High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 81: Chapter 5: Professor’s Opening Remarks_1

At First University, courses were categorized as large or small based on the number of students enrolled. They were also classified as general or specialized depending on the level of expertise required. Additionally, courses were divided into core and elective, determined by their significance.

Zheng Qing’s class was Astronomy Class 08-1, hence Magic Language was their specialized core course.

History, which extended from Magic Language, was a specialized elective course, which meant there were minute differences in the book lists of each freshman in Astronomy Class 08-1.

For instance, Philosophy of Magic wasn’t a compulsory requirement at Alpha Academy and Starry Sky Academy. It was a general elective course. To conserve teaching resources, the school arranged students from different faculties or classes to take classes together. This kind of class was a large course, with students numbering up to a hundred at times.

As for the upcoming Spell Course, every student at First University needed to earn sufficient credits from it. It was classified as a common core course.

The students in this class were all from Astronomy Class 08-1, so it was a small class.

With the warning from the pencil sketch behind the door, the chaotic atmosphere in the classroom slightly settled down.

Everyone returned to their seats and sat down quietly.

Zheng Qing, curious, glanced at the pencil drawing and wondered:

”How did it know the professor was coming?”

”It has been on the wall longer than many professors, it’s not surprising it knows what they look like,” Xiao Xiao puts away her notebook and sits up straight, ”Also, do you think this sketch only appears here?”

Zheng Qing nodded in half-understanding.

”Thank our omnipotent seniors,” Zhang Ji Xin shook his head and patted his shoulder.

Zheng Qing sighed and turned his attention back to the textbook spread out in front of him.

He previewed the incomprehensible characters again, striving once more before the teacher entered to avoid embarrassment during class.

But what he couldn’t understand, remained incomprehensible.

His gaze slid across the textbook without leaving a mark in his mind.

The classroom door was pushed open with a ’clang’.

A tall, slender figure strode up to the podium.

Zheng Qing looked up, nervously taking in the imposing man.

The professor was draped in a black robe, which created a peculiar effect as it fluttered about him. He had a sallow complexion, small but very dark and shiny eyes. His face was lined with wrinkles of different depths, his hair was thinning, but seemed sleek due to a ton of hair product. Despite a slight hunch, the professor’s tall stature masked that flaw, presenting a reliable aura instead.

Maybe he was forty, maybe sixty – Heaven knew his real age.

Zheng Qing sat up straight, lost in thought.

”My name is Yao XiaoMi, your guide as well as your professor for the Spell Course, I also teach Philosophy of Magic to three classes including yours.”

The wizard, whose hair was combed back sleekly, faced the freshmen in the room. With a casual wave of his right hand, the words ’Yao XiaoMi’ clearly appeared on the blackboard.

Without pause, he continued with a cheerful but rhythmically modulated voice:

”You can call me ’Old Yao’. In fact, I enjoy it when students use such casual names to address me. However, I strictly oppose being referred to as ’XiaoMi’, or any derivatives such as ’Sorghum’, ’Old Rice’, etc! That is a gross disrespect to a professor! It sets a terrible precedent!”

As he said this, his right hand made several emphatic movements, much like those seen from politicians on television.

Zheng Qing couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth up, watching Old Yao’s antics put him a bit at ease.

But many freshmen were still immersed in the sadness brought on by the recent tragic news.

The atmosphere in the classroom was somewhat oppressive.

Professor Yao raised his eyebrows in surprise:

”Strange! You are the first batch of freshmen that didn’t laugh at my self-introduction. Sigh of Melpomene, is there something I don’t know about? Don’t let me become Epimetheus.”

Still, the classroom remained silent.

Only the faint sound of Li Meng’s sobbing could be heard.

Zheng Qing looked at Xiao Xiao, his face went a bit pale, he was terrified to realize he hardly understood what the professor just said.

”Did the teacher just cast a spell?” He whispered to Xiao Xiao.

Watermelon Head dropped his head weakly, and slid his notebook over to Zheng Qing.

”Melpomene, the Goddess of Mourning, also known as the Goddess of Tragedy; her sigh means ’What a tragedy’. Epimetheus, the dumbest of the gods, means ’latecomer’. These are two idioms from the wizard world, not spells.”

Zheng Qing’s abated heart sank back into his chest.

He was always worried he wouldn’t understand the teachers’ lectures at school.

Having a living dictionary sure felt good.

On the podium, Professor Yao put the law book on the lectern, paced over slowly to Li Meng, and gently patted the girl’s head.

”What happened?” He asked softly.

Li Meng’s eyes were red, choking as she stuttered, ”Su... hic... Su Shijun...has... hic...has a child.”

Zheng Qing buried his head in the desk, trying his best to avoid eye contact with others.

He wanted to block his ears as well.

The words of Li Meng made him feel as though he were having an attack of embarrassment.

He could not understand the obsessive fan mentality of the young girls.

Even less could he understand their mentality of intertwining fantasy and reality.

Professor Yao nodded thoughtfully:

”Don’t worry or fuss about Su Councilor’s matters. The information so far is vague, and there’s no clear statement yet. The school has invited Su Councilor as a guest for the October event, so I’ll let her explain to you face to face!” he reassured them, strolling casually around the classroom.

With that, the professor waved his arm boldly.

”Would she come?” a first-year student asked quietly.

This was a disrespectful question, but it was a question that rolled in every first-year student’s mind.

Having a member of the Under the Moon Council answer personal questions face-to-face with a group of first-year students seemed ridiculous no matter how you think about it.

”No problem!” Old Yao answered with great certainty, moving back to the lectern: ”I can assure you of that.”

The gloom in the classroom gradually faded.

The news of being able to meet the goddess in October expelled the nightmare of the goddess giving birth. Enthusiasm filled the young students again.

”Can I get the goddess to sign my clothes?”

”Can I give the goddess a scarf?”

”Can I shake hands with the goddess?”

”What should I wear to meet the goddess!”

Almost everyone started discussing the presumptuous activities planned for next month with excitement.

Many of them were already planning every detail of what they would do when they met the goddess.

The Xin Fat Man sitting in front of Zheng Qing was even considering losing several pounds of fat to avoid leaving a bad impression on the goddess.

Old Yao observed the clamoring classroom with a grin, not intending to stop them.

After a while.

He cleared his throat.

”Cough.” Professor Yao looked at the newcomers with a smile: ”Excluding today’s class, you have four classes’ time.”

The classroom fell silent.

Everyone stared at the professor, trying to understand what he meant.

”I will teach you two spells in this month. Only the students who master these two spells will be able to get the meeting ticket.”

As the classroom was about to descend into chaos again, Professor Yao raised his index finger, shaking it slightly.

”Don’t panic,” he said, shaking his head, a mischievous smile on his face: ”Don’t panic.”

”You must show improvement over this month. Good classroom discipline and excellent homework, for instance.”

”That’s the prerequisite for the meeting.”

The classroom fell silent instantly.

Zheng Qing noticed a few boys beside him straightening their backs more, trying to sit straighter.

He swallowed, admiring the professor’s simple tactics.

Old Yao looked at the rejuvenated classroom atmosphere with satisfaction and started the lecture again:

”Good! I hope you keep this up.”

”Now, let’s continue.”

”This is your second class at the First University.”

”Put away your textbooks; in the first month, you will be adapting more, perhaps with some experimental teaching, but on the whole, it won’t be too difficult. So everyone, don’t be too nervous.”

Zheng Qing heaved a sigh of relief, hastily packing up his textbook, and felt more relaxed.

”You don’t need to start studying immediately. First, you need to get used to this atmosphere, familiarize yourself with your classmates, understand why you came here, and know what you can get here.”