The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 84

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

Chapter 84
Of course, Ouroboros wasn’t the Jewel Tribe’s only enemy.
Broadly speaking, even the consumers who bought the Jewel Tribe’s hearts could be called enemies.
But Ouroboros had played a decisive role in the Jewel Tribe’s extinction.
‘Silpine doesn’t know that yet. Later, she becomes one of Ouroboros’s members. Eventually, she learns the whole truth and falls apart.’
All of Silpine’s character scenarios led to nothing but bad endings.
No matter how many people she killed, she never succeeded in her revenge. In the end, her fixed ending was either suicide in despair or being executed by one of the other protagonists.
‘The scenario was set that way, but not anymore. This is reality now. There’s no such thing as a fixed fate. Anything can be changed.’
In truth, I had no confidence.
But taking on things that look impossible—that was my specialty back when I was a sales king.
“I’ll help you with your revenge.”
“What nonsense are you talking?”
“I’m your professor. Train under me and grow stronger. Stronger than anyone in this world. Strong enough to ascend to heaven. That’s the only way you’ll succeed in your revenge.”
Silpine let out a hollow laugh.
The face of someone hearing an unrealistic story.
“If you lack conviction, give up now. If you can’t even manage this much, your chances of succeeding in revenge won’t be worth a speck of dust.”
!!
I wasn’t exaggerating.
Because among her true enemies, there were even Ascendants.
“If you trust me and follow my path, I’ll help you. As the great Anti-Ecclesia who will one day be called the legendary Elf-sayer.”
……
Silpine fell silent, her lips pressed tight.
Her face deep in thought.
I waited for her choice with anxious anticipation.
At last,
“…What if, after I actually kill all my real enemies, I decide to slaughter all the other humans too? What will you do then?”
An unexpected question.
“If that’s your choice, I won’t stop you.”
“…Are you serious?”
“But in that case, you’ll have to surpass me. I can’t exactly lie down and die quietly for you.”
Silpine studied me in silence for a moment, then suddenly broke into laughter.
“Aha. Professor, you’re more interesting than I thought. Alright. I’ll follow what you say, Professor.”
Silpine offered a slight smile.
“It does sound more fun to kill my real enemies first. But don’t let your guard down. Silpi’s heart might change at any moment and try to kill the Professor just like that ♥”
I nodded.
‘Silpine’s hatred for humanity hasn’t disappeared.’
I’d simply put a leash on her using the bait of “more important revenge.”
Whether she became a savage beast again or not would depend on how I handled things from here on.
“But there’s one condition. You have to cooperate with me too.”
“Hehe, what is it? Who should I kill? Silpi’s so excited.”
“From now on, don’t skip class. You attend every lesson without fail. And you need to place in the top ten on the upcoming exam.”
……
Silpine made a face like she’d bitten into something bitter and promised to show diligence going forward.
With Silpine’s matter settled for now, I let out an internal scream.
‘Ugh! This is killing me! Why is being a professor this exhausting?! Isn’t being a professor supposed to be easy?’
Hans and Linden burst in moments later.
“Master?! You bought a house?! A house of my own—a dream I’ve never realized! Ah, this Hans has been losing sleep at night, worried about you all this time!”
“Whoa, is this the senior’s house? I’m jealous. I couldn’t even eat for three days without the senior. Ah, it’s not that I’m asking for shares! Hehe, so, could you maybe throw me some leftover meat scraps that Mari didn’t finish?”
-Grrrr…! Linden…! You…trash…!
Apparently, this business had worn me out more than I thought.
I could tell by how happy I was to see these two fools.
“Let’s eat together after all this time. Actually, let’s have a proper gathering.”
“A gathering, sir?”
“Yes. This is a historic moment—the Anti-Ecclesia acquiring a new home. We can’t just let it pass without marking it somehow. I think a modest celebration would be fitting.”
A new house called for a proper housewarming, after all!
“Um, um… may I join as well? While you were away, Professor, I… worked very hard.”
“Don’t brag like you’re the only one who did. Look, the house is small, but congratulations on the new place anyway.”
The lonely comrades Libel and Katrine had wormed their way in.
Julia and Wilhelm showed up too—apparently they’d heard the news from somewhere.
For reference, Julia and Wilhelm often go around together. Though it’s more like Julia unilaterally works Wilhelm to the bone.
“Hmm, rather than this small place, why don’t I buy you a proper house as a housewarming gift? I’m quite well-off, as you can see.”
“Ah… Julia, why did you drag me here too? Oh no, if I don’t want to end up in prison, I have to place in the top five at the exam coming up!”
And so Libel, Katrine, Julia, and Wilhelm all appeared, filling the room with cheerful chatter.
For reference, Third Imperial Prince Yodo seemed to have stayed away deliberately, mindful of the imperial court’s scrutiny.
‘The more people at a housewarming, the better. As for the cost, I can just put it on the Corporate Card under the guise of a company dinner.’
There was just one thing that nagged at me.
—Katrine was an abandoned child.
Duke Alfonso’s words came back to me as I studied her face.
“Why are you staring?”
Her usual blunt, sharp response.
Her expression showed no shadow of doubt, and fortunately, nothing seemed to have happened yet.
“P-Professor… why don’t you look at my face instead?”
“…Everyone, let’s make a toast.”
Ignoring Libel, we all raised our glasses to one another.
They were students, but all seventeen years old.
In the Empire, drinking was legal at this age under the assumption that it was done under a ‘guardian’s’ supervision and in ‘limited quantities.’
“I’ll offer the toast! To celebrate the new home that will become the nest of history written by that great star of the magical world, Master Van, may your brilliance shine forever! Ah, I’m so envious!”
With Hans’s toast, the glasses chimed, and the night grew deeper.
For the first time in a long while, I was able to let my guard down and rest easy.
But it happened after the housewarming ended and everyone had fallen into deep sleep in the dead of night.
“!!”
My eyes snapped open.
It was because I’d felt something strange.
‘What is this?’
It was the same ominous sensation I’d felt many times before.
The kind I always felt before something catastrophic happened.
‘Why now, all of a sudden?’
—Dad?
Mari, sensing the same strangeness, woke from sleep with anxious eyes.
But something felt different from before.
I remained tense and vigilant, yet nothing happened.
All I heard was Hans snoring softly beside me, sprawled out in drunken sleep.
‘But the ominous feeling doesn’t disappear either. What is it?’
I looked out the window with cautious eyes, but everything was quiet.
‘But it seems too quiet. Was it always this quiet at this hour?’
Just then, Linden, who’d been sleeping beside Hans, cried out as though he’d had a nightmare and jolted awake.
“Ahhh! Another stock market crash! Huh, Senior Van, what are you doing? Standing there admiring the moon like you’re so cool? No one’s even watching, yet you’re always with that stupid posturing….”
Still half-asleep, Linden tilted his head.
“Why is it so dark? Didn’t the moon come up?”
“!!”
I looked up at the sky in alarm.
The moon was still there.
But its light was subtly dimmed.
‘The Moonless Night phenomenon.’
It was a special natural occurrence unique to this world—when the moon’s light grew faint.
Only then did I grasp the true nature of my unease.
‘How could I have forgotten this?’
I swallowed hard.
‘It’s the precursor to the “Deleted Night” episode.’
An episode with an ominous name.
It was not a normal episode at all.
It was a turning point.
‘In the worst case, I’ll face a Game Over ending.’
The most dreadful episode of the first semester’s early arc was beginning to approach.
* * *
‘Warrior Academy’ has two types of Game Over.
The first is when the essential protagonists die or fall away, making it impossible to clear the scenario further.
The second is when irreparable damage befalls even one of the Four Great Prestigious Academies.
‘The Four Great Prestigious Academies aren’t mere background settings. Each has its own role to play. If even one of them faces disaster, this world cannot survive.’
If I fail to properly resolve the “Deleted Night” episode, Rubinesse Academy will suffer irreparable damage.
A massive crisis loomed ahead, yet the campus grounds thrummed with vitality.
‘…Actually, maybe I shouldn’t worry so much. Rubinesse Academy has five True Protagonists, after all.’
It would be the True Protagonists who carried the weight of clearing the Deleted Night episode.
No matter what anyone said, the starring role in the Warrior Academy belonged to sixteen True Protagonists.
‘Rubinesse Academy has nothing to fear.’
Even excluding Third Imperial Prince Yodo, there were four True Protagonists in residence.
And each one ranked among the formidable.
‘Both of the main True Protagonists are here, Tern from the Sword Arts department is exceptionally strong, and even Silpine will contribute something.’
In fact, this episode could prove a tremendous opportunity for me.
‘My class alone has four True Protagonists. Julia is no less capable than any of them. The Deleted Night episode will showcase their talents brilliantly.’
My students will be the ones credited with saving the academy?
My evaluation score as their professor would naturally reach the highest marks.
‘So it’s fine. Nothing to worry ab—’
I fell silent for a moment.
No. That wasn’t right.
There was a grave problem.
‘When does Katrine actually awaken?’
Katrine had earned the epithet: ‘the Magic Prominent Family’s greatest dullard.’
But that was a lie.
It was Joanna who truly lacked talent—Katrine was the absolute opposite.
She simply hadn’t undergone her Awakening yet, though she was destined to shine brighter than anyone.
‘By this point, she should have awakened on her own. Why hasn’t she?’
A knot of unease twisted in my chest.
Katrine’s Awakening had a window of opportunity.
Early in the new term was the absolute deadline.
If she didn’t awaken by now, she never would.
‘No—if Katrine, the main True Protagonist, fails to fulfill her role, this world ends!’
Another form of Game Over entirely.
The problem was that no one could help Katrine awaken.
She had to accomplish it herself.
‘I need to find out what’s delaying her Awakening.’
Just then, I spotted a familiar face across from the lecture hall.
It was Balas.
I tried to brush past him without a second glance, but he caught my arm.
“Wait, please. I wanted to express my gratitude to you.”
“Is it about my evaluation of your recent lecture? That’s unlike you.”
Balas’s brow furrowed.
“No, sir. I’m speaking on account of Second Lady Katrine.”
An odd thing to bring up.
“I’m indebted to her. She suffered persecution, and I was too cowardly—too mindful of the other Magic Prominent Family members’ eyes—to offer her any help.”
“Then why are you thanking me?”
“Because her face has grown brighter because of you.”
.
Balas spoke with the expression of someone who’d just bitten down on bitter fruit.
“I don’t want to admit it, but Second Lady Katrine seems to rely on you heavily.”
In that moment, I understood why Katrine hadn’t awakened until now.
‘It’s because of me. I’ve been the one hindering her growth all along.’

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