I Need the True Ending to Graduate - Chapter 3

[Quest: Visit Professor Jeran Ennessy’s office. (1/1) (!)]

As I arrived in front of Professor Jeran Ennessy’s office, the quest was marked complete, and the glowing navigation that had guided me vanished without a sound.

I stood before a thick, sturdy, dark mahogany-colored door.

A golden nameplate was affixed to it, and on it, the name Jeran Ennessy shone clearly.

“……”

I swallowed the saliva gathered in my mouth.

Even though I had been summoned and the situation was urgent, meeting a professor was always nerve-wracking. No matter how much I tried to relax, I couldn’t seem to ease my tension.

Still, I couldn’t just stand in front of the door forever.

“Whew.”

After taking a deep breath, I mustered the courage to knock politely on the door.

Knock knock knock.

“Um…”

“Come in.”

Before I could even say the name Lucia Even, a voice responded from beyond the door.

“……”

Slightly embarrassed, but too anxious to care about such trivial feelings, I carefully opened the door and stepped inside.

The bright afternoon sunlight poured in, and the faint scent of ink tickled my nose. The unique musty aroma of old papers filled the room.

Lifting my gaze from the floor, the interior of the office came fully into view.

A large, weighty-looking bookshelf lined with thick volumes stood tall, and in the center was a spacious rectangular table.

As I slowly lifted my head, I saw another desk—far larger than the one I had just seen—set by the window. It seemed that was where most of the research work happened.

And seated there was a man who, upon seeing me, smiled warmly and stood up to approach.

The door slowly closed behind me.

I thought I heard the click of the lock engaging, but it felt distant.

I was too busy staring at the man bathed in the sacred glow of the afternoon sun.

With soft, shiny, neatly groomed silver hair and pale green eyes, the man had a calm and intellectual face.

The thin silver-rimmed glasses matching his hair suited him perfectly.

His face was that of a scholar more than anyone, yet his features were so impeccably sculpted that he almost seemed out of place here.

‘Even if he’s a character in a game, he seems better suited for something else than being a professor…’

As such a rational assessment flashed through my mind, a cheerful status window appeared before me.

[Capture Target 3: Jeran Ennessy.]

[Affection meter for Jeran Ennessy is now unlocked.]

[Jeran Ennessy: Affection 0%]

‘No wonder he’s so strikingly handsome. He’s a capture target…’

While I was completely distracted by his perfect appearance and had forgotten I was here to meet a professor, Jeran Ennessy, now standing before me, spoke first.

“Welcome. You’re Miss Lucia Even, correct?”

“…Ah. Yes. I’m Lucia Even, Professor.”

“It was quite cold today. Was your trip here alright? I had the servant prepare some tea in advance. It should be here soon.”

Professor Jeran Ennessy gave me a gentle smile and motioned for me to sit at the table.

“Please, have a seat. I tried to tidy up, but it’s still a bit messy, isn’t it?”

“Oh, no. It’s fine.”

“Are there any teas you can’t drink?”

“No. None.”

“There’s no need to be so nervous. I didn’t call you in for an interrogation. I just wanted to have a relaxed conversation.”

Then he took a seat across from me. His gaze as he looked at me was quite warm.

I appreciated the warmth in his eyes, but it wasn’t enough to ease the tension caused by his overwhelming looks.

All I could do was give an awkward smile.

A brief, awkward silence passed, and before long, someone knocked on the door.

It must have been the tea he mentioned earlier.

Jeran Ennessy immediately let the servant in, and the servant bowed to us, then neatly set the tea on the table and quietly withdrew.

The scent of fragrant tea slowly spread through the room, which had been filled with the musty smell of old paper and ink.

“Go ahead. I hope it suits your taste, Miss Even.”

“Oh, thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

I followed Jeran Ennessy and picked up the tea.

The tea in the elegant-looking cup had a soft orange hue, and the rising scent helped ease my tense body a little.

As I cautiously took a sip, the aroma filled my mouth, and a warm sensation spread.

I didn’t know much about tea, but I could immediately tell it was of high quality.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“Yes. I do. Thank you for preparing it.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Jeran Ennessy smiled in satisfaction at my positive answer. His gaze, still fixed on me, was as warm as sunlight.

After a bit of polite small talk, Jeran Ennessy brought up the contents of the letter first.

“By the way, I’m very sorry about your advisor situation, Miss Even. As a fellow professor, I find such disgraceful behavior utterly deplorable.”

“……”

“You must have gone through a lot because of Professor Evenhart. Are you doing alright?”

“Ahaha… It’s not too bad.”

In truth, it felt like a blazing fire was rapidly approaching my backside, but I couldn’t go into all the gritty details.

“That’s a relief to hear… But if you ever need my help, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll do my best to support you however I can.”

“Oh, yes. Thank you. If I need anything… I’ll let you know.”

Though his words weren’t said lightly, and I could feel the sincerity behind them, his face and kindness were still unfamiliar to me, so all I could manage was an awkward smile in response.

Jeran Ennessy, as if trying to shift the mood, said again, “Well then, since I’m sure you’re busy too, let’s skip the chit-chat. May I take a look at your research proposal?”

“Ah, yes!”

As if I’d been waiting for it, I immediately pulled the research proposal from my bag and handed it to him.

Jeran Ennessy’s eyes lit up with deep interest as he received the proposal from me.

His gaze was kind like before, but more composed. I could feel a sense of logical judgment and thoughtful consideration.

As I nervously watched him read through the pages, I mentally reviewed the questions and answers I’d prepared in advance.

Finally, he placed the proposal on the table.

Holding my breath, I waited for his evaluation.

But Jeran Ennessy asked a completely unexpected question.

“There’s nothing to criticize. If this research proceeds as written, you should be able to graduate without any trouble. I imagine your work will gain attention in the academic community as well. However…”

“……”

“As I recall, Miss Even, your previous research wasn’t on dimensional transfer magic. It was on security and barrier magic, the kind that the Calypse Empire is currently supporting heavily at the national level. Isn’t that right?”

“……”

“Is there a reason you suddenly changed your research topic right before graduation?”

It wasn’t exactly an interrogation; I could tell it was a question born purely out of curiosity. His expression showed as much.

However, I didn’t know how to answer.

Because I didn’t know the reason myself.

Still, I felt it would be better to come up with some sort of excuse, and just as I was about to speak, Jeran Ennessy spoke first.

“Th-that’s…”

“If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. It was just a personal question, unrelated to me becoming your advisor, Miss Even.”

Then he gave me a gentle smile. A smile filled with consideration, as if he didn’t want to strain our relationship over such a small question.

“I’ll take on the role of your new advisor, Miss Even. I can’t say for sure that I’ll be able to guide you well, but I’ll help you to the best of my ability.”

“Ah… Thank you, Professor. Thank you so much…”

To his words, I responded with more sincerity than anything I’d said to him before. I was so touched that I momentarily forgot the awkwardness of the earlier question.

Seeing my reaction, Jeran Ennessy looked pleased. He rose from his seat, went over to another desk, gathered a few sheets of paper, and returned.

Then he handed them to me. “Here you go, Miss Even.”

“What is this?”

“Documents you’ll need to submit to the academy.”

“Documents…?”

“Yes, the paperwork required for me to officially become your advisor.”

“Ah…”

“If you bring these to the student support office before the deadline, they’ll be processed normally. And if you need any additional forms, let me know right away. I’ll prepare them quickly.”

“Thank you for everything, Professor. I don’t even know how to express my gratitude…”

Flustered, I took the documents from him.

“No need to be so formal. And if there’s ever anything you’d like to discuss, feel free to come to me. I meant what I said.”

“…Yes, I understand. Thank you for being so thoughtful.”

I bowed my head and expressed my thanks to Jeran Ennessy.

I didn’t expect him to cover my tuition, but I was more than willing to accept the sentiment behind his words.

Seeing that my guarded attitude had softened a bit, Jeran Ennessy smiled and offered a suggestion, “If you’re not in a hurry, why don’t you finish your tea before leaving? I think I can spare about thirty more minutes. It’d be a shame to waste good tea just because the conversation is over.”

“Ah, I’m free. I’ll finish the tea before I go.”

He had gone to the trouble of preparing it, and spending thirty minutes sharing tea together felt like a small but appropriate gesture of thanks.

I didn’t think much of it, but Jeran Ennessy’s face visibly brightened at my answer.

“Ah, really? That’s a relief. Actually, the tea I served you, Miss Even, is something I bought during a trip to the eastern region…”

Jeran Ennessy, clearly excited, began explaining in detail where he got the tea I was drinking, how the tea leaves were dried and roasted, and how the final blend was completed.

As I listened to him speak, I sipped the tea now and then, watching his happy expression the whole time.