The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 62

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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 62
‘After causing an accident, they’ll pin it all on me as the Guide. I already know what they’re planning.’
I’d figured out what Yulia was trying to do.
The accident in the aqueduct would be predictable.
‘They’re planning to damage the Purification Stone that keeps the aqueduct water clean. Any accident that happens during the Unity Gathering becomes my responsibility as the Guide.’
They’d deliberately brought Wilhelm along to pin all the blame on him.
‘Not a chance. I’ve already prepared for this.’
It’s something only city officials know.
The deep areas of the Underground Aqueduct are divided into three zones.
The Surface Deep Area, the Central Deep Area, and the Central Labyrinth.
The truly inaccessible dungeon only begins from the Central Deep Area, while the Surface Deep Area where we currently are is relatively safe.
‘That said, if someone takes a wrong turn and stumbles into the Central Deep Area, even the Surface Deep Area becomes off-limits.’
In this Surface Deep Area, the city’s Cleaners periodically clear out monsters and maintain the facilities.
According to information I’d received beforehand from Mali, the city mayor,
‘The Purification Stone near here is already broken. It’s scheduled to be replaced next month.’
In other words, even if Yulia struggled and managed to damage the Purification Stone, it would be pointless.
‘She’ll just exhaust herself for nothing. This area is crawling with troublesome monsters.’
The city had mapped out the Underground Aqueduct and catalogued the monsters that spawn there.
According to those records, there are no life-threatening monsters in this area. If there were, I never would have approved their solo expedition.
But there were plenty of monsters like Stone Slimes that required grueling work to handle.
‘Yulia might boast about hunting intermediate-level monsters out of vanity, but she won’t make it halfway before she breaks down.’
As a contingency, I’d discreetly ordered Hans and Linden to follow them.
‘It’ll be a good extreme training experience for them. I just need to wait comfortably.’
“We’ll wait here from now on.”
“Here?”
Katrine, Libel, and the Third Prince’s eyes went wide.
A massive tent had been set up inside the aqueduct!
‘How am I supposed to endure two nights and three days in this filthy place? I need to make it as comfortable as possible.’
This tent, by the way, was borrowed from Amanda, an assassin by trade, and provided perfect concealment from monsters up to intermediate level.
It also had an effect that maintained the interior in pristine condition, wrapping us in a cozy atmosphere.
“…Did you plan this from the start?”
“Did I ever say we were hunting monsters? Since this is a Unity Gathering, we naturally need to do some survival bonding activities. Libel, open the bag I entrusted to you.”
Barbecue Equipment emerged from the Magic Backpack!
Fresh beef purchased with Unity Gathering funding was packed inside.
-Squeak! Squeak! Meat! Meat!!
“…I never thought I’d feel sorry for Yulia.”
“If you’re worried about it, you can suffer alongside her.”
“Are you insane? Let’s just eat Yulia’s portion too while we’re at it.”
Inside the tent, we cheerfully built a campfire and started grilling meat.
It looked like we’d stumbled into a camping bonding event.
‘Ah, this is nice. Yulia and Wilhelm must be struggling out there—I feel a little guilty. Hang in there, you two! Go for it!’
I was contentedly waiting for the meat to cook.
Flap—the tent flap suddenly opened.
“!!”
I spun my head around in alarm, but there was no one there.
It was just the wind.
‘That startled me.’
I pressed my hand to my chest.
I turned my attention back to the meat sizzling away,
“…….”
“Why… is something wrong, Professor?”
The most perceptive of us, Libel, studied my expression.
Mali tilted his head as well.
-Squeak? Papa?
“…It’s nothing serious.”
There wasn’t actually anything wrong.
Just to be safe, I contacted Hans and Linden and asked, but they reported no abnormalities.
The premonition I’d felt before every mishap in the past remained quiet.
‘It’s fine. I deliberately chose the safest zone anyway. If any dangerous situation arises, Hans and Linden will handle it.’
But this was a secret.
If a situation arose that even Hans and Linden would struggle to handle, there were contingencies in place.
So there was no cause for worry, but—
‘…why does something feel off?’
Then I noticed that Katrine, Libel, and the Third Prince were watching me with peculiar intensity.
“…what’s wrong?”
“You’ve truly changed, haven’t you?”
The Third Prince spoke playfully, though admiration colored his voice.
“The two students outside are on your mind, aren’t they?”
“No, that’s not—”
I started to deny it, then fell silent.
I’d just realized the nature of what I was feeling.
I was worried about them both.
* * *
“Is… is this really okay?”
“It’s fine. The Guide will take full responsibility anyway.”
“But still—”
“What’s the problem? You wanted the Guide expelled anyway, didn’t you? Come on, hurry!”
Wilhelm gritted his teeth and swung his sword.
Snap!
The light from the Purification Stone went out.
Truth be told, it was a Purification Stone that had lost its function—exactly as the Guide had mentioned earlier—but the two lacked sufficient magical aptitude to detect the deception.
“You should head back now.”
“H-head back?”
“We’re done here. Get lost. I’m tired of having you tag along.”
!!
Yulia clicked her tongue and tossed a Magic Tool to Wilhelm as if dispensing alms to a beggar.
“It’s a Concealment Magic Tool for self-defense. If you don’t want to be torn to pieces by Monsters, keep it on. You can find your way back to the Guide on your own, right? If you really can’t manage, you got the Summoning Device—use that to call him.”
“W-wait! We were supposed to hunt Monsters together—!!”
Their original plan had been this:
Pin the blame for breaking the Purification Stone on the Guide.
Of course, it was their fault, but they were only students after all.
Still, even students couldn’t escape discipline entirely, so instead, they’d hunt Monsters together and use that credit to dodge responsibility.
“Together? You worthless thing, you dare stand beside me? When you don’t even have the courage to swing a sword?”
……
“Put the Concealment Magic Tool on properly. If you get hurt for no reason, it’ll be a nuisance for me.”
In the end, Wilhelm hung his head and disappeared back the way he’d come.
‘I’ll hunt a Tarantula.’
A Monster of Level 4, no less.
For reference, Yulia’s current level was Level 2, and at the higher end of that tier.
For her age, it was an extraordinary achievement—but it would be reckless against a Tarantula.
Yet Yulia was confident.
‘With my talent, it’s possible.’
She’d often won duels even against formal Knights of higher standing than herself.
A lowly Monster was something she could defeat without difficulty.
‘I’m destined to reach the apex. I’m different from these base commoners.’
Slash!
She cut down a Monster blocking her path.
They were insignificant creatures.
As she struck them down with exhilaration, the stress she’d accumulated recently from the Guide seemed to melt away.
But it wasn’t long before something shifted.
Yulia’s expression hardened.
‘Why are there so many?’
That Monsters were numerous was expected.
But each one required tedious effort, wearing away at her stamina.
“Gah! Lowly creatures—!”
She gritted her teeth and swung her blade harder.
Her breathing grew labored.
As the number of Monsters multiplied before her eyes, her chest sank with dread.
‘…should I turn back now?’
Then a voice echoed in her mind.
—base born.
Gwangryong’s adopted daughter and his only true disciple, yet Yulia was in fact the daughter of a courtesan.
No one knew because Gwangryong had kept it secret.
‘If I show weakness, I’ll be abandoned.’
Gwangryong had taken her as his adopted daughter and student solely because of her talent for Swordsmanship.
Even now, Yulia dreamed each night of being cast back into the filthy back alleys where she’d come from.
Fear had become inferiority, and inferiority had twisted into warped arrogance that made her despise others.
She had to be the best. No exceptions.
By any means necessary.
‘I won’t lose!’
Slash!
How much time had passed?
Then something impossible happened.
Thud.
The enormous spider collapsed before her.
Against Ban’s expectations that she couldn’t possibly succeed, she had actually brought down a Level 4 Monster—a Tarantula!
Yet Yulia’s expression was grim.
‘…I used poison again.’
The bitter truth.
She hadn’t defeated the Tarantula through skill alone—she’d relied on a hidden Poison Magic Tool she’d brought with her.
In fact, there was nothing wrong with using poison against Monsters.
The problem was that Yulia had spent all this time presenting her achievements as purely the result of Swordsmanship.
—A future candidate for Sword Marquis.
It was a reputation born of this deception.
She had never used poison against people yet, but honestly, she couldn’t be certain she wouldn’t in the future.
If she encountered an opponent she couldn’t handle?
If her rival, the heir to a famous Swordsmanship clan, grew stronger?
If she could no longer be the best—what then? What would she do?
“Sigh.”
It was in that moment.
An unexpected voice reached her ears.
“Yu, Yulia….”
“?!”
It was Wilhelm!
“What are you doing? Why haven’t you gone back to Professor Ban yet?”
The moment her expression darkened, something far stranger occurred.
Slash! Clang!!
Wilhelm swung his sword at her!
“What are you doing? Are you insane?”
She flared with anger, but something was wrong.
The blade struck with far greater force than she’d expected.
Strong enough to make her hands tingle.
Wilhelm’s eyes were strange too.
Completely vacant.
Like a Puppet.
‘…A Puppet?’
A chill ran down her spine.
“Kgh!!”
Crash!
Yulia’s sword flew from her grip, and Wilhelm’s hand clamped around her throat.
—Hey there. Nice to meet you.
“!!”
Wilhelm—or rather, something else—split his lips with a sickening grin.
—I’m Puppet. Ever heard my name?
Yulia’s pupils trembled.
“The—the Abyss’s—! Let go! You demon!!”
—Ha-ha, sorry, but I can’t do that. I’m going to make you into my Puppet.
“!!”
—But whoa? You’re my type, aren’t you? I like twisted kids like you.
Wilhelm—no, Puppet—raised his hand and tapped her cheek.
“I grew bored tormenting the good ones, so the wicked ones are so much lovelier now. I’ll shower you with affection. For a long, long time—until you’re completely ruined. Until you can’t even beg me to kill you.”
The moment that horrible voice reached her ears.
Yulia’s vision went black.
* * *
Click. Click. Scrape.
Some nauseating sound grazed her ear, and Yulia jolted awake with a start.
“Where am I?!”
Clang!
Her limbs were bound in chains.
Beside her, Wilhelm lay gagged and shackled as well.
In front of her stood a small child she’d never seen before, grinning wickedly. Eyes devoid of white, filled entirely with blood-red irises, gleamed with an unsettling shine.
“You’re awake?”
“…You’re Puppet?”
“That’s right. This is my temporary workshop. I set it up down here in the Underground Aqueduct for this job.”
Magic Lights hung everywhere.
It was so bright and orderly that it was hard to imagine it was part of the Underground Aqueduct.

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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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