Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Aftermath Handling (5)
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The councilors gathered here all thought the same thing.
'What the hell does that mean?'
Completely unrelated words strung together, and question marks popped up over every councilor's head in unison.
"W-Wait a minute, Chairman. Bringing in a demon for the sake of Academy City's growth? What on earth does that mean?"
Pafnir spoke up on behalf of the tilting-headed councilors.
"Exactly what I said. That demon became a stepping stone for Academy City's growth."
With that, the Chairman looked straight at Ivan and continued.
"First off, to explain: every action the demon took after entering the city was under the surveillance of the control AI."
"...From the very beginning?"
"Yes, from the very start."
The Chairman's words carried such certainty that the tense atmosphere in the conference hall began to ease bit by bit.
It seemed they had been handling the demon more steadily than expected.
The councilors who had decided to observe the situation sheathed their drawn weapons and quietly waited for what came next.
"Councilor Ivan. If you were to infiltrate the enemy's forces, how would you go about it?"
"...Pardon?"
The sudden riddle caught Ivan off guard, his face going blank as he stared back.
"I asked how you would infiltrate if you were hiding right in the heart of enemy territory."
"...I'd disguise myself as one of them and slip naturally into their ranks."
"Exactly. The common wisdom is to hide a tree in the forest."
"What does that have to do with your question...?"
"Hold on—don't tell me...?"
Unlike Ivan's puzzled expression, Mano in the head seat widened his half-closed eyes and let out an exclamation of admiration.
"Looks like at least one of you caught on."
"Mano? Do you know something?"
At Pafnir's urging, Mano frowned briefly before speaking slowly.
"As the Chairman said, if a demon wanted to infiltrate Academy City, it would have to disguise itself as a human. It couldn't hide its demonic traits otherwise."
"Hooh."
"Indeed!"
"But this is Academy City. Half-baked disguises can't even get past the walls."
"Right. The city's security is notoriously tight, even in peacetime."
"True. But there's one profession that's relatively easy to infiltrate compared to others."
"You mean professor...?"
Mano nodded lightly at the surrounding councilors' question.
Not everyone agreed, though.
Almost immediately, a dissenting voice rose from one side.
"Hold on. That's a bit off. Academy City is focused entirely on training heroes. There's no way the security for future heroes and their instructors would be weaker than for other jobs."
"Fair point. Hero and instructor selection is even stricter—no looser than for researchers or merchants."
Mano let out an exaggerated sigh at the other councilors' rebuttals.
"...You all are thinking too small. A ton of applicants means high demand on the black market too."
"...!"
"Bribes, favoritism, fake IDs, and so on. The bigger the market, the more backdoors pop up."
From the perspective of someone in the know, this was far more stable than official channels.
No matter how tight the security, rot from within makes breaching from outside a breeze.
In fact, countless spies from other countries lived in the city disguised as students that way.
And Mano couldn't wrap his head around it.
'I still don't get it. Why does the Chairman let the black market slide?'
With his skills, wiping out the black markets inside and outside the city would be child's play.
Yet years later, the Chairman hadn't touched the underworld, black markets included.
'Is there some reason I don't know...?'
Mano pondered briefly before looking at him and continuing.
"And I said professor, not instructor. Unlike combat-focused instructors, theory-heavy professors can get in easily with enough academic knowledge."
"A professor, huh...!"
"The demon must've used the same route as foreign spies. That explains breaching city security. Of course, even that demon couldn't evade the control AI... What do you say, Chairman? Am I wrong?"
"No, spot on."
The Chairman casually affirmed Mano's question and picked up her explanation.
"As she said, the demon behind this incident used the black market. It forged an identity there and bribed the examiner."
"Ha...!"
"Getting in as a student would've been tough. Admissions are huge events under tons of eyes, and the exams are brutal. Not ideal for someone needing to stay hidden. Professors, though? Pass the competency check, and it's mostly up to the examiner. Bribe yours, and you're in safely."
Well, the bar was expert-level knowledge or higher, but this was a high-ranking demon cadre sent with purpose—its academics were top-notch.
The moment the Chairman finished, outrage erupted from the councilors.
"Bribed? Bribed?! Our Academy City examiners taking bribes?!"
"Chairman! Who was the scum bribed by the demon?!"
"We need to grab that bastard now!"
The Chairman raised a hand lightly as the commotion grew.
"Quiet."
"......"
"The examiners bribed by him have already been dealt with. They vanished without a trace—you won't find them even if you try."
They took bribes from a demon, after all.
Knowingly? Traitors selling out humanity. Unknowingly? Still corrupt in a sacred admissions rite.
Plenty to earn the Chairman's wrath.
'We erased them the second the demon was spotted—no worries there. We cracked down harder on admissions corruption after, so bribes aren't even on their radar now.'
Examiners were mostly upright folks anyway—corruption among them was shocking.
The rest were clean. Those guys alone tied to the black market.
'Black market's under the back student council, so we didn't touch it directly. But I spoke with them personally—they'll toe the line.'
The back student council president promised to handle it.
With the councilors calmed, the Chairman took a sip of water and spoke again.
"Anyway, that's how the demon entered Academy City. The control AI flagged the oddity and alerted me—we knew from there."
"Then one question!"
"What?"
"If so, why was the demon allowed into a school? By your account, it used a fake identity aimed at schools. Did that school accept it without even verifying properly?"
A faint hiccup echoed from one corner of the conference hall.
Only a few councilors glanced that way at the tiny sound—
"Ugh..."
There sat Phillips, face ashen white.
────
"Hic!"
Phillips let out a silent scream as his school got mentioned.
Shifting uncomfortably, eyes darting, butt barely in his seat—he looked every bit the politician pre-hearing.
And the Chairman, spotting Phillips, finally named his school.
"Not quite. Ramos School of Magic surely vetted instructors thoroughly."
"Then how did a demon end up in a G2-grade academy? Wasn't that negligent hiring?"
At another councilor's question, he leaned back in his chair before slowly rising.
"Perfect chance—I'll explain now."
"...?"
"Ramos School of Magic did scrutinize instructors closely. But it missed his identity because the control AI forged his credentials flawlessly."
"...Pardon?"
"Once I confirmed the demon infiltration, I brainstormed a game-changer. Result? Hire it as a professor to teach about demons."
Murmurs rippled through the room at the Chairman's bombshell.
Undeterred, he pressed on.
"Who knows demons best? Heroes who've fought them forever? Scholars studying decades? No—demons know demons best. So I cornered it into a demon-specialty professor role, forcing it to spill everything."
Steering its actions was simple.
Expose it only to one academy in its view, narrowing options.
Then have a total student council member disguised as a student from there guide it personally.
Casually explain school details, pitch it as infiltration-friendly—done.
"In the end, the demon chose to teach demon intel to students itself. We tapped its regular demon contacts too, extracting ops, plans, all secrets."
"......"
For a full three years.
Spilling secrets to Hayer, prime intel from its cadre role—all taught to students. Even its exit gifted the city hugely.
"This incident was the same."
"Th-That too?"
"If you knew ahead, why let it...!"
"Why risk the city?!"
"Didn't you think citizens and students might die?!"
"Why not eliminate the culprit preemptively?!"
Outrage exploded as the Chairman revealed foreknowledge of this event too.
But hearing them directly, he just smirked at the councilors.
"I don't get it. Event that size—why prevent it at all costs?"
His utter failure to grasp their point shut down the heated councilors mid-rant.
"Wh-What do you...?"
"Lives were at stake!"
Words they'd nearly spat died in their throats.
Sensing the mood shift acutely, Ivan stepped forward.
"No need to explain! For you to mishandle something this grave—unbelievable!"
"No, I'm the one who can't believe it."
Why do you think this incident was serious?
At the Chairman's question, Ivan scoffed.
"Ha! Demon terrorism, duh! A horrific crime targeting every citizen! You nearly lost countless lives and call it 'not serious'?"
"Ah, I see. Got it."
Ivan finished, and the Chairman finally caught on, nodding.
"Sorry. Overlooked the perception gap."
"Ha! Too late to backpedal—!"
"23."
"...What?"
"Number of active heroes who personally visited for this."
Every councilor held their breath at the Chairman's words.
"A-Active heroes...!"
"That many guarding the city...?"
"Ha! Still just 23! You think that piddly number can cover all of huge Academy City—!"
Ivan spat to undermine him.
The Chairman added belatedly.
"Oh, and all top-tier heroes."
"......"
Ivan's mouth snapped shut.