Inside the luxurious office.
A man frowned in a room decorated with glittering jewels and gold, seemingly reflecting the taste of its owner.
[Report on the Demonic Attack Incident.]
The document in his hand.
A familiar name appeared there once again.
‘Riyan… that name’s been coming up a lot lately.’
Even though the person in question was a professor at the academy, this was the Golden Duke.
Normally, he wouldn’t bother paying attention to a mere new professor, but this time, it was different.
There should be a limit to how frequently a name appears.
Lately, every incident and accident seemed to be connected to this person.
And each time, it appeared that they made a great contribution.
‘Just from the rumors, he sounds like some sort of monster.’
Apparently, he single-handedly thwarted every attack and terrorist plot.
The specifics were classified, but they said he created a lecture that would reshape the empire’s history.
There were even rumors that the Iron-Blooded Duke and the Progenitor Dragon were vying for his favor.
It was said that he even gained the Imperial Family’s favor to the point where the Imperial Knights were mobilized to find someone gossiping behind his back.
‘But surely not all of that is true.’
Common sense told him so.
From the investigation, Riyan’s magical power barely matched the average of a four-year-old.
There was no way he could be casting meteors to save students from danger.
‘The Iron-Blooded Duke is famously stubborn and old-fashioned, and the Progenitor Dragon, despite appearing lively, is emotionally decayed.’
There was no way he could charm both of them in just a month, let alone win over the Emperor.
So, these must all be baseless rumors.
‘The Imperial Knights visiting the academy was surely related to the corpse of the Demon King buried underground.’
It made more sense than believing the Emperor would waste resources to catch a gossipmonger, as it was probably an inspection related to that which lay dormant underground.
So, the only plausible rumor was the second one:
The claim that Riyan made a groundbreaking discovery and created a lecture that would go down in history.
‘But something still bothers me.’
It didn’t make sense that one good lecture would generate this much talk.
He couldn’t explain why these rumors were spreading.
He kept feeling as if something was being concealed.
His influence was rising suspiciously fast.
If he didn’t clip it now, it could become dangerous.
‘Well, there happens to be a perfect opportunity. It worked out just right.’
One must always be cautious when making judgments.
Though he doubted the professor was the genius portrayed in the rumors, he didn’t want to ignore even the slightest possibility.
So, he decided to use his subordinate.
‘Who would’ve thought that the Chairman’s unfortunate involvement in the explosion targeting the student building would come in handy like this?’
The Chairman, who was currently on the brink of death.
In his place was someone under the Golden Duke’s influence.
He’d recently succeeded in coaxing the fallen elder’s niece, navigating various justifications and intrigues, to place her as the acting chairman.
‘A tyrannical and dull woman, but even dull things have their uses.’
A foolish decision to pick a fight with a well-reputed professor.
But she would likely accept it without hesitation.
With her extreme prejudice against commoners, she wouldn’t see Riyan favorably.
Besides, she had no authority to refuse his orders.
‘If that professor really is the genius the rumors say, I’ll just sever ties immediately. No harm done.’
The Golden Duke drafted his orders without hesitation.
Why did he feel so uneasy, though?
However, he was the type to trust in logical deductions over inexplicable intuition.
A simple plan to test the waters with a disposable pawn.
What potential issues could arise from this?
Too much worry becomes a sickness.
He was certain that his nerves were just frayed from his recent workload.
A bit of refreshment would fix it right up.
Ignoring his unease, he leisurely sipped his tea.
Finally, a chance to rise.
Though temporary, the woman appointed as acting chair of the Imperial Academy thought to herself, ‘What’s this? Things went so much smoother than I expected.’
It seemed her worries had been unnecessary.
As an outsider who had rolled in unexpectedly, she had feared trouble might arise from meddling with a well-regarded and popular professor, but there had been no issues whatsoever.
The containment efforts proceeded without a hitch, all thanks to the unexpected appearance of an ally who changed everything.
‘I can’t believe he cooperated to this extent.’
Though it might sound foolish, it was almost as if Professor Riyan himself wished for his own downfall.
The hiring corruption that had previously been swept under the rug.
Violations like creating a new course during the semester.
She had planned to use these to justify a disciplinary action.
She had gone to great lengths to prepare a solid rationale, but the resistance had been more intense than anticipated.
She had struggled to figure out how to handle it…
Then, Riyan made a declaration to those standing up for him.
“Everyone, please stop. Isn’t it true that I broke the rules? Using personal connections to avoid punishment is something I, more than anyone, cannot allow.”
He asked them not to defend him.
He wished to receive the punishment he deserved and urged them to respect his wishes.
Not everyone was convinced, of course.
“Hiring corruption? The one who selected you as a professor…”
“If we continue, it will only burden that person. I’d rather die than cause them trouble. Do you truly wish for me to take my own life, Duke Iron-Blood?”
Riyan silenced all his defenders single-handedly.
With relentless persuasion, he even used his own life as leverage.
Thanks to that, they could discipline the new professor without any issues.
A stain of hiring corruption and abuse of power.
Admitting it himself meant the disciplinary record would remain, and it would surely affect his future career. The mission was completed perfectly.
‘Why Riyan had been so cooperative was the one thing she couldn’t figure out.’
‘But it wasn’t worth dwelling on too much.’
‘Perhaps he finally realized his place. A mere street commoner lucky to land a professor’s position could hardly defy the orders of a powerful chairperson, could he?’
Those born low crawl submissively.
‘Why should she question something that follows the natural order?’
‘If fortune came her way, she only needed to embrace it with joy.’
Since the professor had foolishly tightened the noose around his own neck, it was time to celebrate.
“Maybe I’ll indulge a bit tonight.”
She’d been saving a 50-year-aged whiskey for an occasion like this.
A broad grin naturally spread across her face.
Though her position was temporary, her uncle wouldn’t last much longer.
His condition was irrelevant; his fate was already sealed.
That was something the Golden Duke had promised.
Before long, she would officially become the chair of the Imperial Academy, leaving her name in history.
Since she handled her first task so flawlessly, he would surely support her.
Now all that remained was to walk a smooth path to success.
‘It feels like the world is on my side.’
Luck seemed to follow her at every turn.
At this rate, nothing could stand in her way.
After all, isn’t it true that the world favors the lucky?
A smile naturally spread across her face.
She was certain today would be the best day of her life.
It was certain to be the best day of her life, but then…
“I have something to say to everyone.”
At the sound of a voice, she turned her head.
In her line of sight was an old man with white hair.
He had been schedule in his room for days following his suspension, yet here he was, suddenly addressing the people.
“As the week-long suspension comes to an end, I find I still cannot forgive myself for the sins I committed. Thus, I declare before you all now…”
All eyes instinctively turned toward him.
But there was no hesitation in his gaze.
“Even after my suspension is lifted, I will delay my return until I can forgive myself. And if, even after a month, I am still unable to find forgiveness…”
Riyan swallowed, and then, before a multitude of students, he confidently declared, “I will resign from my position as a professor.”
The moment he finished, the students turned their heads.
Almost as if planned, they all looked in unison—
“…What?”
They turned to the cause of this situation.
Hundreds of sharp-eyed gazes focused on him, and he realized—
It seemed things were starting to go awry.