The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 74

The butler nodded as he understood.

“I’ve heard rumors that Professor Van is making unusual preparations again for the joint competition. Please make sure His Grace the Duke isn’t disappointed with the Baron.”

The butler disappeared coldly, and Aiden slumped onto the sofa.

‘Damn it. What great thing can he do during the joint competition? It would be better to aim for the official exam, wouldn’t it? No. Duke Volman, that bastard won’t wait for me until then. No, I can’t go back to how things were.’

Originally, Aiden was an unremarkable professor.

But then he became an A-fessor with a “blessing” from a certain being, and rose to prominence under the gaze of Duke Rapalt.

‘…One more time, should I… that ‘blessing’?’

Aiden swallowed hard.

The blessing that transformed him from being unremarkable to becoming an A-fessor.

With that blessing, he might be able to overcome this predicament.

He could reclaim it anytime he wished.

It wasn’t difficult.

All he had to do was ‘wish’ in his heart.

As soon as Aiden made up his mind,

Do you need help again?

A chilling voice echoed, sending shivers down his spine.

It was a sinister voice, as if scraping metal.

Just hearing it felt like his soul was plummeting to the depths.

Aiden muttered the identity of the voice as if groaning.

“…Demon.”

That’s right.

The one who bestowed the blessing upon Aiden was none other than a demon.

Desperate, Aiden called upon the demon just before facing expulsion from the academy.

Hoho, a demon, you say. How disappointing. Am I not your benefactor?

“W-Well, yes.”

So, you wish to receive my grace once again this time?

“Yes! Please enable me to perform a miracle that will overwhelm the opposing professor during the joint competition!”

The demon.

Many people are confused, but demons are entirely different beings from the creatures of the demonic realm.

(t/n they are probably also called demons, but they are indeed different!)

The creatures of the demonic realm are a heterogeneous race on the earth, relying on the power of darkness.

On the other hand, demons are metaphysical entities that are based on the second dimension of hell, Gehenna, and are the embodiment of evil in the world.

Therefore, high-ranking demons could perform miracles that defied rational explanation.

It’s not an easy task.

“…What is that? The opponent is just a deficient fool suffering from mana insensitivity!”

Hahaha! Calling him disabled when he’s beyond the limitations imposed by causality? Perhaps he’s truly the ‘protagonist’ who transcends the sixteen stars decreed by the world?

“Causality? Beyond limitations? Sixteen stars? Protagonist?”

The demon whispered to Aiden, who wore a bewildered expression.

But still, there’s not necessarily no solution. If you entrust everything to me completely…

“W-Well, that’s a bit…”

The one whom he is talking to is a demon, after all.

Entrusting everything could lead to unforeseen consequences.

However,

Do you think you have the choice?

“…What do you mean?”

The blessing you received last time, you haven’t paid the price yet, have you? Accept it now.

“!!”

Aiden’s eyes widened.

Desperately, Aiden tried to sever the connection with the demon, but it was futile.

“No, no! This can’t be happening?! Aaaargh!!!!”

Shiiieeek. Kiiikk

With a dreadful sound, Aiden’s soul was sucked into Gehenna.

At the same time, something else took possession of Aiden’s body.

‘Van Ecclesia. Not the sixteen stars, but the deepest and most secretive true stars of this world.’

The ‘demon’ smiled with a sinister grin.

“Indeed, it will be interesting to see what miracles will be revealed.”

 

*    *    *

 

The day of the joint competition approached.

The Great Hall was filled with a multitude… not exactly a crowd, but still a significant number of people had gathered.

‘Fortunately, the aggro worked well.’

Not only were there reporters from the invited Gossip Daily, but journalists from other magical media outlets were also visible.

And that wasn’t all.

Even Chancellor Karak was in attendance!

‘Open your eyes wide and take a good look. I’ll make sure you realize that I’m an indispensable talent. Don’t underestimate me anymore.’

Even a giant from the Rapalt Duke’s faction was present.

Viscount Werner.

He was the younger brother of Duke Volman and held the position of chairman.

It was quite a spectacle that the top two figures of the Ruby Academy had come to attend a mere freshman competition.

‘The problem lies with the other one.’

Former Chancellor Rudolph was sitting in a corner, shooting me menacing looks.

Cold sweat trickled down my spine, but I pretended not to notice and turned away.

‘But what preparations did Baron Aiden make? Did he teach some selected magic department students secret spells separately?’

Suddenly, I felt uneasy.

It wasn’t just the impending sense of defeat in the competition, but a different kind of apprehension.

So,

It was similar to the intuition just before several past incidents occurred.

‘…Why?’

At that moment, Baron Aiden stepped onto the platform.

Since the class 1 had priority in the order, he would be starting the competition first.

However…

“I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for attending. I will now present the competition that I have prepared specially.”

The word “specially” sounded unsettling in my ears.

‘Originally, in the storyline, the competition that was hastily prepared caused a disturbance.’

In the original scenario, the Karak faction, lagging behind in the competition, invites an S-fessor.

However, the tragedy unfolds when the students of Ruby Academy fail to follow the guidance of the A-fessor, resulting in an unforeseen accident.

‘This time, even if the same accident were to occur, we would be perfectly equipped to handle it. With all the outstanding professors present here, we could handle any unforeseen events.’

My purpose in aggroing was not only to garner attention but also to prevent any potential disasters.

In the original scenario, the disaster could have been resolved with just former Chancellor Rudolph and Professor Burnstein sitting in that corner.

However, the unease didn’t dissipate, and I instinctively had a ‘premonition.’

If a disaster were to occur here, it would be entirely different from the disaster in the original story.

It would be even more terrifying and malicious.

‘I have to stop it…!’

I tried to move desperately, but it was futile.

“Well then, please enjoy to your heart’s content, huhu. It’s a competition prepared with the sacrifice of the owner of this body, Baron Aiden.”

At the same time…

Boom!!

Baron Aiden’s head exploded.

The hall fell into stunned silence.

It was such a sudden event that nobody could grasp the situation at first.

However, that didn’t last long.

“Aaaargh!!”

“W-What, what’s happening?! Why all of a sudden?”

“Look over there!! There’s a sinister aura coming from Baron Aiden’s neck!!”

It was the energy of a demon!

‘Baron Aiden was a demon contractor? What? There was no such content in the story!’

What was even more terrifying were the events that unfolded next.

Rumble…

Baron Aiden’s body began to swell like foam.

‘Suicide magic. If that explodes, it’s all over!’

Even without the demonic aspect, suicide magic wielded terrifying destructive power.

With the added power of a high-ranking demon, it was difficult to imagine just how immense the destructive force would be.

‘I have to stop it immediately.’

At that moment, there were those who swiftly took action.

“How dare you! Do you think we’ll allow filthy demons to harm the Ruby Academy?!”

It was former Chancellor Rudolph!

Other professors from different magic departments who had come to observe the competition, including Professor Burnstein, also joined in.

However, the situation was still dire.

‘While Chancellor Rudolph may have been formidable in his prime, he couldn’t fully contain the power of the self-destruct imbued with the abilities of a high-ranking demon.’

Even though they tried their best to suppress the explosion, it was inevitable that the surrounding area would be swept away to some extent.

The problem was the newly enrolled students gathered here.

They were essentially civilians, inexperienced and untrained.

Even if only a fraction of the explosion leaked out, the potential casualties were incalculable.

‘There’s only one way. If we can’t avoid the explosion, we must delay it as much as possible. Meanwhile, evacuate the students to safety.’

Whether he shared the same thought or not, a message spell came from Professor Burnstein.

   

I nodded.

However, a complication arose.

“W-Why can’t I control my body?!”

“P-Please, save me!!”

Suddenly!

Students engulfed in demonic energy blocked the entrance of the hall.

They screamed as if it weren’t their own will.

‘These students were taught secret magic by Baron Aiden to prepare for the competition!’

That secret magic was a deception.

It was the demon’s plan!

‘What should I do? If we don’t clear these students out, we can’t get out.’

If it were just 1 or 2 people, I could dismantle the demon’s control with my mastery over magic, but there were over 5.

‘It’s not impossible, but if we delay too much, the explosion will happen before we can evacuate the students.’

It seemed that former Chancellor Rudolph was struggling to muster his strength.

There was no time.

We had to find a solution quickly.

Then, a low voice was heard.

“Ohoho. Quite a predicament. So many students have sold their souls to demons.”

It was Chancellor Karak.

Despite his noble appearance, his gaze was chilling.

Clang!

He drew a sword from the handle of the parasol he usually carried.

Adorned on it was the emblem of a Sword Master.

“Sad as it may be, demon worship is an intolerable felony. As the chancellor responsible for the academy, I must take immediate action.”

“N-No! We didn’t worship demons!”

“Ack! Please spare us!”

But Chancellor Karak paid no heed to their pleas.

It wasn’t that he didn’t believe the students.

‘Chancellor Karak also knows those students are not guilty. There’s no time. He’s trying to scapegoat them as demon worshippers and evacuate the others.’

It was a quintessentially Karak-like response.

He was never one to hold any affection for the academy, only seeking to control it for his own ends.

However, it was hard to blame him in this situation.

Trying to save a few could result in the sacrifice of dozens more.

It could be seen as a rational decision.

However,

‘Is this the only way?’

At that moment, a chilling whisper echoed in my ear.

Disappointing, Van Ecclesia.

‘!!’

It was the voice of the demon who caused this incident!

You went through the trouble of putting on a show, even facing the constraints of causality, just to see how impressive you are, but it’s truly disappointing. Boring.

I clenched my fists.

‘Causing all this trouble and just finding it boring?’

Anger surged within me.

And so it was.

The sudden surge of rebelliousness emerged.

“Stop, Chancellor Karak.”

“Professor Van?”

The chancellor raised an eyebrow.

“You do realize the urgency of the situation, don’t you? We need to swiftly deal with the students who have fallen under the temptation of the demon…”

“Those children are still students we are obligated to protect.”

“!!”

Chancellor Karak’s expression contorted in disdain.

His usual nonchalant demeanor was replaced by a sharp intensity that overwhelmed me.

“Ohoho, Professor Van may be righteous, but now is not the time for idealism. Saving everyone is impossible.”

“That may be the case for you, Chancellor. But not for me. My greatness transcends yours.”

“!!”

Ah.

In a situation where it wasn’t appropriate, the Black Flame Dragon’s temperament flared.

No, perhaps it was my pent-up resentment towards Chancellor Karak that erupted.

“You maintain such an attitude in everything, Chancellor, and that’s why you’re being surpassed by the Rapalt duchy.”

“P-Professor Van?”

“Just stay there quietly and watch.”

I turned away.

“You shall see how I, Professor Van Ecclesia, work miracles.”