My relationship score with Elize increased by a whopping 15 points. It was the highest single gain I’d ever achieved, and I was more than satisfied.
But even with the atmosphere being this good, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.
【 Dormant Dragon Institute 1st Year, Elize : ‘Hmm.’ 】
【 Dormant Dragon Institute 1st Year, Elize : ‘Professor smells nice.’ 】
I realized it instinctively. The [Relationship] score was still too low. It was far from enough to ensure my safety in this ‘Professor Assassination’ scenario.
I’d need it to be at least 100 to be somewhat safe.
For now, it seemed unlikely that I’d be killed by the cadets, but I couldn’t afford to relax. This world wasn’t constructed to be that forgiving.
【 Dormant Dragon Institute 1st Year, Elize : ‘What does blood smell like?’ 】
【 Dormant Dragon Institute 1st Year, Elize : ‘Curious.’ 】
【 Dormant Dragon Institute 1st Year, Elize : ‘I want to assassinate someone...’ 】
See? She’s not exactly sane, is she?
Judging by her expression, her inner tail seemed to be slowly coming to a halt.
Her gaze sank lower and lower.
【 Dormant Dragon Institute 1st Year, Elize : ‘Assassinate...?’ 】
Her eyes darted around, her ears twitching as she scanned the space outside the infirmary.
Gradually, her eyelids began to droop.
【 Dormant Dragon Institute 1st Year, Elize : ‘There are no witnesses here.’ 】
I had to cut this off quickly.
"Elize Xykhos."
"Yes?"
"Don’t even dream about it."
【 Dormant Dragon Institute 1st Year, Elize : ‘......!’ 】
Her expression froze, eyes wide in shock.
Elize fumbled with her words.
"Wh-Wh-What do you m-m-mean...?"
"You know exactly what I mean."
"Me...? I... I don’t... know... anything...."
I brought the folder I was holding down onto her head.
Thunk!
"Ack—!"
Anyway, that was the end of my visit with Elize.
****
"Get some rest."
"See you later, Professor!"
She waved her hand, smiling brightly.
After Dante disappeared from sight, Elize flopped down onto the middle of her bed.
Her pink hair fanned out like a blooming flower.
She stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
‘?’
Come to think of it, something strange had happened.
It wasn’t her first time losing control of her aggression.
Ever since she lost her father, there had been several instances like that. As a result, she had struggled through some pretty tough times.
‘???’
But this time was different.
Elize distinctly remembered feeling herself lose control, just like in the past.
That was proven by the nosebleed she had.
When she activated 『Thorned Path Through the Woods』, Elize would usually go on a blind rampage, attacking her target.
If someone interfered, she would eliminate the interference first.
If things had gone wrong, she might have tried to kill Professor Dante, too.
Of course, Professor Dante was strong, so he probably wouldn’t have died, but still.
In any case.
The room would have been drenched in blood.
Elize herself would have bled not only from her nose but also from her eyes, and eventually from her mouth, before finally passing out.
That’s how it always ended.
But this time, Professor Dante had stopped it.
It was the first time anyone had managed to stop her, other than her father.
How?
Elize thought about it for a while, but as time passed, she forgot what she was even trying to figure out.
Her gaze wandered to the ceiling, where a pattern resembling a dumbbell caught her eye.
‘Bones...?’
It was always like this.
****
Last year’s street performer.
Didn’t die. Came back again.
┃ Event Triggered: [Neutral Professor Forum]
┃ Reward: Star Fragment × 5
For the fourth damn time.
This time, I’d come with the intention of quitting if it got canceled again.
When I arrived at the seminar hall, surprisingly, there was no cancellation notice.
Instead, a few neutral professors glared at me with razor-sharp gazes.
Some of them were the ones I’d shoved aside before.
A profession born from the back alleys — the assassin.
Among the three primary professions (warrior, mage, assassin), assassins were generally regarded as the most disgraceful.
Still, a professor was a professor.
Everyone here was doing their best to maintain some semblance of decorum.
But I knew just how paper-thin that veneer of class was for these so-called assassin professors.
【 Neutral Professor Gula : ‘Cocky bastard. Acts like he’s something special just because of his looks.’ 】
【 Neutral Professor Bedrock : ‘Professor Dante... He must still be out of it as a newbie. We had punks like him in my day too.’ 】
Pathetic. Small-minded bastards.
Professors, please rise. Chief Professor Battalion is entering the room.Finally, after four attempts, the Chief Professor made an appearance at the forum.
● Chief Professor of Sniping, Battalion
Rank: [Grandmaster]. Overall Ranking: 415.
A monster professor who wasn’t just a big deal at the academy but was a key figure in the entire Hiaka Kingdom.
‘...Not that it matters to me.’
He was certainly an impressive figure, but I couldn’t care less. Not like he had anything to do with me. First, I must apologize for the cancellation of the last three forums. As the Chief Professor, I take full responsibility for the inconvenience.However, before the official forum even began, the words that came out of his mouth were... well, far more ominous than I had expected.
It wasn’t just a simple forum ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) cancellation. Over the past three days, elite members of the assassin units under myself and the other neutral Chief Professors were assassinated.The neutral professors began to murmur.
"What?"
"Huh??"
Battalion continued. The three individuals who were targeted were all key figures within the assassin units. All three were killed. Among them... was my own personal disciple.Battalion’s voice remained composed, but his words carried a heavy weight. Therefore, I urge all of you to exercise extreme caution. It appears that the attackers are specifically targeting ‘neutral’ factions."Holy shit. What the hell is going on...?"
"So the three cancellations were because of the funerals?"
It seemed that the other neutral professors were hearing about this for the first time.
"Who the hell could it be...?"
As they whispered among themselves, I read Battalion’s 【Thoughts】.
And...
This was far worse than I had imagined.
"Chief Professor Battalion! Do you know who the assassin is?"
"Haven’t you identified the culprit yet?"
Several neutral professors bombarded him with questions.
Battalion let out a deep sigh. We are still in the process of identifying the culprit.That was a lie.
Battalion knew who it was.
And now, so did I.
"Who the hell could it be...?"
I knew exactly who the culprit was.
****
Princess Rebecca was a cadet at Dormant Dragon Institute, but her level wasn’t particularly high.
She was arguably the weakest among the Dormant Dragon cadets.
Despite training herself to exhaustion every single day when no one was watching.
However, there was one area where she had an overwhelming talent.
Rebecca could see mana.
Why? Ever since she was a child, Rebecca had been able to perceive the gaps in a 『Barrier』.
A 『Barrier』 was a perfect hemispherical defensive spell that blocked attacks from all directions. Mana within it continuously circulated to replenish any dissipating energy.
You could compare it to a roundabout — cars followed a structured flow, but at certain points, they hesitated, trying to read each other’s movements.
Rebecca could see the collisions between mana particles that inevitably occurred within those circulation gaps.
A very brief moment.
A very tiny space.
And at the very center of that space—
"Fire."
Balmung pulled the trigger.
Clack —
That was 「Siegfried⚉」.
A [Legendary I]-grade pitch-black sniper rifle.
The bullet cloaked in darkness shot across 3,000 meters.
In that instant, it sliced through space, grazing a bird in mid-flight, piercing through a building window, exiting through the opposite window, cutting through a thicket of trees, and finally burrowing through the 『Barrier』 surrounding the ‘target’ in the midst of a crowded street.
Thwack—!
The middle-aged man dropped to the ground instantly.
The assassins stationed nearby were horrified.
"It’s a hit."
"Confirmed."
"Let’s move, Princess."
It was a moment of perfectly executed silence.
As they packed up their equipment, Balmung spoke.
"But, Your Highness, isn’t this a bit distasteful?"
"What is?"
"Ordering the shot from inside the target’s house... and from the target’s little girl’s room, no less."
Indeed.
The sniping location was the home of the rebel target.
More specifically, the bedroom of his 12-year-old daughter.
And the daughter was currently away at school.
"......."
Surrounded by stuffed animals and pink decor, Rebecca stood there, gazing blankly around the room.
Then, she approached a crayon drawing presumably made by the girl.
On it were the words, [I love you, my princess!], undoubtedly written by the man who had just been killed.
Rebecca stared at the drawing, her face emotionless.
Then, in a dry, broom-sweeping voice, she muttered,
"Why did he betray them?"
"Pardon?"
Balmung asked, puzzled.
"Wasn’t it for money? The Kingdom of Kreuz reportedly offered the chief professors a fortune."
"Even so."
"Even so, what?"
"If he loved her, he should’ve protected her."
"......."
Balmung fell silent.
Rebecca continued to stare blankly at the drawing of the little girl.
After a while, she let out a sigh-like murmur.
"Pitiful..."
A cold smile spread across her lips.
As if the girl were actually there, Rebecca gently stroked the drawing’s depiction of the girl’s head.
"Looks like your daddy loved money more than he loved you."
That was the end of her sentiment.
⋮
After erasing all traces of the sniper shot, Rebecca and Balmung quickly fled the area.
"So, is that the end of it?"
"For now."
"Thank you for your hard work these past few days."
Over the past few days, they had assassinated several rebels.
People who had been plotting to betray the nation.
People who had intended to betray Hiaka Academy.
"Still, even though they were key members of the rebellion, do you think that was enough?"
"What, are you planning to assassinate the chief professors? We’re not strong enough for that. You do what you can to avoid leaving loose ends."
"Ah, yes. True enough."
A vehicle approached in the distance.
It was Rebecca’s knight and the Shadow Guard.
Sir Cheongru and Dame Layme.
"Your Highness!"
"Get in, quickly!"
Safety was now secured.
Those two could be trusted.
‘Hmm. But that was surprisingly dull....’
It had been an exceedingly easy assassination.
Even though the targets were supposedly elite assassins ranked [Emerald] and [Diamond].
‘...I thought this time would be different.’
For every assassination, there should be a lesson learned.
But in four consecutive assassinations, there had been nothing.
‘Killing weak targets just feels so empty. But if I go after a strong one, I might end up dead myself.’
Which was why what he needed was an assassination duel, a training match against a professor who could teach him something...
Again, the question arose.
How strong was Professor Dante, really?
Upon returning to Zone 0, Balmung headed straight for Moonshadow Institute.
"Huh? Balmung...?"
"What’s he doing here...?"
The moment he appeared in Moonshadow Institute, the cadets all stared at him in shock.
After all, he was the elite of Dormant Dragon Institute.
The son of the Nibelung Family, the pinnacle of Hiaka’s Black Abyss cartel.
Yet, he was also someone who had been cast down from that lofty status, someone who had lost everything.
Balmung ignored all the stares and headed straight to Marina’s room.
"Marina."
Marina was lying in her private room, covered in bandages. When she saw Balmung, she scoffed.
"Well, look who it is. You never even glanced at me all those years, and now here you are."
"It’s been a while. Are you okay?"
"My gut got slashed open. What do you think? So, what is it? You here to gloat?"
"No. I don’t care about your conflict with Elize. I’m here because I want to ask you something."
"...What is it?"
"How did Professor Dante stop your fight with Elize?"
That was the question that had been eating at him.
And it was the question that had been eating at many of the first-year cadets.
"...Why the hell do you want to know that too?"
"I’m curious."
"...I don’t want to tell you."
"I’m asking you as a favor."
Marina let out a long sigh.
"...Nope. Not gonna tell you."
In the end, she kept her mouth shut.
But throughout the conversation, she was visibly anxious, uncomfortable, and desperately trying to change the subject. The stench of fear was palpable.
At that moment, Balmung felt a sense of certainty.
‘Professor Dante really must be insanely strong.’
His instincts had been correct.
And so had Kaiser’s words.
Balmung’s mind felt more at ease.
But the question still remained unanswered.
Just how strong was Professor Dante, exactly?
He couldn’t take it anymore.
He had to confirm it himself.
Balmung grabbed 「Siegfried⚉」 and made his way to the clock tower in Zone 0.
He checked the professors’ schedule and located Professor Dante as he exited the seminar hall, 3,500 meters away.
Balmung zoomed in through his scope and locked onto Dante.
‘.......’
To Balmung, the ‘trigger’ was a button of trust.
Press it, and the person in the crosshairs would die.
The targets he had killed over the past few days flashed through his mind.
If he pulled the trigger, would that man die too...?
For now, he decided to observe a little longer.
Dante suddenly approached another professor and started asking him something.
‘...Ah, that man is...’
The neutral Chief Professor, Battalion.
A formidable figure among the Chief Professors.
Balmung had asked him for a sparring match several times, but each time, Battalion had brushed him off, saying he was too busy.
And recently, Balmung had killed Battalion’s personal disciple.
‘...Should I shoot? Both of them?’
The thought crossed his mind for a brief moment.
Then he adjusted the zoom to get a better look at Dante and Battalion.
What happened next left Balmung utterly shocked.
As the scope zoomed in—
Dante turned his head.
And the moment Balmung had maxed out the zoom—
Their eyes met.
‘......!!’
Balmung recoiled, pulling his face away from the scope.
3,500 meters.
A distance where even a building would appear as tiny as a speck of dust.
Yet, at such an extreme distance, Dante had detected his killing intent.
Even more shocking—half a beat later, Battalion also turned his gaze toward him.
That great Chief Professor had noticed him after Dante had.
‘...Ha!’
Balmung quickly pressed himself against the wall to hide.
And a feeling of absolute certainty welled up within him.
‘Professor Dante is even stronger than a Chief Professor...’
If he had a tail, it would have been wagging by now.
Balmung felt giddy with excitement.
So much so that a laugh escaped him.
"Haha..."
Someone like that, weak?
"Those idiots really don’t know shit..."
That dumbass Kendreik...
****
┃ Relationship Increased: Balmung [14] (▲8)
┃ Reward: Star Fragment × 8
What the hell?
My relationship score with Balmung had suddenly increased.
For a brief moment, I sensed a killing intent directed toward me. I checked the 【Mini-Map】 to pinpoint its source, but it was too far away to see anything.
I could only get a rough idea of the direction. And then, it vanished.
Battalion, standing next to me, tilted his head.
"Hmm? I thought I sensed a sniper just now. Did you notice anything?"
"Not really."
"Hmm. Well, it is Zone 0, after all. Anyway, what was it you wanted to ask me?"
Returning to the main topic.
Just moments ago, I had asked Battalion a specific question.
"It’s about the attacks on the neutral Chief Professors’ assassin units."
"Ah, right."
"Could the assailants be from the Kingdom of Kreuz?"
"Hmm? Why would you think that?"
The Kingdom of Kreuz.
Hiaka’s rival nation.
"Well..."
I slipped in a bit of information that only a veteran player would know, subtly referencing the decline of Hiaka’s Assassin Department.
As I spoke, Battalion’s eyes gradually narrowed.
【 Neutral Chief Professor Battalion : ‘Impressive insight.’ 】
And as I continued, his expression grew even more serious.
【 ‘What the hell? How does he know this much...?’ 】
【 ‘Does he know something? Or is his intuition just that sharp...?’ 】
I stopped just before he became too suspicious.
Battalion then smiled with his monocle-covered eye.
"Sorry, Professor Dante. Your theory is plausible, but I really don’t know anything."
"You don’t know?"
"Exactly. But I don’t think Kreuz was behind it. Personally, I suspect it was an inside job."
A vague statement.
But the 【Script】 was much clearer.
【 Neutral Chief Professor Battalion : ‘It was probably that filthy bug Princess Rebecca’s doing.’ 】
"Don’t worry too much about it. Anyway, see you around!"
As Battalion walked away, I narrowed my eyes.
【 Neutral Chief Professor Battalion : ‘I need to shut people up. If even a new professor can get this close, then the Dean might already know. Well, it’s not like it matters.’ 】
No matter how meticulous a person was, they couldn’t lie to themselves.
And those who couldn’t lie to themselves—
【 ‘I’m already prepared to leave Hiaka...’ 】
【 ‘Just need to hold out for another month or two. This goddamn kingdom.’ 】
—couldn’t lie to me either.
After watching Battalion leave, I headed back to my residence.
My mind was spinning.
‘The Chief Professors are betraying Hiaka. Rebecca has caught onto them and is now assassinating the traitors.’
This was a major turning point.
The game 「Hiaka Academy: Department of Assassination」 was composed of 7 to 13 main storylines leading to the final chapter.
And just as I had predicted, the most difficult main storyline was about to unfold.
‘...The first button has been sewn on the wrong way.’
Hiaka Academy, once the fifth greatest institution on the continent, had been rapidly declining over the past few years.
This was the incident that would finally nail the coffin shut.
The mass betrayal and desertion of the Chief Professors.
The title of the storyline:
「 Main Story 1: Rebellion and Collapse 」
The reason this storyline was so difficult was that, unlike other storylines that built up to a climax, this one started with the end already set in stone.
Battalion had already siphoned off funds, equipment, technology, and assassins to a foreign country.
The traitors were just waiting for the day of the coup.
If I tried to interfere, it would only speed up the collapse.
Furthermore, starting from this first main storyline, a new enemy would emerge, targeting not just me but all of humanity.
The appearance of demons.
‘The difficulty is high, but it’s not all bad.’
As long as I didn’t die.
If I managed to stay alive, I was confident I could revive the academy with the same genius kids who had been designed to kill me.
I could turn the entire continent upside down.
After all, I was a veteran player.
‘But the demons... I need to keep a close eye on them.’
Knowing about this situation in advance was enough.
The Dean was aware. The Chief Professors were aware.
And there was nothing that could be changed.
For now, all I had to do was keep living as I had been.
Get stronger.
Collect Star Fragments.
Raise my [Relationship] scores.
Just keep living as a professor.
⋮
┃ Event Completed: [Neutral Professor Forum]
┃ Reward: Star Fragment × 5
< Total Star Fragments: 62 >