Chapter 54: Confession.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 54: Confession.
Should I just kill them all?
I could slaughter every single one of them right now.
Thanks to the pests that had been bothering me all day, a momentary flash of madness crossed my mind, but I quickly shook my head to clear the intrusive thoughts.
Ah, fuck.
Being surrounded by people who constantly use exaggerated gestures must be rubbing off on me; I’ve noticed these kinds of dramatic movements increasing lately.
“Why have you suddenly come to see me and remained silent, Cadet Kang So-hyun?”
“Well, you see… what I’m about to tell you is a bit shocking. But I realized I can’t do without your help in the future, and in my experience, trying to hide things like this only leads to getting caught and causing misunderstandings. So, I came here to just lay it all out and confess.”
That’s right. I was here to give the Chairperson a full account of how I had just finished off that villain bastard who was playing at being the Student Council Vice President.
Why? Because I had planned to tell her from the start.
In these academy stories, the protagonist usually ends up in the abyss because they try to cover things like this up.
I wasn’t going to be that guy.
Of course, I was going to add a bit of ‘sauce’ to the story since I was nervous, but I wasn’t going to lie.
“…If someone who claims to know the future gives a warning like that, even I feel a bit apprehensive. But I can tell you’re not talking nonsense. So, what happened?”
“Do you remember the Student Council Vice President?”
“Seo In-young? He’s the cadet currently working hard to fill the void left by the Student Council President, who is away on an external assignment. He has a good reputation among the professors as well.”
I’m about to tell you I killed him, so please stop laying the groundwork like that.
It makes it harder for me to speak.
“However, he was also a cadet who occasionally seemed… empty, for some reason.”
“Uh, well. Actually, that person… it’s not that he’s empty; he’s not even human. Ah, I don’t mean he’s a bad person—I mean he literally isn’t a human being.”
“What?”
“I mentioned before that I have information about the future. This is related to that, but for now, please look at these.”
I held out the evidence I had collected.
Most of his artifacts, including the Puppeteer’s Tea Party, lose their function as artifacts once the contracted user dies, but the physical objects themselves don’t disappear.
There would be remnants of mana or traces of the user left on them, which should be sufficient as evidence.
“The person known as Seo In-young was originally a persona created by a villain using an artifact. His appearance was a fake, and his entire history was forged. The bastard has been attending the Academy continuously; every time he was supposed to graduate, he faked his death in some way, changed his face, and re-enrolled as a freshman.”
The Chairperson seemed flustered by the sudden torrent of information, but fortunately, she nodded for me to continue.
“I… I see. I was actually in the middle of an investigation because I suspected there might still be a traitor inside the Academy, but I never imagined they would disguise themselves as a cadet. So, where is he now?”
The moment of truth had finally arrived.
If I tried to tell a clumsy lie or deceive her, she would notice immediately.
“He’s dead.”
“…What?”
“No, wait. Saying he’s ‘dead’ is a bit cowardly. Yeah, it makes it sound like he was in an accident. That’s not it. I killed him.”
The Chairperson’s gaze, which had been fixed on me, turned cold.
“You killed him?”
“Yes. He was a man whose goals threatened the security of the Academy and, by extension, the world. I judged that it would be dangerous if he wasn’t dealt with immediately, so I took care of him.”
In principle, a cadet cannot summarily execute a villain.
However, that is strictly a principle meant to warn students to avoid encounters; if they do encounter one and kill them, they aren’t usually penalized.
If anything, they might even be rewarded.
So, the reason the Chairperson was angry right now wasn’t that I had ruthlessly killed a villain.
“…Could you not have consulted with anyone else?”
She was angry that even with such information, I hadn’t relied on anyone and had reached the dangerous conclusion of killing the villain alone.
In a way, this was an act of distrust toward other heroes, and if interpreted harshly, it could be seen as arrogance.
“Yes. He was a villain who became impossible to handle if more people were involved.”
But there was not a single lie in my words.
What if he had copied the Chairperson’s near-cheating Talent? I wouldn’t have had a single chance of victory.
And what if a formal capture team had been formed, and other powerful Talents were added to the mix? I didn’t even want to imagine it.
“The reason?”
“He possessed many artifacts, and his Talent was dangerous. Ah, the Black Shadow that Seo In-young usually called his Talent was a fake created using an artifact. His real Talent is something else… please look at this for the details.”
It was finally time to reveal that the culprit was someone she knew.
But since it was a bit awkward to say out loud, I had written it down on paper.
“This is…?”
As she read the summary I had prepared, her expression darkened until she finally let out a long sigh.
“If everything written here is true… how on earth did you deal with someone like this?”
“I made him copy my Talent.”
“Your Talent…? Ah.”
“Yes. He exhausted all his Innate True Qi and destroyed himself.”
“Impressive. It feels like you forced a strategy where none existed, but it was certainly an effective one.”
“Yes. I dare say it was the best possible move.”
“…Cadet Kang So-hyun.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t doubt that what is written here is the truth. Since you brought evidence, it must all be real. Besides, I can see through simple lies.”
“Yes. That’s why I didn’t even think about lying from the start.”
“Then that means the details of the culprit written here are also the absolute truth?”
She looked pained, as if she desperately hoped her senses were wrong this one time, but everything written there was a fact.
“By the way… you don’t seem very surprised that I know your true identity?”
To explain the villain, I inevitably had to write about his relationship with her, but she hadn’t reacted much to that part.
Honestly, I had agonized over how to explain that part just as much as I had worried about explaining how I killed the guy, but she had moved past it quite easily.
“I guessed as much when you honestly told me you knew about the future. It’s too big a secret to reveal to a Chairperson who has only just taken office, after all.”
Ah, that makes sense.
So she knew all along and just let it be.
“So? Is this information really true?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, the culprit was a servant who attended to you back when you were one of the Sages of the Forest as a High Elf. His name is Latis Erbashun. You remember him, don’t you?”
She would remember.
In the original story, she remembered him even at the moment of her death.
“…Yes, he was a child who followed me well. He was also the one who grieved the most when I left the forest. To think he would commit such acts out of the shock of being betrayed by me…”
…Huh? That’s not it.
“…Why do you have that look on your face?”
“Ah, well.”
Wait, can I actually say this?
Hmm. Remaining as a psychopathic revenger to someone he once respected, versus remaining as a twisted pervert with a bizarre fetish to someone he once respected.
Which path preserves the bastard’s honor?
Obviously, a revenger is better than a pervert.
“That guy didn’t act out of revenge against you specifically.”
However, I am a man who occasionally loves the truth. Besides, I had no loyalty to protect a villain’s honor, and come to think of it, there was a reason I had to tell the Chairperson the truth.
“Then for what reason did he…?”
“Among the evidence I submitted, there is an artifact that revives the dead as dolls that simply don’t decay.”
“Yes…?”
Even after hearing this much, she didn’t seem to guess what I was about to say.
“Well, basically… he intended to use that artifact to make you his own forever.”
“…What?”
Ah, the light vanished from the Chairperson’s eyes.
Yes, the truth is often cruel.
Honestly, I knew she would find it repulsive.
Still, there was a reason I had to say this to her, so I couldn’t just gloss over it.
“Honestly, if that’s true, it doesn’t make me feel very good.”
“Um, I know you’re shocked, but may I continue?”
“Go ahead…”
The Chairperson seemed to have lost a lot of her energy, but she appeared to believe she needed to hear everything.
“There are still those among the Elves who are targeting you for reasons similar to his. Though he was a bit of a radical.”
In the original story, the bastard eventually succeeded in monopolizing the Chairperson until the moment he died, but she didn’t find peace even after his death.
There were other factions targeting her besides him.
“To some, you are a symbol; to others, an object of desire. You are a very attractive existence, Chairperson.”
“…This is the first time my appearance, which doesn’t age even as I grow older, has felt so unpleasant.”
“Well, I wanted to report this and tell you to be careful at the same time.”
“If what you say is true, does that make Cadet Kang So-hyun my savior?”
I wonder. It’s true I saved her from dying, but can I really be called a savior?
Given the description in the original story that she didn’t resent him even as she died, she probably still holds as much affection for Elves as she does for humans.
Since I killed someone she had a connection with without any permission, even if he was a villain, it would be a bit awkward to act like a grand savior.
“You still seem to have too many unnecessary thoughts. Perhaps knowing the future isn’t such a good thing after all.”
“Tell me about it. I have so much to do, it’s a nightmare.”
“I’ll see to it that you’re rewarded separately. However, I’m sorry, but as for a public announcement…”
“I’d actually prefer it if you didn’t make an announcement, and I don’t need a reward either. To be honest, I already took what I wanted from that guy’s artifacts.”
“…I see.”
I couldn’t tell if her strangely bitter expression was because of me or because of the villain.
Anyway, the report was over and I had given her the warning, so it was time to head back.
Just as I was about to leave, the Chairperson called out to me again.
“Cadet Kang So-hyun.”
“Yes?”
“I will consider this incident as one where you had no choice but to act without help.”
“Pardon? Yes, I suppose so?”
“Yes. But unless it’s a case like this, make sure to ask for help. That is all I have to say.”
“Yes…? Of course. I’m not the type of person who enjoys solving everything by myself.”
For some reason, the expression on the Chairperson’s face as she watched me leave suggested she didn’t believe a single word I said.
…No, I’m serious!
* * *
Now that I’d finished reporting to the Chairperson, I thought everything was finally over, but unfortunately, I had one more thing to do today.
I really should start preparing for the exams soon, but why am I so busy?
However, if I ignored this summons, I would likely taste something much more bitter in many ways, so I decided to go to the meeting place obediently.
The meeting place wasn’t anything special.
She had just said she had business nearby and would be waiting at a cafe.
When I opened the door to the cafe we often frequented and stepped inside, I saw my appointment partner in a corner seat, her face now strangely familiar.
“If you’re alone, why don’t you play with us?”
“Ah, first, shall we get something to drink? It’s on us.”
But fuck, she was flanked by a blonde tanned delinquent and a guy with perpetually closed eyes.
What is this? Are they insane…?
The Pink Chihuahua, who was sitting there drinking chamomile tea, was being hit on by these out-of-this-world residents who looked like they’d jumped straight through a dimensional wall.
Ah, for the record, chamomile has calming and pain-relieving effects, but considering Lee Yu-na’s personality, there was a high probability that such a level of sedation wouldn’t be enough to suppress her urge to tear the pests in front of her to shreds.
“Hey…!”
I decided to offer a helping hand, feeling pity for these guys who were about to die a very ‘masculine’ death just for talking to a girl.
“What do you think you’re doing…!”
Why throw your lives away so cheaply? You guys are still young…! You have plenty of time for a fresh start!
If you don’t want to die, go hit on some other girl!
“Huh? What’s this now?”
“Who are you? Her boyfriend? You look like a total scrub.”
But these sons of bitches, instead of being grateful, treated my grace like an insult. It was as if they were determined to get themselves buried.
Faster than anyone else, I scanned Lee Yu-na’s expression and then screamed at the top of my lungs.
“Shut the fuck up with that crazy bullshit, you lunatics…! Who are you trying to get killed…!”
“W-what? If you’re not, you’re not.”
“’If you’re not, you’re not’…? Do you bastards not know that once words leave your mouth, you can’t take them back…? I tried to save you because you looked like you had a death wish, and you repay my kindness with this…?”
When I looked at them with a face of genuine despair, the two of them began to exchange glances.
“If you knew who you were hitting on, you’d be thanking me. Get lost while she’s still holding back, you freaks…!”
“W-what the. This guy’s crazy!”
“Hey, let’s just go. Yeah.”
Phew. I saved two more foolish idiots today.
At this rate, I’ll get a free pass to heaven.
The problem now was that I had to deal with Lee Yu-na by myself. Would she forgive me if I slammed my head on the table in apology?
Chuckle.
But contrary to my expectations, Lee Yu-na was laughing.
“Yeah, you really are quick on the uptake.”
It was a beautiful smile, but her words meant that if I had been just a moment later, the world would have gained two young men who were either eunuchs or suffered from equivalent disabilities.
“Order something and sit down. I have something to say.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Once this is over, I really need to get some rest.