WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Surviving the Assassin Academy as a Professor

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 26: Popular Professor (2)

"I don’t know anything about it."

That was the seventeenth, or maybe even the eighteenth, time I had said the same line to the Disciplinary Enforcers.

Because, seriously… I didn’t know anything.

"Of course! I’m sure Professor Dante has no clues whatsoever about Professor Hakon's whereabouts!"

"How could you possibly know about what tools were used to kill him when we haven’t found any?"

"His body probably isn’t even in this world anymore, haha!"

The enforcers were convinced I was behind his death, but due to the complete lack of solid evidence, they eventually closed the case.

"I’m telling you, I really don’t know anything," I insisted as I exited the office.

"Yes, yes, of course! Everything you say, Professor!"

"Us neither, hehe! Wink wink!"

…Haaaah. This is absurd.

Still in a daze, I stepped out of the building and reunited with Adele, who stood waiting with a basket of flowers and a handful of envelopes.

"What’s all that?" I asked.

"Oh, Professor! Look at this!" she said, holding them out. 

Letters?

"Members of the academy’s White Path asked me to hand you this gift, along with some letters. They said they’d like to talk with you in person one of these days!" Adele continued.

That was... surprising news.

And sure enough, two professors of the White Path stood a short distance away, waving at me with big smiles as they approached.

"Ah, Professor Dante! We’ve met before, haven’t we?"

"Are you alright? Our apologies. We should’ve greeted you properly after the incident with Elize..."

I was caught entirely off guard. "What is this about?" I asked bluntly.

"Oh, nothing serious! We just wanted to guide you around the campus for the next few days."

Aha, I get it now.

They were planning to protect me, using the excuse that the Black Path might try to kill me.

...Or more accurately, they wanted to make me owe them a favor.

"No thanks," I said. "Nothing would happen in broad daylight anyway."

"Ah! Please, we insist! We really should’ve come to introduce ourselves sooner, so this is our way of apologizing!"

"Think of us as bodyguards, if you will. And as research professors, we don’t have any classes to teach, so we’ve got the time!"

Adele and I started walking away, but the professors kept following us all the way to our car.

I really didn’t kill Hakon, though.

Since it was unlikely he had committed suicide, someone else had probably done it. The Assassin Department was basically a swirling pot of grudges and hostility. Everyone was everyone’s enemy.

And after digging around for more information these past few hours, I’d found out that Hakon had plenty of people who hated his guts.

Still… not my problem.

That was all I thought regarding the incident. Hakon’s death had neither increased nor decreased my chances of surviving in this hellhole of an academy.

...Or so I thought, until a few minutes later.

【 Black Path Professor, Venom: « Let’s go to 32nd Street. » 】

【 Black Path Professor, Curten: « Confirmed. » 】

【 Black Path Professor, Viper: « Confirmed. » 】

As I left the disciplinary office, the【textbox】lit up with the names of multiple Black Path professors in the middle of a telepathic exchange.

According to the minimap, they were all sprinting in the same direction, coordinating with each other in real time.

I had a bad feeling about this. Just in case, I decided to follow them.

What I saw when I arrived wasn’t pleasant.

"Haah… Ngh…!"

Someone was slumped against a wall, soaked in blood, a blade driven clean through his abdomen.

"Are you alright?" I asked, rushing over.

"Urgh… Ah, Professor Dante…?" he mumbled.

"Your injuries are severe. Do you have a potion?"

"I drank one already…"

It was Professor Hylan of the White Path. 

"I’m alright. Really... I already called for medical assistance... It’s not a fatal wound..."

He forced a weak smile, blood dribbling down his lips.

"I’ll pour another potion on the wound."

He appeared unable to move—likely paralyzed by poison. I poured the remainder of my half-used elixir onto the wound.

Strangely enough, he wasn’t fatally wounded. If the blade had gone through a vital organ, he wouldn’t be breathing, let alone talking.

The fact that he was conscious was a miracle. Or rather, the blade had struck the perfect spot in the abdomen to avoid a fatal injury. 

They hadn’t wanted him dead.

…Is it a warning?

The ones who stabbed him were likely those Black Path professors from earlier.

【 White Path Professor, Hylan: Ah, damn it… Why’d it have to be Professor Dante of all people that found me first…? I mustn’t leave a bad impression on him… 】

His thoughts were strange. What was going on here?

As I stared at him, Hylan chuckled awkwardly.

"Thank you, Professor Dante. I feel much better now. Really…"

"If that were true, then corpses would be walking out of the morgue fully recovered," I replied. "Do yourself a favor and stop talking."

"No, really... I’m fine, I swear. It’s just... Well, as a professor myself, it’s embarrassing to be seen like this by someone I respect. Could I ask to be left alone for a moment...?"

He was still trying to leave a good impression on me.

Someone you respect? We’ve never even met.

I started wondering why someone I’d never met before was trying so hard to impress me.

Then it clicked.

He’d been ordered to.

Just like the two professors who tried to "protect” me earlier, it seemed the entire White Path faction at the academy had been given the same order—to recruit me.

Honestly, I wasn’t surprised. They believed I had effortlessly killed Hakon, a monster feared by many professors.

As I stood by, watching over the injured professor, the medics finally arrived.

"Medical team here! We’ll get you straight to the hospital!"

"Ah, thank you… Whew…"

I hesitated before declaring,  "I’m coming too."

"U-Understood, sir,” replied one of the medics. 

Truth be told, I felt bad for Professor Hylan, even though we had never met.

He ended up like this because people believed I had killed Hakon. In a way, I felt responsible. 

So I hopped in the vehicle, partly to protect him.

Still, something about the Black Path’s actions bugged me.

If they’re mad I killed Hakon, why not come after me directly?

Instead, they targeted a White Path professor as if to send a warning to their rivals.

Why?

* * *

As I sat in the hospital room next to a bandaged and sleeping Hylan, a bad feeling crept over me.

I had just remembered a particularly dangerous scenario from one of the game’s bad endings.

「 Bad Ending: Hiaka Assassination War 」

An assassination war was a full-scale conflict between assassin factions.

And the Hiaka Assassination War was an event that only triggered if you completely screwed up faction relations between the Black and White Paths.

It all stemmed from their deeply rooted historical conflict—and the emotional fallout would erupt into a series of assassinations. Over two hundred professors would split between the White and Black Paths, turning on one another in a brutal bloodbath that would tear the academy apart.

Whenever this event triggered in Hard Mode—where I could only load autosaves—I always got so annoyed, nearly ripping my hair out.

Why did I get so frustrated? Because if the academy got destroyed, it would be GAME OVER.

And right now... that war was potentially just around the corner.

I sat at the nurse’s station, watching over Hylan as I pondered deeply about the current situation.

Eventually, a few professors from the White Path arrived and approached me.

"Thank you, Professor Dante.”

"I heard you took care of the collapsed Hylan and even applied a potion to his wounds. Thanks to you, his injuries weren’t as serious as they could have been.”

It wasn’t that I had actually lessened the severity of the injuries—rather, the assassination itself had been executed in a way that avoided serious harm. But I didn’t find the need to correct them.

"Well then, I shall take my leave.”

"Wait, just a moment. Could you spare us a bit of your time?” asked a man resembling a lion.

He introduced himself as Leo Bardo, a White Path senior professor in Assassination Defense Studies.

He led me into the hallway and spoke carefully.

"I know this may not be the best time to bring this up, but I have an offer to make.”

"An offer, you say?”

"Yes. A recruitment offer.”

I narrowed my eyes. I figured this would come eventually.

"To be honest… we of the White Path were deeply moved and impressed by the recent assassination of Professor Hakon. That man was a monster who had killed many of our assassins, including my younger brother.”

I didn’t react. I simply waited for him to continue.

"There are strong voices within our ranks these days saying we must bring Professor Dante into our association,” he said with a warm smile. "As a recruitment incentive, we’d like to offer you fifty million hika over four years.”

I was stunned.

The reward I’d received for capturing Joaquin during the proxy assassin operation was 500 thousand hika—one hundredth of Leo’s offer.

But 50 million over four years? That was an astronomical sum.

【 White Path Professor, Leo: What do you think? Surprising, isn’t it, Professor Dante? This is the third-highest recruitment offer in our history. 】

It certainly was shocking, to say the least.

"That’s not all. You must be aware of the various opportunities we can offer, including research, assassination contracts, and many others. Should you accept the offer, you’ll be our first priority for all of them.”

A cherry on top of an already lavish cake.

Of course, it wasn’t free money. The moment I joined their association, I would be expected to fulfill my duties as a member.

Still, with a payment of 50 million hika over four years, I’d gladly perform those duties. It would allow me to boost my overall combat power immensely right away.

"Will you join us?”

But that was only true if our circumstances were ordinary.

With the story’s current state, I couldn’t accept the offer.

That’s why I stayed silent.

"Shall I give you some time to think it over?”

Again, I didn’t respond. I just stood there, quiet.

It was late at night. All the staff had gone home, and only Professor Leo and I remained in the hospital’s administrative office.

But I knew exactly how many people were in this "empty” space.

Twenty-one.

【 White Path Professor, Eugene: …… 】

【 White Path Professor, Londran: …… 】

【 White Path Professor, Rodrygo: …… 】

On one side of the wall, near the ceiling, professors from the White Path were hiding in stealth.

【 Black Path Professor, Viper: …… 】

【 Black Path Professor, Venom: …… 】

【 Black Path Professor, Curten: …… 】 

Meanwhile, outside the window, on the building’s outer wall, on the ceiling, and in the second-floor hallway, professors from the Black Path gathered.

Funnily enough, most of them weren’t aware of each other’s presence.

Detecting others while under stealth was difficult. It often required external tools and detection resources. Since everyone excelled at hiding, they had no idea others were right there with them.

I alone knew how ridiculous the situation truly was.

【 Black Path Professor, Ludenbach: « We’ve arrived, Professor. » 】

Oh, now there were twenty-five.

The members of the Black Path spoke via telepathic comms, which also showed up in my【textbox】.

【 Black Path Professor, Viper: « Make sure you stay hidden. » 】

【 Black Path Professor, Ludenbach: « Why did you call us here? » 】

【 Black Path Professor, Viper: « Ah, perhaps you haven’t heard. Allow me to explain. We suspect that Professor Dante assassinated Hakon with the aid of the White Path. In other words, we believe he didn’t act alone. We’re here to determine his affiliation and proceed to our next step once we’ve verified it. » 】

【 Black Path Professor, Venom: « But from their current conversation, they don’t appear to be accomplices. » 】

【 Black Path Professor, Viper: « Can we trust what we see at face value? This may be an act for all we know. The White Path is surely aware that we’re watching. What matters is the outcome, whether Professor Dante ultimately sides with the White Path or not. » 】

Just as I suspected.

The 50 million hika was a poisoned chalice—one that would not only lead to my death but destroy the entire Assassin Department if accepted.

The "next step" Professor Viper referred to surely meant plunging the academy into an all-out assassination war.

The bomb’s fuse had already been lit.

It felt strange that it was happening now of all times... but given Hakon’s prominence and the recent instability in Zone 0, it made sense.

…Actually, no. That can’t be it.

After giving it further thought, I revised my hypothesis. 

This is a situation that was fabricated to kill me.

If the fuse could be lit so easily, someone would’ve triggered it long before I came along.

The fact that the bomb’s fuse lit up now meant I was the reason. My existence was the trigger.

It had to be the game’s handiwork—Hell Mode’s malicious intentions.

As I came to a conclusion, Professor Leo asked again.

"Do you need more time to think it through? If so—"

"No need. I’ve already made up my mind."

The assassins from both factions focused intently as I began to speak.

"Regrettably, I must decline the offer.”

The reactions among the hidden onlookers were split.

"Ah… May I ask why?” Leo asked.

"It’s just my nature. I don’t particularly enjoy belonging to a group.”

I cut him off with a short reply.

What more could they say if I blamed it on my personality?

The White Path was disappointed across the board.

The Black Path’s opinions were split, half were relieved, not wanting to fight, while the other half were disappointed... but in a different way. They were disappointed there wouldn’t be a war.

That was, until Leo spoke again.

"If it’s a matter of insufficient compensation, we can offer sixty-five million hika.”

…Huh? Did my value just rise that easily?

"Unfortunately, it’s not about the money. I know full well that sixty-five million is a staggering sum, but this is a matter of disposition.”

Professor Leo smiled.

"You drive a hard bargain, I see. Eighty million. Final offer.”

My heart instantly sank.

Eighty million?

The sheer amount felt surreal. Even 50 million was absurd, but 80?

I wasn’t the only one shocked by that offer.

【 Black Path Professor, Viper: Ha! Eighty million? That must be the highest offer the White Path has ever made. 】

【 Black Path Professor, Ludenbach: …Maybe I should join the White Path too. 】

Some even considered changing sides.

But I knew the road to hell was paved with good intentions.

No matter how large the sum, no matter how many opportunities they offered… it was all a trap designed to consume me.

The moment I accepted the offer, disaster would strike.

"I’m sorry, Professor Leo. I—"

"One hundred million."

An utter silence fell over the room as everyone watched in shock.

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