The Graduate Student Wants to Assassinate the Professor - Chapter 122

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

Chapter 122

Leoryna’s head snapped up at Laita’s firm words, her eyes fixed on the Holy Maiden. But Laita offered no lengthy explanation.
“You have to do it.”
“But why do I have to? I’m telling you I can’t!”
“Oh, are you now contradicting the Holy Maiden?”
Leoryna shook her head vigorously at Laita’s words.
“I would never be so irreverent. If you won’t remove me from this mission, I’m simply begging you to at least tell me why I must do this. Surely Petila didn’t specifically name me, did she? I’m just one member of the Special Mission Unit.”
“I chose you for this mission. No one else’s opinion factored into it.”
“What about me made you choose me?”
“Hmm….”
Laita scratched Pongko’s forehead gently while she pondered for a moment. Then, with her brows raised and a smile on her face, she spoke.
“I believe you are the most suited to defying destiny.”
“Defying… destiny?”
Leoryna’s heart sank. The words Pongko had spoken at Halgrok’s Temple came flooding back to her.

‘You who are bound by the chains of causality, defy your destiny.’

I had never reported the oracle I heard at the Ancient Temple to Yorken, and now I wondered if Laita somehow knew of those words.
Yet I couldn’t be the first to bring up the oracle. Without understanding its true meaning, there was nothing to gain from letting the people of Yorken know that an oracle had been given to me.
“Are you saying that destiny refers to Khalid becoming the Demon King?”
“Yes. You could say that.”
“But I’m curious about something. What exactly is destiny?”
Laita’s eyes narrowed slightly as she answered Leoryna’s question.
“An interesting thing to ask.”
“I’ve been wondering about it lately. We’re changing the world’s destiny in Petila’s name, aren’t we? If that’s the case, wouldn’t there be multiple destinies? The destiny of the world without Petila’s intervention, and the destiny of the world she changed through her involvement. Either way, we call both of them destiny.”
“You forgot one. Intervening in another’s destiny is also destiny. Your joining the Special Mission Unit was destiny. Being ordered to kill Caladniel and thus changing his destiny was also your destiny.”
Laita lifted Pongko and nuzzled her face against him.
“Everything unfolds according to Petila’s design.”
“So you’re saying Khalid becoming the Demon King isn’t the true destiny that Petila has ordained?”
Laita nodded slowly.
“Then there’s a way to change his destiny without killing him?”
“If you search for it, such a method might exist.”
Laita set Pongko down carefully and continued.
“But I don’t know what that method is.”
“If even the Holy Maiden doesn’t know, who would?”
“That’s why I’m asking you, Leoryna.”
“But why me? I don’t know either!”
Leoryna felt as though her frustration might drive her mad.
Killing people was her expertise. But she had never attempted anything in other fields, nor did she know how to go about it.
Preventing Khalid from becoming the Demon King without killing him? How was she supposed to know something like that?
“Leoryna, you’ve done well so far. You’ve grown close to Khalid and earned his trust. That alone is a remarkable achievement.”
“But I’m saying I can’t actually kill Khalid?!”
“The future is uncertain.”
Leoryna’s vision darkened.
“Are you telling me to spend days, weeks… or even years watching for an opportunity to assassinate Khalid from his side?”
“If necessary, then yes.”
“You never mentioned this at the beginning.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. I forgot to mention it.”
At those words, Leoryna nearly had a fit of irreverence, forgetting she was in the presence of the Holy Maiden. But Laita continued with a chuckle.
“Even so, do you think your work will change? It won’t. You must remain by his side for however many years it takes and prevent him from becoming the Demon King. Didn’t Veronas tell you? There’s no immediate rush, so slowly work your way into his weaknesses.”
“But still!”
“Think of it as simply extending the assassination work you normally do.”
“But—!”
“Leoryna, at such a young age, you’ve already strayed far from an ordinary life.”
When Laita suddenly brought up something unexpected, Leoryna blinked her eyes wide.
“It’s not that it’s a bad thing… but I do regret not giving you a choice until now.”
“What choice? I’m satisfied with my life as it is.”
“There are many things you won’t understand until you experience them. You joined the Special Mission Unit before you could realize that.”
Laita scratched Pongko’s forehead again as she asked.
“What was it like living an ordinary, everyday life in a place without the stench of blood?”
Leoryna’s mouth fell slightly open. So the feeling she’d had while living at the Academy all this time was…
“I wanted to kill Khalid.”
At that, Laita burst into laughter. Her shoulders shook as she chuckled, then waved her hand.
“Then there’s no problem with the assassination mission, is there? And I suspect that’s not all. Meeting other people at the Academy wasn’t entirely unpleasant, was it?”
Leoryna scratched her cheek and pondered for a moment.
“I suppose I could say it was somewhat enjoyable…”
But more often than not, she felt the urge to kill Khalid instead.
“Isn’t the biggest drawback precisely that it’s graduate school life? Have you ever heard of a happy graduate student?”
Leoryna spoke with frustration.
“Do you know how Khalid treats me? That bastard dumps all the class preparation on me without hesitation, does strange things under the guise of research, and cleaning up after him falls on my shoulders. I’ve pulled all-nighters writing papers more times than I can count…!”
After that, Leoryna continued listing Khalid’s misdeeds to Laita.
Regardless of her complaints, an Attendant approached from behind Laita and whispered something in her ear. Upon hearing it, Laita raised her hand to stop Leoryna’s words.
“Ah, visiting hours are over.”
“What? Already?”
Leoryna was taken aback and her mouth fell open involuntarily.
“I don’t remember ever receiving a proper answer from the Holy Maiden!”
“Leoryna.”
Laita put on her outer robe with the Attendant’s assistance.
“Petila arranged your placement there. So do as you wish. That too is part of Petila’s design.”
“What do you mean? I’m telling you I want to withdraw from this mission!”
“Ah, except for that.”
“Holy Maiden!”
“Yes, go well. Until we meet again.”
At Laita’s dismissal, Leoryna was practically dragged away by the Attendant and expelled from the Saint’s Sanctuary.
Once outside, Leoryna stood motionless in that spot for a long while. Pongko gazed up at her with a troubled expression and asked.
“Are you alright, Leoryna?”
At Pongko’s voice, Leoryna snapped back to herself and clutched her head in frustration.
“No! I requested an audience with the Holy Maiden to find answers, so why did I only hear strange words and end up with even more questions?!”
But she couldn’t stand here dwelling on it any longer.
As a last resort, Leoryna headed toward Veronas’s Office. If he had no external appointments, this would be when he’d be there.

* * *

Leoryna knocked on the door to Veronas’s Office and poked her head inside. Veronas’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of her.
“Well, Leoryna. What brings you here?”
“Ha ha ha, I’ve been well, thank you.”
Leoryna scratched her head as she entered. The moment she sat in the seat Veronas offered, she spoke.
“Remove me from the mission.”
“Ha ha, I’m afraid that won’t do.”
Veronas’s sharp reply cut through the air.

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