The building, half-destroyed and a blaze, was viewed from above by the Fourth Demon, Kamigin, who watched with an intrigued smile.
The Royal Academy, which had surely been the target of this raid, was entirely empty, as if daring someone to provoke it.
‘There shouldn’t have been any way for the plan to leak.’
This was the place guarded by the Great Ancestral Dragon.
No matter how well large-scale spells might be hidden, they could not deceive her eyes.
Thus, He chose a primitive method.
Instead of magic, he used science.
Bombs had been hidden throughout the academy, set to explode all at once at the predetermined time.
The academy’s security was notoriously weak when it came to internal threats.
Students who had signed contracts with demons were stopped by walls.
Utilizing the demons made placing the bombs far easier than expected.
‘There’s no way the information could have leaked from those guys. As soon as they served their purpose, I burned their very existence to ashes.’
He used weapons that operated not on detectable magic but on scientific principles.
This way, he was sure no one would detect it.
But the result? Utter failure.
This baffling outcome that defied common sense sparked her curiosity.
However, this wasn’t curiosity about how they had noticed the raid but rather who had preemptively thwarted it.
The identity of the perpetrator was all too obvious.
‘This must be the work of that mysterious new professor.’
The only one who saw through Amon’s disguise, which could even fool the Ancestral Dragon’s eyes, was that man.
Marbas, who could easily manipulate even the royal family with his illusions, was dispatched without issue by this man.
A human who overpowered both the Seventh and Fifth ranks.
Who else could be behind this act?
‘Either he remembered the students I erased from existence through some unknown means, or he possesses a form of foresight.’
Either possibility was equally terrifying.
This meant the opponent could access the Akashic Records or was a prophet who saw the future.
Considering the immense power of the grand spell he used to kill Marbas, she could hardly understand where such a monster had come from.
But what rose within her was not fear but a sense of challenge.
The predetermined destruction was unfolding, and now, an unexpected variable had suddenly appeared in her monotonous work.
Unexpected developments always add intrigue to any story.
As a hedonist, Kamigin felt an urge to welcome this disruptor with open arms.
‘I wonder if that professor is as arrogant as the rumors say or if he’s unexpectedly cautious. What ideals is he upholding, and what does he seek to achieve by standing against us?’
He couldn’t help but smile as curiosity surged within him.
Of course, he hadn’t forgotten her mission.
He would fulfill his purpose while satisfying his intrigue.
He needed to ensure that the prophesied child, the only girl capable of averting destruction, who was likely with that professor, was dealt with.
‘Requesting support from that brute Marbas should do the trick.’
A simple-minded battle fanatic.
He may have nothing but fighting on his mind, but his senses were as sharp as a beast’s, making him reliable.
If it was merely to locate the students and keep them occupied until Kamigin arrived, even someone like the Thirty-Ninth rank would handle it with ease.
***
With that conclusion reached, the demon spread her wings.
Today, it seemed, would indeed be quite an enjoyable day.
A sudden rush of dizziness overwhelms me.
This world, which seems determined to ruin me.
I had expected things might get complicated along the way, ‘but isn’t this a bit much?’
Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury to complain.
Once again, my evaluation has shot up sky-high.
People around me stare with astonished faces the moment they hear about the academy explosion, but there’s something even more urgent than that.
“Where are Professor Scott and the Ancestral Dragon right now?”
I urgently ask the security officer.
Gasping for breath, the man manages to regain some composure and assures me not to worry.
“I’ve already informed both of them. They headed straight to the academy, so things should be under control soon.”
No matter who the attacker is, as long as those two are there, there shouldn’t be any trouble.
The security officer, saying this to reassure everyone, maintains his calm demeanor.
But there’s no way I can feel at ease.
The confidential information given to me upon being hired as a professor.
Deep underground in the academy lies something unknown that could one day determine the empire’s fate.
The Ancestral Dragon and Professor Scott, aware of this, would surely think that the enemy’s target is the academy itself.
They must have decided that leaving the students to me and the other professors, while focusing all their strength on that side, was the best course of action given the situation…
But only I know the truth.
That this is a world inside a novel.
The world’s center isn’t the great Ancestral Dragon or the Demon King Gaetia, but a suspiciously refined boy from my class.
The world was designed to revolve around that boy.
No matter what lies hidden beneath the academy, it holds no more value than that little brat from my class.
Thus, what the enemy is targeting isn’t the academy but…
They couldn’t have evacuated the students to an isolated island, could they? Even for me, it took some effort to find them.
It’s the protagonist of this world.
So the demons will inevitably come here.
I had hoped my intuition might be wrong for once, but bad premonitions rarely miss.
With a thunderous roar, the demon appears in front of us, cutting through the air.
He looks at me, a grin of challenge on his face.
There are professors and students all around, yet he’s staring directly at me with that twisted smile.
If there’s ever been a situation of pure spite from the world, this is it.
But no matter how much I complain, nothing will change, so I immediately lock eyes with him and get ready for action.
Whether I should consider this fortunate or unfortunate, there is one plan that comes to mind.
“Why do you look so uncomfortable? Even a demon can’t do much in the face of the Ancestral Dragon’s barrier, can it?”
I stride confidently toward the demon, asking him this.
The barrier hastily erected by Sion to protect the students is weakening the intruder’s strength.
“How unpleasant. Do you intend to provoke me?”
The demon responds exactly as expected.
But provocation wasn’t my real aim.
“It’s simply disappointing. I finally get a worthy opponent, only for him to be unable to fight at full strength. Where’s the satisfaction in defeating you like this?”
Maintaining an arrogant demeanor, I pause and then toss him a pill.
The faces of the students who guess what the pill is are painted in shock.
If they weren’t horrified, that would be stranger.
“It’s a pill that negates the effects of the barrier. It’s a spare one leftover from those I distributed to the students, so go ahead and take it.”
The pill not only removes the barrier’s influence but also heals severe injuries.
The students had already taken theirs as part of their survival training.
They probably think I’m insane for helping the enemy like this.
The other professors are in a panic, yelling if I’ve lost my mind, or even accusing me of being a demon’s spy.
But spilled water can’t be scooped back up.
The pill is already in his hand.
The demon laughs loudly at me.
His expression says it all—he’s never encountered someone as crazy as me.
“So the rumors about the new professor’s boundless arrogance were true. I’d wondered which human killed Marbas, but I never imagined he’d be this deranged.”
Seeing how unhinged I am, he likely couldn’t manipulate my mind even if he tried.
The demon laughs, saying he now understands why Marbas fell.
With a smug grin, he swallows the pill.
With that, my plan is complete.
It may not have gone as intended, but my dismissal is now assured.
A professor who tried to look cool by aiding the enemy, only to abandon the students and flee once the enemy fought at full strength—a blunder of this scale is enough to ensure no one would defend me.
The remaining professors and students will handle this demon.
I don’t need to worry.
If everyone works together, they’ll manage somehow.
Casualties will be high, but what do I care?
Without a glance back, I make a run for it…
No, of course, I wouldn’t really do that.
‘I may desperately want to get fired, but…’
At the very least, I know the time and place.
I’m not a crazy sociopath who would throw everyone off a cliff just to save myself.
The demon’s face suddenly goes pale after swallowing the pill I tossed him. He writhes in agony, unable to bear it.
Unable to hold back, he coughs up blood.
With a choking sound, blood gushes out in a fountain.
After staggering briefly, he falls to his knees before me.
The demon, horrified that a professor known for his nobility and pride would resort to such tactics, looks up at me in disbelief.
I gaze down at him with a wicked grin.
“It’s not medicine—it’s poison, you fool.”