The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 14.2
“Ugh!”
The reversed flow of mana caused Valic to swallow blood.
The arena fell silent.
Victory. And it was a decisive one.
I addressed Valic, who stood unsteadily.
“Let me impart one lesson. Concentrating mana at the end was an act of someone who knows nothing about mana manipulation.”
“!!”
“I hope it was just a mistake out of confusion. Otherwise, your students who are learning from you would be pitiful.”
Valic’s face turned crimson.
An expression full of rage.
But I wasn’t intimidated.
The winner in this arena was me.
And if I assumed the role of the superior, I could become the superior.
With the help of the Dark Flame Dragon, I struck a pose exuding arrogance.
“I guess we should fulfill the outcome of the bet. Remember how we agreed on what to do if you lost?”
Valic’s complexion turned pale.
He had decided to kneel in front of everyone and shout, ‘I respect Lord Van and the Duchy of Ecclesia!’
It was beyond disgrace; it could be considered a social death.
In a noble society that valued honor, he would no longer be able to show his face.
“I-I can’t do such a thing…”
However, Valic abruptly sealed his lips.
Everyone in the audience was staring at him intently.
It was as if they were waiting to see if he would keep his promise.
‘To others, it’s just an interesting spectacle.’
In a situation where he couldn’t do this or that.
At the moment Valic’s knees started to tremble,
I casually spoke up.
“Seems like you fell for it.”
“…Huh?”
“Why so tense? Do you think I’d really make a friend like you do something like that? It was all just a joke.”
‘If Valic completely collapses here, it’ll be troublesome.’
Though I muttered inwardly, Valic was the ‘angel’ who helped me pass.
“Let’s do it this way. You’ll calculate the drink expenses for everyone here as an apology for causing a disturbance. How about that?”
Valic’s complexion changed for a different reason.
Although the Duchy of Ecclesia was a golden lineage, the Rapalt Dukedom was also famous for another nickname.
The miserly lineage.
There was no way Valic, who barely received a stipend as a distant relative, could provide ample financial support here.
‘Even if he pays for the drinks here, it’s practically the same as going bankrupt.’
But Valic had no choice.
“Alright, I’ll go along with what you said.”
“Is that all?”
“…What?”
“Aren’t you going to express your gratitude for my mercy?”
Valic’s face turned as red as a bomb this time.
In a short span, his face showed quite a colorful range of changes.
“I-I appreciate your consideration.”
“Doesn’t sound very sincere.”
“I, that’s…uh…”
“Anyway, it’s hard to expect proper manners from a distant relative like you. I’ll let it slide since I’m generous.”
In the end, Valic couldn’t hold it any longer and exploded.
“I’m leaving now!”
He turned his back and stormed out of the noisy Daien.
The tavern keeper sarcastically remarked,
“Professor Valic, what about the bill?”
“No problem! I’ll get a loan from the family’s bank and pay it!”
As Valic disappeared, others sent admiring glances my way.
“He seems to have changed.”
“How on earth did he defeat Professor Valic just now?”
“Professor Valic must have done something wrong, right? After all, Applied Magic isn’t even his major, and he probably underestimated the situation.”
If he were a ‘proper mage,’ he might have grasped the significance of the magic I displayed, but there was no one like that present.
What impressed people was something else entirely.
“Still, the performance he showed today was amazing.”
“He’s completely changed compared to before.”
“Indeed, is this the power of the great lineage of Ecclesia?”
At that moment, the tavern keeper approached.
“Will you be alright?”
“What do you mean?”
“Professor Valic won’t just sit still. He’ll surely hold a grudge and try to sabotage your test.”
Just then, from outside the tavern, a loud crash echoed through the street.
Looking out, I saw Valic, infuriated, causing a ruckus in the middle of the road.
“It’s fine.”
“But…?”
“Do you know when the moon shines brightest? It’s when the darkness is deepest.”
The tavern keeper tilted his head, looking puzzled.
…I felt embarrassed about spouting such nonsense, but the jabber of the Dark Flame Dragon’s mouth couldn’t be stopped.
“Whatever tricks Valic tries, it will only help me. It means they’ll become tools to illuminate my greatness.”
Could I really pass the test normally?
It was impossible.
Even if it wasn’t for those who held a grudge against me, how could I pass when I got a score of zero in every category?
‘There’s only one way. I need to create an enormous impact.’
But even that wasn’t an easy task.
There were limits to how much impact I could make in the test.
After all, the exam was just an exam.
I needed a helper.
Someone to set the stage.
‘Valic will help me.’
The more Valic tries to embarrass me,
The more the tables will turn in my favor.
‘Go Valic!’
At that moment, Hans approached with a face full of joy.
“Master, I’ve collected all the betting money!”
“…Making money must be nice.”
For reference, I had only bet 1,000 penas, so my winnings weren’t substantial.
The real winner was Hans, who had bet a bold 11,000 penas. He earned ten times his bet based on the payout ratio.
‘This must be what they mean by the talented bear does the trick, but someone else takes the money.’
“Haha! Let’s drink today!”
“Are you sure?”
“Oops, how could I, a lowly one, dare to be so presumptuous and offer a shameless remark to Master! Huhu, though my heart is as firm as a chimney, it’s a bit regrettable. Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty!”
I looked at Hans with a disdainful expression.
Anyway, the exam day approached, and I wore a perplexed look.
‘Valic, is this guy for real?’
What Valic prepared turned out to be different than what I had imagined.
