The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 27

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 27
I’d made up my mind.
‘Joanna passes. Catherine and Rivel fail.’
Isn’t that absurdly arbitrary?
‘It’s not purely for my own sake. This is the best choice for the trials ahead.’
Let me explain again.
The Hero Academy has sixteen protagonists distributed across four academies.
Each academy has four departments.
That means one protagonist must be placed in each department of each of the four academies.
‘But since three additional students applied to the Magic Department at Rubines Academy, the other academies won’t get their full allocation of protagonists.’
This was a serious problem.
Each academy had its own unique scenario, and all four protagonists were needed to resolve them.
So they had to be distributed properly across the board.
‘Especially—there’s a reason I need to keep Joanna. If things go wrong, she could become a Ruined Character.’
Catherine and Rivel are dual powerhouses.
No matter where you place them, they grow strong on their own.
But not all protagonists are like that.
Some will fall behind if left alone.
Joanna was one of them.
‘If this is Normal Mode standards, I could afford to drop her.’
But.
If my fears are correct and this really is Hard Mode, the difficulty to clear skyrockets.
Normal Mode only requires the four main protagonists to grow well.
But Hard Mode requires a full eight essential protagonists to develop properly.
Joanna was one of those eight—a Sub-Main Protagonist.
‘So this is a choice for the world’s sake. Absolutely not driven by my own greed.’
I found myself emphasizing this to my conscience more than once.
‘The real problem is that failing Rivel isn’t a trivial matter.’
As I mentioned before, flunking Catherine was easy.
But Rivel was different.
‘She scored first on the preliminary exam. Much higher than Joanna, who comes from a prestigious magical family.’
For the record, Joanna was of the bloodline of the Klein Ducal House, a renowned magical family.
Catherine came from a magical family too, but unlike Catherine—a bastard—Joanna was a proper direct-line prodigy.
The promising next-generation patriarch of a prestigious magical house.
Yet Rivel’s preliminary exam score was so overwhelmingly superior that even Joanna couldn’t hold a candle to it.
‘That makes sense, given Rivel’s true nature. She’s practically born as a calamity.’
I frowned as Rivel’s past came to mind.
All sixteen protagonists had tumultuous histories, but Rivel’s was excessive.
‘There’s a real chance I could lose to her.’
No—it was worse than that.
If Rivel went all out, I’d lose with absolute certainty.
‘I need to grow as strong as possible before the entrance exam. Strong enough to fail Rivel.’
I steeled my resolve.
Again—I’m doing this not for personal gain.
For the world’s future.
Really. Truly.
The problem was how to get stronger.
Less than a week remained until the entrance exam.
Even for me, that was desperately short.
‘The Frozen Heart Stone—I can’t guarantee I’ll obtain it before the entrance exam.’
I needed another trick.
A good idea came to mind.
“Linden, how are the graduation exam preparations coming along?”
“Y-yes, sir? I-I’m preparing!”
“You seem to be slacking off, though?”
“…I was watching stock charts. N-no, just watching! I can’t afford it anymore!! I’m a credit risk, so I can’t get loans either. Ugh.”
Linden had chosen to take a supplementary graduation exam.
It was scheduled for just before the entrance exam.
Though the deadline was right around the corner, he still seemed unfocused.
“This won’t do. I’ll tutor you for the exam myself.”
“…so, you’re a senior professor?”
“That’s right. I’m a future distinguished professor. Consider it an honor. But there’s a condition.”
I lifted the corners of my mouth into a smile.
“You must follow my instructions without question. Any lesson I give you. I’ll teach you the fundamentals thoroughly.”
That was the idea.
My plan was to use Linden.
I’d watch him struggle from the sidelines and learn indirectly.
With my Grand Master’s Ability, even this method would yield explosive growth.
* * *
Several days passed in a blur.
As I moved between academy buildings, I noticed the way people looked at me had shifted slightly.
“There goes the Ruined Character senior. Is she really becoming a professor?”
“Seems like it. Especially after that dark mage incident—maybe she really has changed?”
“We might not be able to call her the Ruined Character anymore.”
“I don’t know. I still don’t believe it. Isn’t this all a con?”
“Right? She hasn’t even reached the first star rank, so how did she face off against Puppet?”
“I heard she’s been tormenting Linden lately. I saw him the other day and he looked half-starved!”
So yes, the looks had shifted—but only ‘slightly.’
A mixture of doubt and suspicion.
‘Given my reputation, it’s unreasonable to expect people to believe in a complete turnaround all at once.’
I didn’t care.
‘Once I become a professor, I’ll just hide in a corner and live off the fat of the land.’
I headed toward the Admission Management Office in the center of the academy.
The proctoring professors were having a meeting.
The hallway was chaotic with entrance applications being processed.
“Come on, process them in order!!”
“No cutting in line!”
I was heading toward the conference room, skirting past the marketplace-like corridor, when—
A startling sound rang out.
Crack!!
The sound of a slap across the face.
I turned to see a strikingly beautiful girl fuming with anger.
“How dare a beggar step on my shoes? Should I cut off your foot?”
My expression froze in shock.
I knew this person.
‘Joanna!’
One of the protagonists I was supposed to ensure passed the entrance exam.
It seemed someone in the crowded hallway had offended her.
‘She’s always been among the worst of the protagonists in terms of character. Who’s she bullying? Could it be…?’
My face went pale.
Tattered clothing.
A small frame and a cowed expression.
A grimy, unwashed face that looked like a pauper’s.
‘Damn it. That’s Rivel.’
The overpowered protagonist I’d been wary of!
Of all people, two of the protagonists were clashing with each other!
But that wasn’t all.
“What were you doing just standing there?! Couldn’t you stop something that filthy?”
Slap!
Joanna struck the girl beside her across the face.
The girl who would one day become humanity’s hope—Catherine.
Three of the protagonists were making a complete mess of things.
And the situation only continued to deteriorate.
“You filthy whore’s bastard. Can’t you even do something this simple?”
Joanna and Catherine were sisters.
But their circumstances were as different as heaven and earth.
Noble legitimate heir and tainted illegitimate child.
Brilliant talent and the worst incompetence.
“…….”
Catherine said nothing, only clenching her lips tight.
Displeased by the sight, Joanna’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“What’s wrong? Do you have a complaint?”
“I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“What? How dare you! After I’ve fed and clothed you, you should be grateful!”
Crack! Crack! Crack!
She delivered a volley of slaps.
As though accustomed to it, Catherine offered no resistance.
Catherine’s cheeks flushed crimson and swelled with the impact.
‘Ugh. Seeing it in person is worse than I thought.’
The villainous young lady.
That was how Joanna could be summed up in a single phrase.
The nickname people gave her was the Cancer-Inducing Young Lady.
It wasn’t for nothing that she ranked first in the most disliked voting.
‘Though she does reform herself through tears later on.’
Joanna was the protagonist who ground her teeth and played with the determination of “Just wait. I’ll see when your arrogance finally breaks.”
“P-please… stop….”
Just then, Rivel stammered forward.
“What’s a beggar brat doing interfering?”
Joanna’s eyes flashed with danger.
This time, she looked ready to lay hands on Rivel.
I panicked.
‘No, no, no! If you touch Rivel the wrong way, she’ll explode!’
You couldn’t let that clumsy appearance fool you.
If Joanna was the villainous young lady, then Rivel was a bomb.
I had to intervene.
“Hold on. Stop this at once. What’s all this commotion?”
“!!”
“If you don’t want to be disqualified before you’ve even taken the test, I suggest you be careful.”
I tried to mediate as smoothly as possible.
There was no point in getting entangled with the protagonists.
But the situation unfolded contrary to my intentions.
Because of the Cancer-Inducing Young Lady Joanna.
“You, a half-breed vagrant? What gives you the right to interfere?”
“Watch your tongue. I’m a professor at this academy.”
“A professor, you say? Then apologize to me.”
“…What?”
“You’ve damaged my noble dignity by accepting such a filthy vagabond as a candidate. As a professor of this academy, apologize to me.”
In that instant, I felt the veins in my temple pulse.
‘I’m itching to flick her forehead.’
I steadied myself.
‘Compose yourself. You need to get along with Joanna.’
As I’ve said before, my plan is to pass Joanna.
Despite her complete lack of promise, Catherine and Rivel would face all manner of turbulent trials ahead, making the straightforward Joanna the better choice.
Since I’d have to continue seeing her, I needed this first meeting to go smoothly….
“Fine, I’ll apologize.”
“Yes, please do….”
“I apologize for not implementing special quarantine measures sooner given your abysmal character. My negligence has caused unnecessary harm to the other candidates as well.”
“!!”
Damn.
The Black Flame Dragon had struck again.
‘If I could just smooth this over now…!’
There was no chance of that.
“Did you speak of nobility? Is what you’re displaying now the nobility of the Klein Ducal House? Shame on you. True nobility and bearing flow from one’s actions.”
…I’d done it.
Joanna’s body trembled with rage.
“You half-breed…!”
But then.
The moment our eyes met.
A flinch.
Joanna’s face drained of color and her mouth snapped shut.
I hadn’t intended it, but it seemed I’d been overwhelmed by the charisma of my enraged Black Flame Dragon form.
Never mind what would happen later, when I awakened and came to be called the “Architect of the Radiant Veil.”
My Black Flame Dragon charisma was something no foolish seventeen-year-old villainess could withstand.
“Tch!!”
Joanna gritted her teeth and vanished.
I watched her retreating figure in bewilderment.
‘Great… she really holds a grudge.’
I was supposed to get close to Joanna, but we’d gotten off on the wrong foot from the start.
That wasn’t my only problem.
“Who asked you to help me? I didn’t need your help at all!”
It was Catherine.
“S-still, thank you. I mean, not because I’m genuinely grateful, just a polite expression of thanks, so don’t get the wrong idea!”
I froze.
Despite her prickly words, her face was brimming with gratitude that someone had stepped up for her.
There was no misunderstanding.
-You have rendered assistance to Catherine (Hero Candidate)!
-Catherine’s Affinity has increased!
I turned my troubled gaze to Rivel, who stood frozen in place.
“Your name is Rivel, isn’t it? You haven’t done well either. No matter that it was an accident, stepping on the foot of a daughter of the Klein Ducal House is a grave mistake. Had this not been an academy, you might have lost your foot without complaint. Be more careful from now on.”
I wasn’t just making idle talk.
Rivel caused collisions with many people early on due to such naïveté.
‘Rivel, along with Catherine, is a critical figure who must bear the weight of the world. I can’t let unnecessary trouble arise.’
But then.
“Th-thank you. I will take your words to heart… absolutely.”
“……??”
“P-professor, you are a warm person.”
What nonsense was that?
I soon grasped the reason.
-You have offered sincere counsel!
-Rivel (Calamity Candidate) recognizes your concern!
-Rivel’s (Calamity Candidate) Affinity has increased!
It was an infuriating message.
Just then, Rivel looked up and gazed at me, then said something that made my heart sink.
“I… I truly wish to receive guidance from you. I will absolutely pass the entrance exam for Rubines Academy.”
No, please don’t.

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