The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 151
In the street where the mansions of the capital’s great nobles are clustered.
Among them, one of the most splendid places is the mansion of the magical noble family, the Duke of Klein.
The result of generations of mages reigning as kings of magic, accumulating vast wealth, and combining it with rare magical art pieces that money can’t buy.
The mansion looked more like a majestic art museum, but the atmosphere inside was as tense as thin ice.
This was due to the mansion’s owner, Duke Alfonso.
‘When will the Duchess return?’
‘Things were better when the Duchess was here.’
After Duchess Beth left for the ‘parental home’ under the pretext of recuperating her health, Duke Alfonso had been staying at the mansion.
It’s not that Duke Alfonso was particularly harmful to those below him.
However, the madness he exuded was not something ordinary people could endure.
At least when Duchess Beth was present, she dealt with his madness, making things bearable, but now everyone was miserable.
“How is His Grace’s mood today?”
“Don’t know, he was laughing while reading some book.”
“…I’m in charge of his meals today; I’m scared.”
Recently, Duke Alfonso’s madness had been particularly intense.
Because of the duel with Catherine a while ago? Far from it. Such a ‘trivial’ event had been long forgotten from his memory.
Unexpectedly, the cause of Alfonso’s instability was ‘Van’.
“Haha. How amusing. So amusing.”
Duke Alfonso was engrossed in a book.
It was the ‘Gray Ritual Tome.’
Obtained from a dark auction with Van’s help, who was acting under the identity of the King of Contrary Heaven.
At that time, Van audaciously proposed a bet to him.
I wanted to see if Your Excellency could detect all the tricks I played on the grimoire.
Months later, now.
Duke Alfonso still hadn’t figured out what prank Van had played.
An unbelievable situation.
“Haha. Impressive. It fills me with awe. To the extent that I want to kill him immediately. Should I kill him or not?”
Then, a sound of clicking tongues was heard.
“Hey, what nonsense are you spouting again? Kill, as if you could kill anyone.”
“!!”
The one person who could call the formidable Duke Alfonso a friend.
It was Duke Huam, Van’s father.
“Haha, just kidding. Well, if Van wasn’t your son, I might have already cut off his head. Haha, but I am not joking this time.”
Duke Huam didn’t respond but sat down on the sofa.
“Hmm? What brings you here?”
“I’m from next door. Can’t I come over? Let’s have a drink.”
Looking closely, Duke Huam’s face was slightly flushed. It seemed he had already had a drink.
Duke Alfonso shrugged and took out a bottle of alcohol from the shelf.
It seemed like a familiar routine between the two.
“Who is it this time?”
“What do you mean?”
“When you come to me, isn’t it because you’ve resolved to kill someone? So, who is it? Who has become the latest prey of the Shadow Ghost?”
The sudden mention of the ‘Shadow Ghost’.
Surprisingly, Duke Huam didn’t deny it.
It meant he was indeed the Shadow Ghost of the Ten Demons!
“Watch your mouth.”
“What for? Everyone who should know, knows you’re the Shadow Ghost, right? Or more precisely, is it a dual identity passed down to the head of the Ecclesia family through generations? How amusing. The empire’s greatest noble family has the Shadow Ghost among them. Haha.”
Yes.
This was the true identity of the Shadow Ghost.
The Ecclesia family had a very positive image among the public.
A noble family leading the empire in the right direction.
But how could a family involved in politics be entirely clean?
Behind the scenes, they had stained their hands with countless blood.
However, they did it thoroughly.
Ensuring that no evidence of Ecclesia’s deeds remained.
The Shadow Ghost was a mask created in the process.
“Seeing you so troubled, it must not be an ordinary person. Who’s the target?”
“The Demon Blade.”
Duke Huam downed his drink and then spoke ominously.
“The imperial rule has come. Eliminating His Highness Mikhail, the Demon Blade.”
“Hmm? Can’t you just ignore that imperial order?”
Duke Alfonso asked teasingly.
“You’re using the imperial decree as an excuse, but you agree with eliminating the Demon Blade, don’t you?”
“…That’s true. His Highness Mikhail, the Demon Blade, is currently a significant source of instability for the empire. He must be removed before it’s too late.”
The empire is like glass cracked just before shattering.
How else could villains like the Three Evils brazenly run rampant?
But what if the prophecy the Guardian made about Mikhail actually comes to pass?
This child will drench the entire royal family in blood and become the great Emperor.
“I don’t believe in the Guardian’s prophecy. The Guardian is not a reliable entity. However, the problem is those who want to use this prophecy. If a rift occurs within the royal family, the empire won’t withstand it.”
“Then, just kill him. What’s the problem? It’s not hard to kill the third prince.”
Duke Alfonso asked flippantly.
“He seems to be on good terms with Van.”
“Hmm?”
Duke Alfonso tilted his head.
“What does that have to do with anything? You’re not someone whose resolve weakens over such a trivial matter, are you?”
“I’m worried about the situation where I might have to act against Van.”
Duke Huam downed his drink again.
“Given Van’s personality, he won’t just sit idly by.”
“Indeed, he’s bound to cause trouble. Not just any trouble, but major trouble, that Van.”
Duke Huam sighed.
That was the problem.
A minor annoyance could be dismissed as mischief.
But Van was too exceptional.
How many miracles had Van recently performed?
He was bound to cause a major problem.
“If Van crosses the ‘line’, even I can’t turn a blind eye.”
“…….”
A chilling conversation.
But the Ecclesias are known to eliminate even their own blood if necessary.
“May I ask you a favor?”
“To me? Or the other one? Be precise.”
“…To the King of Contrary Heaven.”
Duke Alfonso’s lips curled up.
“Haha. How interesting. The Shadow Ghost of the world asking the King of Contrary Heaven for a favor. What is it?”
“I wouldn’t normally, but just in case. Truly just in case.”
Duke Huam paused for a moment.
Uncharacteristically hesitant for the usually decisive Duke Huam.
“If my resolve weakens because of Van, I want you to kill the third prince in my stead.”
* * *
For a while, peaceful days passed.
Duke Volman was quiet, there were no troubles from others, and it was truly the time I had dreamed of.
‘This is the life of luxury I wanted to live!… Yeah, right.’
I sighed heavily.
It didn’t feel like rest at all because of the Third Prince Mikhail.
The Path of the Imperial’s Blood
This was Mikhail’s character scenario.
All four main characters each walk a different path of heroes.
And the path of a hero is not an easy one.
Rather, it’s filled with unending hardship.
Among them, Mikhail’s scenario is particularly nasty.
‘Mikhail is forced to make endlessly miserable choices regardless of his will.’
This incident is no exception.
‘What’s happening now is definitely the ‘Broken Demon Blade’ episode. It’s quite different from what I knew, but still.’
The most crucial difference was the intervention of the Shadow Ghost, that is, Duke Huam.
I kept sighing.
Even if it’s hard mode… or maybe even hell difficulty, it felt too much.
‘Originally, the ‘Broken Demon Blade’ episode ends with Mikhail humbling himself and barely surviving, but if father intervenes, it changes everything. There’s no way he’ll survive.’
The Ecclesia family has this motto:
Be cautious when seeing blood, but once a decision is made, use whatever means necessary to leave no loose ends.
‘I have to stop it.’
If Mikhail, a main character, dies, it’s game over.
And
‘I promised Prince Mikhail I would give him a normal school life.’
Even after making that decision, my heart was heavy.
I was afraid.
Afraid of standing against my father.
As I’ve mentioned several times, Duke Huam is undoubtedly a good father.
But he can be infinitely ruthless when necessary, even towards his own children.
Especially, crossing the ‘line’ set by Duke Huam is absolutely not tolerated.
‘In the storyline, Duke Huam personally takes Ron’s life.’
Then, Professor Burnstein called me.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes, thank you for your concern.”
“Aren’t you overexerting yourself again? There’s no need to force yourself to attend the royal symposium.”
I shook my head.
“I’m fine. I’ve already recovered. I’ll visit you again before I leave.”
“Hmm, actually, I called you here because I have something else to discuss with you.”
“??”
Professor Burnstein looked around then lowered his voice.
“Do you happen to know much about matters between, you know, men and women?”
“…Excuse me?”
“Hmm, actually, counsel head, it’s something to consult about. It’s not about me, but about a friend of mine.”
I looked at Professor Burnstein intently.
He had an expression unsuited to him, akin to that of an adolescent boy.
‘It’s about Lady Sienna. But you know, I was alone even back on Earth? Why would you even ask me?’
“This friend contacted a long-time unrequited love, and she said she also had something to talk about and suggested they meet sometime.”
“Did Lady Sienna say this to you, Professor?”
“…No, someone said it to my friend. Anyway, does this mean… there might be a chance for them, even a little?”
Embarrassed, Professor Burnstein repeatedly cleared his throat.
It was a heartwarming scene that brought a smile to my face, but I couldn’t fully enjoy the moment.
‘…That’s right, this episode is where Lady Sienna faces death.’
I recalled the ‘Broken Demon Blade’ episode.
In the process of Mikhail’s downfall, a sacrificial lamb is singled out, and that’s Lady Sienna.
Due to her rebellious nature, she had made many enemies over time.
“Hmm, it’s not my story, but I wonder if it’s okay to look forward to it.”
“It seems hopeful.”
“Really?”
“Yes, so, Professor, let’s go to the royal palace together during the symposium and see how things go with Lady Sienna.”
“That quickly? I’m not yet prepared. I mean, my friend isn’t prepared yet.”
“Haven’t you been preparing for decades? Don’t delay any further.”
‘Going with Professor Burnstein will be a big help.’
I didn’t know what kind of trouble might arise at the royal palace.
“So, what kind of gift should I buy?”
“The level of 7.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Lady Sienna has many enemies. You need to become stronger, Professor.”
Professor Burnstein’s level is that of a Lv. 6 Holder.
However, thanks to his solid foundation and deep understanding of magic, he possesses far greater abilities compared to others at the same level.
It’s said he’s already comparable to an average Lv. 7, but what if he actually reaches Lv. 7?
‘He might instantly gain the strength comparable to a master of the second level, an expert master.’
Professor Burnstein understood my point and nodded seriously.
“Yes, this is not the time to be carried away. Even if we confirm our feelings for each other, it’s meaningless if I can’t protect her. … I’ll convey that to my friend.”
“I know it’s you, so you can stop pretending. I’m rooting for you. You can leave the hosting of your wedding to me.”
“…How could I entrust such a thing to you?”
“There’s no need to doubt. With his dignity, I can elevate the grace of your wedding. My nobleness will cover the wedding venue.”
“…….”
I said it with genuine goodwill, but instead of responding, Professor Burnstein just avoided my gaze.…I was brushed off.
