The Transmigrated Professor

Ray was playing with Yuna and Ryu when a loud voice called out to him from the living room.

“Ray Laxon, come out here!” Rufus’ loud voice thundered across the entire house. Deus and I ran back inside, frightened by Rufus' temper. 

The President looked towering while sitting on the sofa, his posture that of a majestic Egyptian pharaoh on his throne.

When we came in, his eyes darted to Deus. He raised his eyebrow giving me a suspicious look. “I see you have entered into a contract with a Spirit.” 

I had completely forgotten about hiding Deus from him. “I was lucky enough to come across one during my trip to the Archipelago.” I quickly made up an excuse. 

Rufus decided to accept my half-baked explanation. “Have a seat!” He nodded towards the couch opposite him, and Deus and I quickly rushed to our seats.

“Are you aware that the Hero League is investigating the Aurum Guild, Mister Laxon?” Rufus got straight to the point. The tension in the air was so strong, a metal coin would have folded in half.

“Y-yes, I am aware.” I answered, flustered from the eagle-sharp gaze Rufus was staring at me with.

“Then you are aware that everyone in your family is under investigation!” 

I nodded again.

“Can I ask how you were able to obtain something this rare without any one of your investigators finding out? ”

Hearing his suspecting tone, I knew this was my chance. My answer now would decide whether Rufus would spare me as his grandson's savior or execute me as a criminal.

“I developed the cure myself.” I spoke out the truth.

 Lying and saying that I found the cure in a Dungeon would have been more believable. But if Rufus asked me follow-up questions about the Dungeon, there was no way I wouldn’t have messed up. Rufus was the President of the Hero League. He knew all the Dungeons that has ever been discovered on the Human Continent. It wouldn’t be hard for him to figure out I was lying.

“Did you research with the scientists in the Alliance? Because I am certain that none of the scientists in the League were ever close to finding one.”

“I developed it all by myself. I used the resources provided by the Aurum Guild, but I can assure you no help from the Alliance was taken. I am not associated with them either.”

“How can I believe you on that?” His eyes were still full of suspicion.

“Because the Demons would never agree on a cure for the Curse being researched on.”

“That’s true.” Rufus’ expression instantly softened up on hearing the irrefutable logic. "I am glad that such a great Alchemist is our ally."

‘I have been had!’ Seeing him so quick to change his tune, I quickly understood that Rufus was never angry. The moment a cure for the Curse had been developed, the Demons would lose their one advantage against other races. So there is no way that someone who used such a cure on the President’s grandson would ever work for the Alliance. He just wanted to know how its source, which was why he was intimidating me to find some answers.

Next, something shocking happened. Rufus got down on his knees.

The person who had reached the peak of all humanity was on his knees. For me.

I quickly got up in shock.

But the words that came out were completely unexpected. “As a grandfather, I am in debt to you for saving my grandson. Thank you! Thank you very much.”

I realized that no matter how strong one may be, they would always be a human when it comes to their loved ones. Hearing his sincerity, I could feel myself blushing. “It was no big deal. Ryder is a good friend of mine, too.”

Seeing that I had accepted his gratitude, Rufus took back his seat. “Now let’s get down to business. How can I repay you for saving Ryder? Ask me for anything.”

I stared in disbelief at how fast Rufus changed roles between a grandfather and a businessman. 

I decided to bring out my business tone as well. “Well, I know it is a rule that those who are guilty of cooperating with the Fallen receive the death penalty along with their family. I would love it if you can make a small exemption to the rule."

“If you are asking me to drop the charges, you know I can’t do that. Associating with the Chaos Alliance is a crime worthy of the worst deaths, I can't just forget about it.”

“I am not asking you to forgive them. I am just asking you to make sure that my sister and I aren’t dragged into it. Since we have been kicked out of the family and no longer use the Laxon name, I am sure you can manage something.”

Rufus gave it a brief thought. “I will try my best. Is there anything else you want?”

“Well, it would be helpful if you didn’t mention my involvement in your son's recovery. I don’t want to be the target of the Alliance and the Demon Race’s anger.”

“I will make sure that everyone involved keeps quiet about this matter.”

Thus, our deal was quickly concluded. As Rufus got up to leave, he gave me one final respectful bow. “I can’t thank you enough for saving my grandson’s life. If you ever find yourself in trouble, as long as it's not too grave, I will do my best to assist you.”

“I will keep that in mind.” And just like that I had gained a very important connection.

“And I will advise you to keep your and your sister’s heads down for the next few days. The world is going to change in many ways from tomorrow.”

“I will make sure to warn Lizzy.”

Once Rufus left, I melted into the couch in relief. 

“Wow, that is one scary dude.” Deus, who acted frozen during our entire conversation, commented once the air was clear.

“Yeah, he was…” I agreed.

The next day, two waves of shock and surprise spread across the Five Cities.

The first great news was the ‘Awakening of Ryder Briar’, making him the first person in all the universe to be able to defeat the Curse, the one factor that made Demons to be such a terrifying species.

Reporters swarmed outside the League Headquarters, requesting more information on this cure. But the only statement that Rufus released was that the Cure was a one-time-use Artifact from a highly-classified Dungeon.

Many Guilds argued that the Hero League was trying to get a monopoly of the Curse-Breaking Artifacts, but after one meeting with Rufus, they all came out defeated.

The second great news was the ‘Betrayal & Arrest of the Laxon Family’.

On the morning of Ryder’s birthday, as the entire house was sleeping, the loud doorbell woke everyone up. As they groggily came out of their rooms to see who was disturbing their sleep, I opened the door.

Awaiting outside were two officers from the League. “Ray Laxon! Isabella Laxon! We hope for your cooperation in the Investigation of the Laxon Family.”

Despite Rufus’ assurance, I knew there was no bypassing the fact that we had to be brought in to be interrogated. It would be best to cooperate with them if we didn’t want to be escorted in handcuffs.

I turned to look up at the first floor where everyone else was gathered. “Izzy, go and get dressed. We are going to the Hero League.”

“Wait. What? Why do you have to go?”

“Yeah. We have nothing to do with the Laxon name anymore. Those idiots kicked us out.”

Mike and Izzy began to argue, but I stopped them. “Izzy, we will be fine. Don’t worry, I got this. Now go and get dressed.”

I turned back to the cops. “We will be out in a few minutes.”

“Sure, but do know, if you run, we won’t continue to be this courteous with you.”

“Run? Did someone run away?”

“Your younger brother, Edward did.” One of the cops answered in an irritated tone. “Honestly, according to protocol, we should arrest you right away, but Sir Rufus ordered us against it.”

“Don’t worry. We will be cooperative since we have nothing to worry about.” I emphasized the last part since Mike and Izzy still looked worried that I was being so collegial with the police for no reason.

As I quickly changed into a suit, Deus slid up my arm and handed me a pen drive.

“What’s this?” I asked, examining the outdated piece of tech.

“It’s a gift from Jacob. He said you can use this to prove your innocence if you need. Contains all the proof that whatever illegal activities Edward and Heron were doing, you and Izzy had no part in it.”

“How did he get his hands on this?” Wasn’t Jacob just an island priest that died in the novel?

“Long story. I will tell you later.” Deus shrugged it off. “Well, cross your fingers, and let’s hope that the favour you did to Rufus will be enough to save your life.”

“Do you even have any fingers to cross?” I wondered, but Deus left without answering.

*
*
*

‘Slam!’

“So what are you trying to tell me, Mr. Laxon?” The investigator slammed the file on the table. “Are you seriously saying you didn’t know what your brother was up to?”

As soon as we got to the League Headquarters, Izzy and I were quickly separated to be asked questions. I didn't mind their intimidation tactics, but I hoped they won't use such tricks on a minor. 'Let's just trust Rufus for now.'

Looking back at the angry officer in front of me, I just calmly replied. “First of all, my name isn’t even Laxon anymore. It was a pretty big scandal, I am surprised you don’t know about it.” 

“Oh, I do know. Are you sure it wasn’t a trick your father devised so that you can go under the radar and do all his dirty work for him?” 

“Officer, are you not at all familiar with the news at all? Everybody knows how much my father and my entire family looked down on me. Do you really think they will trust me to do anything for them?” 

“So you are telling me your father's connections weren't the reason how a C-Rank such as yourself got to teach in a prestigious school like Star Academy?”

I was offended. “I trained very hard to get to my C+ Rank, you know. I hope you don't just dismiss it."

The officer just rolled his eyes at my protest.

"And no, the reason why I got in was that the Academy Director was doing your President a favour. So that Misa will easily be able to investigate me. And she didn’t find anything. Shocker, right? Why? Because I am innocent.”

“So you are really saying that Edward Martin alone was behind all the dealings with the Chaos Alliance?”

“Yes, he was. Didn’t you go through all the evidence I provided?”

"The pen drive? I have to say, it was quite an interesting way to submit your proof. What are you, ninety?" 

I decided to let the cop be satisfied with his small victory. Honestly, even I didn’t know what was in that pen drive that Jacob had given me, but I sure hope whatever was in there didn’t do anything that might harm my chances.

As the interrogation continued, a second officer came into the investigation room, calling the previous officer out. I couldn’t hear their conversation because of the soundproofed walls. After a minutes of waiting, there was a loud bang on the adjacent wall, shaking the entire room. Then the second officer came in.

“ Mr. Laxon. You are free to go. But do remember that you may be brought in for questioning again at any time.” I could see the dissatisfaction on his face, but I politely ignored it.

“Thank you. And is Izzy going to go back home with me?”

“Yes, she will. You will find her in the lobby.” 

As I walked down the corridor, I heard something unexpected.

“Listen, I understand your frustration, but all the evidence points to Edward Martin being the only culprit. And the President is already firm on his decision. We can’t do anything now.” It was the officer that had just released me.

The first officer yelled in anger. “But still, they are letting the entire Laxon Family go just like this?”

‘Wait, did he just say that the entire Laxon Family is being let out?’ I was confused about the decision that Rufus had made.

"Hey, brother!" But before I could the rest of the conversation, Izzy waved at me from the bench. The two of us rushed back home so that we won't encounter any of our family.

“Thank you so much for that pen drive.” I expressed my gratitude to Jacob the moment I entered the house.

“Well, I am glad it was of help.” Jacob greeted me with a smile.

“Mr. Ray! I knew you were innocent.” Mike had regained his energetic spirit.

“Thank you for the support, Mike. Though the final decision is yet to be seen.” 

Three days later, The Hero League finally let out their official statement. The decision was unexpected, to say the least, and the perfect prey for the media to pounce on.

‘The Laxon Family To Be Released! Edward Martin On The Wanted List For Fallen!’

‘Aurum Guild To Be Shut Down. All Assets To Be Taken Over By The Hero League!’

‘Was There A Hidden Bargain Done By Heron Laxon & The Hero League President?’

There were mixed opinions about the Hero League’s decision, and many tried to theorize that Heron and Rufus had made a secret deal. They probably never thought that the one whom Rufus made a deal with was not Heron, but me. Well, to be fair, in their eyes, Ray was useless, both as a Hero and as a Laxon, for the past many years.

Thankfully, unlike after the banquet held by The Aurum Guild, the son they were attacking this time was Edward. The moment the police arrived at his doors, he took flight. The guy wasn’t even smart enough to hide his demonic energy, so now he has officially been branded a Fallen and is on the Wanted List.

As I scrolled the news, Deus complained beside me on reading the articles. “Why the hell are they releasing your entire family? Those bastards deserve to die. I am going to Rufus right now and telling him to change his decision.”

“Calm down. He made that decision because of me.”

“For you? Does he not know how your family treats you? Those parents of yours didn’t even blink when they signed off your and Izzy’s names in the family.”

“If we would have been the only ones to be released then everyone would have figured out that I was the one that did Rufus his favour. It won't be hard for them to figure out what the favour might have been. It's best for all of us, and Heron will now be the target of the Demon Race's rage.” I explained.

“But don’t you feel bad for what happened to Izzy?” I could see that he was unsatisfied with how all this ended.

“It can’t be helped. And besides, all the assets of the Laxon Family have been taken away. Trust me, they will fall much faster than you can imagine.”

“I suppose that is true.” Deus decided to accept the outcome. “So what are your plans now?”

“Well, I will be making more preparations for my survival now.”

“More? Didn’t you remove your death flag already?”

I could only smile at his naivety. “My dear friend…You have no idea what’s going to happen in this world soon!”

 

---

 

On the night before Ryder's birthday, it was a time for celebration on the Demons’ Planet, Tartaros.

Soon Earth, the final planet of their universe will have enough mana density to be able to inhabit the stronger Demons. The Demons and the Fallen that the Humans had fought until now were just foot soldiers, but they will finally get a taste of the Demon Race’s true power.

Of course, the medium and high-ranked Demons will still have several restrictions placed on their abilities and skills due to the limited mana on Earth. But this also meant that they were one step closer to fulfilling the wish of their King and bringing all the planets in the universe under the rule of the Demon Race.

On such a joyous day, Nyx and Nero were peacefully having a tea party in her castle. 

“So, Nero, what are your plans when you go to Earth?” Nyx sprung the question.

“I don’t know. Maybe I will visit that human who my contractor Cursed.” Nero replied. “The Curse is going to take his life soon, and I would love to see what the terror and hopelessness in his eyes look like in his last moments.”

Nyx hid a small smile. “I have a feeling that the experience will be very memorable.”

As Nyx’s servant poured more tea into his cup, a wave of strong pain struck Nero.

“Sir Nero, are you okay?” Kit panicked as Nero clutched his heart, his mana was reining out of control.

Nyx patiently watched as her companion twisted in pain in front of her. ‘The pieces are finally falling into place.’

A burst of black blood spouted out of Nero’s mouth splattering over Kit’s uniform.

“That’s enough!” Nyx finally decided to step up. She handed a handkerchief to her maid. “Kit, go get yourself cleaned up. I will handle Nero.”

As Kit left for the bathroom, Nyx placed her hand on Nero's heart. A burst of demonic energy spread from her palm taking over Nero's unstable energy and forcing it to calm down. “What happened to you?”

“It’s gone. That Curse is gone!” Nero yelled in desperation.

“It activated already?” Nyx joyfully pretended to be ignorant of the matter.

“NO! The Curse is gone. Somebody broke it. And my power disappeared with it too.” Nero continued his screeching. “I am a freaking C Rank now.”

“But a Demon’s Curse can’t be broken?” Nyx hoped that her acting was satisfactory.

“I don't know how this is possible, but we need to inform the Dukes about this.” 

“Sure. I will go and inform the Duke of Death about the matter. Nero, you go down to Earth and check what is happening with that human of yours.”

“I will try to come back as soon as possible after checking out the situation.” Taking out his small wings, Nero quickly took to the skies.

"No worries...Take your sweet time with it." Nyx whispered to the winds.

“Is everything all right, Madam?” Kit came out, her dress still ruined.

“Everything is alright.” Nyx replied, staring at the spot Nero where had just disappeared. “Kit, take care of the castle with your sister. I have something to inform the Duke.”

"I understand, Madam!"

‘I can’t wait to see the chaos Master will bring to the world.’ With a scary sneer, Nyx disappeared into the clouds, with her bat black wings.