The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 59
She doesn’t know.
She still couldn’t believe in herself.
But in that moment, a desperate desire surged.
She didn’t want to show herself as disgraceful in front of those believing eyes.
‘I’ll do it!’
Suddenly.
Without her realizing, Catherine’s will infused into the wooden sword.
The Bright Dragon, who had been watching the duel with a bored expression, had her eyes widen as if they might split.
Crack!
Yulia’s wooden sword split in two.
* * *
“What, what’s this?”
Silence enveloped the arena.
“This must be some mistake! How could this happen?!”
“If you can’t believe it, let’s try again.”
“!!”
Yulia clenched her teeth.
Fwoooo
The air around her changed, becoming infinitely sharper than before.
‘She’s intent on exploiting the weak point of Weapon Breaking.’
In contrast, Catherine’s stance was incredibly sloppy.
Her posture clearly displayed her unfamiliarity with swordsmanship.
Yet, her gaze was unmatched in its intensity.
A determination not to be defeated.
‘That’s the will of a hero.’
Indeed.
This duel was a farce.
The protagonist of two worlds.
The heroine of light.
The savior of humanity.
That was Catherine.
No matter how renowned Yulia was as a villain, there could be no comparison.
Indeed.
Flash! Crack!
Once again, it was Yulia’s wooden sword that broke.
“……”
Yulia’s face turned blank in disbelief.
“I, this… Yes! Catherine, you must have tampered with my wooden sword beforehand! That’s the only explanation!”
“Enough.”
The Bright Dragon intervened.
With a shocked look, she glanced at me and Catherine, then shook her head.
“This contest is meaningless. We accept our defeat.”
“But, Master!”
“I said that’s enough.”
Yulia closed her mouth firmly, swallowed by her grievances.
Afterwards, the Bright Dragon gazed piercingly at Catherine for a long while.
“You’re from a magical lineage, aren’t you?”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
“To think that such a gem was hidden within such a decayed lineage. No, ‘gem’ isn’t even the right word to describe it. Are the nobles of the magic families all blind? Van, how did you recognize this child’s potential?”
“Didn’t I tell you? I said I would demonstrate my qualities. Will you acknowledge my abilities as a mentor now?”
The Bright Dragon scowled deeply.
It was impossible not to accept the situation.
“…You want me to hand over Yulia’s education rights to you?”
“Don’t worry. At the very least, she will become much better than she is now. You were concerned about Miss Yulia’s development deep down, weren’t you?”
“……”
The Bright Dragon remained silent.
It was an acknowledgment.
Though called a mad dragon for her wild temperament, she wasn’t someone who couldn’t see reason.
“…Yulia, from now on, you will be under the tutelage of Professor Van.”
“Master!!”
She protested vehemently, but I went even further.
“That’s not enough. Ensure that Miss Yulia absolutely obeys my commands during the period of my guidance.”
“Ha! What nonsense?!”
“…Understood. Yulia, you must follow Professor Van’s instructions meticulously.”
“Ma, Master?!”
“I’ve made myself clear.”
Yulia looked as though she had lost her country.
Given the absolute command from her master, who was revered more than the heavens themselves, she had no choice but to obey whatever directives I might issue in the future.
‘This is going to be interesting.’
The Bright Dragon sighed and then, whoosh, spread his wings behind him.
She had transformed into her dragon-human hybrid mode.
“I’ll be leaving now.”
“The journey is long; wouldn’t it be better to rest before you go?”
I had asked merely out of courtesy, but her response was unexpected.
“The situation in the demon realm I’m currently overseeing is quite complicated, so that would be difficult.”
“…Is there a problem in the demon realm?”
“I’m not exactly sure, but it seems there’s a conflict among the demon dukes. With the Demon King absent, things are even more chaotic.”
Though she generalized it as the demon realm, it was as significant as a vast nation.
At its pinnacle was the Demon King, with ‘nobles’ or high-ranking demons below him.
‘A civil war among the demon dukes? But isn’t that a story for later?’
Specifically, it was part of the second-year storyline.
‘…No, I can’t be certain. There have been too many episodes that didn’t fit the timeline already.’
There was a particularly troubling point.
It was the recent incident during the training period involving the awakening of chaos monsters.
Clearly, demons were involved, and not just any demons, but high-ranking nobles.
‘This was also supposed to be part of the second-year scenario, but it happened out of schedule.’
I broke out in a cold sweat.
Of course, even if trouble brewed in the distant demon realm, the likelihood of it directly affecting me immediately was low.
Still, it’s best to minimize uncertainties,
“Be wary of ‘Durandal.'”
“!!”
The Bright Dragon’s expression twitched in surprise.
Durandal is the name of a famous legendary sword.
However, my reference wasn’t to the sword itself.
It was a metaphorical expression.
A nickname referring to a ‘person.’
“…Is the meaning of what you just said what I think it is?”
“It’s difficult to say precisely.”
“How did you come to know of this? Is it information from the House of Ecclesia?”
“No, it’s something I came to know on a personal level.”
‘Having personally offered this help makes it easier to take credit later on.’
If this information changes the future.
So, if the Bright Dragon manages to avoid the impending death that was soon expected to find her, I would become her benefactor.
“…You’ve surprised me several times today. Perhaps, the true gem might not be that child, but you.”
She voiced her admiration.
“You’re mistaken. I’m not a mere gem, but already a radiant sun. You’ll feel my brilliance countless times in the future.”
…If only it wasn’t for the Weirdo Charisma cheesy lines, it would have been a perfect conclusion.
Still, the Bright Dragon’s response wasn’t bad.
“Ha! Well then, I’ll be looking forward to witnessing your brilliance spread throughout the empire.”
Flap!
The Bright Dragon took to the skies, disappearing into the distance from the free city.
I’ll leave Yulia in your care.
I nodded as if to say I understood, then turned away.
Grind.
My gaze met Yulia’s, who was grinding her teeth.
‘…Those eyes are murderously sharp. Hopefully, she won’t try to stab me in some dark alley.’
Before I could say anything, Yulia turned her back and disappeared.
It seemed like challenges were to be expected in the future.
‘I didn’t expect her to change easily. It’s fine. Now that I’m in a position of power, there will be plenty of opportunities to guide her.’
I thought to myself meaningfully.
Yulia could never have imagined the kind of future that lies ahead of her.
“Catherine, you did well too.”
“Ah.”
Still seemingly in disbelief about her win, Catherine let out a groan while holding the wooden sword absentmindedly.
“What’s wrong?”
“I wanted to punch her in the face, but I forgot. Can I go back and do it now?”
“…Let it be.”
“…Truthfully, I’m slightly scared of her too. I’ll wait until I’m a bit stronger before I do it.”
Determined to keep her promise of a future confrontation, Catherine’s eyes burned with the will of a hero.
“Let’s go eat something.”
“Since I worked hard, you’re buying me something expensive, right?”
“Ah! Is today a feast to celebrate victory?! Truly, Sun-like, Master Van! I’m dazzled by Mater Van’s brilliance!”
Hans started to fawn excessively, quickly attracting a crowd of hangers-on.
“…Can I join too? Ah, it’s not because I’ve been gambling on the dark markets and lost all my meal money or anything!”
“…I… haven’t done anything noteworthy, so I won’t go. I feel down. I wanted to become your right hand, Professor.”
Kyuu! Yuu! Mii… Kku!
Especially Mari, who usually had to settle for cheap bread, seemed thrilled within the magical pouch, fluttering about excitedly.
‘But Mari, you didn’t just say “meat,” right? Even for a dragon with fast speech, starting with “meat” seems a bit…’
In any case, having a meal together after a long time didn’t seem like a bad idea.
What about the money?
‘Ever since becoming a professor, I’ve received an academy corporate card! We can use it for dining expenses when we eat together!’
Though the limit wasn’t high, I felt invincible at the moment.
I spoke confidently.
“Hans, lead the way. Libel, stop the nonsense and follow along. We need a student with us to justify the use of the corporate card, it’s not like I care about you specifically, so don’t get the wrong idea.”
And so, we feasted at a proper restaurant rather than the usual cheap eateries and parted ways with the group.
‘It’s good we had a nice meal, but what about the other two students?’
Susan and Demon Blade were left.
A completely different case from the previous two troublemakers.
‘Not to mention Demon Blade, the Third Prince, but Susan is also a mystery. I’ve hired a detective agency, but why can’t they find any trace of her?’
Discovering Susan was a surprising revelation.
No one at the academy seemed to know who Susan was.
Even the professional agents of the detective agency couldn’t find any leads.
‘…Since she’s been substituting attendance with postal reports, she’s not technically absent without leave, so let’s wait until the detective agency finds something. As for the Third Prince Demon Blade, it’s about time he showed some interest.’
Indeed.
Deep within the dilapidated streets of Zone 5, close to my humble abode, stood a figure in a strikingly ornate uniform, completely out of place against the backdrop of the worn buildings.
“Professor Van, you’ve arrived. We have been waiting for you.”
The voice was sharp as a blade.
A formidable presence.
The royal eagle emblem embroidered on the shoulder.
“I am Giselle, captain of the 4th Battalion of the Royal Guard. His Highness the Third Prince has requested to meet with you.”
* * *
Captain Giselle led me to the student dormitories.
For context, the dormitories are divided into three categories:
The Commoner Hall,
The Nobility Hall,
The Royal Hall.
As the name suggests, the Royal Hall is exclusively for the crème de la crème: the ducal families, royalty, and the imperial bloodline.
Naturally, the Third Prince’s quarters were in the Royal Hall, and his room was akin to a luxury hotel suite.
‘…I’m envious. I’m of royal blood too, yet why do I reside in such a shabby single room?’
There was even a separate living room, which was about three times the size of my entire apartment.
Quyuu! Quyuu! Kkoki! Quyuu! Pappa!
Mari burst out of the magic pouch and toddled around.
Always cautious at home to avoid causing noise complaints, now it seemed utterly thrilled.
Without causing any disturbance, and with no worries about spreading rumors here, I let it be.
“Oh? A dragon? Professor Van, does it follow you? Fascinating.”
A strikingly handsome young man appeared.
More a young adult in his early twenties than a boy.
Third Prince Mikhail grinned at me.
“They say only a hero can command a dragon. Professor Van, it seems the recent rumors about you are not exaggerated.”
“You flatter me. It’s an honor to meet you, Prince Mikhail.”
I knelt on one knee as a sign of respect.
“No need for such formality. Aren’t we friends? I had a great time blowing the horn in the back alleys of the capital with you.”
The Third Prince Yodo is also a garbage of the royal family.
He and ‘Van’, both trash of the same age, supposedly knew each other.
However, there was a significant difference between the two types of trash,
“Ha! To think I would become your student. I never imagined it. Isn’t life amusing?”
The ‘true nature’ within him.
A sharp glint briefly flashed through the Prince’s playful gaze.
He was sizing me up.
This was a critical moment.
