The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 93

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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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Episode 93
Second Prince Reniuus narrowed his eyes.
‘Because of that bastard Bann, I haven’t made a single accomplishment all this time. I absolutely cannot miss this opportunity.’
Besides Reniuus, there were other Apostles within Ouroboros.
He had to defeat them in competition.
‘Just recently, the Fourth Apostle sent word. The preparations for the Grand Plan are complete.’
The Grand Plan.
It was the task entrusted to the Fourth Apostle.
‘The Grand Plan specifically targets Rubinesse Academy. If it proceeds as scheduled, that Fourth Apostle bastard will rake in the greatest merit.’
As mentioned before, Rubinesse Academy was the most important of the four great institutions to Ouroboros.
It had to be seized no matter what.
‘Damn it, Bann Ecclesia—if not for that bastard, I wouldn’t be falling so far behind.’
This was why Reniuus was pushing so hard now.
‘Killing Bann Ecclesia is impossible. The Ecclesia ducal house would turn heaven and earth upside down hunting us. They’d dig forever. And I can’t carelessly touch Yodo either.’
The other students were different.
He could kill them freely.
‘Especially Katrine of the Sun and Libel of the Moon—they’re potential mortal enemies of our Ouroboros. Killing them would be a tremendous accomplishment.’
His plan was to kill Katrine and Libel to earn merit, then use the failure to protect the class students as an excuse to drive Bann Ecclesia out of the Academy.
‘This time, it ends.’
Reniuus thought with dark satisfaction.
* * *
But that wasn’t all.
In a place Bann hadn’t anticipated at all, embers of another problem were igniting.
“Ugh, there’s something creepy about today. Ah, another ghost!”
“Well, isn’t there nothing to worry about? The senior students will take care of something that small.”
Phantom Break had erupted, but the city and Academy weren’t completely paralyzed.
After all, since ghosts only appeared at night, during the day everything ran normally, and once the sun set, everyone retreated to their homes and dormitories, bolting the doors tight.
“There’s another one!”
“Wait, that’s not a ghost, is it? Isn’t that Libel?”
“Oh, that unpleasant bastard? I find him more unpleasant than ghosts.”
“He’s gloomier than a ghost. Even the ghosts probably think he’s unpleasant and avoid him.”
“But where is he going? Isn’t it curfew—no one’s supposed to leave the dormitory after dark?”
Libel was walking with vacant eyes.
‘Where am I even going?’
He had no idea.
His mind was hazy; he was simply letting his feet carry him.
‘I’m a monster.’
Not a recent thought.
In truth, Libel had always harbored this belief.
‘People hate me because they instinctively sense I’m a monster. No one likes me.’
Suddenly, a figure came to mind.
Bann.
The only person who had ever treated him straightforwardly from the beginning.
‘No. Professor Bann will eventually hate me too. I’m certain of it. Besides, he wasn’t really treating me specially to begin with.’
Bann was the same with everyone.
He feigned indifference, but he was always there for others.
Would Bann truly remain unchanged even if he knew Libel was a monster?
Libel had no confidence.
‘Perhaps the Professor dislikes me, which is why he didn’t give me any tasks this time.’
He knew.
That this was his own paranoid thinking.
But because of the deep-rooted self-loathing, he could only dwell on these inadequate thoughts.
“Ah.”
Libel suddenly came to his senses.
He’d walked so far while lost in thought that he’d strayed well beyond safe bounds.
—Shrieeeeeek
—Grooooaaan.
Ghosts bared their teeth.
Phase 2 meant they were Level 2 spirits.
For Libel, a 1-Star Rank, they were beyond his reach.
There were even Level 3 spirits among them.
It was a crisis, but Libel merely stared at the ghost in a daze.
“I… I… I have something to ask you all. Do you think I’m a monster?”
-Screech, screech. What nonsense are you spouting?
-Is the child mad?
“I’ll… I’ll show you.”
A strand of energy suddenly surged from Libel’s body.
The ghosts, recognizing the true nature of that energy, cried out in horror.
-Wait, wait… what is this energy? How could a human…?!
-A m-monster?!
When someone shouted the word “monster,” Libel’s face went rigid.
“I’m not a monster!”
And then.
Whoosh!
The spiritual bodies of the ghosts ignited in flame.
Nearly ten spirits vanished without even a scream.
Libel, stunned by what he’d accomplished, hung his head.
“I’m r-really not a monster.”
That was the moment.
-No, you are a monster.
!!
Libel’s eyes widened as if they might tear.
It was a familiar voice.
“T-teacher?”
But that wasn’t entirely right.
-Yes, it’s me. How have you been? I’ve missed you, my child.
It was the teacher who had instructed him in the place he once called home.
-Do you understand now? There is nowhere for you to belong but the Home.
A serpentine whisper wormed into Libel’s ears.
-Come back to the Home.
“B-back to the Home…?”
-Yes. Your family doesn’t mind that you’re a monster.
“I d-don’t want that.”
-Hmm?
Libel clenched his teeth.
“N-now I want to live like a human.”
Like a human.
Where someone accepts him as human, and he accepts someone else as human in return.
-How amusing. You, the most horrifying monster of all, think you have the right to do that?
…
-Well, it doesn’t matter. Your will is irrelevant anyway.
!!
As those words fell, an overwhelming wave of agony crashed through Libel’s mind.
As consciousness grew distant, a horrifying command echoed in his ears.
-A monster has no use for sentiment. Before returning to the Home, kill everyone dear to you.
* * *
But that wasn’t even the worst of it.
At the very top of the Spire in Rubinesse Academy, a lone figure hummed softly beneath the pale moonlight.
“Wow. It’s more chaotic than I expected. Phantom Break, Tri-Evil, the Home, and those madmen too.”
It was Rune.
A demon of the Demonic Realm masquerading as a temporary professor.
“I’m curious to see if Ban Ecclesia will pull off another miracle this time. Though it’s clearly impossible now.”
Rune’s lips stretched wide in a grin.
“I’m sorry to Ban, but this time I won’t be sitting idle either. The time is growing ripe.”
A chilling statement.
Rune was no ordinary demon—as could be seen from the reaction Puppet had shown before.
And now he was plotting something.
It would be no small matter.
“All is for the glory of the Demonic Realm.”
Snap!
The rune’s form vanished, leaving only wandering phantoms in the thick darkness.
And so it began.
Ouroboros.
Tri-Evil.
‘Home.’
The rune of the Demonic Realm.
Terrible dangers were drawing near.
That night, Phase advanced to 3.
* * *
The city descended into chaos.
“Phase 3? Haven’t we gone months without such a thing?”
“Is this really safe? Even if the professors of Rubinesse Academy protect the city?”
“This means Level 3 phantoms will start appearing, doesn’t it?”
Level 3 was an enormously symbolic tier.
Level 1 meant a Runner—someone just beginning their journey.
Level 2 was a Beginner, likewise an apprentice. A somewhat more experienced apprentice.
But Level 3 was spoken of as a “User.”
Whether knight or mage, healer or artist—from Level 3 onward, one shed the apprentice’s mantle.
They were recognized as a proper knight, a proper mage, and so forth.
Therefore, Phase 3 meant that proper knights and proper mages’ caliber of phantoms would begin to appear.
“Don’t higher-level monsters appear fairly often as well?”
“I’ve heard that in Phase 3, in the worst case, even Level 5 or Level 6 monsters can emerge.”
“How ominous.”
“Look there. The academy professors.”
A middle-aged man with a striking mustache stepped up onto the plaza.
It was Count Berner, the Dean.
“Citizens, fear not. We of House Rapelt, united with the academy’s professors, shall protect you all.”
His voice was cheerful.
In truth, Count Berner was delighted by this crisis.
‘I’ve done nothing but shame myself recently. This is perfect. I’ll dominate the other factions and seize control of the academy.’
Unexpectedly, it was not the Randolph Former Dean Faction earning the greatest glory in this affair.
It was the Rafalt Ducal Faction.
They had the largest numbers.
Low-level phantoms favored whoever had the most people—high-level monsters were a different matter entirely.
‘Phase 3 is a burden, certainly, but it should be manageable. Phase 4 surely won’t come.’
Phase 4 would change everything.
The Rafalt Ducal Faction’s professors were numerous only in quantity; in quality, they fell behind not only the Randolph Former Dean Faction but even the Karac Dean Faction.
“Unlike a certain professor who ordinarily makes all manner of noise and fuss, yet abandons the city the moment it faces true peril.”
A jab at Bernstein.
As Phase 3 began, Bernstein’s reputation plummeted further still.
“He really is worthless. I’m disappointed.”
“Disappointed? I never expected anything from him. I always knew it was all bluster.”
“Everything Bernstein supposedly accomplished was a lie, wasn’t it?”
Many had long resented his recent achievements.
Combined with the anxiety over Phase 3, all spent their time cursing him.
Bernstein and Randolph himself spoke of Bernstein as well.
“Dean, why are you frowning so? Is it because of Bernstein?”
“Damn the wretch—he didn’t actually flee, did he?”
“When you see Bernstein you make a fuss, then you doubt him again? Or is it that you’re upset because when he bought that house recently, he took the gift you so carefully chose for him and used it as collateral for a loan?”
“U-upset? I’m not upset! Mind your tongue!”
“Well, he did err, it’s true. You took such care in selecting that gift with such hopeful anticipation, and yet he merely pledged it as collateral for a loan.”
“Don’t bring that up again! Ugh! That fool Bernstein, and you too.”
Randolph grumbled.
“I just have a bad feeling about this.”
“Do not worry too much, sir. Rubinesse Academy is not weak.”
“I don’t doubt you all. It’s just… something feels wrong.”
That was when it happened.
Suddenly the world darkened.
Though it was midday, a thick fog seemed to have rolled in—one couldn’t see even a hand’s breadth ahead.
“…Your Excellency was right. It’s Phase 4.”
Woooooogh.
The howling of phantoms echoed from every direction.
Spirits manifesting in broad daylight—an apparition that shouldn’t occur until Phase 4.
“Lord-class phantoms up to Level 6. I should take this on myself.”
“No, wait a moment.”
“Former Dean?”
“This isn’t the end.”
Randolph’s face had gone deathly pale.
“Could it be…?”
That was when it happened.
A ringing laugh burst across the Free City.
—Ahahaha. Greetings, citizens of the Free City. This is Shinsa of the Black Tower. I’m delighted to see you all thriving so well—so delighted, in fact, that I’ve prepared a special “gift” for you.

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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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