The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 205
070 Alpha Zero.
Like all other protagonists, he is not an easy one.
It’s not because he’s evil.
He’s a villain-type protagonist, but in fact, he doesn’t commit any major evil deeds.
The trouble he caused with the Sun and Moon Clan had its own reasons.
‘Not too long ago, he even spared Amanda, who had tried to kill him.’
For reference, Amanda was fine. Though she seemed severely injured, she didn’t suffer any fatal wounds. Alpha Zero had shown her mercy.
Moreover, despite being an assassin, he is selective about his contracts. He doesn’t kill those he deems should not be killed.
In the beginning, he even helps inexperienced protagonists a lot, like a ‘joker.’
Nevertheless, he remains difficult to handle.
‘He’s like a hedgehog.’
If Catherine is a fighting rooster, Libel a rain-soaked puppy, and Theren a prickly cat pretending to be a friendly one, then Alpha Zero is a hedgehog.
He seems lifeless, but the moment someone approaches, he bristles fiercely.
‘So, it’s really hard to successfully nurture Alpha Zero.’
Like other villain-type protagonists, Alpha Zero also faces a predetermined bad ending.
However, unlike Demon Brain and Massacrist Mage, who are impossible to redeem, there is a strategy for Alpha Zero.
Then, Alpha Zero spoke.
“Yawn, what are you talking about? The Heavenly Sword, you say?”
“I know your swordsmanship has reached its limit. I’ll give you a clue to break through it.”
“So, you’re going to give it to me?”
A question with a double meaning.
It could be taken as, ‘Someone like you is giving it to me?’ but that wasn’t the true intent.
The hidden suspicion was, ‘Why are you doing this?’
Because Alpha Zero is wary of everything in the world.
I opened my mouth, recalling the strategy to deal with Alpha Zero.
It was simple.
Be kind.
And then, without rushing, gently knock on the door to his heart.
“I am a professor. It’s natural for me to impart knowledge to a student.”
“!!”
“Of course, in exchange for receiving my teachings, you must fulfill your duties as a student. Now, raise your sword. And with wide-open eyes, take in the swordsmanship of this Van the Legend shall display.”
Alpha Zero frowned and then swiftly drew his sword.
Chilling.
Even though it was just a sword being drawn, my heart sank.
‘As expected of a Level 7 Master.’
No, it wasn’t just a matter of level.
It was the aura of a killer sword.
Alpha Zero’s sword carried the weight of all the blood it had shed until now.
Suppressing the instinctive fear that welled up, I raised my sword as well.
The Demon King’s Sword rejoiced.
[Finally… you’re going to use me. Hehehe! With my power… that arrogant fool… uh?]
It was noisy, so I shoved it back into its sheath.
I only drew it because it was the only sword I had, not because I needed its power.
“Are you going to swing it sheathed?”
“Yes, otherwise, you might get hurt.”
“!!”
Even to my ears, it sounded absurd.
But it was true.
I glanced at the message on the analyzer.
<Win Rate of Dueling with the Lonely Assassin Disciple> Chance of ending the match with one strike: 100%
Not 0%, but 100%.
It seemed broken with such a high win rate.
I took a deep breath.
I recalled the conversations I had with the Sword King a while ago.
The basics of swordsmanship are thrusting, horizontal slashing, vertical slashing, and diagonal slashing.
…I didn’t ask, though?
I’m just talking. And from those basics, the derived sword techniques are…
It seemed the Sword King regretted that I didn’t practice swordsmanship, as she continuously lectured me on various sword theories the entire time we were together.
She said that with my Heavenly Restrained Vessel, just listening would be greatly beneficial.
I scoffed, but she was right.
Slash, the concept of swordsmanship firmly took root in my mind.
Thanks to that,
‘I could understand the secret techniques of knight-class protagonists.’
Of course, knowing and actually executing are entirely different things.
But I am a mage.
A genius hailed as a legend.
I had a way to cheat.
Step.
I moved forward.
For a moment, sensing something unusual, Alpha Zero’s expression hardened.
I briefly pondered something else.
‘Among knight-class protagonists, who is the most skilled with a sword?’
‘Skilled.’
Among mages, it was Joanna.
In terms of strength, it was Libel.
Surprisingly, among the knight-class, it wasn’t Catherine.
It was Theren.
So, what I was trying to ‘imitate’ now was Theren’s swordsmanship.
The swordsmanship he used when he later became the Sword Demon and eventually overcame all his inner demons to be called the Sword Saint.
For reference, Theren, the Sword Saint, exuded overwhelming majesty. Though in his current cat attitude, one would never guess.
‘The Heavenly Sword, Theren’s ultimate technique.’
Even the first form of this technique involved just one stroke.
And I was merely attempting to imitate it.
Given my level, even that was an unattainable feat, but I had a trick up my sleeve.
Flash!
I cast physical enhancement magic, including strength, sensory, and agility boosts.
In an instant, I acquired physical abilities comparable to an ordinary knight, but that wasn’t nearly enough.
So, I manipulated the magic further.
I narrowed the focus of the enhancements.
Concentrating precisely on the physical abilities needed for the sword stroke I intended to perform.
Not just muscles, but senses and agility, all perfectly amplified for the sword stroke.
A miracle wrought by the grand master of magic and the multifaceted talents of Heaven’s Transformation.
Simultaneously,
The Sword’s Intent and the Path of Magic are different. Even without a shred of mana, if you have the will towards the sword, you can imbue it with meaning.
While magic requires mana to be realized, a sword merely needs an arm to wield it.
Of course, a sword infused with mana is faster and stronger, but it’s possible to execute without it.
In other words, I could also imbue the sword with intent.
I recalled the meaning of the Heavenly Sword.
‘The sky embraces all, whether it be evil or anything else.’
This was the sword intent Theren acquired as he transitioned from the Sword Demon to the Sword Saint.
It was impossible for me to imbue such grand meaning.
After all, I was only imitating.
I simply infused my intent as a professor.
Hoping that Alpha Zero would overcome his destiny, and that his sword would become a sword of life, not a sword of death.
With that intention, I swung my sword.
Flash.
An unbelievable event occurred.
Alpha Zero’s sword, which had clashed with mine, was deflected, and my sword struck Alpha Zero’s face.
Thwack!!
“!!!”
Alpha Zero stumbled backward, clutching his face.
His eyes were filled with shock.
I was astonished too.
‘Did that really work?’
I thought I was dreaming, but it wasn’t.
The nosebleed streaming from Alpha Zero’s nose was proof that what had just happened was real.
Of course, if this had been an actual combat situation, things would have been entirely different.
Alpha Zero would never have faced my sword head-on; he would have dodged and sliced my neck within 0.3 seconds.
Nevertheless, now was the time to seize the moment.
“Did you see that clearly?”
“!!”
“Don’t forget the nosebleed you have now and the sword technique I just showed you. It will be a milestone for you to follow in the future. The other two of you should also remember today’s lesson.”
Yes…! All of you… Don’t forget…! Unless you want a nosebleed!
Mari proudly joined in striking a pose.
All three of them fell into a deep silence.
It seemed they were reflecting on my teachings.
I felt like I had done enough.
“Now it’s your turn.”
“…What do you mean?”
“In exchange for my teaching, didn’t you agree to follow my instructions during the group competition?”
The expressions on his face crumpled at my next words.
Because I said this:
“From now on, we start football practice. Focus on teamwork during practice.”
* * *
The three troublemakers were practicing football.
Their expressions were so fierce during practice that I got a bit intimidated and stepped out.
‘They’ll manage. As long as they improve their teamwork, victory is practically guaranteed.’
Having improved the teamwork of the worst, most arrogant troublemakers, I should get extra points for leadership evaluation.
‘Theren’s team is quite formidable, though.’
In some cases, students form their own teams, and Theren used his social skills to gather the top elites from each academy, rallying them with the cry of ‘Defeat the other teams.’
‘Well, having a rival only makes the victory shine brighter.’
Unless there are major surprises in the group competition, I’m likely to be named the best instructor.
‘There are still a few steps to go, but they don’t carry much weight.’
I’m well on my way to achieving my goal of becoming the top instructor.
However, I couldn’t be completely at ease.
‘There’s still the student evaluation and the fellow instructors’ evaluation left.’
The student evaluation looked promising.
I had won a lot of favor with the surfing board lessons, so I would likely get the highest scores.
The problem was the fellow instructors’ evaluation.
‘Many instructors have grudges against me and might sabotage my evaluation.’
Just then, Chancellor Schneizer called me in for a moment.
“I called you to discuss the fellow instructors’ evaluation.”
A conversation about the evaluation with the Chancellor.
Hiding my awkward expression, I responded.
“I anticipated some issues with the fellow instructors’ evaluation. A star that rises high is often met with envy.”
“Hmm, is that so? While I know you’re a prominent figure, Professor Van, it seems you’ve inspired more reverence than envy. The midterm results show you received the highest scores in the instructors’ evaluation as well.”
I wore a look of surprise.
“Really?”
“Yes. While there were voices of envy, Professor Repel from Peridot silenced them. He insisted that you’re someone they should learn from and respect, not envy.”
This was unexpected.
I should reward Repel for this favor during any future incidents at Peridot.
“Did you call me just to share the midterm results?”
“That’s part of it, but I also heard you plan to hold a joint class with the merfolk if you become the top instructor. Is that true?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Hmm, that’s troublesome. Of course, with me around, the merfolk wouldn’t dare act recklessly, but…”
Schneizer tapped his fingers on the desk, speaking in a tone that hinted at deeper meaning.
“While deciding the final lesson topic is the prerogative of the top instructor, it’s a bit concerning. How about you owe me a ‘debt’ in return?”
I frowned.
‘I don’t like this.’
I could guess Schneizer’s intent.
He wanted to draw me into the Abyss.
‘If I accept this proposal, he’ll find more excuses to entangle me.’
I needed to draw a line now, making it clear Schneizer shouldn’t cross me again.
“That’s difficult. You already owe me a significant debt, Chancellor.”
“What do you mean?”
“I haven’t disclosed your secret to anyone.”
Schneizer’s smile deepened, showing no sign of alarm.
“That I’m the Lord of the Abyss? That’s hardly a secret worth mentioning.”
“I’m talking about your ‘true’ identity.”
Did he finally grasp my meaning?
Schneizer’s face slowly hardened.
“No one knows that you are actually the first prince, presumed dead.”
