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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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“Congratulations, Michelle.”
“Huh?”
It was Adrian’s voice.
But this time, it wasn’t heard in the meadow, but in the lecture hall.
Michelle, who had been standing in a daze, came to her senses at some point.
What was he congratulating her for?
She first looked around.
“Congratulations on having the shortest attention span in this failing class.”
“Ah.”
Only then did she understand.
While everyone else was focused on their own materials, only Michelle had abruptly stood up from her seat.
And in one unbroken hand, she was holding her withdrawal form.
“No, no I wasn’t!”
She immediately retorted.
If she were to list all the injustices, there would be no end.
Whose fault was it that she had to stand up from her seat?
It was because you suddenly embraced my body without permission!
Embracing me tightly… Making me lean on you… You… Ugh…
“Are you that resentful?”
Adrian asked Michelle, whose face had turned completely red.
“No… No, I’m not.”
It wasn’t red from resentment.
“If you’re resentful, then focus longer from now on.”
“…Yes.”
In the end, Michelle had no choice but to sit back down with a deep sigh.
“Huh… What?”
But then, the withdrawal form that had been grasped in Michelle’s hand slyly slipped out of her grip.
The one taking it was, of course, Adrian.
“I see. It was a withdrawal form. No wonder you had no reason to focus.”
“Wha-, what are you saying!”
Michelle hurriedly used her telekinesis to crumple the withdrawal form into a tight ball so strongly that it could never return to its original form.
“I-, I’m not withdrawing. Who’s withdrawing?”
As Michelle reacted almost like a seizure, Adrian merely tilted his head.
Of course, that made Michelle even more embarrassed.
“Then what’s this?”
“Can’t you tell by looking? It’s paper trash.”
“Well, alright. Do you need new materials?”
Ah, right.
She had crumpled the materials too.
“It-, it’s fine. Who would look at materials like these?”
“Suit yourself.”
Michelle stared blankly at Adrian’s back as he turned away indifferently.
Not withdrawing meant that whether she liked it or not, she would continue to stay in this class.
The label of failure was a fatal disgrace for Michelle.
However.
Doesn’t it suit you perfectly?
There was no hint of playfulness in Adrian’s whispered words.
Rather, it was a seductive statement that made a corner of her heart ache slightly.
Adrian might be one of the three things she hated most in the world, but if she remained in the failing class, she would have to become a core student under his command.
It was only for the sake of Michelle’s own future.
She absolutely had no other thoughts.
So…
“I won’t withdraw.”
The girl carefully unfolded the crumpled materials.
She couldn’t understand.
Why did it feel like even her crumpled heart was unfolding?
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The bell signaling the end of the lecture rang.
However, despite that, no student rose from their seats.
Having emerged from the individual hallucinations shown by the materials, they remained in a daze for a while, immersed in their own impressions.
‘If it were up to me, I’d like to have them study more.’
But it seemed like pushing any further would be too much.
Although I was controlling my own blood to a certain extent, by using the authority of a Vampire King, I had actually been coughing up blood for a while now.
I needed to find a way to replenish my life force.
As soon as possible.
“Only Charlotte stays. The rest of you can leave now.”
I didn’t add a “Good work.” It was I who had worked hard.
But the students didn’t leave the lecture hall.
Why were they like this? It was time to go home, their favorite part of the day.
“Didn’t you hear me? You’re all free to go back.”
I didn’t like saying things twice, but I had no choice.
Judging by the students’ behavior, I wondered if they hadn’t heard my words.
In case there were students who hadn’t heard because they were immersed in the hallucinations, I even dispelled all the hallucinations this time.
The students stood up from their seats, fidgeting.
But they still didn’t leave the lecture hall.
Finally, one person began to walk.
It was Isabel.
She walked up to me with steady steps and stopped in front of me.
“Umm… Thank you for today’s class.”
And then she suddenly bowed her head.
Afterward, her sincere blue eyes turned to me.
“There’s no need for such words.”
“I felt like this wasn’t something I should just think to myself. I had thought we would only be doing self-study from now on. But… Thank you.”
Thank you for today’s class.
At the same time, the entire class bowed their heads to me.
A professor should never show a flustered appearance in front of students.
But without realizing it, I was a bit flustered.
The eyes of the students, filled with anticipation.
I unknowingly bit my lip as the eyes of my subordinates who had followed me in the demonic realm came to mind.
“Ha.”
I snorted.
“Everyone, attention.”
“?”
The students who had been about to leave the lecture hall after finishing their greetings all stood in place.
“You all don’t seem to be tired enough yet. This is why I dislike you.”
I tried my best to put on a resolute face.
“From now on, you will receive countless materials and train to death. Seeing that you’re still expressing gratitude, it seems like you all lacked in your studies.”
“……?”
“Everyone, return to your seats and study again. After completing all the studying, will words of gratitude still come out? If they do, then I’ll accept that gratitude at that time.”
“……???”
“Thirty pages of materials. Don’t even think about going home today until you’ve memorized everything.”
“???????????”
Aaaaargh, the students screamed as they returned to their respective seats.
Their gazes were directed at only one person this time.
Of course, it wasn’t directed at me this time.
-Isabel! You should have kept such thoughts to yourself~!!!
-Hey, you all greeted him too!
-This is crazy. How are we supposed to memorize all of this???
-I want to die. I want to die….
However, even as they hurriedly voiced their complaints, their bodies were seated and opening the materials.
Once one or two started doing so, the rest also began focusing on studying again.
“I’ll come back later to check.”
Leaving those words behind, I quickly left the lecture hall.
For some reason, I couldn’t keep watching.
A strange emotion that I hadn’t felt in a very long time, subtly different from pain, welled up from somewhere in my heart.
-King Jekkiel. Does a world really exist where demons and humans live together?
-Shut up, you idiot. King Jekkiel is saying he’ll make it happen.
A few foolish fellows came to mind.
I couldn’t protect them until the very end, and I hadn’t yet brought the world I had promised them.
But today, I saw determination in the students.
I also saw passion.
These kids had outstanding talent.
If they persevered to the end while avoiding the death flags, perhaps they really could…
Perhaps they really could bring the true ending I had promised my subordinates someday.
“Foolish.”
Did I tell you that you could instantly achieve that world by fighting for me?
It was merely for the sake of my retirement.
It was to escape the demon realm.
Yet you believed in me so much.
“Truly… foolish.”
If only you had abandoned me, you could have fully lived out your remaining lives in the demon realm.
Even if this world had been destroyed by the Demon King’s hand, you would have remained as victors.
It would have been an easy path for both body and mind.
Didn’t you have families and precious friends?
Yet more than any of that—
‘You’re saying you believed in me?’
Sigh.
I let out a deep sigh.
It had been a long time since I had sighed so heavily.
‘I will not let your deaths be in vain.’
Now, for a while, it was time to look not at my subordinates in the sky, but at the students before my eyes.
Because these kids were the key to the true ending.
‘Failure.’
Did lacking talent mean lacking dreams?
Did the label of failure make people’s dreams and hopes disappear?
‘No.’
They simply compromised with reality to some extent.
They merely pushed away and suppressed their ever more desperate dreams.
“…You will save the world.”
You will surely save the world, and I will make you dream of it with your own hearts.
Failure, now that I think about it, isn’t it quite a cool label to be attached to the protagonist?
So you must absolutely…
‘Don’t say thank you.’
Because I’m the one who’s grateful.
For giving me a dream to hold onto, even though I had fallen into this world that wasn’t my original one and had merely been living the life of a vampire King.
I should be the one to thank you.
Probably.
“Ugh….”
Clutching my heart, I went to the bathroom.
I spewed the blood I had been holding back into the toilet bowl.
It wasn’t easy after all.
Showing individual hallucinations to sixty-four people…
Since my main body was a demonic one, there was a limit to using human mana.
Using magic with life force as the price was all too familiar to me.
It’s alright.
As I always had, I would find a way this time too.
I will definitely find a means to fill my life force.
So, I will not let their dreams stop.
After wiping the blood from the corners of my mouth, I looked up at the sky outside the window.
The full moon was exceptionally bright.
‘It’s today.’
This was the reason I had originally intended to keep only Charlotte behind.
There were 6 death flags occurring today.
The one remaining assassin from the demon realm.
And Vampire Queen Christine.
Starting tonight, those two would begin their activities.
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Glad that we were able to get some backstory from our protagonist. I’m surprised he attempted to unite demons and humans before. That makes his goal of helping the protagonists stronger and understandable. He’s their only hope.
Thanks for the chapter!
The freaking Vampire Queen, the person who blessed every Vampire to not have fire and sun weakness? Why will she appear?