"Professor Victor, I... I just can't manage it," Herny stammered, shaking her head vigorously. Her head hung low, and she didn't dare to cast so much as a fleeting glance at Victor.
"Listen closely, Herny," Victor began. "I've had you sit in on my lectures these past few days with a clear purpose: to teach you the art of conducting a remarkable class. I've been observing your progress, and I know you have the potential." As he spoke, Victor gently placed his hand on Herny's shoulder. Instantly, he felt her delicate frame shudder ever - so - slightly, a clear sign of her nervousness.
Herny finally summoned the courage to look up, her eyes swimming with unspoken trepidation. "Professor, I'm petrified that I'll mess up. What if I taint your hard - earned reputation?" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Reputation?" Victor echoed, a faint, self - deprecating smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Do I even have a reputation to speak of?" he thought to himself. In truth, he had always been rather indifferent to how others perceived him. His focus had always been on his work and his students' growth.
To soothe her frayed nerves, Victor patted her back in a slow, rhythmic motion. "There, there," he said softly. "Calm down. You're more than capable of this." The gentle gesture seemed to have the desired effect, as Herny's trembling gradually subsided.
"Go on," he urged, his tone now firm yet encouraging. "I have full faith in you." Victor knew that no amount of cajoling would convince Herny, not when she was this worked up. Sometimes, a bit of tough love was the only way to go.
Herny took a deep, steadying breath. She knew she couldn't say no to the professor. The mere thought of disappointing him filled her with dread. With a final, resolute nod, she pushed open the classroom door.
The moment she stepped inside, the raucous chatter died down instantly. All eyes swiveled towards her, and a wave of confusion rippled through the room. The students exchanged puzzled glances. "Where's Professor Victor?" they seemed to be asking with their eyes. "Why is his teaching assistant standing at the lectern?"
Under the weight of their scrutiny, Herny felt her palms grow clammy and her heart pound in her chest. "Um..." she began, her voice wavering. "The professor has an urgent matter to attend to today, so... I'll be taking over the class on his behalf." Her voice grew softer with each word, until the last few syllables were barely audible, like a faint whisper carried away by the wind.
Her announcement was met with an uproar. "No way!" a student exclaimed. "She's just a teaching assistant. How can she possibly replace Professor Victor?" another chimed in. "First of all, we need to know if the professor actually authorized this. And even if he did, does she have the skills to match the professor?" a third voice added. "We demand Professor Victor! If our grades suffer because of this, can you take the blame?" a final student shouted, his voice laced with anger.
Herny wilted under the barrage of criticism. Her head dropped, and she felt like a scolded child. Her eyes darted around the room, desperate for an escape. "Please, make it stop," she thought to herself. "Professor, where are you? I need you."
"I'm... I'm so sorry," she managed to stammer, her voice choked with emotion.
"Quiet!"
The sudden, booming command cut through the chaos like a knife. Herny jumped, startled. She looked up to see Erika, a student seated in the front row, rising to her feet. Magic rippled around her, and a complex, glowing magic array materialized in mid - air. Herny recognized it instantly: a silencing spell.
"Teaching assistant Herny, please continue," Erika said, her voice calm and reassuring.
Relief flooded through Herny. "Thank you, Erika," she mouthed silently, a wave of gratitude washing over her. At the same time, a twinge of guilt gnawed at her conscience. She remembered the unkind words she had spoken about Erika when the professor first arrived. Now, here was Erika, coming to her rescue. "I'll make it up to you," Herny vowed. "Next time, I'll make sure you're well - prepared for the exam."
"Good," Victor murmured to himself, watching the scene unfold from his vantage point outside the door. He was pleasantly surprised by Erika's intervention and, truth be told, not at all surprised by Herny's initial jitters. He had hoped that the pressure from the students would help Herny grow, but it seemed that he might have miscalculated. Sometimes, too much pressure could be counterproductive.
But having Herny teach was a necessity. He was set to leave the city with Gwen the next day, on a journey that could last anywhere from a week to half a month. As a professor, he couldn't afford to neglect his students' education. So, he had turned to Herny. After all, she had helped him prepare the lessons, and he knew she had the knowledge. The only thing holding her back was her shyness. He needed her to confront her fears and realize her own potential.
With Erika's help, the classroom gradually fell into a hushed silence. Herny took a deep breath, steeling herself. She began to speak, her voice initially hesitant but growing stronger with each word. She was reciting from the lecture notes she had painstakingly prepared, words she had committed to memory.
As she spoke, Herny found her rhythm. Her confidence grew, and she became more and more at ease. Victor, watching from afar, nodded approvingly. "She's a natural," he thought. "Given time, she'll be an outstanding teacher."
The students, too, were gradually won over. Their initial skepticism gave way to curiosity, and then to genuine admiration. They realized that Herny's teaching style, while different from Professor Victor's, was equally engaging. It was as if they were still learning from the master himself.
Before long, the only sounds in the classroom were Herny's voice, the rustling of pages, and the scratching of pens on paper. The students were completely engrossed in her lecture, hanging on to her every word.
But then, Herny came to a sudden halt. Her face paled. This part of the lesson required a live demonstration of a magic spell: Second - order magic: [Shattered Star]. When she had prepared the lesson, she had assumed that Professor Victor, a powerful third - order mage, would be the one to perform the demonstration. Now, she was in a bind. She was just a magic apprentice, and despite knowing the theory behind the spell, she lacked the magical power to cast it.
For a moment, panic threatened to overtake her. But then, she took a deep breath and regained her composure. "Student Erika," she said, her voice steady. "Could you do us the honor of demonstrating this spell?"
It was a gamble, she knew. But she had a hunch that Erika would come through for her. And she was right.
Erika rose gracefully from her seat and made her way to the lectern. She took the magic book from Herny's outstretched hand and scanned the pages. The instructions for [Shattered Star] were detailed, and with a bit of concentration, she was able to visualize the magic array.
Raising her hand, Erika began to chant the incantation. " [Shattered Star]!" she exclaimed.
A ripple of magic spread through the air. Suddenly, bright, twinkling stars appeared, one by one, forming a complex, glowing pattern. The students watched in awe as the magic array took shape. But just as it was about to reach its full potential, the stars vanished, leaving behind an empty void.
For a moment, the classroom was filled with confused murmurs. And then, without warning, a hail of thin, sharp spikes materialized out of nowhere. They shot towards a wooden dummy in the corner of the room, embedding themselves deep into the wood. The dummy was soon riddled with holes, a testament to the spell's power.
The students gasped. "That's incredible!" one of them exclaimed. "So that's how it's done," another murmured, scribbling furiously in their notebook.
With Erika's demonstration, the students quickly grasped the concept. They began to discuss the spell in excited whispers, completely forgetting that the silencing spell had long since worn off.
Herny let out a sigh of relief and exchanged a grateful smile with Erika. "Thank you," she mouthed. Erika nodded in reply, a warm smile on her face.
The class ended on a high note. As the bell rang, the students filed out of the classroom, chatting animatedly about what they had learned. None of them seemed disappointed that Professor Victor hadn't been there. In fact, they were all impressed by Herny's performance.
"Professor Victor's teaching assistant is amazing," one student said. "I had no idea she was so talented," another added.
Herny made her way over to Erika. "I can't thank you enough," she said earnestly. "If it weren't for you, I would have been a complete mess."
Erika waved her hand dismissively. "It was nothing," she said. "We're all in this together."
Herny leaned in and whispered, "I still can't figure out why the professor insisted on having me teach this class. It's his job, after all."
Erika frowned, a puzzled look on her face. "I'm not sure either," she said. "But I think we should go ask him."
And so, the two girls made their way to Victor's office.
Meanwhile, Victor was sitting at his desk, sipping a cup of coffee and flipping through a magic tome. As soon as he had seen that Herny was in the clear, he had slipped away to enjoy a bit of quiet time. The soft glow of the setting sun filtered through the window, casting a warm, golden light over the room. It was a peaceful, idyllic moment, interrupted only by the gentle rustling of pages.
But peace never lasts. A chime from the mage tower alerted him to the approaching visitors. With a sigh, he granted Herny and Erika permission to teleport into his office.
A flash of light later, the two girls appeared before him.
"Professor," Herny said, her voice barely above a whisper. She still seemed a bit intimidated by him, despite her successful class.
Victor didn't look up from his book right away. "Today's class was quite impressive," he said casually, as if he had been expecting nothing less. "How did you feel?"
Herny let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks to Erika, it went better than I could have imagined," she said. "If I ever have to do this again, I won't be so scared."
Erika, who had been feeding Vega, the office's pet bird, turned around and gave Herny a friendly smile.
Herny remembered the reason for their visit. "Professor," she said, gathering her courage. "Why did you ask me to teach the class?"
Victor closed the book with a soft thud and looked up. "I'm going on a trip," he said simply. "I'll be away for a while, and I needed to see if you were up to the task. And I have to say, I'm impressed."
Herny's eyes widened in surprise. "You were testing me?" she asked.
Victor nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "You did an excellent job. I have no doubt that you'll make a wonderful lecturer one day."
Herny's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you, Professor," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "Your words mean the world to me."
Erika, on the other hand, was still processing the news. "You're leaving?" she asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "For how long?"
For some reason, the thought of Victor being away made her feel a bit sad. She had grown accustomed to their after - class discussions and the knowledge she gained from him. Without him, the evenings would seem a bit emptier.
But then, another voice in her head piped up. "Great! He's leaving. Now I don't have to deal with him," she thought, trying to convince herself that she didn't care. "I'm a talented mage in my own right. I don't need his help."
"By the way," Victor said, turning to Erika. "What questions do you have for me today? The sooner we're done, the sooner I can call it a day."
Erika was taken aback. She hadn't expected him to remember their usual routine. "Oh, um..." she said, fumbling for the questions she had prepared. "I... I have a few things I wanted to ask." As she walked towards him, she felt a strange sense of unease. For some reason, she couldn't focus as well as she usually did.
....
Later that evening, Leia walked into Victor's study. "The store is all set," she announced. "I've taken care of everything. The renovations are complete, and the inventory is stocked."
These past few days, Leia had been busy in the royal capital, overseeing the preparations for their new business venture. She had barely had time to rest, but it had been worth it. The store was now ready to open its doors to the public.
Victor looked up from his desk. "Good work," he said. "What's the price point?"
Leia took a seat across from him. "One thousand gold coins," she said. "It's a steep price, but considering the quality and the demand, I think it's fair."
Victor nodded in agreement. "You're right. It's a reasonable price for what we're offering. And if we can sell fifty bottles, that's a tidy sum of fifty thousand gold coins."
Leia smiled. "Exactly. And the cost is minimal. Just one tree fruit per bottle, and even though they're rare, they only cost about ten gold coins each. It's a lucrative business, no doubt about it."
"By the way," Victor added, "we should limit the purchase to two bottles per person per day."
Leia raised an eyebrow. "Why? I mean, the potion is expensive. I'm not even sure if we'll have many customers at first. And now you want to limit the sales?"
Victor leaned back in his chair. "It's a long - term strategy," he explained. "At the beginning, we're not aiming to make a fortune. We want to build a reputation, to spread the word about the potion's effectiveness. The more people who try it and are satisfied, the more demand there will be in the future. And once the demand is high, we can adjust the price and the quantity as needed."
Leia listened intently, her eyes widening with admiration. "You really have a head for business," she said. "I'm impressed."
She yawned, suddenly feeling tired. "Oh, right," she said, remembering something. "Are you really going to that volcano with Gwen?"
Victor nodded. "Yes, I am. It's an important mission, and I can't afford to miss it."
Leia shrugged. "All right. Just don't get yourself killed out there. I don't want to have to deal with the hassle of collecting your body." She said it with a hint of humor, but there was also a touch of concern in her voice.
"Good night," she said, standing up. "I'm off to bed."
After she left, Vega, who had been dozing in his cage, opened his eyes. "Your sister seems to care about you more than she lets on," he said.
Victor smiled faintly. "Yes, things have been improving between us. Slowly but surely."
"How did you manage that?" Vega asked, curious.
Victor picked up a bottle of blue potion from the table and twirled it between his fingers. "I made her money," he said simply. "In our world, that can go a long way."