🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 36.
I’m a Professor, but I’ll Be Taking a Self-Declared Leave (1)
50 years ago.
The Firefly received an order.
“The Union has invaded all the way to the capital. Deal with it.”
The hero Elaine.
This time, he seemed truly determined. In fact, he led his companions and the Imperial Army, charging into the Pride camp with unstoppable momentum.
“Ambush!”
“Emergency! The ‘Radiant Annihilator’ is approaching the core!”
The demon lord confronted them, but it was an even match. The standoff dragged on.
No—truthfully, Pride was being pushed back. Because of that, an agent famous as the “Firefly of the Demon Lord” was deployed.
“It’s a maximum-difficulty mission. But if you handle it, they say they’ll approve whatever severance pay you want, along with your resignation letter.”
“Is that true?”
The Firefly immediately infiltrated the hero’s inner circle.
All of the hero’s companions were top-class, so stealing a face wasn’t easy—but who was he? He was the Butterfly of Ruin who had evaded capture for 20 years. They said a single spy was more terrifying than a million soldiers. After slipping into the Union ranks, he fed them false information and annihilated the Imperial Army.
He also inflicted severe injuries on the hero’s companions. Of course, the hero realized he’d been betrayed yet again and burned with rage—
“Firefly, you’ve done it again!”
In the end, the hero—having lost everything—stood alone, facing him.
Was it because he had stolen the face of someone closest to him? Or because a carefully laid plan had been destroyed again by a “butterfly”? The killing intent was overwhelming. To the point that people said the hero’s true enemy wasn’t the demon lord, but merely “a single butterfly.”
“You always hide like a coward. Show your real face!”
“That won’t do. My face is rather expensive.”
“Our special-class wanted criminal has quite the ego.”
“Still can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because when I show my face, that’s the end of the Firefly.”
The hero drew his sword. This time, he intended to capture humanity’s most wanted criminal.
“I won’t let you slip away again.”
“Don’t worry. I’m done with you people now.”
“What do you—”
“This is my retirement.”
“What…?! Ngh!”
An immense light swept across Pride’s battlefield.
That great battle was later recorded as the “Battle of the Core.” Well, that was something the Firefly only learned later from history books, but anyway.
So that means he’s back?
Upon hearing of the hero’s return, Ruin pressed his brow.
That bastard—of all times, why come back now?!
Damn it. Back then, I really thought it was my last mission and risked my life infiltrating.
There was a reason he was known as the only human who could stand against a demon lord, the strongest of humanity.
At least I managed to get out afterward.
If he hadn’t, he really would’ve died… no, wait. Was it because a dimensional gate opened back then that he managed to escape?
Anyway, the hero had chased him all the way there. It showed just how furious he’d been over the Firefly.
“Firefly! Join the Union instead! That power should be used for humanity!”
“Are you insane?”
“Then die!”
Still, he hadn’t expected that bastard to illegally occupy someone else’s house without even paying rent.
Damn it, this is my fault for not putting up a sign saying this is my house.
I should’ve marked it as the Firefly’s house.
「If you had, wouldn’t even the framework have survived—and the safe would’ve been looted too?」
Damn it! Not the safe!
Anyway, the reason he’d dared to enter Haven was because he knew the hero was always away. The guy was on the front lines known as the “Line,” acting under the emperor’s orders.
So he thought he’d take advantage of things while the guy was gone.
And now it’s become a headache.
And then something even more troublesome happened.
As proof, familiar faces stood in front of Ruin. Professors. Since he’d suddenly declared a self-imposed class cancellation and vanished, perhaps they were curious about the reason.
“A professor canceling class on his own because his stomach hurts—must be nice?”
No, they’d come to pick a fight.
Anyway, the ones who came looking for him were the self-defense professor Charlie and…
“Medium?”
“…It’s Edas Weldon, Defense Studies.”
“Right. Weldon.”
“So I’m burnt meat now, am I?”
The beauty in uniform, Weldon, laughed cheerfully.
“You told me to wash my neck and sleep, so I thought you were coming to the dormitory. I waited the whole time.”
“I don’t recall saying that.”
Rumor had it he was a professor coveting the Demon-Hunting Studies position, so remarks like that only sounded ridiculous.
“You suddenly canceled class. I was worried, but seeing you at the village bookstore, it seems nothing serious happened.”
“Oh, something very serious happened. I’ve been locked in the bathroom for five straight hours vomiting my guts out and only just managed to sit here. Lightning’s still striking right now. So if you don’t want to see me puke all over that face of yours, turn around and go back the way you came. I might spew at any moment—it’s disgusting.”
As Ruin flipped through his book and spoke, Charlie snorted. As if to say, Are you really sick?
And a professor who wasn’t even ill canceling class? That was serious enough to be grounds for dismissal.
Sure enough, Charlie scrutinized Ruin closely, wondering if that was why he’d come looking for him.
“For someone who’s been vomiting for five hours, your face looks awfully fine.”
“Sure. Finer than yours, which looks like a squid.”
Charlie grabbed the back of his neck.
That guy never lets a single comment slide.
No—more importantly—
“Right. Speaking of faces, you said it yourself.”
Seeing Ruin’s bare face, Charlie was dumbfounded. It was shocking enough what had happened to Lindsay, but now that the bandages were off—what?
There’s no way that monster bastard could be that handsome!
Charlie, who remembered his face from their school days, simply couldn’t accept it.
“Is that really your face? You’re not scamming us, are you?”
Or else—
“Are you really ‘Ruins Wayne’?”
“!”
Charlie’s eyes grew fierce.
Charlie, who had already crossed blades with Ruin, had found it strange.
There was no way Ruins could be this strong. On top of that, everywhere he went lately, all he heard were stories about Ruins, and it was driving him mad.
“Hey, did you hear? All the first- and second-years who went in chose Wayne’s class.”
“What? Even kids who have nothing to do with the Demon-Hunting Studies perks?”
“Ah, they probably just picked randomly because they didn’t know any better.”
“Hey… don’t underestimate the first- and second-years…. They’re kids the Imperial Templars and the Mage Tower want to recruit.”
“Then that means they chose based on real skill, right?”
Only a handful of students had entered the Healing Studies class back then. It was only natural that curiosity would explode.
But if the “Firefly” had infiltrated Haven while pretending to be a professor…
As Charlie’s gaze sharpened, Ruin let out a sigh.
“I know you’re ugly, but jealousy is unsightly.”
When Charlie finally screamed and tried to rush him, the Defense Studies professor grabbed him from behind.
“Ruins! You son of a bitch, I’m contacting the Wayne family! I’ll have them check whether you’re real or not!”
Ruin sighed in exasperation.
“I pity the Viscount of Whiskey. Calling trash like you his child—no DNA test would change anything.”
“What did you say? Did you just drag someone else’s father into this?!”
Once again, the Defense Studies professor physically blocked Charlie.
Ruin sighed. He was deliberately provoking him because he knew Charlie’s temperament, but dragging this out wasn’t good.
It’d be troublesome if he really notified the Wayne family.
Of course, since he’d swallowed Wayne, there was no biological risk of exposure. He was confident he could evade any test.
The problem was the Wayne family’s trade.
Wayne.
Known as the empire’s watchdog, a family that maintained public order—but behind the scenes, they did secret police work. Capturing spies, torturing them, killing them.
…Simply put, they were the Firefly’s natural enemy. Going to the main house would be a headache.
Plenty of my Intelligence Bureau colleagues were actually caught.
There was a reason they were called the graveyard of Pride spies.
Recently, the eldest daughter—hailed as a genius—Ruin’s much younger sister, had been sweeping through the Intelligence Bureau, hunting the Firefly.
I heard she’s a ‘Silvermoon’ student at Haven. Was she on leave? Good thing I haven’t run into her.
Fortunately, the youngest, the second son, was attending another prestigious institution. As long as he avoided the main house, it should be fine.
Even so, real family members were highly likely to notice. Thankfully, the family regarded Ruins Wayne as a pathetic piece of trash—no, a reclusive shut-in. Which was why there was no contact.
Well, they’re not going to come see me out of the blue anyway. I should hurry.
That was why Ruin snapped his book shut. In any case, what mattered now wasn’t his family, but the hero.
“So, I doubt you came all this way just to check how often I use the bathroom. What business brings two such illustrious Haven professors here?”
“The chairman is looking for you.”
“To think you came all this way just to foolishly relay something I already know—it’s touching. Thank you.”
As Ruin stood up, Professor Edas quickly spoke with wide eyes.
“Ah. The female student you saved in your Healing Studies class—she was the daughter of a Grand Duke, wasn’t she?”
What does that have to do with me?
Come to think of it, the teaching assistant had made such a fuss. Of all people, it had to be a grand duke’s daughter?
“The Grand Duke’s family is extremely grateful. So this time, it seems they might even attend the parent-teacher meeting.”
Grand duke or not, what does that matter to me? Whether a parent attends or not has nothing to do with—
“They really want to repay you.”
…Let’s proceed to the meeting immediately.
“If things go well, you might even receive a general’s post along with research funding.”
No, esteemed parent. Could you just give me a cash gift instead?
“You’re popular with those in power. I’m envious.”
I don’t need attention that isn’t money!
“Not only the Grand Duke’s family and the chairman, but I’m also very interested in you.”
“Ruins, you son of a bitch! Come outside right now!”
“As a Defense Studies professor, I’d really like you to join the ‘Chasers’ who hunt demons.”
Ruin pressed the bridge of his nose with the spine of his book, looking exhausted.
He hated trouble.
And he especially hated getting attention from those Union bastards!
At this point, I’ll just loot the safe and run!
President Charlotte.
She was in a difficult situation—because of the student standing before her.
“So… you’re asking that Professor Wayne be assigned as your direct professor?”
“Yes, Madam President.”
It was Princess Karin.
“The authority over faculty assignments lies with you, does it not?”
A direct professor, in short, meant a one-on-one personal instructor—like how the First Prince had previously been assigned a chief professor.
In that case, the professor’s reputation would rise, but…
“I doubt Professor Wayne would accept a direct professor position. His teaching load has already increased.”
“Of course! I’m not simply asking. I will provide appropriate compensation—and I will apply for the position of Professor Wayne’s assistant!”
The president was greatly startled.
An assistant—that meant…
“You’re saying you’ll do Professor Wayne’s menial work?”
“Yes!”
Why would a member of the imperial family, who could make anyone her personal tutor with a word, go this far?
But she could guess why the princess had come, even lowering her pride.
She wants to be taught by Professor Ruins.
After all, rumors were circulating that the princess had been utterly defeated by Ruins.
Moreover, perhaps because of the Demon-Hunting Studies incident, although she had enrolled in his class, there were rumors that he hadn’t even spared her a glance. Was she growing anxious?
No—actually, it’s probably because of the count’s daughter whom Ruins saved.
That daughter’s older brother had tried to repay Ruins—and he belonged to Redmoon. The princess was wary of Ruins becoming close to Redmoon.
Because Redmoon includes the First Prince and the Second Prince.
The princess had driven the chief professors out while the princes were away from school, but the two princes were extremely close to the throne.
If Ruins were to become even a dorm supervisor for Redmoon, they would have an even easier time receiving his guidance. No wonder the princess was desperate.
Perhaps that was why she’d come so far—her hair in disarray, that proud princess even offering to become an assistant and to accept any punishment related to Demon-Hunting Studies incidents.
Conversely, it also meant she held Ruins’s abilities in very high regard.
That was why the president clasped her hands and let out a long sigh.
This is extremely troublesome.
Not because a noble guest had made an unreasonable request—but because of her uncle, the hero, and Ruins Wayne.
“Charlotte. The Demon-Hunting Studies professor must hunt the Firefly with me, so do not burden him with school affairs.”
“I wish to focus solely on raising students, so please entrust me only with school matters, Madam President.”
Good grief. What am I supposed to do about this
