This year, Chrome Gregory enrolled as a freshman at the Royal Academy.
He did not like life here.
From a young age, this was his goal.
He had the opportunity to receive education in the best environment and follow an elite path directly.
However, the reason for his dissatisfaction was simple.
Riyan.
It was all that damn new professor who was the problem.
”If only that bastard wasn’t here, I would be confidently on the path to success in A-Class right now…”
On the highly anticipated first day of classes, the professor confiscated his main weapon, a spear, and handed him a strange old pistol instead.
When Chrome protested, the professor went as far as to tell him that if he didn’t want to follow the rules, he should leave for B-Class.
No matter how you look at it, it was unreasonable brutality.
Rather than learn under such a damn professor, it would have been much better to transfer to Professor Scott’s class.
Making that judgment, Chrome didn’t look back and immediately packed his things to move to B-Class, but…
It turned out the old pistol was actually a training device.
A new tool designed to easily awaken magical power enhancement.
No matter how meticulously it was made, attempts to replicate its structure by contacting various noble families and even dwarves all ended in failure.
In the end, only A-Class students benefited.
The remaining students there seemed to be growing day by day through that device and innovative teaching methods.
“Just this alone makes my stomach hurt; I feel like I’m going to die.”
Moreover, that professor was an unprecedented genius.
He was known for effortlessly handling complex spatial magic techniques and was even evaluated to have greater insights than Si-jo-ryong.
Additionally, the personality that seemed slightly arrogant at first was actually all a misunderstanding.
In reality, he was a kind professor who cared for his students more than anyone else, causing his reputation to skyrocket.
I entered without much thought, but a person named Riyan has been assigned as our class professor. ‘Is this a good thing?’
Thanks to him, A-Class students were overwhelmed with happiness.
It had reached the point where even someone who openly bragged like that could emerge.
Seeing them like that burned Chrome’s insides.
”I kicked away the opportunity to turn my life around with my own hands.”
The realization naturally filled him with rage, but Chrome was the eldest son of a prestigious family who had lived without ever lacking anything.
Only people who catered to him were around.
Combined with his inflated ego from being naturally talented, Chrome couldn’t accept that he had made such a foolish mistake.
“That bastard was just showing off for no reason. If he had just explained things clearly, I wouldn’t have left!”
In the end, his frustration turned into resentment towards Riyan.
Everything—from ending up in B-Class, being embarrassed by Professor Scott for being distracted by trivial thoughts, to his declining performance—was all Riyan’s fault.
”If only that damn new professor wasn’t here, everything would have gone smoothly.”
With that thought, Chrome sharpened his blade for revenge.
It was a foolish act to pick a fight with someone who was already thriving when he could have just disliked them on his own.
However, Chrome was originally a master of the role of ‘the gold-haired thug who doesn’t know his place and causes reverse tourism by messing around with the protagonist girl.’
A twisted human who, if he didn’t like something, would trample it by any means to relieve his frustration.
Combined with his persistence and his family’s prestige, he produced results.
After thorough investigation, he finally found it—the weakness that could destroy all the reputation Riyan had built.
”I knew he was hiding something rotten.”
Originally, only one professor was scheduled to join this year.
Elf Professor Silphi should have been hired as the new professor after a fierce competition.
However, after the announcement of the accepted candidates, the number of hires suddenly increased by one more without proper procedures, and Riyan was appointed as the new professor.
The conclusion this fact led to was clear.
”Hiring corruption, huh? Some people have no sense of decency.”
Someone must have created an open position using bribery and placed that bastard Riyan as a professor here.
A fatal weakness.
Now, all that was left was to quietly spread this information.
If it became known that a person famous for his integrity actually entered the academy through bribery, his reputation would plummet.
”At the very least, disciplinary action is certain, and if things go well…”
He might even be dismissed.
Thinking like that, Chrome smirked wickedly.
“Today will surely be the worst day of that professor’s life.”
Today was undoubtedly the best day of my life.
After wrapping up the incident at the royal palace and returning to the academy, what greeted my exhausted self was the breathtakingly beautiful scenery I had always dreamed of.
Some students whispered something as they looked at me.
They were earnestly talking about how I had illegitimately obtained the professor position and insisted that I should resign immediately.
Weary from the overwhelming backlash, I was in a state where I had taken some alcohol.
I briefly suspected that I might be seeing things because of my intoxication.
However, no matter how much I rubbed my eyes, the scene before me did not change at all.
Tears naturally welled up and streamed down my cheeks.
”Finally, the day has come when all my efforts are rewarded.”
The days I spent striving to be hated by the students.
I can’t imagine how long I’ve been waiting for a day like this to arrive.
Of course, most students still defend me, but just knowing that a few view me unfavorably is a tearful improvement.
I wonder which righteous person spearheaded this.
Honestly, I feel like going to them right away and bowing in gratitude.
The corners of my mouth began to lift as if they were about to ascend.
However, in a situation like this, letting my guard down was absolutely forbidden.
I couldn’t afford to miss the favorable wind that had finally arrived.
“I need to capitalize on this momentum to further worsen public opinion.”
Though an anonymous benefactor had done a commendable job, there were still many aspects that needed improvement.
It was my turn to roll up my sleeves and take action personally.
The target audience was naturally the discriminators.
Appealing to students who already harbored hostility towards commoners would be the most effective.
Fortunately, I had hidden several characteristics that they would dislike, such as being an orphan or coming from a slum.
If this information were revealed, some aristocratic students, filled with prejudice and a sense of superiority, would inevitably hate me even more than before.
Naturally, public sentiment would plummet quickly.
A rather satisfying plan.
However, if I had to point out one problem, it was that I had drunk a bit too much and was still somewhat tipsy…
”Well, is there really a problem?”
I had drunk a bit too much out of sorrow, but not enough to impair my judgment.
With nineteen bottles of alcohol gifted by the royal court, my mental fortitude was not weak enough to be broken, so I smiled faintly and immediately began my work.
***
Sweet dismissal awaited me.
Professor Scott had been in a very bad mood lately.
The reason was quite simple.
Even someone considered a treasure of the empire, a young man.
Forces had emerged trying to slander such a person.
”I want to immediately silence his mouth, but…”
The mastermind behind this incident was quite cunning.
He barely crossed the line.
There were suspicious aspects regarding Professor Riyan’s hiring.
He only mentioned indisputable facts, giving no grounds for us to punish the other party.
If we acted on something like this, we would only face backlash, and criticism towards Riyan would intensify.
If he had fabricated something nonexistent or committed severe character defamation, we could have immediately launched an investigation and severely punished the culprit.
At this point, there was nothing more to be done.
”What an embarrassment. I have no face to show my juniors.”
How long has it been since I assured to protect him from all threats? If Riyan hears this news after returning from the royal palace, he will surely be greatly disheartened.
Even if I condemn him as a petty person who speaks ill of himself, there’s nothing he can argue back with.
Thinking like that, Professor Scott felt dispirited.
As he trudged along, he heard a murmuring sound.
Turning his head, he saw a group of students gathered.
They were all looking at a notice posted on the wall.
I wonder what was written there that gathered them like that.
Curious, Scott pushed through the students and began to read the words written there.
[New Professor Riyan, turns out to be an orphan from the slums! A commoner who couldn’t even receive proper home education from parents—can he truly teach our students properly?]
Suddenly, the ground shook.
A horrifying murderous intent chilled the surroundings.
An old man with white hair, his face contorted like a malicious ghost, wore a spine-tinglingly grotesque smile.
”If you desire death, I shall gladly grant it.”
The Iron-Blooded Duke of the Empire.
It was the moment when a man who had single-handedly destroyed a kingdom felt pure murderous intent after fifty long years.