Chapter 22
Chapter 22
22.
EP8 - Professor Assassination: Proxy Assassination (4)
The next day, Joaquin Hillavan's disciplinary committee was held.
The charges were proxy assassination and illegal group action.
Including me, the person involved, there were two professors each from the White Path, Black Path, and neutral factions, as well as the Moon Shadow Scholar's supervising professor. A total of eight professors held a hearing regarding the disciplinary action.
"Professor Dante, what are your thoughts?"
"He should be expelled."
There's no need to see more. Expulsion. Because he's arrogant.
However, the Moon Shadow Scholar's supervising professor happened to be from the Black Blade Society.
"He is still a young Student, and his grades are excellent, so how about giving him another chance? The aggressiveness of a child raised as an assassin can be slowly controlled through such incidents."
Two White Alliance professors and I argued for expulsion.
Two Black Blade Society members and the Moon Shadow Scholar's supervising professor argued for leniency.
The neutrals were split 1:1.
"Hmm. Then, the vote on expulsion is 4:4."
Shaman, the head of the Assassination Studies Department, stroked his thick chin and concluded.
"I will deliver the final verdict for Joaquin Hillavan. The Student led illegal group action and proxy assassination, thereby damaging the core values of the Assassination Studies Department, so I issue Disciplinary Action No. 9."
Disciplinary Action No. 9.
It was the most severe punishment, excluding the death penalty and expulsion.
"Student Joaquin Hillavan is ordered to receive 2.9 penalty points, a fine of 500,000 Hica, repeat this academic year, bear all responsibility for the proxy assassination, and finally, perform 400 hours of on-campus community service."
That's pretty harsh.
The harshest of these is the fine of 500,000 Hica.
From a Student's perspective, it's a pocket-breaking amount.
"Assassins should be tools, and the Assassination Studies Department is a workshop for making tools. Student Joaquin. If you came to the Assassination Studies Department to learn, at least don't act presumptuously again."
Joaquin knelt on the floor and bowed his head.
"I'm sorry. I will reflect."
At that, the professors whispered.
"That prideful guy is bowing like that, so should we stop here?"
"He seems to be showing remorse."
"It was an excessive act, but I think Disciplinary Action No. 9 is sufficient."
Both the White Path and Black Path professors compromise at an appropriate level.
Joaquin is still a young Student.
And he seems to be showing remorse.
But I know. That it's a pretense.
【 Joaquin, 1st year, Moon Shadow Scholar: 'I'm alive, you fuckers.' 】
【 Joaquin, 1st year, Moon Shadow Scholar: 'You pathetic old geezers. I bow my head once and you think I'm reflecting.' 】
【 Joaquin, 1st year, Moon Shadow Scholar: 'But 500,000 Hica is too much. What the fuck, is the school extorting Students like this...? It's killing me to waste the money...' 】
Look at that, that messed-up thought Script.
There's a saying that mind readers don't live long.
Actually, I made that up.
But I think it's probably true.
If I have to keep seeing thoughts like that, I'll get high blood pressure.
"……!"
Then, when our eyes met, Joaquin turned his head. With a pale, frozen expression.
He seemed completely fed up with me. From a survival perspective, that was fortunate.
I deliberately made the 『World Fabrication』 big and obvious. Some of it would have been transmitted to Joaquin as a video.
【 Joaquin, 1st year, Moon Shadow Scholar: 'I should ignore that damn professor for the time being. Just you wait...' 】
【 Joaquin, 1st year, Moon Shadow Scholar: 'For the time being, I'll just avoid getting involved and slowly gather strength again to kill him in one shot...' 】
I was speechless.
Who said he wouldn't get involved?
Sorry, but you have to get a little more involved with me. To be exact, you can't escape from me until I let you go.
Because he attempted assassination outside of class time.
"The disciplinary committee is adjourned."
After that, I headed to the Discipline Management Bureau to meet the Students who had attempted the proxy assassination.
They were already subdued, having been thoroughly broken by the Discipline Department members.
"I'm sorry, Professor."
"I'm sorry…"
The Students bowed their heads.
They were pitiful kids.
In the Assassination Studies Department, power is all of a person's rights, and these guys don't have any.
They've been living miserably all along, and this incident must have been the one wrong step they took.
'But whatever, it has nothing to do with me…'
I don't feel any sympathy. I'm too busy trying to survive myself.
However, to reduce Joaquin's power and give these guys a small chance for revenge, I decided to.
'Joaquin's subordinates are isolated separately.'
In other words, those here are pure victims.
I went and stood in front of them.
"Attention."
Their subdued eyes reached me.
"All ten of you were ordered to attempt to assassinate me through proxy assassination. And Joaquin, who ordered the proxy assassination, has now received severe disciplinary action under Disciplinary Action No. 9. Conversely, you will receive only a reprimand without any major punishment."
Their expressions hardened darkly.
A mixture of powerlessness, defeat, and fear.
Forte at the very back was the same.
They seem to think I'm scolding them.
That's not it.
"……However, I was so flustered when I was being assassinated that my memory is hazy."
At these words, the Students raised their heads.
As if wondering what I was suddenly talking about.
"If you attempted assassination outside of class time, you must confiscate the tools used in the assassination. ……This is a shame. I was so out of it at the time that I don't remember at all 'what tools' you used for the assassination."
One by one. Some of them begin to understand what I'm saying.
Still, some are still puzzled.
"The assassins themselves must confess what tools were used for the assassination. And Joaquin will bear all the corresponding financial responsibility. That is the content of Disciplinary Action No. 9."
"……!"
"……!!"
Only then did surprise appear on the Students' faces.
Because they realized my true intentions.
If they ordered the assassination by proxy.
They should also take responsibility by proxy.
But there are still some who hesitate. What clueless guys. So I decided to spoon-feed them a little more.
"You broke a vehicle protected by Mana and attempted to assassinate me. I am a professor and an assassin, but I felt a real threat from your assassination. The equipment used in such an attempted assassination could never be 'cheap'."
I try to get help from the quickest-witted of them.
"What about you? Forte Asimov."
Forte received everyone's attention.
His mouth and eyes gradually widened.
Then his mouth opened in an 'ah'.
"Ah, yes! That, that's right! To do my best in assassinating the professor, I used one of the most expensive TTI-13 rifles I own…!?"
He stopped talking mid-sentence.
So I checked the Script.
【 Forte, 1st year, Moon Shadow Scholar: '……Wait, if my equipment isn't taken away anyway and Joaquin pays for it instead……. There's no need for there to be only one weapon, right?' 】
That's right. That's it! He understood perfectly!
"……And, in addition. I used 12 throwing stars and 2 daggers borrowed from my classmate Hwaru, and 8 types of alchemical potions borrowed from Dominic!"
Wow. Crazy.
He borrowed that much?
"You mean you used so many things directly in the assassination."
"Yes…!"
"Then I have no choice but to confiscate them."
Immediately, from Joaquin!
At that, exclamation marks popped up above the Students' heads.
They also realized what this farce meant.
"Ah, ah! Professor! I'm sorry…!"
"Why. What about you?"
"I, I also borrowed a [Magic] grade longsword from my older brother to do my best in the assassination!"
"You're a bad kid. Unfortunately, I have to confiscate it."
"Ah, Professor, me too…!"
Once the floodgates were opened, assassination confessions began to pour out.
"I, I also have a family heirloom…! It's an explosive throwing star…. I tried to use it in the assassination. For some reason, it didn't explode? Anyway, it was used…!"
"I'm sorry! I set up a Mana Trap to assassinate the professor, but I don't know where I set it up! It's probably been dismantled and disappeared by now…."
"Um, I drank 32 potions, but there's no way to prove the traces after drinking them…!"
Good job. Good job.
No, wait!
That's not enough.
Isn't there anyone who used gold bars in the assassination?
Isn't there anyone who tried to kill me with a space station!
"Ah, ah! I used a [Legend] grade consumable, but I already used it up so there's no way to prove it…!"
"That's too much."
"Ah, I'm sorry……."
But you shouldn't overdo it. Anything beyond a certain level will be filtered out by the Discipline Department anyway.
Fortunately, the Discipline Department is on the professor's side.
A vigilante was grinning next to me, enjoying the event of screwing over someone.
"Officer."
"Yes, Professor."
"Don't just smile, come and write down the list of assassination tools. I'll submit the bill. Don't forget to do it anonymously."
"Yes, sir. Of course. I'll do it without any problems."
"How long will the confiscation process take?"
"It won't take much, just a day. The faculty has agreed to cooperate."
That was unexpected. It's quick even though I have to calculate the value of the tools used and go through the department office to carry out the confiscation process.
Roughly calculated. This alone was at least tens of thousands of Hica or more. At least.
I looked back at the Students. The gloomy expressions were gone.
"You guys. Don't do such terrible assassinations in the future. Do you understand?"
"Yes! I understand!"
"I'm sorry! I won't do it again…!"
There's fun in that. The fun of the townspeople rushing in, beating up a criminal, and throwing stones.
The Students here were also all united in screwing over one person and grinning.
It's not a threat. After all, Joaquin has now lost most of his power and has to reflect for a long time.
"Well, I'll be on my way."
I got up from my seat. I wanted to rest now.
"Goodbye, Professor."
"Goodbye!"
Meanwhile, on the way out.
Forte stared at me, then averted his gaze.
【 Forte, 1st year, Moon Shadow Scholar: 'Professor Dante…. To help us this much…. Who on earth are you…….' 】
Forte was overwhelmed.
In fact, I was just taking care of my own pockets, but for some reason, he's seeing me as righteous.
His misunderstanding didn't end there.
【 Forte, 1st year, Moon Shadow Scholar: 'In the end, I didn't even feel Professor Dante approaching at the end……. To think the difference would be so vast…….' 】
Actually, he's probably stronger than me, but it's fortunate for me if he misunderstands that way.
'Ah, come to think of it.'
A fact I learned while searching through data in the lab.
Wasn't that kid born into the Asimov family?
'If it's the Asimov family…….'
They are a prestigious family of snipers, even among the White Path. In particular, they are the family that assassinated the royal family of the enemy country in the Second Assassination War.
Then, is that guy the son of that Saimo Asimoff? His level was terrible for that.
His grades are clumsy. His eyesight, Mana, and Superpower utilization are all pathetic. That's why he's a repeat Student even with the Moon Shadow Scholar title.
That's why he was forced to do proxy assassination by the same Moon Shadow Scholar.
'……There's no reason to pay any more attention than that.'
There was no reason to care about other people's circumstances.
However, after thoroughly examining the 【Script】 while experiencing this situation, I realized that it was Kendrake who moved Joaquin.
He must have moved Joaquin to assassinate me.
"...I'll have to punish him someday."
.
.
.
Anyway, the next day.
▷ Proceeds from the confiscation of Joaquin Hillavan's assassination items
-
464,120 Ħ
The assassination fee was deposited.
In addition, this was also given.
┃ Mission Accomplished: [Prevented Proxy Assassination]
┃ Reward: Star Fragment × 5
< Star Fragments Held: 69 >
I was satisfied.
EP8
Professor Assassination: Proxy Assassination
END