The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 73

Joanna gritted her teeth and cast her magic again.

It was the same.

“Continue.”

“The magic you just manifested still fails to capture even 10% of the essence of my star. Again.”

No matter how many times she repeated the process, Joanna’s magic remained woefully inadequate.

However, Joanna could no longer belittle my star as she had before.

Through repetition, she had come to feel it instinctively.

The deficiency was hers, not my star’s.

‘It’s cruel, but necessary. She must clearly recognize her own shortcomings.’

If she was confused,

Regrettably, there was only one way to help.

She had to acknowledge her inadequacies sooner rather than later.

Having decided to help, I was determined to do it thoroughly.

“It seems this won’t work. I’ll have to let another student manifest my star.”

I looked around the classroom.

The most secluded corner.

A diminutive boy, hood drawn over his face as if to hide it.

“The student sitting in that corner.”

“Me, are you talking about me?”

“Yes, you come forward and manifest my star.”

…At some point, he had become a regular eavesdropper on my lessons… No, an auditing student but from Ruby, Libel.

 

*    *    *

 

“Are you that beggar I saw during the entrance exam?”

Joanna twitched her eyebrows.

Libel looked at Joanna with a subdued face and stuttered,

“A-As a failure, you should keep your mouth shut.”

“!!”

“P-People as vile as you don’t deserve to attend Professor Van’s classes.”

“How dare you…!”

“Enough. Do not cause a disturbance.”

I intervened and then asked Libel,

“Libel, have you properly grasped my star?”

“I-I have not.”

“Hmm?”

“The meaning contained within your star was too profound for me to grasp. I apologize.”

At Libel’s response, Joanna snorted.

“What? What nonsense is this? Are you blind? What depth?”

“T-That… is why you’re a failure.”

“!!”

Libel made an unexpected proposition.

“W-Why not have a duel instead of just a demonstration? I want to instill in this vile failure the respect due to you, Professor.”

I wore a slightly troubled expression.

No matter how exceptional Libel’s talent might have been, he was still at the first tier. Unless Libel unleashed his ‘forbidden power,’ there was no way he could match Joanna.

However,

“A-Although… I have realized only a little, it is entirely possible for me to teach this arrogant failure a lesson with the greatness of your star, Professor.”

After a moment of contemplation, I nodded.

I thought there would be something for both to gain.

‘Libel might not win, but he should be able to shock Joanna to some degree.’

However, I had slightly miscalculated.

It was about Libel’s talent.

“…Apologize… for being disrespectful to Professor Van.”

“Ha! Don’t make me laugh. What’s so special about Professor Van anyway?”

“…T-To be favored by the professor and yet ignorant of it.”

Libel then drew a star.

It was somewhat different from the star I had drawn.

Unlike Joanna, she hadn’t copied it perfectly.

But,

“You… You’re just furious. I won’t forgive you.”

My eyes widened.

Crackle!

The energy of the lightning was extraordinary.

Much more so than with Joanna.

Far beyond what I had anticipated.

Suddenly, I recalled a line the ‘Demon King’ had said to Libel in the scenario.

The next era will not be mine, but yours.

The One.

Libel’s talent, destined to be called the sole being across heaven and earth, awakened.

And at that moment.

Lightning flashed.

Joanna, with a pale face, unfolded a conventional star of lightning.

Feeling threatened, it was a star of lightning of the second tier.

But,

“L-Look and behold in awe. This is the greatness of Professor Van’s star.”

Libel’s lightning tore through Joanna’s lightning.

 

*    *    *

 

The malicious rumors spread by Senin were completely quashed.

Thanks to Joanna’s acknowledgement.

   

However, perhaps due to the shock, Joanna did not show her face directly and announced the statement in writing.

Afterwards, Joanna used a portal to immediately return to the Amethyst Academy.

‘All one can do is hope she overcomes this well.’

Yet, Joanna left behind an unexpected parting gift, making a bombshell statement before she left.

   

Following this, Senin bore the full brunt of the backlash.

Especially since Yulia worked behind the scenes to paint Senin as the villain of the century.

Not only did she pin Senin’s actual wrongdoings on him, but she also fabricated others to fully incriminate him.

‘…Yulia is always one step ahead in these matters. Given Yulia’s prowess, the rumors must have spread throughout Amethyst too. It’s going to be tough for him when he goes back.’

In truth, I held no significant ill will towards Senin.

I knew what sort of ordeal he would soon face.

‘Like all the sub-main characters, he’s destined for a great setback.’

So far, the sub-main characters I’ve encountered are three.

Joanna, Senin, and Theren from the fencing noble house.

If the keyword symbolizing ‘main characters’ is ‘path of the hero,’ then for ‘sub-main characters,’ it’s ‘frustration and adversity.’

All of them are bound to hit rock bottom without exception.

‘Anyway, thanks to what Senin and Joanna stirred up, the students’ trust in me has deepened.’

I looked into the eyes of the students seated in the classroom, feeling satisfied.

It was completely different from before.

‘It’s thanks to the rumors that I defeated a noble mage.’

I began to think it might be time to move on to the next stage.

I had plans to make my course shine perfectly.

“Do you know about the joint competition between Class 1 and Class 2 next week?”

“Yes, we know!”

The response was vigorous, unlike before.

“Right, you also know that the joint competition is as important for your grades as the exams?”

“…”

As soon as grades were mentioned, the atmosphere quickly turned somber.

‘The joint competition is as challenging a hurdle as the exams, especially for this <Basic Understanding of Magic> course.’

The education at the Imperial Academy emphasizes practical knowledge over rote learning.

Hence, there are many practices and events.

Grades for most subjects include a practical evaluation component, but the problem lies in the uniqueness of this <Basic Understanding of Magic> course.

‘Most can’t use magic, so how do we conduct a practical evaluation?’

The ‘competition’ was contrived due to the Department of Education’s directive to emphasize practical evaluations.

The course’s content is presented in the form of a competition.

‘Normally, groups are formed where Magic Department students demonstrate magic, Knight and Support Departments showcase magic countermeasures, and the Humanities Department presents academic papers on magic and societal phenomena.’

“Has everyone planned what they will present?”

“Well… we’ve only learned linear theory so far….”

“What’s the issue? Can’t you prepare a presentation on linear theory?”

“It might be feasible for Magic Department students, but for other departments, using magic is impossible, isn’t it? If it were possible, we would naturally prepare a magical demonstration.”

The students looked aggrieved.

Incidentally, the highest scores in the competition are usually awarded for magic demonstrations.

Although students from other departments protest every year, such inequalities persist in other interdisciplinary courses like <Basic Understanding of Swordsmanship> and have not been addressed.

“It’s possible.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Whether you’re in the Magic Department or not, everyone here can use magic.”

“!!”

Everyone looked utterly baffled.

It was understandable.

To use magic, one needs not only to understand the stars but also possess the talent of a mage.

However,

“Do you remember what I said on the first day? I promised to make you understand magic. That didn’t just mean making you understand lines, points, and stars.”

I looked straight at everyone.

“I will let all of you experience magic and understand firsthand what magic is. Trust and follow me, and it will be possible.”

 

*    *    *

 

Everyone reacted as if my words were laughable.

Without the talent of a mage, using magic would be impossible unless a miracle happened.

However,

I am Van Ecclesia. In the legend of my journey, making such miracles happen is but a trivial matter.

The Flaming Charisma quelled the students’ disbelief.

Perhaps I’ve become shameless, or maybe I’m just getting used to the Black Flame Dragon’s flamboyant boasts.

‘The stakes of the joint competition need to be raised.’

It’s pointless to perform a ‘miracle’ if there’s no one to acknowledge it.

‘Given it’s a miracle that defies common sense, there will be many who refuse to recognize it.’

So, I came up with a plan.

“Professor Van, hello! I’m a reporter from Gossip Daily! Thank you for inviting me!”

“Good, did you get my proposal?”

“Of course! On the day of the joint competition, I will not miss a speck of the miracle you will perform and will report it in detail!”

But that wasn’t all.

I also sent invitations to affiliates of the academy.

These weren’t just formal invitations.

They were designed to provoke.

On that day, everyone at the academy will learn who truly is a great professor.

A declaration targeting Baron Aiden the A-fessor.

To secure the highest lecture evaluation score, I planned to use Baron Aiden as a sacrificial lamb that day.

‘This time, the ‘disaster’ that occurred in the storyline won’t happen, and the preparations are perfect.’

 

*    *    *

 

Thus, the spark ignited by Van shook the academy.

A joint competition for a mandatory basic course, which would normally attract no attention, suddenly became the central topic of the academy.

“What exactly is Professor Van planning to do?”

“I don’t know. Even the students from Class 2 don’t seem to know what they’re preparing. They say they’re just doing some incomprehensible practice.”

“He said he’d make it possible for students from other departments to use magic too?”

“Come on, seriously? How could something so absurd be possible?”

The atmosphere had somewhat changed.

While there were still those who dismissively scorned the idea, many displayed genuine curiosity, pondering, 

“Really?”

Meanwhile, there were those who reacted particularly sensitively to Van’s moves.

“His Excellency the Duke is greatly disappointed, Baron Aiden.”

“Haha. What are you talking about? After all, it’s just trash Van. To me, an A-fessor…”

“Baron.”

The butler’s voice took on a stern tone.

Gone was his previously polite demeanor.

“The Rapalt Duke’s family did not invest in you to see such a spectacle.”

“!!”

“If you do not wish to regurgitate the various privileges and research funds you’ve received thus far, ensure you overwhelmingly defeat Professor Van in this upcoming joint competition.”

Baron Aiden’s complexion turned pale.

Such an outcome would bankrupt him.

“T-That won’t happen… Leave it to me. I will certainly make him kneel before me.”

“How do you plan to do that?”

Baron Aiden bit his lip hard.

“Whatever it takes… I will use any means necessary.”

His response hinted at a troubling intent.