The Con Artist Professor
Crack—!
Milron's thick skull shattered. Blood sprayed, splattering onto the blade of the Black Demon Sword.
"Looks like I'll need to clean this..." I muttered a sigh, eyeing the bloodied sword and its sheath.
But then.
The Black Demon Sword began to writhe subtly, glowing with a faint purple hue. It was a barely perceptible twitch. Slowly, the red blood seeped into the inner edge of the blade.
Right... this thing absorbs blood... Just to test, I splashed a bit of blood from the fallen seniors onto it. Sure enough, the sword wriggled eagerly as it drank it in.
A grin tugged at my lips. Somehow, it felt like now was the time.
"I'll take you on with my eyes closed."
Whoosh—! Slash—!
I swung the sword through empty air, and as expected, sword ki shot out.
Yeah. So the difference was the blood...
I shook off the excess blood and sheathed the Black Demon Sword.
"Be grateful, Milron."
With that, I grabbed the research proposal and notes from the floor and left the special class magic lab. Oh, and I snagged Milron's new necklace while I was at it. That covers the macaron I owe myself.
In a conference room at the Imperial Central Academy, professors had gathered, peering into a crystal orb that showed the interior of the special class magic lab.
Through the orb, they watched an orange-haired girl with closed eyes stroll out casually, surrounded by the sprawled bodies of collapsed students.
One bald professor with a furrowed brow spoke up.
"From the full sequence of events... this was clearly self-defense. I don't know why she was so brazen about it, but we should shelve Milron's complaint."
Despite his thuggish look, his opinion was perfectly reasonable.
The incident: Celestia Erienne El Fredericia's assault on fellow students. Reported by Milron, the event had been fully recorded on video.
In response, the academy faculty had formed a "Judgment Committee" to review the situation and deliberate on guilt.
"I agree. From the start, Celestia only used her sheathed sword to avoid harming others, never drawing her main weapon. Her opponents were seniors—bigger, stronger, and in greater numbers. In that scenario, this level of self-defense qualifies as justified."
"Exactly. No objections here, it seems. We should conclude Milron's complaint as Celestia's legitimate self-defense and close the case."
Most professors nodded in agreement with this sensible view. Celestia had used violence solely for self-protection. Even as a special class student, surrounded and threatened by higher-year seniors, it would have been hard to restrain herself further.
On the other hand, Milron's group barging into the special class lab and claiming victimhood rang hollow.
But the discussion didn't end there.
"I object."
"What's the issue, Professor Amelia?"
"On the contrary, I see Milron as the victim, and Celestia's actions as excessive."
A female professor who had been lurking silently in the shadows stepped forward. The light revealed her: long black straight hair and lifeless white eyes. A woman shrouded in mystery.
She tapped the crystal orb with a finger.
"Come on, doesn't it seem off? No matter how strong Celestia is, taking down this many seniors—ones a full year ahead of her? You professors can't seriously believe that's possible, right?"
A few professors looked intrigued, urging her on. Most, however, remained skeptical.
"Why not? At the entrance ceremony, she soloed a Lintbloom and hordes of Brown Wolves and Gray Wolves. In terms of skill, she's beyond most fourth-years."
But Professor Amelia wagged her finger and shook her head.
"Here's my theory: Celestia lured Milron and his friends to the special class lab and set up some device inside. When it activated, she got a buff while they were debuffed. Then she beat them down one-sidedly. Doesn't that make more sense?"
"Professor Amelia, that's going too far. Pure speculation without evidence. Our magic faculty found no traces of any installed spells in the special class lab."
"How naive."
She lifted the crystal orb entirely, stroking it like a pet.
"Fine, if the majority rules that way, I'll go along. We'll see when the truth comes out."
She set the orb down with a leisurely smile and melted back into the shadows she favored.
Edn, the special class advisor who hadn't spoken a word, finally opened his mouth as he watched her go.
"That woman's insane."
"Ahem, Professor Edn, watch your—"
"I've got a lot of crazy women around me."
Edn stood, his discomfort plain on his face, and quietly slipped out the other way.
After Milron's visit, a few more tests confirmed it: the Black Demon Sword grows sharper and keener when infused with blood. It also feels more attuned to the user, somehow.
In other words, only when sated with blood could I unleash sword ki.
"At this rate, researching sword ki will be tricky."
I stared at the Black Demon Sword. To unravel its principles, I needed easier control—firing it on command and holding it back when I didn't.
I could prick my finger for blood in a pinch, but that wouldn't let me analyze the subtle differences between successful and failed attempts.
"Any trouble with the research?"
"No, nothing at all."
I brushed it off to Teacher Edn. There were no real hurdles yet—it was just getting started.
I was itching to master sword ki perfectly and role-play as a badass Sword Saint character. But haste makes waste.
"Anyway... handle disputes by running or talking it out from now on, Celestia. Got it?"
"Of course."
That said, my sword ki experiments weren't fruitless. I'd pinpointed a few conditions.
First: blade angle. It had to align to the millimeter for the primary condition.
Second: mana. Each use brought an inexplicable fatigue—likely mana drain. As a fantasy technique, it probably required fantasy fuel. That tracked.
Mana's not my forte... I'll need Ranta or Shariel for that.
"Celestia?"
"Yes, Teacher."
"Professor. Anyway, be careful. And when you're summoned to the faculty office, listen closely to what I say."
"I did, Professor."
"Sure you did."
Edn pointed at the door—time to go.
As I stepped out, a gaze met mine. A woman in all black, with black hair and pale white eyes, watching from down the hall. Faculty building, so a professor?
"Do you need something from me?"
"Yes. You're Celestia, right?"
She approached slowly. Her nameplate read professor. Her eerie vibe clashed with her elegant, noble poise. She smiled lightly.
"Celestia here. What is it?"
"Such manners. I should introduce myself. I'm Amelia Kelendi El Virok, academy magic professor. Care to chat over coffee at a café?"
Something felt off. Why so friendly to a stranger? And that line... sounded familiar.
Ah, right. Even in this fantasy world, that exists.
"I don't believe in fortune-telling. See ya."
"S-Student!?"
"Don't believe in physiognomy either. No need for insurance."
I waved her off—stay away. But Professor Amelia pursued relentlessly.
Damn... time to pick up the pace.
I quietly opened a window and jumped.
"Ha...?"
Then bolted at full speed. Destination? Anywhere fine.
I ended up on the rooftop of the academy's central café—a spot no one bothers with despite the foot traffic below. Empty as could be.
I plopped down casually.
"Unbelievable. Swindlers crawling around even in a fantasy world..."
I shook my head. Didn't realize "Korean-style fantasy" meant this Korean. What a shame.