The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 116

Flutter.

Senin’s complexion turned red with anger.

‘What’s he going to do if he gets angry?’

I thought, somewhat crookedly.

Disappearing like smoke isn’t only from the power of blessings.

It was the same with the power of curses.

‘Of course, if you curse someone specifically, it leaves traces. But the curse I used isn’t of that kind.’

I had cursed the casino itself.

To drastically drop the winning rates.

‘He won’t be able to formally request an investigation from the Mage Tower. Doing so would expose his own wrongdoings.’

Senin said with a voice full of anger.

“Do you think I’ll just sit back and take this? Your curse is nothing to me.”

“Such slow information for a merchant.”

“What did you say?”

“You don’t even know what the name Van Ecclesia signifies.”

I turned my back.

At times like this, momentum is important.

The Black Flame Dragon roared its charisma.

“Try whatever you can. You’ll only taste despair. Watch closely with your own eyes as your petty tricks crumble.”

 

* * *

 

Van’s words were not a bluff.

The casino began to tilt rapidly.

No, on the surface, it was thriving.

   

Rumors like these spread, drawing in crowds, and an unbearable deficit ballooned like a snowball.

“Y-Young Master, the reserve funds are depleting. Perhaps, we should close the doors of the casino, even if just for a moment?”

“Close the doors? Are you telling me to admit defeat?”

“N-No, that’s not it… It’s just that the losses are significant… .”

Senin burst out angrily.

“Tsk. To think you’ve become a company leader without any courage. Rapalt Bank will provide funding, so hold on.”

The leader swallowed his curses internally.

‘This damn fool. It’s not a fund; it’s a loan. Why do I have to bear the losses for your mistake?’

Such was the tyranny.

However, if the Rapalt Ducal Family so much as frowned, his company wouldn’t just suffer losses; it would go bankrupt.

“Do not worry. I’ll make up for this loss soon enough.”

“……”

“You’re not dissatisfied, are you? Without our Rapalt Ducal Family, you wouldn’t have been able to grow your company.”

The leader silently bowed his head without answering.

It was a provocative gesture, but Senin couldn’t say anything more.

The situation was not good.

‘All the holy mages I invited were defeated by Van.’

Senin had strengthened blessings to counter Van’s curse.

Blessings and curses.

It was a battle between water and fire.

Only the stronger side would swallow the other.

Senin naturally did not doubt his victory.

The invited holy mages thought the same.

‘Van the Legend? Just a baseless rumor. He’s merely a 2nd ranked star.’

Furthermore, Van was at a disadvantage.

He had to wear a mana-sealing bracelet upon entering the casino.

On the other hand, the holy mages could unleash their blessings without such restrictions.

To anyone, the outcome seemed obvious.

Really, Van the Legend?

The rumors were actually understated?

He’s a monster!

It was a complete defeat.

What kind of method he used was unknown, but they stood no chance at all.

To counter that curse, at least a Great Blessing is needed.

It refers to blessings of Level 7 or above.

It was impossible.

No master-level holy mage of Level 7 or above would get involved in such a matter, and if they unleashed a Great Blessing, everyone visiting the casino would notice Senin’s trickery.

Boom!

“Damn it!”

That’s when it happened.

A voice he had never heard before spoke.

“Keke, how amusing. How did you come up with such an unconventional form of curse?”

“Who are you?!”

There was an old man in the office!

Though he had a kind appearance, Senin felt a chill run down his spine.

‘The guards were there, how did he get in?’

Even the company leader had lost consciousness and collapsed.

The old man looked towards Senin and smirked slightly.

“You must be the Young Duke of the Rapalt Family. Do not fear. I was just passing by and was drawn here by the interesting scent of the curse.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m merely holding the position of elder in the Baymont Ducal House.”

Senin’s eyes widened as if they were about to split.

“Could it be… the Dark Prestige Family?”

Each of the empire’s four great ducal houses takes on the role of a head family in their respective fields.

However, there was another family performing the role of a head family.

Unknown to the public, but a name known to all the power brokers of the Empire.

It was the Baymont Ducal House, the Prestigious Dark Family.

They were the head of dark magic.

“You know of us. Yes, that’s correct. I also hold the position of secretary at the Dark Tower.”

Senin swallowed hard.

Though a merchant, he was not ignorant of the hierarchy among mages.

He knew about the hierarchy among dark mages as well.

‘Members of the Dark Prestige Family are each top elite dark mages.’

They were not the leading family.

If the Magical Prestige Family, the Klein Ducal Family, represented the strongest force among general mages, the Dark Prestige Family, the Baymont Ducal House, belonged to a minority among dark mages.

It was because of their nature.

Unlike the majority of dark mages, the Baymont Ducal Family did not make contracts with demons.

They purely refined the energy of negativity by focusing solely on the study of magic.

Thanks to this, although they were few in number, their understanding and depth in dark magic were different from other dark mages who had contracts with demons.

At the same level, a dark mage who has made a contract with a demon can never defeat a pure dark mage from the Dark Prestige Family.

It was an absolute proposition.

This was not only applicable among Dark mages.

Dark mages from the Dark Prestige Family were formidable opponents for anyone to face.

To properly understand and handle the negativity of the world meant they possessed immense power.

“Please, take care of that Van scum! I’ll reward you handsomely! How much would it take?!”

“Keke. How much? To think you’d try to buy me, an elder of the Dark Prestige Family, with money. Are you daring to insult our family? Do you wish to end up neither dead nor alive, stuck in nothingness?”

“!!”

Senin’s complexion turned pale.

Despite the chilling warning he had just issued, the old man still wore a gentle smile.

It was all the more frightening.

“Well, still, it might be interesting to get involved for a bit. It seems like it could be fun, and I’m curious to see how this ‘monster’ will react.”

The old man spread his hands.

SSssss.

The invisible negativity of the world writhed.

“Please, don’t disappoint this old man.”

And then,

The curse of Bail Baymont, an elder of the Dark Prestige Family and a ‘master’ even among 7th ranked stars, unfolded. He was respected within the Dark Prestige Family as a ‘teacher’ due to his profound understanding of deep dark magic.

 

* * *

 

I was leisurely walking through the casino.

‘Everything’s going smoothly.’

I looked over the bustling casino.

Due to my curse, the winning rates had dropped significantly, leading to astronomical losses.

‘It’s about time for the bait to catch something.’

Causing harm to the casino was obviously not the end goal.

Whether the casino went bankrupt or not, it wouldn’t affect Senin in the slightest.

It was merely bait for the next step.

‘But, he’s holding on better than expected. Is this not enough? Should we move on to the next step?’

That’s when I felt it.

A cold, eerie energy was approaching.

‘A curse? Has Senin now resorted to dark mages as well?’

I didn’t react much.

‘After all, whether it’s blessings or curses, grand magic filled with strong energy can’t be cast. The guests would notice.’

In a magic fight constrained by the amount of energy, there was no way I would lose.

But then, something unusual happened.

‘What’s with the level of this curse?’

The energy wasn’t strong.

As I said, powers beyond a certain level couldn’t manifest here.

But it was cunning and deep.

More threatening than any dark magic I had seen before.

‘It’s even more sophisticated than the Gentleman from the Dark Tower I fought during the erased night episode.’

I swallowed hard.

‘Could it be a master-level dark mage?’

At the end of each Level, a special title is given.

The end of Level 5 is ‘expert,’ Level 6 is ‘holder,’ and so on.

Even within the same Level, the difference in power makes it hard to compare them on the same scale.

‘From Level 7 onwards, the distinctions become even more pronounced. The depth of mastery at Level 7 leads to significant disparities in power.’

Among Level 7 masters, those who have reached a mature state of mastery are referred to as being in the ‘master’ tier.

They possess a power several notches above the average Level 7.

‘It’s not just that. There’s no trace of demonic energy. It’s pure negativity.’

A Level 7 master-level super dark mage who has not made a contract with demons.

There’s only one category like that.

‘Damn. It’s a dark mage from the Dark Prestige Family. Why are those arrogant monsters suddenly…?’

I’m well aware of the Dark Prestige Family.

One of the 16 protagonists comes from the Dark Prestige Family, after all.

In a word, they’re monsters of dark magic.

‘It’s a counter-curse. I have to confront it head-on.’

Still, I wasn’t too worried.

I trusted my ability as a Master of Magic.

If I were overwhelmed by the scale of power, maybe, but if it’s a battle of magic at a similar level, how could I lose, no matter who the opponent is?

But,

‘What’s this? I can’t see it.’

Dark magic deals with the energy of negativity.

A duel between dark magics is a contest of negativity.

Precisely, the victory is decided by who can more adeptly manipulate the power of negativity.

‘I can’t keep up.’

I can see the gaps.

However, the level at which the negativity is manipulated is overwhelmingly different, making it impossible to exploit those gaps.

It’s not a difference in control ability.

Although it’s my first time properly unleashing dark magic, the ability of the Master of Magic allows me to perfectly manipulate the power of negativity.

In fact, I might even say my control ability is superior.

The problem was experience and proficiency.

‘It’s like facing a veteran of a hundred battles.’

The gaps that were exposed were just bait.

My energy, trying to see the essence of it, ended up falling into a trap.

And even if I manage to counter that, suddenly another hidden move approaches.

‘The understanding of negativity is immensely high. A ‘real’ dark mage.’

Not merely focused on elevating their level, but a genuine master who indulges purely in the essence of magic itself.

‘This isn’t the time to be impressed. What should I do?’

This was a first for me, and I was taken aback.

Up until now, whenever I’ve wielded power beyond my Level, it was because my understanding of magic was vastly superior to my opponent’s.

My strongest weapon wasn’t working.

‘At this rate, I’ll be consumed by the curse. I need to find a way.’

That’s when it hit me.

I thought of one method.

But there was a problem.

‘…This is going to cause a mess, but can I handle the aftermath?’

A mess.

That wasn’t just talk.

The mere thought of what would come after was daunting.

‘Damn it. Forget it. First, I need to survive.’