WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Surviving the Assassin Academy as a Professor

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Chapter 10: Saintess of the Palace (1)

"Your Highness, may I come in?"

Kaiser Truman, the leader of the Black Dragon Division, carefully knocked on the door to a room on the dormitory's second floor.

A response came, and a maid cautiously opened the door. Kaiser limped inside, leaning on his cane.

It was late at night.

The princess's room was dimly lit, with only a single candle flickering.

Kaiser bowed to the princess lying in bed, gazing into a small hand mirror.

"I understand that your fatigue from traveling has not yet eased, but I have come with an urgent request."

The princess didn’t react. She didn’t even turn to look at him.

"I shall get to the point. I believe I have finally found one. A professor from whom our Black Dragon Division’s first-year cadets would do well to seek guidance."

Even with the new information, the princess showed no interest.

"He is a newly appointed professor. I sought a private meeting with him, and I must say—his insight was astonishingly precise, and the depth of his character was immeasurable."

Again, the princess remained silent. Kaiser knew well that she couldn’t be more indifferent toward matters she found uninteresting.

However, his next words changed her mind.

"I can say with certainty that he is on a whole different level than me."

Only then did the princess react. She set down her hand mirror and turned her gaze toward Kaiser.

"Who is it?"

"Professor Dante Hiakapo from the Assassin Department."

"And the request to be our supervising professor?"

"... That is quite embarrassing to answer," Kaiser admitted. "I have made several requests, but the professor has refused every time. Perhaps I am too inadequate a person."

And so, he had come to seek the princess's aid.

A simple request from someone like him held no weight. But a request from the princess of the Great Kingdom of Hiaka—now that was another matter entirely. Perhaps the professor would change his mind.

"This is unusual," Princess Rebecca remarked. "You, of all people, tucking your tail like a cowardly dog."

Kaiser, who never sought her help, no matter how difficult the situation, had now bowed his head, driven by the desperation that he could not lose this professor.

"I understand. You may go,” she said.

Kaiser gave a small bow and left the room.

And so, the following morning, a letter was sent to Professor Dante.

It was an invitation to an audience with the princess.

* * *

It had been a full week since I entered this game.

In that time, I had already faced multiple assassination attempts.

I had nearly been stabbed while walking around. Nearly shot. Nearly lost a leg to a trap. Once, while eating in the faculty dining hall, my spoon melted into my soup.

The fact that I had kept my composure through all of it was nothing short of a miracle.

"Even my deceased grandmother in her grave wouldn’t fall victim to an assassination attempt this sloppy."

And despite my nerves being on edge, disciplinary words like these came out so effortlessly…

As I experienced more and more of these incidents, I was gradually adapting to my life as a professor.

"I shall begin class."

Today, we would discuss assassins and the Assassin Department itself.

There were three main combat jobs: warriors, mages, and assassins.

Among them, assassins were trained solely for one purpose: destruction.

But couldn’t warriors and mages also be primarily focused on destruction?

Yes, absolutely. But here was how assassins differed: their use of mana over time.

Warriors generally engaged in prolonged battles, while mages dominated the battlefield with wide-range spells.

But assassins? They were trained to deliver the maximum amount of mana in the shortest time possible. They had to unleash all their power within seconds or minutes, ensuring their target was utterly destroyed.

If we were to compare them to weapons, assassins were like missiles.

And so, the various assassin departments of academies around the world were essentially missile-construction factories.

To further develop the comparison, the Black Dragon Division was like a nuclear missile.

Its members were still nothing more than raw plutonium ore, but once fully built, they would have the power to annihilate entire nations.

But nuclear missiles have always required the press of two buttons to launch. This raises the question: Who holds those buttons?

The answer was Kaiser and Princess Rebecca.

I had already assessed Kaiser to some extent. Now, it was time to examine the latter.

I needed to examine Princess Rebecca.

The Black Dragon cadets would continue to try to kill me for a long time. And in the midst of that, I had to survive and train them.

There was a particular reason for that.

And that reason was…

"Come forward one at a time and submit your assignments."

The cadets rose from their seats, moving toward me one by one to follow my instructions. 

I had deliberately made them submit their work individually. The reason was simple—when our bodies made contact, I could assess the numerical value of their talent. 

That was why I extended my hand for a handshake each time a student handed in their assignment.

"Here you go, Professor! Ah… I look forward to your classes!"

——

Derek Rojas [1.3]

"I did my best on this, sir."

John McCullin [1.4]

The numbers in brackets beside their names represented their potential, indicating their growth capacity. 

According to the game’s system, a potential value of 1.0 was the standard level of an ordinary person, 1.5 indicated a talented individual, and 2.0 meant they were prodigies capable of becoming the top cadets in an entire academy.

Professors typically had a potential between 1.9 and 2.2.

And unsurprisingly…

Elize Csikos [2.8]

This was why the Black Dragon Division was such a big deal. It was a gathering place for monsters like her.

"Elize. Why are you empty-handed? Where is your assignment?"

"I forgot it, hehe."

"Go stand in the hallway with your arms lifted as punishment."

"Okay~"

She was listening to me for now, since I was a professor.

But judging by her potential, I was basically scolding a baby dragon.

Something similar had happened a few days ago.

When I visited the Black Dragon Dormitory, I secretly checked the potential of Balmung, the glasses guy, and Kaiser.

It happened when I shook hands with Balmung. As for Kaiser, I had casually brushed against him while exchanging numbers. 

And internally, I was utterly shocked.

Balmung Nibelung [2.8]

The son of 「Pitch-Dark Constellation⚉」 was a true monster, just like Elize.

In fact, a potential of 2.8 was something that didn't even exist across the entire continent in Hard Mode.

Back in that mode, the highest possible potential had been 2.5.

It was clear that this Hell Mode world had been meticulously designed to kill me.

As for Kaiser, on the other hand…

Kaiser Truman [0.5]

Seeing this, I was completely dumbfounded.

A potential of 0.5 meant he was half as competent as a regular person at 1.0, an extraordinary simpleton among simpletons.

And yet, this guy was leading the Black Dragon Division.

What kind of life did he live...?

Forte Asimov [1.9]

Hwaru Han [1.5]

Dominic Dominic de Dominic III [0.9]

After reviewing all the remaining cadets, I found that none had a potential of 2.0 or higher. The only notable exception was Forte, the Moon Shadow cadet, who scored 1.9.

That was why I decided to meet the person who holds the second nuclear launch button to assess her.

And coincidentally, I had received a letter from Princess Rebecca this morning.

It was an invitation to have a talk.

Princess Rebecca, huh…

Thanks to my <Synchronization>, information about her flowed into my mind.

Princess Rebecca was famous in this world. Known as the "Saintess of the Palace," she was renowned for her righteousness and noble deeds.

She had abandoned her peaceful life in the royal court and, to the shock of many, chose to enter the Assassin Department.

To outsiders, it seemed ironic. After all, assassins were mere tools.

However, I believed her reason for enrolling in this department was simple.

She most likely wanted to take control of this monster factory—the Black Dragon Division.

Still, I should meet her first before making a hasty judgment.

After finishing the class, I headed to the Holy Mother’s Cathedral in Zone 0.

It was a magnificent Gothic-style building. Red lights flickered as incense smoke drifted into the air from the chimney.

Dozens of people had gathered inside. Amid the dim lights, solemn music echoed across the hall.

At the center of it all, around ten coffins were lined up.

They were holding a funeral.

“Hey. Move along already.”

A low-ranking knight tapped my arm.

When I turned to look at him, he stared right back into my eyes.

“What are you staring at? Get inside.”

Unintimidated, I maintained eye contact without a word.

“Showing up late to the princess’s event… Oi, are you going in or not?”

What an insufferable bastard.

But I had no interest in picking a fight, so I let it slide and walked past him.

In the Assassin Department, whether it be cadets, expelled cadets, or even professors, death was a frequent occurrence.

As such, the cathedral held memorial services once a week to honor the deceased.

And that very ceremony was currently underway.

As I blended into the crowd, whispers reached my ears.

“Is that really the princess…?”

“Yeah. Isn’t she amazing? She left behind a comfortable and privileged life, and even came to such a bleak place to offer her prayers.”

“That’s true. And she’s unbelievably beautiful…”

Though I could see her from afar, I decided to get a closer look.

I pushed forward through the crowd.

At last, I saw her. A young girl knelt and prayed on the cold floor before the pulpit.

Huh.

I was somewhat surprised.

Hiaka Academy was an artificial world. People like Forte, Adele, Gray, and Kaiser all looked like celebrities, as though crafted by the hands of divine sculptors.

But this girl…

It was as if the gods had poured extra special care into her creation, as if they wanted to show off their finest work.

Golden-blonde hair cascaded down her back. Crimson eyes, filled with sorrow, gazed upon the coffins of the deceased. Pale hands clutched an identification tag, her fingers trembling ever so slightly.

Her elegant, saintly robes, paired with earrings clearly crafted by a master artisan, emitted a soft glow, further enhancing her noble presence.

There she sat—the perfect image of a “Saintess of the Palace.”

After finishing her prayer, Princess Rebecca embraced the grieving families, shedding tears alongside them.

“I thought she’d only do this for a few months when she first started attending these funerals.”

“Right? She must’ve been about fifteen at the time, so people assumed it was just a phase. She’s royalty, after all…”

“But seeing her continue for years, never missing a single week, traveling all across Hiaka... it made me change my mind.”

The murmurs of admiration continued.

It was impressive, to say the least.

However, choosing only funeral ceremonies to attend… I doubted her intentions were purely virtuous.

The memories I had from <Synchronization> indicated that Princess Rebecca was no innocent saintess.

And even now…

【 Rebecca is using 『Curse of Soul-Devouring』. 】

Something was seeping from the coffins into Rebecca’s hand.

It wasn’t visible to the eye. That was how elaborate this curse was.

This was Curse No. 75, 『Curse of Soul-Devouring』, a curse that extracted souls from the deceased and absorbed them.

Souls were essential materials for many curses. But using them came with a price. The caster, too, would be afflicted with a severe curse.

…She’s playing a dangerous game.

Among the 12 ability types for assassins, one was Curse Arts. But those who chose to rely on curses rarely met a good end in life.

There was even a saying:

“When cursing another, make sure to dig two graves.”

After a long while, the funeral ended, and Rebecca retreated into the clergy’s chambers.

She had specified in her letter that we should meet there.

As I approached, someone stepped in my way.

“Halt.”

It was the same knight who had shoved my arm earlier.

● Guardian Knight, Batrick

He was a young man clad in armor. The nameplate on his chest read Junior Knight.

For a princess’s knight, his status was terribly low.

“This is Her Highness’s resting area. What business do you have here?”

“I am Professor Dante of the Assassin Department. I’m here to meet Her Highness.”

“Did you make an appointment?”

“Do you think I would have come otherwise?”

“That’s strange. I wasn’t informed of any such meeting.”

Uncertain how to respond, I simply stood there. What did he want me to do, then?

The knight frowned.

 “Do you have proof? A letter, perhaps?”

That was when I realized just how inexperienced this guy was.

He clearly didn’t know that all personal royal correspondence—excluding official documents—self-destructed upon reading.

“Go inside and ask if an appointment was made.”

“Why don’t you just show me proof? A document, a letter, anything?”

“…Private royal letters vanish after being read. How long have you been serving her? Stop wasting my time and go confirm it.”

His expression twisted. I had clearly wounded his pride.

“Why do you care how long I’ve served, you bastard? And for your information, Her Highness doesn’t like to be disturbed while she’s resting.”

What was I supposed to do with this nonsense?

I checked the 【textbox】 and immediately understood what was going on.

This guy had been humiliated by another professor of the assassination department just a couple of days ago.

Despite being a proud knight of the revered princess, he had been completely ignored.

The disgrace had festered in his mind for days, and now he was taking it out on me.

Soon, a maid approached and whispered something in his ear.

His face stiffened—clearly, she was confirming my appointment.

But rather than back down, he doubled down on his ego.

The 【textbox】 revealed his new plan: to humiliate me under the guise of a security check.

Never in my life had I received such treatment.

“Forget it, Mr. Junior Knight. I won’t see her.”

I turned to leave, but his voice rang out behind me. 

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m leaving.”

“Hey! I’m not done talking. I need to perform a security check, so come this way and—”

“I refuse to meet her. I have no reason to put up with this treatment after being invited. You can explain the situation yourself to Her Highness.”

“What?”

I turned my back on him. I had no intention of entertaining this farce any longer.

But then, the arrogant knight took it a step further.

He closed the distance between us with a Movement Technique and blocked my path. 

“What the hell are you doing, Mr. Professor?”

“I said, I’m leaving.”

“And I said I’ll let you through if you just comply with the security check. Why are you being so difficult?”

Nearby attendants and clergy members exchanged nervous glances. The tension between us was clearly escalating. 

Sensing that things were getting out of hand, the maid tried to intervene, but the knight shoved her aside.

“Stop being stubborn and do the damn security check while I'm being nice.”

“Step aside, Knight. Stop blocking my way.”

“This little bastard… Who do you think you are, acting all high and mighty?”

Sching—

A sharp sound echoed through the cathedral

The knight had drawn his sword.

“Now, come like a good boy, or else.”

The cold gleam of the blade caught my eye.

I remained silent, considering my options. This was a royal knight. A quasi-noble and the princess’s personal guard.

We were in a cathedral, a place of peace.

And lastly—

“Professor…”

The maid was pleading with me instead, her voice trembling. 

I honestly had no reason to resist.

All I had to do was swallow my pride just this once.

Pretty simple, no?

As a man from the modern world, who had worked in a professional environment, I had swallowed my pride countless times before.

So I let out a breath and nodded.

“…Fine. My mistake.”

The knight smirked, regaining his composure. 

“Hah! Now you get it? Get over here, you bastard.”

I stepped forward and pointed my index finger at his eyes.

“What are you—?”

『 World Forgery: Phenomenon Forgery [Flash] 』

A blinding light erupted from my fingertip, piercing his retinas like a bullet.

The sheer intensity of the flash burned dark silhouettes into the walls behind the gathered crowd.

“Ah, ah?!”

“What’s going on?!”

Panic spread through the clergy and attendants. 

As for the royal knight…

Thud!

He collapsed to the floor, clutching his face.

His eyeballs had been burned away.

“AAAAAAAARRGHHHHHHHH—!!”

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