Chapter 1 - I am a professor. Not a war hero.
Chapter 1 - I am a professor. Not a war hero.
Continental Era 1570.
The armistice agreement between the East and the West was signed.
Hostilities were prohibited, and the Eastern demons and the Western Alliance sought a path to peace.
Continental Era 1571.
Those who argued for scrapping the negotiations and waging war were dismantled.
The ringleaders were executed, and their supporting factions were completely scattered.
Continental Era 1573.
The Western Alliance, especially the human side, began to push out war heroes and merit-holders.
Those who had been dissatisfied with the fact that nobles and commoners alike were accepted and credited for their achievements, citing the urgency of the war situation, used the damages from the war as an excuse.
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"What are you scribbling about? I want to know, too."
The man turned his head at the voice coming from beside him.
A middle-aged man with a bright red nose, clearly drunk, was staring at him.
"Mind your own business and just drink your alcohol."
"Heh, look at the manners on this young friend. Hey, you shouldn't talk like that! Huh? Do you know who I am?! I'm someone who fought against the demons to create a path for you young ones to live in the Continental War, okay!"
"...."
At those words, the man took a casual look at the middle-aged man.
Nowhere did he see any scars from that horrific war.
Someone who had truly survived that war, a genuine survivor, would not be this sloppy.
This was, through and through, just the ramblings of a drunkard.
Swoosh-.
The man put his notebook into his coat and placed a few coins on the table.
Then, standing up from his seat, he spat a word at the disgusting lump of alcohol.
"Stop spouting bullshit. It's disgusting to listen to."
"W-what? You mannerless bastard...."
Boom-.
In an instant, the man felt the whole world flip upside down.
Immediately after, slammed into the floor, he screamed, "Ugh!", and writhed in pain.
"Hic! Ugh! Y-you bastard...."
"I've died so many times that my temper isn't very good. Especially, I hate bastards who say shitty things even more. So shut your mouth. If you spout off about being a survivor or whatever one more time...."
Fzzzt-.
As a bluish energy gathered at the man's fingertips, the drunkard was startled.
And he could understand why this man reacted so sensitively to the word "survivor."
The alcohol buzz that had been going strong vanished in an instant, and all that remained was the survival instinct.
The middle-aged drunkard, forgetting even the stinging pain in his back, clasped his hands together with eyes filled with terror and began to beg earnestly.
"I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"...."
Having dusted off his hands once, the man turned around.
The medals hanging near his chest were visible for a moment inside his flowing coat before disappearing.
Adjusting his clothes, which had been messed up from the throw, he left the shop without hesitation.
Taking out his notebook again, he walked away and wrote something down one last time.
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Continental Era 1575.
To break through the still sluggish atmosphere, the East and the West seek a way forward.
Royalty, nobles, and other capable individuals from each faction gather and agree to create a place of education with the main purpose of improving future relations.
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"Are you truly serious?"
Ruskal, who had taken on the role of president of the Continental Academy, which would officially open its gates in a month, asked again.
Even though he was usually so thorough that he would never ask a question twice, he had no choice but to do so because the person who had come to visit was such an unexpected figure.
"I heard the position for the combat magic lecture professor was vacant, so I came. You know it's my specialty, Ruskal-nim."
"Your skills are known to everyone in the kingdom, no, the entire Alliance. But isn't this too unexpected? A war hero acting as a mere teacher at an academy. You should be active as a core officer of the military right now, so why...."
"When the hunt is over, the hunting dog is either discarded or eaten."
At the man's words, Ruskal let out a groan.
Just as he said, for a few years now, the Western Alliance, especially the kingdoms, had been ousting and driving out war heroes under various pretexts.
Of course, not everyone was like that.
The targets were those who had been promoted to officers for their contributions in battles against demons, even though they were all commoners.
They were war heroes, but unlike the nobles, they had no 'backing.'
'What a miserable end the Alliance is heading toward. Tsk....'
Clicking his tongue, Ruskal unfolded the document he had placed to the side.
Then, he brought a pen dipped in ink to the empty space where the name of the professor who would take charge of the combat magic lecture would go, and opened his mouth.
"As you know, not only those from the Alliance but also people from the East will come to the Academy."
"I am aware."
"It means demons are coming."
"I am not unaware that the East is the land of the demons."
"They are the kin of those you slaughtered so much."
"...."
"It won't be easy. They will be wary, they will be hostile, and they will express dissatisfaction. The appointment of professors is my jurisdiction, but I cannot do anything beyond that. If, by any chance, one of them...."
He didn't ask the stupid question of what he would do if they tried to harm him.
Even if those strong demons launched a surprise attack, the man in front of him wouldn't die.
If he were a man who would die from such things, he would have already died on the battlefield long ago.
"I am fully expecting it."
"Then why are you trying to take that position?"
"Because the pay is good."
"...What?"
"All I have left are a few pieces of luggage and these things hanging on my chest. I need money to live somehow, even if I buy land and build a house, but what money would a guy who rolled around on the battlefield have?"
The man said that while pointing to the uniform inside his coat.
The glittering medals hanging in clusters on his chest told the story of what desperate, bloody battles he had gone through to get here.
"It's too sad to be a joke, and too much to nod at if it's the truth. How did you end up...."
Ruskal, who sighed once more, nodded as if he had made a decision.
Scratch, scratch-.
The man's name was written in the empty box for the combat magic lecture professor.
"Take this."
Ruskal, who had put down the pen, held out a key to the man.
When the man looked at it, wondering what it was, Ruskal opened his mouth, asking if it wasn't obvious.
"It's the key to the room and laboratory given to academy professors. Among the human professors who will be with you in the future, there isn't a single commoner. They are all nobles. Naturally, it's for your personal space."
"That's good. I was in a bind because I didn't have a place to stay."
"The entrance ceremony is in a week. You can stay there until then."
"Thank you."
With those words, the man turned around without hesitation and left Ruskal's room.
Watching the place where the man's back, which had disappeared in an instant, had been, Ruskal let out a dumbfounded sigh, "Ha," and began to examine the documents regarding the incoming students again.
"...Ugh."
However, no matter how much he tried and tried, he couldn't focus.
Eventually, leaning his body deep into the back of his chair, he closed his eyes and thought of the man who had come to ask for the professor position just a moment ago.
'It seems a storm will blow from the day of the entrance ceremony.'
Even though it was not a welcome event from the president's position, a smile kept breaking out.
He was very much looking forward to a week later.
"...And since you are the ones taking the first great step for the peace of this continent, I ask that you be careful with every single action and every single word. Once again, I sincerely congratulate you on your admission to the Continental Academy."
The congratulatory speech by Ruskal, the first president of the Academy, ended.
Humans, elves, beastmen, and even demons. Those who had entered the academy and the academy officials applauded and expressed their gratitude for his speech.
"Next, there will be an announcement of the professors who will be in charge of each lecture. First, in the history section...."
Professors were selected from all races—humans, elves, beastmen, and demons—and placed in their positions.
True to an academy created to wish for the harmony and peace of each race, it could be said that the faculty was composed of experts recognized by everyone in their fields.
Every time a professor's name was called, the students entering the academy applauded.
It wasn't that the demons remained unresponsive just because it was a human professor, nor did the human students cast cold gazes just because a demon professor was called.
Finally, all the seated professors finished their self-introductions, and only the last person remained.
"Lastly, I will introduce the person who will be in charge of the combat magic lecture."
At Ruskal's words, the man who had been standing at the very back slowly stepped forward.
And the moment he stood in front of the students, all the human, elf, beastman, and demon students were shocked.
In particular, the demon students had expressions as if they had seen a ghost, a reaction that was hard to believe for those who rarely showed the emotion of fear on the outside.
"Unlike the other human professors, he is of 'commoner' origin, so he has no surname. It is Klaus-nim."
"...."
"...."
"...."
If anyone saw this, it would be a situation where one might mistake the students—most of whom were children of nobles or royalty, or at least children of prestigious families—for openly ignoring the professor because he was a commoner.
There was no applause from the students, no cheers, and not even a sign of welcoming.
They were just blinking their eyes, staring at the man called Klaus with blank expressions.
"Hello."
As Klaus's mouth opened, those who had been rigid flinched and trembled.
"I am Klaus, who will be in charge of the combat magic lecture. I look forward to working with you."
Clap, clap, clap!-
President Ruskal was the first to step up and applaud.
Then, the blank-looking students also started to come to their senses one by one and began to applaud.
The peculiar point was that, while one would expect the human students to show a bit more welcoming attitude if it were a human professor, strangely, this time, the demons were welcoming the professor more passionately.
Klaus, who bowed his head slightly and expressed his gratitude to such students, rolled his eyes slightly.
And he fixed his gaze on the place where the demon students were standing, on the very beautiful woman standing in the front row, representing her race.
'...Found you.'
Seven years from now, the woman who would ignite the flames of the Second Continental War.
The strongest and most outstanding Demon King throughout the First and Second Continental Wars.
By her hands, the humans, elves, and beastmen on the Western continent were completely wiped out.
No hero, no champion could stop her, and in front of that absolute woman, the entire continent was eventually unified, and everything came to an end.
The victory of the demons is foreseen; it is a result decided by the god who created this whole world.
And no sentient being in the Western part of the continent who was hostile to those demons would survive.
That, too, was a future determined by the stupid god who created the world, damn it.
In this fucking predetermined future, he died a whopping 29 times.
That's right. 29 times, he died 29 times.
Even though he had the Perception Inhibition skill, he almost went crazy several times.
Dying and dying again in all sorts of ways, he finally reached a conclusion.
If you can't win, stand on the side of that existence, and if you're going to be on the demon side anyway, you won't be a loser or a lackey, but the one who holds and shakes everything from behind.
That was the minimum pride he, who could be called the creator of this world, could find.
'I spent the 27th, 28th, and 29th loops to make that woman completely mine. The preparation is over.'
If he approached as a noble, he would naturally arouse suspicion.
Because she is a woman with many doubts, a strong person who never let her guard down to anyone.
Elves or beastmen would not attract the attention of demons.
Because the race relatively most similar to demons is humans.
Just because he approaches normally doesn't mean he needs to be a normal guy.
Because if he's normal, he'll just be ignored.
So, as a commoner human, but not a normal human, but a war hero of the First Continental War.
He appeared before her as someone who had been pushed out of the merit-holder purge and entered the academy to make a living.
He had to go through hellish times to do that, but he endured it, thinking of it as an investment for the future.
'If I went through that much shit, that much suffering, I should succeed at least once.'
Sitting in his seat, Klaus smiled and looked at the demon woman.
Imagining how that noble and proud woman would change in the future made him happy already.
Taming the Demon King was just beginning.