The Graduate Student Wants to Assassinate the Professor - Chapter 34

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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 34

Part 5: A Hostage Drama

“Leoryna! We have a crisis!”
The moment Khalid burst through the Research Laboratory door with those words, I tensed. A crisis—what now?
What is it this time? Why? What happened?
“What’s the matter, Professor?”
Khalid ran his fingers roughly through his hair as he spoke.
“I need to present the research findings on mana collision control theory based on Magical Stone repulsion effects—and it’s in three weeks!”
“And? Professor, surely you don’t mean… you haven’t prepared anything?”
Khalid nodded emphatically, and a headache crashed over me.
“Why are you only telling me this now?!”
“I just found out myself! I had no idea they’d suddenly demand this! Since there was no word from them until now, I haven’t organized any materials… and then suddenly they ask if I have any results to show?”
“How long have you been researching this?”
“Well… three years?”
“They’ve been patient enough with you for that long! If you really can’t manage it, just be honest and ask for more time.”
“I can’t! The research funding depends on this!”
“Sigh… Anyway, you have all the data, right? It’s just a matter of organizing it?”
“Yes, yes. So it shouldn’t take that long.”
I watched as Khalid dropped various documents onto my desk with heavy thuds, then exhaled deeply.
Khalid brushed off his hands and spoke.
“So then… shall we work ourselves to death?”
‘Goddess Petila… please let this fool work himself to death this time…’
Once again, I offered a prayer to the goddess.

* * *

Leoryna and Khalid threw themselves into organizing the materials with frenzied intensity. Khalid’s claim that they had everything and it wouldn’t take long had been a complete lie.
I had no idea how this would end….
About a week into slowly dying from organizing materials, Zeles appeared in the mirror. He’d returned at 3 AM, washed up, and found Leoryna sprawled out in exhaustion—so he called to her.
“Leoryna.”
“Ugh, let me sleep. Why are you calling? What’s wrong?”
Leoryna groaned as she dragged herself upright.
“That’s my line. The report never arrived, so I came to check if something was wrong.”
“Nothing serious—just got swamped with organizing materials. I’m going to kill Khalid for this.”
“What kind of materials?”
“Veldract Company—a defense contractor—is developing weapons with new technology integrated into them… Khalid was researching the theoretical framework to apply to that technology.”
At Leoryna’s words, Zeles stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Ah, Veldract… Haven’t things been rather unsettling there lately?”
“Unsettling? Why?”
“You didn’t know? They’re under concentrated attack from Anti-War Activists and pacifists who oppose the weapon technology development. There are protests in front of headquarters every day, threatening letters being sent.”
“Really? I had no idea.”
“There’s also talk of internal information leaking out. I suspect that’s why they’re rushing the weapon development.”
“You know the details?”
“We need to stay informed about war-related matters, so we investigate related fields too. I’ve been hearing rumors lately that they’re preparing for terrorism….”
“Anti-War Activists doing that? Isn’t that too extreme?”
“Why are you saying that? We’re Anti-War Activists too, and we assassinate people.”
“Ah, right.”
Leoryna smacked her lips. Then suddenly, an idea popped into her head.
“Zeles. If you have a route to obtain information about those Anti-War Activists or whatever they’re called, then you’d also have a route to make contact with them, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then I have a good plan for you.”
“Oh, what is it? What?”
“Well, you see….”
Leoryna grinned and laid out her plan to Zeles. After hearing her out, Zeles chuckled for a moment, then nodded.
“Ah, good, good. It doesn’t seem like a bad idea at all, and it seems worth trying.”
“Right?”
“Then I’ll make contact with them, and I’ll reach out again in a few days.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
After Zeles disappeared from the mirror, Leoryna crawled back into bed, giggling to herself.
“Aren’t I a genius?”
She fell asleep, thoroughly pleased with her own brilliance.

* * *

“Professor Huaderica, it’s been quite a while.”
Aesop Veldract, owner of Veldract—the largest defense contractor on the Kuchiki Continent—greeted Khalid with utmost courtesy. Accompanying him were his personal secretary and several researchers from his company.
“Ah, indeed it has been far too long, Chairman Veldract.”
Khalid accepted Aesop’s offered handshake, his gaunt facial muscles stretching into a smile. Beside him stood Leoryna, dark circles shadowing her eyes as she forced them open despite their crimson fatigue.
“I do apologize for summoning you so abruptly. Circumstances on my end necessitated it.”
“Oh no, not at all. I should have reached out to you sooner—it’s been far too long without word.”
Before a purse of money, Khalid became endlessly courteous.
Aesop gestured for Khalid to take a seat and settled into his own. The moment everyone was seated, Aesop dispensed with pleasantries and launched directly into the matter at hand.
“I’ve called you here because our competitors have begun developing high-performance explosives one after another.”
Khalid nodded knowingly.
“Our technology holds its own against theirs, but to refine the finer details further, we’ve reached a stage where we must adopt new techniques. That’s why I’ve asked you to visit—to assess how far your research has progressed and whether it’s reached a stage suitable for commercialization.”
Khalid distributed organized documents to the assembled group.
“To cut to the chase and state the conclusion first: the theory itself has been verified.”
Khalid began explaining various aspects to those reviewing the materials, and the presentation took considerably longer than anticipated. The morning’s research briefing stretched well past lunch before finally concluding.
Afterward, Aesop invited everyone, including the research team, to join him for lunch, and Khalid and Leoryna followed him to the Dining Room.
Aesop, in high spirits, regaled them with one story after another throughout the meal.
Finding his chatter tedious, Leoryna’s mind wandered elsewhere.
‘Weapons… It’s certainly the sort of thing Anti-War Activists would despise, but I’m hardly in a position to pass judgment. More than that—does Khalid truly not care how his research is used? In the end, this research will produce weapons, yet he seems utterly indifferent to the fact that his technology will harm people?’
Leoryna swallowed a piece of braised duck leg, then shook her head.
‘No, wait. When I think about it, I’m someone who handles weapons too, and my profession involves harming others. Besides, Khalid is a slaughterer. Perhaps he has no qualms about hurting people, so he genuinely doesn’t care how his research is applied.’
From her preliminary investigation of Veldract Corporation, Leoryna had concluded that Aesop was a businessman among businessmen in every sense.
He was someone who constantly strategized on how to accumulate more wealth and expand his enterprise. Charitably put, he was shrewd; less charitably, it meant he wouldn’t care if thousands died in war as long as his business thrived.
‘Here I am, claiming I’ll prevent war, yet I’m actually helping develop weapons… No, wait. If the defense sector is robust, other nations won’t take us lightly, which might actually prevent war from breaking out. Hmm… this is truly complicated.’
Lost in her own thoughts, Leoryna only belatedly noticed Khalid calling her name.
“Leoryna?”
“Yes? Did you call for me?”
“I need the materials for this afternoon’s schedule.”
“Of course, they should be right here…”
Leoryna rummaged through her bag, but the materials Khalid mentioned eluded her grasp.
“Professor… the materials aren’t here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I divided the materials between two bags when packing them, but the ones you mentioned aren’t in this one. I’m certain I brought both bags—I distinctly remember wearing them front and back when we departed, so that much I’m sure of! So I must have left them somewhere else…”
Leoryna scratched her head in bewilderment, then snapped her fingers as realization struck.
“Ah! The Flying Airship! I must have left them on the Flying Airship when we arrived!”

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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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