Bribes and Severed Limbs
There are four first-year classes at the Southern Academy: Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class D. Each class typically consists of about twenty students, with the sole exception of Class D, which has only three. They were admitted because they possessed supernatural abilities, but Class D was essentially a quarantine zone for students who were highly problematic in one way or another. Consequently, students who caused trouble were occasionally transferred there.
Field training is incredibly dangerous because it involves students coming face-to-face with monsters. No matter how weak the monsters are, and even though the students are all superhumans, accidents are like ticking time bombs—you never know when they might go off. Because of this, the Academy always prioritized safety above all else.
If the entire first-year class moved together, the sheer number of students would make them too difficult for the teachers to manage. It would also make responding to emergencies highly problematic. Therefore, field training was conducted on a class-by-class rotation. Today was Class A's turn. Tomorrow would be Class B, and the day after would be Class C. As for Class D, which had a grand total of three students, they would tag along one by one whenever Class A, B, or C went out.
"Is everyone here?" Angelica asked, chewing on an unlit cigarette like gum, as she always did. She scanned the crowd, counting heads, and gave a brief nod. In front of the students lined up in a single file, a massive bus with tinted black windows sat parked.
The destination for their field trip was the National Anti-Monster Research Institute, a facility specializing in the study of monsters. To research and analyze them, specimens were required. Since the National Institute captured live monsters and kept them locked in underground containment, it was located far from urban areas just in case of an emergency.
Even a weak monster is a lethal threat to an ordinary human. If even a single one escaped, it could lead to a horrific disaster. For this reason, a secure means of transportation was essential for the Academy's field trips. True to the Academy's love for grandiosity, the transport bus they had prepared was absolutely colossal.
"Get on one by one once you're ready," Angelica commanded. Under her supervision, the students began boarding the bus. Watching them, I waited for my turn and pulled my backpack tighter against my body.
He-he, I've been waiting for this day. Today is the day I destroy the evidence. Since I had been cutting off and reattaching my limbs every single day, I had briefly thought that living like this wouldn't be so bad. But no, that's definitely a bad idea. It'll be trouble if someone sees them. It's much easier to dispose of them cleanly so there are no loose ends. Bye-bye, my pretty arms and legs!
Watching the students line up to board the bus made it feel like we were going on a school picnic. The kids were buzzing with a mix of nervousness and excitement, which only added to the atmosphere. When my turn came, I quickly hopped aboard. The bus had looked quite expensive from the outside, but the interior was on a whole other level. With the golden lighting on the ceiling and the plush, cushioned seats, it felt like a limousine had been converted into a bus.
Even considering that the Academy's students were future heroes, wasn't this a bit excessive? Every time I saw these state-of-the-art facilities that practically screamed "we have too much money," I couldn't help but feel that the treatment of supernatural ability users was almost overwhelmingly lavish. And this was just for students. Active-duty heroes, of course, received even better treatment.
No wonder voices of complaint echoed throughout society, grumbling about how supernatural ability users were being heavily favored. They called it discrimination, excessive privilege, and so on. But honestly, it couldn't be helped. The strongest pillar supporting society was the supernatural ability users. Without them, society—and by extension, humanity—would collapse. If you force them to shoulder such heavy duties, it's only fair to grant them corresponding rights, isn't it?
In truth, this extreme favoritism and privilege granted to supernatural ability users was tied to an event in the past. Humans are fickle creatures; when kindness is continuous, they mistake it for a right, and when sacrifice is continuous, they take it as an absolute duty. The war against the otherworldly monsters was endless, and those who marched to the front lines were always the supernatural ability users. They were the ones who fought, bled, and suffered. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens watched from a safe distance, treating the war like a fire on the opposite bank of a river.
Furthermore, mass media wasn't very developed back then. Ordinary people were completely ignorant of the realities of war. When a Rift in Space opened, they would evacuate, and once the situation settled, they would return. If casualties occurred, they blamed the supernatural ability users, demanding to know what they were doing. They would rage, claiming that since they supported them with heavy taxes, they deserved proper results.
They were lauded as heroes, but in the end, it was just conscription. The ones who had to fight were predetermined. Even if they died, they were simply replaced by new recruits. The number of supernatural ability users was never large—in fact, it was always lacking—but new ones constantly awakened to fill the empty seats. Because there was always a shortage of combatants, the supernatural ability users on the front lines fought with a spirit of self-sacrifice, yet the public remained oblivious. Since merely looking at a monster caused Mental Pollution in ordinary humans, a massive amount of information was classified and never leaked to the outside world.
At some point, supernatural ability users began to be treated like disposable bullets. It was laughable, really. Considering their vital importance, they should have been treasured, yet they were treated like garbage instead. It was like a nation at war treating its soldiers like guard dogs. Far from showing them respect, the public poured out contempt and ridicule. Perhaps they suffered from a severe lack of safety awareness. Did they think that because they had lived in peace so far, it would continue forever?
Their basic rights were ignored, they were conscripted and pushed onto the battlefield regardless of their will, and they received no proper compensation. Back then, the social consensus was heavily skewed toward the idea that supernatural ability users were obligated to sacrifice themselves. Eventually, unable to bear it any longer, the supernatural ability users revolted. They unleashed their fury upon society, demanding to know if this was why they had risked their lives.
A supernatural ability user is far stronger than an ordinary human. In particular, high-tier ability users were walking strategic weapons. What do you think happens when such beings stage an armed protest? Crash! Society crumbles, and nations fall. That was what happened several decades ago.
Since then, the treatment of supernatural ability users has improved dramatically. Of course, it wasn't just because of that single incident; various factors played a role. Public perception shifted over time, and the fact that the monsters' onslaught was growing increasingly fierce played a major part. Once the ordinary citizens, who used to watch the fire from across the river, began to feel the actual heat of the flames, they could no longer look down on the firefighters trying to put it out, could they?
Well, whatever the reason, if we're being given privileges and special treatment, we might as well accept them comfortably without feeling burdened. Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I looked around for an empty seat. Now, where is Aris... Ah, found her! She was sitting in the row right in front of the very back. I walked toward her with light steps, only to freeze in my tracks. Someone was already sitting next to her.
Purple hair. Dark circles under her eyes so deep you could use them as jump ropes. Large, round hoop earrings, and thick rings adorning all ten of her interlaced fingers. Her school uniform was unbuttoned, and she was lazily chewing gum, blowing a bubble. She looked like a fierce delinquent from head to toe.
Sitting next to her, Aris was trembling like a leaf. She would steal a glance at the girl's profile, only to jerk her head away in sheer terror whenever she thought their eyes might meet. She wasn't a student from Class A; I had never seen her in our classroom. That meant she had to be a student from the problematic Class D. With such a striking appearance, I knew exactly who she was.
"Excuse me, sorry to bother you," I said, approaching them. The girl turned her head and looked up at me. The moment Aris saw me, her face lit up with immense relief. Her eyes practically screamed: Save me!
"Would you mind letting me have this seat? I'd really like to sit with my friend." If she refused, I'd just have to find another spot with Aris. But she wouldn't refuse. She might be a troublemaker, but she was reasonable. The girl—Regina from Class D—stared blankly at my face. Then, she bluntly spat out a question.
"What's with you carrying around such a massive pack? Do you think we're going on a picnic or something?"
"Well, they say even the most beautiful sights are best enjoyed on a full stomach. You need energy to stay strong." I pulled a chocolate bar out of my backpack. It was a snack I had brought along as a cover. Packed tightly at the very bottom of the bag were Lucia's severed arms and legs, chopped up to minimize their volume as much as possible. I had placed a layer of snacks right on top of them. Even if someone happened to peek inside, they would only see food.
"Want some?"
"...I won't say no if you're offering."
Today's trivia: Regina's absolute favorite snack is chocolate. She goes completely crazy for it if you give it to her as a gift. Having successfully offered the chocolate as a bribe, Regina obediently vacated the seat. She moved to the row directly behind us and plopped down. Soon, I heard a rustling sound—the sound of a chocolate wrapper being torn open.
"Lu-Lu-Lucia... s-s-senpai..." Aris whimpered, looking at me with teary eyes. With trembling hands, she pulled out a notebook and began to write.
Thank you for saving me. I was so scared.
Because of her severe stuttering, Aris faced significant barriers in communication. That was why she had prepared this notebook. Whenever she had something to say, she would write it down and show it to me. Personally, I thought it would be better to cure her stuttering habit altogether, but since that wasn't something that could be fixed overnight, I suppose this was the next best thing.
"Don't be like that. If you judge someone solely by their appearance, you might hurt their feelings," I whispered into Aris's ear. Since Regina was sitting directly behind us, I kept my voice as low as possible.
But she made a really weird face when she looked at me. It was this creepy, dark smile. It gave me goosebumps.
That's just because she thought you were cute, Aris. Unlike her appearance, Regina actually loves cute things. That's probably why she sat next to you in the first place. She's probably crying on the inside because you were so scared of her.
"Hey." Just then, Regina spoke from the seat behind us. Her voice was low, flat, and incredibly menacing. Did she hear my whisper? I cautiously turned my head, only to see an open palm thrust right in front of my face.
"Give me more."
It seemed she just wanted more chocolate. Her attitude was so brazen that I placed another chocolate bar in her hand without a word. Regina's purple eyes glinted coolly. She looked exactly like someone who had just found an easy target... but surely, that was just my imagination, right?