9
It was when I had a bewildered expression.
I heard a sound that made me doubt my ears.
“Sorry.”
“!!”
I looked at the duke, wondering if I had misheard.
No, I hadn’t.
The duke was smiling broadly.
Even though his forehead was burned and charred, he seemed endlessly joyful.
“As a father, I couldn’t trust you. You’ve been working so hard and moving forward.”
“……”
“Sorry once again. Can you forgive me for not trusting you until now?”
At those words, I realized another truth.
‘No matter how you put it, the Duke sincerely loves his son.’
Even when he was angry, it was because he loved his son.
Perhaps it was because I had never received love from my parents properly when I was young, my heart fluttered for no reason.
At that moment, another voice interjected.
“Father!! It was my brother who expelled the lord of evil that was in Gamyo!!”
It was Karl!
He woke up from mana exhaustion and appeared at the right time.
“I accidentally woke up the lord of evil, but my brother here expelled it!”
Everyone looked at me as if they couldn’t believe it.
The charisma of the Black Flame Dragon naturally manifested, and an unlucky aura flowed.
“It was nothing. I just did what I had to do as a member of Eclesia.”
Inside the hall, everyone became silent in confusion and astonishment.
Faces that didn’t know what to say as their common sense crumbled.
“Ignorant knights, what are you doing? Can’t you all show respect to Master Confucius?!”
“Uh, uh?”
“Hurry!!”
At Hans’s shout, the knights exclaimed in surprise, “Hail to Master Ban Gongja?”
– We have triumphed in the duel with Duke Huam!
– We have been acknowledged for banishing the Lord of Shadows!
– The Duke’s gaze towards you will change!
– The gazes of the Duke’s followers towards you will change!
– Your honor will slightly rise!
– You can claim the ‘Wish Token’ from the Duke!
I took note of the term ‘Wish Token.’
Just then, the Duke spoke.
“Could it be true that you really banished the Lord of Shadows? I’ve misunderstood you so far, and I’d like to apologize. Though I doubt this will ease your heart, do you have a wish?”
I swallowed hard.
This was the moment I had been waiting for.
“Please use the professor recommendation from the Luminous Academy that your father possesses for my sake.”
!!
The Duke widened his eyes.
The Luminous Academy was one of the four prestigious academies.
The Duke of Ecclesia was one of the highest sponsors in the academic world.
Especially, he had substantial sponsorship for the four prestigious academies and held a ‘recommendation,’ which practically meant he could place any professor as he pleased.
In other words, my request was for him to parachute my demand into the academy!
I was thrilled.
“To become a professor at the Academy through the proper route, you have to go through immense hardship. It’s best to fly there with a parachute.”
The Duke looked perplexed.
“A recommendation? That’s…”
No matter how much recommendation you have, you couldn’t use it lightly.
If you recommend an inadequate person as a professor, it would bring disgrace to the Duke’s name.
If I were recommended as a professor, a renowned trash throughout the Empire, it wouldn’t just be a matter of dishonor.
Everyone would point fingers at the Duke saying he’s gone crazy.
“Well, that’s a problem the Duke has to endure.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“N-no.”
The Duke let out an awkward groan.
Since he just said he believed in me, it would be difficult to refuse.
Then, I heard a voice that was helping me.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness! Master Ban is going to be the star that shines not only in the Duke’s family… no, in the Empire, no, in this world! Isn’t Your Highness’s disheveled hairline proof enough?”
“…You, be quiet.”
It wasn’t just Hans.
“…I agree.”
“Karl?”
Karl avoided my gaze and blushed.
As if embarrassed by his own words.
“Perhaps you, sir, possess an innate talent for teaching. The guidance you gave me when facing the Lord of Shadows was unparalleled compared to any professor at the academy.”
“…Really?”
The duke wore a troubled expression.
He acknowledged me, but attempting to push me forward felt like navigating through an impending storm.
At that moment, Ron, the eldest son who had been silently observing, spoke up.
“What about this? Recommending you as a temporary professor for the class.”
“Temporary?”
“Yes, not a permanent appointment. We’ll hire you on a temporary basis, assess your performance, and then make a permanent decision. It will create fewer ripples.”
The duke nodded as if approving of the idea.
‘Hmm. It may not be entirely satisfying, but does it really matter?’
With my mastery in martial arts, there would be no lack of achievements.
Consider the formal appointment as a matter of course.
‘I’ll leisurely achieve magical success with my martial skills while enjoying the perks of a professor’s life!’
However, there was one catch.
‘The timing couldn’t be worse—having to be a professor at the academy at the same time as the protagonists.’
Currently, it was the vacation period before the start of the new school year.
So when I become a professor at the academy, the protagonists will also be starting their first year.
“…I’m going to quietly go about my business anyway. I have to avoid them just by seeing the hair of the main characters.”
Although it was a story about Nunu, it was a thousand times better than becoming a military officer or a government official.
At that moment, the Duke’s question was heard.
“Why do you insist on going to Rubiness Academy? Wouldn’t it be better to go to one of the Four Prestigious Academies?”
I answered silently.
“Other places are too strict.”
Each of the Four Prestigious Academies had its own distinct characteristics.
If I were to describe Rubiness Academy in one word, it would be like this.
– An outdated academy that is embarrassed to be called one of the Four Prestigious Academies.
Is it because it is located in the free city known for its indulgence and crime?
The academic atmosphere was lax, and among the Four Prestigious Academies, it was the least accomplished and the most avoided.
“For me, it’s the best environment.”
Sapphire Academy located in a region of border disputes.
Peridot Academy adjacent to the Ma Kingdom.
Amethyst Academy situated in the twisting environment of mana on the desert.
If I were to go to such a harsh place, even I wouldn’t be able to enjoy a leisurely professor’s life.
“The loose academic atmosphere is the best! The indulgent city is the best!”
Of course, I couldn’t answer like that.
“It would be nice to go to a place with some shortcomings. It’s because that’s where my brilliant light can shine.”
“…Uh, I see.”
The duke nodded solemnly, and my appointment as a parachutist was decided.
* * *
“It’s time to rest!”
I exclaimed and sprawled on the bed.
The duke sent a letter of recommendation, and approval was needed from the academy.
Since there was nothing else to do, I decided to fool around as much as possible.
“Now I don’t need to care about others’ eyes at the duke’s residence.”
After the last duel, the way people at the duke’s residence looked at me had completely changed.
Maybe it was because of the originally impressive appearance, even the past was overlooked.
“I’ve been considered crooked because the world failed to recognize my genius.”
Well, it’s probably a good thing.
As long as I can laze around.
But, there was a problem.
“Oh, Your Grace! Are you lying on the bed with your eyes closed again? Are you contemplating magic through mental training? How grand of a magic horizon are you trying to pursue! My heart is pounding, Hans!!”
The middle-aged wizard kept coming around like a girl in love, and it was annoying.
When I asked why he kept lying down, he said he was in the middle of mental training.
Annoyingly, it wasn’t just Hans.
Karl also annoyingly came around.
“What are you doing? You’re not trying to be lazy again like before, are you? Why do you keep coming? It’s not because I like you, don’t misunderstand. I still don’t like you.”
I don’t know why he keeps coming if he doesn’t like it.
Is it a new form of harassment?
There was another instance.
“Ban, as a senior professor, let me teach you the techniques necessary to educate students.”
It was Ron, the eldest son.
He cared for Ban.
“Ron is a professor too, and he’s from the prestigious Amethyst Academy, the best among the Four Great Houses.”
In Ron’s eyes, there was a glint of concern for his stubborn younger brother.
“Hmm, it’s uncomfortable.”
It wasn’t just a simple sense of burden.
The Duke of Ecclesia is an important family of the “Hero Academy.”
Of course, all five siblings each play important roles in their respective scenarios.
Among them, Ron’s role is…
“Don’t think too deeply about it. It’s not even a confirmed future yet.”
Ron’s future depends on the direction of the scenario.
There was no need to worry about it right now.
“It would have been nice if you had come to Amethyst where I am. It’s a shame. Natural disasters often occur due to the twisting of mana, but it’s quite comfortable to live here.”
“…It’s okay.”
“If you were Ruby Ness, you would have to spend a lot on living expenses. Professor’s salary will come, but you’ll have a hard time.”
Huh?
I looked puzzled.
‘Wasn’t it supported by the duke?’
From Noble mtl dot com
“You probably know, but during the four years of fulfilling the family’s duties in the military, government positions, etc., support from the family is cut off. It’s the tradition of the duke, but there’s a bit of excess in it.”
‘Where is that kind of thing!!’
It was like thunder.
Where the Rubiness Academy is located is famous for its bustling atmosphere in the free city.
Rent and cost of living were famously exorbitant.
Even with a high professor’s salary, a comfortable life was impossible.
In the setting, professors at the Rubiness Academy often had side jobs.
But the thunder-like story didn’t end there.
The duke called me.
“…You rejected your appointment at the Rubiness Academy.”
It was a parachute failure.
An unexpected story.
‘Recommended by the duke, and you rejected it? Not even a regular position, but a temporary professorship?’
The duke let out a deep sigh.
“The reasons for rejection are as follows: lack of character, lack of achievements, lack of skills, lack of experience, lack of reputation, lack of grades, lack of leadership.”
“……”
“So, even with my recommendation, I can’t accept it because I fail in all seven criteria demanded by the academy.”
So, even if I’m so terrible, there is a limit to the duke’s patience, and he cannot accept me. What should I do?
To achieve my golden dream, I absolutely had to attend the Rubiness Academy.
However, my personality, achievements, career, academic records, reputation, and everything else were currently impossible to improve.
It might have been an impossible dream from the start for someone like me, a “half,” to become a professor, the most esteemed profession in the empire.
“But still, I can’t give up! I have to find a way to pass the Rubiness Academy no matter what.”
At that moment, suddenly one method came to mind.
“What if this method?”
After swallowing hard, I spoke up.
“So, there’s a way.”
“Do you have an idea?”
“It’s to show my greatness at the Rubiness Academy.”
“…What?”
With the power of my “Grand Sorcerer” abilities.
I just needed to demonstrate overwhelming skills that would overshadow all my other shortcomings.