Chapter 10: Rumor (2) (1/2)

……Just when I was about to gather the courage to approach Ganesha.

“It can’t be! My, my~ Isn’t that Professor Deculein~?”

Someone with a greasy tone of voice and clouded in a thick mass of perfume blocked my way.

“Nice to meet you. Long time no see.”

He was a handsome man with blonde hair.

Although he was shorter than me, his magic was strong.

I knew that guy’s face. It was me who modeled him myself after all.

“……Ihelm?”

Ihelm von Gerian Rewind.

Saying that he held a grudge against Deculein…… would probably be too much, he was probably just jealous of losing the senior professor position to him.

“Yes~ Professor Deculein. How’s your university life these days? I heard there was an incident in your first class.”

“It was settled.”

“Haha. Indeed. Rather than that, there are some rookies these days who seem to doubt the professor’s reputation.”

Ihelm made a fuss.

Wasn’t there a saying like: “Lies have short legs”? As Ihelm said, Deculein’s lies and deception were slowly unraveling.

“Of course, I’m eagerly awaiting the results of Professor Deculein’s great magic research. You’re working hard to achieve great results, aren’t you? You held it back for so long, even though it’s already been almost three years…….”

I looked at Ihelm. His expression and the vivid movement of his wrinkles seemed cheesy.

It was as if cheese came alive.

Human cheese.

“……If that grand research of yours is too complicated for you to finish, feel free to ask me for help. I’ll immediately come running.”

It was a sarcastic provocation.

If it were the original Deculein, he would’ve shot him a glare, I didn’t reply. I didn’t even blink an eye.

To be honest, I didn’t care.

“Actually, I do emphasize with you. The title of senior professor would be quite burdensome. Anyway, it’s an honor to be deemed worthy by the University Magic Tower’s magicians…… Are you listening?”

After monologuing for a while, Ihelm, who finally seemed to have grown tired of it, wrinkled his nose bridge and placed his hand on the middle of his forehead.

“I’m not.”

“Tsk…… You seem busy, so I’ll add just one last word.”

I looked over his shoulder at Ganesha.

She was gone.

Right, left, by the door, by the window, she was nowhere to be seen.

That important person just disappeared.

“No one in this world will look upon you favorably if you continue pretending to be so noble, you know? Falling in rank isn’t so uncommon among nobility. So stop your nonsensical research on the ‘Creation of Pure Elements’…….”

In that instant, I felt the heat rising up my neck.

I lost Ganesha because of this guy, but that mayonnaise bastard doesn’t stop and keeps on whining.

“Yes, Professor Deculein. Hell’s awaiting you, so please do smile as much as you can now. Also……”

One word had already stretched into dozens.

If I just stood still, he’d continue until I’d die of old age, so I approached him one step closer.

“Let me say something.”

“I’d advise you to…..?.”

As I looked down on that yellow and white face, I put his mouth to his ear.

Then I slightly whispered.

……Stop being so nosy and get lost. You rotten cheese bitch.

This could be a death flag, but it sure felt refreshing. A natural smile appeared on my lips. Ihelm would have hated the original Deculein anyway.

“Thi, this, what? Ro, rotten cheese? You, you just……”

“I shall leave now.”

I stbare away, leaving that overbearing bastard behind.

I barely escaped from Ihelm, but there were still many people that wanted to talk to Deculein. Many nobles rushed towards him as if they had been waiting.

-I heard about the incident. Iliade’s Sylvia quarreled with some obscure nobleman’s child, right?

-But then, Professor Deculein appeared like a hero. My son told me everything. Hehehe. Just hearing him talk about it made me feel so excited, I wonder how the students must have felt at that time. Oh, my son’s name is……

-Senior Professor Deculein. Do you have time tonight?

They told me many things. There were those fishing for information, those that were just concerned and some that said things that came close to temptations.

My head hurt after a while. The sweet smell of desserts and those awful perfumes seemed to weigh on my senses, because of that useless heightening of my senses, including my sense of smell, caused by the trait [Iron Man].

I just got tired of it, so I looked for an empty spot with no people.

I climbed up to the third floor, which held few people. I leaned against the window frame in the hallway to catch my breath.

“……Professor Deculein?”

Someone called out my name. Looking back, I was greatly surprised.

It was Ganesha, the person I had been looking for.

“What are you doing here?”

She approached me, looking at me with round eyes.

Did Deculein and Ganesha originally know each other?

I had no idea.

I replied without showing any expression.

“……I got lost.”

“Oh my. You know how to joke now? Weren’t you waiting for me?

Well, Deculein had enough ties with Ganesha, alright.

“……”

I glanced at her as she walked up next to me. Apparently mistaking my glances, Ganesha smiled as she put her hands together.

“Still, I do feel sorry about that mission back then. However, I’ve already returned the advance payment and even the penalty fee. So can you cut me some slag?”

“……”

As I just stood still, Ganesha pursed her lips and puffed out her cheeks while she swayed her pigtails from side to side.

„All right…… While I was sailing around the archipelago, I saw a child with huge talent. Just what the Professor was looking for. I can’t say it’s magical talent though…… It was a girl.”

I looked up at the sky outside the window, not saying a word. Before I knew it, it had already turned to night and the blue moonlight shone on the window sill.

Ganesha followed my gaze and continued.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t bring her to you. No, I’m sorry that I didn’t. I’ve grown attached to her. I just couldn’t give her to the professor.”

I could understand the whole story, even without using my [Understanding].

Being aware of his own magical deficiencies, Deculein intended to enslave an easy-to-control and gifted child who he’d use to build up some research results instead of him. He entrusted that task with Ganesha.

“By the way, Professor, how long do you plan to live like this?”

I was still looking out of the window, my eyes fixed on the moon.

When I didn’t give her an answer, she took a cigarette out of her pocket and posed a question.

“Hey. Could you light this up for me?”

“I don’t want to.”

“…….”

It’s not that I don’t want to, I can’t do it. I haven’t learned [Ignition] yet.

While Ganesha pretended to sulk, I opened my mouth.

“I intend to live differently now.”

“……Huh? Really?”

Ganesha moved the cigarette from her mouth into her hand. I nodded without looking at her.

“Uh…… That’s unexpected. I thought you were going to kill me. Actually, I was here to see you as well. This sure is amazing.”

“……What’s so amazing about this?”

“I ran away without a word and you didn’t even send someone after me to kill me.”

Ganesha’s pigtails fluttered.

Flap- Flap-

That’s probably how she expresses her surprise, but that sure was annoying.

“You worry too much.”

Ganesha was one of the best Named Characters in terms of combat power. As one could witness by how she was able to move her hair freely like this, she trained her body to the highest degree.

She possessed the traits [Thousand Rivers Flow into One] and of course the famous [Adamantium Body]…… She was a named character that could literally ‘kill someone with a single hair’.

Who would send someone after this kind of monster?

Someone crazy, that’s who.

“Are you alright, Professor Deculein?”

Ganesha asked. Her right pig tail was slapping my shoulder.

“If you just came here to see me, go back.”

I raised my feet and walked towards the stairs.

I came to build a connection to her, but I already had one.

That meant, I didn’t have a reason to stay in this hall any longer.

Ganesha spoke behind me.

“Oh, can I? Can I trust you? Will you really not do something to get rid of us?”

Of course, the great Yukline family was strong enough to put pressure on the Adventurer’s Guild. Ganesha violated the Adventurer’s Guild’s faith and refused to finish the mission without a reason so it was justifiable.

“……Or the advent of a downfall.”

Of course, she was very much a crazy one as well. So I just continued to walk.

I could still feel Ganesha’s gaze behind me.

……Uh, uhm…… Did he eat something wrong? Is he maybe sick? Or is it because he’s freshly engaged? Just what’s wrong with him…….?

Even though she was quite far away from me, I still could hear her murmuring.

Then, the thick and acrid scent of tar flowed in. It was as if someone lit some fireworks for Silvester.