Bertram helped Siles move the three cardboard boxes to Siles’s dormitory and then left.
Siles’s dormitory was located in the building in front of the row of townhouses, with the address 6 Hayward Street. Most of the building actually consisted of three-story suites for families, and Siles’s single apartment was also converted from such a suite.
The first floor was a common area, mainly a kitchen and a living room; the second and third floors were independent bedrooms and bathrooms, each with a private balcony and a small study.
Siles was very satisfied with such a dormitory—he reckoned he wouldn’t be cooking much anyway.
He lived on the third floor. Looking out from the balcony, he could see the castle in the distance, as well as the building that should be the library. Gazing out, the vast openness almost instantly washed away the fatigue of Siles’s early rising.
He took a deep breath and rested for a moment.
Then Siles took some towels and cloths for cleaning and went alone to the Literature History Professor’s office on the fourth floor of the main castle—the one that belonged to him.
It was still the scene he and Professor Bright had left on Monday. At that time, they had only slightly tidied up the messy documents and papers, but were helpless against the dust and stains.
This time Siles brought a rag. He worked hard to clean and tidy up the place, and reorganized the materials left by Professor Cabel.
Having learned his lesson, he didn’t dare to look closely at these materials this time, but just randomly folded them and stuffed them into the corner of the bookcase. Those papers looked chaotic, but when actually stacked up, they only occupied one low cabinet.
After wiping down the desk, clearing everything off the table, emptying all the drawers, and stuffing all the materials into the low cabinet, Siles opened the window to let the fresh air from outside breeze through the slightly murky atmosphere of the office.
He sat on the sofa for a moment, then raised his eyes to examine the office.
The office area was about ten square meters, mostly composed of warm, old wooden structures.
On the left side of the entrance was a whole wall of bookcases, and directly opposite were two windows, which were now open to the outside. Siles also casually wiped the window glass.
In front of the windows was the desk in the center of the room, with a chair that looked soft and comfortable beside it. Originally, the chair had its back to the window, but Siles felt this was quite uncomfortable, so he turned the desk sideways.
When he sat there, he faced the bookshelf in front, and on the right, he could directly see the large lawn outside the window and the school entrance. This made him feel much more open and comfortable.
To the left of the desk, there was a two-seater sofa and a small wooden coffee table placed on the side. Behind the desk were two rows of low cabinets. The things left by Professor Cabel were in the low cabinet on the inner side.
At this moment, there were already many books and ornaments on the tall open bookshelf. Siles scanned them briefly; they were all normal academic works, so he didn’t move them, planning to deal with them later.
But as he sat on the sofa now, his gaze unintentionally swept over the books on the shelf, and he suddenly froze, thinking, that book that had once greatly disturbed Professor Cabel… could it be on the shelf?
Siles was suspicious.
He felt it shouldn’t be, right? Professor Cabel left in a hurry, but he should have taken that important book with him… But then again, even if Professor Cabel really learned some shocking truth because of that book, why did he resign?
Why did his teaching assistant also disappear?
The more he thought about it, the more solemn and uneasy Siles felt.
He thought of the supernatural power of this world again—Revelator. Power and revelation from the past.
The book Professor Cabel obtained must also be from the past, right?
Siles held his breath for a moment, then shook his head, stood up, and stopped thinking about those things. He looked at his office with satisfaction, thinking that maybe he could buy a pot of green plants in a while.
He made a note of this matter, then locked the office and went to the cafeteria to eat.
Lafami University’s cafeteria had two floors in total, the first floor for students and the second floor for faculty and staff. The taste of the faculty cafeteria was obviously much better than that of the student cafeteria—and he was a professor now.
With an inexplicable feeling, under the gaze of quite a few students dining on the first floor, Siles went up to the second floor.
At the staircase, he could still hear several students talking.
“…That’s actually a professor!”
“So young! So handsome!”
“Is he a new professor this year? What subject does he teach?”
“…Why do I feel he looks a bit familiar?”
Of course he looked familiar. Siles thought to himself. Because three months ago he was still a senior to this group of students.
Siles shook his head with slight amusement.
The university cafeteria prices were much cheaper than outside. Siles calculated that if he ate in the cafeteria all day, it would probably only cost three Marquis coins. Eating better would only cost five Marquis coins, very friendly.
Siles finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He decided to eat in the cafeteria every day. Occasionally, when he needed to leave school, he would eat out at a restaurant to try fresh tastes.
He absent-mindedly finished a lunch—some kind of pasta—and left the cafeteria. Leaving with him was another young professor, but Siles didn’t pay much attention to him.
But when the two of them walked one after another toward 6 Hayward Street at the same time, both of them blinked involuntarily.
They entered the door tacitly, saw each other in the living room, and then both laughed.
“Good afternoon, my roommate.” The young professor also looked under thirty, a man with dimples when he smiled. He blinked at Siles, “I am Lorenzo Grantham.”
“Good afternoon. Siles Noel.”
“Oh, I’ve heard your name!” Lorenzo said enthusiastically. “The youngest professor at Lafami University! You’re already famous!”
Siles was slightly surprised, and at the same time felt that his roommate’s personality was a bit… er, active?
Lorenzo chattered on: “I’m in archaeology, but I’m still a teaching assistant. And you’re already a professor of literary history, that’s amazing.”
Siles shook his head and said, “Just lucky.”
After Professor Cabel left, his teaching assistant suddenly disappeared, and the School of Literature and History could only recruit urgently, and Professor Bright most likely put in some effort… In short, Siles himself was indeed an excellent literary history scholar, but he wouldn’t have become a professor directly so easily.
Lorenzo also shook his head: “Alright, no need to be so modest. Your matter is about to spread throughout the school. I guess after school starts, all the students will know about your existence—by the way, have you thought about the club?”
Lorenzo seemed to suddenly think of something, and the topic changed instantly.
“What?” Siles didn’t react at all.
“The club!” Lorenzo said, “You are so young and handsome, you will definitely be sought after by students. If you organize a club, your college will probably be very willing.”
Siles recalled for a moment before understanding what Lorenzo meant by “club.”
It was actually like a private tutoring session opened by a professor for his favorite students. It was open to the whole school, but the candidates would be selected by the professor himself, usually numbering around a dozen.
Some more famous professors would select students suitable to be their apprentices from the club, so such clubs were also called “pre-scholar education.”
Siles himself had participated in Professor Bright’s club.
Siles thought about it, but still shook his head and said, “I don’t think I will open a club.”
First, he lacked seniority; second, he had just become a professor and might not have the time and energy to study the club.
…You know, he already had a pile of troublesome things now.
Lorenzo smiled mysteriously: “That’s what you think. But what the college thinks, that’s not necessarily certain.”
Siles was a little confused. Lorenzo had obviously been in the Lafami University faculty system for a while, but Siles was still a complete novice.
Seeing that Siles hadn’t reacted yet, Lorenzo couldn’t help but sigh heavily: “Professor Noel, didn’t you feel—there are many students in the basic education of the School of Literature and History, but very few apprentices in advanced education?”
Siles thought for a moment before reacting.
School of Literature and History—Literature and History, these were subjects that seemed very attractive, but in-depth study would appear very boring and complicated. Therefore, many students who came based on interest and hobbies were unwilling to become apprentices after completing basic education courses.
It was incredible that an elderly professor like Professor Bright was still active on the teaching front line. He was about to retire, yet he still had to teach quite a few courses every week.
The School of Literature and History needed fresh blood. Perhaps this was also one of the reasons why Siles could become a professor at such a young age.
Therefore, the School of Literature and History might also need a signboard, a charming enough professor, to make students consider staying in the School of Literature and History, or even attract students from other majors.
Of course, everything still had to speak based on ability and academic achievements, but… letting Siles open a club to see how many students were willing to follow him, that should be okay, right?
Siles finally understood.
He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry for a moment, feeling that he seemed to have inadvertently taken on another not-so-small trouble. However… he would just pretend he didn’t know, and it wouldn’t be too late to consider it when the higher-ups brought it up.
He chatted with Lorenzo for a few more sentences. This talkative teaching assistant also discussed some unspoken rules with Siles.
He said: “You have to confirm your apprentices as soon as possible, and then give them the title of teaching assistant so they can help you grade assignments!”
Siles: “…”
He couldn’t help but be silent for a moment, then said, “Aren’t you also a teaching assistant?”
“Anyway, it’s not me grading assignments for you.” Lorenzo shrugged. “Professors have things professors should do; you really don’t have the time to correct students’ assignments.”
Siles thought about it and couldn’t help but sigh slightly, saying, “Yeah.”
Both of them were slightly depressed for a moment.
Lorenzo because he had to help the professor grade assignments, and Siles because even if he didn’t have to grade assignments, there were more troublesome things waiting for him.
Lorenzo seemed to remember something again, and he asked: “By the way, do you know which club’s advisor you are?”
“…Club?”
Lorenzo looked at him in confusion and nodded: “Student clubs. Clubs within the college need to have a professor as an advisor. You will definitely be assigned one too—that’s how it is for young professors; I’m leading three clubs.”
Siles: “…”
Professor clubs and student clubs… his schedule should be comparable to a high school senior, right?
