Chapter 30
Chapter 30
30
EP11 - Professor Assassination: Illusion Magic (1)
The location was the department office. I was reviewing various documents while preparing the quiz questions.
"Professor Saka, what happened to your arm?"
A senior professor in his middle age had his arm wrapped in bandages, drawing attention from several other professors.
"What else? I was a victim of professor assassination the day before yesterday, so it ended up like this."
"Were you stabbed?"
"It's a burn. Third degree."
"Oh dear. You're really unlucky."
"I know, right? Professor Saka can't use Elemental Defense Magic, after all."
At that, the middle-aged professor from the Black Path sighed deeply.
"My arm is burning so much... That's why I tried to avoid lecturing on Localized Ignition Magic..."
"But you can't just not teach it. You're majoring in Magical Assassination."
"Tch, it's okay to be in pain. But I'm embarrassed to face the Students."
"Hmm. You should probably avoid the Students for a while. It would be dangerous if an assassination attempt came when one of your arms is impaired..."
Still, if a professor ended up like that, a Student would be nearly crushed.
I'm known as a professor who doesn't retaliate against assassinations, but the truth is, I can't.
Other professors retaliate against assassinations.
Thus, 'Professor Assassination' is a kind of preview and review of the class. The content of the assassination also changes according to the lecture content.
Currently, I'm feeling uneasy.
Until now, I taught 'History of Superpower' in the class 'Understanding Assassination and Superpower,' and there weren't many assassination attempts except for the first day of my appointment.
But from today, classes on the 12 Supernatural Power Systems officially began.
The first unit was [Illusion Magic].
'...But, surprisingly, it's been quiet these past two days.'
There should have been a 'preview assassination.'
Maybe it's thanks to killing Hakon? (Although I didn't kill him...)
If so, that's a relief.
For now, both to train and to practice [Illusion Magic] for use in class.
I returned to the lab and created various Phantasms with 『World Fabrication』.
< Proficiency with 『World Fabrication』: 88.35% (▲0.03%) >
Then Adele entered the lab and said.
"Professor, shall we go to eat~?"
"Alright."
"But, Professor. Do you have time after class today?"
"Why?"
"Well... there's something I want to talk to you about..."
I turned to look at Adele.
She was looking at me with a flushed expression.
Her hands were behind her back, and she was sticking out her chest, which was strangely seductive. It might have been because one of the straps of the bustier she was wearing over her T-shirt had slipped off.
"What kind of conversation? You can say it here."
"I'm embarrassed..."
"What's embarrassing?"
"Eung... Isn't it mean to pretend you don't know...?"
Adele approaches me with a strange expression. Her gaze seemed to imply something.
So I also stood up and faced her head-on. She was slightly taller than average, but I was taller, so her eyes looked up at me from below my chin.
"I've liked you for a long time, Professor."
"That's a sudden thing to say."
"...Is there a Student planning to play with fire?"
She takes a step closer.
Adele, who is right in front of my nose, asks with unfocused eyes.
"...Will you hug me?"
I was silent.
Isn't this too sudden?
Of course, it was sudden. Because everything is a lie.
This woman doesn't like me. She doesn't particularly want a hug, and she's not even Adele.
【 Assassination Studies 1st year Ruine: 'Just come one step closer.' 】
Ruine. She was a Student taking my class.
At this point, I sighed inwardly.
Professor assassination, which had been quiet for a while, has started again.
【 Assassination Studies 1st year Ruine: 'Just one step... then the knife will reach...' 】
The fact that she was pretending to be Adele was [Body Alteration] from [Illusion Magic]. It was literally shapeshifting. She only changed her face to Adele's.
Ruine's height and body were similar to Adele's. Her voice seemed to be imitating, and her outfit today was a common white T-shirt and black bustier, so she must have copied it.
【 Assassination Studies 1st year Ruine: 'But looking at him up close, he's really damn handsome... I can't stab him with both eyes open...' 】
【 Assassination Studies 1st year Ruine: 'Hmm... If I don't get caught, should I just give him a little kiss...?' 】
Are you crazy?
【 Assassination Studies 1st year Ruine: 'No... Let's just close my eyes and stab him and run...' 】
With this, I realized what was in that hand behind her back.
She was blushing and hiding a knife behind her waist.
"......"
Anyway. I'm glad I figured it out in advance, this situation was dangerous enough.
Assassination is dangerous in itself.
If I respond poorly and rumors spread strangely, it would be socially dangerous.
After much deliberation, I opened my mouth.
"Adele."
"...Yes, Professor."
"Would you close your eyes?"
"...Oh my."
Ruine closed her eyes.
『 World Fabrication: Shape Fabrication [Ruine] 』
I placed a Phantasm in her shape in front of her, put two of my middle fingers on it, and put a piece of paper in its mouth that said ['You will be given 0.5 penalty points for attempted assassination outside of class hours, so meet Adele and submit a written explanation of the disciplinary action'].
Then, I left the lab in a very quiet step.
In the hallway, I ran into Adele.
"Professor. Where are you going? Aren't you going to eat?"
"I'm okay with food. I'm just going for a walk."
"If it's okay, can I come with you?"
"I can't."
"Aww. Why~"
Because she's not Adele either.
【 Assassination Studies 1st year Ruidin: 'My sister may have failed... but now he's let his guard down.' 】
This time it was Ruine's twin brother.
This time he even used [Voice Alteration], but he couldn't change his body itself. His face was Adele's, but his broad shoulders were a bit annoying.
"...Can I hold your hand while we walk?"
Are you crazy?
"Alright. But close your eyes."
"Oh my..."
After that, it was the same as before.
『 World Fabrication: Shape Fabrication [Ruine] 』
I put the twin sister's hand in the hand of the closed-eyed younger brother, and in the other hand, I put a post-it note related to [Submission of a written explanation of attempted assassination].
So I ran out of the Assassin Building.
And then there was Adele again.
"Huh? Professor. You were here. They say there's steak in the professor's cafeteria today, can I come with you?"
Fucking hell.
Is she fake too?
I was getting a bit neurotic now, so I was nervous.
But when I saw the [●Name Tag], thankfully, she wasn't.
"Nee? Ahahahaha!"
Adele laughed when I told her what had just happened.
"Hehe... But Professor, you're really slow on the uptake."
"What do you mean."
"Do you still see me as the real Adele?"
"You're the real one."
"I'm not? Look, Professor... Uuum...♥"
Adele has the feeling of a daughter from a noble family, but I guessed that she definitely had no dating experience. The way she pouted her lips was too awkward.
"...I'll pretend I didn't see that."
"Ahahaha! Is it okay to hate it that much?"
Anyway. The Ruine siblings' assassination attempts were just 'preview,' and I would be heading to a classroom where assassination is legal in a few hours. I also realized that a 'review' after class was waiting for me.
"But, aren't you going to eat?"
I'm not.
I'm planning to starve to death.
* * *
"Who's the strongest among the new professors?"
Students like to rank things. Among them, ranking professors is a very attractive topic.
Who is the strongest?
Whose skills are the most outstanding?
Whose achievements are the greatest?
If you were to confine three Students in a room and give them such a topic, they could talk about it for three days and nights.
But recently, the topic of 'who is the strongest among the new professors' has become less interesting. Because the answer is always obvious.
"Among the new professors, it's Professor Dante. He caught Professor Hakon, who was ranked 7,100th, without a scratch, right?"
"Isn't Professor Eugene of Curse Studies still somewhat comparable?"
"Nah. Absolutely not."
"Are you kidding me?"
"Hmm... I think Professor Dante is stronger than most of the senior professors."
There had been several displays of force. The crazy assassination evasion on the first day, the arrest of the proxy assassin, the murder of Hakon, and so on. In all those incidents, Professor Dante left a very strong impression.
'Professor Dante, Professor Dante... Geez.'
However, there were Students who didn't look happy while listening to such conversations.
They were the Students who had recently failed in their assassination attempts, including the Ruine siblings.
They didn't like hearing such praise at all.
'Why are they sucking up to him so much?'
Strong?
Okay.
Professor Dante seems strong.
Even from personal experience, it feels like it's impossible to assassinate him.
But apart from strength, there was dissatisfaction from the perspective of taking his class directly.
"Ahem..."
The start of the slander came from a minor annoyance. No Student who fails in an assassination is in a good mood.
Ruine frowned and said as she passed by.
"...But, Professor Dante. Honestly, isn't his teaching method a mess?"
Ruine started to slander.
"Huh?"
"Really?"
The Students taking the class together tilted their heads.
Is that so?
They hadn't really thought about it that way.
"Professor Dante's teaching method is okay, isn't it?"
"His voice is good, and he hardly gives us any assignments."
Ruine frowned.
"Honestly, isn't it true? It's called 'Understanding Assassination and Superpower,' so I thought he'd show us a lot of different Superpowers. But he's always just reciting from the textbook. Professor Dante is."
At that, the other Students blinked.
Is that so?
Now that they thought about it, it seemed like that was the case.
Then one Student retorted.
"But, Ruine. The textbook unit itself is the 'History of Superpower' part right now, so how can he give interesting and easy-to-understand explanations there?"
"That's true. But the problem is that it's too boring even considering that."
Ruine crossed her arms.
"Think about Professor Vaiper's Trap-Self-Study class or Professor Parthenon's Magical Assassination Studies class. Even just listening to the explanations is fun, right? You learn a lot too."
"Hmm... Well, those two are good at teaching... But won't it be a bit different from this unit?"
After thinking carefully, the Students who had been defending Professor Dante also started to feel a bit awkward.
A professor being strong.
A professor's research being outstanding.
A professor's teaching method being good.
They are all different.
If you separate them one by one, the evaluation of Professor Dante can change as much as possible.
'I see... Is that professor really good at teaching...?'
Doubt about Professor Dante began to sprout.
Still, the boring unit ended yesterday.
And from today, it's an interesting unit, isn't it?
"We should keep a close eye on him today."
With that in mind, the Students waited for the professor to come.
Creak!
Soon, a man enters the lecture hall.
Concrete. Metal. Winter. Ash gray. Rainy days... These are the things the Students feel when they see him. Even the time he enters is inorganically punctual.
"Adele. Take attendance."
"Yes~"
Lecture hall. While Adele is taking attendance. Ruine and her friends scrutinized Professor Dante's face. Then one Student raised his hand.
"Professor. I'm Harim. Can I ask you a question?"
"I'm listening."
"Is it true that Understanding Assassination and Superpower is entering a new unit from today?"
"That is so. The History of Superpower ended yesterday."
The Students' eyes glanced at each other.
That meant that today was the first day they could check his real teaching method.
Ruine snorted and crossed her arms. She was going to see how well he did.
In a place where everyone's eyes were pouring in like that.
"Quiet."
Professor Dante silenced the commotion.