The Third-Rate Academy Villain Who Refuses to Become a Beggar

It happened suddenly.

Gerhard, who became responsible for the commercial expedition, applied for field training and left the academy a few days early for preparation.

Naturally, he didn't attend classes, which meant Luina had lost her partner for the time being.

"..."

This time, since Gerhard had explained the entire situation, she wasn't feeling upset or angry like before.

However, it did make classes a bit difficult.

Given the academy's characteristic of having perfectly matched numbers, finding a temporary partner when one disappeared was an impossible task.

"Aron."

"Yes, Professor."

At the call of Professor Rosalia, who was in charge of "Combat, War, and Magic," an assistant affiliated with her research lab stepped forward.

Messy brown hair that half-covered his eyes, gloomy eyes, and slumped shoulders. Not exactly a great first impression.

"You'll be Luina Berchef's partner for the time being."

"Me?"

"Just match your level appropriately to a second-year standard."

"But Professor, my research..."

"Is there a problem?"

As her brow slightly furrowed, Aron hurriedly shook his head.

"No, I'll do it. So I should adjust to a second-year level?"

"Yes."

It might have sounded arrogant, but considering he had graduated from the academy and was now pursuing a professorship, it was a reasonable statement.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Luina Berchef. I look forward to working with you."

"Umm, nice to meet you. I'm Aron Praine. As you can see, I'm an assistant in Professor Rosalia's research lab. I look forward to working with you too."

Aron completed his introduction in a timid voice.

"I never thought I'd be paired with a junior during my time as an assistant. The situation is a bit strange, but let's do our best."

"Yes."

Suddenly, Luina's gaze shifted downward.

"You seem to like books."

Aron was holding a thick book in his hand. It was somewhat unusual to bring one out even while serving as an assistant for a lecture.

"It's a magic book. I'm a bit slow, so I always carry it to better understand magic circles and such."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. Even for a wizard, carrying a magic book around all the time is a bit strange, but well."

Haha, Aron awkwardly laughed and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, by the way, Luina. Do you like books too?"

"I don't dislike them."

"Really?"

"Let's begin the lecture."

His lips twisted strangely, but Luina, who had turned her attention to the professor, didn't notice it.

***

Night fell and darkness descended. Gerhard went out for a final inspection of the commercial expedition that would depart tomorrow.

"Is it this carriage?"

"Yes."

One carriage now stood before Gerhard.

He had already checked all the other carriages during the day, and there were no problems.

However, this last carriage contained something that couldn't be checked in front of everyone, so he had secretly come out at night when everyone was asleep.

Employees pulled the carriage into the company's warehouse. Once the warehouse door closed, only Gerhard and the branch manager remained.

"I don't feel anything from the outside."

"We sealed it with care. The elves helped a lot, so it was easier than expected."

Gerhard activated his magic with practiced precision, extending his hand as a faint blue aura pulsed from his fingertips. Rumble, rumble—the sound reverberated through the warehouse as mounds of earth rose and shifted at his command. The soil moved with surprising fluidity, almost like water, quickly and methodically lowering the cargo from the carriage. The ease with which he manipulated the elements spoke volumes of his training and natural affinity for earth magic.

All the supplies on the carriage—crates of provisions, rolled maps, water barrels, and various equipment which had been meticulously arranged and perfectly prepared for tomorrow's departure—were carefully removed one by one, revealing what lay beneath. When the last bundle was set aside, a single box remained, resting ominously at the center of the carriage bed.

It was about 50cm wide and 2m long.

The surface of the box, which looked ordinary at first casual glance, was upon closer inspection completely engraved with all kinds of intricate magical inscriptions. Fine lines, flowing script, and geometric patterns covered every available centimeter, each symbol etched with painstaking precision. In the presence of Gerhard's magical awareness, these markings seemed to pulse with subtle energy, like the beating of a hidden heart.

Magical stabilization runes formed the foundation layer—complex interlocking circles designed to prevent the contents from influencing their surroundings. Above them, mana concealment sigils spiraled in tight patterns, crafted to hide the object's magical signature from detection. Scent blocking inscriptions were arranged in rhythmic sequences along the edges, ensuring no trace of the box's contents could be detected by enhanced senses. Life force reduction glyphs clustered around the lock mechanism, dampening any signs of vitality from within. And dozens more protective enchantments were layered methodically on top of each other, creating a tapestry of magical defenses so dense that the wood itself seemed to hum with suppressed power when Gerhard ran his fingers across its surface.

"Even an Arch Mage would have trouble finding it."

Perhaps. Maybe even an Arch Mage couldn't find it. However, since Gerhard wasn't an Arch Mage himself, he couldn't be certain.

"I've engraved the same level of magical inscriptions on the warehouse for our work. You can open it here without any major issues."

"Can anyone open it?"

"You need a token."

The branch manager handed over a small ring. It was a ring engraved with the seal of Fridien.

"Two tokens have been created, one for you, and the other will be given to Ariadne Florian, the proxy of the Fridien family."

When Gerhard placed the ring against the lock, there was a slight movement of mana, and with a click, the box opened.

Pure mana swirled throughout the warehouse, revealing a small sapling.

A tree containing incomparably more magical power than ordinary trees. Yet still lacking compared to the great pillar that supports the world.

"So this is it."

The branch of the World Tree, also called the avatar of the World Tree.

Indeed, it was suitable as a medium for summoning demons.

'Looking at it from the outside, I can't feel any demon energy infection at all.'

What could it be? Has it not been infected yet, or is the infection so subtle that it's undetectable?

"Probably the former."