Surviving the Assassin Academy as a Genius Professor
Chapter 87: [Main Story] No.2 Betting Table (3)

Immediately after, I brought her to the waiting room—and everyone gasped in delight. Crystal Orbs flashed from all directions, and the kitten was swarmed, mercilessly photographed. Wilhelm, the senior professor, attempted an "otaku heart pose" he said he learned from his daughter, looking like a sad old man. Meanwhile, Gray, forced to give a reluctant thumbs-up due to her distaste for professors, looked like a bratty kid.

Rebecca had apparently arrived at some point too. She watched with a satisfied smile before stepping up to Gray.

“You. Don’t scratch your head. It’s perfectly styled, and you’re ruining it.”

“Ah, yes...”

“Come here.”

Rebecca personally pinned back the strands of gray baby hair that had stuck out, then moved close beside me and whispered.

“This is trouble, Professor.”

“What is?”

“That girl. She can’t be too successful.”

Of course she’d say that.

Even now, Grand Commander Rebecca was wringing her hands, thinking only of Hiaka’s closed-border policy.

“......Still, she’s so pretty.”

It was an honest compliment. I nodded silently in agreement.

On the other hand, I wanted Gray to be as successful as possible.

Gray blankly reviewed her interview script again and again. She must have received it this morning, but it already looked like a tattered rag.

Tense, clearly. Wilhelm and his assistant kept chatting about nothing in particular—probably to ease the mood. Rebecca wandered around with Cheongru and Layme to explore the studio. Even for someone who’d already seen the best of the world, the cityscape of the Empire must’ve felt overwhelming.

Meanwhile, I quietly stood up.

The shoot might run long, so I decided to step out for a bathroom break. The gray kitten followed. It was Gray.

“You went already on the way here, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. But I need to go again.”

“Stop drinking water, then.”

“I know... what if I mess up like last time...”

“......”

So we went to the bathroom together.

“Don’t go ahead of me.”

“Alright.”

Men usually finished first in this kind of system, so I waited outside.

That’s when I overheard staff murmuring nearby.

“Isn’t it a little shameless?”

“Exactly... can’t believe it.”

“Seriously, it’s funny. When they didn’t need anything, they acted like we were dirt. And now they’re crawling back. Pathetic.”

“Even if we treat them well, they won’t be grateful.”

“Probably not.”

Voices soaked in contempt.

Who were they talking about?

Their boss? Another department?

Reminded me of my own grad school days—I listened, intrigued.

“Those Hiaka bastards, seriously, tsk.”

Like a dagger, the words pierced my ears.

...They were talking about us.

“Suddenly talking about opening the country or whatever... and the best they’ve got is some pitiful girl as their poster child.”

“Right? What else does Hiaka even have to offer besides people? Nothing.”

This was the brutal truth of Hiaka’s external image and standing.

Sure, lots of rankers for its size.

But beyond that—no real industry, no valuable resources, no competitive edge.

“Still, that ‘Cain Tree’ thing? That’s kind of impressive.”

“Yeah, I’ll give them that...”

That new illusion-based tourist attraction had just become a viable commodity. Which is why the royal family was pushing it so hard.

“But the Hiaka girl’s pitiful?”

“Well, isn’t she? I heard the Kreutz girl studied abroad in the Empire and even trained under Agion.”

“Maybe... but I don’t feel sorry for the Hiaka one. I mean, she’s an assassin. What does she even know about a photo shoot? You need charm for this kind of thing.”

“True... if she freezes up on camera, it’s gonna be hilarious.”

With that, they walked off, laughing.

It was a nasty conversation—but I was fine. Didn’t care who insulted Hiaka. I had no patriotic feelings to begin with.

But someone else did care.

She had been silently listening inside the bathroom.

“...Let’s go.”

Gray came out, pretending she hadn’t heard.

So I also pretended not to know.

“Let’s go.”

But just before we reached the waiting room—

“Professor, wait...”

She suddenly grabbed my hand and dragged me somewhere.

We stopped in front of the emergency stairs in the hallway. She crouched against the wall.

“What’s wrong? You’ll get dust on your skirt.”

“Just... stay here with me. A little.”

Her head lowered. Her fingers kept tugging at her skirt, creasing it distractedly. She was nervous.

She’d been nervous already, but the staff conversation had made it worse.

I stood silently beside her.

“.......”

“.......”

Sometimes, words have power. One sentence can change a life.

But sometimes, silence offers a kind of peace.

I knew that, so I shared her breathing through silence.

After a while, Gray finally spoke, her voice quiet and heavy.

“...What if I mess up?”

The weight of responsibility trembled in her voice.

She wasn’t looking for a serious answer.

I understood that. So I answered with care.

“Then we’ll start a war. With Kreutz.”

“...Huh?”

It was a joke.

Gray blinked.

“...You’re crazy...”

“Why?”

“Because... if you say that, it actually sounds real...”

“I am serious. I’ll kill them all.”

“Stop it. You psycho...”

But still, her inner monologue probably went something like: 【If there’s a war, my mistake won’t matter anymore... haha】.

A stupid little joke and a moment of silence—somehow, they helped.

Her jittery hands relaxed.

“Let’s go.”

“...Okay.”

On the way back, she held my hand again. I didn’t let go.

Just for a bit.

Once we returned, the staff signaled that it was time.

“It’s time, you royal brats. Let’s get those asses moving.”

At Wilhelm’s words, we all stood up.

We followed the staff toward the studio. A floating “recording orb” hovered beside us.

“Please, don’t mind us. Just act naturally.”

They kept filming everyone, not just Gray. Rebecca pressed her wide-brimmed hat down to cover her face.

“...Could you move aside a bit? I’m shy in front of strangers.”

“Oh, of course, Princess.”

As we walked down the corridor, tension rose.

No one in their right mind would stage a terrorist attack in the heart of the Empire—right?

But there are historical precedents where that exact common sense was shattered.

Wouldn’t the Empire punish them?

→ Yes, they would.

Are those people insane?

→ Yes, they are.

No law can bring the dead back to life. Laws only raise the hurdle slightly. In the end, it’s up to you to protect yourself. You had to be on guard.

“...Still, at least they’re being considerate.”

That came from Wilhelm.

“Considerate?”

“Yeah. If it were me, I would’ve made sure our path overlapped with Kreutz’s. Made us walk together.”

“Charming.”

“Right? Maybe I should quit teaching and become an assistant director here. What do you think, Professor Dante? What would you have done?”

“...Let’s see.”

He said it loud—clearly so everyone could hear. A reminder of Assassination Daily’s style.

“I’d give each side a knife.”

Wilhelm laughed. Gray blinked and elbowed me. Her lips shaped the words: ‘Are you insane?’

Just before entering the set, Wilhelm gave one final pep talk.

“No need to be nervous. They’re still media. Who knows—they might’ve scheduled this shoot with pure intentions. Let’s all relax. Relax, yeah?”

That delusion was shattered the moment we saw the set.

More than ten staff swarmed around with cameras and boom mics. But at the center...

Only one chair.

Despite there being two people.

“...I take it back.”

Wilhelm narrowed his eyes. The chair looked like something a literal princess would sit in.

Their intention was clear—one girl would be the prop.

Gray buried her face in her script. Rebecca stepped aside with her attendants.

As we idled around...

“Professor.”

Wilhelm nudged my foot with his own. I turned—crowd incoming.

At last, the Kreutz cadets and professors entered.

“Ah, that’s them...” muttered the assistant. We all turned.

You didn’t even need name tags to identify them.

In Kreutz, the national religion is Saintmother Church. Every rich family tattoos a †Cross Mark† on their child’s face during adulthood rites—a kind of stigmata.

Among the polished shells of Kreutz’s staff was the pearl: Amulet.

She looked even more extravagant than earlier.

They soon noticed us—and all their heads swiveled in unison.

The murmur quieted.

“.......”

“.......”

Heavy, hostile stares.

To them, they weren’t aggressors. They saw us as the villains. The very way they said they were "reclaiming stolen illusion arts" proved it.

Silence ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ spread like infection. The entire studio stilled. Only eye contact remained.

Like blinking would mean defeat.

The tension was thick—like the moment before a fight begins.

“Let’s have a good shoot, shall we?”

Wilhelm broke the silence.

A beat later, the Kreutz lead professor raised his hand too.

“You gonna assassinate me?”

He made a joke.

“Oh please, I’m a Saintmother believer too.”

Wilhelm cleverly deflected the "assassination" word, naming Kreutz’s state religion instead. A sly, safe retort.

“Park, Dominic, Opus.”

The other replied with a Church prayer phrase.

A few lines between old men—and the tension eased dramatically.

That’s why Wilhelm was our delegate.

...For now, this would do.

But no one was dropping their guard. Even robbers smile when they ring the doorbell. And I’d seen Kreutz actually plan a bombing during a forged timeline.

“Standby!”

***

The event had three parts:

1. Photoshoot

2. Illusion Duel

3. Interview

The order itself was provocation—putting the illusion duel before the interview.

“I’m off...”

And trouble began right away.

As soon as the standby call ended, Amulet clicked across the floor in heels—sat down in the only chair.

‘Oi, that bitch...!’

‘Gray! You should’ve gone first!’

Our second assistant let out a pained gasp.

Meek kitty, the stove’s been snatched...

“Gray cadet, please join us at the center!”

The crew didn’t interfere much. Meanwhile, Kreutz’s side smirked smugly.

【 ‘Now what can you do?’ 】

【 ‘Try acting out. Everything’s being recorded.’ 】

They were already celebrating inside.

But then—

Gray did something incredible.

She created a new chair from Glass Butterfly and calmly sat beside Amulet.

‘OHH! YES! That’s it!’

‘That’s exactly it!!’

‘Why are we here? For [illusion arts]!’

Meek kitty built a stove!

This seat didn’t just represent the two nations—it also proved [illusion].

The cameras were already rolling, and Gray had opened the show beautifully.

【 ‘.......’ 】

【 ‘.......’ 】

The Kreutz smirks were stomped under paw.

“Well well. You do have some tricks.”

“...Huh?”

“Thought you were from some rural backwater, but maybe you’re not completely hopeless.”

Amulet jabbed. Gray scratched her ear like she hadn’t heard.

“...Huh? What’d you say?”

“......”

Amulet looked bewildered.

An excellent start.

From then on, the recording orb clicked busily, capturing their expressions and poses. At this rate, part one—the shoot—would wrap up smoothly.

Things going according to plan... always a good sign.

‘We definitely won this round.’

‘No doubt.’

Because our model was the clear victor.

...Anyone who says otherwise deserves to be stabbed.

Then, from the corner of my eye, I spotted a name tag beyond the studio window.

“Professor Dante, where are you going?”

“Just stepping out.”

From here on out, it was Gray’s show.

I had a job of my own.

I stepped out quietly—and began tailing two men. Staff. Deep in conversation.

I cloaked myself in 『World Forgery』 using [Perception Disruption Veil] and moved close to eavesdrop.

“...You’re such a stiff, man. Just upload it like I said.”

“But, senpai... This just doesn’t feel right...”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s not even shocking, and slapping [SHOCKING!] on the title is weird... And we’re violating the assassin’s privacy. They only met once on assignment, and you’re calling it a secret affair...”

“So spin it. Who said to write ‘affair’? Just go with ‘Secret Meeting in a Locked Room.’”

“That still implies an affair! This is too much, senpai! Hidden’s a senior professor—he has a reputation!”

“Sure. Reputation.”

“...Eh?”

“Then let’s write it honestly, right?”

“Yeah, I guess...”

“Perfect. So why didn’t the execs think of this genius logic when they built this entire goddamn media empire?”

“...Um...”

“No shock value. No privacy invasion. Just the truth. Perfect! Here’s your title: [Not Shocking At All! Hidden Senior Professor Performs Honest Mission With Bashian Assassin Partner!] Wow! That’ll kill at the stands. Right?”

“...N-No, that’s not...”

“Come on. You’d buy that, right? So interesting you’d grab ten copies and send them to your whole family. Right? No? No? No?No?No?No?No?No?No?”

“......”

“So tell me, who signs your paycheck, you piece of shiiiiiit?!”

“Hiiieeek!!”

“Get your act together! You think we write articles for truth?! We stir up drama and collect our checks! Why do you waste time on stupid retraction notes!?”

“Don’t we need retractions?”

“Of course not! Who cares about facts? The public wants—”

He turned.

And froze.

His name was Trashy Forbtime.

The same asshole who twisted the Toxin Professor article and made me look like a moron among the neutrals.

“So you ignored my correction request too, huh?”

The man reacted instantly.

“......!”

Unbelievably fast.

He dropped to his knees, slammed his forehead to the floor, and raised his legs.

A perfect grand-bow.

“Please spare me.”

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