In an academy-centric story, terrorism and assaults are commonplace.
Despite being heralded as the world's greatest educational institution, the academy has an alarmingly frequent history of enemy invasions. From demonic beings to secret agents of shadowy organizations, this place attracts a wide array of spies.
Naturally, in this fictional world, it was safe to assume that spies with hidden identities were infiltrating here as well.
I had accounted for that much…
'But why, of all places, did one have to pop up here?'
I had intentionally left blatant traces of embezzlement evidence behind, knowing there was a chance the staff might try to cover it up. Yet, the one who grasped the opportunity and acted was Zagan, of all people.
Out of all the administrative staff, it had to be a demon I encountered. Could bad luck even get this bad?
The sheer absurdity of it almost drove me insane, but the situation unfolded relentlessly, ignoring my mental turmoil.
"This is a mistake I'll regret for the rest of my life. Forget evidence or proof—when he insulted my junior, I should've sliced his head off then and there!"
I confessed my crime with my own mouth.
Zagan had presented clear evidence and logically proven the embezzlement I had committed.
From every angle, I was the guilty party, yet here was Iron Duke Scott gritting his teeth and declaring he should've executed Zagan for insulting me.
I fervently hoped Scott was the only one harboring such thoughts, but the students' expressions painted a different picture.
Their faces, marred with regret, trembled with clenched fists.
"I can't forgive myself for ever doubting Professor Lian," their expressions seemed to scream.
All of that pent-up guilt and fury turned toward the demon.
Zagan, looking utterly betrayed, shouted at me with a face full of despair.
"So, you dragged me here with this plan in mind all along?!"
Tears streamed down the demon's cheeks.
Despite being exposed, he didn't reveal his true form or resist, likely because of me.
As a demon disguised as academy staff, Zagan had watched every reckless stunt I pulled. He probably viewed me as a lunatic professor who could casually rain meteors while mastering the Heart Sword technique.
"You despicable monster… You acted clueless while spouting nonsense about kleptomania, mocking me all along like I was your plaything, didn't you?"
I never intended to ridicule anyone.
The ridiculous claim about kleptomania was nothing more than a desperate attempt to get myself fired.
But no one would ever believe that.
Between me being randomly struck with kleptomania and embezzling academy funds versus me purposefully exposing a demon to publicly ridicule him, the latter sounded infinitely more plausible.
"How far do you plan to humiliate me?!"
Zagan's furious roar shook the air.
I debated whether I should attempt an explanation or simply remain silent.
That debate didn't last long.
"The audacity of a demon truly knows no bounds."
A faint rustling sound preceded her arrival.
Sylphy, the elf professor with a chilling aura, had approached so silently that she was now standing before me.
The insanity gleaming in her golden eyes made my skin crawl.
Her sinister smile blurred the line between saint and demon.
"Breathing alone is a sin. For filth such as you to demand even a modicum of civility… You've lost what little mind you had left."
Her contemptuous gaze pierced through Zagan.
"It was you, wasn't it? You manipulated students into becoming demon-possessed and orchestrated the bombings."
Zagan faltered, unable to respond.
Judging by his silence, that accusation must've been true.
"It was you who attempted to control the Great Ancestor Dragon, humiliated her, and conspired with a false director to brainwash the academy's board. You also framed Professor Lian for embezzlement, didn't you?"
The guilt on Zagan's face quickly twisted into indignation.
That, however, wasn't because her claims were entirely true—those accusations were false.
I alone knew of Zagan's innocence on those particular charges.
"Up until now, you've cleverly evaded capture, but your arrogance has finally undone you. You dared to target Professor Lian, and that was your ultimate mistake."
The notion that I could commit embezzlement was so laughable it bordered on insulting. Just how dimwitted could this demon be to think such a lie would hold up?
Sylphy's cutting words sliced through Zagan like a blade.
Even as Zagan tried to protest, no one cared to listen.
The Great Ancestor Dragon, Scott, and the other professors—
Everyone was gathered here, leaving Zagan no room to escape.
In no time, the demon was subdued.
"You must've been hoping for this moment, watching me fall into your trap!" Zagan screamed, his bound hands trembling. "You're more of a devil than I am!"
I ignored his pitiful cries, treating them as background noise.
Sylphy turned to me, speaking on behalf of everyone present.
"What should we do with this sinner, Professor Lian?"
Even now, Zagan continued to spout blatant lies, and the consensus among the crowd was clear: a simple death would be far too merciful.
My mind blanked as the situation grew increasingly surreal.
With a defeated sigh, I opened my mouth.
"…Do whatever you want."
I had officially given up.
Inside a dimly lit cell, Zagan sat bound hand and foot.
The situation screamed certain death, yet fear wasn't what consumed him.
As one of the lowest-ranked demons, specialized in disguise rather than combat, Zagan had faced countless trials over his near-eternal lifespan.
"Entrusting me to the elf professor for interrogation… Your professor must be utterly enraged by your crimes," Sylphy remarked from beyond the cell door.
Her voice carried an unsettling undertone of madness.
Yet Zagan remained unfazed. He had seen plenty of lunatics in his time.
He remained steadfast in his devotion to his master, Geotia.
"May the divine grant me strength to endure this trial and remain loyal to my lord," Zagan prayed.
No matter what Sylphy attempted, all he had to do was grit his teeth and endure. That was his conviction.
"…Your time of repentance begins now, demon."
That conviction shattered the moment Sylphy revealed her tool.
Her sinister grin rivaled that of any demon, and in her hands was a bizarre, elongated device. With the press of a button, the contraption expanded like an umbrella.
…What in the world was that?
Where could such a thing even fit?
Why did it have to open that wide?
Cold sweat trickled down Zagan's back.
No amount of denial could change the reality before him.
Sylphy stepped closer, and the cell echoed with Zagan's first-ever wail of despair.
The torment continued for a grueling 21 hours.
Even when Sylphy finally stepped back, her ghastly methods had left Zagan a broken shell.
"You've hogged all the fun for yourself! What about the rest of us waiting our turn?"
A group of students entered next, their cheerful smiles casting a shadow of dread over Zagan.
They laughed, joking about competing to see who could make him scream the loudest, while Zagan's heart sank into a pit of fear.
This collective madness, this relentless torment, proved too much.
In the end, the demon broke completely, confessing everything he knew.
The students' unorthodox methods succeeded where even the Holy Kingdom's inquisitors had failed.
Zagan revealed the names of contracted demons and weaknesses in the academy's defenses.
Thanks to this, the academy became safer than ever.
And, of course, this outcome was yet another testament to Professor Lian's greatness.