Chapter 9 - The Entrance Ceremony, the Attack, and the Ancient Dragon (3)
Where did it all go wrong?
The plan to infiltrate the academy as a professor for the organization had gone smoothly. Over the past eight years, I had built up enough trust to become fully integrated into this place.
Finally, the day of reckoning had come—a perfect chance to bring down the Empire's pride, the academy, and assassinate both the royalty and the saintess.
But all of it was for nothing.
A lifetime of gathering beasts, eight years of meticulous planning—all turned to dust.
An intense cold enveloped everything. Spears of ice fell from the sky, piercing through the enemy. The beasts, frozen solid, couldn't even let out a final scream as they were snuffed out.
In the midst of the blizzard, standing tall and unyielding, was the new professor, Lian, whom Karon hadn't even considered a threat.
"Ah…"
Only now did Karon realize his grave miscalculation.
He'd misjudged the true threat. Not the Empire's ancient dragon or the legendary war hero. The most dangerous person here was that seemingly unassuming new professor.
"You're a professor of illusion magic, right?"
Thinking back, even from their first meeting—introduced through Professor Scott—Lian's demeanor had been peculiar. He seemed deep in thought, observing Karon with a scrutinizing gaze.
The only one who had looked at him with suspicion in all these years was that man.
"Lian suggested it. We're going to stage a mock assault with illusionary beasts during the entrance ceremony."
And on the day he decided to execute the real assault, that same man had proposed the idea out of nowhere. Karon had no choice but to push forward since the beasts were already in place.
It must have been a warning.
A signal that said, "You're already in my grasp. I've seen through your plans. Don't even think about trying anything."
But Karon had foolishly ignored it.
"How many times do I have to almost die…?"
Eavesdropping on the staff quarters, Karon had overheard Lian's drunken lamentations, his self-pity, and his complaints. He'd fallen for it completely.
To think Lian would keep up the act of weakness even when no one was around… Karon couldn't help but feel a shiver of awe at such thorough deception.
"To act so weak with power like that…"
Even if two people use the same magic, the structure of the spell differs vastly depending on the caster.
To understand a spell composed of thousands of runes and complex geometric symbols in an instant? And then alter it to make it his own?
There was no way that should be possible. Yet that professor had done it without breaking a sweat.
Turning the impossible into reality. If that's not genius, then what is?
"The scale and intensity of that spell… he actually improved the structure in the time it took to cast it."
The magnitude of the summoned blizzard and the force of the icy spears exceeded anything Karon could conjure. And now, half of that deadly force was bearing down on Karon himself. The defensive artifacts he'd prepared as a countermeasure against the ancient dragon were nearly depleted.
"Please help me, Professor Scott! It appears that the new professor was the real infiltrator all along!"
In a final act of desperation, he cried out, but all he got in return was a murderous glare and a blade swinging down on him.
To dare slander such an admirable young man… Clearly, Karon was the true spy. And even if he wasn't, he should just die—a sentiment Scott expressed furiously.
It was staggering. Someone Karon had spent eight years trying to befriend had fallen under the new professor's influence in just a matter of days.
There was no winning. This man was always several steps ahead, tightening his grip around Karon with every move. Cold sweat began to drip as he realized his impending doom.
"This is no time to worry about some prophecy."
The organization's most dangerous enemy wasn't some mysterious girl but the man standing before him. With that monster holding firm, the Empire would never fall.
…It was time to make a decision.
With Scott lending his strength, Karon had only about 30 seconds left. Without hesitation, he lunged toward Lian, who was still casting the massive spell.
No matter how talented, he couldn't move while controlling magic on that scale.
Overdrive. He poured mana into his body recklessly, not caring whether it would withstand the strain. Survival was never part of his plan, anyway.
"…Professor Lian!"
Scott rushed to shield him, but with his mana depleted, even the Iron-Blooded Duke couldn't withstand the full blast.
An excruciating pain took over as Karon's body began to swell grotesquely. But despite the agony, he felt a strange sense of relief.
The price of eliminating such a dangerous threat was just his own life? A more than fair trade.
A deafening boom erupted as the massive explosion swallowed everything in its path.
Everyone within range, erased without a trace—this was the outcome Karon expected.
But something was wrong.
His head spun, nausea churned violently in his stomach, and his vision began to fade.
As the world darkened around him, the last thing Karon saw was a magnificent silver dragon.
Karon, who had been clutching Lian's arm with a sinister smile, vanished in an instant, his form compressed into nothingness.
The ancient dragon's word, a power that defied the laws of the world.
With a single utterance, the headmaster of the Imperial Academy had subdued her enemy and gracefully landed before the two professors.
The dragon, who had displayed such overwhelming might, now stood in her familiar form of a young girl.
"The ancient dragon came to save us!"
The students cheered in relief. With the Empire's strongest protector on their side, they no longer had anything to fear.
But the headmaster herself did not look pleased.
"Seven injuries… After promising to protect the students, I've disgraced myself utterly. I have no face left to show you all."
A betrayal by a professor who had devoted eight years to the academy.
No one had imagined that someone so diligent and upright could be plotting such a terror attack in the shadows.
But this wasn't an act of fate. A bit of vigilance could have prevented this horrible event.
"Especially you, Lian. I seem to keep wronging you. I'm ashamed of my lack of insight."
It was true—once again, this new professor had seen everything on his own.
"Thinking back, it was strange from the beginning. An illusionary beast assault… That could have traumatized some of the more sensitive students. You wouldn't have suggested something like that."
The headmaster, thrilled by the idea, had set up the assault without thinking.
"But in retrospect, that must have been your warning. A subtle message that the illusion magic professor was suspicious and might be planning an attack."
A roundabout caution, fearing the likelihood of eavesdropping.
But she'd been too dense to understand.
In failing to recognize his warning, she'd proven herself unfit to be headmaster.
Lian had trusted her to take care of things. And yet, she had let him down once again.
"That wasn't it. It was simply a coincidence that everything lined up. Please, lift your head."
At his gentle words, emotions welled up within her. The desperate expression, that attempt to deny what was so obviously a lie.
The ancient dragon of the Empire wasn't so foolish that she couldn't recognize this kind-hearted man's subtle attempt to protect her pride.
"…I am truly fortunate. To have someone like you by my side. I couldn't ask for more."
Holding back her tears, Sion placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She wanted to throw away all decorum and embrace him in gratitude.
But there was still something left to do.
Even if he'd forgiven her, she wouldn't ignore her responsibility.
"Name what you wish for. Whatever your heart desires, I shall grant it, by the name of the ancient dragon."
If he wished for wealth, she'd open the dragon's treasure vaults to him, enough to surpass even the Golden Duke's riches.
If he wanted honor, she could make him a member of the royal family. Disregarding the consequences, she could use the ancient dragon's authority to make it so.
The pledge she made in her name was absolute. Whatever wish Lian spoke would undoubtedly be fulfilled.
"I want to quit being a professor."
And even that wish was no exception.
In fact, it was exactly what she'd been hoping for.
With a bright smile, the ancient dragon patted Lian on the back.
"We're on the same page! I'll fire that old man and make you the chairman instead. Just wait a moment!"