Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: I'd Say That, But...
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"Haaah..."
A woman sat at her desk.
Lucia Merigold let out a sigh for the first time in a while.
The reason was the recent, successive appearances of demons and demonic humans.
The demon incident that occurred during a practical training session a few months ago.
Unfortunately, she had been away on business at the time and couldn't handle it herself.
She'd heard that the group including the top student of the first year had somehow managed to defeat it.
Personally, she found it hard to believe, but since the parties involved said so, there was no way to find out more.
'When was the last time I saw a demon...'
It must have been at least ten years.
Back when she was an A-rank adventurer, she had dealt with a demon she'd happened to encounter.
The demon she met then had been so strong she'd had to risk her life.
It seemed the strength of demons varied from one individual to another.
"Hoo..."
She rested her elbows on the desk, touched her forehead, and sighed again.
The demon incident alone was enough to give her a headache, but to make matters worse, a demonic human had appeared during the recent artificial dungeon training.
She had grasped what happened from the testimonies of the students inside, but the conclusion was that she didn't know why these beings were appearing so frequently lately.
Both demons and demonic humans were supposed to be in hiding; they shouldn't be able to roam around so freely.
And yet, they had.
She recalled the information she'd heard from the professor who was supervising the training at the time.
"-Right after entering the dungeon, the students who sensed something was wrong tried to escape, but they were blocked by something like a barrier and couldn't get out. When they went to the deepest part, they found a demonic human who controlled corpses."
The ability to control corpses.
A vicious ability, just what you'd expect from a demonic human.
Of course, she wasn't the type to just hear about such an incident and think, 'Oh, I see,' and move on.
She had grilled the professors, asking what they were doing while all this was happening.
"-Well... the magical device inside had been taken over. Because it used the existing device, we didn't notice anything was wrong..."
A magical device made for academy training, and a demonic human who had infiltrated the dungeon in advance to prepare.
It was as if they knew beforehand and had prepared for it.
How could demonic humans and demons, who were cut off from the world, act as if they knew the academy's curriculum?
How did they manage to cause incidents only when she was away?
She came to a simple conclusion.
'...There's an insider.'
It didn't make sense otherwise. If this was possible without an insider, there must have been an intervention from a god or something equivalent to one.
Whether the insider was a student or a professor.
Or perhaps a janitor who cleaned the buildings.
She didn't know the details, but it wouldn't be someone easy to find.
Aside from the fact that there was an insider, she had no information.
In the first place, if they were the type to leak information so easily, they wouldn't be capable of being an insider.
'For the time being, I'll have to focus on finding the insider.'
She leaned back against her chair and closed her eyes.
"-Still, thanks to the person who came to support us, we were able to end it before any fatalities occurred."
"-That's right. If it weren't for the adventurer who came to help, it would have been a disaster."
The adventurer who came to help.
They said his help had been crucial.
Coincidentally, the adventurer who had come to support this training session was someone she knew.
Luke.
How could she forget, when it had only been a short while since he'd dropped out?
'I believe he left for his B-rank promotion test...'
She exchanged information with Argo, the Adventurer's Guild Master, due to their personal friendship.
That's why she knew Luke was currently away on a raid for his B-rank promotion test.
Only a few months had passed since he dropped out.
How could the student who was last in the entire school have gotten so strong in such a short time?
She was curious about the secret.
Not for her own personal reasons, but to add that secret to the curriculum for the sake of the students.
Demonic humans and demons were beginning to rear their heads, one by one.
If they targeted the academy when she was present, she might be able to stop them, but if they only struck when she was away, like this time, responding would be a distant prospect.
Therefore, the best method was to make the students strong enough to protect themselves.
Even with professors around, they couldn't possibly monitor every corner of this vast academy.
Besides, even without considering demonic humans and demons, everyone would want to become stronger.
'I should make a proposal later.'
***
That was the beginning of the incident.
Her plan was to hear his terms and entice him through a smooth agreement.
So, Lucia had visited in advance, timing her arrival with Luke's scheduled return.
Honestly, since she was the one who needed him and was making the offer, she was prepared to accept most of his demands, as long as they weren't outrageous.
If only he hadn't thrown up...
"Lord Luke, your mouth...!"
"L-Luke, it's dripping!!"
"..."
There was a bit of a commotion, but cleaning it up was no trouble for Lucia.
*-Snap!*
As she snapped her fingers, the vomit instantly burned away, leaving only a clean floor.
"...If you weren't feeling well, you should have said so sooner."
It wasn't so urgent that she had to call in someone who was sick, so Lucia had been about to postpone it.
"He says he's not saying anything because he can't speak."
"...Pardon?"
The one who answered her was the beastkin woman next to Luke.
Luke stood there motionlessly with a blank expression, yet she somehow knew what he wanted to say and answered for him.
"Um... and you are..."
"My apologies. I am Luna, a member of Lord Luke's party. The person next to me is Yui, another party member."
"Ah, I see..."
Having been an adventurer herself, she knew very well how important a party was.
When he'd rashly left the academy, she had worried if he would be all right, but it seemed he had managed to find good party members.
...Though there was a distinct feeling that they were more like slaves.
'It must be my imagination.'
"Then you're not actually sick?"
"No."
Not that he could get sick, but even if he were, Luke wasn't the type to come just because he was called.
But of course, Lucia had no way of knowing that.
"In that case... as I mentioned earlier, would you be interested in becoming a temporary professor at the academy?"
In response to her question, Luna whispered something to Luke, who shook his head a few times before nodding.
"Do you really want me to tell her that...?"
*-Nod, nod.*
"Haaah..."
What on earth was he trying to say that made her sigh like that?
For the curious Lucia, Luna answered without delay.
"He asks me to convey, 'But I refuse.'"
"...I haven't even told you the terms yet?"
"He would probably still say, 'But I refuse.'"
This time, it was Luna's subjective answer, which hadn't been asked for.
To which Luke nodded as if to say she was correct.
"I have a personal question."
"Yes. Please ask."
"Wasn't there any opposition from the professors?"
"I figured there would be, so I came without saying a word to anyone."
Wasn't she acting too autocratically for someone with the titles of Headmaster and Chairman?
One might rebuke her for it, but she had her reasons for doing so.
If she were to hold a meeting, the outcome would be painfully obvious.
There would surely be professors who would object, citing their elitist views.
That hiring a former dropout as a professor was absurd. That a commoner teaching nobles would be problematic. Things like that.
In that case, opinions would be divided, and the proposal would fizzle out.
The academy is a place of learning to hone one's academics and martial arts, not a social venue for nobles.
It was a shame to let such a good opportunity slip away for such nonsensical reasons, which was why Lucia had come alone.
Once the contract was signed, it would be too late for anyone to say anything.
Besides, with someone like Luke, it was a problem that would quickly disappear once he proved his skills.
"Don't be like that. Why not think of it as taking a short break?"
Argo chimed in, reinforcing Lucia's words.
"He's asking, why?"
"Frankly, your promotion speed is getting out of hand. No matter how much you prove yourself with skill, some people are bound to talk."
That he has connections in the upper echelons of the Adventurer's Guild.
That he bribed people with money.
Those kinds of baseless rumors.
Others spend over a decade to become B-rank adventurers, so how could he get so strong and get promoted in just a few months?
Such questions were unavoidable.
These were baseless slanders mixed with jealousy and envy, but to those who hadn't seen him in action, they sounded plausible.
So why not just prove it with his skills?
There was a limit to that as well.
Those who had seen him with their own eyes would believe it, but how many people had actually seen him?
There were adventurers not just in the empire, but in other branches as well.
He couldn't go and prove himself to each and every one of them.
At his current pace, he'd reach A-rank in no time, and if that happened, the rumors would become accepted as fact.
This was the perfect time to take a break.
"He asks, wouldn't those baseless rumors stop if I killed them all?"
"...Then you'd be a wanted criminal, not an adventurer."
Luke smacked his lips as if disappointed.
He'd said something so brutal that Argo thought it was a joke, but apparently, it wasn't.
Anyway, the timing was good.
This was the moment to push, with Argo backing her up.
"The academy offers many benefits to its professors. We provide meals, and there's even exclusive housing for professors, you know? On top of that, I'm willing to meet your conditions if possible. I won't ask for too long. How about just one or two months?"
Luke seemed to be considering it.
Seizing the momentum, Lucia mentioned the biggest advantage of the professorship.
"Professors get paid a lot per day, you know."
"He asks, how much?"
Lucia whispered the professors' daily wage into Luke's ear.
Are you trying to buy me with money!
But those words never left his mouth.
I'd say that, but it was too much money.
Seeing this, Lucia smiled faintly.