WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Surviving the Assassin Academy as a Professor

Translator: Touch

Editor: Grass

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Chapter 85: [Main Story] No.2: Betting Table (1)

Today was an incredibly long day.

I attended a faculty meeting, finished designing Chief Professor Cain and sent him off to meet the imperial professors, and even got into a scuffle at the disciplinary office in Zone 4.

And yet, it was still only evening.

Just as I was about to go see Gray before we departed tomorrow, a line of text suddenly appeared before my eyes:

「 ⧉ Main Story No.2: Betting Table 」

Ah, so it’s already starting.

It came earlier than I expected. I thought it would begin once Hiaka’s agreement with the Empire was ratified.

But it seemed it would begin with Gray’s journey to the Empire.

As 「Main Story No. 1: Treason and Collapse」 showed, “Main Stories” weren’t single events, but rather represented a larger flow.

If 「Treason and Collapse」 was about incidents that had already been finalized—the betrayals of the professors—then 「Betting Table」 was a story that would go on for a very, very long time.

If it finished quickly, it would be during Main Story 3. But if it dragged out, it could stretch all the way to Main Story 7.

This is where the game truly begins.

Furthermore, from this point onward, one-horned demons would begin to appear in the story, marking the start of the Demon King’s Raid.

Separate from the main plotline, indiscriminate acts of terror would break out across all nations.

…Or at least, that was what happened in Hard Mode.

As for Hell Mode—I still didn’t know what that would look like.

It might be even worse.

The most recent demon we faced, Jinxsite, was a mid to high-ranking demon among one-horned demons, so it probably wouldn’t appear yet.

But slightly weaker one-horned demons and countless hornless demons would surely emerge all over the world..

Most of all, I had no idea when or how bugs might occur. I had to stay alert and watch for bugged spaces.

It would be easy to get overwhelmed by all the potential problems.

But still, I didn’t believe there was any issue I couldn’t solve.

* * *

Fuck.

A single word popped into Gray’s mind.

As the thought settled, it took clearer shape:

I’m fucked.

It was tomorrow. She would be heading to the Empire, to the studio at The Assassin Times’s headquarters… Tomorrow morning!

Aaaaaaaaah…!

She was known to others as a composed and mature girl (or so she believed). But Gray had never stood at the edge of such a massive opportunity before.

It has to go well…!

In the short term, this would be the first impression many across the world would have of Hiaka Academy, which didn’t exactly have the best reputation at the moment.

And in the long term, this was Gray’s chance to revive and promote the fading legacy of 『Glass Butterfly』 across the entire continent—even in the Empire.

She could finally get closer to fulfilling the dream she—and House Habanero—had always cherished.

It really has to go well…!

Gray clenched her trembling fist.

It was okay! 

She had been preparing for this for a long time.

She’d read every single interview of past monthly cover models and studied every previous photo.

The Assassin Times was a really trashy magazine. Even Elize, the neighborhood’s biggest idiot, knew about it!

Every article they wrote was sensationalized beyond belief. But even in all that filth, the cover models stood out.

They had strong convictions and confidence, and looked cool in their cover photos. 

Gray had many things to say in the interview and kept rewriting various scripts until her trash can started overflowing. By then, she had memorized everything perfectly.

W-Wait…!

But now, with the moment looming, Gray realized she had forgotten something critically important.

What am I going to wear?!

She flung open her wardrobe—only to find it an absolute mess inside.

In the end, being a model was about presenting oneself to the world.

As the face representing Hiaka’s Assassin Department, what should Gray wear? How should she style herself?

She… had no idea.

“Help…! Help me…!!”

Thus, Elize, Lucy the maid, and—somehow—even Rebecca rushed into Gray’s room, and things quickly descended into chaos.

“No short skirts! No tops that show cleavage!”

The puppy girl who loved humans insisted on wrapping Gray up completely, showing no skin at all.

“Shouldn’t she look modest and pitiful? Maybe casual clothes would be best?”

The maid, ever practical, suggested that they emphasize Hiaka’s underdog status by dressing Gray plainly.

“Value is decided by the readers. Do you know what the cover model of the best-selling issue of The Assassin Times wore?”

The princess, who viewed people as tools, flicked open the top buttons of Gray’s cadet uniform, exposing more skin.

“Eeeh??”

Elize practically leapt in shock, then hurried to fasten the buttons shut.

“What are you doing?” Rebecca asked flatly.

“You can’t, Your Highness…!”

“Why not?”

“I was told that girls shouldn’t show their legs or bodies too much…”

“Who told you that?”

“My dad…”

As they bickered, Lucy stood by, horrified. She knew the princess didn’t take kindly to being objected to.

But surprisingly, Rebecca wasn’t particularly overbearing today.

“True. That’s normally not okay,” Rebecca said.

“Right?”

“It’s especially not okay for you.”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, all eyes turned to Elize.

It was something everyone had observed before. Elize was… genuinely big, in every way imaginable.

She was as tall as a man and had big hands and feet.

But her chest was so large that the buttons on her uniform appeared to strain. And her figure from the waist down was just as significant.

If she were a dog, she would be one of those large breeds.

“If you were the model, you’d look better a bit covered up because of your body type. For me, it looks better to show off. And Gray is small and petite, but her body is like a painted canvas. So she needs an outfit that reveals some skin.”

Indeed, Gray had her beautiful tattoos.

They made her look flawed yet extraordinary.

Rebecca continued.

“Humans all yearn for the ideal. But their ideals are often contradictory. Women often want an incredible and famous man who cares only for them. Men often want a woman who’s pure but also sexy. Those wishes are impossible to fulfill, but that’s what their hearts desire. Following that logic, Gray is young but covered in tattoos. So she needs to wear something that shouldn’t reveal skin but still does.”

According to the princess, that was how Gray would leave a lasting impression.

Lucy was quietly alarmed. Rebecca’s thought process, while logical in its own way, was bizarre.

“U-Um… Your Highness… I don’t think that’s completely true…”

“I am right,” Rebecca declared.

“Still, wouldn’t something more normal be better?”

And so, bickering continued, though it was mostly Rebecca teasing the other two. Still, Elize stubbornly defended her opinions while Lucy kept advocating for something simple and safe. 

But regardless, their opinions clashed. 

At this point, they had no choice but to try things out.

“Try them on.”

They had to see the outfits in person.

“Eeeh…? Then, I’ll start with this one.”

Gray stepped into the dressing room and changed into the outfit Rebecca had recommended. She then returned and unwrapped the towel covering her.

“Ta-da…”

It was a version of her cadet uniform, but with more exposure. It was far more daring than what she usually wore.

“…This is crazy!” Elize exclaimed, horrified. “No way, Your Highness. Absolutely not. Gray, I can’t approve this.”

“It’s bold, but beautiful,” Rebecca remarked with satisfaction.

“No! Absolutely not. No way. No no no no no… If you send her out like that, I’m going to burn down The Assassin Times!”

Elize was nearly having a seizure over this outfit.

Eventually, Lucy spoke up. “So what do you recommend, Elize?”

“Hm? Me? This one.”

Gray emerged dressed in the outfit Elize had chosen and unwrapped her towel.

“Uh… Ta-da…?”

It was a female shadow operative outfit—pitch black, skin-tight but thick for protection, covering her entire head, including her hair.

Only Gray’s eyes were visible.

“…Oi, is this a joke?” the princess snarled, scrunching her brows tight. “Do you think you’re sending her on some top-secret mission or something?”

“Why? She looks like an assassin…”

“Shut it. Don’t ‘why’ me. That’s the kind of generic assassin garb you see in every foreign squad. And you want to dress the face of Hiaka in that?”

Rebecca turned back to Gray.

“Take that off right now!”

Because of the princess’s strong reaction and veto, Elize sulked and started to mutter under her breath.

Next came Lucy’s turn.

“Gray, how about trying the one I recommended?”

“Sure… but I seriously have no idea what to choose.”

“When things get complicated, sometimes simple is best.”

After a bit, Gray returned and unwrapped the towel.

“Ta-daa…?”

It was a fairly simple outfit, consisting of just a plain white T-shirt and jeans.

“Hmm. What do you think…? I haven’t worn casual clothes like this in a while. It feels kind of awkward…”

At her words, the three judges fell silent, each lost in thought.

“…”

Elize, the prude puppy, liked that the outfit covered Gray’s legs, stomach, and chest.

Rebecca appreciated the contradictory harmony—the plainness only made Gray’s tattoos stand out more.

Lucy believed this kind of look would convince the continent that Hiaka was the innocent victim in the ongoing international conflict.

“I like it,” Elize said.

“Really? How about you, Your Highness?” Gray asked.

“Mhm.”

“You’re okay with it? And you, Lucy?”

“It’s my pick, so of course I’m okay with it. It’s nice and simple.”

And thus, it was decided! Gray would go with the modest and casual outfit…!!

But just as the decision was finalized, someone arrived at the Black Dragon Dormitory.

It was Professor Dante.

“Ah!”

Elize and Lucy gasped.

Dante Hiakapo was well known for his style! He switched between blazers, dress shirts, and suits, and always made formalwear look sharp. In fact, several cadets tried to copy him.

It would be a good idea to ask for his advice!

Just as they were about to ask for his opinion, Professor Dante entered the room with the four girls, paused for a moment to understand what was happening, and asked, “What’s with your outfit, Gray Habanero?”

Lucy then raised her hand to answer instead.

“Ah, this is the outfit we prepared for tomorrow’s photoshoot, Professor. We were having a meeting to decide what to wear—”

“Change it.”

“…Pardon?”

“You cannot wear that.”

His veto came out of nowhere.

As everyone looked puzzled by his blunt and unilateral decision, Professor Dante dropped a bombshell.

“Kreutz is coming to the photoshoot tomorrow.”

…Huh?

Dante then provided a detailed explanation of the situation.

According to him, a young lady from House Carolina—the prestigious and famed family of Kreutz known for their illusion arts—would be appearing alongside Gray as a monthly cover model.

He had just obtained the information via the royal intelligence agency. And the academy was determined to proceed with the shoot.

As the news sank in, everyone’s expressions shifted.

“Whaaat?!”

The most dramatic reaction came from Elize. The normally soft-spoken girl yelped in utter disbelief.

“Wait, how is that even allowed?!” the maid protested.

But surprisingly, the person at the center of it all remained silent.

Gray was completely frozen in shock.

House Carolina was the historical rival of House Habanero.

Soon, all three judges turned to Gray—and simultaneously despaired at her plain outfit.

“Did Sir Cheong-ru bring this intel?” Rebecca asked Dante.

“Yes.”

Only then did Rebecca check her crystal ball and finally notice Cheong-ru’s messages.

She usually slept during the day and only replied when she felt like it. That’s how she had missed the updates until now.

After dropping the news, Professor Dante turned to leave.

“Wait a moment, Professor.”

Rebecca chased after him with a furious look, but turned back to Gray right before stepping outside.

“Oh, and you. Take that off immediately.”

“Huh…? Then what do I wear…?”

A dangerous glint shimmered in the princess’s eyes.

“I’ll have your outfit prepared.”

Elize frowned, worried that the princess would ignore the other judges and choose unilaterally. But Rebecca had a reason behind her actions.

“I thought this photoshoot would be like a casual outing. But no. I can’t believe they’re pulling this at the last minute. There are some lines you don’t cross. Those motherfucking sons of bitches…!”

The princess cursed under her breath, then turned to Gray again.

“What time is the shoot tomorrow?”

“1 p.m. We leave at 9 a.m.”

There wasn’t enough time to prepare an outfit the next day.

It had to be done now.

Rebecca pulled out her crystal ball and made a call.

“Summon the chamberlains. Right now.”

“Th-The chamberlains?!” Elize gasped.

“Your Highness…!” Lucy exclaimed.

The royal chamberlains usually worked only for royalty.

But Rebecca saw no reason to hold back. Now that the Kreutz bastards were getting involved, Gray needed a royal-level styling.

Exactly five minutes later, five royal ladies-in-waiting appeared at the dormitory via 『Teleport』, accompanied by a royal mage.

“What is the matter, Your Highness?”

There was no need for lengthy explanations to persuade these folks.

“A cadet from Kreutz’s House of Illusion Arts is coming to The Assassin Times tomorrow.”

The ladies-in-waiting’s expressions darkened.

…From Kreutz???

That was when the main character of the entire story reappeared.

“I changed back into— Huh? Who are these people…?”

The royal attendants turned to look at Gray. She had nice features, but the tattoos were a bit unfortunate. Still, her appearance had a slightly wild feel.

But despite her good and bad qualities, she had to be prettier than the Kreutz girl.

No matter what, it wasn’t up for debate. She HAD to look prettier than the enemy.

That was why they were here. The five elite ladies-in-waiting each oversaw a specific area: hair, skin & complexion, dress, nails & accessories, and makeup. Their combined experience totaled 137 years.

“Please leave it to us.”

From this moment forward, Gray was about to become the goddess of Hiaka.

“Come now, cadet dear.”

“Eh? Me…?”

“Yes, come now. Quickly. We don’t have much time.”

Before long, Gray was being dragged into the makeshift powder room, flailing like a stray cat being dunked into a basin by the village aunties.

“W-Wait…!”

And so, the curtain fell, isolating her from the rest of the world as her transformation started.

TL & Editor note: This novel will be on break for a week. See you on August 5th!

If you wish to read ahead, there are 10 advanced chapters available right now!

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