The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 163
At that moment, not missing the opportunity, the Black Flame Dragon twisted the corner of its mouth at the King of Contrary Heaven.
“That was a decent spell.”
“…What?”
“I could see the effort you’ve put in so far. At the same time, I felt the lamentable mediocrity. This is your limit, after all.”
“!!”
‘Hey! Black Flame Dragon, are you crazy?! You trying to get us killed?!’
By now, I had grown quite familiar with the Black Flame Dragon, almost like a cheeky younger sibling.
But this was not it! You’re gonna get us killed!
‘No, isn’t it fine? No matter what I say, Alfonso can’t kill me.’
My thoughts raced.
No matter how formidable I was, facing Alfonso head-on was absolutely impossible.
The judgment from the Duel Determiner was just 18.73% after all.
‘To overcome this crisis, I need to make good use of Alfonso’s ‘good’ side.’
The standard of good that Alfonso adheres to is simple.
Does it harm the magic nobility or not?
So, secretly killing Mikhail is not crossing the line, but being caught in the act of killing him is.
‘In that sense, Alfonso absolutely can’t use his Path of Magic level 5 or above. Nor can he use powerful spells beyond a certain level.’
The Path of Magic is unique to each mage, like fingerprints.
Therefore, spells imbued with his Path of Magic of level 5 or above will leave a unique trace of the mage.
Of course, identifying the culprit from that alone isn’t easy, but Mikhail is royalty.
The best magical forensic experts would investigate, so there was a risk involved.
‘It’s also difficult to use low-level spells that are powerful for the same reason.’
In essence, the King of Contrary Heaven could only use basic, unremarkable low-level spells without any distinguishing features.
It was as if his hands, feet, wings, and teeth were all tied up in the fight.
‘Considering the situation, it’s remarkable that the survival probability is only 18.73%.’
In any case, from that perspective, the provocation by the Black Flame Dragon wasn’t bad.
No matter how furious Alfonso gets, he won’t be able to use a stronger spell due to his restraint, but his excitement might create an opening.
“Still, rest assured. I’ll ascend to the heavens before you do, and from above, I shall beckon you.”
“…….”
“Oh, but that seems unlikely. Your ordinariness would hardly comprehend my greatness.”
“…….”
My voice, initially loud with excitement, gradually quietened.
I realized I was rambling.
By the way, it wasn’t the Black Flame Dragon speaking, but me.
“Haha. How amusing, really amusing. How can it be this funny? It’s so amusing that all of my laughter escapes me. Haha. Fun. Isn’t this fun?”
Gulp.
I gulped down my saliva.
Madness swirled in the eyes behind the mask.
“You provoked me to protect that cowardly worm, right? Fine. I’ll grant your wish. I’ll deal with that worm after I’ve forced you to your knees.”
Simultaneously.
Flash! Crackle!
A flash of light struck me.
The same 4-star level lightning magic as before.
Though I blocked it, my heart sank.
I realized I was under a misapprehension.
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but my major is in transformation magic. Elemental manifestation was more of a hobby. Among them, my proficiency in lightning is the lowest.”
Again, flash! Crackle!
A crack formed in my shield.
“But really, can you block my lightning magic?”
Another attack.
My complexion grew even paler.
The point I misunderstood.
I had underestimated Alfonso.
It’s true I am a formidable being.
But Alfonso is a presence far beyond comparison to me now.
No matter if I sacrifice my life to draw the power of annihilation from the Demon King’s Sword, any desperate attempt is unreachable.
I had the intuition.
I couldn’t block the next magic.
* * *
Flash!
Crash!!
Van’s shield shattered.
“Ugh.”
Van groaned.
The King of Contrary Heavens smirked at Van.
“Now, I’m looking forward to what trick you’ll show next. Haha. Isn’t this so amusing? Not fun? I find it entertaining. Haha.”
Someone watched this scene with a heart full of dismay.
It was Mikhail.
‘Van, what in the world? Why go to such lengths for me?’
Mikhail knew who the King of Contrary Heavens was.
A being that absolutely no one could stand against.
Yet why was Van engaging in such reckless acts?
All for him.
Sacrificing his life, foolishly.
Trust me.
Your Highness has done nothing wrong.
You’re my student, aren’t you? Protecting students is the professor’s duty.
Van’s words mixed up in Mikhail’s mind.
None of them made any sense.
Tears flowed uncontrollably.
Suddenly, a past event came to mind.
Mikhail had experienced a similar situation before.
My child, no matter what happens to me, you must pretend not to know. Promise me. Understand? I love you.
In his childhood, he was falsely accused.
More specifically, Mikhail made a mistake, and the Emperor, who was already looking for an excuse, sentenced him to death.
At that time, his mother shielded him.
Claiming it was her doing.
Even though she had done nothing wrong.
Mikhail, is your mother telling the truth? If you admit your fault, I will spare your mother’s life.
When the Emperor asked, testing him, Mikhail couldn’t respond, and his mother vanished like dew at the execution ground.
Tch, it’s a mistake to have birthed such a creature.
The Emperor’s words still echoed.
Yes, the only mistake his mother made was giving birth to Mikhail.
Yet, Mikhail couldn’t speak up for his mother.
It was the same now.
Van’s only mistake was considering someone as terrible as him a friend.
Flash!
“Urk!”
A streak of blood trickled from Van’s mouth.
He may not understand magic precisely, but it was clear that Van had reached his limit.
As Van tried to cast a spell, his hand trembled.
Uncharacteristically disheveled.
Mikhail’s heart sank.
“…Stop.”
“It’s… fine.”
“Stop it now!”
He exclaimed.
It wasn’t a calculated outburst.
He yelled out because it felt like his heart would burst if he remained silent any longer.
“…Your Highness?”
“Van, you are to cease moving immediately. That’s an order.”
Mikhail clenched his fists.
His face was still streaked with tears, but he gritted his teeth and glared at the King of Contrary Heavens.
The King of Contrary Heavens sneered.
His contemptuous gaze seemed to say:
Cowardly worm.
It was true.
He was a coward.
Even when his mother died, he remained silent.
But not this time.
He couldn’t lose Van too.
“To the King of Contrary Heavens, I also issue a command.”
“Hmm?”
“Begin treating Van immediately. If you fail to restore Van to full health, I will, no, I will annihilate the magic noble houses. Even if it costs me everything.”
“Haha.”
It sounded as absurd as a rabbit threatening a tiger.
The King of Contrary Heavens, Alfonso Duke, shook his head.
He was not generous enough to indulgently accept such blatant folly.
However,
“!!”
When Alfonso Duke’s eyes met Mikhail’s, it sparkled with interest.
Though still filled with fear, Mikhail’s gaze was different from before.
A look not found in the current Emperor, Prince Renius, or any other fools in the royal family.
That is.
Alfonso Duke, no, the King of Contrary Heavens, I propose a deal.
Similar to the ‘resolve’ Princess Esmeralda had shown when she came to him in the past.
‘Interesting. Perhaps you could become a candidate for my ‘deals’.’
Alfonso Duke, harboring incomprehensible thoughts, flicked his fingers.
Flash!
A bright light enveloped Van.
“Don’t resist. I’m restoring the life force that the Demon Sword took from you.”
Only possible by the Duke Alfonso, the king of earth’s mages.
Van frowned and soon his eyes closed gently.
He had collapsed!
“Van!!”
“His life force is returning, bringing on sleep, so there’s no need to worry. He’ll be fine after some rest, leave him to the royal healers.”
Then, the outside became noisy.
As he was about to leave, Mikhail said something unexpected.
“King of Contrary Heavens, I have one more command for you.”
“Hmm?”
“Take me to the noble ghost, no, to Duke Huam. I have something to say.”
Alfonso Duke looked back at Mikhail.
His face was still a mess stained with tears.
But his eyes were shining more brightly than before.
There was no reason to comply with this ‘command’, but.
‘The timing? Seems like I’ll get to see something interesting for the first time in a while.’
Duke Huam had an unwritten rule.
He absolutely does not meet anyone after 10 PM.
Due to a ‘secret’ he hid.
Alfonso Duke decided to comply with Mikhail’s command out of ‘self-interest’.
Flash!
Alfonso Duke and Mikhail disappeared in a swirl of light.
Their destination was Duke Huam’s bedroom.
* * *
The Ecclesia estate was known as a dream job for servants and maids.
High salary, generous benefits, undemanding tasks, and excellent masters.
The prestige of the family was a bonus.
But there was one absolute rule that no one was to break.
After 10 PM, no one is to enter Duke Huam’s bedroom.
There were all sorts of speculations that Duke Huam, despite his stern appearance, engaged in perverse acts every night, but no one knew the actual reason.
And today, that secret was revealed.
“……”
Duke Huam woke up with a blank expression, wearing a teddy bear pajama.
Yes.
Teddy bear pajamas.
He was even wearing a hat, which had a large crocodile drawn on it.
“…Who on earth is visiting at this time?”
“It’s me. Your appearance is always a sight to behold, no matter when.”
“Alfonso, you bastard.”
Duke Huam frowned.
Blinking a few times, his consciousness returned.
He saw Mikhail standing awkwardly.
“Mikhail, what’s the matter?”
“Uncle. I have something to say.”
“It’s useless. I have no intention of sparing you.”
“!!”
A chilling statement.
But maybe because of the teddy bear pajamas?
Or perhaps due to a change within? It didn’t feel as intimidating as before.
“Is it because I am not beneficial to the empire?”
“Yes. As you know, I do not want to kill you either. But your existence is too harmful for the empire.”
“What if this existence becomes beneficial to the empire?”
“What?”
Mikhail looked straight at Duke Huam.
He then voiced the decision he had come to after witnessing Van’s actions today.
“I won’t run away anymore.”
“…What?”
“I will fight and definitely become the emperor. As the emperor, I will stabilize this empire. Wouldn’t that make me worth keeping alive?”
The reason he had always avoided fighting was simple.
Because he was a coward.
But he wouldn’t be scared anymore.
He would be brave.
He would fight, win, and surely survive.
For Van, who tried to protect him.
Thus,
<The Path of the Imperial’s Blood> has begun its act.
