Attendance… plz…)
….
"Fine, have it your way. But don't say I didn't warn you, the new semester starts in half a month. Don't get so lost in your research that you forget to prepare for class."
In the end, under Rimuru's relentless barrage of half-truths and charisma, May reluctantly accepted his explanation.
As she prepared to leave, she turned back with a reminder. "Your primary fields are Abstract Theory and Magical Material Transmutation. Oh, right, you also have a title as an Honorary Professor in the Department of Zoology regarding the 'Origins of Phantasmal Species.' Make sure you brush up on those subjects."
"Mhm." Rimuru blinked his golden eyes innocently, then asked, "Doesn't the Department of Botany plan to offer me a Professorship?"
"Pfft." May laughed out loud. "What position do you want? 'The History of Witches'? Or maybe 'How to Transition from a Male to a Witch'?"
"..."
Seeing Rimuru's face darken like a storm cloud, May felt satisfied. She reached out and pinched his cheek, grinning mischievously.
"Tell you what. I'll give you a position similar to mine. How about 'Honorary Professor of Witchcraft Variations in Magic Crests'? Since you know Fairy Tale Magic, your understanding isn't much less than mine."
In the Clock Tower, the title of Professor wasn't exclusive. A single field, like Alchemy, could have a dozen Professors specializing in different niches, allowing students to choose freely.
However, while a first-rate Magus might be a polymath, the Clock Tower usually only certified them as a Professor in their strongest field.
Someone like Rimuru, collecting honorary titles across multiple departments like Pokémon cards, was a blatant display of nepotism and privilege.
But neither Rimuru nor May felt the slightest bit of guilt.
First off, Honorary Professors were elective courses, students chose them. If he was bad, no one would come. Second, Rimuru actually did have the knowledge and capability to teach these subjects.
"Hmm..."
Truth be told, Rimuru had been eyeing a position in Herbalism or Potion Brewing.
Why? Because it would give him access to the research budget. He could 'legally' stockpile rare ingredients, steal secret recipes, and then use the Great Sage and his stomach's [Analysis] to mass-produce forbidden potions.
Infinite money glitch.
But then he considered the reality: He knew absolutely nothing about brewing. If a student actually signed up for his class expecting to learn, he'd be ruining their future.
Leading students astray is bad karma.
Rimuru dismissed the thought and nodded. "Alright. Witchcraft Variations it is."
Self-interest was fine, but harming others was a step too far. Rimuru prided himself on being a "Refined Egoist." He had standards.
….
Elair's room was technically next door, connected to May's suite. But honestly, it felt like the little silver-haired menace had already claimed Rimuru's room as her territory.
While Rimuru was organizing his lecture notes and syllabus, Elair had been running laps around the room, clutching his Mystic Code. After exploring every nook and cranny of the Archelot territory, she finally ran out of battery.
She crashed into Rimuru's lap and fell asleep instantly.
"She really is just a child."
Rimuru smiled helplessly. Even with Witch's blood and high magical energy, a kid was still a kid.
He extended his senses to the room next door. May wasn't there; she had likely gone off to handle some Lord business again.
Rimuru thought for a moment, then decided to put the little one to bed in his room for now.
He tapped the table lightly.
Ripple.
Boundless, which Elair had been hugging like a stuffed animal, began to expand. Under Rimuru's control, the slime-like substance grew soft and cloud-like, gently wrapping around Elair to cushion her movements so she wouldn't wake up as he moved her.
Elair seemed to sense the warmth. Her fuzzy little head nuzzled against Rimuru's chest, murmuring something in her sleep.
"At least she's not shy."
[Notice: Lecture materials have been compiled. However, there is a significant gap in specific data. Access to the Library is recommended.]
"Right. Thanks, Great Sage."
….
For Rimuru, mastering magical theory was trivial thanks to the Great Sage. As a result, the approaching start of the semester caused him zero stress.
However, the next day, May dropped a piece of news that shattered his calm.
The legendary "Human Missile Launcher" was coming to the Clock Tower. Again.
And Rimuru wasn't the only one panicking. The entire Clock Tower went into DEFCON 1.
Every single Lord, and even the reclusive Director, was forced to make an appearance. They were terrified that if they didn't supervise her, she might accidentally sneeze and blow London off the map.
Such was the deterrence and influence of a Magician.
Even if...
"I don't want this kind of influence! Aaaaaah!"
Aozaki Aoko dragged her battered suitcase, her head hanging low in utter defeat. A dark cloud of depression hung over her head, dense enough to block out the sun.
She trudged behind May and Alice, looking less like a powerful magic user and more like a student failing her finals.
"You should be proud," May giggled, covering her mouth elegantly. "To be welcomed by all twelve Lords simultaneously? Only you have such a distinction."
She turned her attention to her childhood friend, her expression softening.
"I honestly thought you'd never set foot in London again, Alice."
Alice Kuonji walked quietly beside May. Hearing this, she turned her head. Her dark eyes, calm and deep like black pearls, studied May's face for a moment.
Then, her pale lips parted slightly.
"Where is... Rimuru?"
"I knew it." May sighed, a wry smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "After all these years, haven't you missed me at all?!"
"You didn't come to Japan..." Alice tilted her head. A rare flicker of amusement danced in her placid eyes. "To hold a concert."
"Ugh. That's because I have PTSD from that place!!" May protested. "I almost died there, remember?"
If it hadn't been for Rimuru saving her back then... forget becoming a Lord; she would have returned to the Root in a casket.
"Mmm."
Alice gave a soft hum of acknowledgement, accepting the excuse. Then, she fell silent again.
She didn't speak. She just looked at May. Her large, spirited eyes stared quietly, conveying a single, unspoken demand.
You still haven't answered my question.
The unspoken chemistry built over years of friendship hit May instantly. Alice hadn't changed a bit. She never asked twice. She would just stare at you with that quiet intensity until you started panicking, wondering if you'd committed a crime, until you finally gave her the answer she wanted.
"Haa..."
May sighed. Seven years. And Alice Kuonji was still exactly the same.
They were like two proud swans flying in parallel lines. Both stubborn, both moving forward in their own directions, neither willing to dip a wing to intersect with the other.
For seven years, they had kept in touch, but just as Alice hadn't taken a step out of her mansion since graduation, May had deliberately avoided Japan during her world tours.
But now, news of Rimuru had broken that stalemate. It was enough to make Alice break her rule and step into the forbidden territory of her past.
As Rimuru's self-proclaimed fiancée, May felt the pressure mounting.
The compatibility between Rimuru and Alice was... dangerously high.
Time might fly like a white horse passing a crevice, but childhood memories were etched in stone.
Truth be told, May's personality was actually quite similar to Aozaki Aoko's. They were both straightforward, energetic, and a little destructive.
That was probably why Alice and Aoko became such good friends later on, Alice was used to taking care of a loud, clumsy partner.
But Rimuru was different.
From the very first day Rimuru arrived in their lives, he fit in seamlessly. He would naturally pour Alice her tea exactly how she liked it. He instinctively knew when to join in their activities and when to give them space.
Even at seven or eight years old, he displayed a terrifyingly high EQ.
Or rather... he displayed the natural talent of a born lady-killer.
He understood Alice. In many ways, he was similar to her. And that terrified May.
….
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