Chapter 337: No, I Said Let’s Just Enjoy the Festival Normally! (9)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 337: No, I Said Let’s Just Enjoy the Festival Normally! (9)
Leilan Claudia.
The Chairperson of the Academy was currently experiencing a strange fluttering in her chest.
The source of this emotion, which made her heart feel as if it might burst at any moment, was so clear that she found it impossible to remain composed.
She looked back at the cause of her feelings, wondering if she was mistaken, but it was no illusion.
She wanted to turn and run immediately—how could such terror be a lie?
Yes, the person standing before her was, without a doubt, the incarnation of dread.
Seo Ye-hwa.
Ye-hwa had mellowed out significantly now, but Leilan had been active as a hero alongside her back when she was far more hot-tempered. Facing her not as an ally, but as an opponent, was an incredibly stressful ordeal.
Still, it couldn’t be helped.
The Doctor, who rarely asked for favors, had gone so far as to bow her head while making this request. Furthermore, Leilan personally didn’t want to see someone she was fond of get crushed in a fight against the world’s strongest.
…To be honest, even if the Doctor hadn’t asked, she might have ended up doing this anyway.
I mean, everyone thinks that way, don’t they?
When reading a novel, if a cool character appears in a position where it’s unclear if they’re a collaborator or a villain, don’t you want them to remain a noble, undefeated figure until the very end?
And then, at the climax, it’s even better if they sustain a major injury while stopping something massive that no individual could ever hope to block, preventing them from joining the final battle—or perhaps they guard the protagonists’ backs even while wounded.
…Her train of thought had wandered a bit, but the point was that she truly didn’t want to see him suffer a defeat.
It was a matter of personal taste, but if possible, she hoped he would say something like, “The mood has soured,” or “We shall meet again,” before he departed.
She stole a glance toward him. Because of his mask, the man’s thoughts remained unreadable as he simply stared straight ahead in silence.
* * *
The situation was a mess, but I felt certain about one thing.
This was a bust.
My father-in-law and the professors were taking my side for now, but it was obvious they weren’t actually prepared to trade blows with a woman like Seo Ye-hwa.
Honestly, I didn’t really want to hold back.
If I were here alone, I definitely wouldn’t have.
But no matter how much my vision blurred with rage, it wasn’t worth venting if it meant putting my people in harm’s way.
Besides, if I tried to force a fight and Seo Ye-hwa or my father-in-law accidentally blurted out my identity, it wouldn’t just end in a disaster—it would be a catastrophe.
I happened to glance over and met Seo Ye-hwa’s eyes again.
Her gaze was still filled with pity and sympathy, but there was a hint of surprise mixed in as well.
What, is it that shocking that someone would step up for a guy like me? Or are you surprised that I’m stopping the fight?
I didn’t know what she found so surprising, considering she hadn’t even blinked when her own head was about to be taken off, but it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. I turned my back to her, avoiding her gaze.
“Ah…”
Ignoring the faint sigh that sounded almost regretful, I channeled mana into my teleportation bracelet.
[The mood has soured.]
…It was a bit embarrassing to keep up the act in front of my father-in-law, who knew exactly who I was, but I couldn’t exactly give a polite bow and leave, could I?
Anyway, once I projected an aura that suggested I was giving up on the fight for now, everyone seemed relieved. For some reason, however, the Chairperson alone was staring at me with eyes that sparkled a bit too intensely.
Unlike the others, Seo Ye-hwa didn’t seem intent on letting the matter end here. She tried to grab me, but I knew she wouldn’t be able to.
“Wait…!”
She reached out as if to seize me, but whenever the moment actually came where she could catch me, she always hesitated, like someone afraid of what they might find.
Just to be sure, I waited a moment even after the teleportation bracelet finished charging. As expected, she merely kept her hand outstretched, stopping at a distance where she could never reach me.
[…I hope our next meeting is more pleasant than this one.]
…I really didn’t know what she was trying to achieve.
In the end, the bizarre standoff concluded. Until the very moment my teleportation finished, Seo Ye-hwa simply watched me, unsure of what she wanted to do.
“Ah…!”
…Seriously, Chairperson, why are you making that disappointed sound again?
* * *
After the masked villain vanished, a strange tension hung over those remaining.
The one to break the unpleasant silence was Seo Ye-hwa, who had been staring at the spot where he disappeared with lingering eyes.
“First, I offer my formal apologies. There has been factional infighting within the Association, and I was delayed because I judged that purging the internal ranks was the priority.”
Fortunately—or perhaps not—she had returned to her usual calm demeanor the moment the masked villain was gone.
“We will ensure that the damages from this incident are fully compensated, and the punishment for the Honor Faction will be anything but light.”
Seeing her bow her head so readily, most of those who knew her personally shared a common thought.
Wow, she’s really mellowed out.
If it had been the her of the past, she would have half-destroyed the Academy for getting in her way, and that wasn’t even an exaggeration.
“I thank you for your assistance in suppressing this early. We will take custody of the captured villains and the members of the Honor Faction.”
She had also become quite brazen compared to the past.
She called it “taking custody,” but in reality, the Association couldn’t afford to destroy the entire Honor Faction for the sake of their own interests. They would undoubtedly pick a few suitable scapegoats from those involved today, shift the blame onto them, and cut their losses.
Most of the people present wore bitter expressions at the fact that she, who would never have tolerated such methods before, had changed so much. However, that sentiment didn’t last long.
“…Hehe.”
It was because Keras, who was still being held by her, burst into a sinister laugh.
“…What do you find so funny?”
“It’s funny that you think this is over. Don’t you find it strange that the Honor Faction would target the Academy with only this many people?”
“Are you saying there’s another objective?”
When Seo Ye-hwa didn’t react, Leilan asked the question instead. Keras didn’t answer immediately, instead snickering with an air of arrogance.
“Yes. Of course, we didn’t plan to go this far if the Academy had just cooperated.”
“…Just in case you’re wondering, we’ve already captured everyone capable of manipulating demonic energy.”
The Chairperson threw that out, thinking surely he wasn’t relying on that, but to her surprise, the swaggering Keras flinched violently.
…He really came in acting that high and mighty based on just that?
“…Well, I suppose one of our plans could fail. But obviously, that wasn’t all we prepared.”
“The people waiting at the Academy’s back gate were all captured by the freshmen.”
At Cathy’s subsequent remark, Keras began to break into a cold sweat.
* * *
As the conversation continued and each point was addressed one by one, Keras grew increasingly pale. Before long, he began to deny reality, claiming it was impossible.
From Keras’s perspective, it made sense. The plan to corrupt students with demonic energy, the plan to ruin the festival by raiding the interior with a unit focused on stealth, the plan to plant bombs in the villains they had tricked into ‘cooperating’ to frame them for suicide bombings—even his subordinates hidden among the visitors had all been discovered. Not only discovered, but already dealt with.
It was impossible unless there was a traitor.
No, even with a traitor, it should have been impossible.
How on earth did they identify subordinates whose faces weren’t even well-known within the Honor Faction for the sake of stealth? How did they recognize the villains who weren’t even registered heroes? And the bombs linked to vital signs—even they couldn’t defuse those, so how were they neutralized?
If they had simply responded to the incidents as they happened without a traitor, then just how formidable was the Academy’s hidden strength?
At this rate, there would be no room for negotiation.
This was an ambitious operation prepared by the Honor Faction to check the Association President’s faction, which had recently struck gold with a new hero team and was subtly encroaching on their jurisdiction.
Keras felt his heart sink every time a failed operation was mentioned by the Chairperson or the other professors as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
By the time he confirmed that countless plans had gone up in smoke and only one remained, Keras was overwhelmed by the urge to pass out rather than hear the Chairperson’s next words.
He felt like he would go insane if he heard that even the final plan was over.
However, the words that finally came out of the Chairperson’s mouth were surprisingly hopeful for him.
“So, is there still something more?”
…They don’t know?
Even if every other operation had crumbled, if they hadn’t discovered this one—the most fatal one—then he might still be able to turn the situation around.
“Impressive. I truly didn’t think you could counter our operations to this extent.”
“Ah, looking at the way this bastard is flapping his gums, there must be something left.”
“Yes, the little witch is correct. Fortunately, it seems the heavens haven’t abandoned us yet. You’ve missed the most lethal trap.”
“Wow, look at him trying to set the mood again after getting beaten and trying to run away like a coward. His skin must be so thick that he wouldn’t even bleed if you stabbed him.”
“…There are currently contaminated mana stones circulating inside the Academy.”
The Little Witch, who had been chatting mockingly, the Chairperson, who had been sending cold glares, and everyone else—their expressions froze as they realized the gravity of the situation.
“I finally like the looks on your faces. I’m sure you’re all well aware of the dangers of contaminated mana stones.”
Contaminated mana stones were rare stones that appeared very infrequently when defeating monsters.
Even though they were rare, they weren’t exactly positive items.
This was because a contaminated mana stone was a horrific object that used humans or other creatures with weak resistance as hosts, seizing control of their bodies and eventually turning them back into the original monster over time.
“They might not have much effect on the Academy cadets, but by now, they might have already attached themselves to the visitors.”
“…To bring out such things, have you truly gone mad? You won’t even be able to pin this all on the Academy, so what exactly do you intend to do?”
“Of course, I don’t want to see innocent citizens turn into monsters either. If we can just negotiate with the Academy again, I have a way to find the contaminated mana stones, so let’s settle this as amicably as—”
“There’s no need for that.”
But Keras was unable to say another word.
Seo Ye-hwa, who had been holding him with a cold face until a moment ago, had begun to strangle him.
“Why is it that no matter how many times this repeats, nothing ever changes?”
He was terrified by the murderous glint in her eyes, but he told himself she couldn’t possibly do anything to him in this situation. With people potentially turning into monsters at any moment, how could she threaten him, the only solution?
However, Seo Ye-hwa didn’t loosen the grip on his neck at all.
In fact, she began to squeeze harder and harder.
So hard it felt like his neck might snap at any second.
“None of you need to worry. Even without listening to what this man says, this will be resolved smoothly. Besides, there’s no guarantee this piece of trash actually has the solution anyway.”
Amidst the intensifying pressure, what Keras felt wasn’t resentment, but bewilderment.
How did she know…?
It wasn’t a lie that there was a way to find the contaminated mana stones, but the one who possessed it was another agent. His plan was to drag out the negotiations and wait for an accident to happen…!
“…Yes, this is the path that flows most smoothly.”
Finally, the strength of her grip exceeded what he could endure, and a powerful shock rocked his head immediately after.
“You should truly be thankful that your impact conversion device is active.”
With that chilling voice as the last thing he heard, his consciousness was sucked into the darkness.
“…I’m sorry. Ha-na Unnie.”
* * *
After finishing the teleportation, I put the mask back into the gourd and swapped places with one of my clones.
To be honest, I wasn’t in a great mood and my head was a mess, so I wanted to rest for a bit.
Unfortunately, it seemed I had chosen the wrong clone to swap with.
“…No, what kind of situation is this now?”
Some idiot had been exposed to bizarre mana and was now half-transformed into something like a lizard, and that half-lizard was currently holding a familiar girl captive.
“H-Help me…!”
Lamia.
Lilac’s younger sister and a future junior I had just met today.
For now… it didn’t look like a situation where I could just go and rest.