Chapter 47 Ordinary Campus Life and Doing Problems and Receiving Praise...
The reporting went very smoothly. The documents were submitted, and the procedures were completed in less than two minutes. They were then informed that they could go and collect their school uniforms and books.
While Ethan was waiting for the paperwork to be completed, Turner was catching up with his former teacher.
"You brat." A teacher who looked to be in his fifties with a full head of white hair pointed at Tenas: "You only think of us teachers when you need something. You never come back to see us."
Tenas, a powerful warrior, was scolded in front of the woman who had once taught him, yet he remained as obedient as a child, not daring to argue back.
"I'm too busy, teacher, you know that." After the teacher in front of him had finished scolding him, Turner pretended to be aggrieved and told the truth, pretending to be hurt by what was said.
The teacher saw right through him, but Ethan still softened. He watched helplessly as the usually mature and composed Tenus acted as if he were still a student there, chatting and joking with the teacher.
It seems like she's acting a bit out of character. Is this what she's like in private? She usually seems so composed. But then again, there must be some differences between work and private life.
Ethan's paperwork was already completed, but he was observant and sat to the side without joining them. He watched as Turner made all the teachers happy. The male teachers pretended to be serious and said that Turner was still the same; he was good with words and could make any woman, regardless of age, happy.
Of course, Turner wouldn't neglect these male teachers. With just a few words, he made all the serious male teachers laugh, and the office was filled with a harmonious atmosphere. Ethan felt a little out of place and even considered sneaking out first and waiting for them to finish talking.
However, before he could make a real decision, Turner had already withdrawn from the teaching staff.
Turner accompanied Ethan to collect the items.
Ethan received a large stack of books and—a set of girls' school uniforms, including a miniskirt.
Ethan resigned himself to his fate and waited until he picked up the books. Turner considerately picked up the stack of books and introduced the school to him as they walked to the classroom.
“If you walk straight from here, you’ll see the cafeteria. Turn right at that road and walk about 200 meters to see the library. See that area? That’s the basketball court.” Turner introduced them one by one. “If you need anything, you can find those teachers you just met. The teacher who just scolded me was my former mentor. She’s now the principal. For minor issues, you can find other teachers. For major issues, you can find her. If all else fails, you can contact me.”
Ethan listened, clutching the women's clothing and nodding frantically.
“Tenas?” A female voice interrupted their conversation.
"Is that you, Mr. Turner?" The girl in the school uniform ran up to him, her eyes practically sparkling. "Oh my god, it really is Mr. Turner! Could I please get his autograph?"
The moment the girl made a sound, Turner instinctively checked if his mask was on his face. He had put it on immediately after leaving the teachers, and he had even put on the baseball cap that the teacher had kindly provided. He didn't expect that the female student would still recognize him.
"Good heavens! What is that classmate saying?" Someone in the distance heard the noise and looked over incredulously: "Did she just say that Lord Ternas is here?"
As a result, Turner was surrounded by more and more fans. Ethan was pushed out of the crowd but didn't feel uncomfortable at all. He just stared in disbelief as Turner's fans started fighting over who would give Turner a gift first.
"We're both guardians, but our fates are so different." Ethan was pushed eighty meters away, and he couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the surging crowd.
"Sorry, but you'll have to go first." Turner mouthed silently to him. Even if he shouted, the crowd wouldn't hear him, and it might draw some of the fire away from Ethan.
Who can guarantee that fans are rational? Even Turner himself can't guarantee that.
Ethan sneaked in again and successfully took his textbook from Turner's hands, then left his colleague, who was surrounded by fans, without looking back.
Ethan first found his class by following the directions they gave him. Perhaps because of the arrival of Tenas, many people had gone out, and the classroom was empty. Was the guardian of this city really that popular?
Ethan's first reaction wasn't envy, but rather that he had the chance to be alone with someone and change his dress. Although he didn't want to, he accepted it anyway.
Ethan went straight to the men's restroom, changed his clothes in less than two minutes, and then came out and made eye contact with a male classmate.
The male student scratched his head, looked at the sign on the wall and then at Ethan, his eyes full of confusion, as if he had just understood something: "Bro, you're transgender, right?"
Ethan avoided eye contact, only responding with "uh-huh" and "yeah."
This classmate actually used the word "brother" to take care of him, who was suspected of being transgender, even though he wasn't. He didn't call him that wrong.
Ethan gave a few perfunctory replies to appease the male student before returning to the classroom. Many students have already returned.
Ethan was sitting by the window and could see that Turner was almost out of the school gate when he suddenly stopped, took off his sunglasses, and looked in his direction.
Ethan's colleague was incredibly perceptive. He didn't dodge, and soon Turner recognized him, winked at him, and waved goodbye.
Out of courtesy, Ethan waved goodbye in return. Turning around, he noticed a group of classmates huddled by the window, staring intently at Turner's back. He even saw some glistening liquid hanging from the corners of the mouths of some of the more crowded classmates, which was a bit alarming.
I hope it's genuinely squeezed out, and not just leaking out on its own.
Fortunately, it seemed no one noticed his wave. Everyone took it for granted that he was a fan, and Ethan wasn't the only one who waved back when he saw Turner waving.
Once Tenas was completely out of sight, the enthusiastic students dispersed and returned to their seats.
"Oh right, you're a new face." The girl next to Ethan nudged his arm and smiled. "Did you come to the wrong place?"
Ethan awkwardly withdrew his hand. His social anxiety, stemming from his lack of experience with girls his own age, flared up again. His face flushed, and he stammered, "No... um... I just transferred schools..."
Ethan's voice grew softer and softer towards the end, and his mumbled words were almost inaudible unless you listened carefully.
Ethan didn't dare look directly at the girl, nor did he see the girl's puzzled and even somewhat displeased expression when he withdrew his hand. After he spoke, he suddenly realized what had happened, showing no trace of his earlier shrewish demeanor.
Ethan Nix unknowingly prevented a classmate from thinking he disliked her and thus hated him; congratulations!
"Are you socially anxious?" the girl asked Ethan in a low voice. "Nod if you are."
Ethan nodded, and the girl's attitude visibly softened; she became very enthusiastic.
The girl, who called herself Stella, chattered away to Ethan, who responded with nods and groans. Perhaps sensing his lack of interest in conversation, Stella suggested that they listen to the lesson first.
Then they started listening to the lecture.
After listening to the lesson, Ethan understood why Lord Starfall's expression was somewhat distorted when he heard that he wanted to go to high school. It was because it was too easy. Lord Starfall had taught him from the very beginning. Regardless of whether one was illiterate or not, one had to learn it first.
It's so easy! Even those supposedly difficult competition problems written on the teacher's blackboard are easy. By the way, were those supposedly super difficult competition problems?
Master Xingyun fed him a regular question... No wonder I was so frustrated when I was learning it back then, feeling like I didn't know anything and even doubting whether I was an idiot. Turns out the intensity was different from the start... Haha.
On the podium, the teacher smiled gently and carefully explained the difficult points and calculation methods to the students one by one. The students were not noisy and were taking notes diligently.
Ethan looked around blankly, and just as he was about to take out his pen and paper to pretend to take notes like the other students, the teacher noticed him.
"Ethan," the teacher adjusted his glasses, "you didn't take notes because you know how to do this problem? If you do, could you come up and show us how? If not, you need to take out a pen and paper and write down your notes right now."
The teacher's voice was not harsh; he asked questions in a calm manner and even gave him an out, simply asking him to prepare to take notes like everyone else.
Should we... go for it?
Ethan hesitated. He didn't really like being stared at by a lot of people. Although he was, going up meant being watched by others, and coming down meant being watched too. Should he go up?
To be honest, the terrible school environment he attended before he was eight years old still gives him some lingering effects. He has a fear of school. Although he has tried his best to adapt now, it feels like he has returned to the time many years ago when he was surrounded by people and falsely accused of stealing, which makes him nervous and constantly swallowing.
"Ethan," Stella whispered encouragingly beside him, in a voice only they could hear, "Go for it."
Stella didn't know why she trusted this new transfer student, but inexplicably, looking at this introverted classmate and at the questions on the blackboard, her mind didn't go blank with all the wrinkles smoothed out, but rather her doubts soon turned into sudden realizations, and she had an inexplicable feeling that she would...
So she whispered, "I believe you."
Ethan blinked at her, hesitated for a few seconds, and then actually bravely stepped forward and walked up.
Then everyone looked at the figure on the blackboard, who picked up the chalk and wrote a long string of solutions, all of which were correct and more detailed and better.
The teacher was both surprised and delighted, and generously praised the new student with her excellent eloquence. Everyone applauded in response.
Ethan was stunned by the teacher's barrage of praise, looking at his classmates who were still clapping, and then at her.
Stella, of course, affirmed her, giving her a thumbs-up and smiling broadly.
Ethan looked left and right again, and in full view of everyone, his face turned bright red. He opened and closed his mouth but couldn't utter a single word. He didn't dare to look at anyone anymore. To exaggerate a bit, it seemed like Ethan's head was about to smoke.
The students burst into good-natured laughter, which the teacher quickly stopped. Fearing she might misunderstand, the teacher praised her again, which made her blush all the way to her neck.
Starfall City is really very different from other cities. Ethan thought, feeling dizzy.
He hadn't intended to go up, but seeing Stella's encouraging expression, he went up without thinking. When he came to his senses, he had already finished the questions and was standing next to the teacher. The teacher kept praising him, as if he had done something amazing, and he didn't know how to react.
Ethan could clearly feel his face getting hotter and hotter, knowing that he was blushing because he was being praised, and that many people were applauding him, including Stella.
If his memory hadn't been wrong, he would have truly believed that he had unknowingly done something, like he had saved them when monsters suddenly attacked.
It's just solving a problem... at most it's a bit difficult... yet everyone's reacting so dramatically...
They were so enthusiastic that some students even whispered their admiration, saying they couldn't solve it themselves, and were stumped by the first step. They said the new student was amazing and they wanted to get to know him after class.
Ethan lowered his head sharply, his voice barely audible: "Teacher...may I go down now, teacher?"
Unfortunately, the teacher seemed not to hear him and was still praising him loudly. Ethan had lost the courage to ask a second question and wished he could dig a hole and bury himself, or just run out the door right now.
That was so embarrassing! With so many people watching, he made a fool of himself.
But inevitably, a strange and indescribable heat welled up in Ethan's heart.
The campus environment in Starfall City is nothing like the friendly environment outside. Fighting, framing, and plotting to get expelled are common occurrences. When you see someone solve a problem and get praised by the teacher, the first thought that comes to mind is not to think they are amazing, but to feel jealous of why they deserve it.
Many people believe they could do better if they were there; those people just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Then some people start to ruin the reputations of those they don't like.
This place is different. Ethan no longer confuses this place with his old school. Here, he won't be haunted by those terrible memories because everyone is a good person, without any malicious intent. They are generous with their praise and encouragement, and even look at him with admiration.
Unlike Starfall City, where strength is what others admire, outsiders seem to worship those with high levels of knowledge more.
Ethan loved it here, and for a moment he even thought about studying here.
Although he knew the knowledge inside and out, he really liked the atmosphere here. It was so friendly that he felt like a normal person again. He felt that if he stayed here for a long time, he could forget the fact that he was dead, let alone a guardian mage.
Unfortunately, Ethan cannot study here.
It's not that anyone forbids it, it's just that his work has become so busy that he can no longer squeeze out more time to do what he wants. Even when he needs to complete the mage quest quota, he has to work several nights straight doing city chores in order to find time to do the mage quest.
What a pity. Ethan couldn't help but feel regretful. The ordinary school days he longed for were probably gone from his life. Whether before or after his death, he would never have the chance to step into a normal school again.
However, if he squeezes in a few days, he might be able to attend school. But in order to prevent Tenas from noticing anything amiss, he would need to use some magic to confuse his classmates and make them think that he had always been attending school with them in their memories.
If this ordinary and heartwarming campus life is the reward, Ethan feels more motivated to work and treats it as a vacation.
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Author's Note: As I was writing, I started to feel uncomfortable... Oh no, Ethan... You're treating something that everyone else can easily have as a reward? π_π
I'm already wondering when this story will mature enough to be nearing its end. The post about my emotional journey with Ethan, which I'll be writing after the ending, has progressed to this point, starting from when I first conceived the idea last August.
Within ten chapters, his identity will be revealed. After that, a few more transitional chapters will be written, and we can directly move on to the next volume! [Rubbing hands in anticipation.jpg] The next chapter is from Ternas's perspective.
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