MTLNOVEL Chapter 11 - Anxious Disciples
“I knew you would come. Sit down. Have a cup of tea.”
“I don’t need tea. Just tell me how to get back home.”
The Great Sage remained calm even when I barged into the academy. Far from being surprised, she looked as if she had expected it.
As expected of the Great Sage, I suppose.
I heard that when others heard the rumor of my return, they either packed their bags and ran away as if some monster had appeared, or hid in their dormitories and locked their doors tightly.
Great Sage Minerva von Oldbook.
A woman reputed to be the wisest person in the world.
A genius who has won the
She knows over 100,000 spells and became a legend after defeating the Four Heavenly Kings with the previous hero ten years ago and engaging in direct combat with the Demon King, though she couldn’t kill him, she returned alive.
If you ask anyone in the Pangea continent who the most powerful magician is now, everyone would name Minerva.
She is considered one of humanity’s hopes, separate from the hero, and was my last resort to ask about how to return home.
If this person doesn’t know the method, there’s no answer.
But there’s no way this person wouldn’t know.
How could the Great Sage, who has read every book and visited every place, not know a mere return spell?
“I’ve heard all the recent news surrounding you. I also anticipated why you came. You want to go home? The surest way is to defeat the Demon King.”
“I know that method too, but it’s nonsense. How long do you think it would take to kill the Demon King? To begin with, I have no desire to become a hero and save people.”
“If you don’t like that, there’s a method of gathering runes.”
“Runes?”
“It’s an ancient power that grants people abilities that transcend causality. There are seven in total, and it’s said that obtaining just one allows even a beginner to wield magic stronger than a great magician. I’ve heard that among them, there’s a rune that can cross dimensions and space-time.”
“If I have that, I could go home. Where are these runes?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you joking? The Great Sage who knows everything in this world doesn’t know the location of the runes?”
“That’s just a catchphrase. Don’t believe the hype too much. I just have more accumulated knowledge from living longer than others.”
It’s funny to hear such words from a girl who looks at most 13 years old. Of course, her appearance and real age must be completely different.
“Runes are treated as top-secret information in the Pangea continent. You can guess why, right? If anyone could have skills beyond a great magician without effort, everyone would covet them. By the way, top-secret means it’s a security level where you’d be dragged to an underground prison just for mentioning it. Ask any other scholar. They’ll answer ‘What’s that?’ Just knowing about the existence of runes, their number, and their abilities is already enough for a life sentence. I only learned about this by sheer coincidence.”
“Sigh… Well, that’s that. Then, are there any other methods?”
“There aren’t.”
The Great Sage hurriedly added when she saw my frozen expression.
“There really aren’t. I’m not lying. There might be methods I don’t know about, but as far as I know, there aren’t any.”
“…Are you trying to trick me? Are you just trying to keep me here after all?”
“That’s not it, but in my opinion, I think it would be better for you to accept the fate of being the hero.”
So you finally show your true colors.
Even the Great Sage is just another human of Pangea, I guess.
“Now, now. Don’t glare at me like that and listen to what I have to say. I’ll logically explain why you should become the hero.”
“…………”
“First, the method to return to Earth that you want the most. Even to find that out, it’s better to maintain the status of a hero. Even for the same question, the weight of words is different between a commoner and a hero. Everyone will try hard to bring you information just to get on your good side.”
“…………”
“And to get revenge on those who bullied you, you’ll need the power of a hero too. When you become a hero, you gain various political and physical powers. If you’re worried that the world might become peaceful again because you become a hero, that’s unnecessary. You can withdraw the blessing anytime you want. The choice is yours.”
“…………”
“Also, if you agree to become the hero, I’ll guarantee you the formal professor position at the academy that I withdrew last time, without any conditions. I’ll also fully help restore your honor regarding the thesis plagiarism. Don’t you want to know who framed you as a plagiarist? If you return to Earth without knowing that, it will remain a lifelong regret, won’t it?”
That’s true.
I definitely want to confirm the identity of that bastard who ruined my life plans.
“A full professor at the academy can be said to have a higher status than most nobles. To begin with, most of the students entering the academy are children of nobles, so teaching them naturally leads to high social prestige.”
“Are you trying to lure me with a position?”
“I’ll say it again, I really don’t know a method to send you home right away. It’s embarrassing to say this, but if I don’t know, no one knows. Honestly, no matter how hard you try, it will be difficult to achieve your goal in a short period. Then, don’t you need a place to stay? If you’re at the academy, I, the Great Sage, can be your backing. And—this is something I’m telling you out of concern, keep this to yourself.”
“—What?”
In the principal’s office where only the two of us were present, the Great Sage deliberately gestured for me to come closer and whispered in my ear. My question about why she needed to go this far was quickly resolved.
This was definitely top-secret information that shouldn’t be leaked to anyone.
It was undoubtedly news that chilled me to the bone, something that could turn the whole world upside down.
“…If that’s true, then as you said, it would be better for me to be officially appointed as the hero as soon as possible.”
“Right? You understand that I’m really on your side, don’t you? From the beginning, I thought you were more suited to be the hero than Lucy.”
“Hmm… I don’t need such lip service.”
“No, it’s true! You look similar to the first hero. Well, I’ve only seen the first hero in portraits—”
That didn’t matter at all.
I came out after getting a firm promise that I would be given the position of a full professor at the academy and that they would find out who stole my thesis.
—The reason I want to go back home…
It’s because I hate this world. Because I hate the people living here.
But if there’s no immediate way to return, taking the professorship I wanted at the academy wasn’t a bad choice either. After all, my dream on Earth was to be a professor too. I even completed that tedious doctoral program for that dream… although I couldn’t achieve my goal because I met the wrong advisor.
I would probably look for a part-time lecturer position even if I returned to Earth….
I don’t have the slightest desire to save these bastards, but there are many ways to get revenge.
Once I become a hero, there’s a lot I can do.
Moreover, if what the Great Sage said is true, it would be more fun to get revenge if I formally accept the hero appointment.
In that case….
“Ex-Excuse me! Professor! Professor!!!”
“…Huh?”
“Huff! Huff!! Pro-Professor. Do you remember me?”
“Ah.”
Someone comes running towards me as I walk through the campus lost in thought.
A familiar face.
A student I used to teach.
I can see other familiar faces peeking from hiding places in the distance.
They all hide behind pillars when our eyes meet.
“I remember. Lily, was it? Lily Windsor. Right?”
“Yes. You remembered.”
I easily recalled her as the student who always sat in the front row, listening to the lectures attentively with bright eyes.
“Um… Professor. Are, are you coming back to the academy? There are widespread rumors that you’ll become the new hero!”
“I’m still considering it, but why do you ask?”
“Everyone’s in an uproar because of that! They say if you come back, they’re dead! That there will be a bloodbath!!”
“…Huh?”
“The students who insulted you when you left, those who sent you letters with curses, they’re all scared they’ll be expelled! Some are so frightened that they’ve already submitted withdrawal forms, and others are suggesting we issue a collective apology statement to ask for forgiveness. One student whose father is a king of a foreign country said he’d ask his father to grant you a noble title to appease your anger. Anyway, it’s chaos! What are you going to do, Professor? Are you coming back?”
“I’ll think about it.”
Well, Lily, you didn’t say much when I was branded as a notorious plagiarist, and I didn’t see your name on the letter papers, so you probably don’t have much to worry about.
The academy… yes.
Here, I can fulfill my dream of becoming a professor, legally punish the students who stabbed me in the back, and there’s no better place than the academy to gather information about runes. This is where scholars and intellectuals from all over the world gather.
In many ways, I think the idea of using the academy as a temporary residence is a good choice.
At least it’s better than that mud house I clumsily built, isn’t it?
A part-time lecturer who was expelled for plagiarism, now returning as a full professor? And with the authority of a hero backing me?
Everyone will be unable to make a peep in front of me.