EDPEN 18

Chapter 18

Haven’s Self-Defense lecture hall.
Students wearing combat uniforms were buzzing with excitement.

“Did you hear?”
“They finally appointed a tenured professor for Demon Hunting Studies.”
“Damn, isn’t that basically the head professor’s seat?”

It could be said to be the day Haven’s history was rewritten.

“Did the Imperial Princess and that dorm just let it happen?”

The masterminds behind the Demon Hunting Studies incident were the Imperial Princess and the Goldmoon Dormitory to which she belonged.

“They kicked out the professors, so at least we should be able to learn something.”

There were complaints, but since the instigator was royalty, no one could protest and had no choice but to attend other classes.
Moreover, under the claim that “a professor cannot stand above a student’s death,” the other dormitories were also tending to endure a certain amount of inconvenience.
Of course, to students who spoke of the “right to learn,” Goldmoon’s black‑and‑white logic—“So you’re taking the professors’ side now?”—was enough to leave one dumbfounded…

“The Princess still hasn’t returned, right?”
“Yeah. The upperclassmen are still out on external missions.”
“Is that okay?”
“She even broke that amazing magic, so it’s all over.”
“Whatever happened on the rooftop, even Goldmoon chickened out and started looking for Demon Hunting Studies textbooks.”

The students were shocked by the completely unexpected news.

“Those guys? Then that professor must actually be pretty skilled.”
“Yeah. You wouldn’t just let anyone handle Demon Hunting Stu—ugh!”

Students who had been sparring with each other screamed. A shadow that had slipped in among them instantly grabbed their legs and flung them away.

“Ugh!”
“Kyaaah!”

It was the tenured professor of Self‑Defense.
The students who were mercilessly thrown about writhed in pain, bluish bruises already blooming on their bodies.
The professor with the monocle flashed his eyes.

“Chit‑chatting in class?! Does self‑defense look easy to you?”
“N‑No! S‑Sorry!”
“Next!”
“Y‑Yes!”

When a student rushed at him, the professor twisted the student’s arm.

“Aaaagh!”

Once again, the student was sent flying without mercy.

Bang!

This was no longer self‑defense; it was closer to indiscriminate assault. The students couldn’t help but curse under their breath.

“Damn, why is Charlie having another fit?”
“Why do you think? He wanted the Demon Hunting Studies post, and it got taken.”

The students snorted with quiet laughter.

“Him, Demon Hunting Studies? That’s a joke. I heard the self‑defense professor got slammed by Professor Wayne.”
“What? Seriously?”
“I dunno—heard it from the TAs.”

Hearing the students talk as they left after class, the self‑defense professor ground his teeth.

‘Damn it, Ruins Wayne.’

Charlie hadn’t had good feelings toward Wayne to begin with.

‘That shut‑in loser.’

He’d humiliated him in front of the chancellor. He’d tried to drive him out, but only baseless rumors had grown, and in the end the Demon Hunting Studies professorship had been taken instead.
That was why Charlie gnashed his teeth.

‘When did that damn nerd ever learn self‑defense?’

It was bizarre. He was the one teaching interpersonal combat techniques at Haven, yet back then Ruins hadn’t budged at all…

‘Hah, no. I know that bastard’s abilities better than anyone.’

Ruins Wayne was far removed from exercise and couldn’t even talk properly to people. His abilities were even worse.

‘Do you really think I’d let someone like that take the head professor—no, the Demon Hunting Studies seat?’

More important than that was what the chancellor had said.

“With that level of skill, you might even produce a Special‑Grade Hero.”

What? Produce who, exactly?
In the Union, hero ranks were divided into Special‑grade, Upper‑grade, Mid‑grade, and Lower‑grade. Only Special‑grade heroes were finally at a level where they could even attempt to attack a Demon Lord.
And for more than a dozen years now, the Union hadn’t produced a single Special‑grade—yet now, all of a sudden, they thought one would appear?

‘I’ll show them Wayne doesn’t deserve that qualification.’

Above all, Charlie, who had attended the same school as Ruins Wayne, knew him well.

‘That guy can use high‑level defensive magic strong enough to pass through the gate?’

As if that were possible.
The way he passed through the gate must have been due to the power of an artifact, not his own skill. The way he scared the students on the rooftop was probably thanks to that power too.
Of course, the chancellor drew a line, saying it wasn’t the “head professor” post but merely the “Demon Hunting Studies professor,” but even so, it wasn’t acceptable. No unforeseen incidents could be allowed.

‘Do you know what kind of seat that is?’

It was a seat representing Special‑grade heroes, and moreover, the position of an aide to the Marshal of the Army. The Marshal’s! Do you have any idea what that means for rank hierarchy?
That kind of fraud.

‘I’ll make him reveal his true abilities in front of everyone and disgrace him.’

* * *

Ruin grumbled.

‘Damn it, why is a single suit so expensive?’

In the end, Ruin had to have the suit ruined by the students remade.

‘Damn hikikomori.’

Since he was borrowing someone else’s identity, his principle was to return any “used items” in good condition—but how did it make sense for the eldest son of a noble family to own only a single outfit?
But while impersonating Ruins Wayne, he couldn’t exactly wear cheap clothes the guy himself would never wear!

“Still, when else would you ever get a custom suit like this? You always wore shabby stuff. And since you’re a Haven professor, they upgraded it to magic clothing for free.”

True. Magic clothing with a cleanliness spell was extremely valuable.
But it seemed there was someone else who was surprised in a different way.

“My goodness, Professor!”

TA Lili came running over in shock. She was an assistant in the Department of Combat Studies, and even though Ruins wasn’t her professor, she showed him particular concern.

“You’re in casual clothes? Why?”
“Didn’t I say I’d charge a hundred times the cost for damaged clothes?”

For some reason, Lili’s mouth fell open. Apparently, for nobles, coming out in casual clothes was like going to work in pajamas.

“To disregard appearances and seek to enlighten students… You’re a true educator.”

…No, it was just because he had no money.

“Then I should start coming to work in casual clothes too—”
“That’s enough. What about my office?”

In truth, Ruin almost teared up in secret.

‘They say even a rat hole gets sunlight someday.’

At last, he received an important item.

• Ruins Wayne, Tenured Professor at Haven (Professor)

• Major: Demon Hunting Studies

It was a professor’s ID. Not Associate Professor, but full Professor.
Normally it took several days to be issued, but this time it was given immediately after class ended. It showed just how large and frustrating the vacancy in the Demon Hunting Studies professorship had been.
In any case, becoming a full professor the moment you were appointed at Haven—where getting hired was difficult in the first place—would have made others marvel at the tremendous promotion. But the legendary spy was different.

‘At last, my severance pay!’

As long as he had a professor’s office, what did rank matter?

“The salary is completely different.”

Well, yes, that’s true.

“You even got a pay raise for becoming a full professor. And you even bought expensive coffee on the way here.”

Ruin coughed.
A salary increase was great, but that was the salary of Ruins Wayne.
His real goal was clearly the severance pay.

“And yet you changed your coffee beans first?”

Cough. Cough.

“Wow, look at the nerve on this guy.”

Compared to severance pay, that measly salary was pocket change anyway.
So Ruin went straight to the point.

“As a full professor, shouldn’t I be able to get a professor’s office?”

Whatever she thought of that, Lili looked extremely troubled.

“Ah… ah! I’m sorry! It must be cramped for someone like you to stay in the TA office, right? The professor’s office is still being cleaned.”

It had never felt cramped, but just how many days had they been cleaning it?

“Um… but.”
“What.”
“Do you truly have no mark?”

A mark? Oh, the spell that should have remained after breaking the Imperial Princess’s barrier magic.

“Didn’t I say there wasn’t one?”
“B‑But…”
“Was stripping me not enough for you?”
“Ah.”

Lili’s squirrel‑like face flushed bright red. She had been one of the TAs who stripped Ruin to look for the mark.

“The other professors are determined that the Princess’s mark must be left on you, Professor.”

Ah. No wonder the professors’ looks had been strange—some sympathetic, some openly gloating.

“So, in short, they don’t acknowledge me as the Demon Hunting Studies professor.”
“Yes…”

So that was the background behind the delay in assigning the office. That’s why they were watching their step.

“Yes. Normally it wouldn’t go this far, but since you were appointed in such a special case, they say verification is necessary…”

As she spoke, Lili added a dissatisfied remark.

“Actually, the head professor of the Combat Studies Department is the most displeased, so the other professors are taking advantage of that and pushing harder.”

Ah.
If it was the head of Combat Studies, it had to be that guy.

‘Kalon Gloucester, was it?’

The seaweed‑haired guy who’d pushed him into Demon Hunting Studies.

“Yes. He’s extremely strong, and more than anyone else, he wants to become head professor. Well, he tried to drive Professor Wayne out of the school in the first place and ended up suffering for it, so it’s just desserts.”

…You’re a Combat Studies TA—are you really allowed to say that?
Still, the professors’ position was understandable. If you thought some complete novice with no career was suddenly sitting in a seat that could even become head professor…

‘Even I’d oppose it.’

There was no exception like this.
The problem was that this exception was what caused all these issues.

“The professors are staging a sit‑in?”
“Yes. In front of the Demon Hunting Studies professor’s office.”
“Then I can’t get a professor’s office?”
“No. The chancellor said, ‘I see. Then it must be too noisy for you to use, so I’ll give you one of the remaining rooms instead.’”
“The remaining room?”
“The office used by the head professor! The best place in all of Haven!”

At the TA’s beaming smile, Ruin let out a dry laugh.
Those professors had dug their own graves. The chancellor was frightening, but his distant favor was appreciated—who would have thought he’d even give up the best place?

“However, the chancellor asked you to write a good syllabus for Demon Hunting Studies. He said he’s very much looking forward to what kind of curriculum you’ll come up with.”

Damn it. A syllabus.
I need to run away quickly.

“He also said that Professor Wayne would probably solve Haven’s chronic ‘attendance rate’ problem! Since you came to Haven to catch Fire Moths, the curriculum will obviously be ‘Fire Moth Hunting,’ right?”

Damn it, I really need to run away fast.

“Then when will the cleaning of my office be finished? I want to go in as soon as possible.”

That was when—

“Even if the cleaning’s done, you won’t be able to go in there.”

“!”

Professor Kalon barged into the lounge.
It seemed Kalon was furious that the chancellor had given the head professor’s office to Ruin.

“There are a few things about you that haven’t been verified.”

Ruin looked at Kalon with annoyance.

‘The guy trying to get me fired from Haven.’

Either way, he’d have to get past this guy to collect his severance pay.
So Ruin crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair.

“So, what is it you want to verify?”

Honestly, as a former spy, he was confident he could pass any qualification test the Union threw at him—

“The defensive magic you used to pass through the main gate.”

Of all things, that?
Ruin clicked his tongue, swallowing a curse.
The way he passed the gatekeeper had been by crushing it with demonic curse power. Claiming it was defensive magic had been an excuse.
So even if they asked him to show it… he couldn’t!

But whatever Kalon thought, he smiled nastily.

“What’s wrong? That main gate is a trial no Haven professor has ever passed. You’re not saying you can’t even share the know‑how with a fellow professor, are you? It’s not like you crushed it with curse power because you’re a demon, right?”

“Yes. I can’t tell you.”

“What did you say?”

You can’t tell me?
As Kalon’s eyebrows shot up menacingly, Ruin replied calmly.

“It’s classified Wayne information, so I can’t disclose it.”

It looked as though sparks were flying from Kalon’s eyes.

“Then tell me how you broke the students’ magic. You can share at least that much, right?”

This time he was clearly trying to catch him out, but Ruin answered without batting an eye.

“Does a teacher casually divulge his own secret techniques?”

Kalon pressed his brow as if he had a headache and sighed. Secret techniques—there was nothing he could do about that.

“Then the method you used to subdue the third‑year Goldmoon students.”
“That’s a family trade secret as well, so I’m afraid I can’t.”
“……”

Kalon cursed him with his eyes.

Is this bastard messing with me right now?