Magic Academy Bans Harem

Chapter 258 Xia Lu's Mindset

"Hey, hey, please be serious. This makes me seem particularly arrogant, since I passed the preliminary rounds, doesn't it?"

In the exhibition hall selected for the judging panel, Miriam scratched his head and complained to his three companions at the seminar.

In the bathing seminar, Noah was a senior student, the upperclassman of the group. However, Noah's appearance and behavior didn't give off any "upperclassman" vibe. Therefore, after getting to know each other, the seminar members treated each other as peers.

"My artwork has been confiscated."

Tabasha, who usually seems indifferent to everything, was unusually aggrieved.

Noah, biting his finger and staring at his clumsy work on display, had no interest in chatting. As for Melsie, she was squatting on the ground, drawing circles in obvious frustration.

"This"

Although it's not entirely clear what exactly happened, and it's highly likely that it was different from the professor's original intention.

However, Miriam was certain that the girls at the seminar had indeed been affected by this "punishment" and learned a lesson.

"Hey~ Miriam actually made it through the preliminary rounds. What a pity you didn't let Tabisa's entry participate. I thought it had a good chance too!"

Not far away, Ritas, who had been listening to the goddess of bathing's sarcastic remarks, felt that the huge canvas in his hands was getting a little too hot.

An exhibition is impossible. Art may be free, but the academy is not!

He couldn't let the painting be displayed to the public, allowing people to discuss which part of Tabasha's body the strange patterns on the paper were imprinted from.

However, it wasn't quite right for him to keep the painting; if someone saw it, things could get complicated. But burning it directly would be too much.

Therefore, it would be best to return the painting to Tabasha after the appraisal meeting.

Recalling the "Kaleidoscope" incident, it was Tabata who was initially watching. Ritas wondered if she and Serian had already become close.
Ritas, who hadn't anticipated the negative impact of Serian and its rapid emergence, couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

"Putting everything else aside, Miriam has indeed done a good job."

Because the nature of this year's judging session was somewhat different from previous years, the number of works that were ultimately selected for the formal judging session was almost double, reaching about thirty pieces.

Even so, it is still a remarkable thing.

And you should know that this was the result of Miriam's preparations in just a few days.

Although Ritas didn't yet know what kind of work Miriam had produced, he could still sense the innate talent emanating from Miriam, as if he were truly favored by the heavens, talent that constantly overflowed and encompassed many fields.

Therefore, Ritas couldn't help but wonder: would simply nurturing a talented student like Miriam to graduation, as he had originally envisioned, also be a kind of "failure"?
In a brief moment of reflection, Ritas saw a new artwork hanging on the wall of the exhibition hall. Then, he also saw the red-haired girl from his class who always seemed lost in thought.

As Xia Lu's works were exhibited, a buzzing sound soon filled the surrounding area.

Because of the selection process, Earls Academy is only partially open today, but will be fully open tomorrow.

It is precisely for this reason that all sorts of people gather in the academy, especially in the exhibition hall.

"How can such a work be exhibited?"

As a shrill, somewhat incomprehensible sound rang out, the surrounding chatter intensified.

To some extent, these people were really feeling stifled.

Whether or not they participated in the preliminary judging, everyone gathered here had some opinions to offer. It's just that the previous works hadn't given them a chance.

Exceptionally outstanding works passed the preliminary selection but will not be exhibited. There's nowhere to praise them.

Other entries that made the cut were either reasonably good or cleverly designed, like Noah's. Even worse, there were works like Melsie's, which left viewers completely baffled as to why a scarf was framed and displayed on the wall.

This means that one has to think twice before criticizing them.

After all, this is the historic Erles Higher Magic Academy.

Then, Xia Lu's painting appeared.

They finally got what they'd been waiting for.

Those are terrible paintings that require no skill whatsoever; all you need to do is criticize and satirize them.

"Did someone die suddenly on that canvas?"

His sarcastic remarks garnered approval from those around him.

“My child can draw like this at the age of three.” “Then he is a bit late in developing his talents, and he probably won’t be able to pursue a career in art.”

Their witty banter drew laughter.

"This drawing is so bad it's shocking! Has Earls really fallen so low that even a student like this can get into school?"

The old man's words, though their connection to Erles Academy was unclear, could still stir up a wave of shared indignation. Erles itself wasn't frequently affected; rather, the "Purplewood Class" next to Xia Lu's signature was more often impacted.

It wasn't just bystanders giving negative reviews; those with some knowledge of painting recognized the expensive pigments used in the painting. They angrily denounced it, saying that even dissolving the pigments in water would be more valuable than using the same pigments on Xia Lu's canvas.

Faced with such a "spectacular scene".

Ritas and Sharu silently gathered in one place, simply looking up at the work that had sparked the most discussion that day.

“Not at all unexpected, Professor.”

Whether it was because she simply didn't care or because she had a big heart, Xia Lu said calmly.

"So, will you regret it, Xia Lu?"

"Regret? Which one is the professor referring to? Is it regretting developing an interest in the critique, regretting not having tried harder beforehand, or regretting bringing out those graffiti at the last minute?"

"Aren't you very clear about this?"

So why is it that Xia Lu, despite being so clear-headed, insists on doing things that bring her no benefit?
"I thought the professor would be stricter, or more smug."

"proud?"

"It's that feeling, 'It's because you didn't listen to me that things turned out like this!'"

It seems that Xia Lu has not suffered any setbacks at all, and even has the leisure to perfectly imitate a rather ugly face.

"The opposite of this statement is probably 'You were able to succeed so smoothly because you listened to me.' In other words, when you succeed, all the credit goes to me. And when you fail, all the blame lies with you. I don't believe that my words are as absolute as truth, or that my advice has the value of a gem."

Ritas slowly shook his head.
"Your failure will not be my success. As for being strict, I will try to find a suitable standard."

After all, according to Ritas's own standards, the question awaiting the trainees was how many days they could survive. Letting out a sigh of relief, and after looking at Xia Lu's terrible work for a while, and listening to the torrent of negative reviews, Ritas suddenly asked,

"Xia Lu, did you come to this academy on 'tourism'?"

Ritas's voice startled Charlotte for a moment.

She discovered that this word, which she had never thought of before, unexpectedly fit her behavior and mindset.

I only need to leave a few footprints, not stay permanently, so I won't develop any emotional attachment to this land. I just need to choose what I find interesting, experience it briefly, without going deep.
A simple question suddenly gave Xia Lu the feeling that Ritas could see right through her.

"I'm not questioning you, Xia Lu. So please don't overthink it. If we're just talking about the other students in the Purplewood Class, I think they have some things in common. That is, they are learning unfamiliar knowledge in this unfamiliar place, feeling the unfamiliar future that is constantly approaching. Their hearts are generally filled with an inescapable unease. But Xia Lu, you obviously don't have that mentality."

As Ritas spoke, he briefly recalled his student days.

He had actually harbored similar anxieties. And his teacher, though terrible in every way, gradually eased his anxieties, which was one of the few things the teacher did that was befitting of his role.

"Tourism is certainly a relaxing and enjoyable activity that can unwind the mind and body, reduce stress, and alleviate worries and burdens. However, if you are truly interested in and yearn for a particular 'sacred place,' you might as well be patient and stay for a while. Perhaps you will see more things and gain more insights."

"."

After a brief silence, Xia Lu smiled and asked,

"If what the professor said earlier is true, then these suggestions are neither truth nor of any value. So, do I not need to listen to them?"

".Tsk."

Xia Lu's mind works pretty fast at times like this.

Another period of silence ensued between the two. As new works were exhibited, the people who had booed Xia Lu's work gradually dispersed.

"Although the next judging session will probably follow the same format as before, it will be much more difficult to participate than this year. But next year, let's participate again and wash away the humiliation of today, Xia Lu."

Listening to Ritas's words, Xia Lu turned her head slightly and saw a figure who seemed to regret and be unwilling even more than herself.

She felt that this figure might not be as easily forgotten as her fleeting college years.

So, even knowing her own situation, Xia Lu still replied softly, as if possessed.

"Um"

The farce surrounding Xia Lu's terrible work, which had almost subsided, has been reignited with the appearance of a boy who bears some resemblance to her.

"I told you, Xia Lu doesn't know anything about art. Look at this painting, it's just painted on paper. If it were a bed sheet, people would think she's still wetting the bed. Hahahaha—! Wait, this doesn't look like paper, it looks like cloth, could it really be!"

The person who led a group of students of the same age to mock Xia Lu's work was her twin brother, Sunny.

So, Xia Lu said, "Hehehe, Professor, I have some personal matters to attend to, please excuse me," and left.

Before long, a boy's exceptionally shrill screams could be heard outside the exhibition hall.

"There really are guys in this world who always take full responsibility for getting beaten up."

"It's true that some people don't learn their lesson even after being beaten so many times."

The goddess of bathing and Ritas sighed.

Although Ritas opposes violence, and even more so his students' use of violence, he decided to pretend he hadn't seen it this time. It was just a unique way for the siblings to express their feelings.

Since Charlotte's work had also been eliminated, Ritas felt it was about time to leave the exhibition hall when he noticed a rather strange scene.

On this day, members of the Guard Knights, who were assisting the academy in guarding the exhibition hall, had been frequently picking on tourists who were about to leave.

After pausing and staring for a while, Ritas realized that the people who were being targeted were the same ones who had previously made a fuss and mocked Charlotte's painting.

coincidence?

If it weren't a coincidence, it seems that Xia Lu wouldn't be able to do such a thing.

So, if it's related to Xia Lu, then she has the power and the leisure to do so.
Ritas looked around the exhibition hall for a while and finally found a young woman who was wearing a silver mask to participate in the preliminary selection that day and was currently facing away from him.

Ms. An

"Tch, we've been found out."

There wasn't a trace of displeasure in her tone that warranted a gasp; An turned around.

"But unfortunately, there is no reward."

In the exhibition hall, Ritas first stopped the childish fault-finding behavior that Ann had instigated, which was in some ways even more embarrassing.

I wonder what the members of the Guardian Knights feel like on a daily basis. Their leader is already like that, and there are even more unruly people above him.

Seeing that there was nothing for him to worry about in the exhibition hall, Ritas breathed a sigh of relief and began to scan the exhibits around where Anne had been standing.

"It seems that Ms. An's work has successfully passed the preliminary selection."

"The professor has so much confidence in my work?"

An, wearing a mask, wasn't actually very conspicuous in the exhibition hall.

While not quite as chaotic as the Adventurers' Guild, these self-proclaimed artists are still a group with very distinct personal styles. Adding to this is a certain master who has been gaining prominence in recent years, whose signature is also wearing a mask. Therefore, the number of masked individuals is even greater, further complicating the security work.

Although his face was not very clear, Ritas felt that Anne's current appearance was closer to her true appearance, similar to that at the banquet.

Perhaps An's methods of disguise, whether transforming into someone else or reverting to herself, cannot be accomplished in a short time. It requires time to gradually complete the transformation.

“After all, I have seen your paintings. The works you painted in a short time, and which were not on a dedicated canvas, were of very high quality and standard. This one, which you had enough time to prepare, must be even better.”

Ritas was referring to the painting that Ann had done on the ceiling of Adeline's bedroom during the summer, under the pretext of "abandoning color."

As before, An would be especially happy when her paintings were praised, or rather, when they were praised by "Yicai".

Although Ritas had no intention of praising, he was simply stating the facts.

Just when it was supposed to be a preliminary round of an art appraisal event, but Ritas was finally having his first opportunity to talk about "art," an unsettling figure appeared and interrupted him.

Sir Himm, who looked like he was about to die every day, slowly walked into the exhibition hall with Maud's help.

(End of this chapter)