Chapter 29
Chapter 29
29th Episode
DLC [Professor of the Heroic Tale] : Midterm Review (2)
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Scene # 1 - Professors
Scene # 2 - Kaiser
Scene # 3 - Eve ◀
Scene # 4 - Dante Hiacapo
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[Potential]
A word that means a lot.
People with high potential grow faster than others.
People with high potential can grow higher than others.
[1.0] is the potential of an average person.
[1.5] is an outstanding person.
Around [1.8], it's potential that everyone praises.
[2.0] is a prodigy, rare to find even one in a grade.
From [2.1], they are treated as the best around.
[2.3] is a genius, at the highest level even among professors.
[2.5] is the best potential of mankind, allowed to only about thirty people on the entire continent.
These classifications didn't seem to be very different here in [Hell Difficulty].
Professors generally possessed a potential of [1.9]~[2.2]. If I didn't know better, Hakon would have been [2.1].
However, in this world of [Hell Difficulty], the concept was slightly more expanded.
That is the potential of those related to 'the death of a professor (me).'
For example, like Balmung of the Hidden Dragon Society.
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Balmung Nibelung [2.8]
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Or.
The potential of the neutral head professor who will soon betray Hiaka.
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Battalion Argius [2.5]
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Certainly, the units were generally a bit higher.
But let's say those two are like that. Because they are characters related to the main story.
Then, what is this child?
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Eve Lemontree [3.0]
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⋮
Star Gazing Mountain in the [Error Space].
It was my 19th meeting with Eve.
Eve, who I couldn't see anywhere during the day, appeared at night and sat on the tomb, looking up at the sky.
As I approached, Eve raised her hand and waved it from side to side. She started doing that from the last meeting.
The gesture was awkward. Isn't a hand greeting supposed to be waving only one hand from side to side?
But Eve didn't even fully extend her palm and waved awkwardly with both hands.
Was she not raised among people?
Like a girl raised among wolves.
By the way, when I looked up the surname 'Lemontree' of 'Eve Lemontree,' it was the surname of a nearby baronial family.
It was unlikely that she had been here from the beginning, so I decided to look into it later.
My goal is to somehow make Eve my tool. And thus, to use the monstrous potential of [3.0] as I please. So, in fact, I was approaching her with impure intentions.
Isn't that just like a washed-up Professor of Assassination Studies?
Until now, I had tried to win Eve's favor with numerous things such as 「Scope」, 「Bell」, 「Puppy」, 「Perfume」, 「Bungeoppang」, etc. And there were some meaningful results. Among them, 「Bell」, in particular, had a very good reaction.
"What."
"……?"
It was the same now. Eve looked at me and took out a pine cone from somewhere and waved it from side to side.
"I don't want to."
"……."
"I suddenly don't want to give it to you."
"……?"
Tilting her head, Eve shook the pine cone again.
She has no intention of giving it at all.
She just felt like doing that.
"May I sit next to you?"
Eve stared at me intently before slowly turning her body. As if she didn't care.
It was a great development.
And so, today I sat next to Eve for the first time.
Sitting on the rock, the sky comes into view as if it's about to pour down. She must have always been looking at this scenery.
I didn't have any particular thoughts.
The sky is just the sky.
"……."
What is it about this that she looks at so wistfully?
What is presumed is 'stars.'
Is Eve looking at the gods of this world?
"I'm leaving now. See you again."
Before parting.
Eve shook the pine cone again.
"I'm not giving it to you."
"……?"
"Even if you shake it that fast, I'm not giving it to you. Good work."
"……."
Then Eve stopped tilting her head.
And paused for a moment.
Then she started rummaging for something in the waist of her sackcloth hood.
Soon, she took something out.
It was a knife.
"...Which bell should I give you? A big one? Or an even bigger..."
I hurriedly changed my words.
"……?"
Eve tilted her head, put down the knife.
And rummaged in her waist again and took out something else.
A bright red fruit.
Surprisingly, it was an 'apple.'
Eve carefully held out the apple.
Glancing back and forth between me and the apple.
"What is it. Why an apple."
"……."
She still doesn't understand words.
But it seems she wants to give me something.
I accepted it for now.
"Thank you."
"……."
It was the first time. Getting something from her.
I haven't particularly been conscious that she's only giving it to me. But when I think about it, today was the first time I received something from Eve.
And it felt pretty good.
I ate it on the way back.
Crunch-!
The ripe apple was delicious.
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Scene # 1 - Professors
Scene # 2 - Kaiser
Scene # 3 - Eve
Scene # 4 - Dante Hiacapo ◀
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On the way back, I focused on [Illusion Magic] training in the car.
< Proficiency : 88.32% >
Like this, my recent life has been quite peaceful. I became stronger. I survived. I was quite plausibly riding the line between the Black Path and the White Path, and my Relationship Stat with Eve had progressed quite a bit. The proficiency of 『World Fabrication』 was also nearing 90%.
This was a reward for my efforts. And thankfully, it was an undeniable fact that luck had followed me.
But perhaps that's why. I became a little more nervous than usual. No matter how I thought about it, the potential threats bothered me.
The main story that could explode at any time. The assassinations by the Students that could happen at any time. The increasingly dangerous Hidden Dragon Society.
And more than anything.
● Hornless Demon Toksin
That bastard.
In front of the professor's residence. As soon as I got out of the car, two eyes checking me from the high clock tower. The enemy of mankind. Demons.
Demon slaying secures many 'Star Fragments,' so I am quickly waiting for a suitable stage to unfold.
Otherwise, I am willing to go and kill him. Before he tries to attack humanity and me.
Even though I look like this, I am a Professor of Assassination Studies. I stared into the demon's eyes and imagined killing him for a long time.
"...Professor? Aren't you coming in?"
"I'll go."
When the time comes, I intend to cut off that guy's breath in a quiet and secluded place…….
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Scene # cookie - The Hidden Dragon Society's Cat ◀
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It was the class time of 'Collider,' the senior professor of Illusion Magic Studies.
"The most important thing in Illusion Magic is 'optimization.' Because the number and range of Phantasms that a single human can compute in their mind at once is limited..."
It was then. A murmur of 'That's not true...' was heard. Professor Collider closed his eyes tightly and pretended not to hear.
"There are many types of optimization, but among them, what I will explain today is 'modeling optimization.'"
『 Dream Embrace 』
The professor touched the cactus with his hand and then unleashed his Superpower. *Zap!* After the electric sparks flew, a mirage-like form flew like sand dust, and a cactus appeared in the air. It was a form that looked exactly like the real thing on the desk.
It was then. A murmur of 'It's not good...' was heard. Professor Collider clenched his fist under the desk.
"...This may look like a three-dimensional plant to you, but in fact, most of the space is composed of planes."
As if to prove it, Collider showed the side of the cactus. Surprisingly, it was flat as he said. A shape like papers overlapping in a cross. But it still looked three-dimensional. Enjoying the students' surprised expressions, the professor said.
"In this case, even if the shape is not three-dimensional, it is sufficient to deceive the human eye..."
It was when he was continuing his explanation. 'Who would be fooled by that...' Then Professor Collider couldn't stand it and shouted.
"Shut up! Gray!!"
A roar that burst out.
Silence descended on the lecture hall.
Receiving everyone's attention, a Student smiled slightly, revealing her snaggletooth.
"……Sorry♡"
A female Student with gray hair.
A Student uniform that revealed her body as if it would burst. A body full of tattoos. An impression like a stray cat.
It was Gray Habanero of the Hidden Dragon Society.
"Hey! What are you! What are you so dissatisfied with that you're insulting the professor during class!?"
"Ah, sorry, sorry~~ I didn't think you'd hear me~"
"Didn't think you'd hear me, my ass! Do you think this professor is easy? Do I look like a joke to you!"
"Noo~ But the cactus just now was too shabby♡"
"What, you punk!?"
"Even if you care about optimization, it's too flat. If you can see the sense of distance even a little bit, you'll be able to see through it right away~♡"
The Students were shocked. And Professor Collider closed his eyes.
In the midst of feeling like his eyes were about to flip, the problem was that the opponent was a member of the Hidden Dragon Society.
Wasn't she the daughter of a prestigious assassination family, and a gathering of geniuses who had already assassinated several professors?
Besides, Gray was a Student famous for disrupting classes in every subject she took.
"Get out of my class!"
So he decided not to deal with her.
"Get out?"
"Get out!"
"Really?"
"I'm telling you to really get out!"
"Okay~ But I attended, right?"
"Attendance or whatever, get out! Right now!"
Gray smiled and walked lightly towards the door.
As if a cat was walking.
Then, she brushed the cactus on the desk with her fingertips and dropped it.
Clang!
"Hey, hey, you punk! What are you doing now...!!"
Professor Collider burst out in anger, but the next moment, the cactus was still in its place.
What had fallen was a [Phantasm]. In that short moment, from so close, Gray had cast such an unnoticeable [Illusion Magic].
In a more elaborate form than the professor's.
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……No, what the hell is that!?
Inside the closed door, Professor Collider's annoyed shout echoed.
'Hmm.'
Around that time, Elise, who was taking the class together, also slipped into the space and came out.
Gray was sitting on the roof of the building, looking into the distance.
Elise went next to her and asked.
"Gray."
"Yeah?"
"Why did you do that?"
"Do what. Just now?"
"Yeah."
"Why else. Because I couldn't stand it. If you take a class, you have to learn something, but that professor is too bad, right?"
"Is that so? He was doing well."
"Doing well, my ass. Elites have that problem. They're always stuck in a frame. He's completely trash."
"Is that so?"
"[Illusion Magic Branch] assassins are a minority and should have pride. If you're going to teach others, you need to have your own thoughts."
"It's difficult…."
Elise looked at the grumbling Gray.
Her family, 'Habanero,' was a 'prestigious family of Illusion Magic.'
So Gray also had great pride in [Illusion Magic].
"Why are you taking [Stealth Studies] classes? Where is there a professor who can hide better than you?"
"Hmm. I guess so."
"Why do you keep saying 'I guess so.' Are you stupid?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah…. I'm stupid…."
Gray clicked her tongue indifferently. Tsk tsk.
Her snaggletooth popped out.
"Whatever……. What would you know about the pride of [Illusion Magic], you who only know how to kill like playing catch with a dog? I'm going to go sleep."
After finishing speaking, Gray jumped off the building and walked away.
'Hmm.'
Elise, who was left alone, thought blankly.
Come to think of it, Professor Dante's 'Understanding of Assassination and Superpower' subject.
Isn't the next week's class the [Illusion Magic] unit?
'Huh?'
If she had a tail, it would have been wagging from side to side.
Isn't Professor Dante special?
I wonder, what will his Illusion Magic class be like?
'Curious.'
Elise became curious.
DLC [Professor of the Heroic Tale]
Midterm Review
END