I Broke Off My Engagement and Got a Job at the Academy

44 – 44. The Future, Unknown.

The atmosphere felt as if the air had frozen. Breathing became difficult.

That was the sensation of those looking at the man in front of them.

A professor from the academy. The heir of the fallen Kainus. And… a high expert.

“Huh, huhuk….”

Certainly, death should have been anticipated. They had been raised for this from the beginning. However… for some reason, it’s terrifying.

No, merely saying it’s terrifying might be amusing. The fear courses through the entire body. It feels like going insane.

The fear of death, they thought they had overcome it. Yet, like prey in front of a predator, the body stiffens as if frozen.

Instincts as animals before humans.

“Uh, uuaah!”

Someone brimming with determination rose abruptly, swinging the sword haphazardly.

And that sword was easily blocked by the defense barrier.

“Too bad. My barrier is different from what’s embedded in the bracelet. No trickery will undo it.”

The last descendant of Kainus, having said so, stared at the one holding the sword with cold eyes.

And a gentle smile.

Like a beast or monster smiling while trying to devour, the smile seemed even more eerie and frightening.

“Oh, don’t come!”

In an instant, the sword was dropped, and he fell to the ground.

On the other hand, Idun Kainus stood up, still embracing Jezel Ircalli.

“I’ll give credit for bravery.”

Magic surged. Birds flew into the sky, avoiding the disturbance.

“The direction of bravery was misguided.”

Thud!

Once again, there was nothing left above one person’s neck. And again, the descending tragedy.

“With so many, just say a few survived, the rest died during suppression. Simple, right?”

“S-Save us….”

Unconsciously, such a voice flowed. Tears started to well up. Why? They must have already given up their lives.

“It’s easy to extinguish the lives of others, yet cherish your own. Isn’t that right?”

There’s no escape. They can’t fight back. The opponent in front is just a living disaster.

This is a high expert.

Generally, it is said that more than ten people who have not reached a certain level are needed to face an expert. If you’ve been trained to properly handle joint attacks, a few might be enough.

In contrast, facing a high expert is not even valid as an ordinary person.

That’s a matter of course. To face an expert, you can’t know how many will suffer injuries, but to face a high expert, the deaths of dozens are certain.

At a level where the exchange itself is not valid. The only way to deal with them is to ‘consume strength until magical power and physical strength run out,’ which makes sense.

Even the weakest high expert is like that. And… the man in front of me was standing at that level.

“Well, I won’t say it’s strange. It’s obvious. But… unfortunately, giving up on dying comfortably would be better.”

Saying so, the blond man flicked his finger.

Gradually, the concentration of magical power became thicker, suffocating everyone.

With that alone, everyone could only lose consciousness and faint.

…

“Alright. I’ve dealt with these.”

I muttered to myself and teleported the criminals.

Then, I looked at the girl with disheveled emerald light.

…Light. The enemy’s daughter is so fragile. It seems like I could easily break her neck.

Blood is flowing from all over her body. She’s breathing properly, but even that looks precarious.

Like a fool, she rushed to capture the criminals alone.

It’s a ridiculous act. Does she not know where she stands? Did she not know what would happen to others just by dying?

…No, she probably knew. She probably knew better than anyone else. She didn’t seem like a girl who wouldn’t be aware of such things. But, it’s just – something she couldn’t endure.

And, thanks to that, time was delayed, and I was able to find the criminals. If she hadn’t acted like that, I wouldn’t have been able to catch the criminals behind this incident, and I would have been in big trouble.

Ha, it’s ridiculous. Unintentionally, getting help from the enemy’s daughter brings irritation in itself.

Even in this state, foolishly going ahead to fight… getting cornered until just before death. Thanks to that, the academy avoided a catastrophe.

…Why are you burdening me with these worries? If only you had died before I found you, I wouldn’t have to suffer from this headache.

“Ha, damn it….”

I cursed. It’s frustrating. Of all times, why did this happen when I was in charge of supervising the exam, and why do I have to think about embracing Jezel Itharkali, the enemy’s daughter.

“Ugh…”

At that moment, Giselle Irkalli let out a whimper in my arms.

What’s this? Did the excessive release of magic earlier have a negative impact? I looked down at the girl in my embrace.

Fortunately, it seemed Giselle was not in any immediate danger.

Damn it. Now I have to worry about this guy’s well-being.

However, it couldn’t be helped. After going through the trouble of saving her, I couldn’t just let her die again. And, in the end…

‘Her father and she are different people.’

My real enemy is Duke Irkalli. Giselle Irkalli is not an enemy; she’s fundamentally someone else.

Honestly, it’s not without disgust, and it’s a pain, but… Ultimately, I decided to stop the childish act of projecting my emotions onto a girl who knows nothing about my feelings.

“…First, I need to make sure she gets treatment.”

I embraced Giselle Irkalli and teleported.

…

After wrapping up everything and somehow managing to settle the aftermath, Professor Cordelia and I sat with glasses of liquor in hand, engaged in conversation.

“Cheer up. How could you have known such a thing would happen when you were in charge… Well, after somehow resolving the situation, you’ll have to retake the exam when it’s less risky.”

Professor Cordelia, who said so, smiled at me.

“Well, don’t worry. Those who have been through trials and tribulations will somehow handle the next steps. As a newcomer, just stay quiet, and things will be taken care of on their own.”

“Will it really be like that?”

“Yeah. Academy professors are far more capable than you might think. People from all over the world, as talented as you can hardly find anywhere else, have gathered here.”

“That’s… something I know best.”

At my words, Professor Cordelia chuckled.

“So, are you a full professor now?”

“No.”

I took a sip of my drink and continued.

“I found out from Master.”

Upon hearing my words, Professor Cordelia looked at me with surprised eyes. For some reason, her face seemed a bit redder.

“…Yes, me.”

Professor Cordelia said so, fanning herself and taking another sip of her drink.

“Oh, and by the way, Vanessa Delphius and Jezel Ircalli are lying in the hospital right now. Thank goodness. If something big had happened to them… Ah.”

Having said that, Professor Cordelia shivered. I looked at her and spoke.

“…Indeed, that’s right.”

As soon as she heard my voice, Professor Cordelia looked at me.

“…What happened between them, and what’s going on?”

…Should I say this? Well, I don’t know. I’m not sure which judgment is better.

I felt my dilemma deepening. Seeing my troubled expression, Professor Cordelia seemed to sense something and grabbed my hand.

“…If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay.”

I heard her words and closed and opened my eyes.

And, as if possessed by something, I opened my mouth.

“It’s about Jezel Ircalli.”

Starting like that, I poured out all sorts of words.

From the fact that my family’s downfall was actually the fault of the Ircalli family, to my hesitation in saving Jezel Ircalli because of that blame.

In addition to all that, I spewed out various words and drank.

“…Even if there are emotions, just trying to kill a mere ignorant child… because I felt pathetic about it myself…”

Coming to my senses, I realized that I was crying. Hearing my words, Professor Cordelia just patted my back silently.

“The most pathetic thing is… even though I’ve already saved that guy, I don’t know if it was the right thing to do… I feel so pathetic that I might go crazy.”

Professor Cordelia, imparting warmth to me, said.

“You did well.”

Did I really? What did my father think, looking at me acting like this?

“Even if you dislike that kid, even if you hate him, it means you didn’t cross the line as a human. I believe you did well.”

Her voice, reaching me, was only there to comfort me.