The Graduate Student Wants to Assassinate the Professor - Chapter 86

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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 86

“That’s… that’s too harsh!”
Leoryna found herself talking back to Khalid without thinking.
“We succeeded in rescuing Philiamone and the others from danger, and most importantly, I’m safe! What’s the problem?!”
“What do you mean what’s the problem?! My heart is burning to ash—isn’t that a problem?!”
At Khalid’s words, Leoryna hesitated for a moment before asking in an awkward tone.
“You were… worried about me?”
“Of course!”
“How much…?”
“How much? Do you think there are words to express how much I worried about you?!”
“So why would you worry that much…?”
“Well, if something happened to you, then I would…!”
This time, Khalid’s words caught in his throat.
Why did it matter now how much he’d worried? If something terrible happened to Leoryna…
“Who would help with my research?!”
At Khalid’s words, Leoryna’s expression turned cold.
“Do you understand?! Until my research is complete, you and I are bound as one. We’re closer than people sharing the same boat. So if something happens to you, something happens to me too…!”
“Yes, yes, I’m terribly sorry about that.”
Leoryna scratched her ear and replied dismissively.
‘Of course Khalid would say something like that. What was I expecting from that Demon Race?’
She felt foolish. To Khalid, she was nothing more than a Graduate School slave—nothing more, nothing less.
That was when it happened.
“ROOOAAARRR—!”
A tremendous roar erupted from somewhere, shaking the Castle Wall as if an earthquake had struck. Leoryna quickly crouched down and scooped up Pongko.
“What’s happening?!”
Before Khalid could answer, another roar echoed out.
“GRRRRAAAWWWW…!”
“Oh no, it seems Renokter has awakened!”
Khalid looked around in alarm. Immediately after, Demon Beasts that had been hiding throughout the Castle surged out all at once at the appearance of the ruler who now controlled this fortress.
“Leoryna! Come here!”
Khalid pulled Leoryna to his side and swung his great sword at the Demon Beasts charging toward them, but there were too many. Not as many as when they’d attacked Philiamone’s group, but far too many for the two of them to handle alone in this enclosed Indoor Space.
Leoryna was frustrated that she couldn’t fight.
In an environment like this, her Confinement Room magic could have shown its true power. But she couldn’t reveal her magic now, so all she could do was watch Khalid’s back and bite her lower lip.
Interpreting her expression somehow, Khalid turned to look at Leoryna and spoke.
“Leoryna, don’t worry.”
What was she worried about? Right now, she was calculating whether these Demon Beasts could kill him.
“I’ll protect you.”
Looking at Khalid’s broad back as he said this, Leoryna thought of Roabel.
She had never once seen Roabel’s back until now.

‘I cannot protect you.’

On the day I first met Roabel, I had said those words.

‘You must protect your own body yourself.’

And with that, I had given her a silver staff as a gift.

‘So you can do that, I’ll teach you how to fight. Do you understand?’

Leoryna recalled Roabel’s voice once more—the one she had heard within the Demon Beast’s illusion.

‘Oh, poor Leoryna. There is no one to protect you. If it were me, I could continue to shield you.’

Why had the Demon Beast spoken in such a manner?
Even without Roabel’s protection, Leoryna was more than capable of defending herself, and she was not so fragile as to require another’s safeguard. Thus, she had never once harbored resentment toward Roabel’s distant demeanor.
Yet now, watching Khalid stand resolute before her, declaring his intention to protect her, something stirred within her—something indefinable.
‘What is this feeling?’
Khalid appeared larger than usual.
‘What arrogance—him protecting me? I am Leoryna Yuren. Petila’s Poison Spider.’
Leoryna had meant to scoff inwardly. She had meant to scoff, but…
“Let’s go!”
Khalid seized her hand and pulled her forward. When she regained her senses, a path had opened through the throng of Demon Beasts.
“Run!”
At Khalid’s command, Leoryna found herself running after him without conscious thought.
But after only a few strides, Khalid suddenly yanked her toward him and hoisted her onto his shoulder like a sack of grain. Leoryna, flustered, called out to him in a hoarse voice without thinking.
“Professor?!”
“You’re too slow!”
Leoryna could have run faster if she wished. She could have donned her flight boots if necessary.
But the moment Khalid recalled that few could match his own long, powerful strides, he had simply scooped her up and carried her.
‘Am I a sack of flour?!’
His broad shoulders provided a decidedly uncomfortable ride, and her entire body jolted up and down with each bounding step.
“Professor, why are we heading deeper into the castle?! The Demon Beasts are coming from inside!”
“There’s no choice! Heading outside now would be like taking a leisurely stroll with these creatures! It’s better to push through them and go deeper in!”
“Kyaaaaaaah! Save the rabbit!”
Even amid this chaos, Pongko, nestled in Leoryna’s arms, let out a genuinely terrified shriek. But Khalid paid him no mind, focused instead on kicking aside the Demon Beasts blocking his path as he surged forward.
With each advance, they penetrated deeper into the castle’s interior, yet Khalid did not hesitate.
“Do you have a plan?”
“There are several secret passages inside the castle. If we escape through one of them, we should be fine. Spatial movement is possible outside the castle, but there’s a spell prohibiting it within the castle walls, so that’s our only option.”
Entering the castle had proven to be the right call—the Demon Beasts hadn’t pursued them deeper inside. After all, anything beyond this point was Renokter’s domain.
Running frantically through the corridors, I finally managed to shake off every last one of them. Only then did Khalid stop, catch his breath, and set me down.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m dizzy.”
I answered with an exhausted expression.
“Any injuries besides that?”
“No.”
“Thank goodness.”
Khalid smiled with relief. My mood became strange again.
What was there for me to get injured over…?
Embarrassed, I deliberately changed the subject.
“Anyway, are we going the right way? Since I don’t know the path, you’ll need to lead the way, Professor. We need to escape quickly.”
At my words, Khalid began walking ahead, taking the lead.
In the long corridor, only the sound of two people and one Talking Rabbit walking echoed. The chaotic rush of Demon Beasts from moments ago felt like nothing more than an illusion.
Walking behind Khalid, I watched him as we moved, then impulsively asked a question.
“Now that I think about it, how did you lose your left horn, Professor?”
“Ah, this.”
Khalid unconsciously rubbed his left temple as he spoke.
“It was cut off in a fight.”
It was an explanation with far too much left unsaid.
I wanted to hear more details. If there had been an incident significant enough to sever Khalid’s horn, perhaps I could use that knowledge to cut off his right horn as well and kill him.
So I probed further, watching his expression carefully.
“Then your left horn is really somewhere in the Underground of this castle?”
“Well…”
Khalid’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“It is, but…”
“But what?”
“There’s a reason it needs to stay there.”
With that, he sealed his lips shut, so I didn’t stop pressing him for details.
“Then why can’t you just retrieve it and reattach it? Talamans wears other people’s horns around, so since it’s your own horn, you should be able to reattach it, right?”
At my words, Khalid let out a detached laugh.
“There’s a reason that’s impossible.”
Reasons, reasons, reasons…!
I felt like I was going mad with curiosity about what Khalid was hiding.
‘What is it?! What is the secret between Khalid and 124 years ago that even the Yorken Intelligence Agency couldn’t uncover?!’
“I’m sorry, but it looks like I’ll need to change our plan.”
As I was suffering in frustration, Khalid suddenly spoke up.
“I need to check that my horn is still safe on the way to the secret passage. If that Talamans or whoever touches it carelessly, it could be disastrous. Since I can’t move via spatial displacement, I have no choice. I’m sorry, Leoryna.”
Those were unexpectedly welcome words. I eagerly nodded my head.
“I don’t mind. Do as you please, Professor.”
‘Once I see the severed horns, I’ll understand something, at least.’
Unlike Leoryna’s bright smile, Khalid’s shoulders—as he walked ahead of her—seemed oddly slumped.

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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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