51 – The Cost of Negligence
Although I was tasked with the role of a professor by the Second Prince, in truth, I was more interested in cafeteria rice than in the ceremonies. The talk was filled with thoughts of playing TRPG with the students rather than teaching them.
So, the first class was, oddly enough, crucial.
“Fantasy Magic Response” was a mandatory subject, so even if the students hated it, they had to take it. But “Interdimensional Exploration (actually TRPG)” was an elective. If I could show an impressive performance in the mandatory subject, wouldn’t students flock to the “Interdimensional Exploration” class?
In my heart, I wanted to breeze through a lap of interdimensional experience, but…
But it was impossible. There were limits to my abilities.
I was a man who hadn’t reached enlightenment. It was magically challenging to cast fantasy spells on academy students burning with youth and ambition. I heard there were already students who had pierced through enlightenment, but delving into details in a group was not easy, especially in a one-to-many situation.
Or perhaps all academy students should just lie down resistanceless on the simulation magic circle. It was nearly impossible, they said.
If ability was lacking, then victory had to be achieved through direction.
That was why I wandered the academy. Believing that somewhere in the academy, there would be material to make the first class a success with good cost-effectiveness.
The academy had more to offer than I thought.
The lecture facilities zone was where various facilities for professors’ lectures were located. There were tall towers that you had to strain your neck to look up at, and giant King Golems. My Simulation Model 2 was also scheduled to be set up in this area.
I looked at Ping-Ballets hanging on my arm with fists clenched and asked.
“What do you think?”
“What are you talking about?”
“How can I make the first class a success? Any ideas?”
Ping-Ballets raised a clenched fist and said,
“Fight a student one-on-one. Pick a troublemaker, and if you get even a single scratch on my coat, I’ll give you the highest grade.”
“What if I lose?”
“Submit your resignation.”
The risk of losing was high, but it was a thought-worthy approach. As the Golden King, if I hunted down the leader of the students, the lower-ranked ones would naturally respect me.
As a response to the good idea, I gave a thumbs-up, and Ping Ballez leaned against me. A watermelon squished softly against his forearm. I spoke cautiously.
“Don’t shift your weight towards me, you know.”
“What are you talking about?”
When he looked at me with eyes questioning what was so wrong, I avoided eye contact.
Lately, Ping Ballez seemed a bit off. Since entering the academy, he gradually exhibited different behaviors. Even when he secretly buried a cursed sword in the ground, it wasn’t a particularly strong appeal as a joke.
Sure, he greeted me in the morning, but the appeal was somewhat different.
I rescued Ping Ballez’s life or bought a necklace with research funds; if I did something like that, I would at least try to see if he liked me. But there were no such events.
I asked straightforwardly.
“Aren’t you getting closer these days?”
“Even though I am an attractive woman, aren’t you overly conscious?”
“I’m serious.”
“Yes, it seems you’re the type to think about marriage just by holding hands. Is two children okay with you?”
“Why not three? During sessions, the two seem a bit lacking.”
It’s getting weirder.
Even though I was deflecting, my mind became complicated. It seemed that the intensity of temptation was increasing, and it was frightening.
There was a clear sign. I was contemplating putting a double layer of libido suppression spells. It was because the spell was wavering. I could handle it, but if this continued, our relationship would become awkward.
It was a short relationship, but it seemed baseless no matter how much I thought about it.
There was a serious possibility that something magical was influencing him.
But even that was a bit strange. The idea that a subtly cunning mental magic, a mental barrier so firm that I couldn’t perceive it, was breaking through Ping Ballez’s defense, which was delusional and solid, due to enhanced libido, didn’t make sense.
Even Pingbalez is a wizard, isn’t he?
Should I lose a friend like this? When my mind was troubled with thoughts of intertwining tails, Pingbalez poked my side with his index finger and whispered softly.
“Crazy wizard, lend me your ear for a moment.”
“Don’t lick it.”
“Am I insane?”
I trembled with anxiety, bowing my head. Fortunately, it was a serious conversation. Pingbalez’s whispered words mixed with his breath reached my ears.
“We’re being followed. By three.”
“Why would a pursuit be on us from the academy’s new professor?”
As I laughed in disbelief, Pingbalez calmly stated the facts.
“Put your hand on your chest and think. If even one of the things we did at night got caught, being followed makes sense.”
“Are you suggesting I put my hand on your chest instead of mine to think…?”
“Are you crazy?”
“Ugh.”
I got a punch in the side. I felt a bit unjust. Who started it first…!
Anyway, a pursuit.
I don’t know what got caught. Did burying the dark sword get us caught, or hiding the celestial martial arts by the coastal cave, or creating a dungeon on the sly? Which one is it? Was there a witness?
Subjectively or objectively, what I did was suspicious. My head wasn’t so messed up as to deny that part. The reason I was dumbfounded was that I got caught so quickly.
I did try to hide, in my own way.
“How do we handle this?”
How to handle it? Upon careful consideration, I was innocent. The dark sword was fake, the celestial martial arts were real but not dangerous, and the dungeon had no traps threatening lives.
If there was only one concern, it might be that the Demon Blade could potentially become a problem. I’ve heard that the Goddess Sect is extremely sensitive to the Demon Blade, considering it’s an object that captures human souls.
Even though the Demon Blade is a fake, proving to the Goddess Sect that it’s an AI-generated illusion and not a real dark magic item will take some time. That’s why I had asked Yuna to write the paper much earlier.
Why didn’t I write it myself and instead asked Matapju? Because of the difference in name value. It’s not the same when an unknown magician proves something compared to a highly credible archmage.
In a few days, a freshly written paper by Maid in Matapju will likely be delivered to the academy.
On the other hand, I also got permission from the Second Prince. I transmitted the plan to lure a dark magician with the Demon Blade through Pimba Lez. The communication signal has received an okay sign, and the official order should arrive around the same time as the paper.
Once I receive both the paper and the order, I planned to spread a treasure map indicating the location where the Demon Blade is buried in the academy.
By then, even if the academy’s saint comes wielding the Demon Blade, I could defend myself. There would be no need for unnecessary misunderstandings.
So, let the pursuit take the straightforward approach. Whatever suspicions arise, whether they accuse you of hiding this or that, just consistently feign ignorance for a few days. If you act like an ordinary student, you might be able to bluff your way through with the professor’s authority.
However, among those who were pursuing us, there was one person who stood out remarkably.
“Hey, Pimba Lez. Take a look at that.”
“Oh.”
We both marveled in unison. It was because we witnessed an outfit that was rapidly gaining a sense of devoutness.
With the chest fully exposed and the fabric clinging so tightly to the skin that it seemed perplexing how it was worn, the priestly attire had a side slit running all the way to the navel.
After witnessing even the black lace panties, the only appropriate response was an internal standing ovation. However, Pimba Lez seemed to have a slightly different meaning behind his admiration.
“She’s a saint.”
“What?”
“Yes, surprisingly, she’s a saint. Despite being known for her free-spirited attire, she lives up to her reputation…”
“Could it be that the character in front is a different one?”
Is it a common order in this world for a saint to wear provocative clothing? Lost in thought, Pimba Lez and I fell silent as we simultaneously witnessed the Demon Blade hanging from the saint’s waist.
The Demon Blade we carefully buried late at night was indeed discovered.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
There are no theses or orders right now.
Unable to contain herself, Pingvallez interjected.
“Yeah, what if the orders arrive? Did you think about asking when they might come?”
“By the time the orders arrive, the academy will have started, and there would still be time left. How much do you think the students will wander around at night⋯⋯! If you wanted to hide when there’s no one around, you should have hidden in advance!”
“But we were caught.”
“No, the academy’s saint is famous for not doing any work! She’s a homebody who doesn’t even take a step outside the building! Who would believe the rumor that someone dug up a cursed sword and offered it to the saint⋯⋯?!”
Maybe. The saint’s movements might have coincidentally overlapped with ours, and she might have business elsewhere. So, subtly turning around the corner, the saint headed straight for us. There must be something for us to see.
“Run.”
“Let’s disappear.”
Let’s go into hiding. We can’t be dragged to the Goddess Church basement like this. There won’t be any evidence that we manufactured and concealed the cursed sword. There wouldn’t have been CCTV in the medieval era.
Even if there were, we could handle it if only the papers and orders arrived. We just have to endure for a few days. It’s all about buying time.
I was lifted by Pingvallez. It was a combined mode to complement my lack of mobility. When I showed suspicious behavior, the three people who had been following also seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere and each showed a quick response.
Pingvallez began to dash. The three people who had been trailing also ran. Until a while ago, they seemed to be playing separately, but it seemed like the maneuvers to narrow down the encirclement were coordinated. Are they also in league with the saint⋯⋯?
I must survive. I cast an illusion magic.
“『Illusion Swamp』⋯⋯!”
Yeah they are back