Chapter 70…………………………
“Huh? Duke Ibrante?”
“Y-Your Grace!”
“Phew…”
This damn body.
All I did was run up a few steps, and already I was gasping for breath.
I couldn’t let myself look pathetic, so I forced my breathing under control and asked:
“…And you are?”
“Ah, g-greetings! I-I’m Hamilton Grayson, a professor of history! It’s an honor to meet you!”
“I’m William Craker, professor of architecture. I heard you attended the opening ceremony, but… where are you headed?”
“I have an appointment with the dean.”
Ruspel stared at me, as if asking when exactly I had made such an appointment.
Hamilton and William looked anxious, worried that I had overheard what they had been saying.
Both of them fidgeted restlessly before edging away.
“O-oh, I see. Then please have a pleasant meeting with the dean.”
“You two should come along.”
“Eh? Uh… we’re grateful for the offer, but we have classes to teach. Isn’t that right, Professor William?”
“R-right! We’re already late as it is…”
“Isn’t it nearly lunchtime?”
“……”
“Follow me.”
“Y-yes, sir…”
William and Hamilton lowered their heads, looking like men condemned.
Despite me showing up unannounced, Dean Oswald wasn’t the least bit displeased.
On the contrary, he welcomed me with excessive fuss, as though I were the Emperor himself.
“Oh my! Our precious benefactor—ah, no, Duke Ibrante himself! Why trouble yourself to come here? I should have gone to you! Please, sit down.”
Oswald offered me the most prominent seat on the sofa, then bustled about to prepare tea.
In doing so, he failed to notice William and Hamilton standing outside the office door with their heads bowed.
“Now, let’s see. What kind of tea should we serve our esteemed benef—ah, our Duke… Professor Ruspel, while the tea is being prepared, why don’t you show His Grace some magic to keep him entertained?”
“Do I look like a clown to you?”
“Just do it!”
Oswald barked under his breath, then immediately turned to me with a radiant smile as he poured the hot water.
“I wasn’t sure what would please you before a meal, so I prepared a tea to stimulate the appetite. It suited my taste, but… hm?”
As he handed me the tea, Oswald finally noticed William and Hamilton. His eyes widened.
“When did you two arrive?”
“……”
“Why are you standing there like that? If you’ve business, speak up.”
“……”
“If it’s not urgent, come back later. I’m entertaining a very, very important guest right now.”
Unable to explain themselves, William and Hamilton simply shifted awkwardly.
Sensing something unusual, Oswald glanced between them and me.
“Wait… Your Grace, did you summon these professors?”
“Yes, I told them to follow me.”
“For what reason…?”
“I overheard something interesting. Professors, come over here.”
William and Hamilton hesitated forward, faces pale as if about to cry.
Oswald shot them a questioning look, but of course neither dared to speak.
Ruspel sighed deeply and tried to stop me.
“Your Grace, please. That’s enough.”
“I haven’t even started yet. Stop me one more time, and I’ll show you just how far I can go.”
“……”
I lifted my teacup and ordered:
“Professors William and Hamilton. Repeat exactly what you said earlier. Not a single word omitted.”
“Y-Your Grace, we’re sorry!”
“We were wrong. Please forgive us this once!”
“Did I say you could apologize?”
At my cold stare, the color drained from their faces.
The atmosphere grew taut and dangerous.
Oswald forced a strained smile and cut in.
“Ahem, Professor William, what exactly happened?”
“Well, it’s… um…”
Stammering, William and Hamilton began to explain.
At first they tried to gloss things over, but when I glared, they gave up and recounted everything as it was.
As time passed, the kindly smile faded from Oswald’s face.
“Truly, Your Grace, we had no idea you were there. Had we known, we would never have spoken so carelessly…”
Bang!
Oswald slammed the table.
“So if no one’s listening, you think it’s fine to run your mouths?”
“N-no, that’s not what we meant…”
“Spreading false rumors, slandering others—do you think that’s forgivable? You call yourselves professors? Claiming that Professor Ruspel has been cursed by the Demon King? Is that what you are?”
“At first, I didn’t believe it either! But Professor Adolf swore he saw it himself, so we…”
“Silence!”
Oswald’s thunderous rebuke shut them up instantly.
“If you didn’t believe it, why repeat it? Professors behaving so recklessly! What are the students supposed to learn from you?”
“We’re sorry, Dean…”
His face flushed red, white beard trembling in anger.
“The academy is not a place just anyone can enter. That applies not only to students but to professors as well.”
“We apologize for the trouble we’ve caused…”
“We’ll reflect deeply on this.”
“Now, apologize to His Grace from the bottom of your hearts. Can you imagine how offended he must feel?”
The absurdity of it made me laugh.
They bullied my friend right in front of me, and now I was supposed to accept a few words of apology?
Bullies never change. They take pleasure in isolating and tormenting others.
These men would not reflect.
If anything, they’d nurse resentment from today and torment Ruspel even more viciously.
‘More secretively, more carefully—because they can’t risk being caught.’
I knew exactly how maddening that was. I’d gone through it myself in high school.
And if they harassed Ruspel behind closed doors, the dean would never know.
‘How could he? He’s not going to follow them around and watch.’
William and Hamilton bowed deeply, begging forgiveness with earnest expressions.
“We’re sorry, Your Grace. We’ll make sure nothing like this ever happens again. Please forgive us.”
“We’ll never act so carelessly again. Forgive us, please.”
[Oh my, are these ugly humans trying to smooth things over with mere words? Lian, don’t you dare accept it!]
[Heheheh… Life is war, you bastards.]
Undine and Salamander’s telepathic voices alternated in my head, both seething with fury.
“I refuse.”
“Pardon?”
“I said I don’t want to forgive you.”
Hamilton, William, even Oswald stared at me, eyes wide.
“Surely you didn’t think a couple of half-hearted apologies would settle this? You’re not children of four or five, are you?”
Sensing danger in my smile, Oswald immediately threw himself to the floor.
“Your Grace! I have no excuse! It’s entirely my fault for failing to supervise the professors properly!”
“I’ve heard enough of the obvious.”
“Y-Your Grace?”
“I don’t intend to let this pass quietly. I’ll make it known to the parents and raise questions about the professors’ qualifications.”
That would severely damage the academy’s reputation, and the noble parents would never sit idly by.
Since most of them were influential aristocrats, the academy would be crushed under pressure.
“The imperial subsidy for education will also need to be reconsidered. The amount seems far too generous for an academy of this caliber.”
“Gasp! That cannot be! We’ve already signed a contract to build another magic training hall! For Piace’s sake at least, please spare the budget!”
“Piace is not a mage.”
“Your Grace!”
Oswald, desperate, clutched at my legs.
“Your Grace, what must I do to appease you? Shall I take full responsibility and resign?”
At that moment, Ruspel, who had been silent like a bystander, suddenly spoke up.
“You’ll resign, Master? Then I can quit too, right? That works out perfectly.”
My boiling rage cooled in an instant.
The academy was Ruspel’s only bridge to the outside world.
If he quit, he’d hole up in his lab and never come out again.
I glared sharply at Oswald.
“Dean, are you playing games with me? Did I ever say you should resign?”
“Then… what should I do? Please, tell me!”
“Fire both of them. And that Adolf professor too.”
“……!”
William and Hamilton looked stricken, but Oswald simply nodded in agreement.
“Frankly, that is the right course. I had planned to dismiss them eventually anyway.”
“Dean?!”
“Dean!”
“Silence, both of you! The academy is on the verge of ruin because of your actions, and you still dare to speak?”
William and Hamilton looked utterly wronged, on the verge of tears.
“But it will be difficult immediately. Classes just began today—if we suddenly lose two professors…”
“Three.”
“If we suddenly lose three professors, who will teach the students?”
“Hire new ones.”
“Then please grant me some time. I’ll do my best to expedite it, but I beg for at least a month’s grace.”
Stage2:(Glare)Youexpectmetograntleniencyafterhearingsuchfilth?Removethattrashfrommysightimmediately.Stage 2: (Glare) You expect me to grant leniency after hearing such filth? Remove that trash from my sight immediately.
Hah, for once the damn narrator and I agree.
“Why should I grant leniency? Remove that trash from my sight right now.”
“Your Grace!”
“You should have considered character when hiring professors. This is your failure as dean, so take responsibility and handle it.”
“B-but where am I supposed to find people on such short notice…”
“It seems we’ve missed lunchtime. Professor Ruspel, let’s go.”
“…Yes.”
“Your Grace? Your Grace! Your Graaaaace!!!”
Leaving Oswald wailing behind, Ruspel and I walked out of the dean’s office.
