First-year Magical Beast Studies was an experiential course, so there was no textbook for the time being, which naturally meant there was no way to study in advance.
Dark rested his chin in his hand, gazing boredly at the scenery outside the window.
He only turned his head back when the bell rang.
But the Magical Beast Studies professor had yet to arrive.
The spacious lecture hall was divided into four columns, filled with students from the four houses.
Most students had quieted down when the bell rang, but a small handful were still giggling and laughing.
It wasn't until a few minutes later, when a massive body covered in long, gray fur forcibly squeezed through the front door of the classroom, that the noise abruptly ceased!
"Whoosh!"
As the enormous body squeezed through the doorway, a strong gust of wind swept in, carrying a potent scent to every corner of the classroom.
But it wasn't the foul stench one might associate with a giant beast; rather, it was a strong, fragrant aroma, like the peculiar smell of various flowers mixed together.
The students' expressions changed slightly.
Even Dark, sitting in the last row, couldn't escape the assault of the mixed floral scent.
Like almost all the other young magic casters, he instinctively covered his nose.
Only then did the giant beast turn to face them and greet the students: "G-good morning, childwen!"
[Oops, I bit my tongue.]
"Did she bite her tongue?"
"She bit her tongue, didn't she?"
"It bit its tongue!"
...
Faced with the hushed whispers of the entire class, a faint pink blush quietly appeared on the beast's coarse cheeks.
Its eyes started darting around, its hands began to fidget, and its whole body curled up, shrinking by a full size!
But even so, it was still exceptionally tall.
Even Professor Pawa Jones, who had one-sixteenth giant blood, would look like a child standing in front of it.
However, in complete contrast to its appearance, its words and actions were more childish than a child's.
Its voice was also soft and mushy, with a babyish lilt.
This allowed some of the frightened younger girls to quietly breathe a sigh of relief.
Emma, sitting in the very front row, suddenly raised her hand.
Perhaps thinking the giant beast might not notice her, she spoke up on her own: "Excuse me, are you the professor for Magical Beast Studies?"
"Yes, yes!"
The giant beast nodded eagerly, looking at Emma with a grateful gaze. "Me am the pwofessor for Magical Beast Studies, Nini."
Emma then boldly asked, "Professor Nini, are you a beastman hybrid?"
Professor Nini's expression faltered slightly, and she mumbled softly, "Yes, yes, a B-Behemoth-hybrid."
A Behemoth-hybrid!
Behemoths were beastman royalty!
As soon as Professor Nini's words fell, a new wave of rustling and discussion filled the classroom.
Professor Jones was a giant royalty hybrid, and Professor Nini was a beastman royalty hybrid; this was very much in the style of St. Marian.
But unlike Professor Jones, whose human bloodline was predominant, Professor Nini's bloodline clearly leaned towards the beastman side.
She looked like a Behemoth without horns and fangs. Aside from her more delicate facial features, she showed no human characteristics at all.
And... she didn't seem very old?
...
Amid everyone's confusion, Professor Nini walked nervously to the lectern. After placing the small backpack from her shoulders onto the desk, she finally looked up and said, "So, let me introduce myself again. Me, I, I am the professor for Magical Beast Studies—Nini. This is my first time teaching... N-no, but!"
Just as the young magic casters began to feel doubtful, a terrifying bestial roar suddenly seeped into Professor Nini's voice: "I will do my best!"
The pressure of ten thousand beasts crushed the entire hall into dead silence.
Professor Nini, however, didn't notice at all and continued muttering to herself, "So, you absolutely mustn't tell Aunt Cynthia that I'm not being serious or anything, otherwise, otherwise, I'll cry... get angry!"
She spread her hands, instinctively wanting to let out a "Waaah," but then seemed to remember something, quickly shut her mouth, and straightened her back to look at the students below.
The students below looked very attentive.
So this self-introduction must have been a success, right?
Thinking this, Nini swallowed nervously, her heart filled with apprehension.
...
The back rows of the lecture hall were elevated.
Dark looked down from his high vantage point, his mouth half-open in speechlessness.
The bestial pressure Professor Nini had inadvertently released naturally had no effect on him, but most of the students in his line of sight had been terrified, unable to recover even after the pressure vanished.
"So, she's the first-year Magical Beast Studies professor?"
"Can I report St. Marian Academy to the Ministry of Education for employing child labor?"
"This Professor Nini doesn't seem mentally sound... Can she really teach this course properly?"
The stagnant atmosphere in the classroom only began to ease when Professor Nini officially started her lecture.
Because there was no textbook, she couldn't just read from it, which was actually a significant test of her expertise.
Moreover, her courage was clearly inversely proportional to her size. She stumbled over her words while speaking, let alone lecturing properly.
It took her about fifteen minutes to give a general overview of Magical Beast Studies.
First-year Magical Beast Studies mainly focused on recognizing and understanding some common magical beasts.
To deepen their understanding, professors would occasionally take students into the dungeons for hands-on experience.
In short, it wasn't an advanced course.
If it were too advanced, it probably wouldn't have fallen to the fledgling Professor Nini.
...
After finishing this part, Professor Nini, mimicking other professors, mustered her courage and asked, "Does anyone know what a magical beast is?"
But as soon as she asked, Emma in the front row had already raised her hand.
Professor Nini pointed at her, then pulled out a small list with her fingertip and whispered, "Emma Metis?"
"Yes, Professor. You can call me Emma," Emma said confidently. "Also, the so-called magical beast is exactly what it sounds like: a beast that possesses magical power."
Professor Nini nodded. "That's right, but not entirely. Can anyone add to that? If not... Yay, would the student in the last row please stand up and answer? Your name is..."
"Robert Broheim."
To the surprise of those around him, Robert slowly stood up.
His face held a trace of confusion, but when he spoke, his words flowed smoothly.
"Emma is correct. The term 'magical beast' can indeed be interpreted literally, but not all beasts with magical power can be called magical beasts.
"In fact, Spirit Beasts, Phantom Beasts, and Divine Beasts, and even some magical creatures, also possess magical power. The original meaning of the term 'magical beast' should be—a beast that has been demonized!
"The Demon race, with their ability to demonize, would gather these demonized beasts into armies to slaughter at will. They were the creations of the Demon race, irrational and vicious beasts. Even some mutated, irrational members of the Demon race were classified as magical beasts!"
"Of course, that's all in the past now."
"Today's magical beasts have gone through countless years of reproduction and have formed a new species of their own."
...
"Plus five points for Robert!"
Professor Nini excitedly raised her hands, clapping her two giant palms together with a loud "smack smack."
Then she asked, "Were they added?"
Robert received the notification of the added points on his house card and nodded with some embarrassment.
Only then did Professor Nini cheerfully continue her lecture.
But in her heart, she had already developed a fondness for this boy who didn't seem particularly bright.
You really can't judge a book by its cover!
Is this what they call a top student?
...
After Robert sat down, Virt finally couldn't help but ask, "Robert, where did you learn that? Even I didn't know any of that!"
Robert looked bewildered. "I don't know either. It's like I already knew it somehow."
Virt: "..."
Robert frowned, wracking his brain. "Did someone tell me before?"
Virt: "Don't you hang out at the military barracks a lot? Maybe one of the old soldiers mentioned some of it."
Robert: "Maybe... but that felt really good just now!"
Virt: "Uh..."
...
Robert's sudden participation didn't attract much attention.
After all, not many people knew him well, and everyone has their own strengths. Maybe he just happened to know that particular piece of information?
As for Professor Nini's lecture, it was actually quite dull.
But watching such a large person trying so hard to teach them things in a babyish voice was unexpectedly amusing to the students.
Moreover, midway through the class, Professor Nini suddenly pulled a jar from her small backpack and said excitedly, "For today's lecture, me... I specially went to the dungeon to catch a magical beast! Today's main topic will be a detailed explanation of this beast. Everyone must listen carefully, because today's homework will be to write a short essay about this type of magical beast."
Then she muttered under her breath, "Aunt Silf said I must assign homework after every class!"
Emma and the others in the front row heard this clearly, and the faces of several students instantly darkened.
But Professor Nini was clearly very happy when talking about this topic. She picked up the jar with two fingers, shook it vigorously, then held it to her ear to listen: Still alive!
Then she said happily, "Can anyone guess what kind of magical beast is in the jar? I can give you a hint: it's very common in the dungeons, but also very dangerous."
After saying this, she stared expectantly at the students below, her gaze occasionally flicking in Robert's direction.
But this time, forget Robert, even the few students who knew a thing or two about magical beasts were completely baffled.
It couldn't be helped. There were far too many common magical beasts in the dungeons, and every single one was very dangerous.
...
Professor Nini, so pure it's terrifying!
...
"Is she dumber than me?"
Even Diana looked skeptical.
Rose quickly nudged her arm and whispered, "You can't say that about a professor."
Diana: "Fine!"
...
Professor Nini waited for a long time, but no one raised their hand. Her two thick eyebrows seemed to droop.
Pathetic, helpless, and on the verge of tears.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up when she saw someone in the last row by the window raise their hand!
The blond-haired boy with a look of utter resignation stood up after being called on.
"Dark Demon? I know you!"
Professor Nini said excitedly.
"Yes, I know you know me."
Dark had to remind her, "Professor Nini, you should give more hints! There are far too many common and dangerous magical beasts in the dungeons! If you mean a beast that novices often encounter, like a Sludge Monster, then its strong body odor would be a good clue. If it's a Mana-Sucker, then its ability to absorb magic would make it easier to identify."
Professor Nini blinked hard. "That seems right..."
Seeing that she seemed to understand, Dark sat back down.
Professor Nini: "Okay, the new hint is, it can make people despair!"
...
The classroom fell silent.
After all, if you encounter danger in a dungeon, any magical beast can make you despair...
Professor Nini looked expectantly at the students below, but as expected, no one raised their hand.
Her brow furrowed again.
Dark had no choice but to save the day once more. "Professor Nini, is the creature in that jar by any chance a variant of the Mana-Sucker—a Soul-Sucker?"
"Thank you!" Professor Nini said hastily, as if grasping a lifeline. "Plus five points for Dark Demon!"
Then she picked up the jar and yanked the lid off.
In an instant, a gray shadow shot out from within!
But with a casual grab, Professor Nini caught it by the tail, and with a sharp tug, she slammed it onto the desk with a "splat"!
The nearly flattened Soul-Sucker lifted its dizzy head and immediately let out a piercing shriek!
It was the excitement of seeing food, the madness of smelling something delicious.
The Soul-Sucker was gray all over, like a ghost. On its twisted face were three black holes that could never be filled!
They are greedy and vile; they will suck away all happiness, leaving behind endless despair!
Dark had previously researched related materials to solve the problem of the Deadly Sins.
But the happiness that Soul-Suckers absorb isn't actually an emotion, but memories.
They suck away happy memories and then inject terrible ones in the form of nightmares, causing people to die of despair in their sleep.
This was the Soul-Sucker!
"Does anyone want to come up and give it a try?"
So when Professor Nini said this, Dark was surprised.
"Don't be afraid. A single Soul-Sucker can't absorb memories very well. Besides, even if your memories are really absorbed, you can just squeeze the Soul-Sucker's abdomen like this, and they'll come right out."
Professor Nini spoke bold words in a timid tone, then demonstrated by holding the Soul-Sucker upside down, pinching its tail with two fingers, and forcefully sliding them from the tip of its tail to the tip of its mouth!
The Soul-Sucker let out a sharp cry and was flattened into a thin sheet.
But as soon as she let go, it puffed back up again.
Professor Nini shook the Soul-Sucker and said, "Soul-Suckers are very common magical beasts in the dungeons. They are very dangerous, but also very fragile. Especially when they are absorbing memories, they are completely defenseless and can be taken out with a single slash. Experiencing the feeling of having your memories sucked out beforehand will help you react calmly when you encounter them."
Her words did make some sense.
But in this situation, even the students from the Knight House would...
Oh, heavens, someone actually raised their hand!
It's him, it's him, it's really him!
Among humans, there is never a shortage of death-defying heroes!
Virt Gold!
Let's welcome the son of the hero to the stage!
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
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