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137th Episode: The Muscular Infirmary Professor

The three-day festival was now nearing its end.

The celebration of Aligieri’s founding would conclude tonight with fireworks.

After observing Nebia closely during this break, my thoughts about her were as follows.

‘Was she not born a villain after all?’

Nebia was no longer the embodiment of jealousy that I once knew.

Now, she could be considered a separate entity from the main story.

The reason being the Blood Parasite; its mere presence seemed to have instigated a tremendous butterfly effect.

‘How did Nebia end up as such a villain?’

I had heard whispers of her past.

It was briefly mentioned in the main story, but after several encounters with Nebia, I learned quite a bit.

Nebia had suffered from domestic violence while growing up in a poor environment since she was a child. Given such a background, there’s no way she could be a pure vessel.

Amidst all that, a ray of light fell upon her, and she was chosen as a Saint.

As she had said before, an unqualified person had risen to a high position.

‘But did she really acknowledge that herself?’

True to being the embodiment of jealousy, Nebia was someone who would never admit her wrongdoings.

Her trajectory mirrored that of the notorious villains in soap operas, ending in an equally tragic fashion.

Moreover, I couldn’t understand why she wanted to spend this festival with me.

‘That Saint really seemed pleased when she was with you.’

Muto suddenly chimed in.

‘She was wandering around, enjoying life. What a blessed piece of junk she is.’

‘Blessed is one thing, but could you drop the junk reference?’

‘Now, the Saint’s life will revolve solely around you. So be prepared.’

My goal was to ensure that Nebia didn’t end up dead.

If she could just survive, that would be enough, but it would be even better if her personality changed as well.

‘I guess I owe that to my father.’

‘True that.’

Because of my father’s unintended actions in the past, Nebia had shown interest in me.

That event spiraled into our current situation.

All thanks to my father, Rotas Crawler.

If it weren’t for him, Nebia would have likely become the burdensome girl I used to know, giving me headaches.

‘Father, you truly are a divine stratagem. Thank you so much!’

‘You’re only saying that now?’

‘What, you think I’m the only one?’

Regarding Nebia’s personality, that’s one thing, but the real issue is her life or death.

If the Blood Parasite lurking in her body isn’t dealt with, she’s as good as dead.

Given the personalities of that lunatic Jason and the Royal Guard, they’d probably toss her aside like a pawn.

‘First, I have to figure out how to deal with that Blood Parasite.’

‘What makes you think you can treat that notorious parasite?’

‘Just like there must be a treatment for the Blood Worm, there must also be a remedy for the Blood Parasite.’

There was a potion that the Royal Guard claimed was a cure for the Blood Worm, and I was certain there must be a similar one for the Blood Parasite.

I was walking through the darkening Professors’ Building.

The location where the festival’s highlight—fireworks—wasn’t easily visible, so there weren’t many people around.

This made it easy to wander alone.

‘More importantly, that guy dealing with the Blood Parasite trusts me completely.’

That guy would surely be out picking flowers, believing every word I said.

To finish up my work before he returned, I approached the Unique Hall.

Ding!—

Startled! The mirror of my student ID vibrated suddenly.

Someone had sent a message, so I took a quick glance.

[The fireworks festival is about to start… I would like to watch it while eating rice balls. Could you make some and send them to me?]

by – Angela Greenwhite

“….”

‘What will you do?’

“I’ll ignore it.”

Do I look like a delivery rider at Han River Park?

When kindness becomes an entitlement. I deliberately turned my attention away from the message and entered the Unique Hall.

‘You’re not going to have withdrawals, are you?’

“Do rice balls even qualify as drugs? Think before you speak.”

At this rate, I might as well be arrested for drug trafficking.

Still, I sent a brief reply.

‘I can’t make them right now because I’m busy.’ I jotted down before arriving at the personal research room of a certain instructor.

The door had the instructor’s name written on it.

[Combat Department – Jason Baikel]

It was now time to loot the empty room.

*

By now it was 9 PM.

Jason had arrived at the academy after going through town, in tatters.

Jason Baikel had spent five days in the volcano, searching for the Demon Flower Rishbel.

After tremendous hardships and challenges, he finally managed to obtain that legendary flower.

‘I did it! I really did it!’

Thanks to that, his body was covered in burns.

Had he not been a skilled captain of the knights, a regular knight would have died within just a day.

How much pain and time had it taken him to find the flower?

He had burned himself by carelessly handling hot rocks and nearly suffocated as the oxygen evaporated in hotter places.

Moreover, he had been caught off guard by suddenly spewing lava, which had covered him entirely.

If he hadn’t instinctively used Mana Defense, he would have been reduced to just bones in his upper half.

‘First, I need to prepare.’

He was now heading towards his personal research room to rest. In this state, he felt he couldn’t even confess properly.

As Jason hobbled through the dark Professors’ Building, he happened to bump into someone he knew and stopped in his tracks.

“Oh my, aren’t you Instructor Jason?”

“Professor Stella, are you still here in the Professors’ Building?”

Standing across the way, only a short distance from the Unique Hall, was Professor Stella.

Unexpectedly encountering her, Jason felt his face flush without realizing it.

“I’m on my way to watch the fireworks festival after an appointment. What about you, Instructor…”

“Oh, I’m just coming back from training outside for a few days.”

“Training on a holiday? Your determination is really admirable.”

“R-really? Haha!”

Just a simple commendation made Jason feel bashful inside.

The kindness of someone he had feelings for had the power to warm even the coldest heart.

“But how did you end up like that after training?”

“Huh? Ah… I spent my time in a volcano.”

“A volcano?! No way…!”

Professor Stella’s face turned pale suddenly.

Jason’s heart skipped a beat, wondering if he had done something wrong.

Showing a bad image right from the start could lead to point deductions, and that would be a huge problem.

From her perspective, it was understandable for Stella to react that way.

As a medical officer, she had a strong sense of duty and wouldn’t leave anyone in need unattended.

And Jason, before her eyes, was in a state covered in burns.

Stella quickly narrowed her eyes and shot back.

“You didn’t just go to the depths of Purgatory Volcano right now, did you?”

“How did you know?”

“Oh my! Just follow me.”

“Huh?”

“I can’t just stand still as a medical officer.”

“B-but I want to talk about my…!”

Stella briskly grabbed his hand and hurried toward the infirmary.

Jason found himself dragged along without a chance to confess.

However, he actually viewed this situation positively.

‘Wait a minute. If I stay here like this, won’t I be alone with Professor Stella during the festival?’

With that thought, Jason’s grip on his hands loosened.

He allowed his body and soul to be drawn towards her.

While others enjoyed the fireworks festival, he was spending intimate time with her, just the two of them.

‘And at the same time, this flower…’

The Demon Flower he had painstakingly rescued was safely stored in his bag.

If he could just hand her this flower, it would surely open her heart to him.

But there was one issue: he still wasn’t fully prepared for this emotionally.

“Now, lie here.”

“….”

In an instant, Jason was pulled into the infirmary and forced onto the bed by her insistence.

His body moved without any resistance, as if under a spell, to follow her commands.

This was proof that he had completely been enchanted by Stella.

“What’s this…? You haven’t treated yourself even though your body is in this state?”

“I’m fine. It’s nothing serious.”

“Nothing serious? It seems it’s been over ten hours since your injury. If you leave it like this, treatment will become difficult!”

His skin held a reddened hue due to the burns, and he worried whether his bones would even be safe.

Typically, people would rush back to treat such injuries.

If he let it be, no matter how skilled a medical officer was, treatment would be hindered.

“What on earth made you push yourself like this?”

“Well… I have a goal I absolutely want to achieve.”

Jason spoke while looking at Stella’s face.

However, Stella believed it to be an obsession with strength typical of knights.

While she felt like giving him a gentle slap, she also found him somewhat admirable and affectionately ruffled his hair.

“Seriously, I’m curious how you managed to walk in this state.”

“…!!”

She was patting his head.

In that moment, a warning signal began to ring in his mind.

His heart raced, ready to fly away from rational thinking.

‘She really is the only one!’

Uncomparable to the others.

The one who is a perfect match for him was none other than her!

Thoughts of handing over the Demon Flower and wanting to marry her flooded his brain, but it was still not the right time.

After all, for her, there was no other partner. She would soon belong to him, so there was no need to hurry.

“Then just rest. Move only when the burn marks start to disappear.”

“Where are you going?”

Stella opened the door to leave once she finished treating him.

She had no time to dawdle.

“I told you earlier. I have an appointment during the fireworks festival.”

“Who is it with?”

Curiosity got the better of Jason, prompting him to ask.

Who was she going to meet? A foreboding energy surrounded the question.

“It’s a friend. A fellow classmate, but quite a hot-headed one, so I need to hurry.”

“Oh… I see.”

Just a friend, which brought Jason some relief.

If it was a same-sex friend, there was no need to feel threatened.

“I’m sorry for taking up your time. I want to repay you for this, so can you find time soon?”

“Let’s discuss it next time. Anyway, I’m busy, so I’ll take my leave.”

Bang—

Stella quickly closed the door behind her as she left the infirmary.

Though it wasn’t feasible at the moment, Jason acknowledged there would be a chance next time.

As he envisioned a future in his mind, a sweet smile spread across his face.

‘How many kids would be good?’

*

Meanwhile, I was secretly watching Jason’s every move through the window.

This lunatic, who was driven by bloodshed, now talking about love. If he had reformed at all, it would have been understandable, but it seemed there was no room for that.

“Tsk. Poor guy.”

I clicked my tongue and turned my head away from him.

Seeing him, with his childlike face, sinking into a deep slumber was quite untrustworthy.

Then I looked at the small medicine box in my hand.

‘There’s no way someone like him could be liked by Professor Stella.’

This was the treatment for the Blood Parasite that I had found in his personal research room.

I had gotten it well before he even arrived at the academy.

All I had to do was inject the treatment contained in this box into Nebia’s body.

And by merely possessing the box, there was a controlling effect over the Blood Parasite…

“Aren’t you Radon?”

I jumped in surprise.

Wondering who it was, I felt relieved as I recognized it was Professor Stella.

I then made a gesture of putting my hand in my pocket to conceal the treatment.

“What brings you here?”

“Oh, I was just passing by.”

[Saturation Rate Decrease: -2%]

[+200 Credits]

“But why are you still in the infirmary at this hour, Professor?”

“An urgent patient came in. Because of that, I might be late for my appointment with them.”

“You mean that person…?”

As I harbored suspicions, Stella smiled knowingly.

I immediately understood and shut my mouth. Seemed like a secret relationship, and speaking about it recklessly would be a mistake.

The idea of a man and woman quietly enjoying the fireworks together… It felt like a murder weapon was about to be used.

“Radon, are you going to watch the fireworks too?”

“Of course. I have a friend I’m supposed to meet.”

There was still some time left, so there was no rush.

I playfully asked the departing Professor Stella, “What would you do if another man confessed his feelings to you?”

“What would I do…?”

Without much thought, she responded.

“I’m sorry, but I’d just reject them.”

It took her less than five seconds to utter that sentence.

The only reason she treated Jason earlier was that he was her patient.

It was clear from her indifferent expression that it had nothing to do with any affection.

“Why are you asking suddenly? Do you think I look that beautiful?”

“….”

Professor Stella spoke to me with an expectant tone.

Though she might feel beautiful in her own way, to me it was a desolate inquiry.

“Well, that’s true. It would be a lie to say you aren’t beautiful.”

“When you teased me about being muscular in the first year, I didn’t think you would now.”

Muscular? Ah, I recalled when that was brought up.

I laughed as I said, “But if you look closely, you seem to have excess muscle.”

“Y-you!”

“You could easily take a position as a professor in the Combat Department instead of the Medical Department.”

“…!!”

[Saturation Rate Decrease: -8%]

[+800 Credits]

For some reason, Professor Stella seemed to be burning with shame.

But last time, I had said something similar, and she had brushed it off.

Just like then—

Boom!—

A sudden loud explosion reverberated through the air.

Even though there was still time left, had the fireworks already begun?

Most people remaining in the academy were thrown into such confusion.

Surviving as an Academy Scammer.

 

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