WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Surviving the Assassin Academy as a Professor

Translator: Touch

Editor: Grass

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Chapter 71: DLC [Professor in a Heroic Fantasy] – Midpoint Recap (4)

As to how we found ourselves in that position, we’d have to go back in time a bit…

Adele and I had ordered a mountain of drinks and were well into our drinking session.

We talked about trivial school matters, stories of the maids who came to clean our residence, and how we defeated Jinxsite.

By the time we emptied our third bottle of hard liquor to the last drop…

“Ugh, I think I drank too much…” Adele groaned.

“So it seems.”

“By the way, Professor…”

Adele, flushed and clearly drunk, was staring at me intently. I was discreetly manipulating my mana to keep the intoxication at bay while pretending to be drunk.

“Yeah?”

“…This is pretty.”

Adele pressed her fingertip against my chest, right on the senior professor badge.

“Nice, isn’t it? Though I heard it’s only gold-plated,” I replied.

“I already mentioned it before, but honestly, I was kind of shocked by your promotion…”

“It happened pretty fast, yeah.”

“‘Fast’ isn’t a strong enough word to describe it. Normally, you’d have to work for over ten years, make significant research progress, or become a ranker to get promoted to senior professor…”

“I frighten even myself with how capable I am,” I said confidently.

“Ahaha~ What kind of response is that?”

Our glasses clinked together in a light cheer.

Adele giggled, her eyes hazy.

“But, Professor. About what we talked about earlier today…”

“You mean when you asked me not to abandon you?”

“You didn’t have to say it out loud… It’s embarrassing… But yes.”

She poured more alcohol into her glass and stared into it.

“…It’s just… I was wondering if I could keep working under you in the future.”

Though my gaze was still hazy, my mind began to clear.

It was the first time I was hearing Adele’s true desires.

“You could. But why?”

“Because… I want to become an assistant professor…”

“An assistant professor?”

“Yes, yes…”

With vacant eyes, she twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

“You know… Right now, I’m just a nobody in the Assassin Department, a mere teaching assistant… but even I have my own ambitions.”

“I had no idea.”

“I’m just good at hiding it…”

That seemed to be the case.

“Let me ask, then. What is your ambition?” I asked.

Adele smiled faintly, her expression dazed.

“…I want to become a master.”

A master, huh… Interesting.

“You’re saying something that would get you in trouble at the Assassin Department,” I commented.

“…I doubt it.”

“Assassins are meant to be tools, not the masters who wield the tools.”

“I don’t know about that… Who in the world would look at the Dean and think of him as a tool? He’s also an assassin like us, but he’s clearly a master…”

I chuckled.

“You’ve got a point.”

“Right? At the end of the day, it’s all about power… Only the weaker, powerless assassins are treated like tools. They’re the ones sent out to fight and die when needed. We clench our teeth and pretend that’s not the case, but deep down, everyone in the world knows… Even newborn babies know better…”

She’s right.

Why couldn’t we gather a complete team of thirty professors during the strategy meeting for the second subjugation attempt at Jinxsite? Were the assassin professors not supposed to be tools who have no choice but to obey orders? 

Why did Shaman, that thick-jawed dean, throw a fit, pleading with me not to become a supervisor, even though I’m supposedly a tool? 

No one refers to something irreplaceable as a “tool.” In that sense, everyone understood the truth deep down—only the weak are truly expendable tools.

“…Do you know what I’ve been thinking about lately?” Adele asked.

“What?”

“That becoming your assistant might’ve been the greatest fortune of my life…”

“But you called yourself an S-rank teaching assistant earlier, and said I’d never find another assistant like you.”

“Oh my, did I really say that?” Adele asked mischievously.

“So you do know who among us is the real S-rank.”

I was half-joking, but Adele went blank for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Hahahaha! I do!”

She laughed even harder, apparently amused by her own cheer.

“Kyahaha!”

Her laughter made me chuckle as well.

“I already knew from the start… You’re already a master, Professor. And you’ll become an even greater one someday… And I… I’m just a lucky tool who ended up in your hands…”

“You flatter me. But no one knows what the future holds.”

“I think I know~ I know how incredibly lucky I am to be hogging this lucky opportunity all to myself~”

Adele looked up at me with a dreamy expression.

“…All right. So what would change if you became an assistant professor?” I asked her.

“From what I heard through the grapevine, it seems we’ll be getting new opportunities soon…” Adele started explaining.

I had noticed this before, but she had a real knack for gathering intel.

Not many people knew about the upcoming events of 「Betting Table」 yet.

“So I heard as well.”

“In rich households, the dogs only need to sit beside the dining table to get every opportunity they need. The food humans drop or generously hand-feed them is always thick, juicy slices of meat… And I’m ready to eat whatever drops to the floor. Who knows? Maybe one day, I could even become…”

Her sentence trailed off as she touched the badge on my chest again.

“You’re ambitious.”

“I told you so.”

Then, her smile faded.

“I’ve been a teaching assistant for six years… I failed the assistant professor screening three times… The department must’ve decided I had no potential since they only used me as an administrative TA. This year was probably going to be my last chance. And if I got fired from the academy after this year, I was planning to do something terrible…”

A silence fell between us. It was a heavy yet profoundly significant statement.

“But then, luck finally came my way… And that was you, Professor. I’m not trying to put any pressure or burden on you. But this time, I’m truly going to do everything I can and give my very best… So please keep me on as your assistant…”

“…”

“Hmm, do I sound too materialistic? I’m sorry. That was kind of pathetic…”

I lowered my gaze, swirling the ice in my glass.

It was my first time hearing Adele’s desires, but I still didn’t understand how it connected to her being a spy or why she was supposedly such a significant threat. 

In fact, what she said only made me feel more at ease. 

People who long for your presence and help rarely wish you harm, so it was less likely that Adele would hurt me. But needless to say, it wasn’t time to make a final decision yet.

“…That’ll depend on how you do,” I replied.

It was half a joke, but perhaps it came out colder than I intended.

Even so, Adele smiled.

“Then I’ll just have to do well enough to impress you… Ah, may I excuse myself to the restroom for a moment?”

“Go ahead.”

She stood up and left the table.

While she was gone, I stared down at the empty glass.

What am I supposed to do…?

She was striving to accomplish something at the academy. If she failed, she might do “something terrible.” If what she said was true, then Adele was a ticking time bomb that would go off the moment I abandoned her.

But keeping her close might be just as dangerous.

This was my dilemma. If I discarded her, she might explode. But if I didn’t, I might be putting myself at greater risk. 

A moment later, I felt myself getting tipsier, so I stepped out for some fresh air.

It’s snowing again.

While wandering aimlessly near the restaurant, I happened to spot someone behind the building. It was Adele, smoking a cigarette alone in the shadows.

“Oh my? Professor~”

She awkwardly tried to wave the smoke away with her hand.

“Geez. I was doing such a good job of keeping it a secret, but I guess the cat’s out of the bag now…”

“So you smoke?”

“Sometimes. Especially on days like today, when I’m drinking… Do you not smoke, Professor?”

“I quit.”

“Oh no, I should finish this quickly before you get tempted to start again.”

Adele began puffing like a chimney.

She really didn’t have to go that far for me.

I had quit everything during chemotherapy in real life. And ever since possessing this body, I hadn’t craved a cigarette once.

“The cold air’s sobering me up a bit. Shall we head back?” Adele asked as she flicked away the cigarette.

But then… for whatever reason, a certain statement crept up my throat.

I wasn’t really sure why. Perhaps it was the darkness enveloping us, the alcohol clouding my mind, or the fact that we were alone behind a building. Or maybe it was simply the idea of uncovering information by digging a bit deeper.

“Come to think of it…”

Following that fleeting impulse, I voiced it out.

“We don’t really know each other.”

It was a mundane line amidst the bustle of nearby bars and restaurants.

But Adele sensed something behind it.

She turned to me, her expression shifting slightly.

“You’re right. We don’t really know each other,” she said with a small smile. “When you think about it, it’s kind of funny.”

“Funny?”

“Isn’t it? Even though we live together, I didn’t know you’d quit smoking. Didn’t know you could drink so much, either. Didn’t know you could be so sly… We’ve been living in the same house for quite a while now, yet I still don’t know anything about you.”

“How very assassin-like of us,” I commented.

“True. We’re both very assassin-like…”

She chuckled, then asked,

“Are you curious about me?”

Her tone was light, but there was a glint of mischief in her eyes. 

For a few seconds, I just looked at her. The conversation felt like it was veering into strange territory.

Perhaps this was an opportunity—a chance to glimpse into the mind of this mysterious spy.

“…Ah, I’m sorry. I must be drunk. It was just a j—”

“So what if I am?”

I moved closer to Adele just as she was about to look away.

“…Huh? Pardon?”

Adele blinked, taking a step back. 

Her confusion was only natural. Until this very moment, I had never once crossed the unspoken line between us.

“If I’m curious about you,” I said, “what can you tell me?”

“…Uh, um… well, uh…”

She slowly raised her hands, avoiding my eyes.

“…First of all… aren’t we standing a bit too close right now…?”

“Answer me.”

“Umm… honestly, I don’t have much to tell you…”

“Professor, this is kind of a lot for me… If you could just give me a little space…”

“I’m just kidding.”

I turned away with a small smile.

“…Eh? What? Really? Come on~ Don’t do that to me. You scared me!”

“Shall we go? We’ve finished the drinks. Just need to pay.”

“Who said you could decide that on your own~?”

“Then should we have one more dri—”

I stopped mid sentence. This time, Adele stepped directly in front of me, blocking my path.

“The joke’s already over,” I said.

“But I’m not joking around…”

“What about you, Professor…?”

“What about me?”

“What are you willing to tell me about yourself?”

“I can tell you just about anything.”

“Really? Then tell me one thing.”

“What do you want to know?”

She blinked, then took another step forward.

She was now… almost uncomfortably close.

A moment passed. Finally, she asked softly,

“…Could I get a little closer to you?”

“You’d bump into me.”

“I’m serious. And I didn’t mean it literally.”

What did she mean, then? What was the right response here?

“How exactly are we supposed to get closer?” I asked.

“Hmm…” Adele pondered, then let out a soft chuckle.

“…Let’s be friends.”

“Friends?”

“…Yes. We only have a five-year age gap between us. I don’t want us to just be a professor and his assistant. I want to be your friend.”

I still couldn’t quite figure out her intent.

Perhaps, as she stated earlier, it was another effort to strengthen her role as my exclusive assistant. 

In fact, that was the only interpretation that seemed reasonable to me at the moment.

Then, what choice should I make?

As a grad student myself, was I honest with my professor in the past? No. He and I wore thick masks, hiding our true selves from one another. 

In the end, if I truly wanted to understand Adele, I had to cross the line and break down this wall between us, like she had just done.

“Sure. Let’s be friends.”

“…Really?”

“To be honest, I’ve always wanted a friend like you.”

Adele looked startled at first. But then, she smiled.

“…That’s a nice thing to hear.”

It was getting cold again. I asked if we should head back home, and she agreed.

But as we turned, Adele slipped on the snow and stumbled. I caught her in my arms before she fell.

“You must be quite drunk,” I said.

“Ah, I’m sorry… Whew… I really did drink too much…”

She couldn’t quite steady herself.

She looked up at me, eyes hazy. We held that gaze for a few long seconds.

Then, without warning, she placed her hand gently on my cheek.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“…Did you know?”

“Know what.”

“…You’re stupidly handsome.”

I was stunned into silence by the sudden compliment.

Adele continued, her voice distant and unfocused.

“…Maybe this is why people spend money.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“…Nothing. It’s nothing.”

Words without clear meaning. Her touch was gentle, like petting a puppy. I moved past the awkwardness and asked softly.

“What kind of friends act like this with each other?”

Adele whispered gently, with a smile.

“…They say some do, especially when they’re drunk.”

“That’s nonsense.”

“Hmm? Don’t you watch dating shows, Professor? They all say it happens.”

“At this rate, you’ll be puckering your lips for a kiss next.”

“Whaaat…?”

Adele laughed, possibly recalling the incident with Luine—when the cadet attempted to seduce me by impersonating Adele using her Illusion Arts.

“Ahahaha! No matter how handsome you are, kissing between friends is a bit… Wait, wait—were you actually hoping for that, Professor~?”

“Just get on your feet. You’re heavy.”

“Ah, yes, yes. Upsy-daisy.”

At this point, I became certain. She was most likely the “massive threat” mentioned by the others.

But for now, she had no intention of killing me.

I just took a huge gamble by catching her as she fell.

If Adele wanted to kill me, that would’ve been her chance—not that I actually would’ve died. Ezekiel’s curse would’ve triggered and hindered her.

But still, even though I was at a vulnerable distance, she didn’t strike.

“…Shall we go back home?” she asked.

And so, I decided to keep an eye on her for a bit longer.

“Let’s go back. To our home.”

Adele’s eyes widened. Then, she smiled playfully.

“Oh my~”

* * *

|ㅅㅇ)

The following day, the Board Chairman of Hiaka Academy summoned me.

● Chairman, Hedwig

I had only ever seen the silly-looking owl mask through the computer screen in real life. This was my first time seeing it in person.

“Oh! Come on in~!”

The Chairman waved me in as soon as they saw me.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Chairman.”

“Yup yup! It’s great to finally meet the famous, newly appointed Senior Professor Dante~!! I’m super busy right now, so can I just get straight to the point?”

“Whatever’s convenient for you.”

“Say hi!”

‘Say hi’…?

I turned my head and noticed a woman standing beside me.

She wore an emotionless expression, with pitch-black eyes and jet-black hair framing her face, dressed in a razor-sharp suit with perfectly pressed trousers.

She exuded a sense of composure that felt… unnatural.

● Teaching Assistant, Ran⧉

“She’s your new research TA starting today!”

That came out of nowhere.

The woman stepped forward and offered a polite bow.

“Nice to meet you, Senior Professor Dante. My name is Ran.”

Even her voice sounded… oddly mechanical.

Noticing the ⧉ symbol on her nametag, I realized something.

She was sent by the 「Systematic Star⧉」.

I recalled what Dino had told me in [Offline]:

“Up until now, you weren’t informed about what kind of glitch was affecting the Bugged Spaces… But from now on, Lord Systematic Star⧉ will send a helper to share the information we uncover!”

It seemed the Systematic Star had chosen to send the helper in charge of identifying and reporting glitches as my teaching assistant.

It made sense. TAs were the ones who spent the most time with me.

“I’m Dante. I look forward to working with you.”

“Likewise. I’ve submitted a request for shared housing, but would it be alright if I moved into your residence starting today?”

“We have an empty room, so do as you please.”

At the time, I agreed without a second thought.

Why?

Because… Well, as I said, I wasn’t thinking.

But shortly after I returned home…

“Hmm? Who’s that?”

“A new TA assigned to me on the Chairman’s recommendation.”

I felt a flicker of unease. Something brief and almost imperceptible.

“…………”

For just a split second, Adele’s expression… changed.

It was gone before I could register it. By the time I blinked again, her usual smile had returned.

Ran set her luggage down beside the wall, then walked up and bowed to Adele.

“Nice to meet you. I am Ran. As of today, I’ve been assigned as Professor Dante’s research TA.”

“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. Wow, you’re so stylish~”

Adele smiled—exactly the way she always did when meeting someone new.

“I’m Adele.”

“I look forward to working with you. I will try not to be a bother as we live together.”

“Me too~”

Her reply, too, was as usual.

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