The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 59

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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 59
I didn’t know.
I still didn’t trust myself.
But in that instant, a desperate longing seized me.
I couldn’t bear to show weakness before eyes that believed in me.
‘I’ll do this.’
In that moment.
Without my realizing it, Katrine’s will flowed into the wooden sword.
Light Dragon’s eyes, which had been watching the duel with indifference, widened as if they might split.
Crack!
Julia’s wooden sword snapped clean in two.
* * *
“What… what happened?”
Silence blanketed the arena.
“Something’s wrong here! This can’t be right!”
“If you don’t believe it, try again.”
“!!”
Julia clenched her teeth.
A low growl rumbled from her throat.
This time, her aura sharpened to a far keener edge than before.
‘So she’s deliberately targeting the weak points of Weapon Breaking.’
Katrine, meanwhile, was clumsy to the extreme.
Her stance was sloppy—the stance of someone utterly untrained in swordsmanship.
Yet her gaze alone burned with ferocious intensity.
An iron resolve never to yield.
‘It’s Hero’s Will.’
Truth be told.
This duel was a farce.
The true protagonist of two pinnacle arcs.
The Hero of Light.
The one destined to save mankind.
That was none other than Katrine.
No matter how much of a named villain Julia was, there could be no comparison.
And indeed.
Flash—crack!
Once again, it was Julia’s wooden sword that broke.
“…………”
Julia’s face turned blank with disbelief.
She couldn’t possibly accept what she was seeing.
“This… this is ridiculous! That’s it—Katrine, you must have tampered with my sword beforehand! There’s no other explanation!”
“Enough.”
Light Dragon interjected.
She studied me and Katrine with a look of shock, then shook her head slowly.
“This serves no purpose. We concede defeat.”
“But, Master!”
“I said enough.”
Julia fell silent, her expression one of bitter grievance.
After that, Light Dragon stared at Katrine for a long, piercing moment.
“You said she came from a Noble House of Magic?”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
“To think such a Raw Gem lay hidden in such a rotten lineage. No—calling her merely a Raw Gem falls far short. Are the eyes of those Magic Noble Houses all blind? Bahn, how did you manage to recognize this child?”
“Did I not tell you? That I would demonstrate my qualifications. Will you now acknowledge my abilities as her mentor?”
Light Dragon’s brow furrowed deeply.
She seemed unable to refuse.
“…You’re asking me to hand over Julia’s education to you?”
“Have no fear. She will become far better than she is now—at the very least. Surely you yourself have harbored doubts about Julia’s growth?”
“…………”
Light Dragon said nothing.
It was admission.
Though she was called mad because of her rough temperament, she was not one to lose sight of reason.
“…Julia, you will receive instruction from Professor Ban from now on.”
“Master!!”
She practically leapt from her seat, but I pressed further still.
“That alone is insufficient. During the mentorship period, please ensure that Julia obeys my directives absolutely.”
“What nonsense is this?!”
“…Very well. Julia, you will heed Professor Ban’s words without fail.”
“M-Master?!”
“I have spoken clearly.”
Julia’s face fell as though her kingdom had crumbled.
A master’s command was absolute—more binding than the heavens themselves—and from this moment forward, she could not refuse whatever instructions I saw fit to give.
‘Perfection.’
Light Dragon exhaled slowly, then spread her wings with a sharp flourish at her back.
Dragon-form mode.
“I must take my leave now.”
“The journey is long. Wouldn’t it be wise to rest and recover before you go?”
I’d asked it merely as courtesy, but her answer surprised me.
“The situation in the Demon Realm under my charge has grown unsettling. I’m afraid I cannot delay.”
“…What trouble has arisen in the Demon Realm?”
“I cannot say with certainty, but it seems the Demon Dukes are clashing with one another. With the Demon King absent, things have grown only more turbulent.”
The Demon Realm was crude shorthand for what was, in truth, a vast nation unto itself.
At its apex stood the Demon King, and beneath him existed the high-ranking Demon Race nobility whom they called ‘aristocrats.’
‘Internal war among the Demon Dukes? That’s supposed to happen later in the second-year arc.’
More precisely, it was a second-year scenario event.
‘…No. I can’t be certain. How many episodes have already happened out of their proper timing?’
One thing in particular troubled me.
The awakening of the Chaos Demon Beast during training not long ago.
Demon Race involvement was clear. High aristocratic rank, no less.
‘That was supposed to be a second-year event too, but it happened ahead of schedule.’
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
True, even if disturbances erupted in the distant Demon Realm, their immediate impact on me would be minimal.
Still, it was wise to minimize variables where possible.
“Be cautious of ‘Durandal.'”
She stiffened visibly.
Light Dragon’s face went rigid.
It was the name of a famous legendary blade.
But my meaning was not about the sword.
It was a metaphor.
A nickname for a certain ‘person.’
“…Is the implication I’m drawing the correct one?”
“I’m afraid I cannot be more specific.”
“How did you come by this? Intelligence from the Ecclesia Duchy?”
“No, it’s something I learned through personal channels.”
‘Better for me to claim personal discovery—that way I can take credit later.’
If this knowledge changed the future,
if it allowed Light Dragon to avoid the death that was meant to claim her soon, then I would become her savior.
“…You’ve surprised me many times over now. Perhaps the true gem is not that child after all, but you yourself.”
Admiration colored her voice.
“You’re mistaken. I am no mere raw gem—I am already a radiant sun. In time, you will feel my brilliance all too keenly.”
…If not for Black Flame Dragon’s meddling, this would have been a truly perfect exit.
Even so, Light Dragon’s reaction was favorable.
“Ha! Then we shall see. I look forward to witnessing that brilliant light of yours spreading across the Empire.”
Whoosh!
Light Dragon soared skyward, vanishing from the Free City in moments.
-Take care of Julia for me.
I nodded in acknowledgment, then turned my gaze elsewhere.
Grind.
My eyes met Julia’s—she was grinding her teeth.
‘…That look in her eyes is vicious. She won’t stab me in some dark alley, will she?’
Before I could say anything, Julia spun on her heel and stormed off.
Rough waters ahead seemed inevitable.
‘I never expected it to change easily anyway. It’s fine. Now that I’m in control, there’ll be plenty of chances to guide her.’
I mulled over the thought with satisfaction.
Julia had no idea.
What kind of future lay before her.
“Katrine, you did well too.”
“Huh?”
Still dazed, unable to feel the reality of her victory, Katrine let out a hollow sound while gripping the wooden sword.
“What’s wrong?”
“I was going to smack her one good time, but I forgot. Can I go do it now?”
“…Restrain yourself.”
“…Actually, she’s kind of scary, to be honest. I’ll wait until I’m a bit stronger before I hit her.”
Whether or not her promise to hit her later was genuine, Katrine’s eyes were ablaze with Hero’s Will.
“Let’s go eat.”
“Since I worked so hard, you’re treating me to something expensive, right?”
“Ooh! Is this a celebration dinner for victory?! Truly, the radiant Sun, Professor Van! I am positively dazzled by Professor Van’s brilliance!”
The moment Hans started his flattery, the hangers-on swarmed around him.
“…Could I come along too? Oh, it’s definitely not because I gambled away my meal money on dark market stocks and I’m starving!”
“…I… have nothing to contribute, so I won’t go. How dreary. I had hoped to become your right hand, Professor.”
-Screech! Screech! Kawk-kawk!
Mari in particular, who had been eating nothing but cheap bread all this time, burst from the Magic Pouch in sheer delight, fluttering about wildly.
‘Though Mari, you didn’t just say meat, did you? Even if dragons do speak quickly, having meat be the first word is a little…’
Still, eating together after all this time didn’t seem like a bad idea.
As for the money?
‘I got the Academy Corporate Card when I became a professor! If we all eat together, I can use it for team dining expenses!’
Though the limit was small, at this moment I was invincible.
I spoke with swagger.
“Hans, you lead the way. Libel, don’t talk nonsense and just follow along. It’s only so I have a student present to justify the Corporate Card usage—I’m not going out of my way for you, so don’t get the wrong idea.”
And so, for the first time in ages, I feasted at a proper restaurant instead of some cheap dive, then parted ways with the group.
‘The meal was good, but what about the other two students?’
Susan and Yodo remained.
Entirely different from the previous two problem cases.
‘Yodo, the Third Prince, goes without saying, but Susan is also no ordinary matter. I had the Detective Agency look into her, but why can’t they find any trace of her?’
While searching for Susan, I had discovered something remarkable.
No one at the Academy knew who Susan was.
Even the Detective Agency operatives, specialists in finding people, couldn’t pick up her trail.
‘…For now, she’s maintaining attendance through mail reports, so it’s not exactly truancy. I’ll wait until the Detective Agency finds her. As for the Third Prince Yodo, it’s about time he starts biting.’
And indeed.
Deep in the shabby streets of District 5, near my one-room hovel.
In front of a dilapidated building stood a figure in a brilliant uniform that looked completely out of place in this neighborhood.
“You’ve arrived, Professor Van. I’ve been waiting.”
A voice sharp as a blade.
A piercing demeanor.
The Imperial Eagle Emblem embroidered on the shoulder.
“I am Gis, vice commander of the 4th Battalion of the Imperial Guard. His Highness the Third Prince has requested an audience with you.”
* * *
Captain Gis led me to the Student Dormitory.
For reference, the dormitory was divided into three sections.
The Commoner’s Hall, the Noble’s Hall, and the Royal Hall.
True to its name, the Royal Hall could only be inhabited by those of the highest blue blood—dukes’ families, royalty, and imperial bloodlines.
The Third Prince’s quarters were naturally in the Royal Hall, and his dormitory room was like a luxury hotel suite.
‘…I’m jealous. I myself have Royal Blood, yet why is my lodging nothing but that shitty one-room place.’
There was even a separate reception room, three times as spacious as my entire hovel.
-Screech! Screech! Kawk-kawk! Screech! Chirp!
Mari burst from the Magic Pouch and toddled about the room.
Always accustomed to tiptoeing at home out of worry for noise complaints, she was visibly thrilled.
She wasn’t making a fuss, and there was no fear of rumors spreading here either, so I left her be.
“Oh? A dragon, you say? Does it follow you, Professor Van? How fascinating.”
A strikingly handsome man appeared.
Not a boy, but a young man in his early twenties.
Yodo, the Third Prince Mikhail, flashed me a dazzling smile.
“They say only a hero can command a dragon. Professor Ban, it seems the recent rumors about you are no exaggeration.”
“You flatter me. I am honored to meet you, Your Highness Yodo.”
I knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully.
“No need to be so stiff about it. We’re friends, aren’t we? I had quite the time back in those Capital alleys when we were causing trouble together.”
Yodo, the Third Prince, was also Imperial refuse.
The setup was that Ban—a piece of trash the same age—had some connection with him.
But even among trash, the two of us were worlds apart.
“Ha. I never imagined this body would become your student. Isn’t the world full of surprises?”
It was the difference in what lay beneath the surface.
A sharp glint flickered through the depths of Yodo’s smiling eyes.
He was taking my measure.
This was a crucial moment.

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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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