The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 104
The Reinhardt Empire is the most powerful nation on the continent.
Its history is also the longest.
The reason is simple.
An Ascendant has been protecting the imperial family.
For a staggering 500 years.
However, there might be those who question this.
Can an Ascendant, despite being such a being, provide protection for such a long time?
Even if Ascendants are beings from above, they are ultimately human. Even with extended lifespans, they do not live forever.
‘It’s because of the contract between the imperial family and the Guardian.’
The Guardian does not protect the imperial family out of pure goodwill.
The imperial family offers a tribute to the Guardian.
Specifically, ‘living sacrifices.’
‘The imperial family offers its bloodline as a sacrifice whenever the Guardian’s body ages, allowing the Guardian to switch bodies and live eternally. In return, they receive protection.’
The one designated as a sacrifice this time was the Third Princess.
Van’s friend.
Van brother, can’t you just take me and run away? I think it’d be fun to be with Van brother~
The Third Princess Esmeralda playfully requested help, but ‘Van’ ignored it.
It wasn’t because ‘Van’ was a failure.
It was an impossible task for anyone.
But that incident left a deep scar on ‘Van’ himself.
‘Van’ fell into self-loathing, viewing himself as even more worthless.
That’s why.
I felt disgust at the Guardian’s current jest.
Even though I am not ‘Van,’ I sympathized with him.
“I’m not sure what you intend by imitating Her Highness Esmeralda, but please refrain. I believe that even someone of your exalted status has no right to insult the deceased.”
“……”
The Third Princess, no, the Guardian, just looked at me quietly.
Despite my elevated tone, she didn’t get angry.
Yet, my soul screamed in terror under the chilling sense of oppression.
‘…Did I speak out of turn? Should I kneel and beg for forgiveness now?’
But then,
“Van brother, are you getting angry because of me? I’m a bit touched~”
“……”
The imitation remained the same.
No, it was a bit different.
I quietly observed the Guardian, or rather, the entity whose exact nature I couldn’t determine.
“Actually, I’m not even sure who I am anymore. I thought I had died after being offered as a sacrifice, but strangely, my memories are intact, and it feels like I’m still living as Esmeralda.”
‘What?’
I frowned.
‘Once offered as a sacrifice, there’s no way Esmeralda could still be alive. So why is she like this?’
Ascendants come to the forefront of the storyline starting from the third-year scenario, ‘The Resurgence of the Dreamfall.’
Therefore, I also don’t know much about the Guardian.
Well, I know, but that’s limited to the role they play in the ‘The Resurgence of the Dreamfall’ during the third year.
I had no knowledge of the Guardian’s state at this point.
‘…Could it be that the two souls are coexisting?’
It sounded absurd.
It was unlikely the Guardian made the mistake of allowing the soul of the sacrifice offered to them to remain alive.
Yet,
‘I need to check.’
It was an important issue.
Considering the actions the Guardian would take later on.
“What would you like to do?”
“Eh?”
“Didn’t you ask to play for a bit? I will make some special time for you.”
“Ahaha. That’s an honor? Then, I’ll happily accept Van brother’s time~”
Afterwards, we spent time leisurely.
Just like ‘Van’ and his ‘friend’ did in the past.
Of course, only on the surface, as I was intensely pondering.
‘I can’t tell. It’s indistinguishable.’
Had Esmeralda already died, but was this an act of pretending not to be the Guardian?
There was no reason for such an act.
‘Is Esmeralda’s soul really alive?’
I recalled the appearance of the Guardian during the ‘The Resurgence of the Dreamfall’ storyline.
Perhaps.
‘The Guardian might have intentionally kept Esmeralda’s soul alive.’
It was a hypothesis that couldn’t be ignored.
Considering the true ‘purpose’ revealed by the Guardian during the ‘The Resurgence of the Dreamfall’ scenario, it was entirely plausible.
Above all, there was a crucial reason not to overlook this possibility.
“I have something to ask you.”
“Please go ahead.”
“Do you regret refusing my request for help in the past?”
“……”
“Don’t worry about it~ Emel is mature enough to understand.”
The girl energetically placed her hands on her waist.
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Of course. What could Van brother have done?”
“Back then, that was the case. If a similar situation arises again, this time it will be different.”
“!!”
I looked into the girl’s eyes.
Whether I was facing the real Third Princess or not, I couldn’t tell.
“So, if you need help in the future, please tell me.”
The reason why Esmeralda should not be ignored.
Not just because the Guardian was the main villain in the third-year scenario ‘The Resurgence of the Dreamfall.’
And not just because saving Esmeralda might help prevent the terrible disaster the Guardian would cause.
“Once is enough for regret.”
For ‘Van.’
* * *
‘Ugh, but isn’t getting involved with the Guardian too much? Should I have just ignored it?’
I immediately regretted it.
Who was I to say anything?
Honestly, if I wasn’t ‘Van,’ I would have ignored it.
‘I strangely feel a sense of identity with ‘Van.’ Like he’s not just someone else.’
I don’t know why, but the past ‘Van’ didn’t feel separate from ‘me.’
The past ‘Van’ felt like another ‘me.’
‘Why do I feel this way?’
It was a problem I hadn’t deeply considered.
Was it simply because I entered the same body? Or was it more than that?
‘…Now that I think about it, it’s strange.’
The decisive moment I felt strange was this.
“Brother, I heard the rumors. Well, you were quite impressive. I hope you continue to befit the Ecclesia family… .”
“You seem not to have improved at all.”
“What, what do you mean?! I have improved!”
“If you need instruction, tell me. I shall help.”
“…Can I come to you today?”
My brother Cal.
Watching him grumble.
‘Why do I feel a sense of familiarity? I’m not really family.’
Not just with Cal.
I felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity not just with Duke Huam, my father, but also with Mariam, my sister, and even Ron, my eldest brother, whom I had only briefly encountered before.
It was as though they were my real ‘family.’
‘Is it because of the emotions engraved in this body?’
I frowned.
Feeling unsettled, I decided to spend the spare time before dinner in the family library.
‘I should research cases of possession.’
Possession isn’t unheard of in this world.
The Guardian taking over the Third Princess Esmeralda’s body is a form of possession, after all.
Though I doubted there would be a case just like mine.
‘It’s strange. There’s no record of a soul inheriting the emotions of its new body upon possession. Though cases are rare to begin with.’
That’s when it happened.
“You’re studying an interesting topic.”
“!!”
I flinched.
Turning my head, I saw a girl with a familiar yet unfamiliar face standing emotionlessly.
“It’s been a while, brother.”
“…Leona.”
Leona Ecclesia.
The youngest of Van’s five siblings, and the one with the most exceptional abilities.
Also,
One of the sixteen protagonists, the main character of the Humanities department, the ‘Scholar’ class.
* * *
“……”
“……”
We were silent for a moment.
Leona, the youngest, was naturally reticent, and I was.
‘Damn, I was trying to avoid this. To run into her like this.’
I was gauging Leona’s reactions.
‘I absolutely cannot draw aggro.’
Leona was a person of interest, even more so than the main characters Catherine and Libel.
In terms of aggro risk, she was almost on par with the Massacrist Mage.
‘That’s because she’s as dangerous as the protagonist Massacrist Mage.’
Might it seem odd for someone of the Scholar class? But history shows that those who wield a pen often cause the biggest upheavals.
“Why have you suddenly become interested in topics like possession?”
“I just met the Guardian and became curious.”
“You’re not possessed, brother, are you?”
I flinched.
Leona shrugged her shoulders.
“It’s a joke. As a scholar, I know well that such a thing is impossible.”
Even the Guardian, one of the most notable Ascendants in this world, had to prepare a lengthy grand ritual for possession.
Meaning, it was generally impossible.
“Still, you seem troubled. Are you confused about your self-identity due to the sudden changes in yourself?”
Typical Leona.
True to her nickname ‘The Sage,’ her insight was sharp.
“Something like that.”
“A needless worry. Who I am is up to me to decide. No matter how you change, as long as we consider you family, you are our family.”
Her words resolved my concerns in one fell swoop.
Right, I was Van now.
“Then, may I read now?”
“Yes, will you come to dinner?”
“No. Not interested.”
I didn’t insist further and nodded.
Despite her ‘infamous’ reputation, her attitude was kind, but I knew her true nature.
It was best not to provoke her further.
Yet,
“Thank you.”
“I merely recited a passage from philosophical theories on self and existence.”
“No, I mean for calling me family.”
“……”
I was sincere.
Having come from a lacking family background, perhaps I was seeking the affection I hadn’t received from my current family.
The thought of being denied felt painful.
“Thanking each other is unnecessary among family.”
Leona indifferently turned her head, and I left the library.
* * *
I always had a sort of dream notion about family meals.
That’s because I never really had a proper family dinner where everyone was gathered together since I was young.
‘It might seem a bit foolish for an adult to harbor such dreams.’
Nonetheless, that evening’s dinner somewhat satisfied my romantic notion.
If I took a photo, could it be titled ‘A Harmonious Family’?
That’s why.
I was plunged into contemplation.
“What do you think about what I said?”
After the dinner, Ron, the eldest, called me aside.
“Don’t stand with Mariam, stand with me. You will be the second most important person in the Ecclesia family.”
It was an allure.
Due to my rising reputation.
‘This is troubling.’
To begin with, the succession dispute within the Ecclesia family ends with Mariam’s victory.
The reason I sided with Mariam.
The problem is, Ron isn’t such a bad character.
He does cause a ‘problem,’ but that was more out of a cornered desperation.
“Do you know why I am making this proposal?”
“Because I have changed, haven’t I?”
“I’m doing this because I care for you. I don’t want you to be expelled from the family too.”
It wasn’t a threat.
It was sincere.
After all, Ron was one of the few who steadfastly supported ‘Van’ even when he was dubbed ‘trash.’
‘Ah, I don’t want to get more involved.’
Technically, whether Ron or Mariam engage in a succession dispute or not, it should be left alone.
The story will flow as it’s supposed to.
However, that means ‘catastrophe.’
The Ecclesia ‘family’ might remain strong, but the ‘family’ will be gone.
Dinners as satisfying as today’s, a brother who cares for his siblings in his own way, and a sister, all will disappear.
Eventually, I sighed and opened my mouth.
“How about we make a bet?”
Reluctantly.
It seemed I had to demonstrate my greatness.