The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 64

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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 64
—Hurry! There’s no time.
—…I swear an oath.
—I swear an oath!
Both of them spoke hesitantly, but I shook my head.
—Such false oaths won’t do. You must swear with your whole heart.
The Waltz of Moonlight’s power depends on how much the other person truly trusts and entrusts themselves to me—that determines the strength of the Puppet Arts.
Both wore troubled expressions.
‘Trust doesn’t simply materialize from nowhere.’
You can’t force it by sheer will alone.
It had to be genuine conviction that welled up from the heart.
Julia in particular bit her lip hard.
She’d never trusted anyone in her entire life, and she doubted even her master Gwang Ryong—so her reaction was only natural.
—You are my students. I swear to you that I won’t let a single finger of yours be harmed.
At my firm vow, both swore their oaths again.
—…I swear to entrust everything to you.
—Me too! Please save us! I swear by my very soul, and all my family’s fortune besides, that I give it all to you!
Whoosh!
Wilhelm’s oath was genuine.
But the problem remained with Julia.
Despite her words, she still didn’t trust me one bit.
—Julia, I’m trying to save you. Just trust me….
—Shut up! How am I supposed to trust you?!
Julia’s voice exploded in fury.
Slash!
Under my direction, her blade raked past me.
If I hadn’t possessed knight’s abilities thanks to Thousand Transformations Versatility, my throat would have been slit by that razor-sharp edge.
Tears streamed down Julia’s cheeks.
—Mom abandoned me too, so what makes you think I should trust someone like you?! You’re just pretending to care about us for your professor evaluation scores! You’ll throw us away the moment you don’t need us anymore!
It was a cry I’d heard before.
When Julia later became a perfect villain and faced retribution from the protagonists before her destruction, she’d screamed these very words.
People’s reactions had generally been sympathetic, but—
—…Stop your childish pouting.
—What?
—Don’t throw tantrums like a little girl.
—!!
I clicked my tongue in response to Julia’s outburst.
‘Where does a perfectly trustworthy person even exist?’
I too had grown up without warmth.
People eager to stab you in the back surrounded me at every turn, and I’d learned as a child that even blood family could abandon and betray you without hesitation.
—Of course I could abandon you too. If you commit a mistake as my student that I can’t overlook, I’ll cast you out without question. Hell, if I thought I was truly about to die right now, I might leave you behind and save myself. That’s what being human means.
—Ha! And then what, you want me to trust you…?!
—So will you spend your whole life cowering like a coward?
—!!
Julia’s pupils hardened.
Whoosh!
I dodged her blade again with Tap Dance, continuing my words.
—If you don’t trust, life is easier. You won’t get hurt.
The truth was, I too struggled to trust others.
That’s why I know.
How difficult it truly is to trust someone.
—But do you know this? Trusting others actually requires tremendous courage.
—!!
—Giving your heart to someone despite knowing you could be betrayed. That is trust. That is faith.
Yes.
Only a heart strong enough can give trust to another.
‘…It’s almost funny, the way I sound like Julia while pretending to be above it all.’
In truth, you didn’t necessarily have to live trusting others.
Whether you trust or don’t trust someone is merely a matter of personal disposition, I thought—
‘—but Julia’s case is different. In the end, that very distrust will devour her as well.’
The choice is yours. You can stay huddled as you are now, or you can find courage, even if it seems foolish. Do as you wish.
Julia bit her lip hard.
Had my words stirred something in her heart?
She asked quietly.
So you want me to trust you? On what grounds?
Ah, I forgot to mention something crucial. To trust another person requires more than just courage.
In fact, this matters far more.
Far more.
It’s the eye to see someone truly.
!!
Tell me—am I someone worthy of your trust? If your sight is sound, you should be able to tell, shouldn’t you?
Julia’s face went blank.
Slash!
Her sword flew at me again.
But the blade felt duller than before.
Julia’s resolve was wavering, and cracks were forming in Puppet’s Puppet Arts.
Didn’t you say just moments ago that you’d abandon me?
Yes, that’s right. I have a principle: no matter how promising a student might be, I won’t treat anything subhuman and vile as a student. Looking at your twisted nature, there’s a real chance you could become something like that. Make no mistake—if you do, I’ll be the first to cast you out. But.
I spoke clearly.
I’m going to trust you too. That you won’t become such a thing. Even if my trust is betrayed.
!!
Julia’s eyes trembled—but this time, with a different meaning.
Then.
I swear… Professor, I trust you.
With that oath, Julia’s sincere heart reached toward me, and.
Crack—crack!!
The chains that bound Puppet shattered.
“Kugh?! How dare you!!”
Puppet roared, pulling his power up.
The Dark Mana from the black mages swirled abundantly, yet
“It is useless. The unbreakable cord of trust, woven by the radiant Oath of Moonlight, cannot be severed by any evil.”
The Black Flame Dragon seized the opening without hesitation.
But it was true.
‘The Waltz of Moonlight is only a Star Rank Puppet Art, but depending on how it’s used, it can exhibit power greater than any other Puppet Art.’
It was written in the Spell Tome: Puppet Arts performed through mutual trust shine with the beauty and strength of a waltz beneath the moon.
That was what the tome said.
“My Waltz of Moonlight is not something a wretch like you—a Puppet master without even conviction in yourself—can stand against.”
!!
Puppet’s eyes flew wide open.
I’d guessed that something was wrong with Puppet’s Puppet Arts, and I’d hit the mark perfectly.
‘For a Puppet master who controls others through hypnosis, self-conviction is more vital than anything else.’
“Professor, this bastard!! How did I end up like this?! If only I hadn’t fallen for your trickery last time! I’ll kill you!!”
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!!!
A fierce surge of power rippled forth like flames consuming everything.
But his composure shattered, and with it came countless openings.
I opened the Magic Pouch.
“Mari, can you manage? That one.”
Squeak—squeak!!
Mari was a Great Elder Dragon, the highest species of Celestial Dragon.
She carried Holy Energy, which stood opposed to malevolent power.
Though she was barely a newborn and her strength was but a speck of dust, if I combined my power with hers, even that speck could topple mountains.
A tiny burp, and out came delicate Holy Energy that I guided with precision straight into Puppet’s weak point—it detonated.
“Kugh?!”
Crash!
Puppet’s already-fractured Puppet Arts shattered completely.
“Now! Hans, Linden!”
The two who’d been waiting dove forward and snatched up Julia and Wilhelm.
“Activating the Escape Scroll! Listen here, Puppet—I’ll show mercy this time, but next time, you’d better be ready! I’m going to shave every last hair off your head!”
“Um, sir, something’s wrong? It’s not working? What’s happening? Is it defective? This was expensive…”
The reason became clear soon enough.
“How dare you. Did you truly believe such a scroll could work before me?”
Puppet’s face twisted with fury as he reached out toward us.
Impossibly, he had forcibly halted the scroll’s activation with his Authority.
“Master Puppet? Truth be told, I’ve always admired you! Might you allow this Hans to serve as a foot-rag for you? My head’s so smooth and shiny, it’s perfect for shining your feet, hehehehe.”
“Oh, shut up and run! Noooo! We’re surrounded by his puppet army already?! I had my retirement portfolio all planned out!!”
Dozens of puppets had materialized at some point, encircling the Waterway.
It was a display of overwhelming power—as if our earlier clash had been nothing but amusement.
“Hans, Linden, activate the Escape Scroll again.”
“But, young master? Master Puppet won’t allow it—”
“It’s fine. This time he won’t be able to stop it.”
Whisper.
A crystal shaped like a small sword materialized before me.
A crystallization where the essence of the Heart of the Frozen Sea and shadow intertwined.
My secret weapon—the Shadow Ice Sword.
But that wasn’t all.
Roooar.
Chaotic energy coalesced around the Shadow Ice Sword.
It was my ultimate strike, pouring every ounce of my strength into a single decisive blow.
“Puppet, you of all people would recognize this energy. You know what happens if you take it—you won’t walk away unscathed.”
!!
“Will you keep wasting your focus on scrolls? If you want to commit suicide, by all means.”
Puppet’s teeth ground together audibly.
At Puppet’s level, there were ways to evade or neutralize my attack, no matter how threatening.
But if he were distracted by the scroll? And his opponent was me? Especially in his current flawed state? Impossible.
“Let them go. You and I will settle this alone.”
“…What?”
“Your target is me anyway, isn’t it? Let the others leave—that’s all I’m asking.”
Silence hung in the air for a moment.
Then protests erupted.
But an unexpected voice reacted most violently.
“Don’t talk such nonsense! You’ll die! How can you speak of sacrifice like that?! Are you insane?”
It was Julia.
Her voice trembled with anguish and indignation.
‘There’s no choice. Right now, their presence would only be a hindrance.’
“What help could you possibly be by staying?”
!!
“This is my battlefield. Don’t interfere needlessly—go back now.”
I spoke as firmly as I could, but their reaction was strange.
“…Young master.”
“…Senior.”
They all stared at me with glistening eyes.
Their gazes were heavy with emotion, but I had no mind to dwell on it.
“That’s an order. Go back at once.”
“But…!! We can’t just—!”
That was when it happened.
The Escape Scrolls held by Hans and Linden suddenly blazed with light.
“No, why is it activating on its own? Don’t tell me, young master—you forced it—?!”
“No, Senior! Are you mad?! If you die, what about the stocks?! Stop it right—!”
Hic-squeal! Poof!
Flash!
They all vanished, and I turned my gaze with a slight look of surprise.
Unlike Hans and Linden’s misunderstanding, it hadn’t been my doing.
Puppet had withdrawn the Authority he’d been using to interfere with the scroll, allowing it to activate of its own accord.
“So you’ve gotten your wish—now it’s just the two of us. Tell me, how would you like to die?”
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. I’m not staying to sacrifice myself.”
I flicked my fingers.
Arrogantly.
“I’m staying to kill you.”
!!
It was no bluff.
There was a way.
‘I have one last card left. Of course, I can’t guarantee it’ll work.’
Still, I had to see it through.
‘My bitter feud with Puppet ends here.’
“Are you prepared to die?”
Puppet’s face hardened like stone.

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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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