The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 183
After the party, I called Libel aside.
“Pack your things. We’re going to the Ran Republic together.”
“Ah… Ah… That is….”
“It’s an order as a professor.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
Libel said quietly, bowing his head deeply.
“Th-Thank you for your consideration. I, I will make sure not to be a burden during the trip.”
In his voice, filled with apprehension, I twitched my eyebrows.
I was displeased, but keeping silent was better than adding to his burden.
Next was Hans.
“Ahem! I’d love to go, but as you see, I’m scheduled to be appointed as a professor. A bit busy, you know?”
Hans seemed oddly arrogant lately.
“I heard your lack of achievements in magic tool development could get your appointment canceled. Not disappointed? It would’ve been a good opportunity.”
“Even if I’m busy, neglecting my duties to serve Professor Van is unthinkable! This Hans! Even if I become a full professor, I’ll forever be Professor Van’s graduate student! Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty!”
By the way, it seems Hans is seriously planning to juggle being a full professor and my graduate student.
The academy is having a headache over Hans’ absurd demands.
“I can’t go. I have things to do during the vacation.”
“Lindon, don’t tell me? Trying to get your security deposit back?”
“Ah! It’s not something weird, okay? I can get the deposit back when the stocks soar!”
I heard an astonishing story during the party.
That gloomy building was actually Lindon’s house.
He also secretly lost his original home’s security deposit by playing the stock market.
I couldn’t say much since I was also stuck in stocks.
Anyway, it was decided that me, Hans, and Libel, three of us, would go to the Ran Republic.
Emily had to do some ‘behind-the-scenes work’ for the operation, so she would join us later.
‘But is this party okay? It seems like I’m the only normal one among the three?’
But before leaving, I encountered an unexpected person.
It was Theren.
“Good day, Professor.”
“Yes.”
“…….”
“??”
I tilted my head in confusion.
Theren looked at me with a slanted gaze.
“Is there something you want to say?”
“Are you going to the Ran Republic?”
“How did you know?”
“Libel spammed the class board with it. Telling other students that they’re losers because they can’t go on a business trip with Professor Van.”
“…….”
It’s typical of Libel to do something like that, but something else caught my curiosity.
‘How does Theren know the content of the VanTLLC board? You need to be a member to view the posts. Could it be that he’s also a member of the board?’
Nah, that can’t be.
Gaze at that rebellious look in his eyes.
“So, what do you want?”
“I’m also going to the Ran Republic. On vacation with my mother.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It seems our schedules will overlap.”
“I see.”
“I said our schedules would overlap.”
“Yes, have a nice vacation then.”
“…….”
“…….”
“??”
I nodded in response, thinking he was just bragging, but Theren’s reaction was odd.
He frowned deeply and then turned and disappeared.
‘What? Why did he react like that?’
Worried for no reason, I asked the kids about Theren.
“I don’t know? I don’t like him because he’s rude.”
“D-Don’t get close to that kind of guy. He’s unpleasant.”
“Are you two to talk? It’s true that Theren is annoying, but should we make sure he never loiters around the professor again?”
Hmm, it seems Theren is disliked among my students.
…I’m not sure if it’s the kids’ fault for hating Theren, who is apparently quite popular at the academy, or if it’s Theren’s fault.
Anyway, I told the kids we were ready to leave,
“Catherine….”
“Ah, I know. Stop nagging, dad.”
I shook my head and said,
“Let’s all stay safe and see each other at the summer camp.”
* * *
We arrived in the Ran Republic.
Being from the empire, we couldn’t use the republic’s portals for security reasons, so it took a bit longer.
‘I deliberately left early, so there’s still some time before I meet with the president.’
The meeting with the president is scheduled for three days later.
Arriving early was intentional because of a specific reason.
‘We need to play it cool for strategic reasons.’
And
‘I should enjoy the vacation with the remaining time!’
Surprisingly, the Ran Republic is a popular travel destination among the empire’s nobility.
It’s not like the two countries have cut off trade because they’re hostile towards each other.
On the contrary, the empire and the republic are more closely connected than any other nations.
“How do you like it, Libel? What you see over there is the Ran Republic’s capital, ‘Steam City.'”
From the deck of the ship on the river, a large city began to unfold.
A city more enormous and complicated than the empire’s capital due to overcrowding.
The city was dotted with the smoke of magic stone combustion, symbolizing the developed magic industry.
‘If the big cities of the empire resemble the early stages of the industrial revolution, this place feels decades ahead.’
“It’s magnificent! Truly the city of dreams for magical engineers! If Hans had been born in the Ran Republic, my name would have been in the history books… Uwaaaack!!!”
Hans was seasick.
Libel glanced at me and then patted Hans on the back.
“I-It seems wonderful. Uh, Assistant Professor Hans, are you alright?”
“Th-thank you! But when you address me, it’s Professor Hans… Ughhh!”
“Ye-Yes, Professor. Here, take this bag.”
Libel was not looking like his usual self!
He had been in such a state ever since we left on our trip.
It was clear he was being cautious not to upset me with his behavior.
‘And yet, it’s ironic that he’s still spamming as a troll on the VanTLLC board. Is he venting the stress accumulated in real life in the virtual world?’
Finally, the ship docked.
We went through the identity verification process and stepped foot in Steam City.
Though I had visited several times in the storyline, seeing Steam City with my own eyes was something else.
‘It’s more complicated, busier, and dirtier.’
The distinctive foul odor of unrefined magic stones burning pricked my nose.
The entire city was a mix of bustling areas and slums.
“Now, let’s start the tour.”
“I, I am, ugh!”
Still unable to gather his senses, Hans was left at the hotel we had booked, and I went out to the streets with Libel.
“Is there anywhere you want to visit?”
“I, I’m fine with anything. I-I want to go wherever Professor wants to go.”
Without Hans, Libel became even more restless now that it was just the two of us.
I didn’t say anything.
‘I was similar when I was young.’
Being abandoned several times while bouncing between relatives’ homes naturally made me cautious.
I could understand why Libel was acting this way, given that his wounds were much deeper than mine.
‘Telling him not to worry, to trust me, wouldn’t make sense to him.’
It wasn’t simply a matter of trust towards me.
More fundamentally, it was a matter of self-esteem.
Just like in my past, time was needed.
All I could do was be quietly there for him in the meantime.
“That seems to be a tourist spot.”
“W-Wow, it’s amazing!”
“Shall we take a photo together?”
“I, I couldn’t possibly. If someone as dirty as me is caught in the same shot, it would tarnish your brilliance, Professor.”
“……”
“Am, am I mistaken again in what I said? I’m sorry.”
I was fine with it, but Libel dug himself too deeply into a hole of self-consciousness.
He kept stammering and even looked like he was about to cry.
I was contemplating whether I should have forced Hans to come along.
Libel’s gaze drifted towards something.
It was a poster.
Coming! The angel descended upon Steam City! Enjoy the music of the greatest music star of this era!
I thought, ah.
Attending a performance.
It was one of the items on Libel’s bucket list. Promised with ‘friends.’
The problem was,
‘It had to be a concert by Muse Juliet. Did she come on a tour to the Ran Republic?’
She’s a sub-main character.
Someone I briefly saw during the academy battle.
A feeling of inconvenience crept in.
‘I didn’t want to get involved unnecessarily.’
But I shook my head.
Just watching a concert once didn’t seem like it would involve me too much, and there was still time before Muse Juliet would face her ‘trial.’
“It’s perfect timing. I wanted to see a performance.”
“Pr-Professor? I, I’m fine.”
“I want to see it. Follow me.”
I immediately regretted this decision.
The tickets were sold out, so I had to buy them from scalpers, and the price was astronomically high.
‘What kind of ticket price is several times my salary? I don’t even have the money to pay the interest.’
Still,
“Th-Thank you. I-It’s just because of me. Ah, it’s okay if we don’t see it. Maybe we can get a refund now?”
For the first time on this trip, Libel was showing an excited expression.
I smirked and then entered the concert hall.
As expected of the great music star, the place was bustling with people.
‘I was curious. How impressive would it be to hear her live?’
This was my first time attending such a performance too, so my heart was pounding with excitement.
I locked eyes with a beautiful girl sitting in the front row.
It was the Massacrist Mage.
‘??’
Did I see an illusion?
But no, it was indeed the Massacrist Mage!
‘Why is she here?’
As far as I knew, the Massacrist Mage enjoyed murder and sweet desserts, not music.
In fact, her expression was stiff, not at all the look of someone here to enjoy a concert.
‘Could she be planning a terrorist attack?’
It was entirely possible for the Massacrist Mage!
A significant loss of life was imminent.
I sent a message urgently.
Why are you here?
Yup, obviously here to see blood, what else?
Civilian casualties are prohibited.
Don’t worry. The only person Sylphin is interested in is that loathsome singer.
Sylphin wore a chilling expression.
There’s no way I can accept my defeat that time. She must have used some sorcery. I’ll make her pay.
Hmm.
It was villain-like of the main character not to accept defeat gracefully and seek revenge.
‘It should be fine then.’
I prepared to enjoy the show again.
Too reassured, you think?
It’s fine.
‘This is Juliet’s peak era. Even the Massacrist Mage won’t be able to deny the music once she hears it.’
As I’ve said countless times, each sub-main character goes through their own trials.
Joanna faces ‘despair,’ Theren ‘fall from grace,’ and Senin ‘hardship.’
The trial of Muse Juliet is ‘The ill talent.’
And
After the performance started.
I soon found out why Juliet would undergo such a trial.
The term ‘perfect’ was an understatement.
Talented yet ill-fated.
It was as if heaven itself was envious.
That day, an angel descended upon the concert hall.
It was beautiful music, enveloping everyone’s heart with warmth.
“……”
I glanced at Libel and Sylphin.
Both Libel and Sylphin were silently weeping, listening to Juliet’s music.
Though Libel and Sylphin were utterly different without any common ground, they shared something.
An unimaginably deep wound.
So, I quietly hoped.
That this music would offer some consolation to these two children.
It was a professor’s wish for his students.
* * *
While we were enjoying this brief vacation, Emily had thrown a stone that caused a significant ripple in the Ran Republic’s magical engineering world.
She had bribed the press to release these articles.
<The genius Professor Van the Legend, who shook the empire, lands in the Ran Republic!>
<Professor Van the Legend says he came to trample on the magical engineers of the Ran Republic.>
<The republic’s advanced magical technology? Merely the pathetic floundering of mediocrities. The magical engineering expo will become a place to worship me, Van the Legend.>
<Will the Republic be devastated by Van the Legend’s bombardment?>
The magical engineering community in the Republic was in uproar.
It was the beginning of a war.
