I Got a Fake Job at the Academy Chapter "584"

Gabriel was shocked by Cravat's words.

Insane.

Truly, thoroughly insane.

Where was he planning to rob? The New Magic Tower? That steel spire standing tall at the center of Isla Machina?

"Do you perhaps have so grudge against the New Magic Tower?"

Gabriel couldn't help but ask.

"Huh? Grudge? I don't have anything like that."

"If you don't, then why are you suggesting we rob the New Magic Tower?"

"Well, that's..."

"No. Don't answer. I think I already know the reason."

"...If you know, why are you asking?"

"Because I still don't like it! We're talking about the New Magic Tower! The largest power in Isla Machina! Suggesting we rob it is no different from saying we should fight the entire island!"

Gabriel exploded.

"Not only can unauthorized magicians not enter, but it's also equipped with countless magical formulas and magitech security devices! Moreover, valuable materials are kept in special spaces that are so sturdy they wouldn't even get a scratch if the tower itself collapsed!"

Rudger and Cravat stared at Gabriel with incredulous looks.

"For soone warning about dangers, you know quite a lot of details."

"You sound like soone who's done reconnaissance for a heist."

Gabriel flinched and avoided their gaze.

Seeing this, Rudger and Cravat simultaneously ca to the sa conclusion.

'He did.'

'He sure did.'

Uncomfortable with their stares, Gabriel hastily made excuses.

"That's not what's important right now! The problem is that stealing valuable resources from that tower is practically impossible!"

"Hmm. Certainly."

Rudger nodded at Gabriel's words.

There was no need to question his impure motives.

What mattered now was how to steal the precious curse reagents and materials from inside the tower.

"Hmm. This is troubleso. I've never robbed a magic tower before."

"What?"

"A magic tower?"

This ti, Cravat and Gabriel stared at Rudger with incredulous looks.

Did that an he hadn't robbed a magic tower before, but had robbed other places?

"Well, you know..."

Rudger trailed off.

He realized that these two didn't know about his past.

His judgnt was clouded by thoughts of Rene, and he had carelessly said too much.

"Tell us the truth. Where exactly have you robbed? You told not to gamble, but you were stealing?"

"I don't want to hear this from soone who was planning to both gamble and steal."

"My theft was only attempted!"

Why are you saying that so proudly?

Cravat sighed at their conversation.

"Can you proudly say it was only attempted? I can see the seeds of cri in you two. Where did you sell your moral compass?"

Now Rudger and Gabriel stared at Cravat.

"A dark mage."

"Saying such things?"

If soone were to ask who was the most villainous person here from an outside perspective, one hundred out of one hundred would point at Cravat.

Yet here was Cravat, shalessly talking about morality. It was absurd.

But rather than being intimidated by their criticism, Cravat beca even more brazen.

"I'm saying this because I'm a dark mage. Should I be cautious and try to save face instead?"

"..."

Co to think of it, that made sense.

If he was already proud of being a dark mage, what was the point of criticizing these minor actions?

"..."

"..."

"..."

The three exchanged glances in silence.

Rudger broke the awkward atmosphere with a small sigh.

"First of all, nothing changes the fact that we need to rob the tower."

"No, are we really going to rob it?"

"If not? Are we going to march right up to the tower and demand they hand over valuable materials? Would they even listen?"

"That's..."

"Right. Let's say they would listen. Have you thought about how long it would take for approval? Every minute counts for us, but do you know how long it would take them to issue approval? At least a few weeks."

Gabriel had nothing to say.

Everything Rudger said was true.

"But realistically, robbing the tower is impossible too."

"It may seem impossible, but we can't say it's actually impossible."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I've done it before."

Gabriel still looked skeptical.

"Even if you've done it before, you probably only robbed so diocre place."

"Arsène Lupin."

"...?"

When Rudger suddenly ntioned this familiar na, Gabriel's eyebrows raised slightly.

"Why are you bringing up that na all of a sudden?"

"Why? Because I operated under that na."

"...What?"

Gabriel's eyes widened in surprise.

His trembling finger pointed at Rudger.

"So, so you're saying... that the legendary phantom thief Arsène Lupin, who robbed all the nobles' vaults in an entire country, was... you?"

"Yes."

"...How did you even end up like that?"

"It just happened that way."

While searching for a relic, he went from place to place and eventually reached the point of robbing everything.

"And most recently, I robbed the Kunst Auction House."

"...I think I've heard about that too."

Gabriel rembered the Kunst Auction House incident.

Leathervelk was a city adjacent to Theon where Rene stayed.

Since events there could affect Rene, he kept track of Leathervelk-related matters among off-island affairs.

The Kunst Auction House incident was famous for another reason.

The reappearance of the Beast of the Nightmare.

"Don't tell , that was also..."

"..."

Rudger didn't answer but his silence was answer enough.

"...Is that city cursed or sothing? No, is the entire Empire cursed? Liberation Army terrorism, cryptid appearances, demons manifesting."

Wasn't there also so mass sleeping sickness outbreak recently?

Seeing that Rudger had made it from there to here, it seed things had ended safely, but it was frightening to imagine exactly what had happened.

"...Right. Anyway, I understand you've done sothing extraordinary."

"And in my expert opinion, there's no such thing as an absolutely secure treasure vault."

"Sigh. It's so reassuring when an experienced person speaks. Cravat, say sothing too."

"Why ? An experienced person's words should be the most trustworthy among us. I'm not familiar with outside affairs, but from what I'm hearing, isn't he sothing of an authority on theft?"

Whether "authority on theft" was the right term seed questionable, but it wasn't wrong, so Gabriel nodded.

"So how are we going to rob it?"

"Normally, this would require careful planning, but since we're short on ti, we need to finish quickly."

"Quickly? How?"

"I'll break down the door."

Rudger pointed at himself with his thumb, then at Gabriel with his index finger.

"You'll steal."

"Are you joking?!"

"I'm serious."

"No, how are you going to break down the door in the first place? Didn't I tell you? The place is plastered with all kinds of protective magic and security systems. Do you think you can break through with 6th-tier magic?"

"Obviously, I don't plan to break through with just 6th-tier magic."

Whether calling 6th-tier magic "just" was appropriate seed questionable, but considering the New Magic Tower's defense systems, it did seem insufficient.

He needed to use either more powerful magic or magic with a different orientation.

And for Rudger, the latter was much easier and sothing he was better at.

"The important question is: if I break through, can you steal?"

"W-well..."

Gabriel briefly rubbed his mouth with his hand, deep in thought.

If asked whether he could do it, the honest answer would be that he was too scared.

Even if Rudger broke through, who knew what dangers lurked inside?

What if they broke down the door and entered, only to find double or triple barriers inside?

Their one and only chance would be wasted.

Gabriel thought.

They needed more ti to carefully check things. It couldn't be done right now.

As his eyes rolled around with anxiety, they finally settled on one thing: Rene, sleeping peacefully.

"I can do it."

Gabriel answered Rudger with a steady gaze.

"It's possible. If you open the path."

eting those unwavering eyes, Rudger silently nodded.

"Are you two finished talking? Then let's make a plan."

"Are you participating too?"

In response to Gabriel's question, Cravat replied as if it was obvious.

"Why do you think I ca all this way?"

"It could be dangerous."

"Dangerous? There are constant fights around our school anyway. Rather than that, I'd prefer to do what I want."

"Oh. You wanted to try robbing a magic tower?"

"Robbing? No. While I'd like to see those arrogant New Magic Tower folks get a taste of their own dicine, that's not what I want. We made a deal, rember?"

A deal.

What Cravat truly wanted was the real magic Rudger had shown him.

"My research on ancient sorcery has been stagnating lately. And that fellow has exactly what I need."

"It's strange. Even with a deal, I'm surprised you'd get involved in sothing this dangerous."

"Do you think I should double-cross you and take what you have because I'm a dark mage?"

"Ah, no, that's not what I ant." Chapters first released on novelꜰire

"Fine. If I said I'd do it, I'll do it. Backing out now because it's dangerous would hurt my pride."

Rudger carefully observed Cravat and suddenly asked a question.

"Is it because of responsibility?"

"What?"

"Responsibility. You're continuing despite knowing the dangers, to cure Rene, right?"

"Wait. What are you talking about?"

Gabriel was about to say that made even less sense, but he closed his mouth when he saw Cravat's expression.

The usually childishly reactive Cravat was uncharacteristically silent.

"Really? You too?"

"What, why!"

"I'm just surprised."

"Surprised? You think I lack that much compassion?"

"No, it's just..."

Because you look like an eccentric, that's why.

Gabriel didn't say the rest.

But Cravat seed to know what Gabriel was going to say and crossed his arms, frowning as if offended.

"Hmph. Does a reason need to be just one thing? I don't like the New Magic Tower, I want to see them get what they deserve, we made a deal, and I want to cure this girl's condition. Isn't that enough reason?"

"More than enough."

Rudger nodded in agreent.

"I've never liked this. Why is holy power considered always good, while the curses used by dark mages are considered dangerous?"

"Because they actually are dangerous."

"Generally, yes. But looking at this girl's condition, can you still say holy power is good?"

Gabriel fell silent.

Wasn't an exception occurring right now with Rene?

"What annoys most is the world's narrow-minded view. White is good, black is evil. A kind-looking face ans a good person, a bad-looking face ans an evil person. I hate such prejudice."

Sincerity perated Cravat's voice as he poured out his grievances.

As a dark mage, especially as the master of a school studying ancient curses, one could only imagine how much contempt and discrimination he had faced throughout his life. It was hard to find words of comfort.

"But now an opportunity has co. Holy power that kills people? Saving them with a curse?"

Cravat clenched his fist with an expression of ecstasy.

"Think about it. If that happens? I'll be shattering the prejudice the world cries about with my own hands!"

Cravat thrust his clenched fist into the air.

It looked quite adorable coming from soone with a child's appearance, but at the sa ti, there was an indescribable power to it.

"Those who mocked ! Those who pointed fingers saying I was dangerous! They were wrong, and I was right!"

"But... would anyone believe this fact if we told them?"

Gabriel pointed out the practical aspect.

"Even if we cure Rene among ourselves, no one will acknowledge it. Even if we did it publicly, no one would believe us."

"Why do we need others to acknowledge it?"

Cravat asked as if it were strange.

"What?"

"I know."

"..."

"I know I wasn't wrong. I'm sure this path is right, and what others said was nonsense. That's enough. What more do you want?"

Gabriel was slightly shocked by those words.

So was Rudger.

"Anyway, I'm in too. Any objections?"

"If it helps, I won't stop you..."

Before Rudger could finish his sentence.

RUMBLE!

A thunderous noise ca from outside.

The ceiling and walls crumbled, and through the gap fell a dark red blade aura.