The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 157
Duke Byron took me to a quiet place.
Click. The door closed.
“Entering Dark Magic, huh? What are you scheming?”
“I’m serious.”
“Van, my nephew, stop mocking me. Do you see the House of Darkness as your playground?”
An icy coldness, incomparable to before, descended.
If it weren’t for the Black Dragon, the menacing aura alone would have been enough to unsettle me.
It’s not for nothing that he’s considered a Level 8 Sage.
A mere flick of his finger could overwhelm me.
‘It’s okay. It’s just a threat. I just need to keep my wits about me.’
“It’s not a lie. I have had an interest in Dark Magic. And soon, there will be something I need to do for which studying Dark Magic will be necessary.”
Still skeptical.
“I’m not looking to enter for free. I will solve the epidemic that’s been spreading through the capital recently.”
The Dark Lord furrowed his brows.
“Hmph. The epidemic is something for the imperial administration to handle, not us. What does it have to do with the House of Darkness?”
“Given that the epidemic broke out during the Dark Symposium, the House of Darkness could be accused of being behind it, regardless of the truth.”
The Dark Lord remained silent.
‘Indeed, it wouldn’t be the first time Dark Mages were unfairly accused of being behind an epidemic.’
“I believe the House of Darkness would not be involved, but others might not see it that way. Perhaps malicious Dark Mages from the Dark Tower, envious of the House of Darkness, might have orchestrated a plot.”
“…Such slander I can handle on my own.”
“But in exchange, you’d have to bow and scrape, explaining yourself at city hearings, the imperial council, the nobility council, and so on. Even plead with my father. And you might have to make a hefty donation to deal with the epidemic unjustly.”
The Dark Lord swallowed hard.
I drove the point home.
“My actions are driven by the respect I’ve always had for the House of Darkness.”
“…What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“The House of Darkness has always walked the right path, unwavering in the face of any temptation or oppression, hasn’t it? I have always held such reverence for the House of Darkness.”
“!!”
Duke Byron’s eyes flickered faintly.
He was moved by my words.
‘Other malevolent Dark Mages despise the House of Darkness as unlucky, hostile towards it, and the common people throw stones at it, prejudiced.’
A family receiving hatred from everyone.
It’s not for nothing that Duke Byron has a servile personality.
Without extreme tact, survival would have been impossible.
“…Thinking I’d fall for such sweet talk. Sniff. Eh, must be dust in my eyes. Tell them to clean properly. Why is there so much dust?”
Duke Byron grumbled for no reason.
“Anyway, I understand. After all that talk, how can I not be persuaded? Van, my nephew, what exactly do you want? You’re not seriously planning to become a disciple of the House of Darkness, are you?”
Duke Byron asked sharply.
“It’s simple. May I observe the Dark Art Museum?”
“The Dark Art Museum? It’s too esoteric for you to be of any help. Wouldn’t it be better to visit the ‘Dark Festival’ below, which is easier to understand?”
“You once referred to me as having the Extreme Dark Physique.”
“Extreme Dark Physique or whatever, you have no foundation in Dark Magic, do you?”
“Excuse my boldness, but I’m not just any Extreme Dark Physique.”
“!!”
I emphasized ‘just any.’
“Let me show you. The greatness of ‘Van the Legend’s physique,’ incomparable to mere Extreme Dark Physiques.”
It was time for the highlight of the chaos.
* * *
The two major events of the Dark Symposium are the Dark Colosseum and the Dark Art Museum.
While the Dark Colosseum is the largest in scale, the Dark Art Museum is what draws the most attention.
An event where top Dark Mages showcase their achievements as art.
The venue was small.
It utilized a few rooms inside a mansion.
There weren’t many ‘exhibits.’
‘Given that there aren’t many Dark Mages of Level 7 or above who walk the right path, even here in the House of Darkness, they are few.’
In exchange, the quality was exceptional.
I looked at a watercolor painting hanging on the wall.
A painting of a desolate sky and wilderness.
Though I’m not deeply knowledgeable about art, this painting caught my eye more than any other artist’s work, due to the ‘negative Mana’ infused within.
The watercolor captured ‘loneliness.’
‘That sculpture embodies suffering. That toy, hatred.’
I was truly astounded as I was appreciating the art.
Such was the impression it left on me.
‘It’s regrettable this year is the last.’
A statement that would perplex others.
But it’s true.
I thought bitterly.
‘Since the House of Darkness will be annihilated, they won’t be able to host such events anymore.’
The extinction of the House of Darkness isn’t imminent.
Yet, it’s unavoidable.
It’s bound to happen eventually.
Then, an unfamiliar voice spoke.
“Are you Professor Van the Legend?”
It was a dignified elderly man.
Despite his calm demeanor, there was an indescribable madness in his eyes.
Not a madness that threatens others, but the obsession of a fanatic who has devoted his entire mind to a single field.
“I am Bail Baymont. I humbly hold the position of an elder in the House of Darkness.”
‘The ‘Teacher’ of the House of Darkness!’
I was visibly surprised.
He was a renowned figure in the House of Darkness.
“Ha, it’s a pleasure to see you again. Do you remember the incident at the casino? You have no idea how much I admired Professor Van the Legend then.”
Only then did I realize the Dark Mage I had confronted at the casino incident was Bail Baymont in front of me.
‘It wasn’t for nothing that I was overpowered.’
At the time, I was overwhelmingly defeated in a Dark Magic duel but managed to overpower him by leveraging the status of an ascendant.
“What do you think of the works here, Professor?”
“They are magnificent.”
Responding honestly, Bail smiled.
“Why don’t you consider submitting a piece yourself, Professor?”
“Me?”
“You are Van the Legend, the one who beat me, didn’t you? You are more than qualified to submit. I will speak on behalf of the family.”
I nodded.
Truthfully, I had been concocting various excuses to submit a work, but things were resolved more easily than expected.
“Ah, I can’t wait to see how magnificent Professor Van the Legend’s work will be. I look forward to feeling the thrill of that time once again.”
After Bail left, I resumed examining the submissions.
‘Sadness. Hatred. Despair.’
I closed my eyes.
Numerous inspirations flitted through my mind.
I am not a Dark Mage.
However, these works don’t just influence Dark Magic achievements.
I felt a deepening in the overall depth of my magic.
After appreciating the art pieces for a while, I talked to the organizers and borrowed a brush and paints.
My hand moved on its own.
Thanks to my versatility, I was able to produce a reasonably convincing painting, but it differed in atmosphere from the other Dark Mages’ works.
While their works, aptly filled with negative meanings, were heavy and dark, my piece was bright and cheerful.
The clear sky after rain.
A rainbow holding hope.
Joy.
It was a beautiful landscape painting, but considering this was the ‘Dark Art Museum,’ it could be said to be off-topic.
Nonetheless, I submitted my work as is.
“Excuse me, but doesn’t this painting lack a negative meaning?”
“No, it’s included.”
“Included?”
A Level 5 Dark Mage managing the venue frowned.
“The Dark Art Museum is the premier gallery of Dark Magic. Such an absurd work…”
“Don’t judge it by your level. Just display the work. Or are you saying you won’t follow the ‘Teacher’s’ instructions?”
The Dark Mage gritted his teeth and hung my painting.
In the most inconspicuous place possible.
I understood.
It must have been too esoteric for just a Level 5 to comprehend.
“When will the museum’s voting results be announced?”
Level 7 and above Dark Mages vote to select the top winning entry.
“Tomorrow. Why do you ask?”
As if expecting an award? That was the implied reaction.
I just shrugged and walked outside.
That concluded my business at the Dark House.
‘I can check the award results in the newspaper anyway.’
And then.
The next day.
This article appeared.
Professor Van the Legend Achieves Another Legend!
Attends the Dark Symposium of Dark Mages, Winning Both the Dark Colosseum and the Dark Art Museum Simultaneously!
Particularly astonishing is the content of the work ‘Joy’ submitted to the Dark Art Museum.
Talks of despair by contrasting hope.
The Teacher of the Dark House, an elder, says, ‘No, it’s not just about that. The brilliant hope is possible because of deep despair. Conversely, despair also arises because of hope. Professor Van the Legend’s work ‘Joy’ contains the meaning of the intertwining of white and Dark Magic. I express my admiration.’
* * *
‘What exactly is Van thinking?’
Mikhail put down the newspaper with a disgusted expression.
He understood that Van was actively working for his sake.
But what exactly his ulterior motive was, he couldn’t guess.
‘The royal symposium no longer calls for my punishment.’
Thanks to Leona, who had taken up Van’s request and ruthlessly crushed the argument for Mikhail’s punishment in the debate.
However, Mikhail felt more uneasy.
What excuse couldn’t they make if they wanted to strike him?
His unease was spot on.
“The injunction has been lifted. You are ordered by His Majesty the Emperor to resume your role as the chairperson of the royal symposium.”
“Me, specifically?”
The feeling was not good.
As if being dragged to a slaughterhouse.
As always, he had no choice.
And then, in front of everyone at the event, a terrible thing happened.
“Arrest the traitor Mikhail!”
“!!”
Mikhail’s face stiffened.
He remembered Van’s words to never admit any wrongdoing.
“A traitor? What nonsense is this? Accusing a member of the royal family of being a criminal without evidence?”
“There is evidence.”
“What?”
“Here are the proofs that the Three Evils have been following His Highness Mikhail as their ‘hope’.”
“That can’t be. I have no connections with those Three Evils.”
“The evidence was secured by raiding the base of the Three Evils. They were plotting to overthrow the empire by putting His Highness at the forefront as their ‘hope’.”
And then, the evidence was listed out, one by one, as if to show off to the people gathered.
Irrefutable evidence was presented.
That’s when it happened.
“May I say something as an investigator of the Mage Tower?”
Van appeared!
The atmosphere changed dramatically.
The knight who had arrested Mikhail also looked troubled.
But, Van made a completely unexpected statement.
“We from the Mage Tower agree.”
“…What did you say?”
“I agree that the source of the evidence is the Three Evils. We have also obtained similar evidence through our investigations. Ridiculously, the Three Evils were indeed plotting to overthrow the empire by following ‘hope’.”
“…”
A statement supporting the knight’s side.
The knight gave Van a suspicious look.
Questioning his motives.
