"I, I have committed a sin deserving of death."
Rit's face turned pale, and that was what he said.
I mean, to say he committed a sin deserving of death just because a bit of work was delayed.
Is this some kind of Hidden Camera prank?
But looking at his complexion, he seemed to mean it sincerely.
Why?
Why?
To grad students, are professors such desolate beings that cause such misunderstandings?
"P, please just spare my life."
It's a misunderstanding.
I am not a professor who hunts down subordinates like rats or abuses power just because work is slow.
Moreover, you're a demon.
These minor misunderstandings pile up and lead to terrible things.
Headlines like [An Academy Teaching Assistant Suffering from Overwork Murders Famous Professor] flashed through my mind.
That cannot happen.
Consider how I've extended this lifespan.
'What should I do?'
For now, it seems best to refresh this awkward air.
Let's start with a light joke.
"Spare your life..."
I stood up and turned my back to Rit.
In case he found my expression awkward.
'Huh? What's a gnat doing here....'
Crunch!
After dealing with the gnat, I lightly brushed off my hands and continued the joke.
"Fine. I'll spare you."
How sensible is this!
Didn't I just humorously convey that I won't harm you?
Now, I'll slightly add what I desire.
"Instead, leave work early from now on. That is my condition."
You've troubled me so much by not leaving work and having such a gloomy face.
It was a very soft, indirect, and even humorous proposal.
The atmosphere should have loosened up a bit now, right?
As I turned around with a fluttery heart.
"...!"
Rit's face, which had turned ghostly pale, flustered me.
***
It's a failure.
Who knew he would so lightly break through a bewitchment art that even a high-ranking demon couldn't avoid?
There was nothing that could influence him except for a momentary fluster.
Rit begged for his life.
That was all he could do.
He wanted to live.
Rit's will to live is twice as strong as other demons.
While some demons consider death honorable, he is far from that kind.
He just wants to live long, and even longer.
"Spare your life..."
Rit swallowed dryly at Lucas's deliberation.
When he showed his back, Rit briefly wondered: should I launch a surprise attack and run away?
But.
Crunch!
'He noticed... the medium?'
He gave up after seeing Lucas find and crush the medium without a moment's hesitation.
He couldn't try anything, and he lost all confidence.
Whether he launched a surprise attack from behind or deserted, nothing would work against that man.
This life ended today....
"Fine. I'll spare you."
But at Lucas's following words, his face brightened again.
He lived!
But that was also brief.
"Instead, leave work early from now on. That is my condition."
"...!"
The surveillance... he had noticed it too. From the very beginning.
Lucas, he literally knew everything.
The surveillance is a failure.
The bewitchment is a failure.
Everything 'He' commanded has ended in total failure.
Furthermore, his identity has been exposed.
Even if Lucas spares him, he is a dead man.
He was sinking into an abyss of endless frustration.
***
'What's wrong with him?'
Did the joke not work?
Or....
'Wait, does he think I'm firing him?'
Thinking about it, Rit is a grad student before being a demon.
Not just any grad student, but one who infiltrated Glasco under the orders of a high-ranking demon.
Naturally, he's in a situation where he shouldn't be fired from Glasco.
That's why he was struggling to fulfill the role of a teaching assistant without even leaving work.
I saw tears welling up in Rit's eyes.
Rit quickly dropped his head.
'I, isn't this a danger signal?'
Rit might lose his mind and tear me apart.
The headline [An Academy Teaching Assistant Suffering from Overwork Murders Famous Professor] comes to mind again.
'Let's stay calm.'
The situation can still be improved.
Yes, I thought that to someone in this situation, a joke might sound like a threat rather than a joke.
It's my blunder.
Slowly, yet hurriedly, I opened my mouth again.
"I understand."
You must be anxious because you couldn't finish the work.
You must have worried about being fired.
"It is not your fault."
It is all my fault for lacking virtue.
I should have worked twice as much!
So....
"Do not speak of this matter to anyone."
A slight difference in wording can make one be branded as a power-tripping professor.
So let's both just keep this quiet.
[Rit's affinity increases greatly! +30]
'Huh?'
Is it... resolved?
***
A familiar reflects Lucas moving for the lecture.
Two people watching through a vision-sharing spell let out low groans.
"To fail even after investing the Queen of Succubi's essence."
"Shall we... dispose of Rit?"
"No, although he failed, he wasn't caught, so we should leave him to continue monitoring. It will be hard to attach a new guy anyway."
"What about the gap in surveillance?"
Whether it's the influence of the failed bewitchment or Lucas noticing something strange, they can no longer keep Rit attached for 24 hours.
Even then, they had only attached him during work hours because Lucas was said to read the presence of hidden guards as if holding them in his hand, but even that decreased as Professor Lucas directly requested Ronald to formalize the teaching assistant's leaving time.
"It can't be helped. Since his sphere of life is limited to Glasco, there's no need for great concern."
"Understood."
One shadow disappeared.
The monologue of the remaining one echoed.
"It didn't work even with the Succubus Queen's essence..."
His gaze reached Lucas, who was moving for the lecture.
'Just what is such a strong guy doing here?'
He felt the plan was slightly going awry because of Lucas.
At the moment he wondered if he should personally step forward for the sake of the future—
Lucas's steps stopped.
'Hmm?'
Lucas's gaze moved slowly and reached the familiar watching him.
"Gasp!"
Startled, he hurriedly cut off the vision-sharing spell.
If he had been just a little bit late, that Lucas would have found the person behind the familiar.
'He truly is an existence beyond imagination.'
Familiars don't work.
Even though he was at a tremendous distance, Professor Lucas's senses could not be deceived.
Now he has no choice but to rely on Rit, the only remaining means of surveillance.
***
[New notification has arrived.]
[Bilal has donated 500G.]
[Fivecard has donated 300G.]
[sjdje has donated 300G.]
[Remake has donated 100G.]
[Soryong has donated 100G.]
While moving for the lecture, new donation notifications arrived.
To think so many readers donated enough to fill my vision.
'A life like this might not be bad?'
Indeed, when would I ever receive so many donations?
Thanks to the donations that have increased recently, the gathered gold alone is 4,900G.
It has gathered enough to eye the threshold of the next-level Gold Shop.
Furthermore, points from views, recommendations, and bookmarks have increased tremendously.
That figure alone is about over a thousand points.
It's enough points to invest in about 100 stats.
Gratitude for the immeasurable love of the readers surges.
Looking at the donation windows where I can see the names, I carved them into my head one by one.
Flap!
In the distance, I see a bird flying away.
Ah, so peaceful!
***
"Today is the 5-day practical training at
Day 1 of the announced practical training.
It is a lecture for 'Real Combat Training', one of the two components of the 'Everything About Battle' course.
Since it is a lecture where the entire week is ground up, one might have thought thorough preparation was required, but the only thing Lucas required was one's own armaments.
The students gathered in front of
"It is a process that lasts for a total of 5 days. Giving up midway is possible. However, you will be expelled from my lecture immediately."
At Lucas's cold voice, tension filled the students' expressions.
"The practical training will be conducted in a total of four groups. The groups are already decided, so proceed accordingly. The rule is simple. I will operate
"Students, please take the prepared name tags according to each of your names."
Rit called out each of the students' names and handed out name tags.
On them, the assigned groups were clearly written.
"Excuse me, Teaching Assistant. The color of this name tag is strange?"
"Mine is also a bit strange."
Among the five name tags distributed to each group, the color of one was different.
As if treated with magic, it was a name tag shining in gold.
"Umm, well, the Professor will explain that."
The students' gazes focused on Lucas once again.
"The color of the name tag will change at set intervals. The summoned monsters will intensively target the one holding the golden name tag. However, the one whose name tag has turned golden cannot participate in battle."
"What?"
"Instead, the remaining four must protect the comrade with the golden name tag. If the one with the golden name tag attacks a monster, or if the team members fail to protect the comrade with the golden name tag, that entire team is disqualified. And you better not expect much from your midterm grades."
"Ah..."
In other words, a situation where they must protect a comrade while simultaneously surviving in a situation that changes every hour.
If they fail, their grades will end up in a not-so-good state.
"Professor, you said it's for 5 days... does the name tag change even during sleeping hours?"
Lucas's gaze reached the one who asked.
That face, holding extreme doubt, opened its mouth.
"Who... said you could sleep?"