The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 213
So, I became a hero.
Literally, I became the protagonist of a legend.
“Thank you. I will never forget the grace of the Saint and the student heroes.”
I tried to deny it, saying it wasn’t my doing, but it was no use.
Johan shook his head firmly and said,
“I haven’t done anything. It was all possible because you guided me, Professor. You are the true Saint, Professor Ban.”
“…Don’t exaggerate. The Saint is you, Johan, not me. I am not something like a Saint.”
However, the Mermaid Queen tilted her head.
“Isn’t the Professor also a possessor of holy power?”
“What do you mean?”
“I am lacking, but I was born with the ability to see the essence of the aura that others possess. I can sense holy power within you, Professor.”
It was a ridiculous statement, and I shook my head to deny it.
The miracle you have caused elevates your soul to the rank of a Saint! You have acquired the qualification for the Sacrament of Sanctification!
The Sacrament of Sanctification.
A ritual that can transform mana into holy power, given to me by Medicine Sage.
Even with the abilities of a Master of Magic, I couldn’t complete the ritual. It required the achievements of a Saint, but the missing link had now been filled.
‘I have gained an incredible power.’
I made a bitter face.
‘My soul now gives off a holy scent! I’m not a saint!’
Everyone has a unique aura in their soul, often called the “scent of the soul,” which changes based on the life they’ve lived.
A heinous villain emits a dark, dead aura, while a noble saint gives off a refined atmosphere.
I tried to deny it, saying it was due to the Sacrament of Sanctification.
“Haha, you are humble. You know, don’t you, Professor? No ritual can change the scent of a soul. It’s all thanks to the noble deeds you’ve accomplished so far.”
“……”
I remained silent.
I reflected on my past.
It seems I’ve done quite a lot.
To the point where I’ve earned the nickname “Van the Saint.”
‘…Well, being seen as a saint isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But still, this is a bit much.’
How should I put it?
It’s not a bad thing, but it doesn’t feel entirely pleasant either.
‘Whatever. Since it’s come to this, I’ll thoroughly use the saintly image. After all the hardships, I deserve to gain something from it.’
“What will the merfolk do now?”
“We plan to gradually increase interactions with humans. We believe that’s the way to the future for the merfolk.”
“It won’t be as easy as you think. The emotional rift between the two sides runs deep.”
The Mermaid Queen’s face darkened.
“I know. But we have to try anyway.”
“I will help you.”
“You, Professor?”
“Yes, I will act as the bridge of reconciliation between the merfolk and humans.”
“Oh, if you help us, it will be a great boon. Truly, you are the savior of our merfolk.”
Why take on such a troublesome task?
‘Hehe, it’s all about the money.’
The merfolk possess many rare specialties.
The most notable one is pearls.
Building a bridge of reconciliation means cornering the market on such trades.
I’ll rake in money through the Vanmily Merchant Guild.
‘I need to mark my territory. The merfolk are in the domain of me, Van the Saint.’
Spreading the word wasn’t difficult.
Thanks to a reporter from Gossip Daily.
…I have no idea why Gossip Daily sent someone to cover the daily lives of the merfolk, but when the incident happened, they had already set up magic recording devices all over the island, and as a result, everything the kids and I accomplished made the news.
As a result, when I returned to the mainland, it was chaos.
“Waaa!! Hooray for Van the Saint!!”
“A legendary path wherever he goes! As expected, Van the Saint is a legend!”
“I want to join the VanTLLC too!”
“Aren’t you done yet? Hurry up. I heard the merfolk even created a VanTLLC board on the Interracial Union Network. We can’t lose out!”
The summer camp wasn’t over yet.
Although all the classes had ended, the most important event remained.
The romance of a summer night, the campfire.
The hottest topic among the students was, of course, the miracle I had performed among the merfolk.
“Ah, I wish I were a Ruby student too. Professor Van is just too perfect, isn’t he?”
“Is he only perfect? He’s also cute.”
“Right. Did you hear what Professor Van said when he came back from the merfolk island?”
“‘This kind of miracle is nothing to me, so don’t make a fuss,’ he said? Gosh… Doesn’t he realize how cute he looks when he acts all pompous?”
“Exactly. When I first saw him, I was like, what’s with this weird concept? But the more you see him, the cuter he gets.”
“Did you know? Professor Van brags like that and then gets slightly embarrassed. It’s totally his charm point.”
“He’s a Saint, a Legend, and now a Cutie. Isn’t that totally unfair?”
…Although their chatter seemed a bit strange.
‘Anyway, it’s all resolved well.’
Johan’s holy power grew strong enough to suppress the Seed of the Demon.
Of course, it was only a temporary measure; the Seed of the Demon wouldn’t remain dormant, so he needed to keep strengthening his holy power.
‘He said he would go on a pilgrimage for a while. If he applies for an external field trip, he can get credit for alternative attendance.’
By the way, Joanna also applied for alternative attendance and went to the Magic Monastery.
I was worried about Johan and Joanna, but both had grown differently from before, so I decided to trust them.
‘It’s not just Johan and Joanna who have changed.’
In the distance, I saw Libel and Kalvel.
“If you’re disrespectful to Professor Van again, I’ll… I’ll kill you.”
“Hah, this teacher’s pet brat.”
The two were bickering… not exactly getting along, but still.
It was something unimaginable in the original scenario.
Libel was making an effort in his own way. Though he still had a long way to go.
‘Summer camp ends with a happy ending…!’
…Or not.
I blinked.
Something that should never be seen appeared before my eyes.
Can we have a word?
It was the ghost of the red mage.
This time, the ghost’s eyes were not the lifeless, hollow ones from before. They shone brightly as they looked at me.
I have something urgent to discuss with you. Hero of salvation.
* * *
I tensed up.
‘This is the real ghost.’
It felt strange to call a ghost “real,” but this was entirely different from the incomplete specter I had met before.
It seemed to be a manifestation fully embodying the consciousness of the red mage.
We don’t have much time, so I’ll keep this brief. As you can see, I can’t defy causality for long in this form.
“Is this because I freed the merfolk from their curse?”
No, that’s fine. In fact, I’m grateful to you. As you judged, the dimensional rift was already stabilized. My mind couldn’t assess the situation and unnecessarily maintained the curse.
I gave her a puzzled look.
If that wasn’t the reason, why did she appear?
Especially risking massive backlash from causality, as she mentioned.
A dark energy flickered through the red mage’s eyes.
You’re aware that the apocalypse is approaching, right? There’s a possibility it might come sooner than expected.
“!!”
I was utterly shocked.
It was like a bolt from the blue.
“What do you mean? We still have three years…”
Are you referring to the ‘scenario’?
I froze.
I realized that the “scenario” the red mage mentioned referred to the Hero Academy game.
“…Do you know about the scenario?”
Of course. It was our Eight Heroes who orchestrated the distribution of the ‘scenario’ in the form of a game.
An astonishing revelation.
By the way, the scenario wasn’t only spread on your Earth. We distributed it in various forms across many worlds to find a savior. That ‘you’ were chosen is truly a remarkable miracle.
“What do you mean?”
I can’t tell you about your existence. You’ll soon realize it on your own.
An incomprehensible statement.
Regardless, I nodded.
‘So, Hero Academy wasn’t just a game, but something that actually happened in this world.’
It explained how the scenario of Hero Academy mirrored the events in this world so precisely.
The four years you mentioned are based on the most ‘hopeful’ future where a ‘happy ending’ is achieved.
“……”
However, the likelihood of the future unfolding so hopefully is slim. There are numerous ‘despair’ possibilities in the future.
Possibilities of despair.
It meant bad endings.
The “Hero Academy” scenario has multiple bad endings.
The content of these bad endings varies, but ultimately, they all mean the apocalypse arrives sooner than expected.
‘As the red mage’s ghost said, the possibility of a bad ending is indeed much higher than that of a happy ending. A happy ending can only be achieved if everything goes perfectly.’
But I shook my head.
“The higher probability of a bad ending is just a possibility, isn’t it?”
Yes, as you said, nothing is certain. However, the heavenly energy is shifting. The likelihood of despair is increasing.
Not good news.
I swallowed hard.
“How much time do we have until ‘despair’ strikes?”
We don’t know. It depends on what kind of ‘despair’ we face. It could come sooner than we fear, or we might have more time than we think.
The red mage sighed.
But there is one fortunate thing. We have hope.
“What hope do you mean?”
It’s you, Van Ecclesia.
“!!”
Because you exist, the world has hope.
I couldn’t help but make a face like I had eaten something foul.
“As you know, I am not the protagonist you intended.”
Haha? Is that what you think? Well, it doesn’t matter how you see yourself. You are a game changer who has caused countless miracles. Do you know how many futures have changed because of you?
“……”
Especially the Children of the Stars. Think about how much those children, whom you call the protagonists, have changed thanks to you.
The apparition of the red mage started to fade.
Your task is to complete the ‘vessels’ of the Children of the Stars before ‘despair’ arrives. Then, those children will help you create miracles.
“Wait…!”
If a situation arises that you cannot handle, come to us. The preparations we’ve made will bless you.
Whoosh!
The red mage’s apparition vanished, and I was left standing alone with a dazed expression.
One thought echoed in my mind.
‘…I’m fxcked.’
Of all the thunderbolt-like revelations the red mage had thrown at me, one phrase stuck out the most.
Those Children will help you create miracles.
In other words, I had to be the main force in preventing the apocalypse.
It was the sound of my leisurely life goals shattering into pieces.
‘…No, I shouldn’t think so negatively.’
I forced myself to use my “think positively” skill.
‘The apocalypse is a future that will come anyway. It might be better if it passes quickly and briefly. After that, I can start my happy life.’
Honestly, my life so far hasn’t been leisurely. Maybe it’s better to endure some intense hardship for a while.
The problem is how the apocalypse will come.
If it comes “thick and heavy” instead of “short and quick,” that would be problematic.
I need to make sure it’s as “thin and light” as possible.
‘I need to take action.’
I set my goal.
If the calamity and apocalypse are inevitable,
I will do whatever it takes to make them as light as possible.
That’s the best path for the world as well.
‘The first target is the Noble Association guys.’
Once the semester starts, the Noble Families Association is set to cause trouble.
I resolved not to wait and to deal with them before they start their chaos.
And so began the tumultuous second semester.
