I Became a Demon Professor at the Academy – Chapter 24

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

I waited quietly for a response.

The other person could not hide her astonishment.

However, perhaps due to her beauty, no one seemed to notice her flustered state.

No matter what she brought forth, it could never outshine the luster of her white bobbed hair.

And the black dress tailored specifically for Christine.

“As you say.”

That was Christine’s dignified response.

As soon as she gave that answer, she clung to my side, and we began walking through the banquet hall as if we had made an agreement.

‘What were you thinking?’

Christine mouthed those words to me.

I simply gazed at her.

It wasn’t a complicated, or complex thought – just the simple wish that the main scenario wouldn’t lead to a bad ending.

This banquet was to welcome the new Sin of Pride.

It was undoubtedly my role to assist the protagonist by helping Christine, so she could perform admirably without losing heart.

‘I don’t fully understand why helping Christine establish her position leads to a happy ending.’

Perhaps Christine’s goal was separate from this world’s bad ending.

It meant I could guide her toward cooperation.

As soon as we reached a relatively empty area, Christine jabbed my side with her elbow.

Only then did I speak.

“What are you thinking?”

“I always think and act prudently. You should ask what you want to ask…”

“It’s not just prudence, aren’t you just not doing anything?”

“……!”

Christine’s words cut off abruptly.

Half displeasure and half embarrassment seemed to spread across her face, as if she disliked hearing those words.

“This isn’t a place to worry about others’ perceptions. At least, not for a Sin.”

She seemed at a loss for words.

Honestly, I felt a little apologetic too.

It was because of my abrupt resignation that she ended up in this inauguration ceremony.

Christine pursed her lips before speaking.

“I’ll take that as advice. But that’s not what I wanted to ask!”

“Then.”

Christine extended her long, slender index finger.

Her signature sharp nail was pointing at-

The ring on my left ring finger.

Ah right.

Now I realized why Christine was so agitated.

Code for System Windows:

I couldn’t honestly say, ‘I left it on because the effect was too great to ignore, and I needed to wear it on my left ring finger for it to work.’

No, no matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t say that.

It seemed I was greatly despised for some past deed of mine that I didn’t know about.

If I said something like that on top of it, she might even try to kill me right here.

As I pondered what to say instead, I decided to ask her a question.

“Is it not allowed?”

“Wh… What did you just ask? Are you asking if it’s not allowed?”

Christine was greatly flustered.

It was novel to see her shoulders trembling, when she usually maintained such composure.

“Of course it’s not allowed. I took off the ring with the intention of breaking off our engagement that day… So…. No, you didn’t even wear it for over a thousand years. Why are you suddenly doing this?”

“Breaking off the engagement?”

“Yes. Breaking off the engagement that you so desired.”

“No.”

I shook my head.

Raising my left hand, I examined the ring anew.

“I never accepted the breakup.”

‘I really, really don’t want to take off this ring.’

“No… You must take it off immediately… No, ah… Even if you take it off now, the other Sins have already seen it… Haah…”

Christine pressed her hand to her forehead, as if getting a headache.

Eventually, she backed away from me.

“I don’t know what you want by acting this way, but please understand that I have neither the intention nor the ability to go along with it. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Leaving already?”

“Yes. The coronation is in two hours.”

Two hours until the coronation.

If Christine could safely get through the next two hours, she would be able to pass this event unscathed.

The ‘coronation’ didn’t actually involve a crown.

It was the process of engraving a magic circle representing the Sin onto her internal organs.

Perfectly suited to heating up the banquet’s atmosphere.

‘For the Sin of Pride, it would be an engraving of a crimson star.’

I silently gazed at Christine as she walked away.

I found myself entranced by her.

It was as if someone had threatened me, ‘When you see Christine, you must feel an entrancing thrill.’ Jekkiel’s body seemed designed that way.

“…?”

But then, Christine suddenly changed direction.

She turned and clicked her heels as she approached me again.

“Strange thoughts and strange actions. You must absolutely refrain from those two things. You understand, don’t you? You mustn’t act foolishly.”

“Are you not preparing for the coronation?”

“I will. But…”

“Go ahead.”

Although I said that, I was the first to turn my back, as I still had much to do.

After putting some distance between Christine and myself, I returned to the center of the banquet.

There were those who looked at me with awe and wonder, but not a single one regarded me with a negative or contemptuous gaze.

‘The century I spent wasn’t in vain, after all.’

How much effort had I put in, in order to walk out of the Demon Realm under my own volition, rather than being banished?

This was the result.

If I had been banished instead, I would not have been able to participate in events like today’s.

Had it only been a short while since I resigned? Wherever I looked, I saw only familiar faces.

There were so many familiar faces.

The Sin of Sloth, the Sin of Greed, the Sin of Wrath, the Sin of Envy, and so on-

Among them, one made eye contact with me.

The Sin of Greed, Lezytha.

On her golden hair were two horns proudly protruding, signifying her dragon kin lineage.

Up to that point, she resembled a noble dragon, but half of her body was composed of gold dragon blood, causing her to go crazy over any valuable object, regardless of right or wrong.

Though I knew that about her, I had honestly never met her in a personal setting.

That was the nature of the Sins’ positions.

They were too preoccupied managing their subordinates to meet with other Sins, except during Demon Realm council meetings.

“Jekkiel!”

She called out my name, immediately abandoning her entourage to approach me.

“Where have you been? ~ It’s so good to see you again!”

She even tried to put her arm around my shoulders.

Were we close? I didn’t know.

At the council meetings, there was no opportunity for idle chatter.

That was the extent of our interaction – merely seeing each other’s faces.

“I thought you had simply devoured Christine, but what’s this?”

“Mind your words.”

Hahaha! Lezytha burst into laughter.

“You’ve been telling me the same thing for hundreds, no, thousands of years?”

No, anyone who heard how you spoke would say the same.

Truly.

I observed her reaction.

I was only observing her, but she seemed to misinterpret it as a signal.

“Alright, alright. Shall we get straight to the point?”

Achoo!

Lezytha sneezed once.

In that instant, flames spewed from her mouth.

The dragon kin truly were a race one could never get used to.

“I’ve been eyeing a treasure lately. Want to hear about it?”

Lezytha placed her index nail on my left chest and gave me a meaningful look.

“Before that, isn’t this doing well? I’ve also been eyeing this. Christine’s heart, I mean.”

“Christine’s heart?”

While pointing at my chest, she mentioned Christine’s heart.

Though I likely had a taken aback expression, she seemed to mistake it for anger once again.

“Ah~ I’m joking, joking. This is yours, isn’t it? I don’t mess with my friends’ belongings.”

My intuition reacted instantly.

I immediately began a leading interrogation.

“You know well what process I went through for this.”

“Ah right, I know. Don’t get angry. I know all about how you toyed with Christine like an object, tore out her heart, and locked her up in prison for a few hundred years~ So don’t get angry~”

…What?

What in the world did the original Jekkiel do to Christine?

Unknowingly, I glanced at my left ring finger.

For that man to now appear wearing an engagement ring, it was a miracle Christine didn’t faint on the spot.

“Anyway Jekkiel, what I wanted to talk about today is a bit different.”

“What is it?”

After a considerable pause, Lezytha spoke.

“You left behind some private residences and lands when you resigned from your post, didn’t you?”

“Take them.”

“Rather than passing them to your successor Christine… What, did you say?”

“Lezytha, take them and use them as you please.”

Eeeh.

With those words, Lezytha tilted her head.

The shock must have been quite significant, as she even dropped the arm she had around my shoulders.

Then she asked with a serious expression:

“You’re not going to fight me over it? What’s with you, so readily giving it up? This is a first.”

Thanks to her dazed expression, I could observe her appearance more closely this time.

I noticed her arms and thighs were covered in numerous scars from what appeared to be sickle-like blades.

It was obvious.

They weren’t friends.

They must have been fiercely fighting over everything, every single day.

Since she had started eyeing the lands, if they were transferred to Christine, a clash between them would be inevitable.

For now, it was best to prevent Lezytha and Christine from clashing.

While Lezytha appeared utterly uncultured at first glance, strictly speaking, she belonged to the category of ‘beings who need not be cultured.’

Her very birth was that of a dragon.

When she wielded a greatsword larger than her own body, entire mountains could be obliterated.

In terms of pure combat prowess, she was second only to Lycan, the Sin of Wrath.

It would be best to prevent a conflict with Christine if possible.

“There’s a condition in exchange for readily handing them over.”

“A condition?”

I nodded.

At the same time, I asked myself:

Was I setting a condition to guide the main scenario toward a happy ending? It was certainly for that reason.

And there was undoubtedly a reason for it.

However-

‘Toyed with her like an object’

‘Tore out her heart’

‘Locked her up in prison for a few hundred years’

Those words weighed down on me like stones.

Though they weren’t my wrongdoings, I felt an indescribable emotion.

Pity… Sympathy… There was no feeling that wouldn’t upset Christine, yet I dared to feel sorry for her.

So.

“Christine.”

I uttered her name.

“Christine? Why Christine?”

“Do not involve Christine. Absolutely not.”

“……?”

Lezytha’s head tilted further, almost lying horizontally now.

“Your answer is?”

“Ah right… Well, I promise.”

That was enough.

A promise between the Sins was more absolute than anything.

With that, I tried to leave, but Lezytha asked one more question.

“Why the sudden change? Acting in a way you never did before?”

In response to her question, I simply raised my left hand to show her the ring.

“Because she’s my fiancée.”

As I urged my steps forward, I felt a stinging sensation at the back of my head.

I could hear her mutter, ‘Since when did he start caring like that?’

It was after I had put some distance from Lezytha.

Code for System Windows:

I received confirmation that I had made the correct choice.

‘And yet…’

For some inexplicable reason, I felt a profound melancholy.

An indescribable, strange emotion.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇