The Graduate Student Wants to Assassinate the Professor - Chapter 64

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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 64

Leoryna’s curiosity about Khalid’s family magic stemmed from the fact that his lineage was far from ordinary.
The Huaderica Family.
Before Khalid had annihilated his entire clan, the Huaderica Family had been the most renowned among the Demon Race. In ages past, when the Demon Race still had their own nation, they had produced a Demon Lord. Even after the Demon Race’s decline, the Huaderica Family had maintained its structure with unwavering resolve, expanding their domain to accommodate both clansmen and Demon Race residents.
Of course, this was a tale from one hundred and twenty-four years ago. Still, a lineage with such deep roots would surely preserve ancient magic in its complete form.
‘I’m not sure what it is, but as a mage, the possibility that it’s an incredibly fascinating magic is quite high.’
While Leoryna entertained such thoughts, Khalid, apparently displeased that she had nothing to do, gestured dismissively and spoke.
“If you have nothing else to do, make some flyers and distribute them. Recruit participants for the magical combat tournament that will be held on Demon Race Day.”
‘Of course. It was strange that he wasn’t assigning me anything.’
Leoryna grumbled as she went off to create the flyers.
By the next day, the flyer’s contents had spread throughout the Academy.

[Professor Khalid’s Cup: Demon Race versus Other Races Magical Combat Tournament!]

For mages whose profession was to remain locked away in laboratories, never seeing daylight, conducting research, this tournament was nothing short of terrifying. It was on an entirely different level from the Sports Competition.
How could you strike people with magic? These barbarians! Were the Demon Race finally planning a rebellion?
However, those who saw the grand prize had their eyes widen in shock. The prize was none other than the frozen heart of the Ice Witch, a treasure that existed only in ancient legends.
The Ice Witch’s heart was ice that would never melt, even though her body had long since perished. Researchers’ hearts raced. Such a high-value research item was rarely seen.

Ah, for something like that, I could certainly strike a few people with magic!

Contrary to Leoryna’s expectations, applications for the magical combat tournament began arriving steadily.
“Why do you even possess something like that?”
Leoryna watched Khalid with an exasperated expression as he meticulously polished the box containing the Ice Witch’s heart.
“We have plenty of such things at home.”
Leoryna started to ask what kind of place the Professor’s House was, but held her tongue.
She knew it was an ancient Demon Noble Family, but was it really normal for such rare artifacts to be lying around casually?
In any case, a week passed, and Demon Race Day drew near.

* * *

The Demon Race Day commemorative event was held with considerable grandeur.
This was thanks to Khalid, who claimed it was all for attracting Demon Race students, pressuring Oddrigo—whether through persuasion or coercion remained unclear—to secure a generous budget.
There were booths where Demon Race students demonstrated magic unique to their kind, and stalls selling headbands modeled after demon horns. One could try on or purchase traditional Demon Race attire. And in the afternoon, the much-anticipated magical combat tournament was scheduled to take place.
Leoryna examined the panels with explanations about Demon Race history. She had known the general content, but this was her first time viewing it in such detail.

Six thousand years ago, the Demon Race established their first nation.
Three thousand years ago, the Demon God Halgrok fell during the War of the Gods. Subsequently, the Demon Race’s power declined sharply, weakening the national strength of Demon nations.
Twenty-five hundred years ago, humans launched an invasion, sparking war and leading to the defeat of the Demon nations. The Demon states dissolved sequentially. Stripped of their homelands, the Demon Race scattered and were absorbed into the nations of other races. Since then, they have been unable to establish a new nation.

Leoryna couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt—it seemed humans bore roughly eighty percent of the responsibility for the Demon Race’s downfall.
Had humans not waged war under the banner of conquest, the Demon Race might still have maintained their own nations. In that case, they wouldn’t be treated the way they are now.
It made sense that the Demon Race harbored such resentment toward humans.
As Leoryna stood before the panel with her arms crossed, groaning to herself, Zargen—who had been tasked with providing supplementary explanations on Demon history—chuckled.
“Once the Demon God Halgrok fell, the dissolution of the Demon Race was merely a matter of time. Though they don’t blame humans for it… well, not entirely, anyway.”
“Hmm…”
Leoryna grimaced, her lips twisting sourly.
“In the first place, Halgrok’s fall came about because he sought to strengthen the Demon Race’s authority and disrupt the balance of this world, which led to conflict with the other gods. You could say it was a matter of reaping what he sowed.”
Zargen shrugged as he spoke.
“Is that how it happened?”
“In any case, since history cannot be undone, I don’t believe you need to carry such excessive guilt, instructor.”
“Hmm… it’s still difficult to accept.”
Why did humans covet the Demon Race’s lands from the beginning? Wouldn’t it have been better if everyone coexisted? Why the greed? Why invade other nations? I’m human too, but did it really have to be this way?
Leoryna wasn’t a pacifist, but she was an anti-war activist, and had never understood those who started wars. Now, seeing the Demon Race’s history laid out like this, she could at least comprehend their desire to establish their own nation.
‘It does seem like humans were in the wrong…’
As Leoryna buried her face in her hands, Deporta came running from a distance and called out to her.
“Instructor Leoryna!”
“Yes?”
“Please stop Kanyon!”
“Kanyon?”
Kanyon was the man who had sat quietly when Khalid summoned the Demon Race students last week, displaying complete apathy toward the Demon Race’s Day and everything else.
So why was he involved now?
“He demonstrated a Demon Noble Family spell, and it’s…”
Deporta dragged Leoryna along, saying she’d understand once she saw it herself. When Leoryna witnessed the chaos Kanyon had caused, she buried her face in her hands once more.
“Kanyon Rowl!”
“Yes, instructor.”
Despite Leoryna’s sharp rebuke, Kanyon replied languidly. He was currently perched atop a massive tree.
“What were you thinking, overproducing vines and scattering them across the Campus?!”
Just as Leoryna shrieked, a towering plant—easily five meters tall—thrashed its vines about, swatting at people.
Fortunately, the plant bore no malicious intent toward humans; it merely slapped and pestered them, causing no actual injuries. Still, given the potential for unexpected accidents, it couldn’t be left standing like this.
“I simply used magic to excessively accelerate the plant’s growth. My family has long been skilled at manipulating flora. This plant evolved to whip its vines as a defense against natural predators…”
“Ow! Ow! It’s hitting me!”
“This magic has many practical applications. But those students from the Landscape Architecture Department can’t use magic like this, so they find it boring. At best, they can only use magic to speed up growth, but it doesn’t bloom as beautifully as this…”
“You could have used that magic more tastefully! Besides, your proposal to me specifically stated you’d use magic to make flowers bloom!”
“Flowers… are blooming, though?”
Just as Kanyon said, small flower buds had indeed blossomed among the vines. However, no one had noticed them, too busy dodging the whipping tendrils.
“Anyway, I only demonstrated Demon Race magic because I was asked to. I didn’t do anything wrong….”
In that instant, one of the plant’s vines was severed with a sharp crack. Someone had sliced it clean through with a sword.
The plant, its vine severed, seemed only more enraged. It lashed out more ferociously with its remaining tendrils at whoever had attacked it. But before long, it was cleaved at the base with a decisive stroke and toppled over, movement ceasing entirely.
A Demon Race woman wielding a sword emerged, deftly weaving between the grasping vines and methodically severing them at their roots with sharp, decisive cuts. Once she had dispatched all of Kanyon’s vine creatures, she planted her hand on her hip and fixed him with a piercing glare.
“Guys like you are exactly why prejudice against the Demon Race keeps getting reinforced. Those rumors about you enjoying tormenting humans didn’t come from nowhere, you know?”
“That’s not your concern, Philiamone.”
Kanyon grumbled, but she sheathed her sword and approached Leoryna.
“Hello, I’m Philiamone Rillet from the Beast Response Department. I’ve been away from campus for practical training, but I’ve just returned. I’ve heard the general details from the others. So this is the Demon Race Day event?”
Philiamone Rillet was a woman whose long, ebony hair possessed an alluring beauty.
“Beast Response Department?”

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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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