt his legs weaken and a wave of dizziness hit him.

“Tch…”

Grabbing his head, he sat down on the grass of the field.

He felt drained, like the time he had used two Extreme Flame Meteors back-to-back. While it wasn’t as bad as passing out entirely, it wasn’t pleasant either. He needed a moment to recover.

Maybe he shouldn’t have been so cocky earlier.

A magical circuit with poor talent was like a low-efficiency engine—it consumed far more energy to achieve the same results.

This world’s fundamental rule was that one’s magical circuit determined their potential.

Will’s constitution fell into the category of extremely untalented. Despite all his efforts to “cultivate” himself and arm himself with knowledge, when it came to moments requiring raw output, it was all for naught.

If there were a way to reconfigure magical circuits from the ground up, it might solve this issue—but in a story where the protagonist starts with a top-tier magical circuit, such a setting was unlikely to exist.

Ugh…

This wasn’t good.

Every time, he ended up looking like some frail, delicate young master—which, to be fair, he kind of was.

“Student, are you alright? Do you need medical attention? We have emergency healers on standby who can help you recover.”

A kind, soft-spoken female proctor approached him.

“No, no… it’s just temporary exhaustion. I feel a bit dizzy, but it’s nothing serious.”

Will figured that by the time a healer came over, checked him, and cast some spell, he’d already be fine.

He might even get dragged off for more extensive tests or something.

By the time he made it to Leah’s competition, the awards ceremony would probably be over.

“Alright, we’re compiling the scores now. It’s safe to say your results are excellent. It’s rare to see a makeup exam student perform this well.”

“I didn’t miss the original exam because I couldn’t pass… Once I get my results, I can leave, right?”

But the proctor looked at him curiously and asked:

“…Student, are you really in such a hurry to leave?”

“Is there something else I need to do after the exam?”

The kind proctor lowered her voice, as if sharing a secret:

“You know, many talented students get snatched up by mentors right after passing their practical exams. You might get scouted today.”

“Oh, I’ve heard about that… You need practical exam scores to choose a mentor.”

Wait?!

Many mentors… competing for students?

The talkative proctor subtly gestured toward the bleachers.

Will suddenly understood why so many teachers were present.

Lately, he’d been bouncing between classes and Leah’s lab. With so many teachers coming and going in the lab, a newly enrolled student in a fresh uniform was bound to stand out.

Looking closer, he noticed the intense gazes of the senior teachers on the bleachers. They looked like they were ready to pounce as soon as the scores were announced.

He felt like a victorious cricket waiting for a wealthy patron to claim him.

“Opportunities like this don’t come often, student. If you get a good mentor today, you’ll have access to more projects and resources, setting you up for a successful academic career.”

“Uh… well…”

Will didn’t respond.

He wasn’t planning to pursue an academic path.

And…

If he had to choose a mentor, he’d still prefer Leah.

After all, she was the future golden twin-tailed “loser heroine” by the protagonist’s side!

She wasn’t just some generic NPC professor.

“No need. I already have someone in mind—”

He stood up, but…

When he turned around…

He saw Leah.

“Miss Leah… why are you here already…”

She seemed to have just run over, still catching her breath, but she was walking steadily toward him.

“At this time, you should still be—”

Her oversized hat obscured most of her face, making it hard to read her expression.

As she approached, she turned her head and glared at the bleachers, as if she’d spotted her mortal enemies.

Will was a bit intimidated by her aggressive demeanor and took two steps back, only to lose his balance and sit back down on the ground.

She removed the robe draped over her back—a robe Will recognized as the prize awarded to the winner of the research competition.

There was no doubt about it: Leah had won the competition.

But why had she rushed over like this?

Will instinctively began calculating how long it would take to get from the competition venue to the field, but before he could finish—

Whoosh.

Leah, who was only taller than him when standing, draped the robe over his head.

The robe, a symbol of victory, blocked out the sunlight. For the first time, the petite Leah seemed towering in his eyes.

Then, she crouched down.

One hand held the robe in place so it wouldn’t slip off his head. For a moment, Will’s vision was confined to the small, arched space created by the champion’s robe.

Looking up, he could only see Leah.

“W-What’s wrong, Miss Leah?”

He thought her expression seemed… off.

Maybe she hadn’t gotten enough sleep? Her dark circles were severe, and her face was stiff, her smile unsettling.

“Will Hysterm…”

“Ah, good. You’re looking at me. There’s no one else in your eyes…”

She crouched lower.

Leaning in so close that her small nose was almost touching his.

Then…

She tilted her head and smiled.

“I take back what I said before…”

“You must be my student.”

“Don’t let those people up there take you away.”

“!?”

Will froze.

This wasn’t the right time or place for this.

But…

Leah’s expression—so possessive, so direct, so unfiltered—and the almost predatory look in her red eyes…

Wasn’t this exactly the yandere he had been hoping for?!

“Miss Leah.”

Will smiled, reaching out to gently pat her head.

“Of course, I’ll be your student.”

“After all…”

“Right now, Miss Leah is absolutely adorable~”

“Please, remember this feeling well.”

“Wh-What…?! Wh-Wh-Wh-What?!”

The Leah who had just been so bold and fiery seemed to short-circuit at Will’s unexpected head pat, her eyes spinning in confusion.

“W-What… I feel… so… so tired… and… so sleepy…”

“What’s wrong, Miss Leah…?”

Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, or perhaps it was the mental exhaustion of unleashing a century’s worth of directness all at once. Maybe it was even Will’s words that had overwhelmed her.

Whatever the reason…

Leah collapsed into Will’s arms.

Hoo-hoo—

She let out soft, sweet snores as she drifted into a peaceful sleep.