I Ended up Doing Too Well as a Professor of the Enemy Nation - Chapter 202

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 202. The Kidnapped Butterfly (3)

In fact, the Hero had searched the Chief Research Laboratory as soon as Ruin disappeared.

The research lab was suffocatingly clean. Document piles, desk drawers, bookshelves… He searched everything, but not a single trace of Ruin remained.

The Hero gritted his teeth.

“…I didn’t expect it to be this thorough.”

Just as he was about to give up, several small pieces of paper came tumbling out from under a drawer beside the desk.

The Hero reflexively picked up the papers. They were all short memos. Most seemed to be related to research lab management.

The first paper.

“Magic circle barrier inspection complete.”

The second paper.

“Sealed artifacts show no abnormalities.”

The third paper.

“Second floor warehouse organization finished.”

And the fourth paper.

“Data organization complete. Tomorrow’s experiment preparations show no issues.”

Simple contents. They seemed like work checklist memos.

But the Hero’s eyes stopped at a small symbol drawn at the bottom of the papers.

‘A crescent moon.’

The Hero’s pupils trembled greatly.

“…This is.”

The crescent moon symbol was Master’s habit. The habit of drawing a crescent moon as a sign of confirmation. He always left that mark on routine work records and even private memos. He remembered practicing the crescent moon symbol several times as a child, following Master’s example.

Strength naturally entered the Hero’s fingertips, crumpling the paper. The handwriting was definitely different. But this crescent moon symbol was… too familiar and perfect.

“…Ruins Wayne.”

The Hero’s voice trembled low.

“Who exactly are you…”

He had thought that Ruin having the box might mean he had stolen Master’s belongings.

However, no matter how he looked at it, this symbol belonged to Rabian Crawl. He might not know about other things, but there was no reason to imitate even this.

But that’s why he couldn’t understand.

‘Why did Fire Butterfly save me?’

Wasn’t he an enemy?

If he was the Demon Emperor’s spy, there was no reason to keep him alive. It would have been more natural to eliminate him instead. His mind began to get tangled in complexity.

That’s when it happened. A soft but subtly penetrating voice from behind.

“Are you still clinging to false hopes?”

The Hero reflexively turned his head.

“…You?”

Rei, who had been standing leaning against the doorway, quietly approached.

Her gaze was infinitely gentle, but there was a strange composure within it. A composure as if looking down on everything.

“You’re the one who fired the Head Professor.”

“…”

“What meaning could there be in searching for him now?”

Rei slowly extended her hand, placing her fingertips on the back of the Hero’s hand. Then she whispered.

“You know it too. Fire Butterfly is on the Demon Emperor’s side.”

“…!”

The sensation touching his fingertips trembled faintly.

“That person infiltrated Haven under the Demon Emperor’s orders.”

“…”

“Now that even his identity has been exposed, what reason would he have to fight alongside you?”

Rei’s voice was languid and seductive, but the Hero’s heart only grew heavier. She took another step closer.

“So forget about Fire Butterfly.”

“…”

“That person deceived you. Entering Haven was just a ploy to steal the Hero’s secrets.”

The Hero’s gaze gradually darkened. Rei’s words weren’t wrong. Fire Butterfly was definitely connected to the Demon Emperor.

But that’s exactly why he couldn’t understand even more. Why had Fire Butterfly taught the students with such sincerity? Why had he risked his life to save Goldsky?

‘Did the Demon Emperor order him to do that?’

…Like hell. That couldn’t be it.

The time when the Demon Emperor had tried to take Ruins away in anger over saving Goldsky was still vivid in his memory.

‘Then why did he enter Haven?’

At that moment, a fragment of memory suddenly came to mind.

“Then… let me ask one more thing. What is Professor Ruins’ purpose?”

“…Severance pay.”

Those words. Though spoken like a joke, that answer had contained an oddly sincere tone.

‘Did he come to Haven because it’s his final mission?’

The Hero, who had no idea that literal ‘severance pay’ was actually buried in the academy, couldn’t help but be confused.

While the Hero was lost in thought for a moment, Rei seized the opportunity. She slowly tried to embrace him. But-

Thud.

The Hero’s hand pushed Rei away.

“…Elaine?”

She called his name in confusion, but his eyes had already turned coldly distant.

“My disciple has no eye for people.”

Right, he certainly relied on Luck Power and tried not to suspect people. In Rei’s case too, perhaps Luck Power had been at work for Elaine.

‘Perhaps the wish to find Master-‘

But Rei, looking hurt yet forcing a smile, held on.

“Elaine…. Don’t tell me you trust Fire Butterfly’s words more than mine?”

“….”

“That person is humanity’s enemy! A subordinate of the Demon Emperor!”

However, the Hero coldly removed her hand.

“…You made a contract with Spider, didn’t you?”

“…!”

Rei’s expression hardened. The Hero continued with cold eyes.

“That’s how you gained that youth?”

Rei held her breath for a moment. But soon she smiled again. With an expression trying not to crumble.

“…I’m Elaine. I wanted to be with you.”

“….”

Those words no longer reached his ears.

He turned away without any emotion. He had to go to the Holy Empire. He needed to confirm directly. Whether he was really ‘Master’ or a minion of the Demon Emperor.

So he submitted his Holy Empire entry application. But what came back was….

-Rejected. ^-^ㅗ

“….”

The Hero stared at the entry rejection letter in his hand for a long time, then grabbed the back of his neck.

‘Damn! That Pope bastard!’

* * *

A few days later, faces that didn’t belong appeared one after another in the Holy Empire Meeting Hall.

The first one that caught Ruin’s eye was-

“…Why are you here?”

Ruin looked at the person entering through the door with a disgusted expression.

Kalon Gloucester.

“…Don’t tell me you’re stalking me?”

“Stalking my ass!”

Kalon set down his magic document bag with an irritated expression.

“The Hero’s side said ‘things got big’ and forced me into the negotiation team. What the hell did you do?”

“….”

Ruin turned his head. Unfamiliar faces visible beyond the meeting hall corridor. They were principals from other academies who had come from all over the continent.

“…Why did you all come?”

“Professor Ruins Wayne.”

Bellandis Principal waved her hand.

“We’re very interested too. If you come to our academy-“

“Kalefredo support is possible.”

Eastern Alliance Principal quickly interjected.

“Research funds, full authority, personnel, even a Frix research lab. Official professor appointment is of course included.”

Tirnait Principal said with a gentle smile.

“Rather than those superficial options, the signing bonus is important. We’ll offer five times more than the Holy Empire.”

“….”

Ruin tried to hold onto his gradually departing sanity.

‘No, why has the transfer market suddenly opened?’

That’s when it happened. A platinum-haired young man approached as if he’d been waiting and opened his mouth like a Holy Emperor.

“I express my gratitude to everyone who came this long way.”

“Oh, is that person the famous Holy Emperor!”

Ruin looked at the Pope as if astounded.

Does a human called Holy Emperor threaten someone to become his son-in-law while holding handcuffs?

“But unfortunately, if you wish to take away ‘our White Mage’… the negotiations will become a bit complicated.”

“…White Mage?”

As if hearing this for the first time, Ruin whispered to the Pope.

“Wait a minute. I’m not a White Mage, you know? Fraud is troublesome.”

The Pope chuckled and whispered to Ruin.

“Hey, I’ll raise your price even higher.”

“…”

“If the scouting negotiations go well, let’s split it 9:1.”

Ruin asked firmly.

“I get 9, right?”

“You get 1.”

“…”

Ruin’s eyebrows twisted into a figure-eight.

“…Didn’t you want to prevent your nephew’s regression?”

“…I’ll go up to 8:2.”

“…”

Well, it wasn’t an annual salary anyway, so it didn’t matter. Since the amount was so large, honestly even 2 seemed fine. Besides, if the Pope was guaranteeing to raise his price, what did it matter.

But the problem was that the Pope had started blatantly lying.

“Our White Mage Professor Ruins Wayne has taught students with more noble intentions than anyone else!”

“…What noble intentions.”

It was all because of severance pay.

But the Pope didn’t stop.

“His convictions, sense of mission, integrity, and infinite love for his students moved the entire Holy Empire.

However… Haven carelessly fired such talent overnight without a single word of notice.”

“…Please tone it down.”

But the Pope didn’t even turn his head. He was already in the middle of creating a legend.

“That’s not all.”

Standing at the podium, he raised his finger to point at the sky.

“The person we will be welcoming is not just a simple white mage.”

“…”

Ruin’s eyebrows twitched.

The words that followed from the Pope’s mouth were bomb-level, no, declaration of war-level artillery.

“He is the Mage King!”

“…”

“…”

“…What did you say?”

A moment of silence.

Ruin dropped the box of documents he was holding with a crash. Kalon behind him spat out his coffee.

A beat later, waves of confusion began to surge.

“Mage King…?”

“This was why the Holy Empire was after him!”

“Crazy… the Magic Tower will move again, won’t it?”

With his brain frozen, Ruin whispered to the Pope.

“Excuse me, this is clearly fraud!”

Ruin protested again in a whisper.

“I’m… not the Mage King, you know?”

Then the Pope grinned wickedly.

“Fraud? But it’s not?”

It’s not?

Ruin felt dizzy. At that moment, the Pope leaned his face close and whispered in a very low voice.

“Aren’t you curious too? How you were able to obtain ‘such a body’.”

“…!”

That body.

In other words, Ruins Wayne’s flesh.

The Pope’s eyes showed he had noticed that Ruin was inhabiting someone else’s body. His breath caught. For a moment, he felt like the Pope’s eyes were seeing right through everything.

“That’s right.”

Sure enough, the word that leaked through his whispering lips.

“The real Ruins Wayne. That bastard is the Mage King.”

“…?!”

Ginseng Superior, who had been listening from the side, screamed.

「What, what did you saaaaay?! Mage King?! That unemployed shut-in?!」

…Shit. What the hell is this about now?

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————