The Graduate Student Wants to Assassinate the Professor - Chapter 126

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

Chapter 126

Part 14: The Truth About Pongko

After the day of rest Khalid had granted me, the next morning arrived.
Leoryna hurried to work early in the morning, prepared tea, and knocked on the door to Khalid’s Office. A voice from within bade her enter.
“Good morning, Professor!”
Khalid observed Leoryna’s complexion as she entered with spirited energy and spoke.
“You look well.”
“Yes! Everything is fine now!”
Leoryna answered with vigor. Unbeknownst to Khalid, she let her eyes travel over him from head to toe as she thought to herself.
‘Goodness… just days ago, I wanted to kill him simply for being in my sight, yet seeing him this morning fills me with such warmth.’
My chest thrummed with an unfamiliar sensation. This overwhelming feeling upon seeing Khalid was entirely new to me.
‘Is this what it means to like someone?’
Leoryna felt as though her body might twist itself into knots.
Yet she could not let this show. No one—save Pongko—must ever discover that she harbored affection for Khalid.
Oblivious to Leoryna’s inner turmoil, Khalid savored his tea and spoke.
“Now that the break is approaching, I suppose it’s time we did that.”
“Did what?”
Khalid’s gaze shifted to Pongko, who stood beside Leoryna, and he licked his lips.
“Dissect that creature.”
“Kyaaaah!”
Pongko yelped in terror and hid behind Leoryna’s legs. Yet Khalid set down his teacup and advanced toward Pongko.
“Listen here—I’ve only granted you a reprieve because of the final exams, but your suspicious nature hasn’t changed one bit.”
“Y-you’re really going to d-dissect me?!”
“Depends on the situation.”
“Kyak!”
Pongko darted about the office, using Leoryna as a shield in his chase with Khalid.
“Get over here! Hold still and let me catch you!”
“Have I lost my mind?! Do you know what you’ll do to me?!”
As Pongko scrambled frantically about, the door swung open and a figure entered Khalid’s Office, seizing Pongko by the scruff of his neck.
“Hello, Pongko?”
Zigzagel spoke with a grin, but Pongko thrashed desperately to escape his grasp.
“I can’t say hello! I can’t, I tell you! Let me go!”
He cast a pleading look toward Leoryna, but she turned away.
“Sorry. This time, I think it’s best I side with Professor Khalid.”
At those words, Pongko’s face screamed, ‘You’ve completely switched sides to Khalid’s?!’ as he stared at Leoryna.
Yet Leoryna remained unmoved. While she was indeed supporting Khalid’s position, she also believed it was time to unravel the mystery surrounding Pongko.
“What’s your plan, Professor?”
“As I mentioned before, I’m thinking of visiting Halgrok’s Sanctuary once.”
“Can you just go there like that? Usually, sanctuaries don’t allow just anyone inside, do they?”
For instance, the Holy Maiden’s quarters within the Yorken Divine Temple were built inside a sanctuary. Because of this, one couldn’t enter that place without the Holy Maiden’s permission.
Since sanctuaries were sacred places where gods resided, entering carelessly could incur divine wrath.
Although Halgrok couldn’t descend upon the Land of Seraphinum, Leoryna was somewhat worried that she might be stirring up trouble unnecessarily.
“It’ll work out somehow.”
Khalid gave a rather irresponsible answer while resting his chin on his hand.
“By the way, I’m torn about whether to leave you behind or bring you along, Leoryna. If I take only Pongko, I’m concerned because he’s a familiar and his mana is connected to yours.”
Leoryna exchanged a brief glance with Pongko before speaking.
“Then I’ll come with you.”
“Will that be alright?”
“Professor Khalid and Professor Zigzagel will be there. What could possibly happen? With the two of you, you can surely protect against most dangers, right?”
At Leoryna’s words, Khalid let out a short groan before responding.
“That’s not wrong either. Well then, pack your things.”
“What? Are we leaving right now?”
“Yes.”
“If you’d told me earlier, I would have prepared in advance!”
Leoryna grumbled while hastily gathering her belongings. She changed into her flight boots and packed the self-defense mace rod that Khalid had given her.
Khalid spoke to Leoryna, who was sweeping up everything that looked useful.
“Since we’ll be riding Zigzagel, the travel time won’t take that long. There shouldn’t be anything too demanding once we get there, so just make sure to bring your staff.”
“How casually you assume I’ll let you ride me.”
“You won’t carry us?”
At Khalid’s words, Zigzagel sighed helplessly.
“Exactly where is Halgrok’s Sanctuary located?”
Leoryna knew that Halgrok’s Sanctuary existed in only one place in this world, but she wasn’t familiar with its exact location.
When Halgrok fell 3,000 years ago, the priesthood’s lineage was completely severed, and the temples weathered away, so records hadn’t been properly preserved. Because of this, the location of Halgrok’s Sanctuary was only passed down through oral tradition among the Demon Clan Members.
“From here, we’ll use spatial transfer magic to move somewhat westward on the Kuchiki Continent, then ride Zigzagel for about four more hours.”
It was farther than expected, but with spatial transfer magic, it wasn’t an impossible distance to cover.
As Leoryna nodded, Khalid had already activated a magical artifact inscribed with spatial transfer coordinates.
“Let’s go.”
“Kyaaah! I don’t want to!”
Pongko, who had been held in Zigzagel’s grasp all this time, screamed again, but no one paid him any attention.
“He’s really in a hurry.”
Leoryna shook her head at his impulsive and sudden nature, wondering if there was any way to deal with it, and followed after Khalid.

* * *

Khalid arrived at the Jungle Region in the western Kuchiki Continent, bringing Zigzagel, Leoryna, and Pongko with him.
“You can actually see the legendary World Tree here?”
Leoryna peered downward from atop Zigzagel’s back, her face flushed with anticipation.
“That’s right. The World Tree stands in Halgrok’s Sanctuary—the very place where Halgrok first bestowed magical power upon the creatures of this land.”
Even as Zigzagel flew for what felt like an eternity, the jungle stretched on without end.
“What does the World Tree look like?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
After traveling further, Khalid tapped Zigzagel’s back at a certain point.
“We should land around here.”
Zigzagel descended to the ground as instructed.
Leoryna dismounted from his back and glanced around.
“Where is the World Tree?”
Khalid pointed to a tree with his finger. Yet that tree appeared utterly ordinary—no more imposing than its neighbors, bearing no distinctive features whatsoever.
Leoryna stared at it for a long moment, concluded it differed little from the surrounding trees, and grumbled with disappointment.
“For a legendary World Tree, it’s awfully plain, isn’t it?”
“Is it?”
Khalid chuckled and pointed to the side of the tree he’d indicated, then continued pointing—to its side, and the side beyond that, and the side beyond that, and the side beyond that, and the side, and the side, and the side…
Only after completing a full circle from where he stood did Khalid lower his hand.
Leoryna tilted her head in confusion at what he meant. Khalid shrugged and spoke.
“Every tree in this vicinity branches from a single root—that is the World Tree.”
“What? So this isn’t just a forest?”
“It’s one tree that has spread horizontally. People often mistake size for height alone, but the mightiest tree in existence—the World Tree itself—is this entire forest. That’s the common misconception.”
Leoryna surveyed her surroundings with fresh eyes. Khalid cautioned her.
“Don’t stray from us. There are many Demon Beasts dwelling here.”
“So, what are you planning to do here?”
Khalid answered her question lightly.
“I’m thinking of having Halgrok possess that fool Pongko….”

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