The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 180
Summer Camp.
It’s a summer holiday event jointly hosted by the four prestigious academies.
Like many inter-academy events, it had long since turned into a competitive arena.
Hence, the performance of each academy was a matter of interest, and this applied to the professors as well.
Especially since achieving excellent results as an instructor could enhance one’s reputation across all four prestigious academies, the competition to volunteer was surprisingly fierce.
Conversely, this meant that there were plenty of professors willing to participate, so no one was forced to join against their will.
But why then was Van forced to participate? There was a reason for it.
“…….”
In a café in the capital.
Leona the Demon Brain and the Second Prince, Renius, were drinking coffee.
It was a meeting of the apostles of Ouroboros.
“Meeting like this so often, I worry about unnecessary scandals.”
“Between His Highness and me?”
“…No, now that I think about it, such a scandal is unlikely. Unless the world ends, a scandal involving you and me is unimaginable.”
“I agree.”
Scandals are for those noteworthy enough to attract them.
Leona, of course, and Renius were both famously consumed by their work.
“Anyway, it’s good. The plan has proceeded as expected.”
An unexpected turn of events.
Duke Volman had fallen, and the Shangri-La Academy project was stranded, right?
Renius twisted the corner of his mouth.
“Initially, Leona, your mission was the downfall of the Rapalt ducal family.”
The implication was that her helping Duke Volman was all to ensure the downfall of the Rapalt ducal family!
The insecurity Duke Volman felt was indeed real.
“We’re still far from the end. My ultimate goal is the downfall of all four ducal families.”
Renius frowned.
“I honestly don’t get it. Why are you involved with Ouroboros?”
“You’re hardly managing your own duties; perhaps it’s unnecessary to concern yourself with others’ personal matters?”
“!!”
Renius’s task as an apostle was to dominate Ruby Academy.
To fulfill Ouroboros’s grand purpose, it was essential to either dismantle or control all four prestigious academies and the four ducal families.
Leona stood up from her seat.
“Let me give you a piece of advice. Continuing as you have been, Your Highness will never achieve your goal.”
“…….”
Renius gritted his teeth, though he found it hard to deny.
Van was the problem.
“I’ll send my closest aide to be the chairman of Ruby. With the Rapalt family’s assets confiscated, the shares of Ruby have reverted to the royal family.”
“You’re sending a proxy again? It seems you’re not yet desperate.”
“!!”
Renius flinched.
He understood what Leona meant.
“You’re suggesting I go to Ruby as the chairman myself?”
“What’s stopping you? It’s common for kings to lead the front lines to turn the tide of war.”
Renius couldn’t easily respond.
It was indeed a definitive strategy.
Going in person would make it much easier to take control of Ruby.
The issue was.
“Leona, do you think I’m unaware of your dark intentions? You’re planning to have that Legendary Van take me down, aren’t you?”
Not appointing a proxy was a double-edged sword.
While it would undoubtedly be effective, any arising problems would have to be personally addressed.
“What does it matter if I harbor such dark intentions or not? All that matters is for Your Highness to outmatch Brother Van. Are you lacking in confidence?”
“!!”
Renius’s expression turned fierce.
“Fine. I’ll accept your challenge. I’ll go there myself as the chairman and bring your brother and Ruby to their knees.”
Thus, it was decided that Renius, an apostle of Ouroboros and the most likely successor to the throne, would become the chairman of Ruby.
For Van, having defeated the tiger known as Duke Volman, it was as if a dragon had now flown in to challenge him.
However, Renius was not taking the situation lightly either.
‘Van the Legend.’
He was a formidable opponent that Renius had to deal with to achieve his goals.
Now, Van was not someone to be referred to as ‘merely’ anymore.
‘I need to find a way.’
Just then, the door opened, and a dignified middle-aged man entered.
“Your Highness, the Second Prince, I’ve heard about your decision to dedicate yourself to the empire’s education. I am Maxim, the Minister of Education, and I am moved by your decision!”
“Thank you, Marquis.”
The man was Marquis Maxim, the Minister of Education.
The highest authority in the academic circles of the academies.
However, he was not one of Renius’s people.
‘He’s a member of the Noble Families Association.’
The emerging noble power in New Town.
A significant axis in the empire’s political landscape.
“We received a lot of assistance from the Noble Families Association for the faculty composition at Ruby this time. Thank you.”
“Not at all. It’s an honor for us, the Noble Families Association.”
Renius considered the downfall of Duke Volman to be due to the incompetence of his faculty.
With the Noble Families Association comprising families considered the best in their respective fields, their support would be crucial in dominating Ruby.
“That’s an unusual watch. It looks nice.”
It was a comment aimed at winning favor with Maxim, a figure whose support he would need moving forward.
Unexpectedly, Maxim showed a surprising response.
“Haha, you noticed? It was a gift from my daughter.”
With a doting father’s face!
“Your daughter? Ah, I heard she had been ill. Has she recovered?”
“Yes, it was a close call, but she’s revived. She’s become so spirited since then.”
Marquis Maxim’s daughter hadn’t had a good reputation in social circles.
With rumors circulating that she was possessed by a demon due to her reclusive, gloomy nature.
“It’s good to hear. Isn’t she of age to attend an academy?”
“Yes, that’s correct. She was accepted but has been home due to her health. However, she plans to start attending in the second semester.”
“Which academy?”
“Coincidentally, it’s Ruby Academy, where Your Highness is being appointed. I entrust her to your care.”
“Oh, that’s fortunate. Was her name Lily?”
“She changed it.”
“She changed her name?”
“Yes, after hearing that her name was bringing her misfortune and contributing to her poor health.”
Lily.
Its floral meaning is purity.
But it also connotes frailty and illness.
Of course, it’s nothing but superstition, but a parent’s heart would clutch at straws.
“What’s the new name?”
“Iris. My daughter chose it herself.”
“‘Hope.’ That’s a beautiful name.”
“Haha, thank you. I also find it quite fitting.”
‘So greedy, yet so tender towards his daughter.’
Renius sneered inwardly.
Marquis Maxim was far from being a good person.
Yet, his doting appearance was amusing.
“I’ll make sure to keep an eye on your daughter.”
“Thank you. I trust only in Your Highness. Is there anything else I can assist you with? Please, feel free to ask.”
Marquis Maxim, seemingly in a good mood, spoke heartily.
“Actually, I do have a concern. It’s about Professor Van the Legend’s treatment…”
He hadn’t expected a solution to come out of this conversation.
Yet,
“Van, the temporary professor? Now that you mention it, I’m not sure what will become of Professor Van.”
“What do you mean?”
“He doesn’t meet the eligibility requirements for the permanent professorship qualification exam, so he’s subject to automatic dismissal.”
The permanent professor qualification exam.
An exam conducted in the second semester under the charge of the Ministry of Education, which newly appointed or prospective permanent professors must pass.
It’s stipulated by the education law, and no academy professor is exempt.
“How can that be? There’s no way he doesn’t meet the eligibility requirements.”
Considering all that Van had accomplished during the last semester,
“Lack of teaching days.”
“…Lack of teaching days?”
Marquis Maxim clicked his tongue.
“While he was a professor, he was too busy roaming around, barely giving any lectures. According to the newly established eligibility criteria, he falls short.”
* * *
‘Lack of teaching days? There was no such thing before!’
Upon further investigation, this requirement was newly introduced for this qualification exam.
‘The second semester isn’t considered a qualifying period, so even if I teach during it, it won’t count towards meeting the criteria.’
There was only one solution.
‘I need to participate as an instructor in the summer camp to fulfill the required teaching days.’
Fortunately, instructor duties at the camp are recognized as teaching days.
‘Damn. That’s not fortunate at all. To fulfill the teaching days, I need to survive until the end.’
Survival.
Not typically a word associated with summer camp, but in this case, it was accurate.
No wonder the episode is titled ‘Because It Hurts, It’s Youth.’
Recalling the grueling scenarios I had witnessed during the progression made the mere thought dizzying.
‘Ugh. Why are there so many obstacles?’
Yet, I had to endure.
From the second year onwards, all sorts of calamities would unfold.
Believe it or not, the academy was the safest place.
Really. Truly.
‘But the summer camp is mid-vacation, so I can rest until then… No, I can’t!’
There was a bigger problem.
My stocks… no, Count Armand needed to be checked on.
‘Not illness, but a development issue that caused a shock?’
I hurried to the Count’s residence.
Unexpectedly, I encountered someone there.
“Emily, why are you here?”
“I’m also a major shareholder of Armand Corporation. After you talked about the automobile last time, I secretly started accumulating shares behind the scenes.”
She used her personal funds, not the merchant group’s, to accumulate the shares.
The financial hit was severe, as she had bet all her hidden reserves.
‘Emily, isn’t as scatterbrained as I thought? Can she manage the Vanmily Merchant Group well?’
Worried, I casually asked,
“How’s the Vanmily Merchant Group doing? Any problems?”
Her complexion darkened immediately.
“It’s… not easy.”
“Weren’t you confident?”
“An unforeseen problem arose. The Vanmily Merchant Group might even go bankrupt soon.”
It was like a bolt from the blue.
“Do you need the Ecclesia family’s help?”
“No, this is something even the Ecclesia family can’t help with. Actually, my being here is partly due to the Vanmily Merchant Group’s issues. I came to devise a strategy with Count Armand.”
“??”
At that moment, Count Armand, having risen from his sickbed, called us over.
“Van, it’s been a while. And Miss Emily, I heard you’ve become a countess as well.”
He looked more haggard than the last time I saw him.
“What’s wrong with the development that you’ve ended up like this?”
“…Our technology was stolen.”
“What did you say?”
“Thieves from the Ran Republic made off with our automobile technology. Ahhh…”
“!!”
Count Armand burst into tears like a child.
“Sob. I’ve dedicated my life to the automobile. Now, I have no reason to live.”
“Our Vanmily Merchant Group similarly had the core technologies of our key products stolen. It was the work of a notorious ‘mafia’ from the Ran Republic, making our patents useless.”
I couldn’t understand.
“How could this happen?”
Without inside help, stealing the technology would have been impossible.
Emily sighed deeply.
“It was Senin’s doing.”
“…What?”
Although he would later become a Merchant of Salvation.
Right now, he was the name of a sub-main character known for his villainous merchant ways, showing early signs of trouble.
“Senin harbored a grudge against me and you, Van, and orchestrated this incident.”
