The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 113
Theren hesitated before speaking.
“I… I came for some advice.”
“To me? I’m a professor in the Magic Department, you know? I don’t know anything about swordsmanship.”
“It’s not about swordsmanship. Can we… talk in private, just the two of us?”
I scrutinized Theren’s face.
‘Has he already run into trouble?’
Theren is one of the sub-main characters of the Swordsmanship Department.
Sub-main characters invariably face significant challenges.
But what Theren said next was completely unexpected.
“Is there any way… to get a refund for money lost at a casino?”
“…What?”
“……”
“……”
After a brief silence,
Theren, his face turning red, abruptly stood up.
“I’m sorry for spouting nonsense! Please, forget I said anything.”
“…Wait, hold on. You lost money at a casino?”
“…Yes.”
Theren nodded with an utterly embarrassed look, and I felt a mix of surprise and confusion.
‘How did Theren, the epitome of good behavior, end up at a casino?’
Theren was nicknamed the ‘boring protagonist.’
He was so perfect and polished like a prized son that he was deemed uninteresting.
‘Of course, that’s only at the beginning, and later on, he delivers a massive plot twist.’
If Joanna, another sub-main character, was destined to be in ‘despair’ if left alone, Theren was destined to ‘fall from grace.’
But this was not supposed to happen now.
Nor was it supposed to be this kind of downfall.
Something was off.
“Let’s talk more about this.”
After hesitating, Theren began to speak.
“The truth is… .”
It turned out to be a trivial matter.
True to his character as a model student, Theren was popular.
He had many friends and was swept up in the atmosphere, ending up at a casino.
‘This could happen to anyone. It’s not like students are forbidden from going to casinos.’
For reference, the empire recognizes individuals as adults from the age of 18 by international age, which equates to being 19~20 years old in Korean age.
Freshmen are 17 years old by international age, not yet adults but roughly acknowledged with quasi-adult rights.
Moderate drinking and entertainment are overlooked.
So, while Theren’s story was something that could commonly happen,
‘The issue wasn’t just about engaging in leisure activities, but that Theren, a model student, got heavily drunk at a casino and engaged in frenzied gambling.’
Moreover, the amount lost was significant.
A whopping 30,000 penas.
That was nearly equivalent to my ten years’ salary as a temporary professor.
Even for a noble family’s offspring, that was a vast sum to lose in a single night of gambling.
“Were there any illegal aspects? Was the alcohol spiked with drugs? Or perhaps you were scammed in some way?”
“I don’t think anything like that happened.”
“Hmm.”
I crossed my arms.
From what I heard, it didn’t seem like the casino did anything wrong.
It appeared to be Theren’s fault for not controlling himself under the influence of alcohol and youthful impulsiveness.
“Is there, perhaps, no way to handle this?”
“I’m sorry. If your story is true, there’s nothing much I can do to help. It’s best to contact your family to resolve this issue with the casino.”
“…Understood. I apologize for the inconvenience.”
Theren left with his shoulders slumped, obviously afraid of disappointing the adults in his family expecting so much from him.
But really, there was nothing I could do to help in this situation.
‘How could there be a refund from a casino?’
I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed, thinking about taking a nap since there was nothing else to do.
“……”
Sleep didn’t come.
Something felt off.
Eventually, I decided, as the counseling director, to ‘investigate’ this incident further.
“Is gambling at casinos a trend among students these days?”
“I wouldn’t know? I’m not interested in such things.”
“…B-Because I don’t have friends, I wouldn’t know. But, it’s okay. Now I have you, Professor… .”
Asking Catherine and Libel yielded no useful information; both were loners with no friends to speak of.
Next, I encountered Yulia and Wilhelm.
Come to think of it, these two often seemed to be together.
“Casinos? They’re all the rage these days. A huge trend. I’ve been there often myself.”
“I, I’ve only been a few times! It’s not… it’s not like I’m going to jail for this, right?”
“It seems even some professors frequently visit. Haven’t you been, Professor Van?”
“…I’m too busy with my research to have time for such places.”
“Hehe, if you don’t have friends, shall I take you there sometime?”
“I’m not lacking any friends.”
I answered curtly, but it got me thinking.
Upon reflection… I realized I didn’t have any colleagues or friends among the faculty!
I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge Catherine and Libel.
‘W-Well. Friends aren’t that important, right? It’s fine. I’m not bothered.’
Anyway, I pressed Yulia for more details.
“There’s this casino that was recently renovated. It’s not just about gambling; they host a lot of fun events, so many people go there to hang out.”
“I-I just went there for fun too!”
“I’ve heard of some who get carried away by the excitement and make reckless bets, losing a lot of money. Those people must be idiots, right?”
Her words made sense, but I still couldn’t shake off my unease.
It was because of Theren.
‘He might “fall from grace” later, but Theren is the epitome of restraint. He’s not the type to lose his senses in a casino.’
Another reason for my discomfort was the identity of the casino’s owning corporation.
‘The Pfyssen corporation. A collaborator with the Rapalt Ducal family.’
It wasn’t directly owned by them.
To draw an analogy with Earth, it was like a subordinate or a contractor.
That in itself was fine, but there had been a notable change recently.
‘A figure from the Rapalt Ducal family was dispatched as the general manager, and after that, the casino underwent extensive renovations.’
It was just an unfounded intuition, but something smelled fishy to me.
I decided to dig a little deeper.
First, I asked Amanda for help.
“Can you investigate Paradise Casino for me?”
“I’m already quite familiar with it, Angel.”
“How so?”
“I’m a regular. I often visited with fellow professors.”
“…With fellow professors?”
“Yes, why do you ask?”
“…Never mind.”
Even the sinister Amanda had friends among the faculty!
‘Is it just me who doesn’t have faculty friends?’
Am I okay with my social relationships?
“You are like an orchid on a high cliff, too noble for others to approach! That’s the only reason! Or, shall I accompany you?”
“…That’s alright.”
‘Being pitied feels even worse!’
Anyway, after asking around among acquaintances, including Amanda, I discovered another unsettling detail.
‘A lot of people have been cleaned out.’
This could still be speculation.
After all, it’s not uncommon for people to lose money at casinos.
But even considering that, the numbers seemed high.
‘Especially people who you wouldn’t expect to lose a lot of money.’
Besides Theren, a notable example was Professor Burnstein.
“You gambled at the casino too?”
“I usually don’t. Just visited briefly for fun with a colleague from the next office.”
“How much did you lose?”
“…Don’t ask.”
Professor Burnstein grimaced, his face showing discomfort.
‘If you’re planning a hundred-year harmony with Dame Sienna, you should manage your wedding funds better. Of course, whether they’re in such a relationship is just my speculation.’
For individuals like Theren and Professor Burnstein to exhibit impulse control issues at a casino seemed odd.
Was it all just a coincidence?
I came to a conclusion.
‘There’s definitely something going on.’
I had a reason to get involved.
If there indeed was foul play at work,
This could be an opportunity for me.
‘The Pfyssen company holds 0.4% of Ruby Academy’s shares.’
The Rapalt Ducal family’s 50.3% share wasn’t entirely theirs.
Including the shares of allied forces under them, if there’s trouble with a collaborating company, the majority shareholding collapses.
‘I should visit the casino to see for myself.’
But then, I paused, considering a problem.
‘Who do I go to the casino with?’
In the empire, casinos were akin to a social entertainment venue for everyone to enjoy together.
‘There are only two kinds of people who go to casinos alone: severe gambling addicts or lonely individuals without friends.’
Of course, I wasn’t concerned about appearing as a friendless loner.
Well, what of it?
But, I was worried about seeming suspicious.
Really. Truly.
‘…I’d rather not go with Hans. Should I ask my sister Mariam?’
While I was pondering, some approached.
“If you’re interested in going to the casino, could I accompany you? I’ve been wanting to visit one anyway.”
“N-No, I will go with you. It’s important to change the mood sometimes, I understand. I’m also curious about the casino!”
Catherine, Libel, these rascals!
They were pretending to have no interest in casinos just to accommodate me!
“…I’m not alone. I have disciples to share my solitude with.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Never mind. Let’s go.”
It was time to deploy.
* * *
At that time, in the commercial district of Zone 2 of the Free City.
As expected of Zone 2, where the wealthy of the Free City congregated, the streets were clean, and one building was particularly ornately decorated.
It was the recently buzzed-about Paradise Casino.
It wasn’t just popular among academy members; the place was bustling with a diverse crowd.
On the top floor of the building, two figures were having a conversation.
“How are the revenues lately, Leader?”
“They’re increasing exponentially, General Manager.”
An odd conversation.
The company leader sounded subordinate, while the general manager seemed to hold the upper hand, contrary to their titles.
The sight was even stranger in person.
A middle-aged man was fawning over a young boy.
There was a reason for this.
“All thanks to you, Lord Senin. Truly, a worthy successor of the Rapalt Ducal family.”
Senin!
The heir to the Rapalt Ducal family and the sub-main character of the Commerce class in the Hero Academy.
While Senin should have been actively attending another academy, he suddenly appeared in the Free City because,
‘Damn it, Van Ecclesia. I got suspended because of him.’
Senin ground his teeth internally.
Previously, Senin, as part of the student council of Amethyst Academy, had visited Ruby Academy.
During that visit, his attempt to frame Van backfired, revealing the truth and turning the situation against him.
You’ve brought shame upon Amethyst Academy. Pay the price.
Unlucky for you.
Van’s brother, Cal, who was also the vice president of the student council at Amethyst, seized the opportunity to bite back, leading to Senin’s suspension.
For reasons unknown, even Joanna, from a prestigious magical family, criticized him, leaving him no recourse.
To restore his honor, he volunteered to take charge as the general manager of a struggling allied company.
‘It’s been a success.’
Then, the company leader cautiously asked,
“But… is it really okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well… the revenue has increased, but the method is a bit… .”
“Is there a problem?”
“Isn’t it illegal?”
“How naive. A certain degree of illegality is essential in running a company. Besides, it’s not illegal if you don’t get caught.”
“…….”
“Don’t worry. There’s no chance of being exposed, no matter who the opponent is.”
This wasn’t mere confidence.
It was impossible for any mage, no matter how formidable, to uncover the methods Senin used.
Even for Van Ecclesia, rumored to be a monstrous genius mage.
After all, it was hardly a magical trick in the traditional sense.
‘Van Ecclesia.’
Senin scowled deeply.
‘I haven’t forgotten what happened before. I won’t let you get away with it.’
But then, at that moment,
Senin’s eyes sparkled as he looked out the window.
Van Ecclesia was entering the casino.
