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“Luke, did you not say you don’t remember everything clearly?”

“I just poked around to see if you were right. If I was wrong, I would’ve killed you on the spot.”

In every story, there’s something called plausibility.

This is one of the things every reader values, and it’s also a reason why countless writers fail to tie up the loose ends they introduced and end up dropping their stories.

Another concept is causality.

This isn’t just a word used in fiction; it’s also applicable in reality.

Causality is the principle that if there is a cause, a result will inevitably follow. We could say that even if the Behemoth event lacked plausibility, it still had causality.

In the story, a Behemoth suddenly appears in the Empire’s sky,

carrying demons within it.

From a reader’s perspective, one would think, “Suddenly?”

It didn’t come through a gate, nor was there any foreshadowing, and there wasn’t any description of a demon planning such a thing.

It literally appeared out of nowhere one day.

“Now that I think about it, it’s surprising that such a story is ranked first…”

Those in the know realize that being ranked first doesn’t necessarily mean a story is perfect.

Even if the writing is mediocre and the premise is common, if it matches the readers’ needs and trends, it’s bound to be popular.

So, even if the plausibility is awful, viewers still find it entertaining.

Thus, even though that plausibility is absent, seeing the demon I just caught tells me there is at least causality.

If only I had written that down right away…

I wouldn’t have had to bother trailing behind; it could’ve just waited for me!

“But Luke, when you mentioned your name earlier, didn’t you say someone else’s name…?”

“Who reveals their name to strangers?”

“…”

Isn’t that just common sense?

In my world, having your personal info exposed can happen in an instant.

It’s an era where I tear up every receipt and shred all delivery slips.

‘The name Arthur is like a black card.’

Present it to any demon or demonkin, and it gets you a free pass.

An absurdly overpowered name.

“Alright, let’s head back. I’m hungry.”

“Yes.”

“Sure.”

We left the alley and headed back to the Academy.

I wondered what dinner might be. It was a pleasant thought.

“Luke, about that magic circle we saw earlier, was it really okay not to stop it?”

“Stopping it would have been a disaster! That event was supposed to happen months later!”

“…Then isn’t that even worse?”

Ultra-large A-Rank monster Behemoth.

Also known as the Devouring Dragon.

Though it doesn’t look like a dragon, its nickname doesn’t need to reflect its appearance.

Even in martial arts novels, people don’t literally become dragons or tigers, yet the nicknames stick.

Behemoth can’t be caught by ordinary means and carries various monsters inside its gigantic body.

Not dead ones, but living.

With a size of at least 200 meters, it’s already tough to catch, but even though an S-Rank adventurer could take it down, they leave that monster alone because it isn’t a threat to humans.

Usually, it soars above the clouds, swooping down once a year to devour all the monsters in sight before vanishing again.

If we look at it that way, keeping it alive is actually beneficial for humans.

Normally, I’d find such an event annoying, but strangely, I’m looking forward to it.

That’s because of a line I read in the author’s TMI.

-The monsters inside the Behemoth are all exceptionally delicious and comparable to top-grade ingredients.

Yeah.

I’m so curious about how it tastes!

I’m going to catch it this time and sample it bite by bite.

“My mouth is watering…”

That’s why I intentionally allowed the magic circle to run. I only killed it after confirming it was fully activated.

“Now that I think about it, I’m getting hungry. I need to hurry.”

I hurried my feet to soothe my rumbling stomach.

*

“Ugh…!”

On the bed in the health room, a man let out a gasp and bolted upright.

The man’s name was Dmitri Velikov.

He was the professor in charge of Class B, who had been unconscious since the afternoon duel with Luke.

After being in a deep slumber, he finally awakened as evening fell.

“Where is this…?”

Dmitri surveyed his surroundings.

He noticed screens set up on either side and a white marble ceiling above.

From that, he deduced that it seemed to be the health room.

Everything felt unfamiliar.

This was the first time he had been in the health room since he became a professor.

“……!”

Suddenly, fragments of memories that had been submerged resurfaced, leaving him feeling dizzy for a brief moment.

Instinctively, Dmitri moved his hands to his chest.

Next, he checked his side, then his arms, then his legs.

Only after verifying that he was fine could he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

It felt embarrassing to be relieved over the fact that he had fainted in a duel, but anyone would feel pain as if daggers were stabbed into their entire body.

“So I lost, didn’t I…?”

Did he lose again?

He thought he wouldn’t lose to a commoner after Professor Efferte.

And yet, this time he lost to someone who used to be his student.

The duel had been one-sided. It was almost like he was being toyed with, and by the end, it was nothing short of outright violence.

“Dmitri professor? Are you awake?”

“Ah… Maria professor.”

“I was startled when they brought you in. I thought you must have suffered a serious injury since you didn’t wake up until dinner.”

“Yes…?”

Hold on.

What? Dinner?

“Maria professor, could you tell me what time it is now?”

“Huh? It’s 7 PM.”

He had been unconscious for half a day?!

“Then what happened to my class…?”

“As far as I know, a new temporary professor stepped in.”

That guy…!

He couldn’t stop it after all.

“Ha…”

Now, his head was hurting so much he couldn’t think straight.

“Now that you’re awake, I can close up and leave.”

“Ah, I’ll tidy up the rest and head out. Thank you for your care.”

“No, that’s my job too. Just take care of the cleanup.”

“Yes.”

Maria left through the door first, and Dmitri busied himself organizing the bedding.

Once organized, he locked the health room door with the key he had received from Maria and headed to the restaurant.

Even though he had been lying down for half a day, his body was causing havoc, demanding energy.

Thus, Dmitri headed to the professor’s dining hall.

“Oh?”

“…!”

He ran into Luke.

What a misfortunate destiny, to run into exactly the one person he wanted to avoid the most.

“Professor Dotori?”

“It’s Professor Dmitri.”

“It’s the same thing.”

Is he openly taunting him now, claiming victory from their duel this afternoon?

Grind.

His teeth clenched.

He wanted to say something, but his body had already knelt before fear.

It was as if his brain was warning him not to provoke the man in front of him. He didn’t want to experience daggers stabbing into his body again.

He was completely defeated.

So he ignored him and headed towards the food area.

His plan was to eat quickly and leave.

He purposely chose a corner far away from Luke to eat quietly.

“If only someone wasn’t mocking me from the side…”

That line reminded him.

No wonder. He had said that to Luke once.

He followed him to the next seat to repeat his own words, sounding derisive.

Eating didn’t even feel like eating.

On a normal day, he would have enjoyed his meal leisurely.

Dmitri, thinking this was a trial to cultivate his patience, gritted his teeth and meditated.

“We decided to call that a mental victory.”

Even though he could hear it just fine.

*

Dmitri quickly finished his meal and returned to his lodging.

Before heading to his room, he returned the health room key he almost forgot to its original spot before making his way back to his lodging building.

His room was on the third floor. Even though he had clearly been asleep for half a day, something about his tired body made him want to rest quickly as he climbed the stairs.

But then…

“Oh, Professor Dotori. We meet again?”

“……”

They encountered each other again.

“Why…?”

“Come on, why the surprise. We’re destined…”

Luke released the doorknob and opened the door.

“Our rooms are right here.”

Ah, they are living here too.

Even though he was called a temporary professor, he was still a professor. It was obvious they would live here regardless.

But why did it have to be the room next to his?

Suddenly, he grinned.

His shining teeth reflected in Dmitri’s wavering eyes.

“Nice to meet you, Professor Dotori.”

That smile felt oddly unsettling, but Luke entered his room with the two women beside him.

Dmitri also hurriedly entered his room as if escaping.

Even after entering the room, the tension from their previous encounter lingered for a while.

That guy was the one who had tried to kill him in the duel. It wouldn’t be surprising if anything happened at any moment.

Today, a space that usually felt comfortable was strangely uncomfortable.

The thought that he was just on the other side of the wall created a sense of unease within him.

What did he usually do when his mind was so restless?

‘…Right. The tea ceremony.’

To calm himself down from the annoyance he learned from childhood.

Tea ceremonies taught by his family. Though he initially disliked them, he eventually grew to enjoy them after endless effort.

He took the teapot from the table in front of the sofa and poured himself a cup of the black tea he enjoyed.

Immediately after, he sat at his desk, pulled out a book, and felt his mind settle a bit.

After sipping on his usual black tea, he opened the page to where he had marked it with his finger wearing round glasses.

The book unfolded a different world. Each held its own story, filled with countless unknown knowledge.

That’s why he loved books, a single story.

As Dmitri became engrossed in the book.

-Aaahh.

“?!”

His expression crinkled involuntarily, the sound striking his ears, disrupting his concentration, forcing him to shake his head.

His focus shattered in an instant.

The source of the sound was something no human should know, something that would make even the noblest of nobles shake their heads in distaste.

A mosquito.

It’s always the same thought: how could God create such a horrible creature?

When Dmitri regained his senses, he was already scratching his arm.

“What?!”

When did he even get bitten? He didn’t notice a thing even with his skills as a practitioner.

He stood ready, raising both hands and clapping. This may look ridiculous, but it was the most efficient posture for catching a mosquito.

-Snap!

He caught one.

Blood stained his hands.

“Finally, I can rest a bit.”

Just as he wiped the blood from his hands with a handkerchief.

-Aaahh. Aaahh. Aaahh.

“What, what?!”

Where did all these come from?!

Both the windows and the doors were closed.

So where did this horrible army come from to torment him?!

If he used magic, it would be a simple task to deal with them, but he couldn’t create a ruckus like that in his room.

“Damn it!”

-Snap! Snap! Snap!

In the end, the room filled only with the sound of clapping.

After 30 minutes of standing still, hearing no sounds or seeing nothing flying around, Dmitri collapsed into a chair.

“Ha…”

He had never seen so many mosquitoes at once; he was a bit worn out from moving his body unnecessarily.

But strangely, that wasn’t the end of it.

-Crack.

A sound more horrifying than the buzzing filled the room.

Not just one, but dozens.

From the floor, walls, and ceiling. The origins of the sound were worse than mosquitoes—something truly terrifying.

“Eek!?”

He couldn’t believe such a foolish sound came from his mouth, but it wasn’t the time to care about that.

The moment he lets one get away, sleeping tonight is out of the question.

He had no choice but to use magic this time.

-Swish!

Focusing intensely, he made sure to avoid damaging the furniture or walls as he froze them.

“Ha…”

Having moved and used magic, Dmitri felt fatigued.

How on earth are these filthy creatures thriving here in a place like this?

It was as if the room bore a somewhat sour smell.

‘What on earth is happening here?’

Logically, this many shouldn’t suddenly appear.

Is he hallucinating?

Had he unknowingly fallen into some curse or something?

While he thought this, he suddenly heard.

“…Aah.”

Not hallucinations anymore.

No, this was no mere illusion.

The sound grew louder.

Gathering his breath and concentrating, the sound gradually formed a tone.

“Nh… Nh~”

It was a sound coming from next door… no, it was a groan.

But it was too loud to be a sound coming from a wall.

 

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