Seeing the affection gauge rise quite a bit, I, Rowe, felt a little relieved.
It turns out I was right—teachers really do like students who study diligently.
This time, my guess paid off.
Of course, just showing a love for studying isn't enough; there are plenty of hardworking students. Right now, the library after school is probably still crowded with them.
But, in the end, it all depends on appearances.
A boy who looks a bit sick but handsome, holding a cup of warm water, wearing a white shirt and looking slightly gloomy… yet still eager to study…
Every female teacher, especially young ones, would find it hard to resist, maybe even feel deep sympathy.
From Evel's gentle gaze, her liking for me was clearly visible.
I suddenly realized the 100 charm points I invested weren't wasted—they actually had an effect.
We talked about academics, then about school events.
"The academic office has so many procedures to handle; sometimes I really get frustrated with them," Evel complained.
"But don't worry. Go home and rest first. If they pressure you, I'll take care of it," she reassured me.
Evel didn't seem too fond of the school superiors and complained about many things.
I listened while smiling, occasionally checking the closeness gauge.
[Affection: 40 ↑]
Still a bit low; I needed to improve it further.
"How's your body now? Still feeling unwell?" Evel asked.
I nodded slowly.
"Thank you, Teacher Evel. I feel much better now."
"That's good."
I looked at Evel with shining eyes, full of gratitude, admiration, and perhaps something more. Then, I gave a cheerful smile.
"Luckily, the teacher handling my class is you, Teacher Evel. Otherwise, I don't know how I'd deal with so many things."
"I really like you, Teacher Evel!"
Soft sunlight in the office shone on us.
Seeing my smile, Evel's gaze faltered for a moment.
It was a rare smile, and when I smiled at her, it felt as if the entire afternoon sunlight landed on my face.
I could hear the young woman's quiet breath.
After a while, realizing she was a little flustered in front of me, Evel quickly looked away.
"Haha… of course, teachers are the best…" she joked.
"You're so naughty! Are you trying to flatter me?"
"No, I'm very serious! I won't go easy on you if it's time to fail!"
I pretended to wail dramatically, "Nooo… I haven't attended class for four years, and now I'm at the bottom of the class…"
"Teacher, you don't know how hard I studied late every night, just to be on the same starting line as the other students…"
"That's enough!" Evel said, turning her eyes toward me.
"I've seen your file. Four years ago, you were already a good student. There's no way you can't catch up with the others!"
I gave a small smile.
Our playful laughter made the atmosphere lighter.
Evel, who had seemed a bit awkward, finally could face me normally again.
She tidied up the materials I had prepared.
"You don't need to thank me; this is a teacher's duty."
"Teachers like students like you. Seeing you work hard makes me really happy."
"If there's nothing else, please go home first! I don't want to keep you from resting!"
It felt like she politely told me to leave.
But she stayed and continued chatting, not in a rush at all.
I felt warmth that had long been gone.
The pain piercing my chest, the endless deaths and resets, almost giving up on Helena…
All of it felt like a distant past.
My tense nerves finally relaxed.
I looked at Evel with deep gratitude, this smile the most sincere yet.
[Evel]
[Affection: 54 ↑]
[Affection has reached 50+, system reward received. Please check…]
Holding back my excitement, I waved goodbye.
As I reached the door, I suddenly remembered something and stopped.
"Oh, Teacher Evel, there's one more thing."
"Hm? What is it?" Evel looked at me.
I glanced at the bookshelves and asked something I had long wanted to know.
"Teacher… can you use magic?"
"Magic?" Evel looked confused. "Why do you ask?"
"Ah… just curious. I've always wanted to know about magic. Unfortunately, I'm not talented, so I'm studying in the magic science program…"
Magic and magic science. One word apart, but very different concepts.
Graduates of my program are basically just tools, part of the larger magic science industry system.
If I could meet someone who truly masters magic, the current crisis might not be this complicated.
Evel immediately shook her head. "I can't use magic."
"I see…"
But seeing my expression, Evel suddenly became serious.
"Magic isn't something beautiful. It brings madness and destruction. Anyone involved will be unlucky."
She warned firmly, "Don't think I'm exaggerating, Rowe. Listen to me, never try to touch magic."
"Yes, Teacher…"
Even though I wasn't sure if she could really use magic, I didn't press further after she said that.
Slightly disappointed, I gently closed the office door.
Even without learning about "magic," this visit was still worthwhile.
I quickly checked the reward.
---
[You received a Skill Exchange Ticket. Choose one skill from the random list:]
1. Skill: Firearm Shooting (Beginner)
2. Skill: Inspiration Surge (Proficient)
3. Skill: Negotiation/Soothing (Master)
I was surprised at the usefulness of this affection reward.
Has the system deity finally become generous?
All three options were tempting.
Firearm Shooting (Beginner): Gain firearm knowledge; shooting ability equivalent to a hobby; requires STR 30+ and Stamina 30+
Inspiration Surge (Proficient): Temporarily boosts inspiration and greatly enhances perception of mystical things; requires Inspiration 50+
Negotiation/Soothing (Master): Understand psychology, calm emotions, reduce target's defense; can reduce 20 corruption points per use; cooldown 24 hours; requires Charm 80+
---
Looking closer, while the first two options could improve survival and investigation skills…
Shooting at amateur level wasn't that useful; I had already been to the shooting range.
And I couldn't exchange for Inspiration Surge.
[Rowe]
[Race: Human]
[Stats: Strength 32, Constitution 25, Agility 38, Charm 100, Inspiration 49, Intelligence 45]
So the best choice was the last skill, Negotiation/Soothing.
It's a master-level skill, and the description sounded impressive.
Can be used subtly, to calm emotions and lower corruption. Perfect for Helena.
Far better than a low-level suppressor.
Almost without hesitation, I chose the third skill.
[Negotiation/Soothing (Master)]
[Exchanged]
After exchanging the reward, I felt a strange joy.
Whether chatting with Teacher Evel or receiving the closeness reward, this trip was truly worthwhile.
Coming to the office was clearly the right decision.
However, on the way home, seeing Helena again…
My mood instantly dropped.
"Big brother…"
She stood in the middle of the corridor, her eyes shining, looking toward the office.
"Why did it take so long?"
[TO BE CONTINUED]