The Lecture of the Youngest Professor, Ruined

The Holy Department lecture hall had a completely different atmosphere from the Combat Department. If the Combat Department training ground was filled with the metallic tang of blood, the stench of sweat, and the dust of shattered targets, this place was the opposite. It was clean. So clean it almost felt unpleasant.

White marble corridors. Sacred inscriptions carved into every wall. Sunlight pouring through the windows. The air carried the faint scents of herbs, incense, and the lingering trace of divine power.

The students walked in silence. Some clutched books to their chests, others adjusted the hems of their robes as they headed to the lecture room. Unlike the Combat Department students, who chattered loudly and bragged about their weapons, almost none of them made a sound here.

In that quiet atmosphere, I stood out far too much on my own. Black uniform. Black gloves. The arrogant, tired impression of someone looking down on others. And the infamous reputation that everyone knew.

“Isn’t that Kyle Rowen?”

“Why is he in the Holy Department…?”

“Isn’t he the senior who caused that accident at the Combat Department training ground yesterday?”

“I heard he publicly insulted the Sword Star’s daughter.”

Whispers followed me from every corner of the hallway. I pretended not to notice and kept walking. No—more accurately, I had to pretend not to notice. There was no point worrying about my reputation at this stage. It was already at rock bottom. It wouldn’t make much difference if it got a little worse.

The real problem is today.

I glanced down at the lecture notice in my hand.

Just reading the words made my head hurt.

Seraphine Elua. The youngest professor in the Holy Department. Former Saintess candidate. In the original story, she was the person exploited by the Church for the longest time, in the cruelest ways. She was beautiful, strong, and capable. Respected by students, acknowledged by professors. She was the pride of the Holy Department and the Church’s most dazzling billboard planted in the academy.

And she was also the one who died the slowest in the original story.

High-Level Purification.

I pressed my fingertip against that phrase on the notice. That was the exact problem. Seraphine’s purification looked perfect. At least on the surface. It quickly cleansed wounds contaminated by Maheun, erased toxins, and burned away corrupted mana in an instant. Students gasped in admiration. Professors praised her. The Church called her the second coming of the Saintess.

But I knew the truth. That purification spell consumed the caster’s lifespan. To be precise, it didn’t release holy power outward. Instead, it burned the caster’s own life force and divine circuits simultaneously to create an explosive purifying force. The efficiency was high. The power was immense. But the more she used it, the more cracks formed inside her body. First at the wrist. Then near the heart’s divine circuits. In the end, her entire body would shatter like a broken holy relic.

In the original story, Seraphine had hidden that fact. Because she was a professor. Because she had been a Saintess candidate. Because everyone trusted her. And the Church had taken full advantage of that silence.

Today’s lecture was the first sign.

In the original story, Seraphine demonstrated High-Level Purification during this very open demonstration lecture. The students cheered. The professors applauded. She finished the lecture with a perfectly composed face. Then, at night, she would sit alone in her lab, staring at the black cracks that had formed on her wrist.

I remembered that scene clearly. On the screen, Seraphine ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had been smiling. It was the kind of smile people make when they’re falling apart.

“……Damn it.”

I crumpled the notice and shoved it into my pocket. I had to stop her. And once again, there was only one way to do it. By ruining it. In the worst possible way.

When I reached the lecture hall doors, I could hear murmuring from inside. It was a large auditorium. The semicircular seating was filled not only with Holy Department students but also those from other departments. Seraphine’s open lectures were that popular.

In the center of the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hall stood a small altar. On it rested a silver holy artifact—a palm-sized chalice. It was the demonstration chalice for the purification ritual. The moment I saw it, I frowned.

That artifact is exactly the same.

The chalice itself wasn’t the problem. The problem was the contaminated water inside it. A heavily diluted sample containing trace remnants of Maheun. A demonstration material meant to show students the principles of purification. But Seraphine would try to purify it too perfectly. In a single instant. Without leaving a single ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠trace. And as a result, the crack on her wrist would begin.

“Kyle Rowen?”

The Holy Department assistant instructor standing by the entrance stiffened when he saw me. “What brings you here?”

“I came to watch the lecture.”

“A Combat Department assistant instructor attending a Holy Department open lecture?”

“Is that not allowed?”

“That’s not what I meant, but…”

He looked openly uncomfortable. I deliberately brushed past him as I spoke.

“Then move. Stop playing gatekeeper.”

The assistant’s face flushed red. Several students turned to look at me. The whispering grew louder.

“He really came.”

“Why come all the way here just to cause trouble?”

“He’s not going to mess up Professor Seraphine’s lecture, is he?”

That’s right. I was going to cause trouble. A very big one.

I didn’t sit in the back row. I deliberately stood beside the front aisle. A spot where everyone could see me clearly.

A moment later, the noise inside the lecture hall died down all at once. The door opened. Seraphine Elua entered.

The moment I saw her, I immediately understood why the students respected her so much. Her silver-blonde hair was neatly tied back. Her white professor’s robes weren’t overly ornate, but they swayed softly with every step, as if they held light within them. Her expression was calm. Her movements were elegant. Her voice was low and clear.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

All the students in the hall straightened their postures at once. Seraphine stood before the altar and scanned the room. Her gaze brushed over me for the briefest instant. It was truly only for a moment. But I didn’t miss it. Her eyebrows twitched ever so slightly. She had recognized me.

Of course she had. Kyle Rowen was a problem student even among the faculty. Especially for her. In the original story, Kyle publicly insulted her in the mid-game, causing a major clash with the Holy Department. She probably didn’t think well of me right now. Which was actually better.

Seraphine quickly looked away and began the lecture.

“Today, I will explain the structure and practical application of High-Level Purification. Purification is not simply a technique for erasing contamination. It is also a technique of discernment—distinguishing between contamination and life, between what must be preserved and what must be removed.”

Her voice was gentle. The students began taking notes as if entranced. I looked at her hand. More precisely, at her right wrist. Beneath the white glove, nothing was visible on the surface. But the way holy power flowed through her couldn’t be hidden.

There’s already a crack.

It was small. Tiny. But it was there. Every time holy power flowed toward her fingertips, the current inside her wrist split once. An ordinary student would never have noticed. But Kyle Rowen’s body could see it. Unfortunately, even though this guy belonged to the Combat Department, his sensitivity to the flow of holy power wasn’t bad. No—it wasn’t simply because of talent. There was something about this body. A fact I still didn’t want to think about.

“The most important thing in High-Level Purification is speed,” Seraphine said, stepping in front of the chalice. “Contamination spreads if given time. The moment you hesitate, even lives that could have been saved will be lost. Therefore, the caster must possess precise judgment and swift execution.”

The students held their breath. Seraphine raised her hand. A faint golden light gathered around her wrist. I clenched my teeth.

Now.

If I waited any longer, the casting would begin. Once activated, interrupting it midway would be even more dangerous. Seraphine’s divine circuits would take the full backlash. To stop it, I had to ruin it before it started.

I stepped forward. The sound of my shoes echoed through the lecture hall. Click. Click.

Seraphine’s gaze turned toward me. The students’ eyes followed. “Kyle Rowen?”

Seraphine’s voice remained calm. But the air had changed. “This is a lecture in progress. If you have a question, please raise your hand—”

“I have no questions.”

I stopped in front of the altar. And smiled. “Because it’s not worth watching.”

The lecture hall froze. Someone dropped their pen. It was a small sound, but it rang strangely loud. Seraphine narrowed her eyes.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Is showing students this kind of purification really what you call a lecture?”

Several students shot to their feet. “Kyle Rowen!” “Watch your mouth!” “What kind of disrespect is this toward Professor Seraphine!”

Good. Get angrier. Look at me. Don’t look at Seraphine.

I ignored the students’ protests and looked down at the chalice. “The efficiency would be high. The speed of removing contamination would be fast. On the surface, it looks quite elegant and would be easy for students to applaud.”

Seraphine’s expression hardened—just a little. “But the structure is crude.”

“……Please continue.” Her voice had lowered.

I deliberately lifted my chin even more rudely. “It’s a method that burns the caster’s own circuits to increase output. Instead of refining holy power for use, it throws the caster’s own body into the fire as fuel.”

For a moment, Seraphine’s fingers stopped moving. The students didn’t understand what I was saying.

“What is he talking about?”

“Using her own body as fuel?”

“That’s ridiculous. There’s no way Professor Seraphine’s purification works like that…”

I took another step closer. Seraphine’s right hand slipped slightly into her robe sleeve. A movement meant to hide it. Exactly as I thought.

“Especially the right wrist.”

Seraphine’s pupils trembled. It was an incredibly subtle tremor. But I saw it. “Before purification begins, the holy power splits once. It must be inside the wrist. It’s still small, but if repeated, the crack will spread toward the heart.”

“Kyle Rowen.” Seraphine’s voice grew cold. “Do you understand what your words imply right now?”

“I do.” I sneered. “It means you were about to give students a demonstration of destroying your own body.”

The students stirred. Now confusion outweighed their anger. Seraphine stared at me. Her face was still beautiful and composed. But inside it, I could see a very small crack. She didn’t deny my words. She couldn’t.

“Baseless insults are grounds for disciplinary action.”

“Disciplinary action?” I picked up the chalice from the altar. The assistants surged forward in alarm. “Kyle Rowen! Do not touch that!”

“This isn’t a lecture. It’s an exhibition of self-harm.”

I hurled the chalice to the floor. Crash!

The silver chalice shattered. The diluted contaminated water inside splashed across the floor. A faint black smoke rose, then vanished as it touched the protective array installed in the lecture hall.

The students screamed. “He’s gone mad!” “He broke the holy artifact!” “This won’t end with just disciplinary action!”

The lecture hall descended into chaos in an instant. The assistants rushed forward to grab me. I didn’t dodge. Seraphine stared at the broken chalice for a long time. Then she slowly raised her gaze toward me.

“Kyle Rowen.” Her voice was low. “I will formally report this incident to the faculty council.”

“Do as you please.”

“Damage to a holy artifact, disruption of a lecture, and insulting a professor. All of it will be recorded.”

“You really love your records, don’t you?” I looked at Seraphine while the assistants held my arms. “Make sure you record this too.”

“……”

“If you want to live, take a break today.”

Seraphine’s lips parted ever so slightly. I said nothing more. Any more and it would be obvious. That I was worried. That I knew. That I had seen how she would die.

The assistants dragged me out of the lecture hall. The students’ accusations poured over my back.

“He’s the worst.”

“After the Sword Star’s daughter, now it’s Professor Seraphine?”

“That guy really needs to be expelled.”

“Professor, are you alright?”

Just before the door closed, I looked at Seraphine one last time. She wasn’t looking at the broken chalice. She was looking at her own right wrist. Beneath the white glove. At the place where the hidden crack lay.

The door slammed shut. Thud.

Once we were in the corridor, the assistants shoved me roughly. “Wait in the waiting room. Do not move until the professor gives further instructions.”

“No manners and no strength either.”

“What did you say?”

“Just close the door.”

The assistant ground his teeth. But he said nothing more. He pushed me into a small waiting room and slammed the door shut.

I sat down in a chair. My shoulders felt heavy.

I stopped it again.

Today, Seraphine hadn’t been able to perform the purification demonstration. The crack on her wrist wouldn’t spread any further. At least not today.

The problem was the price. Damage to a holy artifact. Insulting a professor. Disrupting a lecture. Another line would be added to the Expulsion Evaluation Notice.

I looked up at the ceiling and laughed. “I’m really working hard at ruining myself.”

At this rate, I might get expelled even faster than the original Kyle. But there was no helping it. To survive, I had to stop her. To stop her, I had to be hated. That was the only path I could choose right now.

At that same moment, in the Holy Department research lab, Seraphine Elua was alone. The lecture had been canceled. She had told the students it was due to a safety inspection following the damage to the holy artifact. She had ordered the assistants to stand by. Then she had locked the door to her lab.

Click.

The quiet sound echoed through the room. Seraphine slowly removed the glove from her right hand. The wrist revealed beneath the white fabric was pale. Beautiful and slender. And on the inside of it—there was a black crack. It wasn’t a wound on the surface of the skin. It was deeper than a mana circuit. A fissure in the very path through which holy power flowed.

Seraphine stared at it for a long time. It ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had grown slightly darker than yesterday. No. Even though she hadn’t used purification today, it was already dangerously advanced.

“……”

She wrapped her hand around her wrist. Kyle Rowen’s voice echoed in her mind.

The right wrist. Before purification begins, the holy power splits once. If repeated, the crack will spread toward the heart.

That hadn’t been an insult. It had been an accurate diagnosis. So accurate it sent chills down her spine.

Seraphine stood in front of the mirror. The woman reflected there was still the professor—calm, elegant, the youngest professor respected by all her students. But the hand gripping her wrist was trembling slightly.

“Kyle Rowen.”

The moment she spoke that name, a strange sensation brushed across the inside of her chest. Displeasure. Suspicion. And a very small, very dangerous curiosity.

He had shattered the holy artifact. He had ruined the lecture. He had openly challenged a professor’s authority. To anyone watching, he was clearly a problem student. But because of him, she hadn’t used purification today. He had stopped her. In the worst possible way.

Seraphine looked at the disciplinary report lying on her desk. She picked up her pen. But she couldn’t bring herself to write. The black crack on her wrist kept entering her field of vision. And Kyle’s final words echoed in her ears once more.

If you want to live, take a break today.

Seraphine slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again.

“You……”

In the quiet research lab, her voice flowed out softly.

“How did you know?”