Chapter 85: The Mad Professor (7)

Karen Academy.

The building where professors mainly stayed.  

Sajong-ru, the tower housing the primary laboratories, was always silent.

The rule of Sajong-ru was simple:  

Silence.

Noise corrupts the mind and scatters concentration, so except for extremely rare “exceptions,” even the sound of eating was forbidden.

And right now was exactly when that silence was about to shatter.

“Pro-Professor! Professor! Where are you?!”

Crash!

Eren, one of the assistants, ran frantically through the corridors looking for Professor Moriarty.

At least the other professors were out on business or lectures today—if they hadn’t been, he wouldn’t even be able to search like this.

Truthfully, Eren wasn’t even thinking about that right now.

The guest currently waiting for Professor Moriarty was no ordinary person!

The ducal house of Alkart.

A family so famous that anyone even slightly connected to nobility knew of them!

Not just one of the pillars upholding the empire, but a family that wielded enormous influence.

The ruler of the underworld they occasionally used to purchase secret items “for research”!

And the professor had invited the blood of that ruler to the academy… and then vanished.

“W-What’s wrong?”

Keo, who had just achieved this week’s record longest sleep of a full 1 hour 30 minutes, poked his head out with dark circles hanging to his chin.

Why is he running around so frantically?

Did three years of research just blow up?

Or did someone form a union?

Sometimes lunatics demanding human rights block the entrance to Sajong-ru.

They’re usually commoners or fallen nobles, so easy to remove, but they do cut into sleep time.

“D-Did someone ruin an experiment? Or start dating? Or—no, did someone sleep more than two hours?!”

“Aaaah! That’s not the problem! It’s a much bigger problem!”

Bigger than sleeping two hours?

Keo fell into deep terror.

“Y-Young Master Alkart is here! And the professor still hasn’t shown up! He’s never been late even once…!”

“!”

Keo’s face turned white.

He usually slept so little, but today he had slept longer than usual, so his brain worked a bit faster.

Alkart.

An insanely prestigious noble house.

Young Master.

The bloodline of that house!

The one who invited him?

Professor Moriarty himself!

And he’s late?

An unforgivable insult!

“A-Armin, who’s good with people, is buying time right now…!”

But with high nobles, the problem is never the noble himself—it’s always the people below.

They urge you to hurry so the noble doesn’t feel even the slightest discomfort.

Worse than a nagging mother-in-law is the sister-in-law whispering beside her.

From their perspective, the servants were scarier.

“I-It won’t be long, right?”

“Y-Yeah. Right. We’re screwed…!”

“I-I’ll check the professor’s lab…!”

“I’ll take Lab 1! You take Lab 2!”

The two scattered quickly.

Lab 1 was on the second floor; Lab 2 was underground.

No one knew where the professor actually was—his solo research in Lab 2 was top secret.

He didn’t show it even to disciples, sponsors, or the emperor!

So Keo prayed he was in Lab 1, but no luck.

Standing in front of underground Lab 2, Keo swallowed dryly.

N-Normally I’m not supposed to call…

But you never know.

Even the seemingly perfect professor might have fallen asleep here.

If so, as his disciple, it was his duty to wake him.

Even if he got cursed at a little…!

Knock knock!

“P-Professor!”

Knock knock knock!

“P-Please come out! Are you inside?! Y-Young Master Alkart is still waiting for you…!”

Knock knock knock knock!

Creak!

“Uh?”

The door slid open—then swung wide!

Keo, who had been leaning on the door while knocking, tumbled forward with a thud.

“O-Ouch… Ugh… my head…”

Rubbing his aching nose, Keo looked up.

And lost all words.

…A spectacle that language could not—should not—describe.

Dozens of bags, rows upon rows of flasks, unidentified liquids in the middle, and inside them…

“I believe I made myself clear.”

Thud!

A heavy voice fell over Keo’s head.

“That you were never to enter.”

“P-Professor…”

“Keo. You have always obeyed me well. However…”

Professor Moriarty looked down at him.

Those eyes were not the usual indifferent yet intellectual gaze.

Yes.

One word summed it up perfectly.

Madman.

The eyes of someone who would sacrifice everything for a single purpose…

“Urk!”

Keo lost consciousness and collapsed.

Just before his mind went dark,

the last scent he caught…

Somehow…

It smelled of thick perfume mixed with the iron tang of blood.

“…”

Moriarty glanced at his wristwatch while looking down at the unconscious Keo.

One minute past the appointed time.

A mistake he would never normally make.

But… this time it couldn’t be helped.

He thinks he’s hiding it, but he cannot fool my eyes.

The scent of death that only those attempting Resurrection of the Dead emit.

The scent that clings only to those who gather all sorts of crude materials to defy the laws of the world…

Very faint, but it was coming from him.

That left only two possibilities.

He had given up midway, or he had succeeded and erased the scent.

Moriarty naturally believed the latter.

Evan. You will understand my will.

Only those who have lost family can understand each other’s pain.

Losing parents—god-like figures to a child whose mind had not yet fully grown—must have been an even greater shock.

If you have lost something, it is only natural to strive to regain it.

“…”

Moriarty quietly cleaned up the interior, closed the door, and stepped out.

Bright sunlight poured in, but the ceiling cast deep shadows across his face.

Please, I beg your cooperation.

He didn’t yet want to lay a hand on him.

***

“I apologize. I was slightly delayed.”

Professor Moriarty approached at a pace neither fast nor slow.

Usually when someone is late, they run and ruin their dignity, but he maintained perfect composure even now.

Wow.

Is that what it takes to be the most popular professor?

Well, I don’t know if he’s popular.

But from what I’ve heard, he’s definitely the professor with the highest achievements.

“The research I was running yesterday suddenly produced far better results than expected. My apologies.”

“It’s fine. I understand.”

“As expected, you are very considerate. I am grateful.”

Professor Moriarty bowed expressionlessly.

He glanced at his watch again and spoke.

“Is there any place you would like to see first? The professors’ building is fine, or earlier…”

“Anywhere is fine—the student dormitories, labs, buildings, whatever.”

Moriarty naturally pulled something from his pocket.

“This is a permit. With the chancellor’s tacit approval today, you may go anywhere.”

Anywhere…?

Evan suddenly felt burdened.

He had planned to just quietly follow behind, yet now they were handing him the choice?

“…In the professor’s opinion, what would be the best choice?”

“Hm. My opinion, you say.”

Passing the buck again!

Normally that would be annoying, but thankfully the professor didn’t seem to mind.

“I think it would be good to visit the building where you will be lecturing first.”

“A good idea. Let’s go.”

“Ahem. We’ll follow behind you two.”

“Yeah, yeah. We’re just tag-alongs.”

“By the way, Charlotte, was the academy your destination?”

Evan looked at her, silently asking why are you still here?

Charlotte gasped, covered her face, and squeaked,

“D-D-Don’t look at me!”

“?”

“I’m a face-con like my sister!”

“???”

…What is she talking about?

Evan gave up understanding.

Fine.

She’ll leave when the time comes…

“I will guide you now. Armin, you may return. I didn’t see Keo today.”

“Gah! D-Did he fall asleep somewhere…? Understood! Professor! Even if something happens, please don’t call me!”

Armin vanished like the wind.

Aegis frowned slightly as she repeated Armin’s words.

“Even if something happens, please don’t call him…?”

“It’s just Armin’s way of saying he doesn’t want to work.”

“You let that slide?”

“I do not oppress my disciples. Instead, there is simply a lot of work. Each person’s individuality must be respected.”

Wow.

That’s actually kind of cool.

Evan was inwardly impressed.

The two Sins who had been bickering quietly approached.

One hand holding Lapis, the other holding Frey.

“?”

Like parents taking kids on a picnic.

Evan looked at them, confused about the meaning.

Instead of answering, the two jerked their heads away.

…F-Fine.

Just don’t fight.

Evan reluctantly let them keep holding his hands.

“…”

Professor Moriarty stared openly at the scene.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times as if wanting to say something, then eventually turned his head.

***

“We will depart.”

Karen Academy was ridiculously vast.

How much land did they use?

Every building and ornament was extravagantly gorgeous.

At first Evan admired each one.

But… it didn’t last long.

“Gasp!”

“Who’s that?”

“A new student?”

“The timing’s wrong for that…”

“Guest lecturer?”

“Damn, he’s insanely hot…”

Countless stares poured in like mad.

Evan wanted to crawl into a mouse hole right that instant.

“Is that… his kid beside him?”

“Of course it’s a guardian! He’s too young.”

“Why? People can have kids early. My cousin had an accident last time.”

“He came alone… does that mean no wife?”

“Married but effectively single now? Hmm. That might be even better…”

“???”

“H-Hold on!”

At that moment, one noble son looked closely at Evan’s face, realized who he was, and turned pale.

“Y-Young Master Evan Alkart…!”

“The Alkart d-duke?”

“Gulp.”

The atmosphere froze in an instant.

Because Evan had appeared in such an unexpected place, they hadn’t recognized him immediately.

“Oh my.”

In the sudden silence,

someone quietly appeared.

Evan instantly recognized the familiar figure.

Acella, right?

The lady who, for some reason, wanted to prove Evan’s incompetence.

“It’s been a while, Young Master Evan.”

“…Yes. Lady Acella.”

“Heehee. I never thought we’d meet here.”

Acella smiled seductively.

With baby fat still on her face, it looked pretty awkward…

At least to Evan. 

Everyone else looked thrilled.

What are you doing here?

Surprisingly, Acella spoke to him via composite magic.

Do you want me to expose all your pathetic abilities right here?

‘?’

Or have I become wary? 

I took first place this time and even entered the empire’s top magic tower.

Just found that out.

But you won’t be able to enter. 

You probably already know you can’t. 

Just because you fooled the Spacetime Tower doesn’t mean you can fool me too, right?

Fooled?

Me?

I didn’t do anything…

While Evan was inwardly bewildered,

“Y-Young Master Evan?!”

Another familiar voice.

Evan turned his head.

Far away, a girl’s eyes widened into perfect circles as she spotted Evan and came sprinting.

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da!

“?!”

Then thud! collapsed right in front of him.

Like a believer kneeling before their god, Velia Yorta sat on the ground, voice trembling with excitement.

Y-Young Master Evan! Thank you! Thank you so much!

‘?’

Thanks to you, profits jumped 500% this time…! I risked my life investing, and then the Demisia Kingdom suddenly normalized, and my business exploded!

The golden daughter.

The perennial second-place merchant family.

And they hit the jackpot this time?

Because of me?

The Alchemists’ Tower also sent great news…! This was all orchestrated by you, right…?!

Yorta practically worshipped him from the ground.

A money tree.

No, a blessed being who inflated profits just by existing.

But Evan remained silent.

Outwardly, he looked as if it were only natural and not worth mentioning.

Inwardly, he could only say one thing.

…Me?