The Professor and the Serpent
In the wide room, ragged breathing echoed like a storm. The gasps clawed desperately for oxygen, as though the owner had been submerged underwater for far too long. The once-still air grew thick and restless.
At the center of that chaos, a woman lay collapsed on the floor.
“Cough—hack…!”
Her name was Selena Drunkard. Chief Professor of Galimar Academy and the person currently responsible for overseeing the entire entrance examination. Her crimson eyes quivered violently. Long strands of purple hair spilled across the cold stone like spilled ink.
Selena remained on the ground for a long time, unable to rise, struggling simply to breathe. A weak groan slipped from her lips.
“What… in the world… was that…”
The sentence fractured before it could fully form. Only a heavy, clinging aftershock remained in its wake.
Pressing trembling fingers to her temple, the purple-haired professor replayed the scene she had just witnessed through her link.
Could it be that the “target” you spoke of… is that tiny, precious, adorable little doll standing right there?
It had been the examination of a boy named Yuda Snakers. Selena had synchronized her consciousness with the doll serving as the test’s target—an original mental spell of her own design. For a limited time, she could possess any designated inanimate object. Her testing method was infamous: she would experience the applicant’s attacks firsthand in the doll’s body, then assign scores accordingly.
In other words, she let herself get hit.
The other professors had tried to talk her out of it.
“You’re going to take the students’ attacks directly?”
“Hehe… Selena. I always knew you were eccentric, but I never realized it was this bad.”
“Professor Selena… you’re not ill, are you?”
“It couldn’t be the alcohol finally rotting your brain…”
“Sigh.”
“I knew this would happen.”
“You drank like a fish. Looks like your mind finally gave out.”
She had ignored every last one of them. The spell was safe. She had tested it thousands of times. Noisy concern could be silenced with results.
And for the past five years, she had conducted the entrance exams without a single incident. That flawless record had earned her the seat of Chief Professor.
Until today.
This can’t be real.
For the first time in years, Selena had tasted the fear of death. The instant the boy’s magic struck the doll, an incomprehensible pressure had crushed down on her very soul. Every survival instinct she possessed screamed in warning.
Bang.
It hadn’t even been a particularly powerful strike. The raw output was merely average for the academy. And yet… something had been there. Like a viper coiled in the shadows, an icy, alien presence had flicked its tongue across her senses. The feeling of a snake licking the nape of her neck.
The intuition only those who had stepped into the realm of superhumans could possess had screamed a single truth:
No. I’ll die.
If that boy had applied even a fraction more strength, both the doll and her own skull would have split apart.
She had severed the link in panic. In the final fracturing vision of the doll, she had seen it—those squinting eyes curved in a sinister smile as the boy murmured:
Wow~ As expected, holding back is harder than it looks.
Holding back? What had he meant by that?
There had been no time to wonder. The world had tilted, and Selena had collapsed.
Now, after forcing herself to calm down, she stood on shaky legs. Her forehead throbbed as though it might crack open. She staggered to the desk, snatched up a bottle of liquor, and drank straight from it. The harsh burn of alcohol dulled the pain, but it could not stop the trembling in her fingertips.
“Ha…”
A dry laugh escaped her.
Was she truly losing her mind because of drink? The boy hadn’t even undergone his coming-of-age ceremony, yet here she was—terrified of a child. She couldn’t understand her own reaction.
Name: Yuda Snakers
Attribute: Darkness
Power: C+
Predicted Admission Rank: 607th (Upper 53%)
Selena stared at the crystal orb in silence. The values were derived from countless data points and rendered with perfect objectivity. Even by her own assessment, they were accurate.
The First Imperial Princess enrolling this year. The twin prodigies from the Vanity Ducal House, renowned for swordsmanship. Every other genius labeled as a promising talent. Compared to them, Yuda’s output was painfully mediocre. So ordinary it almost felt cruel to place him on the same scale.
But.
She hesitated, pen hovering above the record sheet. It was difficult to explain. If she had to put it into words, it was simply… instinct. The wariness a predator feels when encountering something it cannot comprehend.
“…This is insane.”
Even as she muttered the words, her hand moved. She wanted to see. She needed to know what she had glimpsed behind that meaningless smile.
The pen, sliding unsteadily like a drunkard’s, carved new letters onto the paper.
Admitted Student – Top Seat
Yuda Snakers
She had placed the boy in the position originally reserved for the First Princess. If he truly was nothing but chaff, he would be filtered out eventually. Selena simply wanted to know the true nature of the “thing” she had sensed lurking behind that eerie smile.
“If the dean sees this… he’s going to throw a fit.”
And so, an unexpected top student was born.
Meanwhile, the person at the center of this sudden storm was—
“It seems my acting worked rather well, doesn’t it?”
***
The entrance examination had ended in a rather hollow fashion. I sat quietly, waiting for Regia’s turn to finish.
“……”
If I looked sulky, it was because I was. My heart was currently filled with pure discontent.
Please attack the target placed here.
I felt like I’d been scammed. I had expected something grand, something dramatic. Instead, it was this pathetic. Like biting into what you thought was fried chicken only to discover it was tofu.
Extremely disappointing.
Even though it was supposed to be my first proper event…
In truth, I had known almost nothing about the entrance exam itself. The original game always began after the protagonist had already enrolled in the academy. This had been completely unknown territory for me.
I had been so excited. So eager.
“Sigh.”
Though I had calmed down somewhat now, the disappointment I felt inside the examination hall had been immense. I had barely been able to suppress the rising sense of betrayal. As a result, I may have leaked just a tiny bit of killing intent…
“Well, it seems no one noticed.”
Even the assistant supervising the test hadn’t picked up on it. At most, they would have felt a slight chill. Unless someone possessed truly exceptional senses, they would have simply brushed it off.
Everything was proceeding according to plan. It seemed my old skills hadn’t dulled after all. Even if the colors had faded somewhat, I was still an old veteran who had memorized the strategy guide from cover to cover.
I even became a famous creator after uploading strategy videos…
Memories resurfaced. I had once gathered three million subscribers with my content on The World Seen by the Little Prince. The greatest gamer of my time, some might say. If only I hadn’t been suddenly thrown into this world, I would have become the only player to discover the hidden ending and gone down in legend.
It was rather irritating, when I thought about it.
“Ah, my lost glory…”
A wry lament scattered into the air. As I sat there spacing out, a large screen floating in the sky caught my eye. It displayed the current state of the examination grounds. Light from a magical tool created a floating screen in midair.
Kiiiiiiiii!
A ferocious roar pierced the eardrums. On the screen, a massive lizard with enormous wings was roaring at the sky. Beautiful crimson scales. An overwhelming presence radiating dense mana. A rare fantasy species.
It was a wyvern.
Embers still clung to its maw, suggesting it had just breathed fire. Gasps of admiration rose from the applicants watching the test.
Well done, Ephri!
That flame was perfect again!
A bright, cheerful voice followed. The camera panned, capturing a girl with pink hair. She sat atop the monster’s back, wearing the same worn flight goggles I remembered from the game.
There, there~ Good job, my cute little Ephri~!
The way she fearlessly stroked that ferocious creature was exactly as I remembered. This was the protagonist I knew.
Confirming that the test was nearly over, I stood up to greet her.
Wyvern Rider. That had been Regia’s nickname in the game. Summoners were rare enough, but one who could handle such an exotic creature was even rarer. Truly worthy of the main character.
“Eh? Young Master Snakers…?”
“Miss Regia.”
I raised my hand lightly in greeting and fell into step beside her as she headed toward the rear exit.
“That was a magnificent performance. I could only watch in admiration.”
“Hehe… You were watching?”
“Of course.”
“It’s a little embarrassing…”
Her cheeks flushed red, as though she were unaccustomed to praise. Just moments ago she had looked like a valiant rider, but now she was simply a shy young girl. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Have more confidence. You possess a truly brilliant talent, Miss Regia.”
“U-um, uuu…”
Her pale face quickly grew hot, as if steam might rise from it. Finding her reactions amusing, I teased her several more times until her lovely lips finally pouted.
“Um~ Miss Regia?”
“……”
“Are you upset with me?”
“…No.”
She was definitely upset.
I chuckled softly, enjoying her innocent reactions. Most people would have snapped at me by now, but she didn’t. As expected of our protagonist. Even the whispers of a wicked serpent couldn’t shake her.
“How admirable.”
“Uuuu…”
Our pleasant conversation lasted only a short while. Before long, we had left the academy grounds. Unfortunately, it was time to return to our respective lodgings. Until the admission procedures were complete, access to the dormitories was restricted, so we had to stay somewhere nearby. I had already reserved an inn, and I assumed she had done the same.
I clapped my hands together lightly.
“Well then! Shall we part ways here?”
“Ah… yes, we’ve already come outside.”
The girl nodded belatedly. A faint trace of regret lingered in her green eyes. Perhaps because I was the first person she had grown close to. Having wandered the continent alone until now, she might have been lonelier than she let on.
I winked at her reassuringly.
“Let’s meet again. My friend.”
Since my eyes were always narrowed, the wink probably just looked like I was scrunching my eyebrows. But the feeling was what mattered, wasn’t it?
“Friend…”
Regia repeated the word where she stood, as if she had never expected to hear it. After a moment of stillness, she clenched her small fist and her eyes sparkled.
“Yes…! Let’s definitely meet again after we both enroll!”
“Hehe, until then.”
I turned away, then added one last thing as though it had just occurred to me.
“Do be careful on your way back.”
There seem to be some rats scurrying about.
I continued walking. My destination was not the inn I had reserved, but a back alley in the exact opposite direction. The liar moved with purpose.
***
A street just outside the academy. Because of the tightly packed buildings, darkness pooled more readily than light in the narrow alleys. The atmosphere was far from pleasant, yet traces of human life still lingered. Mostly beggars seeking alms. Occasionally, drunkards could be seen as well.
Normally, only heavy silence would reign here.
But not today.
From a secluded corner came the sound of violence.
Thud. Thump—!
The noise of something being beaten. It was followed by a voice drenched in rage.
“Fuck! Fuck! Die…!”
The owner of that voice was Decter Holint. The second son of Baron Holint, a noble carrying prestigious blood. He was swinging his fists with ferocious intensity. Beneath him, a young beggar child lay pinned to the ground. The child’s face was already swollen and bloody, suggesting the beating had been going on for some time.
“Fuck! You worthless bastard! I’ll kill you!”
Thud. Thump—!
The violence showed no signs of stopping. He swung with murderous intent, but there was no real reason behind it. This was simply a tantrum.
The voice that still echoed in his ears only fueled his fury.
How amusing.
Watching you throw a fit like this… I can’t help but laugh.
The memory of those squinting eyes mocking him made Decter grit his teeth even harder. If he didn’t vent his anger like this, that image kept resurfacing.
“……”
The child appeared to be around ten years old. Even under the barrage of irrational violence, the beggar didn’t move. Or rather, couldn’t move. A corpse could not resist.
“Fuuuuuuck!!!”
“Young Master, it is about time we leave.”
“Shut up!!”
“…Understood.”
The escort knight sighed inwardly at the sight of his completely deranged charge. What was the point of all this? Coming all the way to the slums just to vent his anger by beating a beggar. It was truly pathetic.
At least he wasn’t doing this at the estate. Beating servants would cause far more trouble than beating beggars.
After some time had passed, Decter finally threw the tattered child onto the ground.
“Haa… haa…”
His body was drenched in sweat, but his anger had not subsided. Not after suffering such humiliation.
Decter ground his teeth.
“This is all because of that bitch. Damn it.”
Regia Pirates. That filthy commoner mongrel who had bumped into him. If not for her, he never would have encountered that serpent’s son and suffered such disgrace.
He shouted at his escort knight.
“You there!”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Find out where that commoner bitch—Regia Pirates— is staying.”
“Do you intend to take revenge?”
“What does it matter to you?! Just do as I say and find her!”
The knight bowed his head at the outburst. Decter clicked his tongue, then muttered with a vile smile.
“To make me suffer such humiliation… I’ll teach her a lesson she’ll never forget.”
Come to think of it, her chest had been quite large. And her face wasn’t bad either. The pig’s lips twisted cruelly.
“Using her as a toy for the night sounds good. I’ll torment her until she begs for mercy.”
Chuckling at the horrific fantasy, Decter turned to leave the alley with his knight. At that moment, a hazy figure appeared in his vision.
“…Ha.”
A man stood at the opposite end of the alley, as if blocking the way. Decter furrowed his brow and let out a hollow laugh. It seemed even the trash had come to bother him now.
“Get out of the way right now! Do you even know whose path you’re—!”
“Honestly~”
The voice cut Decter off mid-sentence. Under normal circumstances he would have flown into a rage, but instead he froze on the spot. It was a voice he recognized all too well. One that had been ringing in his ears only moments ago.
“I suppose all third-rate villains really are the same? You all love your little melodrama, don’t you?”
Yuda Snakers.
“Not knowing your place.”
The golden-haired boy stood in the alley, that signature sinister smile playing on his lips. An instinctive chill washed over Decter’s entire body, freezing him in place. Why? He couldn’t move. It felt as though an enormous weight were crushing him. The escort knight beside him was in the same state.
“How unfortunate~ Joint Style! Is that not it? Oro Style? Oriental Style?”
The correct term was Holint Style, but such details seemed irrelevant to the serpent. An unidentifiable terror descended upon them. The shoulders of the two men, now stiff as stone, trembled pathetically.
As if finding their reaction amusing, the golden viper let out a chilling laugh. It was not merely a sinister smile. It was the kind of laughter that promised something terrible was about to happen.
“I clearly gave you a chance.”
The serpent flicked its tongue.
“It was you who threw it away.”
White pupils glowed with emptiness. His eyes, now fully open, swallowed the light. The next instant, surging darkness engulfed the entire alley.