The words slipped out with a tone of genuine curiosity. Reynard honestly hadn't the faintest clue, because this wasn't his world, after all, and what exactly did "Material Science and Engineering" translate to in this kingdom's academic system? Alchemy? Metallurgy? General Inconvenience Studies?
But Arwen froze mid-step. Slowly, he turned, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and simmering anger.
"…Is this a joke to you?" he asked, his voice tight.
Reynard blinked. "What? Don't look at me like I've grown two heads. I only asked because..."
Arwen's grip on the papers tightened, his knuckles whitening. "How dare you," he spat softly, his composure trembling. "Mocking me again? As if the last time wasn't enough?"
Reynard tilted his head. "Mocking—? No, you've misunderstood—"
But Arwen cut him off with a sharp, bitter laugh. "You were the Head of the Department of Metallurgy and Experimental Studies. That's what you were, Professor Reynard. Or have you conveniently forgotten your own title after stepping on every last student beneath you?"
Reynard's mouth hung slightly open. Oh. So that was what his old subject translated to here. But before he could reply, the boy's words kept pouring out like acid.
"You stole other people's credit, destroyed their reputations, mocked and discarded anyone who got in your way. And now you are standing there, pretending ignorance and innocence like it was all some kind of game?"
He slammed the door so hard on his way out that the shelves rattled and a small stack of papers fluttered to the floor again.
Silence settled into the room. Reynard blinked once. Twice.
"…Well. Look at that bastard, not even offering a thanks for the help, what a jackass." Reynard muttered dryly.
The system's cheerful chime rang in his ears like a slap:
Ding!
[Congratulations, host! You've successfully deepened the protagonist's distrust! A standing ovation for your stellar social skills!]
Reynard rubbed his temples. "…You're enjoying this far too much."
Ding!
[Mission Updated:
[Main Questline – Assist Arwen in his projects.]
Side Objective unlocked: Reduce the Protagonist's Hostility Level.
Current Hostility: Red alert (Maximum).]
Reynard groaned. "Maximum hostility already? I barely said anything!"
[Correction: You asked what department you were in. Which, given your history as a credit-stealing, reputation-destroying academic leech… understandably came across as mockery.]
"…Oh, for heaven's sake." Reynard slumped back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
Reynard flopped back into the oversized leather chair with a dramatic groan, dragging one leg lazily across the floor. The afternoon sunlight spilled unevenly over the cluttered desk, casting long shadows across parchment, vials, and scribbled diagrams.
He had finally decided, with the serenity of someone who'd resigned from all their responsibility, that he would spend the rest of the afternoon lounging around, perhaps enjoying a nap in the sun, or maybe even finding a way to brew a strong cup of wine or distilled liquor for himself.
After all, Arwen had slammed the door with enough force to rattle the entire wing. The boy's hostility was now… officially his problem, and Reynard had determined not to waste another precious second worrying about it.
"Ah, my sweet, lazy freedom," he murmured, stretching his arms above his head.
But as his eyes wandered lazily across the desk, they caught on something that hadn't really been noticed in the chaos of the morning: a scattered set of papers, partially hidden under a stack of open books and broken quills.
With a faint sigh of annoyance at having to move, Reynard leaned forward. He flipped the first page over, then the next, fumbled awkwardly with the edges of the scattered sheets, and slowly, a spark of curiosity began to ignite.
"…Hm. What's this?"
He realized, almost immediately, that he wasn't looking at random notes. This was… an original research paper. And they weren't just any paper, but a document meticulously prepared, full of diagrams, carefully numbered references, and tightly reasoned arguments. Even in this archaic, magic-tinged world, the quality of the writing suggested a mind used to structured and scientific thinking.
Reynard blinked and adjusted his crooked jaw, which was still sore from yesterday's disastrous awakening. "…Well, well, well. Looks like the original owner of this body… wasn't a complete waste of space after all."
He continued to flip through the pages, scanning each section. Equations scribbled in margins, references to obscure texts, even experimental data drawn from arcane sources, were laid out with astonishing clarity. It became immediately clear that the original Reynard had ambitions that went far beyond stealing his students' work and lounging in his office all day.
"Curious," Reynard muttered, tilting his head. "I was astonished when reading the novel that this guy wasn't evil or a thug. Nor a scheming villain with a murderous streak. Just… peculiar."
"Oddly selfish, but not destructive. Not the kind of person who ruins lives for fun."
He leaned back, letting the papers slide through his hands like cards in a magician's trick. The system, of course, immediately piped up.
[System Commentary: Ding!]
[Wow, Host! Who knew you had a soft side buried under that sack of laziness and sarcasm? Look at you, actually curious about someone else's research. Adorable. ♥]
Reynard rolled his eyes. "…Shut up. I'm curious, not 'adorable.'"
[Adorable. Yes. Definitely adorable. Look at those flailing arms. You're basically the cat knocking over the vase for science.]
He muttered a curse under his breath and ignored the glowing panel, but he couldn't ignore the growing intrigue gnawing at the back of his mind.
The subject of the research became apparent as he skimmed the introductory section: the Seven Deadly Sins.
Reynard's eyebrow twitched. "…Seven… Deadly… Sins?" He muttered the words aloud. "What in the empire's name is he doing researching that? That's… that's not a subject even the advanced academies touch. That's— oh, right, arcane relics. Dangerous artifacts. Possibly cursed."
The system chuckled in a tone that could only be described as smug.
Ding!
[Yes, Host! Looks like the original Professor Reynard von Esteban was trying to find the artifacts of the Seven Deadly Sins. You know, the ones that the novel lore says are so ridiculously overpowered they could level cities? Totally reasonable career move. ♥]