The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 50
“I will join as well.”
“Why would you do that?”
“That… The Mayor has ordered me to monitor the Young Duke.”
Captain Gordon of the guard said with an awkward face.
‘Monitoring is just an excuse to lend me support.’
I casually looked up.
On the 3rd floor of the City Hall building, in the Mayor’s office, I could see Mariam looking down at me.
When I slightly waved my hand, Mariam flinched and then abruptly closed the curtains.
‘Always such a brother complex.’
…Could she possibly have a picture of me or something?
As I entertained this ridiculous thought, Sir Gordon said,
“You two seem to have a good relationship. Make sure to visit the Mayor often. She tends to overdo things, and I worry about her a lot.”
“…I’ll think about it.”
I answered vaguely.
‘In truth, getting too close to Mariam isn’t a good idea. She’s a key character in the Demon Blade’s character scenario.’
Scenarios are divided into two types.
The first is the Academy’s main scenario.
The protagonists all experience common events at the Academy.
The second type was the character scenario.
These were personal scenarios related to each protagonist’s backstory.
‘The most challenging and intense scenario among the character scenarios is definitely that of the Demon Blade. I must avoid getting entangled with it at all costs.’
I suddenly felt uneasy.
I still didn’t know who the other two protagonists admitted to Ruby were.
‘At this point, I don’t care who they are, as long as they’re not the Demon Blade or the Slaughterer.’
Then, Sir Gordon spoke up from beside me.
“Ha-ha, I’m looking forward to seeing what you’re planning to do. It must be another great deed for the city, right?”
“It’s somewhat similar. Ultimately, it will benefit the city.”
“Oh! How can our guards assist you?”
“Grant me the authority for kidnapping, detention, and interrogation.”
“……”
Sir Gordon had a ‘Did I hear that wrong?’ look on his face.
But I was serious.
“We need to catch someone who’s like a pest to the city, and they’re bound to try to slip away like an eel.”
“…You’re really going to do something illegal like that?”
“Why would it be illegal? It’s something the guard is tasked with.”
“!!”
Kidnapping, detention, interrogation.
If the guards do it, it’s legal.
However, the target must be a criminal.
“Do you have evidence?”
“None.”
“Then, how?”
“Evidence can be created.”
Sir Gordon flinched again.
He caught the meaning behind my use of “created.”
“…You?”
“Is a competent bending of the rules not better than honest incompetence? Especially if it is for the city’s wellbeing.”
I spoke as if tempting like a devil.
“Since it is all for the sake of this free city, please cooperate.”
Gordon swallowed hard.
* * *
Fortunately, Gordon did not reject my proposal.
Really, if it’s to catch a criminal causing harm to the city, then I’ll trust and follow you, Van.
I then met with another person.
“Ohoho, it’s an honor to meet my benefactor. I offer my thanks for the grace you bestowed upon me in the Rancel Highlands last time.”
The enchanting beauty, one of the lords of the Dragon Stronghold in the slums and a leader of the rebels, was Lyran.
“I’ve come on business.”
“Because of the rats, isn’t it?”
As expected of the Watcher Lyran.
She had already guessed my purpose.
“I will fully cooperate with whatever you undertake.”
“Thank you.”
“Please, do not mention it. Compared to the grace you’ve extended to us, this is nothing. Not only did you save Saint Johan, but you also secured the great dragon’s blessing for us and protected our settlement. Truly, I don’t know how we could ever repay your kindness.”
I didn’t specifically deny it.
It’s best to accept the credit when you can.
“But are you sure about this? Behind those rats is the Witch of Tyranny.”
She was the mistress of a magical family and once a notoriously infamous Level 7 witch.
There was no way she would just stand by.
However,
“It’s fine.”
“But?”
“Do you think I’m moving just to exterminate a few rats?”
Lyran’s eyes widened in shock as she grasped my meaning.
“Ohoho. Indeed, Benefactor. I’m curious about what you plan to do.”
Lyran lowered her voice.
“Just be cautious. The fact that the Witch of Tyranny is affiliated with the Abyss is no lie.”
Lyran didn’t simply say ‘originated’ but ‘affiliated.’
It meant that she, a duchess, was still involved with the Abyss.
It was a surprising story, but true.
“I’m aware. I’ll handle that issue myself, so don’t worry about it.”
After taking a few necessary measures, I moved on to my next destination.
Squeak. Squeak.
“Ugh! Why did we come to this filthy place? Ahh! My shoes!! What did I step on? I can’t even buy new ones because I’m a debtor!”
“Hey! You! Where do you think you’re running off to?! Can’t you move ahead instead of trying to escape?! Master Van, I’ll lead the way and light the path ahead with this rascal!”
Lindon and Hans had their reasons for making a fuss.
The pitch darkness.
The stomach-churning, foul smell.
This was the underground sewer, the filthiest place in the free city.
‘It’s hard for me to endure, too. This task will take some time, how will I manage?’
Just then, a baby dragon suddenly popped out from my belongings.
“Mari?”
I had named the baby dragon “Mari.”
Personally, I think it’s a quite gorgeous name.
“Are you saying I should leave it to you?”
The baby dragon, Mari, nodded vigorously and then belched.
Whoosh!
Perhaps because it was the offspring of a great dragon?
Astonishingly, the baby dragon’s belch purified the revulsion of the underground sewer!
Kyuu!! Kyuu!!
I stroked its head as it seemed to be seeking praise.
“Well done, tonight’s dinner will be a special sandwich.”
…Kyuu.
“…Alright. It’ll be sirloin then.”
Kyuu!!
The sound of joy.
For a newborn, it was a baby dragon that knew good taste, favoring sirloin.
Watching Mari’s behavior with curiosity, the two asked,
“Lord, why have we come to the underground sewer?”
“I have business here. Did you know that all of the free city’s waste flows through these underground sewers?”
“Of course, isn’t that obvious? The waste is supposed to flow through the sewers. That’s what they’re made for.”
“That’s not what I mean. Look.”
I unfolded a burst of light magic with a whoosh!
Then, a sight I hadn’t even considered appeared beneath the water.
There were bodies.
‘…Shocking. I knew about it, but seeing it directly is even more terrifying.’
My heart pounded, but the Black Flame Dragon maintained its dignity in front of the two.
“All the illegal activities in the free city end up as waste in these underground sewers.”
“So, you came here to find evidence of the crimes committed by Viscount Conrad?”
Lindon tilted his head in confusion.
“But how do you find evidence in the sewers? It’s a place where you could get lost with just a few steps.”
The underground sewers were vast.
Not long ago, the place where Catherine, Libel, and I had exterminated a demon was just on the outskirts of the sewer, a place even city authorities dare not venture deep into.
‘It’s not for no reason that the deeper parts of the sewer are deemed an inaccessible dungeon. Once you go in, there’s no coming back.’
“It’s alright. I have a way.”
Lindon and Hans started making a fuss again.
“Are we really going inside? Ahh! I won’t go further inside! No, I can’t! I’ll quit graduate school right away!”
“Hey, Lindon! Offering one’s life if necessary is the duty of a graduate student! I, for one, will prepare a rescue plan in case Master finds himself lost!”
I sighed deeply.
“…Who said we’re going inside? We’re not going in.”
“Huh? But how will we find the evidence?”
“We’re going to create the evidence right here.”
“…Create it? Do you mean, really?”
Both blinked in surprise.
I nodded as if to confirm.
“Yes, you two, it’s finally time to earn your keep. Especially you, Hans, your role is crucial.”
“…Me?”
I looked at Hans, who had a bewildered expression.
Though he might look like a balding, babbling old man, his true identity is that of a 5th ranked star Supreme Mage.
And he’s more skilled than many of the Academy’s junior professors.
His specialty is the creation and manipulation of magical items.
“We’re going to use your magic to fabricate false evidence that implicates those of Conrad right here.”
“Bu-But? Even if I’m an exceptional creator, how can I manipulate evidence?”
It was a valid concern; manipulating evidence with magic is no simple task.
There were advanced techniques developed specifically for distinguishing false evidence.
There was even a specialized institution in the Mage Tower for verifying magical evidence.
However,
“What are you worried about? Have you forgotten who I am already?”
“!!”
I lifted the corners of my mouth in a smirk.
“Whatever you lack, I, Van Ecclesia, will make up for. So, whether it’s the Mage Tower or anything else, have no worries at all.”
* * *
At that moment, a loud outcry was echoing from the temporary prison of the guard.
“How dare you do this to me?! To kidnap me to such a place while I was asleep? Do you not know who I am?! I am Viscount Conrad, the brother of Beth, the Duchess of a magical family!”
Captain of the Guard, Gordon, wore a pained expression.
‘To actually kidnap Viscount Conrad and his gang into the guard’s prison.’
When he arrived at work in the morning, he found that Viscount Conrad and his gang had been mysteriously kidnapped into the prison.
It was the handiwork of the assassin clan, the Black Bird Amanda.
“How dare you. Captain Gordon, you are prepared to face the consequences, aren’t you?”
“Indeed, Your Lordship. We must pay the price for treating you this way.”
“Even his family must be brought down to the streets.”
Gordon twitched his eyebrows.
He hadn’t refused Van’s outrageous proposal because the Viscount Conrad gang was known throughout the city as infamous scoundrels.
A stark contrast to Van, who was merely a laughingstock, these were truly the rotten pests gnawing at the city’s foundations.
Incidentally, the students who had harassed Libel were all offspring of this gang.
“Illegal processing of magic stones.”
At Gordon’s words, Viscount Conrad and his gang flinched.
Processing magic stones produces various harmful byproducts.
Imperial law strictly mandates the disposal of these byproducts, but these individuals, relying on the backing of Duchess Beth, had not complied.
“…Nonsense. Do you have any evidence?”
Viscount Conrad and his gang sneered.
The byproducts from their illegal processing, dumped into the underground sewers, were thought to be untraceable by anyone.
However,
“The evidence is right here.”
“!!”
When they turned in shock, a figure of imposing dignity, wearing an arrogant expression, was looking down at Viscount Conrad and his gang.
“…Professor Van, what do you mean? You have evidence?”
“Denial is futile. The appraisal by the Mage Tower is already complete.”
It was genuine.
“Not only that. I’ve secured witnesses to testify against the illegal actions of your gang. You exploited the slum dwellers of Dragon Stronghold for disposing of the byproducts.”
Viscount Conrad’s face hardened, but soon, he let out a sneer.
“So what? What do you plan to do about it, with just these ‘minor’ issues? Young Van, surely you’re not ignorant of who I am?”
