WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Surviving the Assassin Academy as a Professor

Translator: Touch

Editor: Grass

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Chapter 80: Chief Professor Cain (1)

Today was a busy day for Dante Hiakapo.

It started with a summons from Ezekiel, the Dean of the Mage Department.

That pristine, royal-born mage had a particular fondness for efficiency. The moment Dante neared his office, Ezekiel used 『Telekinesis』 to open the door, took off Dante’s coat, and pulled out a chair for him.

“So, you're accompanying Gray to the Empire tomorrow?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“You’re determined to leave, I see. Do you even know how much the Rat King is sulking right now?”

Ezekiel then went on to recount how Shaman had refused a donut that morning, claiming he had no appetite. Dante recalled the man’s thick double chin and had a moment of realization, nodding in understanding.

But there was nothing he could do about that hundred-year-old geezer getting sulky.

“Also, can you prepare a special lecture during the break next month?” Ezekiel asked.

“…A special lecture, you say?”

Why would the Dean personally summon someone just to ask for a lecture? But soon, Dante figured out Ezekiel’s true intentions.

“You mean a lecture for the mage faculty?” Dante clarified.

“That is correct. As Cain.”

“I can do it. But will the mage professors really be willing to attend a lecture held by an assassin?”

Assassins cared about money.

Warriors cared about conviction.

And mages cared about pride.

“So even you worry about such things,” Ezekiel remarked.

“I have no intention of teaching those who won’t respect my lectures.”

“…That is understandable.”

Ezekiel chuckled, amused that someone so young would hold such principles and stand by them.

“The biggest traitor among the mages was Chief Professor Gloomy of Illusion Magic Studies. Thanks to that fool’s betrayal, thirty percent of the illusion magic professors quit the academy.”

“…”

“The ones who stayed are those who, despite everything, still have some dedication left for Hiaka and the academy. They may be a prideful bunch, but their will to learn is intact.”

Dante nodded. Since the Dean himself had arranged the event, there likely wouldn’t be any issues.

All he had to do now was take his time preparing the lecture.

“But still…” Ezekiel suddenly frowned. “Even if you were making a second identity, why did you make it a young boy?”

He was referring to the Cain persona.

Dante responded with a blank expression. “Would you have preferred a young girl?”

“No! It’s not about gender, man. Isn’t he too young? Even if you were going for a child design, why make him a helpless little toddler?”

“Is that a problem?”

“It is.”

“If you explain the problem, I’ll fix it.”

“He’s too cute.”

“…?”

Contrary to his ridiculous words, Ezekiel’s expression was stern and serious.

“How can someone that cute be a chief professor?”

Dumbfounded, Dante blinked before replying, “…I’ll put a mask on.”

“That would be for the best. Maybe even a full-face mask. If possible, add it to the illusion right now.”

“Is there a reason for that?”

Ezekiel gestured exasperatedly with his hand. “An urgent event came up. To be honest, this is the real reason I called you.”

“An urgent event?”

“In a couple of hours, illusion arts professors from the Empire will arrive in Zone 9 to hang a massive ornament on the Holy Tree. In the Empire’s name.”

Dante’s eyes widened.

This was huge news.

Even now, illusion mages and assassins from various countries were decorating Cain’s tree with ultra-large illusions.

Among the more famous names was Gyul-Gyul, a ranker and Challenger-rated illusion arts practitioner from the Kingdom of Hitahita. She had added a large 「 ∞ 」 symbol of Hitahita’s national star right in the middle of Cain’s tree. Indeed, the Kingdom of Hitahita worshipped the 「Eternal Star∞」.

Her symbol became a hot topic across online communities in every nation.

——

< Whoa, did Gyul-Gyul really make that Eternal Star? Her illusion’s scale is just on a whole other level… >

< The glow, the size… It’s insane. Looks like she worked especially hard for this illusion. >

< Gyul-Gyul ← a living legend. Disappeared for years, then comes back just to do this lol >

< LMAO the reactions are hilarious. Tons of people from the Dukedom of Horanche are pissed. >

└ Why?

└ Because Horanche’s national star is also the Eternal Star LOL. They’re saying they can make a bigger one.

Sure enough, the next day, an illusion mage from Horanche came and placed a slightly larger symbol of the Eternal Star on the tree.

< They actually came for this LOL >

< And it’s bigger HAHAHAHAHA>

< Gyul-Gyul’s been outdone! >

But what is it that mages care about most?

Their pride.

A few days later, Gyul-Gyul returned and…

< LMAO Gyul-Gyul covered up Horanche’s symbol with hers >

< OMG this is hilarious! Gonna get some popcorn to watch this fight play out HAHAHAHAHA >

In the end, there were thirteen symbols of the 「Eternal Star∞」 hanging on one side of the tree before they were all wiped away by Chief Professor Cain, leaving only two behind.

(For your reference, the winner was Gyul-Gyul.)

While all these decorations were being added to the tree, not a single illusion arts practitioner from the Empire had participated. The reasons were political.

The tree was, after all, a memorial.

With tensions sky-high between Hiaka and Kreutz, if the Empire showed favor to one side, the backlash from the other would be enormous.

The continent was mostly divided into two alliances: a Southern bloc with Hiaka, and a Northern bloc with Kreutz. The Empire was trying to keep both sides appeased.

“…Imperial professors are here to participate? What exactly is going on?” Dante asked.

“The professors from the Imperial Hattengraj Academy announced in advance that they are visiting as tourists. Putting aside the international conflict, they’re showing a strong interest in Cain.”

Ezekiel gestured to Dante with his chin.

“…They want to see my face, I assume,” Dante remarked.

“That is most likely. So I shall go with you today,” Ezekiel said.

Dante nodded.

“Understood.”

Even if he wasn’t in line for the throne, a royal was still a royal.

It would be most reassuring to have Ezekiel accompanying him.

⋮

Next, Dante attended a meeting for senior professors and faculty.

While discussions about department operations were being exchanged, Dante, having neither anything to say nor much interest in the proceedings, simply sat there with a blank expression.

He was idly thinking about the design for Cain’s mask when someone abruptly entered the room.

“Apologies for the interruption, but I have an urgent message for Professor Dante. May I?”

It was Sir Cheong-ru, the elderly guardian knight of the princess.

“Did you find out?” Dante asked.

Now that they were working together, Rebecca had given Dante the authority to use the royal family’s name. So he used that royal privilege to investigate the specifics of The Assassin Times’s schedule and plans for the photoshoot with Gray.

And the result was astonishing.

“You were right, Hiakapo. I’ve confirmed it.”

As the surrounding professors exchanged wary glances, Cheong-ru dropped a bombshell.

“I heard that a girl from Kreutz’s prestigious house of illusionists will also be present at the photoshoot with The Assassin Times.”

Dante nodded at the information. It matched the forged future shown to him by the 「Spying Star│ㅅㅇ) 」.

But the others reacted very differently.

“Pardon? What did you just say?”

“What is this about, Sir Cheong-ru?!”

Cheong-ru clenched his teeth and explained.

“Exactly what I said, professors. Whether it was The Assassin Times’s idea or Kreutz’s, it looks like one of Kreutz’s cadets will join Gray’s photoshoot and interview for the monthly magazine.”

If Dante hadn’t used the royal family’s name when inquiring, the Empire—and The Assassin Times—would have gone ahead as planned, without any concern. That’s just how the Empire operated.

The senior professors erupted in fury.

“What kind of brain-dead situation is this!?”

“Those bastards at The Assassin Times have really lost their minds!”

“They know exactly what kind of position Hiaka is in, and they still want to put our cadet on a cover with a Kreutz cadet?”

“How can they be this disrespectful just because the Empire has their backs? This is insane!”

The professors raged on, their voices rising as they vented their outrage—and understandably so.

Hiaka and Kreutz had been swinging blades and threatening each other’s lives until just recently.

But throughout all the commotion, Professor Dante remained seated and calm.

In Dante’s eyes, The Assassin Times was driven by money—obsessed with boosting sales numbers.

The current Hiaka-Kreutz relationship was the most sensational and entertaining conflict in the world.

The two nations were waging war exclusively through assassins, while both officially denied responsibility for the mutual acts of terrorism.

Thus, they could still proudly show their faces in public, since neither side was officially involved in the conflict.

Everyone knew what was happening, but no one acknowledged it.

And now, The Assassin Times was taking advantage of that delicate situation.

By casting the same-aged elite illusionists from both nations on the cover of their monthly issue, neither side could withdraw from the deal with a legitimate excuse. The two countries weren’t technically at war, after all.

And the public’s curiosity to witness their tension would guarantee record-breaking sales.

“Do you think we should proceed with the photoshoot?” one of the senior professors asked.

“I believe we must.”

Gasps rippled through the room.

“P-Professor Dante!”

“What if they set up some sort of trap?!”

“We cannot trust the Empire! Especially if Kreutz is involved…!”

Dante nodded again, his expression calm.

“I completely understand your anger. But we must go. I believe the administration will agree with me as well.”

These professors would have to get used to this. This was how 「Betting Table」 played out.

All the opportunities worth seizing were in the Empire, but all the rules were set by the Empire, too.

In other words, the Empire was the casino.

And everyone else was forced to gamble under the rules it created, trying to increase their chips however they could.

Even if the casino were to one day burn to the ground, that time was still far off in the future.

Once the meeting ended and Dante stepped outside, Cheong-ru approached him.

“How did you know about this?”

“…I happened to come across the information while investigating something else.”

Distrust flickered in the old man’s eyes.

“All right, we’ll go with that. But listen up, Professor Dante. If anything happens to the princess… if a single strand of hair on her head is harmed, I swear—I will never forgive you.”

The guardian knight issued his warning, since the princess would be taking part in the outing to the Empire tomorrow.

Dante met his gaze, maintaining silence for a moment. Then, he replied,

“You care deeply for the princess, Sir Cheong-ru.”

“What kind of statement is that? Of course I do. I would give my life to protect her. Such is the duty of a guardian knight.”

Dante Hiakapo gave a smile—one with no discernible meaning.

“…That is reassuring to hear.”

And with that, their exchange came to an end.

* * *

“It’s almost time.”

“Indeed.”

The Illusion Arts professors from the Imperial Academy swallowed nervously, waiting for someone.

These chief professors were Grandmasters, placing within the top 999 of the World Rank. They commanded the highest level of respect wherever they went on the continent.

Yet today, they were waiting for a professor from a small kingdom.

“…Ah, here they come.”

A crowd approached.

Hiaka’s famous Archmage, Ezekiel, was walking toward them with a small entourage.

But at the center of that group was a figure that appeared utterly out of place—a child wearing a ridiculous elephant mask, toddling along on short legs.

And yet, there was something strange about the way the crowd was gathered around that child.

“Could it be…?”

Was Chief Professor Cain that young child?

“I can’t believe it.”

“Nor can I.”

There were still rumors claiming that the Cain Tree had been designed by someone else.

After all, it seemed unlikely that such a prodigy could emerge from Hiaka’s existing talent pool.

The general public might not know, but these illusion magic professors understood a critical truth:

That tree couldn’t have been created through sheer skill alone.

If this were about competency and skill, then Agion, the 「Radiant Constellation⁺₊⋆」, would have already made several of these trees.

But he hadn’t.

In the imperial classification system, these types of creations fell under the category of Sculpting Illusion Arts, and it was similar to making a work of art.

To achieve something of that scale, one needed not only powerful inspiration but also the ability to endure the pain they had accumulated over time—the pain amassed while surviving the darkest moments in life as an illusion artist.

Without that, even if someone else used the same formulas and circuits, Sculpting Illusion Arts would not activate properly.

It would either fail to manifest entirely, or would appear semi-successfully—looking dazzling on the surface before collapsing and shattering as their true nature quickly gets exposed.

That was why they doubted it.

Could a child really have created that grand illusion?

“…Well, we’ll find out soon enough.”

The imperial professors would now begin their quiet investigation.

Who exactly was Chief Professor Cain?

How extraordinary were his abilities?

Were any of his known feats exaggerated—or outright fabricated?

“We have a duty to figure out the truth accurately.”

“I was told so by our academy’s administration. But why?” one of the professors asked his colleague.

“The reason is simple.” The colleague paused, then spoke sternly. "Because His Imperial Majesty is curious.”

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