Chapter 10: The Worst Lecture in the History of the Empire Part 1

The words the girl uttered as she patted my back.

A statement that far exceeded common sense left me feeling dazed.

What flashed in my mind was an image of myself as the Chairman.

A promotion from a new professor to Chairman.

An unprecedented rapid rise that would surely make my name known throughout the Empire.

Gaining fame would be easy, but… What good would that do?

Countless duties and responsibilities.

Not only would it become even harder to escape from the academy, but additional risks, like death from overwork, would arise alongside the original plot.

Furthermore, there was the issue that the ousted Chairman and their faction would undoubtedly seek revenge against me.

“I’m sorry, but I must decline that offer.”

Promotion only has meaning if you’re alive to enjoy it.

I already make more than enough money as it is.

There’s no point in being greedy and losing my precious life.

“The current Chairman is already doing an excellent job in their role. I don’t wish to rise in rank by taking someone else’s position.”

An old man, who had been mixed in the crowd, trembling alone at the First Dragon’s remark about removing the Chairman, suddenly collapsed to the floor and sobbed when he heard my words, but…

This situation was already troublesome enough.

I’d have to set aside the issue of my strange ability to easily bewitch elderly men for later.

“Are you speaking from the heart? This is a rare opportunity to leave your name in the history of the Imperial Academy.”

“Honestly, I’m struggling to handle the title of professor, let alone Chairman. If the First Dragon would allow it, I’d gladly resign from my teaching position this very moment.”

I responded to the First Dragon, who asked if I was being sincere.

It was 100% the truth.

I really hoped the First Dragon would understand my feelings, but unexpectedly, she puffed her cheeks in frustration.

“Alright, alright. I’ll respect your decision, so don’t say something so mischievous ever again.”

The girl made it obvious that she was sulking.

She rummaged through her belongings with her tail and finally handed me a golden key that shimmered brightly.

“Take as many gold coins as you want. If it’s too much for you to carry alone, I’ll even arrange for someone to help you.”

But I shook my head again.

It wasn’t that I had no desire for the gold.

On the contrary, my greed was what made me act this way.

“I wouldn’t dare covet the wealth the First Dragon has accumulated.”

I already had plenty of gold coins.

The salary of an associate professor was beyond imagination, and I wasn’t sure if I could even spend it all before I died.

So, it was in my best interest to leave this situation with a clear conscience.

If something dangerous happened, I could use her as a personal bodyguard.

If I subtly hinted that I was weak, she might even gift me a protective artifact.

“As a professor, it’s only natural to protect my students. I simply did what I was supposed to do. I’m not so shameless as to expect a reward for it.”

I smiled wickedly as I tossed out a suitable excuse.

With this, I had avoided all the death flags.

Plus, I now had an extra insurance policy in place, just in case something went wrong.

Overall, I was satisfied with the outcome.

Since the attack incident was resolved, I could finally get back on the path to being fired, but…

Professor Scott, who was standing beside me, let a single tear roll down his cheek.

In an instant, his eyes became watery.

He grabbed my hand, looking like he was about to burst into tears, perhaps even biting his fist if left unchecked.

“To meet a fellow professor like you at the end of my career… I… I’m truly blessed.”

He sobbed uncontrollably.

I was startled, wondering if this man had eaten something strange.

But to my dismay, everyone else around us seemed to react similarly to that old man.

They looked at me with gazes that would seem excessive even if a god descended directly onto the podium.

Their eyes overflowed with respect as they stared at me intently.

My face naturally grew pale.

Frantically, I reviewed the actions I had taken.

Declining a chance for promotion, saying I wasn’t worthy of the position, all while humbly turning it down.

Even when offered a substantial reward of gold coins, I generously smiled and said that a teacher’s duty was to serve their students without expecting compensation.

‘This isn’t how a terrible professor should act!’

The mental energy I had expended while stealing Karon’s magic circle…

I was barely able to stand.

With the First Dragon’s sudden proclamation on top of it, I had completely forgotten to continue my act as a terrible professor.

A monumental mistake.

I tried to find a way to recover, but it was already far too late.

“…You never fail to amaze me. Don’t worry about the reward any longer. Even if you refuse, I will still present you with a suitable prize.”

The First Dragon placed her hand on my shoulder.

Her eyes gleamed with the intensity of someone who had just discovered the world’s most precious gem.

“To be honest, that was just a joke. I’ll take the gold coins after all, so please return the key.”

I made one last desperate attempt, but the people around me simply laughed, thinking I was joking to lighten the mood.

Even the professors who had kept their distance from me since the entrance exam, and those who were always so stiff, came over and patted my back, saying they didn’t realize I had such a side to me.

Reputation and practical benefits.

Unintentionally, I had gained both, and I laughed while crying.

‘Well, at least A-Class still remains.’

I could still get fired.

No one succeeds all the time, after all.

This was just a step back to take two steps forward.

I decided to put my trust in my precious students.

I was betrayed by my precious students.

After the incident was resolved, the children gathered in the classroom once more.

But not a single student from A-Class had transferred to B-Class.

“Why are all of you still here?”

I asked in genuine confusion.

But the students remained cheerful.

They were all smiling brightly.

Upon closer inspection, I realized they were each holding their primary weapons—the very ones I had confiscated by force.

“Who gave you permission to take your weapons back? I clearly stated that they’d be confiscated until you proved your skills.”

I scowled, my voice rising in anger.

Their blatant disregard for my orders was so absurd that I couldn’t help but use a harsher tone.

Yet none of the students showed even a hint of guilt.

The Second Imperial Princess stood up as their representative.

With a smug smile, she opened her mouth as if she had done something praiseworthy.

“We all figured out the test a long time ago and passed it. There’s no need for you to continue with the act.”

Nonsensical words that I couldn’t make sense of.

Fuming, I was about to confiscate their weapons again, but my hand stopped momentarily.

She was Imperial Royalty—the most powerful of the powerful.

Could I really afford to provoke her on a whim? If she held a grudge against me, would I be able to handle it?

‘Clever little brats…’

No wonder they were so bold.

They must have found a way to counter my tyranny amongst themselves.

Indeed, if they came at me like this, I had no way to resist.

Defying royalty and earning their enmity was as good as committing suicide.

I had no choice but to go along with their poor act.

“…You pass. The fact that you uncovered my intent so quickly shows that you’re worth teaching.”

The devils who forced my surrender cheered in triumph.

Even though they had just blackmailed me using royal authority, their innocent smiles, clapping, and celebratory atmosphere gave me chills.

“We’ll be counting on you, Professor Riyan! We’ll work hard so that we can be assigned to A-Class again next year and continue taking your lessons!!”

A female student, grinning, spouted a horrifying statement.

Until I returned to the dormitory after checking on the injured, the children continued to bombard me with outrageous remarks, never tiring of it.

Being stuck in this hell for another year? I would have preferred they insulted my family instead—it would’ve hurt less.

Left alone, I gritted my teeth and thought.

I couldn’t let things go on like this.

I had to escape, no matter the cost.

…My feet moved before I even realized it.

I was already running down the hallway after storming out of the classroom.

Fate was chasing me, forcing me into an inescapable promotion.

The fear of that inevitability pursued me fiercely, so I couldn’t stop running, no matter how breathless I became.

Sion’s office.

I threw open the door and shouted at the top of my lungs.

“Please let me open a new course!”

The lecture that would go down in the history of the Empire as the worst class ever.

That was my only way to ensure my survival.