The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 75
Truth be told.
It wasn’t a wise decision.
If things were to go even slightly awry, I’d bear the brunt of all the blame.
No, what if I tried to save five people but ended up having dozens dead?
How would I even begin to shoulder that responsibility?
But,
‘I just need to pull it off. I will pull it off.’
I stared at the message that came to mind.
<Probability of Saving Everyone Against the demon’s Scheme>
0%
However,
In the event of achieving the impossible, with the help of miracle
: 23.7%
It seemed like I was slowly getting used to this damn world.
Seeing that probability of 23.7%, I couldn’t help but have this thought.
‘It’s doable.’
I focused on the word ‘miracle.’
There was a hint of what kind of miracle it could be.
“All students of Class 2, listen to me carefully.”
The charisma of the Dark Flame Dragon imbues your voice! Everyone pays attention to your words!
Thanks to it, I was able to focus on the students even amidst the confusion.
“From now on, Class 2 will begin the prepared competition.”
“P-Professor?”
They all had bewildered expressions.
After all, it was like the sound of a ghost knocking on the window in the middle of the night.
But I was sincere.
“Didn’t I say it? I’ll make you perform miracles. Now, right now, is that moment.”
Yes.
This time, it wasn’t my miracle that was needed.
What was needed was a miracle that the students would create themselves.
“Follow my instructions. With my assistance, any miracle is possible.”
However, the students just looked uncomfortable.
In this situation, it was only natural for them to feel bewildered if I suddenly told them to follow me.
‘If the students don’t trust and follow me wholeheartedly, my plan will fail.’
Desperately trying to instill trust, I recalled my experiences as the Sales King, but then I heard a voice offering assistance.
“Um… I-I’ll follow Professor Van’s instructions.”
“I’ll follow too. I hate to admit it, but Professor Van’s abilities are undeniable. So let’s all stop the chatter and listen to Professor Van!”
…Unfortunately, the support from Libel and Catherine was as good as nonexistent.
They had no influence among the students because they were both loners, outcasts in the world of social hierarchy.
No matter what they said or did, nobody paid them any attention, but then something unexpected happened.
“Haha. Professor Van, you’re quite amusing. Are you always like this for the sake of the students?”
It was the Demon Blade, the Third Prince who had recently been keeping a low profile and quietly minding his own business!
“I’ll trust and follow you. Show us another impressive performance this time as well.”
The influence of Libel and Catherine, the loners without friends, was different.
When the Third Prince, a member of the royal family, made such a declaration, the students seemed shaken.
But it wasn’t just the Demon Blade.
“I’ll also follow Professor Van’s instructions.”
Yulia flashed me a smirk.
“Professor Van is someone I, Yulia, respect second only to my master.”
“Me too, right? Oh, I get it! I, Wilhelm, will also follow Professor Van! yeah, hooray!”
When Yulia, the most famous figure in the Swordsmanship Department and disciple of the Bright Dragon, and Wilhelm, who is not that much of an influencer, made such declarations, the students were even more stirred.
And most importantly,
“Everyone, please follow Professor Van’s instructions. His personality may be putrid, but his abilities are unquestionable.”
Surprisingly, it was Balas!
With his now trademark expression of chewing on the same piece of gum, he voiced his support for me, and one by one, the students nodded in agreement.
“I-I’ll also try following Professor Van’s instructions.”
“Are you really going to follow Young Van’s words?”
“Ah, I don’t know! Seeing even His Highness the Third Prince, Miss Yulia, and Professor Balas acting like that, there must be something credible about it!”
As expected, the best recommendation in sales is from a trusted acquaintance, and the effect was immediate.
“Then, Class 2, prepare as practiced beforehand. Class 1 students, please take your places between the setups of Class 2.”
Swiftly, the Class 2 students moved to their designated spots, and everyone watching wore expressions of curiosity.
“Could it be, that?”
“Professor Van?”
At the surprised voices of former Principal Rudolph and Burnstein, who had been holding back the power of the demon, I silently nodded.
“Now, it’s time for you to unleash your magic. You will become part of the magic circle yourselves.”
That’s right.
The miracle I prepared was none other than this.
‘Even those without talent as mages can manifest magic when they become part of the magic circle.’
Of course, to anyone with even a little knowledge of magic, this would sound absurd, to say the least.
The idea of composing the points and lines of a magic circle with people has never been done before.
Especially not with novices in magic.
But…
“Do you think using magic is impossible for you? Even as a defective, I can use magic. So, what reason do you have for not being able to?”
“!!”
“At the very least, your aptitude for handling mana is better than mine.”
‘Van’ suffered from mana insensitivity and was treated like trash.
This means that even though ordinary people may not have enough to become mages, most of them have some degree of mana.
According to the setting, Van’s mana sensitivity was described as 1/10th that of an ordinary person and 1/100th that of a mage. So, by reverse calculation, it could be said that ordinary students have ten times the mana of Van.
“Everyone, follow the linear theory I’ve taught you so far and practice as you’ve been doing. Students from the Magic Department will be the power source points, and students from other departments will be responsible for the connecting lines.”
Swish!
Following my instructions, the magic circle was drawn.
It was a very basic star-shaped magic circle, but the scale was immense.
After all, it involved a whopping 200 students.
“Do you really think you can maintain such a magic circle?! Shouldn’t we stop immediately and evacuate the students?!”
The other professors from the Magic Department showed a reckless response.
It was natural.
Although similar ideas had been proposed before, they had never succeeded because it was impossible to maintain perfect balance.
Especially for non-mages, even if they were freshmen who had practiced for a few days, there was no way they could perform their roles properly.
“Even if you’re not good at it, it’s okay. It’s the professor’s job to fill in the students’ shortcomings. You have me. Just follow my instructions.”
I stood at the center of the star, which was the core of the magic circle.
Like a conductor standing in front of an orchestra.
Of course, one might question the point of conducting if the orchestra’s performance was subpar, but it’s a different story when the conductor is at the top of the world.
Even with a mediocre orchestra, art could still be produced.
‘And there are assistant conductors there too.’
“Geez! Can’t these guys get their act together?! It’s a glorious moment to participate in the great achievements of Master Van!”
“Everyone, let’s do well, okay? I’m your senior, you know? If you don’t do it properly, I’ll kidnap you as graduate interns, okay?”
“…How did I end up in this situation? This is a one-time thing.”
Hans, Lindon, the assistant instructors.
And even Balas, with his expression tinged with exasperation.
Each of them helped students who were getting scattered around the perimeter of the magic circle.
‘Balas goes without saying, and Hans is also a high-ranking mage with deep knowledge of such magic circles, and Lindon is a genius with the potential to become one of the ten great mages in the future.’
The combined result of all this was as follows:
A miracle occurred.
Paaaaaah!!
Light emanated, enveloping the entire Great Hall.
It was a one-star shield magic.
‘Done! We did it!’
I clenched my fist.
Although it was only a one-star shield, its power was not lacking compared to most high-level spells.
The most important thing was that all the students were now within the range of the shield spell.
‘If things continue like this, no one will get hurt, and it will all be over.’
But then, at that moment…
‘Strange. Is it supposed to be this easy?’
The 23.7% success rate came to mind.
Earlier, I had thought I was being courageous, but in reality, the chances of failure were much higher.
‘No?’
Suddenly, a sense of foreboding swept over me.
“Aaargh! What’s happening?!”
“It’s the demonic energy!!”
Inside the magic circle, one of the students from Class 1 suddenly began attacking those around him.
There was another victim of the demon’s scheme!
‘No! Why now?’
Ghooo!!
The demonic energy that Rudolph, the former headmaster, and others were suppressing surged violently.
It was reaching its limit, about to burst.
Angel! I’ll handle that student!
Amanda, who was prepared for contingencies, urgently sent a message.
She could hear the tempting whispers of the demon.
Just saving students to this extent is already remarkable. Wouldn’t sacrificing one be acceptable? A true hero sometimes needs to know how to sacrifice for the greater good.
That was the intent behind somehow making me see a victim.
I gritted my teeth.
‘No. Sorry, but I’m not a hero; I’m just an extra.’
I moved towards the unruly student.
Even in the midst of this chaos, the charisma of the Black Flame Dragon captivated everyone’s attention.
What are you trying to do? Are you trying to save that student? It’s pointless. With your abilities, you won’t be able to maintain such a massive magic circle and save that student.
The demon’s words were true.
I was already exerting all my energy to maintain the magic circle, leaving me with no capacity to spare.
But…
There is a way.
…What?
A self-sacrifice spell.
!!
It was an idea that came to mind when Aiden blew up.
…What? You’re going to sacrifice yourself just for some insignificant student from the surface world?
No, I won’t sacrifice myself.
…What nonsense are you talking about?
To cast a self-sacrifice spell and yet claim not to sacrifice yourself?
It was like drinking alcohol but not driving under the influence, a paradoxical statement, yet it was true.
You insignificant and filthy demon. Have you underestimated me too much?
…What?
Disassembling such a pathetic scheme would only require sacrificing a few days’ worth of fatigue. That’s my greatness.
!!
After all, the students currently under the control of demons are not properly bound. Even a high-ranking demon cannot cast spells on just anyone without a contract.
I simply couldn’t intervene at the moment due to the current circumstances, but with a bit of room to maneuver, I could have easily resolved the situation.
Moreover, this power struggle of dominance is where my expertise as a Master of Magic comes into play. Sacrificing a few days of rest was more than enough.
‘It’s over!’
However, there was something I hadn’t accounted for.
It was the untimely remark of the Black Flame Dragon, which spared no situation.
“What’s your name?”
“Lu… Lude. P-Please, spare…”
“Alright, Lude. Don’t worry. I, Van Ecclesia, will protect you and everyone, no matter what ‘sacrifice’ I have to make. Even if it means risking my own life.”
Paah!
The self-sacrifice spell had its unique presentation due to the nature of the stars.
With the exaggerated lines of the Black Flame Dragon accompanied by what seemed like a sublime light, it led everyone to misunderstand.
“Professor Van is trying to sacrifice himself for the students!”
“Didn’t he use the self-sacrifice spell to defeat The Puppeteer for his class last time?!”
…That’s not true at all, but the atmosphere started to feel strange.
Moreover, a situation arose where the misunderstanding grew even larger.
“Watch out!!”
Kwaaaaah!!
