Chapter 235: Schuler Class
The corridor of Yggdrasil's Professors’ Wing was bathed in the glow of the evening sunset streaming through the windows.
I stopped in front of a certain door.
The nameplate read, "Professor Hilda Annevrie."
“Excuse me.”
Knock, knock.
The moment I lightly knocked and turned the doorknob—
Bang-!
A small explosion sounded right in front of me.
……At the same time, colorful confetti burst from a party popper and rained down over my head.
“It's so wonderful to see you, Student Villed! You arrived right on time!”
Hilda, wearing a pointed party hat and covering one eye with her long black hair, smiled brightly.
As I brushed the confetti out of my hair, I spoke.
“……Is this sort of welcome ceremony popular these days?”
“Oh my, have you been welcomed like this by someone else too? I thought I'd be the first.”
Unable to hide her cheerful smile, Hilda led me over to a nearby sofa.
“Anyway, I'm truly happy to see you again, Student Villed. Come, have a seat. We have so much to talk about.”
I sat down on the sofa as Hilda directed.
Taking the seat right beside me, she couldn't take her eyes off my face.
“How did you spend your winter break, Student Villed?”
“Well…… I just traveled around.”
“So you went on a trip. It seems you traveled with Student Lapin. Was it just the two of you?”
“Yes.”
There was no need to invite suspicion by telling an unnecessary lie.
Since there was always a possibility that a weakness could be exposed, I simply gave a brief affirmation without offering any details.
“Hmm, I see.”
Hilda nodded before suddenly clapping her hands as though something had just come to mind.
“Oh, right. I heard you placed fifth in the last Mock War Mock Battle? Wow, that's incredible!”
“So even Professor Hilda has heard the rumor.”
“No. Rather than hearing a rumor, I heard it directly from Professor Jennings. He told me to keep it a secret from Student Villed... but honestly, what does that matter?”
Hilda stuck out her tongue slightly and giggled.
“You know Professor Jennings too, don't you? He's stingy and always whining. Though that's what makes him adorable.”
She briefly made a playful expression as though imitating Jennings before continuing.
“I think Professor Jennings has taken quite a liking to you. He's usually very sparing with his compliments, but you have no idea how highly he spoke of Student Villed. He acted gruff on the outside, but he was paying close attention to you. He said he's really looking forward to the official Mock War that's coming up in a few days.”
There was no reason for Hilda to lie to me.
She was probably telling the truth exactly as it was.
'It seems Professor Jennings has developed rather high expectations of me.'
Still, however he evaluated me wasn't any of my concern.
My objective wasn't to distinguish myself in the official battle.
It was simply to stop the Cleaner's attack during the confusion and protect the Imperial Princess.
“That's unexpected.”
“You're the one who showed such an unexpected side of yourself, Student Villed. I'm proud of you, my admirable disciple.”
As though I were especially precious to her, Hilda gently patted my head.
“Now then, shall we begin today's Schuler class? Once again, today's lesson has been specially tailored to Student Villed's level.”
The first Schuler class of the new semester was...
“A lesson to improve your concentration!”
What Hilda handed me was a stack of rectangular playing cards.
……The lesson consisted of building a house of cards.
It was such an absurd assignment that it almost made my status as a prestigious Yggdrasil cadet seem meaningless.
However, my goal was simply to maintain Hilda's qualification as a Schuler, so I raised no objections and silently picked up the cards.
“Come on, Student Villed! You can do it! You've already built the first floor!”
“It looks like it's about to collapse, so could you please stay quiet?”
“Ah, sorry! I'll keep my mouth completely shut until it's finished!”
About twenty minutes passed.
After displaying the utmost concentration, I barely managed to complete a three-story house of cards.
“Student Villed, you're so good at this!”
The moment Hilda clapped her hands—
Crash!
The house of cards collapsed.
Smiling awkwardly, Hilda wore an apologetic expression.
“Oh dear. Well, you did finish it once! We'll end today's lesson here. But...”
Hilda rose lightly from her seat.
“We still have to fill the minimum class time. Shall we chat for a bit? Please wait a moment. I'll bring some tea and cookies.”
A short while later, Hilda returned carrying a plate of cookies and two cups of lavender tea.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Take your time~”
As I sipped the tea Hilda had served, a familiar painting hanging on the wall of her office caught my eye.
It was my own drawing displayed in a frame.
It depicted the pine tree I had seen when I entered Lapin's heart.
However...
Compared to the luxurious frame worthy of displaying a masterpiece, the drawing itself was embarrassingly crude.
No, could it even be called a drawing?
It wasn't even colored.
It looked as though someone had merely sketched it quickly with a pencil.
It resembled nothing more than an unfinished practice drawing by a child who had just begun learning to draw.
“You really displayed my drawing.”
“Of course. It's my favorite painting. I look at it every single day.”
Every artwork decorating Hilda's office, except for mine, was remarkable.
Yet she claimed this was her favorite.
That level of flattery was excessive.
“No matter how I look at it, I don't think it's worthy of being displayed...”
“Oh my, why do you think that, Student Villed?”
Hilda tilted her head.
Then she stood up and walked over to the wall where my drawing was hanging.
“Value isn't determined by only a single standard.”
Her slender fingers gently traced the edge of the frame as though handling a priceless treasure.
“If we judge by technical quality, this drawing may lack skill and have an awkward composition. To be perfectly honest, it's much worse than the ordinary practice works sold by average painters.”
Turning toward me, she smiled softly.
There was an indescribable tenderness in that smile.
“But, Student Villed. If the value of a painting were determined solely by technical perfection, then we'd have to love the precise blueprints printed by machines more than paintings created by people.”
Hilda looked once more at the rough lines of the pine tree.
“……I believe a painting is proof that the moment and emotions the artist experienced remain together within that small canvas. That's why I displayed it. Not because it's a well-painted picture, but because it's a record shared between Student Villed and me.”
As though handling a sacred relic, she lovingly caressed the drawing before hanging it back on the wall.
“And that's why I'll always treasure it.”
Was she sincere?
Since I had never seen this side of her in the game, I couldn't tell whether it was true or false...
Still...
She didn't seem to have any reason to lie to me.
“……I'm honored that you think of it that way.”
As soon as I said that, Hilda smiled brightly.
Just then, my gaze shifted to another painting.
One hanging quietly in the corner caught my attention.
'……This?'
A masterpiece from the collection painted by Darein, disciple of the Great Sage Gilley.
I wasn't particularly knowledgeable about art, yet I recognized it immediately.
Because...
Animal Friends like this painting!
The system had told me so.
'Why does Hilda have this painting?'
It felt as though I'd be overlooking an important clue if I let it pass without asking.
Casually bringing it up shouldn't be a problem.
Naturally gesturing toward the painting with my chin, I spoke.
“Professor, isn't that one of Darein's masterpieces?”
“……”
At my question, Hilda fell silent for a moment and simply stared at me.
“……Student Villed knows Darein as well?”
Her slightly surprised reaction was understandable.
Darein wasn't famous enough for everyone to know him, but according to the setting, he was an artist held in especially high regard among painting enthusiasts and professionals.
If compared to the modern era...
His standing would probably be similar to that of John Singer Sargent.
“Yes. I try to cultivate at least a basic appreciation of the arts.”
For now, I deliberately refrained from mentioning that I was collecting Darein's paintings.
“I see. So you know Darein because you're from House Dedencman.”
Hilda accepted the explanation without much difficulty.
As I looked at the painting, I quietly fell into thought.
'……Darein's paintings are one of the clues to uncovering the truth behind my ability.'
Unlike every other painting, only Darein's works had a positive effect on Spirit Creatures.
'Hilda is aware of Spirit Creatures. In that case... does she know something about Darein's paintings?'
The connection was obvious.
It couldn't be a coincidence that she collected Darein's paintings.
“I didn't expect Professor Hilda to own one of Darein's masterpieces as well.”
“A masterpiece...”
Hilda chuckled softly before continuing.
“I don't really consider it a masterpiece. Though that's what other people call it.”
“Don't you like it? Judging by the fact that you've displayed it here.”
“……”
Hilda silently gazed at Darein's painting.
“I do. I like it.”
Rather than affection...
The loneliness on her face felt much stronger.
“I don't think it's some extraordinary masterpiece, but I don't dislike it either. I love paintings. That's why I ended up keeping it.”
Hilda returned to the seat beside me and took a sip of tea.
The look in her eyes beyond the teacup grew deeper.
“Would you mind telling me where you acquired this painting? Was it at an auction?”
“Why has that suddenly made you curious?”
“Because I'd like to own one of Darein's paintings myself.”
There was no need to force a lie, so I answered honestly.
Yet for some reason...
Hilda's eyes gradually widened.
“……Really? Do you truly want Darein's paintings?”
“Yes. He's an artist I admire very much.”
Hilda couldn't say a word.
She simply blinked repeatedly with wide eyes.
Was it really that surprising?
It was merely the work of a painter from a bygone age.
“……”
After pondering for a moment, Hilda scooted a little closer to me.
“I own a great many of Darein's paintings. Far more than Student Villed could ever imagine. I have them piled up like mountains.”
Hilda's eyes remained fixed on mine.
“I can say this with absolute certainty. I own more of Darein's paintings than anyone else in the world.”
“……”
Just as I thought.
I knew it.
If they were objects related to Spirit Creatures...
Then she too had been collecting Darein's masterpieces.
'Then is Hilda my rival? What is she trying to accomplish by collecting Darein's paintings?'
As my thoughts became increasingly complicated, Hilda suddenly said something I had never expected.
“In that case, Student Villed. Would you like to do something fun?”
“……Pardon?”
“Whenever Student Villed earns good grades, receives praise from other professors, wins a bet against me, earns Merit Points, or accomplishes something commendable, I'll give you one of Darein's paintings as a reward.”
Hearing Hilda's words, I doubted my ears.
...Give them to me?
She intended to give me the paintings she had treasured so dearly?
Could she really hand them over so easily?
“Is that really alright? Setting aside the fact that they're expensive works of art, they seem to be a collection you treasure.”
“Well, I suppose they are precious to me. But since Student Villed said you wanted Darein's paintings, I think fulfilling my student's wish is more important.”
Hilda looked completely delighted.
“I'm so happy that Student Villed likes these paintings. I sincerely hope you'll take every single piece from my collection.”
In that space where time itself seemed to have stopped...
I silently looked at Hilda as she smiled.