Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: End of the Academic Tribunal
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"It ended sooner than I expected."
A woman spoke curtly as she walked toward the principal.
The principal called her "Chairman" upon seeing her, but no matter how I looked, she was Gu Hyejin to me.
Her somewhat sharp eyes and pursed lips.
Even the tear mole under her right eye was identical.
Did she enter the game world too?
Why on earth?
Is she here to kill me herself?
"Gu Hyejin!"
I shouted her name without thinking.
As gazes turned to me, I panicked, but she just shrugged.
"Gu Hyejin? What's that? A person's name? Weird name."
That was her only reaction.
She ignored me completely and stood before the principal.
"What are you doing? Get up."
"Pardon? Oh, yes..."
As the chairman sat, the principal stood awkwardly, having lost his seat.
Fortunately, Selena and Michelle offered their seats, and the principal took Selena's.
"Hmph..."
The chairman frowned, clearly displeased, tapping the desk with her index fingernail.
No matter how I looked at her, she was just like Gu Hyejin.
Not just her face, but that irritated expression too.
"You lot."
Her single remark froze the tribunal.
"I heard everything you were saying outside since I was late. Thought I'd see how you handle it. Total mess, huh?"
The teachers who had been chattering fell silent.
Judging by the reactions around me, she really was the chairman.
Come to think of it, it was weird for her to enter the game just to put me in it.
When I called her name earlier, she acted like she'd never heard it.
So she's just someone who looks like her?
"You gonna do your jobs right or not?"
"What do you mean..."
The chairman snapped at the groveling principal.
"You were about to declare him guilty, right?"
"Yes, but..."
"Hey, how the hell is this guilty? Did you pull Michelle's words out of your ass? Wave one scrap of paper and call it guilty?"
"We did our own investigation..."
"Investigation? What investigation?"
"And Selena has no reason to fabricate evidence, does she?"
"Unbelievable."
How could not just her looks, but even the way she chewed out her subordinates be so identical?
Ugh... my head...
Memories of the hellish company life after breaking up with her flooded back.
The chairman glared at the principal, clearly unimpressed with his excuses.
"Hey, you're all fired."
The teachers gasped as if a bomb had dropped in the tribunal.
I was shocked too, but the chairman remained nonchalant amid the chaos.
"Ch-Chairman! What do you mean?!"
"Can't do the job right? Gotta cut you loose. No whining—watch how it's done. Tribunal restarts now. Begin!"
She slammed the desk with a bang at "begin" and continued.
"Ian Drakhin's verdict is on hold. Overturn acceptance of the accuser's mana trace analysis report. Secure new mana traces from Ian Drakhin afterward, commission multiple analysis firms, and review results at the next tribunal. Court adjourned!"
Did I hear that right?
She's on my side?
That settled it.
The chairman was just a game character who looked and acted like my ex, nothing more.
If she were really Gu Hyejin, she wouldn't help me.
But if there's such a straightforward way, what the hell was the school doing? Why did I go through all this?
No way...
"Why handle something this simple like idiots? ...Wait, you didn't take bribes or anything, did you?"
The chairman voiced my exact suspicion.
"N-No way!"
"Absolutely not!"
As the teachers frantically denied it, she clicked her tongue.
"Investigation will reveal it anyway. Oh, and Michelle, you're not fired, so relax. I was busy and didn't know the details. If I hadn't heard you out, we'd have let an innocent guy slip away."
The other teachers mumbled but none spoke up.
From the mood, they seemed more worried about their firings than the verdict.
Selena boldly shouted amid the hesitant teachers.
"Wait, Chairman!"
"Yes, speak. Selena Branzel."
"You're saying my evidence lacks credibility? I can't accept that!"
Unlike the teachers, she was unhappy with the chairman's ruling.
To confront the chairman who had the teachers cowering—truly the heiress of a chaebol family.
The chairman smirked like she was teasing a child.
"The world is full of unacceptable things. Especially for a young lady just entering adulthood."
"Are you mocking me?"
"No? Just teaching you that throwing tantrums doesn't work in the adult world. Adults handle things meticulously."
Selena growled at the blatant condescension.
"Is it okay to treat me like this? Forgot how much my mother's company donates to this school every year?"
She had the guts to say that to the chairman.
Selena was impressive in more ways than one.
The chairman still wore her mocking expression.
"Sigh, that's why kids who don't know society yet..."
"What?"
"Miss. Think the Branzel donations are just charity? It's advertising. Your mom's company donates to the nation's top school to promote its image of fostering future talent and contributing to the country."
"..."
"We sell that image and get paid fairly. Don't mistake it for your family being superior just because it's called a donation. Plenty of companies want to cozy up to me besides Branzel. Maybe switch partners? You'll get an earful from mom."
"Tch."
Her relentless logic-barrage was exactly like Gu Hyejin grilling me at work over every little thing.
"What? Thought I'd cower like these guys?"
Selena's clenched fists trembled.
Her flushed face looked ready to spew white steam.
Seeing her so furious was oddly satisfying.
"Anyway, I can't accept that ruling!"
"I didn't say not guilty. Want guilty? Prove it properly next time. Wrong?"
"..."
If I had a job, I'd never work under a boss like her, even if it killed me.
...Oh, right. I did.
"Alright, real adjournment! Oh, about firing you all—need to finish the tribunal, so after that. Find new jobs by then."
The tribunal erupted in chaos after.
Some teachers begged the chairman tearfully; others fainted on the spot.
Selena left grumbling, exchanging a glance with me as Michelle departed too.
I wanted to hug Michelle and cheer, but suppressed the urge amid the stares.
Even as teachers left with dazed faces one by one, I stayed seated.
Didn't want to seem rude by standing before the chairman.
Soon, only she and I remained, and I stared at her face.
The face identical to my long-lost ex.
Not fond feelings, just complicated.
Sensing my gaze, she tossed out a line.
"Why stare like that? Like my face?"
She was pretty, sure.
That's why we dated.
I scratched my head and replied.
"No. Just wanted to say thanks."
"No need. I was as fair as possible. Thank your homeroom teacher Michelle. First time meeting our school's first male student. How's your mother?"
Mother?
I'd never even contacted this character's family.
Best give a vague answer.
"Yes. She's well."
Her tone implied she knew the mother well.
Maybe related to her helping me enroll.
"Good. Now back to jail."
"Yes... Pardon?"
"What? You're not innocent yet."
"Right."
Sensing presences, I looked around—sunglasses ladies had arrived to escort me.
I left without sharing joy with Michelle, straight back to jail.
As I exited, I felt the chairman watching my back, but couldn't read her eyes.
---
That same night.
I was released from jail without knowing why.
The sunglasses lady said Selena's requested analysis firm reported issues in the process.
Mana traces mixed with another object, yielding wrong results.
I figured the firm changed stance under Selena's pressure.
School might uncover her framing attempt during investigation.
Anyway, no need for retrial—I was declared innocent and freed.
Back at the dorm, I turned on my phone before celebrating.
The skill window that first warned me of death.
Content unchanged, but turning the page revealed new lines.
Reading that, the reality of averting death sank in.
This character's death routes weren't just one or two, so no full relief yet.
Still, confidence grew that I could pull it off.
Melissa Adel was the chairman's name.
During development, I only knew her name for the character—never imagined she'd look exactly like my ex.
But something felt off.
Per the skill, Michelle's testimony was key to my conviction.
I thought winning her over would secure innocence easily.
But even with her support, the tribunal leaned guilty.
Without the chairman stepping in after hearing Michelle, I'd be convicted.
Skill glitch?
Or can't predict perfectly?
No satisfying answer came.
Still, I'd benefited from Eye that Sees Death, so I'd keep using it.
I pocketed the phone and pondered.
Crisis averted—time for revenge.
Selena wouldn't back down easily anyway, so strike first.
But Dania was a problem.
She'd kill me if I touched a hair on Selena.
A Branzel butler could manage that.
Handle Dania first?
Her scent fetish could work, but her interest in me vanished at some point.
Worst case, use Enchantment Magic to make her mine and get revenge on Selena too.
That's what I thought once.
But this morning, I recalled a crucial forgotten truth.
About Enchantment Resistance.
Enchantment Magic was added during development but cut for not fitting the game's tone.
Another issue: too overpowered, breaking balance.
Solution: give all characters Enchantment Resistance skill.
Resistance has ranks like skills; higher ranks resist stronger.
To affect high-rank holders, need matching Enchantment level.
For some reason, only I know, but this world has the deleted Enchantment Magic.
Logically, Enchantment Resistance exists too.
Indeed, testing on the sunglasses lady removing my inhibitor bracelet did nothing.
She had high-rank resistance.
World inhabitants don't know about Enchantment Magic or their resistance.
Resistance rank depends on owner's magic power.
Teachers like Michelle, and powerhouses like Selena and Dania, likely have high ranks.
My mere two beginner Enchantments? Hopeless.
Question arises: SS-rank Mana Manipulation Anna fell for my beginner spell?
No idea why.
Something unknown?
Key point: Can't use Enchantment on Dania or Selena due to high resistance.
Why remember now? Forgot completely until spotting a brief note on the Enchantment book’s back.
Conclusion: Find evidence of Selena's framing.
With proof she tried to frame me, revenge is easy.
I'd teach that arrogant girl a real lesson.
...Night's deep; bed time.
Resolved, I hurried to sleep, wishing for tomorrow.