The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 61
In the imperial capital of the empire,
Stood the residence of the Second Imperial Prince.
Tension tightly circled the air.
It was because the mood of the Second Imperial Prince, the master of the palace, was foul.
“How troublesome. Mikhail has entered the class of the opposition?”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
The surrounding air grew heavier.
The Third Imperial Prince, Mikhail.
Although treated as a misfortune and was called the Demon Blade, to the Second Imperial Prince, Renius, that wasn’t the case.
‘In the end, everyone considers that wretch Mikhail to be the future Emperor.’
The First Imperial Prince had died, making him, the Second Imperial Prince, the primary heir to the throne.
Yet, the reason he had not yet been appointed as the Imperial Crown Prince was because of his younger brother, Mikhail.
According to the prophecy, Mikhail was destined to become the Emperor.
‘If it weren’t for that wretch Mikhail, I wouldn’t have had to become an apostle of Ouroboros.’
The gaze of the Second Imperial Prince Renius turned icy.
It didn’t matter.
He would be the master of the empire in the new world that Ouroboros would open.
“…After all, it won’t be difficult to overcome Van’s scheme, yes? It’s impossible for them to achieve the top rank in class evaluation with just six members, so he’ll soon be expelled.”
The Second Imperial Prince agreed.
The class evaluation criteria had been deliberately made unfavorable for Van’s class, requiring them to achieve scores five times higher than other classes.
It was an achievement possible only if all six members achieved overwhelming grades and garnered every possible extra point.
However,
“I keep having this ominous feeling. It’s absurd, but Van might actually achieve first place in the evaluation. Imagine what would happen then.”
“…Then Van would suddenly become the top star professor.”
“Yes, my strategy might inadvertently give wings to Van. The same goes for the Demon Blade.”
He knows.
It’s an excessive worry.
But he couldn’t simply overlook it.
“We can’t just watch anymore. I’ll take action.”
“But? If we directly interfere with Van, the Ecclesia Duke’s family will certainly not stand by idly. It will also cause problems for our grand plans.”
“There’s no need to get in contact with Van directly. There’s a saying, to take down a strong knight, aim for the horse, isn’t there?”
These were the words Conrad, the brother of Duchess Beth, had recently said while targeting Libel.
However, what the Second Imperial Prince intended to do was far more dreadful.
Incomparably so.
“I’ll kill all the students except for Van and the Demon Blade. If only Van and the Demon Blade cowardly survive, their reputations will hit rock bottom. Neither will be able to remain in the academy.”
“…If you take direct action, Your Highness might be exposed.”
“Do not worry. There happens to be just the right pawn for this. Let him come forward.”
The subordinate wore a puzzled expression.
Is there no one around?
But then, it happened.
Keke, I greet the esteemed figure of the empire.
A chilling voice flowed from a wooden puppet placed against the wall.
I am the Puppeteer.
A dreadful villain from the Abyss.
He had once suffered at the hands of the class.
A Master-level dark magician of Lv. 7.
“Can you do it?”
Can I, you ask?
A cold aura flowed from the wooden puppet.
To the extent that even the Second Imperial Prince flinched.
Keke, Your Highness cannot even imagine how much I’ve longed to bring him to ruin.
“You can’t kill Van.”
Of course.
The mouth of the wooden puppet grotesquely split from side to side.
Death is rest. Naturally, I can’t let him die easily. I will enjoy watching him struggle in pain as I drop him into an endless abyss.
“……”
First, I’ll slowly torture and dismember his beloved students right before his eyes. Ah, the thought of his arrogant face drowning in despair excites me indeed.
Thus.
The unexpected dreadful crisis began to strike at Van’s class.
* * *
The crisis facing the class wasn’t just the Puppet.
“Miss Yulia? Why me?”
“I need to ask Prince Wilhelm for help with the preparation for the unity meeting.”
“…To me?”
Wilhelm asked in a subdued voice, facing Yulia.
He was known as a second-rate, to the point of being called a loser, while Yulia, on the other hand, was one of the most anticipated and top-rated students in the grade.
“You know we are in the same class, right? And that our class is going to the underground waterways for the unity meeting.”
“…Of course, I know.”
Yulia frowned noticeably.
The location for the unity meeting was up to the class to decide.
However, no class would choose a place like the underground waterways.
‘Many use portals to visit famous places across the continent for their excursions. How low-class.’
Yulia ground her teeth at the thought of this class.
She was displeased.
“Are you going to the underground waterways willingly?”
“…It’s the professor’s directive; what can I do? I can’t defy Professor Van.”
“Tsk! How can you be so spineless and still claim to be of the valiant lineage of the Northern Sea Margrave?”
“…My father isn’t exactly valiant, either. Hmph. No, that’s not right. Sorry. My mistake.”
As Yulia’s eyes blazed, Wilhelm hastily looked around, catching the mood.
Yulia looked at him with a mix of contempt for a moment before her voice softened.
“Of course, I understand why you’re acting this way, Prince. You’re being blackmailed by Professor Van, right? I know everything. Professor Van is unmatched in cunning.”
“…….”
“Don’t you want to remove Professor Van from the academy?”
“…The professor?”
“Yes, if we remove Professor Van, then you, Prince, will be free again.”
Wilhelm swallowed hard.
His resolve to become a new person had not lasted even half a day after getting out of prison.
He had been endlessly pondering how to escape from Van’s clutches.
“I have a way.”
“How, how so?”
“We can use this upcoming unity meeting.”
Yulia smiled slyly and whispered softly.
Wilhelm’s eyes widened.
* * *
The unity meeting.
It was a crucial event at the beginning of the new school year.
For a duration of 3 days and 2 nights, each class would engage in outdoor activities to foster comradeship.
‘Since the academy itself is a hub of imperial socialization, it’s no surprise there are countless such tedious events.’
The problem is that these unity meetings have become excessively competitive.
The Free City is at the heart of continental logistics, connected to numerous places via portals.
Almost any significant location is accessible by portal.
Thanks to this, the trend of visiting famous spots across the continent for unity meetings has increased.
“Haha! Van, where is your class going for the unity meeting? Kansir’s class has specially decided to visit the Sanctuary of Warriors.”
“My class has decided to go to the Ancient Library. Balas has obtained special permission from the Lord of the Mage Tower. Ah! Van, your class lacks the funds for portal use, so long-distance travel will be challenging, won’t it?”
For reference, the academy provides funding for these unity meetings.
The amount is proportional to the class size, so my class received a minuscule sum.
“Going to the underground waterways? Catching a few low-level monsters won’t score you high marks at the unity meeting. It would be a different story if you managed to capture a truly formidable high-level monster or a villain lurking in the waterways. My class will, once again, receive the highest score in this unity meeting’s evaluation.”
The unity meeting’s results are also reflected in the class evaluation scores.
The scores were assigned based on the significance of the activities carried out, making it a disadvantage to receive less funding.
“Ha-ha, we’ll see! Have fun catching rats in the waterways! I pity the students in your class.”
“At least it’ll help with the city’s cleanliness. Please do your part as cleaners, heh.”
Zzip
With that, Kansir and Balas’s classes majestically headed towards the portal.
It wasn’t just their classes.
All other classes seemed to have planned trips to exotic locations, their faces full of excitement and anticipation.
The scornful looks cast towards our class were just a bonus.
After everyone had left, only our class remained at the assembly point.
“…….”
“…….”
Whooosh.
Was it an illusion? Despite the upcoming academy’s ideal of an exciting unity meeting, it felt as if a desolate wind was blowing.
“Haa, the underground waterways. Whose idea was this, really? It’s so low-class.”
Yulia spoke in a voice filled with annoyance.
“If we’re going to hunt monsters, there are better training spots nearby, like Blade Rock or the Beowulf hunting grounds, instead of this dreary place.”
“If training was the goal, going to the places you mentioned would be better. But I’m not heading to the underground waterways just to catch some mere monsters.”
“Then why?”
“Survival.”
“!!”
I looked at the members of the class, specifically at Wilhelm and Yulia, brimming with dissatisfaction, and the Third Imperial Prince.
“I ask you, what is the purpose of the unity meeting?”
“To foster comradeship among the class members…”
“Do you really think true camaraderie can be built just by chattering away at famous sites? True camaraderie is forged through overcoming crises together.”
“Ha! What nonsense…!”
At that moment, Catherine’s brusque voice cut through Yulia’s protest.
“Ah, enough with the noisy chatter. If you’re scared, just scram. I’m going. “
“I, I’ll also go. A survival game that risks our lives… I like it. And you, show some respect to the professor. You’ll be… scolded?”
The Third Imperial Prince shrugged as if he had no other choice.
Yulia clenched her teeth.
“If His Highness agrees, fine. But, I have a condition. Once we enter the waterways, I will act on my own.”
“That’s not possible.”
“Do you think it makes sense to follow the orders of someone as unreliable as you in a dangerous place like the underground waterways? Instead, I won’t go alone but will accompany Young Wilhelm. You agree, right?”
“Eh? Oh, yes! I will accompany Miss Yulia!”
Wilhelm’s eyes darted around before he hastily nodded in agreement.
Their demeanor was suspicious to the extreme.
‘From the start, they intended to provoke me with such dark intentions. Planning to separate and concoct some scheme to put me in a difficult position.’
However, I did not express any opposition and simply nodded.
“Understood. Yulia, it would be good for you to experience the terror of the dungeon as well. However, I’ll give you a summoning magic tool, so if you’re in an emergency, contact me without delay.”
Clang!
We opened the manhole cover on the street and entered the waterways.
As we moved beyond the outer regions and stepped into the forbidden depths, the air changed abruptly.
Whis…pers.
The eerie sounds echoed from afar.
It wasn’t a hallucination.
Ghostly monsters roamed here and there.
And surely, all manner of hidden monsters lurked unseen.
“C-Can I just stay with the professor?”
“What are you doing, Young Wilhelm? You don’t trust me? Let’s go!”
Yulia, her face pale as death, dragged Wilhelm away and disappeared.
“Is it okay to just leave her be like that?”
“Are you worried about Yulia?”
“No, what happens to that unlucky person has nothing to do with me. She’s too sly to put herself in danger anyway. But it seems like she’s harboring some dark scheme against you, professor. Are you really okay with that?”
“It’s fine. I’m aware of everything.”
“…You know?”
I nodded easily.
“Yes. Everything was as I expected.”
Actually, let me correct that statement.
I ‘intended’ for Yulia to act this way.
‘Choosing the underground waterways as the location for the unity meeting was precisely to provoke such a reaction from Yulia.’
From the beginning, Yulia was my target. Wilhelm was just a bonus.
In other words, both have fallen into the trap I had laid.
