The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 134
I remained silent for a moment.
‘What’s he thinking?’
Given the circumstances, Ron must have thrown his lot in with Ouroboros.
After all, he made the same choice in the original storyline.
But why throw such a probing question at me?
Digging into this fact would bring Ron no benefit.
‘…Is that what it was?’
I sighed after catching a glimpse of an emotion flickering deep within Ron’s eyes, understanding why he had gone out of his way to call me and let me interfere with his plans.
The reason was absurd.
So foolish it was almost laughable.
Actually, it was downright stupid.
“No, I don’t really have anything to ask.”
I downed my drink.
Ron preferred strong whiskey, so I was sharing it with him.
Whether it was the taste of the liquor or Ron’s foolishness, a bitter sensation rose within me.
“No questions at all? Are you sure?”
“If I ask, will you answer everything honestly?”
“…No, I guess not.”
“I thought as much. So, let’s leave it at that.”
Ron frowned as if my reaction puzzled him.
He seemed to have expected me to press him about the incident.
‘After all, there’s no evidence to actually incriminate him.’
More importantly,
“This strong liquor. Try to moderate your intake. It’s not good for your health.”
“What a needless worry.”
“What do you mean needless? We are family, after all. It’s natural to worry.”
“…Family, you say.”
“I mean, that’s right, isn’t it?”
“…No, you’re right. Right. We are family.”
I took another sip of my drink and looked back at Ron.
The emotions in Ron’s eyes were unexpectedly guilt and regret.
‘He called me out of hesitation, hoping I would stop him.’
Such a ridiculously absurd act!
But that was Ron’s true nature.
In the end, though he walks the path to ruin, he agonizes and hesitates to the very last.
Despite everything,
“Do you remember what I asked of you? To not forget that we are family.”
“…I remember.”
“That’s all I wanted.”
“Is that all?”
Instead of answering, I poured myself another drink.
It may have been my foolish stubbornness, but I didn’t want to lose Ron.
As family.
* * *
‘Ugh, this hangover. Shouldn’t have drunk so much hard liquor. My head’s killing me.’
If I were a proper mage or knight, I could have used mana to dispel this hangover, but my mana insensitivity made that impossible.
I wanted to just lie in bed, but unfortunately, I had things to do.
“This is where you’ll enter. You have 24 hours, so I hope you find your precious connection.”
The administrator at the entrance to the Level 1 Classified Magical Archive spoke.
‘So bothersome, maybe I should just not go? Haaah. I just want to sleep.’
But missing out on this opportunity just because of a hangover seemed a bit foolish, especially when it’s a place every mage dreams of visiting.
After all, it could be a big help to me.
‘Speaking of which, a precious connection. The system message mentioned something about meeting a precious connection, but surely it didn’t mean gaining access to this archive, right?’
Dragging my sluggish body, I entered.
Whoosh!
It wasn’t very large.
It took up one floor of the tower, but most of that size was for security measures, and the actual archive was only about the size of a small library.
However, the items it contained were beyond imagination.
‘That’s a legendary item that only appears in the third year. Gungnir’s Thunder? It’s here too?’
My eyes widened.
I couldn’t take any items with me, anyway.
Karl Gritton’s intention was for me to peruse high-level magical texts and gain insights for magical achievements.
Still, I couldn’t help but be drawn to what I saw.
‘Might as well see what items are here?’
But as I ventured further inside, I stopped short.
There was a familiar item.
‘Why is this here?’
The Sword of Dark Heaven’s Destruction.
There it was, the so-called Demon King’s Sword, laid out before me!
Vvrrrrrr!
It vibrated as if sensing my presence, like a puppy reunited with its long-lost owner.
‘No, I’m not interested in you, okay? Can you not act like you know me?’
Before, the reason the Demon King’s Sword reacted that way was that I had subdued, dispelled it and gained ownership right after.
‘I should pretend I didn’t see it. What can a sword do if its owner decides to abandon it?’
However, I realized that the Demon King’s Sword wasn’t the issue here.
There was an odd feeling next to it, as if something was being concealed by a transparent veil.
‘Invisibility magic?’
Without thinking, I used a spell to see through the illusions.
It was a natural reaction.
But immediately, I regretted it.
I shouldn’t have used the spell. I should have just walked away, pretending not to notice.
‘Damn. My eyes aren’t deceiving me, right?’
When the spell revealed its effect, I saw a little girl.
Very, very familiar.
An unforgettable face.
‘Ah s**t, that’s the Demon King.’
The Level 10 supreme being, the Demon King, was looking right at me.
* * *
‘Why is the Demon King here!’
I wanted to scream but swallowed it instead.
‘Let’s pretend I didn’t see. If I just naturally turn my gaze away…’
“You saw me.”
…Too late. Damn. Our eyes met precisely.
Smoothly, the Demon King dispelled her invisibility magic.
Then, she just quietly observed me.
Like a tiger pondering what to do with a rabbit that wandered into its den.
‘I need to pull myself together. Or I might die here.’
The reason for the Demon King’s presence here must be because of the Demon King’s Sword.
Even in the original story around this time, the Demon King wasn’t in the Demon Realm but in hiding at some location.
But there was no way she’d leave me be after I just discovered her.
‘It seems she hasn’t realized I’m the same fake Ascendant who helped her last time. Anyway, she’s going to try to kill me. While the Demon King isn’t evil, she’s definitely not good either.’
If we’re being technical, she belongs to neutral evil.
“Hmm. An interesting fellow, but it doesn’t matter. You’ve seen me, so I can’t just leave you be…”
The Demon King nonchalantly raised her hand.
She’s going to kill me.
‘No, I can’t die like this!’
I racked my brains.
Arguably, this was the most desperate I’ve ever been in my life.
“How presumptuous.”
“…What?”
“Aren’t you a student? You look like a working student to me. What’s with that insolent attitude towards a professor?”
“Working… student?”
The Demon King had a bewildered face.
As if unsure how to respond.
Suppressing my wildly beating heart, I spoke sternly.
“As a working student, slacking off with invisibility magic, huh? Stop lazing around and get to work! Don’t you see the dust piling up over there?”
“…Y-You…?”
“Ah! What kind of manners is that towards a professor? Should I report you so your work-study grant gets cut off?”
‘Just let it slide. Please, please, please.’
The Demon King’s reason for hiding was to recover.
As I incidentally witnessed last time, she was recovering from the aftermath of battles with Great Ones of the other realms.
Notably, her childlike appearance was also due to the damage to her original form.
‘Killing me would mean you couldn’t stay here either, you know? It’d be too bothersome for you to find another hideout. There’s no place better than this for hiding, is that right?’
Fortunately, my tactic worked.
But there was a problem.
“…Indeed. I am a working student. Alright. What work should I do then?”
The Demon King twisted her lips.
With a look that said, “See? I’m playing along.”
She found the current situation amusing and decided to go along with my pace!
“First, you need to learn some manners.”
“What?”
“Start by correcting that insolent tone of yours. You’re already on the verge of accumulating demerits.”
“!!”
Ah, forget it.
Given the situation, there was nothing else I could do.
I had to put my all into acting.
“Now, call me ‘professor.'”
“…Professor.”
“That’s better, much more pleasant to listen to. When addressing a professor, one must always convey respect and admiration. Now go and dust over there. If you don’t want your work-study scholarship cut off, you better clean thoroughly.”
“……”
The Demon King tilted her head and stood up.
Is this right? Should I just kill him and move somewhere else? Her face seemed to contemplate, causing my heart to race wildly, but fortunately, she didn’t kill me.
She actually started dusting.
‘…Never thought I’d see the Demon King cleaning.’
I was bewildered, unsure if this was a dream or reality, but I had to stay alert.
‘Should I make a run for it now? Damn it. But the exit is locked for 24 hours, isn’t it?’
I had to endure for a whole 24 hours!
Then, I noticed something odd.
‘Why does the Demon King look like that?’
Her movements were awkward as she dusted. Her complexion was pale, and she seemed to grimace in pain occasionally.
“What are you looking at?”
“Your manners.”
“…What are you looking at, professor?”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“Hmph, it’s none of your… I mean, it’s not for the professor to worry about. No, it’s not.”
I swallowed deeply.
‘It seems the Demon King’s condition is more serious than I anticipated. Didn’t she escape unscathed from her battles in other dimensions?’
No, it’s not just that level.
Considering the capabilities my Master of Magic,
‘The Demon King is dying.’
The death of the Demon King!
It was an unbelievable tale.
But I hadn’t seen it wrong.
She was barely keeping death at bay with her celestial powers, but it was only a matter of time.
‘This condition can’t be reversed.’
My vision darkened.
If the Demon King vanishes, this world will be doomed.
As I’ve said multiple times, the Demon King acts as a barrier protecting this world.
‘I must prevent her annihilation!’
But it was impossible.
If there had been a viable method, the Demon King herself would have already attempted it.
‘No, there’s something worth trying.’
I swallowed hard.
“Stop dusting.”
“Why? I mean, may I ask the reason?”
“You seem to be in poor condition, so let me offer treatment first.”
“You, treating me? Ha, amusing. No, it’s amusing. The sentiment is touching, but it’s impossible.”
The Demon King twisted her lips as if she’d heard a quaint tale.
“Why do you think it’s impossible?”
“Professor, you don’t fully understand my condition, do you?”
“I do. You’re barely clinging to life, using necromancy to hold on.”
The Demon King’s expression stiffened momentarily.
“You… You’re not ordinary, indeed.”
The Demon King’s eyes narrowed.
