The Graduate Student Wants to Assassinate the Professor - Chapter 111

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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 111

Khalid couldn’t quite identify the reason for his dislike, but he felt as though something had pierced his chest deeply before vanishing without a trace.
‘This isn’t good.’
As Khalid was downing his drink, Zargen waved a hand in his direction.
“Professor Khalid! Would you like to join us?”
“No. My head would end up like Zigzagel’s, wouldn’t it?”
At Khalid’s firm refusal, the students jeered with exaggerated groans.
“So you’ve all been getting cocky lately—your guts have swollen to bursting, haven’t they?”
Rolling up his sleeves as he approached, Khalid’s imposing presence silenced the students.
Khalid settled himself appropriately between Leoryna and Zigzagel. At that, Leoryna shifted slightly away from him and turned her back, and Khalid tilted his head in confusion at her behavior—she hadn’t even glanced at him.
‘Is it just my imagination? Is she avoiding me?’
Khalid regarded Leoryna with bewilderment, but she was pouring drink into Isto’s cup beside her. The naturalness of that gesture made Khalid quickly stop dwelling on it.
But Leoryna’s inner thoughts were different. Finding it difficult to even look at Khalid now, she simply drank.
Watching Leoryna drain a large cup in one gulp with a slightly weary expression, Khalid offered her a glass of water.
“Leoryna, you seem to be drinking awfully fast. Would you like some water?”
At that gesture, Leoryna’s brow furrowed slightly, and she pushed the cup back toward Khalid with her hand.
“No. I’m not drinking that much.”
“I see….”
Khalid awkwardly withdrew the water glass and watched Leoryna with wavering eyes as she poured drink after drink into her mouth.
‘That’s not drinking fast? Leoryna, I remember her not being the type to enjoy alcohol this much….’
He and Zigzagel had often taken Leoryna out drinking, but each time she had shown considerable restraint. Of course, the two professors had always conspired to make her exceed her limits, but she wasn’t the type to voluntarily drink herself into oblivion.
After some time had passed, Khalid snatched the cup from Leoryna, whose upper body had begun to sway.
“Leoryna. Regardless of whether everyone here is an adult, you’re the one who has to oversee the students all the way at the Academy. It would be better to drink in moderation, wouldn’t it?”
Then Leoryna, her eyes unfocused, giggled in response.
“But you and Zigzagel are here, so do I really need to worry?”
‘This woman… is completely drunk….’
As Khalid narrowed his eyes, Leoryna pushed him away.
“They’re not children! Everyone’s an adult, so they can just go home!”
“Fine. I understand, so come here.”
He grasped the back of Leoryna’s neck and lifted her up. She made a protesting sound as she went limp like a water-soaked blanket, following his strength as she rose.
Khalid dragged Leoryna along and spoke to Zigzagel.
“For now, make sure the others don’t cause any trouble.”
“Got it.”
Zigzagel’s tongue was also slightly slurred, so Khalid regarded his ribbon-adorned friend with an anxious gaze. At his expression, Zigzagel grinned.
“It’s fine! I have a hangover cure. It’s on the Flying Airship.”
“Then that’s a relief….”
With the thought that he should give Leoryna the hangover cure Zigzagel mentioned, Khalid hoisted her onto his back and headed toward the Flying Airship.

* * *

How much time had passed?
Leoryna, whose memory had briefly blurred from the alcohol, realized she was lying on a bench with her head resting on Khalid’s lap.
She screamed and bolted upright, her head colliding squarely with Khalid’s chin as he drank straight from a bottle—and by cruel coincidence, the liquor he’d been pouring into his mouth cascaded down over her head.
“Ugh! Professor, I’m so sorry! Are you alright?!”
Leoryna frantically examined Khalid’s jaw, but he seemed more concerned, staring at her alcohol-soaked hair with bewilderment.
“No, my jaw is fine. Are you the one who’s alright?”
“Oh, I’m fine! Ha, and the alcohol’s wearing off too, so this is great!”
Leoryna gave Khalid a cheerful thumbs-up with both hands.
“But may I ask why I was so presumptuously resting my head on your lap, Professor?”
Khalid responded to her overly formal demeanor with casual indifference.
“You were about to fall asleep, so I dragged you inside the Flying Airship to rest, but you insisted on getting some fresh air out here instead. I tried giving you a sobering potion, but I couldn’t force medicine on someone who wouldn’t wake up, so I was just waiting.”
Khalid took another sip of his drink without a care, but Leoryna, still unsteady from intoxication, bowed deeply at the waist and spoke.
“I apologize! I’ll sleep quietly inside the Flying Airship from now on!”
She stood up with such vigor that she tumbled backward again, and Khalid caught her swiftly.
But the moment his hand touched her body, Leoryna shrieked and shoved him away. She tumbled to the ground alone, and Khalid stared at the scene with wide eyes.
“Are you really okay?”
“…It hurts.”
Leoryna lay sprawled on the ground, her brow furrowed, looking up at Khalid pitifully. Unable to hide his exasperation, Khalid crouched down to meet her eye level.
“What’s wrong with you? What’s the problem?”
“There’s no problem!”
“No, anyone can see you’re clearly in trouble.”
“No! Really, there’s no problem!”
As the drunk woman continued insisting there was no problem, Khalid’s will to argue with her crumbled. Instead, he carefully extended his hand to her.
“Come on, take my hand and get up. I have no ulterior motives.”
Leoryna hesitated for a moment, then grasped Khalid’s hand and pulled herself up, wincing and swaying slightly.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think I twisted my ankle…”
She’d wrenched her right foot when she fell. Khalid chuckled and shook his head.
“Good grief, you’re something else.”
“I’m sorry! This time I’ll definitely go to the Flying Airship and rest!”
Leoryna hopped on her left foot with her right leg raised, but she only managed a few steps before falling again. It was inevitable—someone too drunk to walk on both feet certainly couldn’t manage on one.
Khalid watched the spectacle with an expression of utter disbelief.
Leoryna picked herself up again with determination. That’s when a broad back appeared before her eyes.
“Get on.”
Khalid glanced back slightly and offered her his back.
“No! I couldn’t possibly presume to ride on your back, Professor!”
“Stop talking and just get on. Next time I’m worried your nose will break.”
At his words, Leoryna reluctantly climbed onto Khalid’s back. He lifted her effortlessly and began walking as if she weighed nothing at all.
“Professor, isn’t this heavy for you?”
“Heavy? Do you think I’m as frail as you?”
“I apologize. I’m a bit intoxicated today….”
Reflecting on myself stumbling about on my own feet and delivering nothing but slapstick humor, I felt an embarrassment so profound that even in a half-drunk state, I had never experienced its equal.
“It happens.”
Khalid’s voice carried a note of amusement. He seemed to be enjoying this situation immensely.
“There’s truly no one but me, is there?”
At Khalid’s arrogant remark, Leoryna felt a surge of indignation, yet her tongue moved as though greased, and flattery flowed out smoothly.
“Of course! You know there’s no one but you for me, Professor.”
“Right, right? But I just remembered something… why don’t you call me Master anymore?”
“Pardon?”
“Well, you used to call me Master before. But you haven’t since then.”
As Khalid grumbled in an openly sulky tone, Leoryna was taken aback.
“Ah, well… ‘Professor’ just rolls off my tongue more naturally than ‘Master.’ Why? Do you prefer being called Master?”
“Of course.”
“Why?”
“I told you before, didn’t I? Professor is merely my title, not a term that defines the relationship between us. I am your Master, and you are my disciple, so shouldn’t you be calling me Master?”
At those words, Leoryna responded flatly.
“You called me a slave before.”
“Ah, well then, I’ll call you my disciple from now on. How’s that?”
“…I suppose.”
Leoryna answered in a lukewarm tone without realizing it.
Khalid had promoted me from slave to disciple, yet I felt no joy whatsoever. The thought of referring to our relationship with the closer term of Master and disciple rather than the formal titles of professor and graduate student felt burdensome.
‘Because if we grow that close, I’ll only hate killing him more.’
Leoryna sighed quietly, hidden from Khalid’s view.

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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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