Late at night.

Owen had already fallen asleep on my bed, breathing at regular intervals. Since I began the lecture practice quite late at night, it must have been hard for the young Owen to stay awake.

Nonetheless, he had tried his best to concentrate, especially on the parts related to souls since they were related to him. It was admirable how he tried to retain at least something in his mind.

And of course, Findenai never returned to the room after fleeing.

Perhaps she went back to her room to sleep.

Erica, who remained until the end of the lecture, was organizing her thoughts and forming opinions about it.

"As expected, I am very satisfied with the lecture itself because of the unfamiliar knowledge Im learning from you. It makes me want to hear it again."

"Yes."

"However, it seems like youre trying to cram too much information in a short span. At this rate, you won't last long as a teacher. You should show some flexibility in your approach."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Even though youre going to be giving a lecture, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to stick to just lecturing. Especially since you're a Dark Mage, there might be students who will feel nervous to be around you. Do you understand?"

That was a valid point.

I was actually most concerned about dealing with such students.

How could they focus properly if they were afraid of the professor they were supposed to be learning from?

They probably wouldnt be able to even look at the blackboard properly.

"So, it's okay to relax the tension with something like an icebreaker or jokes."

"......."

I wondered if I could really do something like that. And even Erica seemed to agree that it wasnt the right approach after mentioning it. She crossed her arms, pondering for a moment before speaking again.

"Alternatively, sharing stories about your own experiences would be fine too. Since you've encountered several incidents during this vacation, you can use that information to grab their attention or briefly ease the tension."

"Hm."

"Giving out snacks or something the students would like during the lecture could also be quite helpful."

It seemed like a good idea. Honestly, Erica's advice was very helpful.

"Thank you, it was incredibly helpful."

When I sincerely expressed my gratitude, Erica softly smiled.

"It's nothing. But more importantly, it's nice to see that you are genuinely trying to be a good professor."

I didn't feel the need to respond.

Since I was paid for the job, I intended to do my best. Additionally, considering that the academy was filled with the main and supporting characters of the game, I hoped that my lecture could be somewhat helpful to them.

"Uhm, by the way."

Erica hesitated for a moment, struggling to express whatever she was about to say. After opening and closing her mouth several times, she finally looked me in the eyes and spoke.

"What is the true identity of Aria Rias?"

I didn't expect Aria's name to come out of her mouth.

"I met that student during this summer vacation. Dante, was it? It's an unfamiliar organization to me, but I fought alongside her against Dark Mages affiliated with them."

"You?"

"Yes, in Rometiu Forest. I went there to find nature spirits since I wanted to learn about spirit magic, as you had told me."

She definitely had a unique energy around her now. It turned out it was because of the spirits.

Erica seemed to have advanced in her growth.

"I saw Aria there. She started killing people without hesitation. And not only that, she also showed... an abnormal obsession towards you."

"......"

"Of course, I want to follow your decision, but Deus, I'm also a professor."

Erica clenched her fists and firmly declared her stance about Aria.

"We can't afford to have such a dangerous child in the academy, someone who doesn't even hesitate to commit murder for the sake of a professor."

I also agreed with that statement.

I nodded lightly in response.

"Alright, I will take responsibility for that student."

"...If you ever need help, call me. After all, I'm... still your fiance."

Erica slightly stammered as she continued. Although her reaction was odd, I didn't bother to pay it any mind.

"Sure, when the time comes, I will ask for your help."

Upon hearing that, Erica smiled brightly, a gesture she usually reserved for private moments.

"Yes!"

* * *

"Wow, it's my first time attending a lecture in the auditorium."

"It's not just for first-year students, right? All grade levels are here, aren't they?"

"Don't make eye contact with the seniors recklessly."

In the auditorium where Deus' first lecture was about to begin. Since the joint lecture was open to students of all grades, anyone who applied could listen in. Consequently, most of the academy's students were gathered here.

Just as the first-year students were cautious around their seniors, the second and third-year students were also cautious, especially around the professors lining up at the back of the auditorium.

Since they expected that most of the students, except for the liberal arts section, would be gathered in this place during this lecture, almost all the professors had been preparing to come and listen to Professor Deus' lecture.

"Well, it's fascinating, isnt it?"

"I cant believe it, Black Magic. Honestly, I still feel uneasy about it."

"Well, since His Majesty has personally approved him, he must be different from the Dark Mages we know of."

"Come to think of it, has Professor Gideon not come?"

"Oh, right. He took a leave of absence because there's too many rumors about the Zeronia Household going around right now."

Even the usually reserved professors couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

Erica, known as Deus' fiance, was especially receiving envious glances. However, unlike the innocent smile she showed last night, she now stood cold as ice, with her arms crossed, staring towards the stage.

In fact, the second and third-year students were not only cautious around the professors; they were also aware that there was a truly important figure among the first-year students.

Surprisingly, despite holding pen and paper, Eleanor wasn't doodling at all but staring intently at the stage.

Everyone was trying not to focus their attention in her direction, afraid of making a mistake in front of the kingdom's princess.

Besides Eleanor, Aria was also waiting with wide eyes.

The two girls were eagerly waiting for Professor Deus to arrive.

Finally, Professor Deus climbed onto the stage a bit earlier than scheduled.

"Since so many of you have been waiting, let us begin a bit earlier than planned."

It was the moment everyone had been waiting for.

Some harbored fear towards him.

Some harbored suspicious doubts.

Some still harbored hateful feelings.

And some were excited about venturing into the new field of Black Magic.

Despite the variety of emotions, everyone focused on Professor Deus' lecture.

On the contrary, Deus, who had been worrying about how to conduct the lecture to the point where he acted unlike his usual self by taking time to practice, remained calm.

As usual, there was no difference in his demeanor.

Obviously, Deus didnt need to practice standing in front of people; he just needed to practice delivering his knowledge to a large audience.

Having confidently expressed his opinions in front of a much bigger number during the Great Debate previously, he now showed no hesitation in his actions.

"First, let me introduce my assistant here."

Upon noticing a deviation from the previous day, Erica's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Did he take her advice and make a change?

Curious about Deus assistant, everyone focused their attention to where his finger was pointing at, directly beside him on the stage.

"This is the Dark Spiritualist who has been accompanying me."

[...]

The Dark Spiritualist, who was standing beside Deus, became momentarily flustered and pointed at herself.

[Huh?! Me? C-can everyone see me?]

Startled, the Dark Spiritualist looked at Deus, who responded to her surprise by gesturing with his chin.

"Introduce yourself."

At Deus' words, the Dark Spiritualist turned towards the crowd. Having confined herself to her laboratory every day while studying Necromancy, she found the stares of the people quite burdensome.

[H-hello, I'm the Dark Spiritualist.]

Greeting the audience, she bowed her head politely.

She realized that Erica, Caren, and the Dean had seen her before, so she wondered if this would be fine.

"Now, my assistant just greeted you all. Did any of you see them?"

At his words, the Dark Spiritualist turned foolishly to stare at Deus.

No!

The students responded in unison.

[Y-y-you!]

Feeling as if she had just been ridiculed by him, the Dark Spiritualist clenched her fist and glared at Deus, but he paid her no attention and continued speaking.

"But my assistant is clearly here."

Deus then looked at the Dark Spiritualist.

"Show them."

[Ugh, I hate you for real.]

The Dark Spiritualist grumbled as she roused her mana and conjured a simple flame.

As it was the Necromancers flame, it was emitting a violet hue.

A momentary commotion occurred in the hall.

Most of the students and professors here were adept at handling mana, so they easily noticed that Deus didn't create the ignited flame.

While looking at the suddenly rising violet flame with astonished eyes, they couldn't help but acknowledge that there was indeed someone there.

"There is nothing visible, but the mana manifested in an instant, which soon became magic. I will be teaching you about such invisible but existing things."

It was a captivating introduction to the lecture.

Some professors admired the exceptional start, and upon hearing such praise, Erica concealed a slight smile that almost appeared on her face.

"Furthermore, if by the end of the winter break, if any student manages to guess the appearance of the Dark Spiritualist correctly, I will give them this."

Ssk.

Deus took a golden card from his pocket, one that fit in a single hand.

At first, everyone wondered what it was. However, even upon closer inspection, it was still unfamiliar to them. This left them dumbfounded as they foolishly stared at him, unable to utter a word.

Then, suddenly, the princess among the students let out a gasp.

"Wow, isnt that the access card to the Royal Familys Millennium Library?"

"What?!"

"Wow, amazing."

"I-I heard that you have to pay a fortune just to get in there."

The Millennium Library was a bucket-list destination for the Mages in Griffin Kingdomrenowned as the perfect embodiment of the term 'treasure trove of knowledge' due to its vast collection of original magic texts.

Originally, it was a gift from the Dean.

However, as access to the place had been granted to him upon becoming the Soul Whisperer, there was no need for him to have two cards.

He simply followed Erica's advice that bestowing a gift could help everyone focus during the lectures.

"Yes, this is an access card for the Millennium Librarythe Royal Familys treasure trove. You may not have access to the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, but all the other books within are available for reading with this pass."

Deus lightly waved the access card over the students like teasing fish with a bait.

"As I mentioned earlier, I will give this to the first student who manages to get the appearance of my assistant, the Dark Spiritualist, correctly. It is entirely achievable if you listen to my lecture well and put in effort."

[S-somehow I feel embarrassed.]

The Dark Spiritualist deeply lowered her head.

However, the effect was evident.

Indeed, the majority of students had become extremely enthusiastic even though the lecture hadn't begun yet.

Deus slowly grasped the chalk and approached the blackboard.

"Then, let us begin the lecture.