Chapter 10 - The Worst Lecture in the Empire's History (1)
With a cheerful pat on my back, the young girl's words hit me like a thunderbolt.
Her suggestion was so far beyond reason that it left me momentarily blind with despair.
An image flashed through my mind: me, as the academy's chairman.
Promoted from new professor to chairman in an unprecedented leap, my name would surely be known across the Empire. Fame would be easy to attain, but… what on earth would I do with it?
Along with fame came endless responsibilities and duties. Escaping the academy would become even more difficult, and beyond just dealing with the storyline, I'd have the added risk of dying from overwork.
Not to mention, the ousted chairman and his faction would definitely seek revenge.
"I'm sorry, but I must decline the offer."
There's no point in being successful if it means losing my life. My salary was already more than enough; there was no need to be greedy and risk my life.
"The current chairman is already doing an excellent job. I don't wish to succeed at the cost of taking his place."
An elderly man, who had been trembling in the crowd ever since Sion's suggestion to fire the chairman, collapsed to the floor and began to sob upon hearing my words. It was hard to ignore.
This was already a headache of a situation, so I resolved to deal with my strange tendency to attract elderly admirers another time.
"Are you certain? This is a rare opportunity to leave your name in the annals of the Imperial Academy."
"It's true. I'm barely managing as a professor. Frankly, if you'd allow it, I'd be more than happy to quit teaching altogether."
The ancient dragon asked if I was serious, and I answered truthfully.
I was laying my heart bare. I hoped she would understand how much I meant it, but instead, she merely puffed her cheeks in an unexpected display of frustration.
"Fine, fine. I'll respect your wishes. Just don't bring up such troublesome jokes again."
She was clearly disappointed. After rummaging around in her clothes with her tail, she finally produced a gleaming golden key and handed it to me.
"Then take as much gold as you want. If you can't carry it all yourself, I'll even assign someone to help you transport it."
But I shook my head once again. It's not that I was devoid of greed. Rather, I was being greedy in a different way.
"That's not necessary. How could I covet the wealth amassed by the ancient dragon herself?"
I already had more than enough gold.
The salary of an associate professor was extravagant, more than I could likely spend in a lifetime.
Keeping her indebted to me was far more valuable. Maybe she'd give me a personal bodyguard someday, or perhaps even gift me an artifact for protection if I subtly hinted at my "weakness."
"It's a teacher's duty to protect their students. I only did what was right. I'm not so shameless as to expect a reward."
I delivered the lines with an easy smile, masking the calculation behind my words.
With this, I had dodged all impending death flags and even secured an insurance policy for the future. This outcome was satisfying enough.
The assault incident was over, and I could finally return to my path toward getting fired…
Then Professor Scott, standing beside me, suddenly let a tear roll down his cheek.
In the blink of an eye, his eyes were brimming, and he grasped my hand as if he were about to burst into sobs.
"To meet a professor like you in the twilight of my career… I'm truly blessed."
A sniffle, followed by a heartfelt sob.
I wondered if the old man had eaten something wrong, but a quick glance around showed everyone else looking at me with similar expressions.
Their gazes were intense with admiration, as though a god had descended upon the podium.
My face paled instinctively. I desperately reviewed my actions in my mind.
Turning down a chance for promotion, saying I wasn't worthy of the position while humbly refusing it.
Smiling graciously and insisting on not accepting a reward because it was my duty to protect my students.
'This is the opposite of being a terrible teacher!'
Having drained my mental energy by hijacking Karon's spell, I could barely stand as it was. With Sion's unexpected declaration piled on, I had completely forgotten my goal of behaving like an unfit teacher.
A massive blunder. I tried to recover, but it was far too late.
"…I can't help but be amazed by you. Let's drop the reward matter, but don't worry—I'll ensure you receive an award that fits your worth, whether you want it or not."
The ancient dragon placed a hand on my shoulder.
Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, as if she'd just found the most precious gem in the world.
"That was just a joke before. Actually, I'll take the gold, so please hand the key back."
I threw out one last desperate attempt, but everyone seemed to think I was merely joking to lighten the mood, laughing it off.
Even the professors who had been wary of me since the entrance exam suddenly slapped me on the back, complimenting me on my sense of humor.
I'd accidentally gained both respect and reputation, and I could only laugh through my tears.
'Well, at least I still have the A-Class.'
I could still get fired.
No one succeeds all the time, after all. This setback was just a small step backward, leading to two steps forward.
I resolved to trust in my dear students.
My dear students betrayed me.
After the assault incident was resolved, the students gathered in the classroom again, but not a single one had switched to B-Class.
"Why are all of you still here?"
I asked, genuinely confused.
But the students merely smiled back, seemingly without a care in the world.
All of them wore cheerful smiles, and to my surprise, they were even holding the weapons I had confiscated from them.
"Who gave you permission to retrieve your weapons? I specifically said they'd be confiscated until you proved yourselves."
I frowned and raised my voice, incredulous that they'd so brazenly ignored my orders. But none of them showed the slightest hint of guilt.
The Second Princess stood as the representative, smiling at me as if she'd done nothing wrong.
"We all figured it out already. We've passed the test, so you can stop pretending now."
An absurd response, one that made no sense to me.
I was about to scold them for being delusional when my hand froze, mid-movement to confiscate their weapons again.
This wasn't just any student. She was an imperial princess, a colossal figure. Could I afford to offend someone like her? What would happen if she turned against me?
'Cunning little monsters…'
So, they'd come up with a way to counter my tyrannical antics.
With her authority, I was powerless against them. Offending royalty and earning their wrath was practically a form of creative suicide.
I had no choice but to play along with their ridiculous little act.
"…Fine. You've passed. It's impressive how quickly you grasped my intentions. You seem like students worth teaching."
My reluctant surrender was met with cheers from these little devils.
After intimidating me with their royal status, they had the audacity to grin with angelic innocence, clapping and celebrating. Their inhumanity made my skin crawl.
"Please take care of us, Professor Lian! We'll work hard to stay in A-Class and take your class again next year!"
A female student beamed as she promised this horrifying goal.
Until we were dismissed and they returned to their dormitories, they continued to hurl terrifying statements at me without a hint of fatigue.
They wanted me to stay in this hell until next year. Honestly, I'd rather they curse at my family.
Left alone, I gritted my teeth. I couldn't let things stay like this. No matter what it took, I had to escape as soon as possible.
…I realized I was already moving. Before I knew it, I was running down the hall, my feet pounding against the floor in a panicked sprint.
The looming shadow of promotion I couldn't escape from followed closely, so no matter how breathless I felt, I couldn't stop.
Bursting into Sion's office, I threw the door open and yelled.
"Please let me start a new class!"
It would be remembered as the worst lecture in the Empire's history.
And it was my only hope for survival.