The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 60
‘I must do well.’
I never wished to get entangled with Demon Blade.
But now that it has come to this, I had to manipulate Demon Blade according to my intentions.
It was no easy task.
Especially considering Demon Blade’s circumstances.’
It required not a straightforward approach, but a trick.
“Anyway, I’m relieved. Since you were trash like me, you would understand even if I showed a somewhat insincere appearance, right?”
“Of course.”
“It’s good to have someone who understands me. Truly like a friend of mine. So, from now on, don’t interfere with me and…”
“How about quitting the academy altogether?”
“…What?”
I shook my head as if to say don’t get me wrong and continued with a voice genuinely wishing well for the Third Prince.
“Isn’t it unnecessary for Your Highness to continue attending the academy? After all, the throne will be inherited by the Second Prince, so it would be better for the Third Prince to quit such an academy and enjoy his own life.”
“……”
“I will help you.”
The room fell silent.
The smile on the Third Prince’s face deepened.
Appearing joyful, or perhaps chillingly cold.
Strangely so.
But only for a moment.
“Haha! My friend, you do have a way with jokes. Don’t you know that attending the academy is a compulsory duty for the royal family? That’s why I, at this age, enrolled in the academy.”
“What does duty matter? Aren’t you the sort who doesn’t care about such nonsense, Your Highness?”
As I reiterated my point, the smile finally faded from the Third Prince’s face.
“…It would be wise to stop there. You’re being overly impertinent.”
“I’m sorry, but I am Your Highness’s homeroom professor. It’s my duty to provide proper guidance, so I need to know which path truly benefits Your Highness.”
“……”
Silence descended.
The Third Prince looked at me with a sharp gaze, as though trying to see right through to what I was thinking.
Kkuyu?
Seeing Mari looking intimidated and glancing at both the Third Prince and me, I stroked her head.
Taking advantage of the slightly eased atmosphere, I suggested.
“How about we play a game of chess?”
“Why chess all of a sudden?”
“Wouldn’t it be fine among old friends we haven’t seen in a while? Let’s make a deal that the loser grants a request from the winner.”
“Haha, are you suggesting we make a bet even though you know I’m a chess maniac? Isn’t that a bit reckless?”
“I’m not to be underestimated either. It would be enjoyable to have a pathetic yet grand contest between old friends who were no good in their prime.”
“Fine, but no unreasonable requests.”
Demon Blade nodded, and the outcome was decided swiftly.
It was my perfect victory.
Not because of my versatile skills in various fields, but simply because the Third Prince was terribly bad at it.
“Oh dear, oh dear. As expected, I am but no match. But it seems your skills have improved a lot, haven’t they?”
“That’s correct. I’m no longer the trash of the past. I’ve changed.”
“……”
“What about Your Highness? Have you changed? Or are you still the same as before?”
The Third Prince was silent for a moment.
Then, he burst a hearty laugh.
“Haha. What a strange question. As you can see, I’m still the same pathetic loser.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, as you can see.”
“I understand. As per our bet, I would like to ask you for one thing. Please play another game of chess with me.”
“Why bother when I am no match for you?”
“This time, I want you to play with all your sincerity. That’s my condition.”
“!!”
The Third Prince’s face became rigid.
A face filled with anger.
“Van, I understand what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to provoke me. It’s a futile effort.”
Snap!
The Third Prince’s fingers moved a pawn.
“Fine. I’ll give you a sincere match. But if you lose, vanish from my sight immediately and never appear before me again.”
Then, the match unfolded.
A completely different game from before.
The Third Prince pushed me aggressively, not falling behind in the slightest.
A rook takes a knight, then a bishop threatens a queen, and pawns create miracles.
After a breath-taking back-and-forth, the outcome was decided.
“…….”
Surprisingly, it was my defeat.
The Third Prince’s hidden skills were so extraordinary that they surpassed my versatile talents.
“Haha! How about that?! Now that you’ve lost, never dare come near me again…!!”
“Did Your Highness enjoy it?”
“…What?”
I looked at the Third Prince, a smile fixed on my face, and continued.
“How does it feel to display your true abilities without caring about what others think? Isn’t it enjoyable?”
“……”
Yodo (Demon Blade).
The ominous blade.
The reason such a nickname was attached to him, a member of the royal family, was because of a prophecy.
This child will drench the entire royal family in blood and become a great Emperor.
A prophecy made by an ascendant who had protected the royal family for hundreds of years.
And that prophecy came true.
In the storyline, the Third Prince Demon Blade ultimately kills the entire royal family and ascends to the throne of the Emperor.
‘That’s why I didn’t want to get involved with Demon Blade.’
The path to ascending the throne is fraught with unimaginable horrors.
Above all, the most vile aspect is,
‘The Third Prince must commit patricide.’
To drench the royal family in blood means he must personally kill countless members of the family.
This was why the Third Prince Demon Blade concealed his true self and pretended to be a wastrel, and it also made it difficult for me to intervene carelessly.
‘Even for the sake of the world, how can one be pushed to commit such acts?’
It would be one thing if the Third Prince’s nature were cold-blooded.
But the kin he must kill includes not only the Apostle of Ouroboros, the Second Prince, but also many who were genuinely close to him.
The scene in the latter part of the storyline, where Third Prince Mikhail sits on the throne, weeping alone in utter sorrow, is unforgettable.
That’s why.
I began to ponder a way that could be win-win for both of us.
“What are you really trying to say? That I should stop playing the fool and show my true capabilities? Do you even understand the significance of what you’re spouting?!”
“You misunderstand me. I have no interest in the affairs of the royal family, whether Your Highness chooses to reveal your abilities or not.”
“Then what?”
“I simply wish for Your Highness to be happy.”
“…What’s with this suddenly cringeworthy nonsense?”
A win-win solution.
For starters, I decided not to push him.
Even if he were to follow his fate, it was something he needed to decide for himself.
Above all,
“I just hope that Your Highness does what you truly want.”
“……”
“You don’t wish to be tied down by the academy, do you? Then, I will help you quit it refreshingly. But, is that really what Your Highness desires?”
The Third Prince remained silent.
“Isn’t it true that Your Highness also wishes to attend the academy, just like any other ordinary person?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“If not, you wouldn’t have enrolled in the academy, would you? Honestly, it would have been much better for calming the other members of the royal family if you hadn’t come to the academy at all. Coming here despite that, isn’t it because you still hold some attachment?”
I looked directly at the Third Prince as I spoke.
“The gaze of the royal family? The prophecy? Ignore all that. If Your Highness wishes to enjoy the academy, then please do so. I will become Your Highness’s umbrella.”
“…You will?”
“Yes, as your homeroom professor, it’s my duty to protect you.”
“!!”
Silence descended once again.
The Third Prince bit his lip hard.
“Van, what are you? Have you become delusional after pulling off a few great feats recently? Even so, you’re just mediocre trash.”
“Isn’t it better to be trash? Being politically insignificant like me and Your Highness associating with me, the gazes towards Your Highness might soften.”
“!!”
The Third Prince looked as if he had never considered that perspective, a bit taken aback.
“That doesn’t mean I’m completely insignificant. Didn’t I mention that I’ve changed? I can certainly protect Your Highness while at the academy.”
It wasn’t a lie.
I was well aware of any difficulties that might come Demon Blade’s way.
Deep down, I didn’t want to meddle in Demon Blade’s affairs, but if it seemed like he was facing something he couldn’t handle alone, I figured I could at least offer some help.
“However, there’s a condition. Your Highness must also follow my guidance. That’s a student’s duty, after all.”
“……”
“There’s no need to worry about revealing your skills. We can just say it’s thanks to my contribution. After all, I am destined to become the empire’s greatest professor, so if Your Highness does well, it’s a testament to my excellent teaching, not that Your Highness will get all the attention. Instead, rumors will say something like: ‘Professor Van Ecclesia, the one who even improved the performance of the wayward Third Prince.'”
Eventually, Demon Blade burst into laughter.
“Ha-ha! You’re really something. Alright. I’ll give the academy a proper go. But don’t get me wrong. It’s just that watching you seems like it would be entertaining.”
‘That’s it!’
Things were going as I had hoped.
‘I’ve managed to get everyone except Susan to follow my lead. Now, I just have to make sure they all get top marks.’
It’s not an easy task.
Of course, aside from the so-called ‘Trash Van The Second,’ all the others are geniuses with tremendous talent.
The problem is, they’re only geniuses in their respective fields.
‘…Everyone’s a disaster in general subjects. Libel, Catherinne, Yulia, and even Demon Blade right in front of me.’
For the record, Demon Blade was a klutz. He was smart when it came to intellectual tasks, but everything else was a total failure.
‘Ordinary teaching methods won’t work.’
The issue was whether Yulia, Wilhelm, and even the Third Prince right in front of me would truly follow my guidance without question.
They weren’t sincerely following me yet.
‘I need to get them to fully trust me.’
I needed a breakthrough.
Just then, the Third Prince asked a question.
“By the way, is there anything interesting going on? I heard there’s a class unity meeting coming up soon. Does our class have anything planned for it?”
His voice betrayed a subtle hope for the class unity meeting, aligning with his inner desire to experience academy life!
“Each class seems to visit a famous place nearby. Of course, not that I’m interested!”
“We’re going on a picnic too. There’s a place we’ve planned to visit. I’ve already received permission from the mayor of the Free City.”
“Oh? Where are we going?”
Kkuyu?
Both the Third Prince and Mari sent looks full of anticipation.
However, their excitement would soon be challenged by my next words.
“Are you out of your mind?! You want to go to such a place for the unity meeting?! Do you have a death wish?!”
Kku, Kkuyu?
It was a natural reaction.
The picnic location I had chosen was truly absurd.
“Our class unity meeting location will be the deep parts of the underground sewer system.”
It was the worst, inaccessible dungeon of the Free City.
My plan was to instill respect for the professor in the class members by taking them to this location.
