Chapter 2
Even after gaining a new life, my existence hadn’t changed one bit from my previous one.
Born into a fallen noble family, Adelle Catherine realized she had a talent for magic, enrolled in the academy, and graduated at the top of her class—on a scholarship, no less, from the most promising Department of Magical Engineering.
Right after that, she was scouted by the Magic Tower—think of it as a graduate school for mages—and spent her days running errands for her professor.
Ah! Aside from being a little smarter than before, it was no different from my past life—a life ground down under my professor’s thumb.
Still, up until now, I’d been living fairly contentedly…
But now this world I’m in is the one from the novel I read. And destruction might be coming soon.
Worse still, I am the very one who will cause that destruction!
…How did it come to this?
Honestly, looking at myself now, I was so ordinary that it was hard to believe.
But no matter how hard I racked my brain, <I Hate the Gong>’s final boss, Adelle Catherine—that was my destiny.
And of course…
Before awakening as the final boss, Adelle was the daughter of a fallen noble family and a mage belonging to the Magic Tower.
Huh, that’s me, isn’t it?
Adelle was also someone who always drew attention at the academy and the Magic Tower for her outstanding magical abilities.
Huh, that’s me, isn’t it?
Furthermore, Adelle was known to have made great contributions under Professor Great, uncovering the groundbreaking fact that mana could warp space-time.
Huh, that’s me (in a positive future), isn’t it?
But in the end, Adelle decided to use that principle to destroy the world—and she succeeded.
Huh, that’s… me?
In my dreams, I was holding a research presentation as a successful mage.
After much study, I had proven that mana could distort time and space.
But in reality, far from achieving greatness, I was a would-be villain destined to destroy the world.
Could it be… because I was overworked by my professor?
It was entirely possible.
There have been plenty of cases where graduate students, stripped of their human dignity and treated like slaves by their professors, eventually snapped and went berserk.
I myself, just thinking about all the pent-up frustration, could have caused a hundred incidents over and over.
So was even this very moment part of the process leading to destruction?
…No. If I keep living like this, I’m really doomed. My research, everything—it’s all going to fail!
I shot up from my seat.
At this rate, in one year, this world would hurtle toward ruin.
There was only one way to stop it: change my path before I awakened as the final boss.
Alright, my goal is set.
I clenched my fist.
From now on, I, Adelle—an ordinary magic researcher—would resolve to break away from the final boss route.
And the very first hurdle was…
No, no need for long talk—let’s get straight to it!
Without delay, I headed to Professor Great Everun’s office.
“Professor, I’m quitting (as your graduate student).”
“…What?”
At my words, Professor Great Everun furrowed his brow as if doubting his own ears.
He blinked several times, as if unable to tell whether what he was seeing was a dream or reality.
“You know full well that drinking is prohibited inside the Magic Tower.”
Apparently deciding he must have misheard, Professor Great looked down at his desk and spoke casually.
“I’ve never drunk alcohol.”
“Then have you taken Macedonia?”
For your information, Macedonia is a hallucinogen.
“No.”
“Then what on earth are you talking about?”
He sighed and adjusted his glasses slightly.
He must have expected me to come report my experiment results—never in his wildest dreams did he think I’d hand in my resignation.
Ignoring that, I continued seriously.
“Professor, I mean it. I can’t do this graduate student thing anymore.”
“You, after how little research you’ve done, you dare say that? Look at other labs—there are countless researchers slaving away harder than you!”
“That may be, but still, about half of this research was done by me…”
Huh? I stopped mid-excuse, my words catching in my throat.
Was I a slave to my very bones?
Why was I here to say I was quitting, yet defending my research contributions?
As I hesitated and trailed off, Professor Great snapped sharply.
“Half? That’s absurd.”
He tapped his desk impatiently and narrowed his eyes.
“As you know, this place is overflowing with mages who’ve spent over a decade on a single project! And you want to quit? After all my consideration—letting you research only 18 hours a day so you wouldn’t get too tired—this is how you repay my kindness?”
“That’s not consideration, that’s overwork.”
“You only call it overwork because you haven’t come to your senses yet.”
…It was the same in my past life.
Once, just once, I’d said I wanted to quit because it was too hard.
Back then, my professor gaslit me like crazy and ultimately succeeded in keeping me from leaving.
After that, he bound me tight so I couldn’t run away, and I never got another chance to escape.
And yet here we are again, in the exact same situation.
Looking at the professor before me, it was clear that a normal resignation process was impossible.
“Professor, I’m not a piece of lab equipment.”
“Lab? What nonsense is that? And I’ve always treated you with dignity.”
“Do you even know my name?”
The professor opened his mouth, then paused.
From his shifting gaze, he seemed to be racking his brain trying to recall something he didn’t even remember.
“…Ahem, the student who graduated top of her class?”
Haah…! I let out an exaggerated sigh and said,
“Anyway, I have no intention of changing my decision. I’ll be going now.”
As I tried to end the conversation and turn away, Professor Great chewed his lip restlessly.
“Don’t come crawling back begging within a month. I won’t go easy on you then.”
“Don’t worry—that will never happen.”
My attitude remained unrepentant to the end, and my words weren’t exactly polite either.
The professor’s face hardened slightly. He must have been angered by his slave’s sudden rebellion.
Just as I turned and was about to storm out the door, Professor Great’s voice boomed from behind me.
“Your name is struck from the paper! Don’t you dare dream otherwise!”
Oh yes, by all means.
After all, I am the final boss who will complete this very research and drive the world to ruin.
In other words, if I—the core researcher—pull out, this research would become useless.
So, Professor, take care.
From now on, I’m no longer a slave—I’m going to be the master of my own life!
“Adelle, did you really quit?”
Isabella came over as I was packing my things to return to the family home.
“Did something happen at home?”
She wore a deliberately serious expression.
It seemed she couldn’t believe that I—the veteran who’d lasted the longest here—had made such a decision.
I shrugged and answered.
“Isabella, you know… sometimes, a quick retreat is the wiser choice.”
Even after hearing me, Isabella blinked, still unconvinced.
“Are you serious? I thought you’d taken Macedonia or said it in a fit of anger.”
Once again, Macedonia is a hallucinogen.
