“Huh. No wonder students seem to grow rapidly whenever they take Professor Dihtart’s lectures.”
“Do you think we can send second years to another world?”
“Hold on. If the principal finds out, you’re done for.”
Dihtart had a revolutionary influence on the professors in many ways.
When students were rolled into another world, their study habits improved, and their skills soared.
It looked good to the parents and the principal that the kids had talent and were honing it well.
But what happens when they age five years suddenly?
They’d say it was hard earned age!
“Yeah, I should ask around about some decent world information before heading back.”
“I have to keep an eye on this Dihtart fellow.”
“Maybe he’ll share one world if I get friendly with him?”
“Even if a mana disaster happens during research in another world, it wouldn’t matter, right? It saves money since you wouldn’t have to create safety mechanisms. That’s great!”
“I’ve been having trouble with escapees in the lab. Maybe I should just relocate the lab to another world. Oknodie is just fine over there; if the upperclassmen get yelled at, they won’t have anything to say.”
If the latent feelings of the professors were to be known, countless living beings on both the Middle Realm and the other world would wail, but the professors who had learned through experience that revealing their true nature would shock those around them kept their faces calm.
“Well then, let’s start thinking about survival.”
“Is there really anything to think about? Professor Dihtart already laid the groundwork so well that we have nothing left to do.”
There are a few survival rules that the stranded in another world must adhere to.
━━━
[Four Survival Rules for Stranded in Another World]
1. Within 60 seconds of stranding, analyze the mana puzzle components that make up nature mana and filter out harmful ingredients.
2. Within 24 hours of stranding, establish a survivable natural environment and use it as a stronghold.
3. Within 30 days of stranding, analyze the characteristics of the dominant species in that dimension and formulate a plan.
4. Within 365 days of stranding, secure dragon veins, abundant mana stones, and defense measures, then attempt to return to the Middle Realm.
━━━
Nature mana, stronghold, dominant species, dragon vein acquisition.
Thanks to Professor Dihtart, the faculty, who were unceremoniously thrown into another world with Prill, managed to fulfill all four rules that the stranded had to accomplish.
“Since throwing students out results in immediate death, we selectively picked worlds with an appropriate difficulty level and a suitable dominant species. The students naturally found the stronghold and dragon veins to survive.”
“Hahaha. Thanks to Professor Dihtart’s hard work in his lectures, we’ve had it easy.”
“Indeed, you have to treat the kids harshly.”
“See? What did I tell you? Even if Professor Nonongnonong is small in stature, he’s great at cultivating successors!”
“…Is that really true?”
Even the demon-type Professor Diemon was stunned by the ruthless conversations of the Empire Faction Professors!
Regardless of the twists and turns, survival was not a problem, so the assassin maid troops of the Foundation felt intimidated and cautiously observed.
“I’ll surrender.”
Though the Head Maid had made a desperate decision here, she sensed that just being abandoned by the professors would lead to a death of their own making.
The assassin maids applauded their leader’s courageous decision in their hearts, bowing their heads like remorseful children.
“The kids do look good.”
“Did you just pick them based on looks?”
“Hah. Why don’t we have assistants like that in our lab?”
“Should we go to the catacombs and borrow just one undead…?”
“Crazy. Is this fool completely out of his mind?”
Professor Bronze frowned deeply.
“Men are always like this.”
Suddenly dutiful and serene, they stood there, but the fact that they had ended up here because of those fools was pushed to the back of their minds.
“Are you all really thinking that a slight bow of your heads will be forgiven?”
Professor Bronze reminded the pathetic men of the reason they had come this far.
“The Foundation tore the soul of Oknodie and took it. Don’t you think we should repay that debt?”
The previously relaxed atmosphere turned as cold as ice.
“I’m not the type to overly concern myself with a single student…”
“I wouldn’t put in effort for a student I’m not responsible for…”
“But if our academy student is out there getting beaten, that’s a different story.”
The kind goodwill that the professors had shown suddenly vanished as if wiped away.
“…”
The Head Maid’s gaze turned towards Professor Bronze.
Was she going to express her resentment?
It didn’t matter.
Professor Bronze calmly avoided her gaze.
While a rogue might cheer if the poor received a nighttime gift, the affluent would wail upon receiving a nighttime thief.
She wasn’t a productive person.
She didn’t cultivate or work diligently; she didn’t enjoy daylight.
She seized things, acted whimsically, and roamed around at night.
The assassin maids were no different from rogues.
They seize, act whimsically, and roam at night.
It would be appropriate to say they are similar enough to be in the same line of business.
One must be prepared for the chance that they may get struck in the back of the head by a blade wielded by someone passing by, thinking it’s the redistributive justice of their past lives.
“You’re all under one misconception.”
“Is it the misunderstanding that you are beings who can communicate?”
“The Foundation, at least to my knowledge, has not laid a finger on the Chief Scholarship Student.”
Numerous lie-detection mechanisms burst forth from all directions.
The result was surprisingly pure.
No one could detect any signs of the Head Maid lying.
“Huh. The Foundation’s direct subordinate is quite something.”
“Right? Even though it’s an obvious lie, we barely have time to pinpoint the lies. It’s like a ghost is playing tricks.”
“I did not lie at all.”
“Can you control even the contraction and expansion of your pupils?”
“You wicked woman.”
The Head Maid felt a bit wronged amidst the barrage of accusations.
Because she truly had not lied.
“How can I make you understand my sincerity?”
“Look at her, keeping her eyes open and questioning.”
“…”
“Are you trying to keep quiet and guard a secret? You’re a tough one. Now I’m tempted to test the torture techniques honed at the academy.”
“Which tune am I supposed to dance to?”
The dark expressions of the assassin maids became uniformly dim at the shame of their leader.
“Enough.”
Professor Bronze sensed innocence that remained unshaken even from shadows through the reactions of such maids.
No assassin maids could manipulate the mana pattern of lies without reaching the level of mana control art of Oknodie.
“I can firmly declare as a rogue: surprisingly, the assassin maid is indeed unrelated to the soul loss of Oknodie.”
Since it was the first assertion of doubt made by Professor Bronze, the others accepted her words without skepticism.
“Then how do you explain what actually happened to Oknodie? Aren’t two clear truths indicating a different direction colliding with each other?”
“The reason this mess started is that the principal sensed the dimensional erosion caused by the shredding of world energy. Amazingly, we got caught up in the dimensional explosion and were sent to another world. Do you still claim the Foundation has nothing to do with the mess Oknodie caused?”
When the retired professor’s sharp inquiry reminded Professor Bronze that he was a sad excuse who barely survived by sending dozens of letters to the Seonhwang for aid after nearly getting caught committing sexual misconduct with a student, he reflected on his past life.
“In times of crisis like this, we have to pick our commanding officer wisely. If you fail to take responsibility for a wrong judgment, the whole group…”
“Responsibility? Do you plan to commit sexual misconduct with me too, just like you did with your students?”
“?!”
“Could you keep your mouth shut? Haven’t you realized that everyone here is tolerating you just because of the Seonhwang’s face?”
The Empire Faction professors shared a look of solidarity marked by discomfort, clearly pointing out they had struggled to tolerate someone who was technically on their side.
The retired professor, who could easily lead his students to various bad endings and significant trouble, curled up in a corner with a woeful expression.
“Still, I think there’s something worth listening to among that pervert’s words. Head Maid, to what extent do you guarantee the Foundation had no involvement with Oknodie?”
In response to the devilology professor Damien’s question, the Head Maid replied immediately without hesitation.
“Except for the Butler Division 1, the chief butler, and the director entering another world, absolutely nothing. Assassins not only carry out assassinations but also protect others from other assassins, so there’s no place we aren’t aware of.”
“Isn’t it true that you don’t guard the director?”
“That person is not weak enough to require someone’s protection. They just enjoy watching assassins in maid outfits squirm in embarrassment. I’m merely showing the embarrassment they desire and, in return, securing substantial funding for the assassin squad.”
The subsequent statements regarding the Foundation’s internal conditions did not contradict the information they possessed about the Foundation.
“If the director finds out, they’ll be furious. It’s strange that a direct subordinate would cooperate so willingly.”
“Indeed. That’s a bit odd. No matter how dire the threat to their life, why are they cooperating so readily? There’s no guarantee we’d save them by doing so.”
The Head Maid pointed at Professor Bronze.
“I trust that individual.”
“To Professor Bronze? Weren’t you the first one I suspected?”
“You have a peculiar interest, I hear. Like a woman liking another woman… In the Northern Region, it’s said that lonely women picked up that preference because men die so often.”
“Wasn’t that a place where strong men keep several concubines?”
“What do you think those concubines do when their husbands go to work in that boring town?”
“Oh.”
After hearing information they hadn’t wanted, the gazes of the maids and Professor Bronze shifted warily toward the Professor of Animal Ecology.
“I should stop by that dude’s lab sometime later. Mrs. Human Female might be considered an animal too, so who knows what kind of bizarre research he’s conducting.”
While Professor Bronze was caught up in those thoughts, Professor Damien struck his chest in frustration.
“What are you talking about? You guys are worse than this demon. Just looking at the way you talk would make the Demon King surrender the throne out of disappointment!”
“Oh no. So why did you say you trusted Professor Bronze?”
The Head Maid finally opened her mouth, realizing she’d missed her chance to speak.
“Oknodie saved my sister, who entered the imperial palace as a court head maid.”
“Is that the assassin maid who was said to have colluded with the Revolutionary Army?”
The suspicions against the Head Maid were effectively suspended.
Instead, the professors’ gaze shifted elsewhere.
“So what do you know about the Foundation’s new spy Avalan, who supposedly made contact with Oknodie as she was leaving the academy? What position does the Professor Weird, who brought her, hold in the Foundation?”
“They’re not among the information I possess.”
“Indeed. The director must have personally pinned them down.”
“I knew from the moment she was running around without clothes, wrapped in only leaves. That lunatic daughter.”
“As soon as we get back, let’s catch that Avalan and have some fun with her.”
The conclusion made by the professors, who had been secretly eavesdropping on everything, left Avalan in a state of panic.
