Surviving the Assassin Academy as a Genius Professor - Chapter 90

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

Episode 90
[Main Story] No. 2 Betting Table (6)

“Wh—what—!?”
“Ahhhhhhh!!”

A half-beat later, shock rippled through the audience.
As space itself shattered, the dragon’s body—composed entirely of azure flames—exploded into countless, innumerable fragments that scattered across the Film Set.

“Wh—? Wh-wh-wh—!?”
“What—what is this? How could—!?”

The match had been decided in an instant.
Bewildered cries erupted from all directions.

As light flooded the Film Set, a cascade of confused 【Scripts】 unspooled across my perception.

【 ‘What is this? How did that even happen?’ 】
【 ‘The Illusion Magic broke…! But how…?’ 】
【 ‘The Camera! Oh, nothing was recorded at all!’ 】

They had no idea how I’d shattered his Illusion Magic.
Because all I’d done was touch that dragon with the Glassy Butterfly—nothing more. I’d taken no further action whatsoever.
The same confusion gripped our side. Even Wilhelm merely narrowed his eyes, fundamentally perplexed by what had just transpired.
I had broken his Illusion Magic far too easily.

【 ‘What in heaven’s name…!!’ 】

They would be curious, naturally.
I approached Horup slowly, the senior professor.

“Huh—hah…!!”

He knelt on the floor, breathing heavily, his hand continually touching his throat. When I drew near, he lifted his gaze—eyes wide with terror—and looked up at me.

“Y-you…! What you just did—!!”
“Fooled you?”

I smiled.

The method by which I’d shattered his Illusion Magic was simple. It was a new ability I’d gained upon reaching 90% Proficiency—the Fusion Fabrication of space and perception.

And Approaching Death meant the sensation of approaching one’s final moments.

Exactly ten seconds.
In those ten seconds, half his magical power drained away.

But during those ten seconds, Horup experienced approximately twenty-five distinct sensations: the feeling of skin being sliced from his neck, the impact of bone being severed, blood gushing forth, the nerve pain that follows amputation, the world’s perspective tilting as his head fell away, the sensation of his airway opening, the collision as his severed head struck the ground—all of it, every sensation born from the act of dying, each one among the most shattering experiences a human consciousness can endure.
Every single one of them.

In other words, he had died for those ten seconds.

Humans collapse into shock from a blade’s touch, from a flame brushing their skin—so what happens when one truly feels the sensation of death itself?

Therefore, I had not broken his Illusion Magic. Horup, Senior Professor, seized by such overwhelming panic at the approach of death, had shattered it himself.

“Ah—!!”

And sure enough, my suspicion proved right. Horup’s eyes widened so far they seemed ready to split in two as understanding dawned on him.

“…Yes, you…! That Illusion Magic is, surely…!”

If someone at this level of mastery had collided with me head-on, they might well have discerned the true nature of my Illusion Magic.

Because it was far too realistic.

Horup wore the expression of a man who’d glimpsed a monster beneath his bed, and he clutched at his own throat as he cried out.

“You, you, you…!!”

But he couldn’t finish the sentence. He’d nearly died at my hands just moments ago, and I stood well within striking distance.

【 Senior Professor Horup† : ‘That was definitely World Forgery…!!’ 】

I narrowed my eyes.
This was precisely the problem. I was an Illusionist who had lived through the age of Abracadabra.
It was fine. I’d already foreseen this crisis, and I’d prepared my answer.
Now, I resolved to cross a line I’d long held sacred—just this once.

“Senior Professor Horup. Recall what just happened.”
“….”

Light fragments still cascaded from all sides, keeping our forms hidden from any outside observers.
Just as telling someone not to think of an elephant ensures they think of nothing else.
With a single word, I interfered with his Mental Imagery, then poured every drop of remaining mana into him.

⋮
『 World Forgery : Memory Fabrication 【Illusion Battle】 』
⋮

The Formula 【Memory Fabrication】, acquired when my Proficiency reached ninety percent.

In the next instant, his Mental Imagery unfolded in my mind—an Illusion Battle playing out from Horup’s perspective, not my own.
From that colossal dragon-head’s vantage point, I saw myself, Dante Hiaka, tiny as an ant below, and felt the sensation of that pointing finger, and all the myriad sensations that flooded through as my head was severed, transmitted to me.

“…You, you’re trying to do something to me…?”

He asked, trembling, his voice laced with premonition.

“Nothing at all.”
“What…?”

I completed the Formula.

“Nothing happened at all.”

⋮
『 Memory Fabrication : Fabrication Variables Inputted 【Fair Duel → Horup’s Mistake】 』
⋮

In an instant, the light drained from Horup’s eyes. His gaze grew distant, unfocused. The muscles of his face froze. Then his pupils dilated and constricted twice in succession. Only then did awareness return to his eyes.

【 Senior Professor Horup† : ‘…?’ 】

After that, Horup lost consciousness.
It was my complete victory.

* * *

The shoot ended in chaos. The crew rushed over in excitement, peppering me with questions about what had just happened, but Wilhelm shut them down with a single sentence.

“Dante is Cain’s top student.”

In the end, I’d been completely overshadowed by my alt account.
That comment sent the Assassination Daily News into another frenzy, since “Cain’s Protégé” was already the world’s biggest scoop at this very moment.
Everyone’s expression shifted in an instant—’Ah, that explains it!!’

“Everyone head to the Waiting Room and get some rest. Keep your expressions under control until I’m back. You’ll be on camera until you leave here.”
“Wilhelm, where are you going?”
“Just need to see the Headquarters director for a moment.”

Wilhelm left us with a warning to keep quiet.
And for good reason—in our Script, everyone was doing backflips, and even Cheongru, who didn’t particularly care for me, couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh while thinking, ‘I’ll admit it…even I have to acknowledge that Illusion Magic ability.’

On the other hand, Rebecca, whose Script I couldn’t see, wore a sullen expression. When our eyes met, she gave a slight nod. My guess was that her thoughts ran something like: ‘Grey’s received enormous attention now, which doesn’t suit our isolationist policy and is frustrating, but at least flattening Croitz’s nose is satisfying.’

【 Grey: ‘…………’ 】

As for Grey, both her cheeks were flushed. Her mouth hung slightly open with her buck teeth protruding. She deliberately avoided my gaze. When I stepped closer and lowered my head to meet her eyes, she turned away. So I turned my head the other way, trying again to catch her eye—and this time Grey evaded me with a twisted expression, her buck teeth sticking out even more. Then she shoved my head away with her small hand.

“…Stop it.”
“Stop what?”
“…Go away.”

Apparently she was self-imposing a gag order on herself.

【 Grey: ‘…………’ 】

As for Croitz?
Needless to say, it was raining on him. Amulet in particular fled the Film Set early, clicking her heels sharply the moment the Illusion Battle ended. ‘Amulet…!’ ‘Leave me alone!’ she cried as she went.

As for the Assassination Daily News crew’s reaction—it was mixed. After all, nothing had been captured on the Camera. They hadn’t gotten what they came for.

And so everyone dispersed.

“Professor Dante! Once Wilhelm returns, shall we all go grab a drink together…?!”

The Assistant Professor spoke with excitement gleaming in his eyes.
Well, there wasn’t a single minor in the group.

“Sounds good.”
“Hoo-rah! Let’s go!”

The Corridor on the way here had felt heavy, leaden with each step. But the return journey was remarkably light. Even Grey’s cautious gait had become cheerful and nimble.

Then, at some point—

“……What are they doing here?”

At Rebecca’s murmur, all our heads turned.
We’d retreated to a quiet Corridor to avoid the crowds. From the far end of that passage, a solitary figure was approaching us, each step deliberate and cautious.

“Huh?”

Grey was the first to react.
She bounded forward to face the newcomer.

“Who are you? Why won’t you leave?”

A figure emerging alone from the darkness.

……

It was Amulet Carolyna.

I couldn’t fathom what was happening.
Nothing showed up in the Script, so I took a step forward and angled myself diagonally in front of Grey, just in case.
But Amulet’s expression wasn’t grave. The imperious air from moments before had vanished entirely, replaced by a striking composure.
Soon she turned her head slightly to one side, bit her lower lip, and let out a sigh.

“I came to apologize.”
“…Huh?”

Grey wasn’t the only one caught off guard by this.
I pressed for clarification.

“You’re apologizing?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. About what I said earlier—the bit about the professors at Hiaka and all that…”
“…What’s gotten into you, suddenly?”
“Well… honestly, they told me to say it from above, and I didn’t mean it. Believe it or not, I really do want the two nations to coexist peacefully without conflict…”
……

Grey glanced sideways at me. A wordless question: what do we do?
Amulet raised her gaze tentatively, our eyes met for a moment, and then she looked away again.

“…What you did was truly remarkable.”

I said nothing in return.
She hadn’t witnessed what I’d actually done.
Yet by all accounts, the fact that a child had bested the top student spoke for itself—that was remarkable.

“…Of course, everything I said before, I did say. I’m not trying to shirk responsibility by blaming others. I suppose I was just hoping to curry favor with the Assassination Daily News, but it didn’t work out…”

Amulet waved her hand dismissively.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I don’t want to spoil your joy either. I just thought, since it was friendly competition after all, I should come and offer my congratulations…”

Her unpolished words carried genuine feeling beneath them.
It was truly unexpected.
Far more mature than I’d imagined her capable of being.
And according to the Script, it was the truth.

“You should celebrate too.”
“…Huh.”
“You weren’t tacky. You were really beautiful.”

With that, she acknowledged her defeat and turned away.
Grey hesitated, then glanced at me once more.

In the end, war and all that—it’s merely the tale of monsters grown old and hungry for power. I’m one of them myself, but the children seem different somehow.

“…Go on.”

I turned and started walking.

“Yes!”
“Let’s go!”

As I walked, turning my body, I let my thoughts continue.

Amulet’s apology—honestly, I wasn’t even sure we shouldn’t be the ones apologizing to her—but in any case, it had touched something in me too.

We live amid countless shades of grey. Amulet seemed to have succeeded in brightening that dark grey just a little with her own bright color.

Croitz remained our worst enemy. The fact that we would have to compete going forward hadn’t changed. In a few months’ time, I might very well have to kill that child.

And yet I was certain that her single apology would save the lives of countless Croitzians in the distant future.

Because I had heard it.

* * *

“Done! The main cover model for this month—got approval from Headquarters!”

Thirty minutes later, Wilhelm, the chief officer who had seemed sluggish and weary the entire time, shouted with a broad smile.

“Woo-hoo!”
“Yes!”

The Assistant Professor, Grey, and Lucy cheered.

“Wow! It really happened!?”
“Really…??”
“Incredible! Congrats, Grey! Really!”

Rebecca and Cheongru remained indifferent, as if it were someone else’s affair, but Leim, the officer from the Guard’s secret branch, was clearly wriggling with barely suppressed joy—his widened nostrils giving him away.

I was delighted as much as Grey, but this joyless assassin’s body wouldn’t produce careless cheering. I could manage only a smile.

“Man, I was so worried I’d stumble there!”
“I knew it would happen…! Wow, that’s amazing, Grey…! So now everyone across the whole continent will see Grey’s face?”
“Ah… I wonder if my expression came out well? Honestly, I was so nervous there that I don’t even know what my face looked like….”

Grey, animated now, chattered away with the Assistant Professor and Lucy.
Then her eyes suddenly rolled back toward me and our gazes met.

Grey flashed a wide smile, showing her front teeth.
She drew a V with two fingers and poked her cheeks with them.

“Congratulations!”
“……….”

That’s when she suddenly came over to my side.
Then she whispered into my ear.
In a very small voice.

‘It’s thanks to you, Professor….’

After saying it, embarrassed by her own words, she made a “Ugh…!” sound and, claiming it was gross, grabbed my forearm and ran off. After that, she didn’t look back this way even once.

But even afterwards, Grey kept smiling, and as I watched that expression, something in me felt strange.

That world—where he hunched over the hospital bed, tears streaming down his face—had vanished.

Good.

┃ Main Quest [Thesis Advisor]
┃ Reward : Star Fragment × 25 (Completion Grade : S)

.
.
.

A week later, the monthly Assassination Daily News rolled off the presses.
The entire continent convulsed.

[Main Story] No.2

Betting Table

END

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