The Graduate Student Wants to Assassinate the Professor - Chapter 3

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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 3

Khalid trailed behind me as I swept through the Research Laboratory with a broom and duster, constantly offering unsolicited advice.
“No! Don’t touch that! I use that! Move that one over there instead, not there—over there—and that one…”
“But why don’t you do it yourself, Professor?”
“Too bothersome.”
“Ah, I see. Haha.”
‘I want to punch him just once.’
I gritted my teeth inwardly as I swept away cobwebs with rough, aggressive motions.
‘I came here to assassinate a target! Do I really have to do all this?!’
Something had felt off from the very beginning.
I’d thought it would be simple—just stick around nearby, wait for an opening, and slit his throat when the moment came.
But Khalid kept me busy with endless chores before I could even scout for vulnerabilities.
‘Petila, why are you putting me through this ordeal?’
Cleaning the Research Laboratory, washing experimental equipment, taking inventory and organizing materials, disposing of experimental waste and filing disposal requests, submitting purchase requisitions for supplies, filing laboratory usage applications, and writing post-use reports.
I spent an entire day under Khalid’s supervision, buried in cleaning and organizing the Research Laboratory.
The second day, I wrestled with paperwork, completing the various requisitions and reports Khalid had postponed. And on the final, long-awaited day, I wandered through the Academy seeking approvals for all the documents I’d prepared the day before.

‘Meryl, where do I go to get approval for the magical equipment supplementation request?’
‘Take the shuttle that runs regularly from the front entrance and get off at the third stop—you’ll see the Magic Studies Building right there. Submit it to the secretary in the equipment team leader’s office.’
‘And the lecture material production request?’
‘The Printing Office in front of the History Studies Building.’
‘The student assignment submission notice?’
‘Go to the Department Office, authenticate with your mana signature, and request the notification be sent.’

After running errands across every corner of the Academy grounds without missing a single location, Leoryna collapsed onto the floor of Khalid’s Professor’s Office the moment she finished the last task.
“Is this really what I joined the Special Mission Unit for? I’m suffocating in self-contempt….”
Leoryna muttered the words “Special Mission Unit” in barely a whisper, but Khalid paid no attention to her murmuring. Instead, he tapped her leg with the tip of his shoe and asked.
“Leoryna. How many circles does your magical circuit have?”
Was this really the kind of question a professor should ask his graduate student?
Offended by the absurd question, Leoryna sprang to her feet and challenged him.
“Professor, didn’t you look at my application materials?”
“No. I’m looking at them now.”
‘How shameless,’ she thought.
Leoryna restrained the urge to punch Khalid for his brazen response and answered instead.
“Four circles.”
In reality, she possessed seven circles, but she had concealed her true ability to maintain the appearance of an ordinary mage.
“Ordinary, then.”
At Khalid’s murmur, Leoryna felt a wave of relief wash over her. Khalid flipped through the documents she had submitted when applying to the Graduate School, nodding as he reviewed them.
“Your undergraduate grades were respectable too. But with such credentials, you might struggle to keep up with my experiments….”
Oh no, was I too ordinary?
Leoryna quickly rubbed her hands together and spoke with confidence.
“Don’t worry about that. Even if I can’t be of much help with your research, I promise I won’t be a hindrance!”
“I’ll have to think about what level to set your required courses at.”
“You’re actually considering my curriculum?”
I thought you were too busy assigning me tasks to care about such things.
“Well, I have to do at least that much if I’m going to graduate my precious graduate student.”
Precious graduate student—that’s a death sentence.
Leoryna redefined what the word “precious” meant as Khalid issued his next command.
“Once you’re done with your tasks, make me some coffee.”
‘Should I poison it…?’
Leoryna was seized by a powerful urge, but she decided against making any hasty moves before fully understanding her target.
Khalid waited for Leoryna to prepare the coffee and refreshments without lifting a finger, but suddenly he pulled out a thick stack of papers. He scribbled something with his fountain pen, then became intensely focused—so absorbed that he didn’t even notice when Leoryna brought the coffee.
After calculating something for a long while, Khalid paused, fell into deep thought, then walked to the Blackboard and began writing out a lengthy formula.
Only then did Leoryna recognize it as a magical formula.
“Oh… Oh my….”
Leoryna couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.
Khalid’s magical formula was far from ordinary—its structure was remarkably original because he had twisted aspects that most would never consider.
While Leoryna was skilled enough in magic to hold her own anywhere, this was the first time she had seen magic approached from such a perspective.
“Professor, you truly are a genius.”
Leoryna tilted her head as she verified Khalid’s magical formula, offering him praise.
Khalid turned to look at her with an indifferent expression, seemingly unmoved by her compliment.
“Leoryna. I’m giving you your first assignment.”
“An assignment?”
Khalid tapped the Blackboard with his hand and continued speaking.
“Prove this magical formula.”
“What kind of magical formula is this?”
“You can’t tell just by looking?”
“…It seems to be some kind of circuit for storing magical power, but it’s not meant to be used independently. It appears to serve an auxiliary role to other formulas. So I’m not sure what it’s actually for.”
“I thought you were ordinary, but you do have a brain. Good.”
“Good, sir?”
“Prove whether this formula can be established, and if you fail, correct and refine whichever parts are wrong.”
“Me?”
“Then who else is here besides you? If you don’t like it, would you rather clean the Research Laboratory one more time?”
“Understood, Professor. Just trust me!”
Leoryna, who was sick of cleaning, readily agreed and returned to the Research Laboratory while Khalid went to teach, claiming a seat for herself.
“Sigh, such is my fate… Let me just do this half-heartedly.”
Leoryna attempted to cast Khalid’s magical formula. But it didn’t work as well as she expected.
She modified the formula slightly and tried again. This time it also failed.
So on the third attempt, she pondered for a moment, then carefully modified and cast the formula. Another failure.
“What?”
Leoryna twisted her lips into a crooked smile.
“It still doesn’t work?”
No, it doesn’t.
Leoryna’s competitive spirit flared at the successive failures.
“It doesn’t work? This doesn’t work?”
Mages by nature were creatures whose instinct was to decompose and construct the world, to explore it. And Leoryna, who was simultaneously an assassin of the Papal Special Task Force and a mage, was no exception to this rule.
“Even when I do it like this, it doesn’t work? Really doesn’t work? Let’s see who wins—you or me.”

* * *

Khalid burst into his Research Laboratory to check on something before leaving for the day, only to be startled by the sight of Leoryna drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.
Since he had always been alone, he had completely forgotten that someone else might be in his Research Laboratory.
The moment Leoryna saw Khalid, her face lit up.
“Professor! I did it!”
“You’re still here?”
Khalid stared at her with wide eyes.
“Where would I go? You told me to refine the spell formula. I have to finish this before I leave.”
Khalid glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.
It was now 10:30 at night. Eleven hours had passed since he had given Leoryna the spell formula.
He himself often became so absorbed in his work that he forgot to eat, but he had never expected Leoryna to work with such dedication.
“Could you check if this proof is correct and if the spell formula is functioning properly?”
Leoryna carefully extended her notebook to him.
Khalid activated the spell formula she had presented. Refined magical energy flowed smoothly, swirling around the incantation in graceful circles.
This was work that could be commercialized immediately!
“How is it? Did I do it correctly?”
When Leoryna asked cautiously, Khalid suddenly clapped his hand over his own mouth.
At his reaction, Leoryna tilted her head, wondering if something had gone wrong, but Khalid quickly composed himself and spoke in measured tones.
“You did quite well. Good work.”
“Yes!”
Intoxicated by the joy of finally being able to go home, Leoryna completely overlooked the strangeness of Khalid’s response.
She quickly gathered her belongings and bowed respectfully to Khalid.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Professor.”
With light steps, she headed home.
Khalid watched Leoryna’s retreating figure and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Hmm.”
He could not suppress the smile creeping across his lips.
He murmured to himself without realizing it.
“Where did this little treasure fall into my Research Laboratory from?”
Leoryna’s status had been upgraded from slave to treasure. But Khalid’s way of handling treasures was somewhat different from others.
And it was from the very next day that this difference would descend upon Leoryna in the form of calamity.

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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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