The Graduate Student Wants to Assassinate the Professor - Chapter 93

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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 93

Khalid had clearly called Nifra “Halgrok.” And Nifra didn’t seem to be in her right mind. At the very least, she was 180 degrees different from what I had seen in Khalid’s mental world before.
I thought Halgrok had fallen and couldn’t emerge into this world. What on earth had happened? Was there something I didn’t know? What was Nifra’s situation? What was going on?
As Leoryna waited for Khalid’s answer and stared at him intently, Khalid seemed quite flustered and scratched the back of his neck with his hand.
“Well… there was something I sealed with my horn…”
“Sealed with your horn? But you said your horn was broken in battle, Professor.”
By Zigzagel, that is.
I had clearly seen Zigzagel break Khalid’s horn in the Illusion, but no matter how I thought about it, it didn’t seem like he had done it to subdue Khalid. Instead of harming Khalid, Zigzagel had stopped Nifra.
I couldn’t tell where the act ended and where the truth began…
What had happened the moment the horn touched Nifra?
“It’s true that it was broken in battle…”
Khalid habitually rubbed his left temple again.
“I used the broken horn to imprison an evil entity. I sealed it in the Underground Prison so it couldn’t escape. But then Talamans touched it, and that evil entity clung to him.”
“An evil… entity? Who is that?”
“Someone who has no place in this world right now.”
Khalid said it that way, but I realized he was talking about Halgrok.
“So I’m a bit worried now. When the horn dissipates, will that evil entity burst out again…?”
“Ah, if that’s the case, don’t worry. I don’t know what it is, but I’m certain it was truly purified and has disappeared.”
I had completely driven out Halgrok—or more precisely, Halgrok’s remnant—with Petila’s holy power. The remnant had vanished cleanly, so whether the horn existed or not, it would never emerge again.
Besides, it wasn’t even the original body, so without anything to cling to, it was destined to naturally dissipate.
“When the purification occurred, there was no sign of anything escaping.”
Khalid looked at me as if he couldn’t believe it, but I blinked with an innocent expression. Worried that he might find me more suspicious, I drooped my eyebrows and spoke.
“It was really terrifying! You were unconscious, and Talamans in front of me wasn’t in his right mind! If his horns hadn’t been purified by Petila’s holy power, I really don’t know what would have happened!”
As I deliberately exaggerated a bit, Khalid’s face crumpled.
“I’m sorry.”
“Pardon? For what?”
At the sudden apology, I tilted my head in confusion.
“I should have protected you…”
My head tilted in the opposite direction this time.
“Why?”
“Why…?”
“You don’t have any particular reason to protect me, Professor. I wasn’t blaming you or anything.”
At those words, Khalid made a strange expression.
“I have no reason to protect you? Why would you think that?”
“Ah! I was certainly mistaken. If I weren’t here, there would be no one to help with your research, so it makes sense that you’d be concerned about my safety…”
“Leoryna!”
Khalid called my name in an angry voice. The force of it was so great that I froze for a moment.
Why? Did I say something wrong?
While I was thinking this, Khalid suddenly pulled my hand toward him. I let out a surprised sound and was dragged along without resistance.
“Do you think I’m merely protecting you because I’m a graduate student?”
‘That wasn’t it? He’s always going on about research, research.’
As I blinked rapidly, Khalid began pouring out words in a torrent.
“I’m always anxious, not knowing what would happen to you if I wasn’t by your side! You can’t even protect yourself, so you keep getting caught up in all sorts of incidents…!”
Khalid held quite a significant misunderstanding about me, but I remained silent and let him say everything on his mind.
“You’re my person! My person is someone I protect! Do you think I could watch something happen to you with my eyes wide open?”
“Uh…”
I finally thought I should be happy that my position had risen to being Khalid’s person, but on the other hand, I felt burdened to death.
‘I just wanted to get close enough to find weaknesses without any burden on my heart… I never intended to get this close.’
I wanted to be close only enough to find vulnerabilities without emotional entanglement, but it seemed Khalid had other ideas.
“Am I your person, Professor?”
“What, you’re not?”
“No, you’re right! I only have you, Professor.”
Ding ding. A small bell chimed within my inner world, but I ignored it.
“I’d like it if you relied on me even more than I rely on you. If something like today happens again… of course it would be worrying, but…”
Since Khalid seemed a bit downcast, I hurriedly waved my hand.
“No, no, Professor. You’re not omnipotent either, and sometimes you might make mistakes…!”
My attempt at consolation only made Khalid more depressed.
“That’s exactly why I’m saying I won’t make those mistakes from now on, right?”
“I understand. I’ll trust you, Professor. No matter what happens from now on.”
I quickly tried to cheer up Khalid, but he still wore a sullen expression.
‘He really requires a lot of attention.’
“Professor Khalid, I’m serious? Who else would worry about me if not you?”
I suddenly realized that Khalid was still gripping my hand tightly. He didn’t need to hold it this firmly—I wouldn’t run away or disappear.
Yet somehow, I didn’t dislike it.
He’d been singing about protecting me all this time, and I didn’t dislike that either. But the moment I realized this, I began to dislike myself.
‘Why? Why do I feel this way?’
I was not a weak existence that needed to be protected by someone. When someone said they would protect me, it only provoked ridicule.
Yet the moment Khalid said he would protect me, something sharp pierced my heart and vanished. It was the same now as when I fled from the Demon Beast earlier.
I didn’t fully understand what this kind of sensation meant. But…
‘It’s not a pleasant feeling.’
Unaware of what I was thinking, Khalid suddenly grabbed my head and ruffled my hair.
“Ahhh! My hair!”
My hair, already disheveled from being tousled about, became hopelessly tangled.
“What are you doing?!”
“So you’ll regard my existence as more important.”
“Why are you tormenting me?”
“Because I’m the only one who can torment you?”
At Khalid’s absurd words, all my swirling thoughts vanished.
“Professor, that’s really childish!”
At Leoryna’s protest, Khalid let out a somewhat deflated laugh. Then he grasped her hand and pulled her along as they walked.
“Come on, Zigzagel will worry. Let’s hurry back.”
Leoryna matched Khalid’s brisk pace, her steps quickening to keep up. She made no move to free her hand from his grasp, simply letting it remain in his.
Khalid’s hand was warm. Leoryna felt as though she were trapped within that heat, as if it might ignite her very body.
‘He’s someone I’m supposed to kill.’
She should have been delighted that Khalid had let his guard down around her, so why did she feel this way?
‘I never intended to give him affection anyway.’
But what could possibly explain this feeling?
Leoryna bit her lower lip where Khalid couldn’t see.

* * *

When Khalid and Leoryna reached the Base Camp, Zigzagel came rushing out looking nearly ashen.
“Oh, Khalid! Leoryna! I was certain at least one of you would be dead!”
As Zigzagel shook Khalid vigorously, Leoryna spoke apologetically.
“I’m sorry, Professor Zigzagel. Is Philiamone alright?”
“She’s received proper treatment. Thanks to that, her life isn’t in immediate danger, but we should move her to a major Hospital as soon as possible. More importantly, about that mysterious Demon Race member Philiamone mentioned…?”
“I dealt with it appropriately. What about Professor Oratora?”
As the conversation seemed about to grow longer, Khalid cut Zigzagel off abruptly.
“It doesn’t seem like conditions are right to continue the Subjugation. We’re withdrawing now. It’ll take some time for us to return. So it would be best if Philiamone and Leoryna head back from here first.”
“You’re planning to launch the Flying Airship? We need to move as quickly as possible.”
“Aren’t you professors coming with us?”
At Leoryna’s words, Khalid shook his head.
“Once Oratora and the Subjugation Force return, I’ll need to visit the Castle one more time with Zigzagel.”
At those words, Zigzagel’s expression hardened as he sensed something, staring at Khalid intently.
“Something happened.”
“We have time, so I’ll explain later. For now, let’s focus on preparing the Flying Airship for takeoff.”
Leoryna boarded the Flying Airship with Pongko. Behind her, a stretcher carrying the unconscious Philiamone was brought up.
Leoryna gazed worriedly at Philiamone’s pallid face and asked.
“Are you alright?”
“That’s what I should be asking you. Are you truly alright, Assistant?”
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”
Leoryna joked lightly, but Philiamone’s expression remained grim.
“I’m grateful. But please, don’t do something like that ever again.”
“I already heard the same lecture from Professor Khalid, so couldn’t we skip that part?”
As Leoryna laughed awkwardly, Philiamone let out a deep sigh.
“You’re too kind to people, Assistant.”
“I’m too kind to people?”
“Most people wouldn’t make that choice. What on earth gave you the audacity to do something like that?”
“Hahaha….”
I let Philiamone’s words pass through one ear and leaned back diagonally in my seat aboard the Flying Airship.
Looking down through the window, I could see Khalid waving his hand toward the Flying Airship from the ground. Without thinking, I waved back to him several times. Though I couldn’t be certain whether he could see it from that distance.
The hand that Khalid had been holding still felt warm. I couldn’t begin to guess when this warmth would fade.

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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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