Chapter 15
Chapter 15
‘A conference? And they’re inviting people from outside?’
They were holding a conference just for my exam!
And they were even inviting outside guests.
This was a scheme they’d set up with the firm intention of humiliating me.
The topic was even more absurd.
‘Breaking the Fractal Structure Between the Stars? That’s one of the major unsolved problems in introductory magic studies.’
Beside me, Hans wore an enraged expression.
“What kind of person sets a topic like this for an exam for a new professor?! It makes no sense, so you absolutely must not go along with—!!”
“It’s fine. No, actually, this is perfect.”
“…Young master?”
If—
If Balik had given me an ordinary written exam, I might have found myself in serious trouble.
I did have the Grandmaster of Magic ability, but I’d only been studying magic for a little over a month. I simply didn’t have enough knowledge.
But—
‘With a problem this difficult, that’s a different story.’
I lifted the corners of my mouth with confidence.
“Hans, you told me, didn’t you? That I would become a star in the world of magic.”
“…I did.”
“Tomorrow, people will see that light for themselves.”
And so, the day of the exam arrived.
“We’ve arrived.”
As I stepped down from the carriage, I couldn’t help but marvel.
‘So this is Rubiness Academy.’
Seeing with my own eyes a place I’d only ever seen in the game gave me a strange feeling.
‘It’s enormous. This isn’t even a city—it’s a city within a city.’
You could almost call it a city within a city.
Even Seoul National University, one of the largest campuses in Seoul, couldn’t compare.
‘Apparently, if you add up all the grounds, they cover about one fifth of the entire Free City.’
Considering that the Free City was one of the Empire’s greatest cities, Rubiness Academy was larger than most small- to medium-sized cities.
Of course, most of those grounds were Sealed Areas, places that were off-limits and left unused. The students only used a portion of the academy.
‘The places the students use look like a university campus. Well, the faculty structure is similar to a university’s, too.’
For reference, the Academies in Hero Academy were divided into four faculties.
The Knight Faculty.
The Magic Faculty.
The Humanities Faculty.
The Support Faculty.
You might have guessed from the fact that there were four faculties, but each one was assigned a single playable protagonist.
‘Each Academy gets four protagonists, and they’re assigned one to each of those four faculties.’
Rubiness Academy would have four protagonists in all: one in the Knight Faculty, one in the Magic Faculty, one in the Humanities Faculty, and one in the Support Faculty.
‘Please let them be protagonists with barely any presence.’
In any case, that was a matter for later.
I’d applied for a professorship in the General Department of the Magic Faculty.
The “General Department” was, simply put, the “miscellaneous studies” department.
It was a fringe department that lumped together various schools of thought that hadn’t made it into the mainstream of magic.
Among all the fields in the General Department, I was going to become a professor specializing in Magic Theory, the most marginalized of them all.
‘I really like the outsider vibe. I’ll quietly enjoy a leisurely life as a professor.’
But the moment I set foot inside the Academy, I realized there was a problem.
Far too many people were focused on me.
“Huh? Ban the Trash?”
“Did he really apply to become a professor?”
“What kind of lunatic—?”
It was only natural.
It had only been a few years since Ban graduated from the Academy.
The current fourth-year students, who were about to graduate, had probably witnessed Ban’s trashy behavior firsthand back when they were first-years.
“Don’t tell me they’re actually going to appoint him as a professor? Damn it, I was planning to go to graduate school. Should I give up?”
“Don’t worry. There’s no way he’ll pass the exam.”
“They could still appoint him through nepotism, with influence from the Ecclesia Ducal House.”
“No. Professor Balik said he’d make absolutely sure Ban failed. You don’t need to worry.”
It seemed word about me had already spread far and wide.
‘The attention will die down if I just keep a low profile, anyway.’
Still, I thought I should calm them down a little.
I opened my mouth, thinking, ‘Don’t worry, everyone. I’ll treat you well, students. I’m harmless.’
“Are you the students of Rubiness Academy? You are sorely lacking. Still, that’s all right. From now on, I will lead you. You need only trust and follow me.”
“……”
Oh, no.
The Black Flame Dragon’s mouth had gotten me into trouble again.
I hurriedly tried to clean up the mess, continuing in as warm a tone as I could manage.
“Are you about to graduate? Did you say you were going to graduate school? If you ever need anything, come find me whenever you like. My office will always be open to you.”
“Aaah!! We’ll be going now!”
The graduating students fled, their faces ashen, like slaves running away from a wicked slave merchant.
I awkwardly lowered the hand I’d raised.
‘…I was serious about treating them well if they came to graduate school.’
For reference, once I became a professor, I’d have to recruit graduate students, too.
I’d treat them well.
…I really would.
Just then, a voice thick with oily flattery rang out.
“Professor Ban, it’s been a long time. Ah, you’ve become quite handsome since I last saw you. Is His Grace, Duke Huam, doing well?”
The speaker was a middle-aged man whose entire body was decked out in glittering jewels.
His flamboyant attire could rival a peacock’s.
On closer inspection, he was quite handsome, but he had dressed himself up so excessively that he only looked ridiculous.
I looked surprised.
‘Count Karak, the Director!’
That was right.
That ostentatious-looking man was the Director who led Rubiness Academy.
‘He’s the main culprit who ran Rubiness Academy into the ground.’
Rubiness Academy hadn’t always been the worst of the four prestigious academies.
In fact, there had been a time when it was doing so well that it was vying for first or second place.
It was only after that man took office as Director that the academy began to fall so far.
‘The worst Director in history.’
But I felt a touch of tension.
There was a reason for it.
Right then, Count Karak, the Director, put on a fawning, servile expression.
“Professor Ban—no, you’re not a student anymore, are you? Young Master Ban, His Grace, Duke Huam, wasn’t upset that we failed you, was he? I-I do know how outstanding you are, Young Master Ban, but it couldn’t be helped.”
His expression and tone were those of a sycophant.
But I didn’t miss the chill that flickered deep in Count Karak’s eyes.
‘He’s not just some pathetic fool.’
He was the final hidden boss of the first-year arc in the Rubines Scenario.
That was Count Karak’s true, concealed identity.
The real mastermind.
‘…Still, whether he is or not has nothing to do with me.’
It was the “protagonists’” job to protect Rubiness Academy by fighting and scrapping with that fearsome Director.
‘Either way, I’m an extra. There’s no need to make an enemy of the Director for nothing.’
Conviction and greed.
Justice and pure evil.
There would be countless clashes at the Academy from here on out, but I had no intention of fighting for either side.
My dream was to make it to a neutral country first, second, and third—or something like that.
Just then—
“Ah, it brings back memories of Young Master Ban’s school days. How does it feel to be back at the Academy after all this time? As a graduate, and someone hoping to join us as a new professor, is there anything you’d like to say for the good of the Academy?”
I frowned slightly.
‘A test.’
He was trying to find out whether I’d become an obstacle to him.
‘I need to look as harmless as possible.’
I quickly racked my brain.
It was simple enough.
“Not at all.”
“Hmmm?”
“What advice could I possibly offer? You’re leading things so wonderfully, Director.”
But the Director’s reaction was strange.
“Oh, is that so? Hmm.”
There was something off about his response.
“??”
“No, nothing. Oh, how you’ve become so handsome.”
I felt uneasy, but the Director soon slipped back into his usual servile mode and rubbed his hands together obsequiously.
“Goodness, I’ve kept you here far too long. I can’t attend the examination because of my schedule, but I’ll be rooting for you. You know how fond I am of you, Young Master Ban, don’t you? Hehe. Oh, and please be sure to give His Grace, Duke Huam, my regards as well!”
With no choice, I left for the examination site when it was time.
“Hmmm, how curious.”
Count Karak’s eyes shone sharply as he watched Ban’s retreating back.
The fawning air from a moment ago was nowhere to be seen.
“To think Young Master Ban could change so much.”
That was an unexpected assessment.
Ban hadn’t said anything in particular just now.
But that wasn’t what had caught Karak’s attention.
‘The oppressive presence Young Master Ban gave off. That wasn’t fake.’
The Black Flame Dragon’s Charisma had caused trouble again!
Ban had kept his mouth in check, but the charisma overflowing from him of its own accord had caught Karak’s keen eye.
More than anything—
“What advice could I possibly offer? You’re leading things so wonderfully, Director.”
The look in Ban’s eyes as he said those words.
Utterly arrogant and lofty.
As if he were saying this in his heart:
‘Aren’t you the problem with this Academy, you bastard of a Director?’
An astonishing reply.
Since he couldn’t openly blame the Director, Ban must have phrased it that way indirectly.
…Of course, that was a complete misunderstanding, but the arrogant look in Ban’s eyes just now made it impossible not to take his words that way.
“Keukuk, yes, that’s right. I am the one who made Rubiness Academy what it is.”
Director Karak let out a twisted laugh.
“So Duke Huam wasn’t lying when he wrote that Young Master Ban had changed.”
No, it was more than that.
Director Karak gazed toward the conference hall Ban had just left.
“I wonder what kind of showing he’ll make.”
He had no intention whatsoever of interfering with Ban’s appointment examination.
Balik, backed by the Rapalt Ducal House, had been given full charge of Ban’s case.
‘I suppose passing is impossible.’
But if, by some chance—
if a miracle were to happen—
‘Then I’ll have to keep an eye on him.’
Director Karak’s eyes gleamed like a snake’s.
Tap.
The moment I stepped into the conference hall, everyone’s eyes turned toward me.
‘More people came than I expected.’
There seemed to be over fifty spectators.
‘Though most of them look like Rapalt Ducal House’s lackeys.’
Surprisingly, there weren’t many students or professors currently attending the Academy.
Well, this could hardly be called a proper conference, so there wasn’t much reason for them to attend.
The only people I could see were a few professors who had some connection to the Rapalt Ducal House.
“I wonder if Young Master Ban is too nervous to give his lecture properly.”
“I heard that even when he attended the Academy, he couldn’t manage to give a presentation in front of other people.”
I heard snickers.
Their whispers made Balik’s intention painfully obvious: he meant to humiliate me in front of a large crowd.
But I smiled to myself.
‘Sorry, but I’m used to situations like this.’
Working in sales didn’t mean I spent all my time running around on my feet.
Sometimes I had to take the stage to give product presentations, and those stages were often much bigger than this one.
The Black Flame Dragon’s Charisma lent me a hand.
“Greetings, everyone. I am Ban Ecclesia, invited to speak at this conference.”
“!!”
Even I thought my voice sounded dignified and impressive.
A stir rippled through the hall. Seeing me act differently from what he had expected, Balik frowned sharply and spoke up.
“Welcome to the conference, Young Master Ban. I am Professor Balik, and I will be serving as the chair of today’s conference.”
Balik’s eyes gleamed fiercely.
Even though I had shown him something he hadn’t expected, I could feel his determination to make sure he humiliated me.
“Young Master Ban will be lecturing on how to overcome the interstellar fractal structure. Once the lecture is over, I ask that you evaluate it. Today’s evaluation scores will determine whether Young Master Ban passes the Temporary Professor appointment examination.”
Most of the people gathered here were from the Rapalt Ducal House.
In other words, I could assume I had no chance of passing.
‘Under normal circumstances,’ that is.
But—
“This is one of the great problems of the magical world. I’m truly looking forward to seeing how Young Master Ban will lecture on it.”
‘A great problem.’
That was where the answer lay.
I stepped onto the lectern.
“Before I begin, I’d like to ask for your understanding. You may find today’s lecture somewhat difficult to follow.”
The Black Flame Dragon’s arrogant voice rang out.
“The subject is so simple to me that I’m not sure how to explain it at your level.”
Shock and disbelief spread across everyone’s faces.
They looked at me as if I were insane.