WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Surviving the Assassin Academy as a Professor

Translator: Touch

Editor: Grass

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Chapter 47: [Main Story] No.1: Treason and Collapse (4)

Another day had passed.

Most of the Kreutz assassins who had infiltrated Zone 0 had been eliminated.

And the person who played the most crucial role in their subjugation was none other than Professor Dante Hiakapo.

He had climbed to the top of a transmission tower and used his crystal watch to communicate with the other professors. From there, he relayed the movements and combat capabilities of the Kreutz assassins. Even those hidden in stealth couldn’t escape Professor Dante’s gaze.

As if that weren’t enough, he tracked down the remnants who had fled and gone into hiding. Throughout the entire operation, not a single one of his instructions was wrong.

How on earth did he find them all…?

I’d heard he was strong, but this is beyond anything I imagined…

Still, everyone set aside their questions—for the situation was too dire to dwell on them.

The assassination war with the top-class assassins in Zone 2 was ongoing.

And now, Jinxsite had a fourth arm reaching out from the rift.

Both cadets and faculty trembled at the sight.

"There’s another one…?"

"Damn it… the stress is gonna kill me before it does…"

With four arms now outside the rift—along with the two that had been previously destroyed—only one remained until the summoning was complete.

And yet, there was still no concrete timeline for the hotfix.

And worst of all, the newly emerged fourth arm bore a unique curse.

Unlike other curses that required activation, this was a totem-type curse—its mere presence cursed the domain around it. 

The moment it appeared, the entirety of Zone 0 fell under its influence.

『 Curse of Frailty 』

Rumble rumble rumble…

The curse’s vast, oppressive energy blanketed the land, pressing down on all beneath the heavens. 

It worsened the exhaustion of the already weary, caused wounds to reopen, and accelerated the aging process in the elderly.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

"The heart rate’s dropping! Nurse! Nurse!!"

"Damn it, the wounds are festering…! Administer another dose!"

The hospital descended into chaos.

Soon after, the Assassin Department urgently convened its professors.

“There will be an emergency meeting regarding the subjugation squad. All professors on standby in Zone 0, please assemble at the Assassin Building. I repeat…”

More than a hundred professors gathered in the hall.

“We will… now begin… the meeting…”

The meeting was led by Chief Professor Angela of the Black Path, who had yet to fully recover from being petrified. Half her upper body and lungs were still impaired.

And that was a problem.

This meeting had been convened to devise a strategy against Jinxsite.

But with every strained, raspy word Angela spoke, her damaged lungs made the room feel even heavier with dread.

The mighty Chief Professor Angela, ranked among the continental top 700, was like the sky to the other professors—high, lofty, imposing, and beyond reach.

Yet even she had ended up in this state after severing just two of Jinxsite’s arms.

Who among them would dare go after Jinxsite now?

"Please… we need… volunteers… We will need about… thirty people…"

Chief Angela knew her presence only intensified the fear and terror gripping the room. 

Still, she had the most seniority of anyone remaining in the department. The others had all gone to fight in Zone 2.

And so, she had to stand and lead. 

Angela promised generous research funding and the full backing of the department to those who joined the subjugation squad.

“I volunteer.”

I also volunteer.

A few stepped forward—among them, a handful of reputable professors like Leo and Viper.

But in the end, only fifteen volunteered.

Fifteen… out of more than a hundred.

“The subjugation will go much better than last time… We will… open the academy’s armory and lend you some gear… If you join us… we can eliminate the threat in a safer manner… So please… Just a bit more… If another fifteen of you volunteer…”

But the crowd remained silent.

“…Are these truly… the only volunteers…?”

No matter how much she urged them, no more hands rose.

Even as Angela continued to encourage and plead, no one responded.

"Professors…"

Chief Angela let out a deep, weary sigh.

Though she looked to be in her forties, she was already in her eighties.

She was of the older generation and knew full well that her presence only spread more dread.

Yet, she felt frustrated seeing these new generation assassins who were only obsessed with their own self-preservation.

Eventually, she could no longer hold her tongue.

“…You lot are… utterly disappointing…”

Her voice was gentle, but the murderous pressure in the air pressed down on the entire hall.

“…In less than seven hours… that damned monster’s final arm will crawl out… and the summoning will be complete… Yet you lot… who claim to be professors of the great Kingdom of Hiaka’s prestigious royal academy… are sitting back and shying away in this situation…?!”

She erupted in fury with each ragged breath.

"What exactly… are the cadets supposed to learn from people like you…?!"

The professors lowered their heads.

No one dared meet her eyes.

Angela despaired over their inaction.

This was exactly why this damned academy had failed to stop the rise of the traitors in time.

At some point, the sharp blade had dulled and lost its edge.

Now, it only chased money, self-interest, and material gain…

Even if that was the very nature of assassins, how could a military and educational institution stoop to such a level…?

The vulgar and disappointing state of the Assassin Department was now laid bare before everyone’s eyes thanks to this crisis.

“…This is exactly why… the royal family, the enemy nations, and the continent itself… hold us in contempt.”

Even the assassins of Kreutz were risking their lives to come to Hiaka for a common goal—a stark contrast to what was happening here.

Although they were the enemy, she couldn’t help but praise them in her mind compared to the filthy lot before her.

“…Let us end the meeting here. I will go fight it myself.”

“C-Chief Professor—”

“No need. And once this incident is over, I will leave the academy as well—”

SLAM!

The door burst open, cutting Angela off mid-sentence.

One man slowly entered the meeting room, and all eyes turned to him.

“Who dares to arrive late to an emergency meeting—!”

A senior professor, his pride already bruised from Angela’s scolding, lashed out in frustration—but immediately shut his mouth.

The person standing at the entrance was Professor Dante Hiakapo.

“Apologies for my tardiness, Chief Angela.”

He, too, looked worse for wear, bearing the visible toll of the 『Curse of Frailty』.

In fact, he hadn’t properly slept since the first reconnaissance operation against Jinxsite days ago. He hadn’t rested at all during the purge of infiltrators in Zone 0, as he was constantly leading the professors as their commander.

“It’s alright… Please, take a seat,” Angela said, offering him a surprisingly warm smile.

But Dante did not sit.

"I will join the strike team."

Chief Angela’s eye—the unpetrified one—widened.

“…You will…?”

The room went still. Every professor’s eyes twitched.

* * *

I wasn’t planning to attend the meeting. Ever since the 『Curse of Frailty』 had first been unleashed, I’d steadily been losing sensation in my left eye.

I had every reason to rest. I’d done everything that needed doing. From here on out, I could sit back and relax without feeling any guilt.

But then, another notice appeared in my vision.

——

⧉ Hotfix Schedule Notice

Hello. This is 「Systematic Star⧉」.

The schedule for the hotfix has been confirmed.

– Schedule: 17th October, 501, at 9:00 PM ~

Details on the compensation and the game adjustments will be provided in a later notice after the hotfix is completed.

Thank you.

It was finally here.

My mental calculator kicked into gear.

9:00 PM. That was five hours from now.

Jinxsite’s summoning was estimated to be completed by 11:00 PM.

In other words…

Jinxsite will vanish before the summoning is completed.

It was perfect!

The main story would conclude peacefully without the need to actually face this calamity! 

It was as if I’d already been guaranteed a safe and peaceful resolution to the entire crisis.

But then, my brain began churning some more.

I was the only one who knew the exact time this giant monster—this thing everyone was so desperate to rid themselves of—would disappear.

This information was far too valuable to simply sit on.

There had to be a way to take advantage of it. But how?

What could I do as a player rather than a professor?

Oh!

A lightbulb lit up above my head.

And so, dragging my aching body along, I made my way to the Assassin Building’s faculty meeting room.

As I stood under everyone’s scrutiny, I spoke.

“Yes. I will join the strike team.”

“…We appreciate it. But even so, we are still short on numbers… We will need about thirty people,” Chief Angela said.

“No. There is no need for thirty people.”

“Then…?”

I turned my eyes to a group of professors standing off to the side.

They must’ve been the ones who had volunteered.

But many among them were injured.

“I’m sorry to say this, but even those fifteen are not necessary. Please leave this operation entirely to me.”

“Are you serious…?” Angela asked, her voice tightening.

Chief Angela’s eye narrowed, and the other professors held their breath, waiting to gauge my true intentions. 

There was only one thing I could do to take advantage of the information I possessed.

“I will kill Jinxsite on my own.”

I dropped a bombshell.

Shock rippled through the room as Angela’s expression, along with those of the professors, revealed their profound astonishment.

“…You will face it alone…?”

“Yes.”

Murmurs rose from the gathering of more than a hundred professors.

“Can you… really do it?” Chief Angela asked.

“Yes. As you know from our previous collaboration, I have a deep understanding of Jinxsite. Though it would be difficult to fight that monster one-on-one in my current state… with the department’s full support, I can completely subjugate it. No other professors need to be sacrificed.”

The murmurs grew louder.

Had I rubbed them the wrong way?

At first, I thought they found me presumptuous.

Even to me, my words sounded absurd.

But then I glanced at the textbox. 

【 White Path Professor, Rodrygo: Professor Dante… He truly is something… 】

【 White Path Professor, Eugene: Why go so far? He can’t possibly be in good shape right now… 】

【 Black Path Professor, Curten: He’s crazy… An absolute madman… 】

What were these people thinking?

I kept reading.

【 Black Path Professor, Ludenbach: No matter how strong he is, there’s no way he can take down the monster that overpowered two chief professors… And yet he’s volunteering to fight alone… What’s his real motive? 】

My real motive?

I was just trying to make things more interesting and fun for myself.

【 Black Path Professor, Ludenbach: …It must be his sense of duty. 】

What?

【 Black Path Professor, Ludenbach: Even this neutral professor—the type who normally only moves when money is involved—is showing such a strong sense of duty. I’m ashamed of myself. This is what a real professor is meant to be… I applied to be a professor to become someone like that… 】

This was getting awkward.

I wasn’t being driven by a sense of duty or any other noble intentions at all. 

The atmosphere in the room slowly began to shift.

【 White Path Professor, Eugene: I should volunteer, too. 】

【 Black Path Professor, Curten: Tch… Still, as a professor, I should play my part. 】

This wasn’t good.

Things were getting a little too out of hand.

I wasn’t trying to stir the others—so why were they getting all riled up on their own?

They were free to misunderstand my intentions, but I needed to reduce the number of people who would receive the department’s support.

“Professors, please calm down.”

I took another bold step forward, facing the crowd.

“It seems many of you are misunderstanding my words. I did not volunteer out of some pure-hearted sense of patriotism or duty to protect the academy as a professor.”

“…Then?” Chief Angela asked.

“I am standing here as an assassin who has coldly calculated the odds. I can and will take on Jinxsite alone and complete the operation without any issues. So I ask the department to give me their full support.”

Angela narrowed her eyes. 

“…If the operation ends in a success… of course, the department will support you. What is it you want in return?”

I raised a finger.

“I would like to have Hiaka’s National Treasure No. 17.”

Another bombshell dropped on the crowd.

For a brief moment, the room was enveloped in stunned silence before erupting into noise.

“What?!”

“…National Treasure No. 17?”

“Hah…! Professor Dante!”

“H-How dare you ask for a national treasure?!”

This time, the backlash was considerable.

National Treasure No. 17, the 「Sword of the Colossus○」 was an 80-centimeter Legend Ⅱ-grade tactical weapon of immense value.

It wasn’t something that could be purchased, no matter how much money one offered. It was a weapon that sat on the threshold of the heavenly realm.

Currently housed in the academy, it was only permitted for use during wartime. 

And right now, we were at war.

Moreover, national treasures in this world were often leased out to individuals or organizations. About half of them, in fact.

And I wanted to be one of them.

The sword’s performance varied greatly depending on its wielder. And I knew its hidden secrets and how to unlock its true potential.

“…Professor Dante, that’s…”

Even Chief Angela furrowed her brow this time.

Just moments ago, she had looked at me like a beloved grandson. But now, it was as if the grandson had blatantly asked for ownership of the family house.

Perhaps my demand had been a bit too much.

“…Do you even understand… what you’re asking for?”

“Of course, Chief. I’m fully aware of what National Treasure No. 17 is. And if I’m to take on Jinxsite alone, I will absolutely need the 「Sword of the Colossus○」.”

A professor shouted from the crowd, “Professor Dante! Isn’t this demand excessive, given the situation?! Many have already lost their lives in this battle!”

At that exact moment, blood began to drip from my left eye again.

The people in the room, most of whom were in far better condition than I was, instantly fell silent.

“…Pardon me, what was that you just said?”

“N-No, nothing…”

The one who had shouted quickly shut his mouth under my scrutiny.

Alright, fine. I had made an unreasonable demand twice.

It was now time to take a step back and offer a lower price.

As I wiped the blood from my cheek, I said, “Of course, I’m not asking for its ownership. I would never dare go that far.”

“…Then what are you asking?” Chief Angela asked.

“I merely ask for a two-year lease, under the pretense of requiring it for my research. And I will need no other support from the department.”

The murmurs began to die down.

Even Chief Angela’s expression softened.

But this wasn’t that much of a worse deal for me. Two years with the 「Sword of the Colossus○」 was more than enough time for me to obtain an even greater weapon.

“I ask for your serious and careful consideration once more. If I kill Jinxsite on my own, no other professor here will have to shed a single drop of blood.”

Chief Angela and the department’s elders fell into silence,  their faces stern and contemplative. 

They were now faced with a difficult decision.

In the meantime, there were people having far more annoying thoughts.

【 Black Path Professor, Ludenbach: I knew it! So it is because of his sense of duty…!! 】

No. Seriously, it’s not.

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