Chapter 229: Issue (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 229: Issue (2)
[Bzzzt— Geom... bzzzt— ma... hey...]
A voice laced with static. Beyond the shattered phone, Medea was frantically calling out for me.
I snapped out of the stupor that had paralyzed my mind. Now was no time to stand around dazed. I quickly picked up the phone, trying to reconnect the call, but—
[Bzzzt------]
The phone had completely died. Well, given how thoroughly wrecked the screen was, it would've been a miracle if it still worked.
I headed straight for the principal's office. Discussing something of this magnitude over the phone felt wrong anyway. We needed to put our heads together and brainstorm directly. A situation that called for collective intelligence—or whatever was left of it.
"Principal, it's Kang Geomma."
Arriving at the office, I knocked and called out to Medea. Creeeak. The door opened with a feeble groan. Through the gap, I saw Medea, dark circles under her eyes hanging all the way down to her chin.
"G-Geomma. The line cut out so suddenly, I thought something had happened to you!"
"I'm sorry. My hand slipped and I dropped my phone."
"No... I understand... When I first heard the news, I smashed my own phone to pieces. Dropping yours is practically graceful in comparison."
"I see..."
We exchanged a silent moment of shared anxiety. Still, we needed to get a grip on the situation, so I took the initiative.
"Please explain what happened. In as much detail as possible."
"Look at me, losing my head. I just dumped the news on you and said nothing else, haha..."
Medea let out a hollow, half-dazed laugh.
Why did the Senior assigned to lead the Heaven Class beat the Archery Saint—the Prime Minister of Japan—into a state of half-paralysis? Even if I wasn't directly involved in the incident itself, I was someone who absolutely needed to know. The launch of the Heaven Class was scheduled for tomorrow. My club members and I had pulled all-nighters just to barely meet the deadline.
And now, out of nowhere, a wanted notice was about to be issued for the lead professor. At worst, the Heaven Class might be canceled... or at least, things were going to get excruciatingly annoying. Less sleep went without saying, but worse, the launch date could be delayed indefinitely.
'If that happens, my plans will fall apart.'
Why was I stressing so much over a simple opening delay? Because before long, Permush, the 4th Corps Commander, would launch an attack on the Human Realm. What's more, she wouldn't be descending through possession—she'd be breaking through a Gate. Preparation was absolutely vital.
That was precisely why I had pushed my body to the limit to keep such a tight schedule. I couldn't afford to waste time on this. On top of that, Meain's role wasn't just being a lead professor. I had hired her so she could back me up or handle interference when I inevitably clashed with Permush or got dragged into other incidents.
'Unless there's another figure on par with Meain... But I can't dump this on the Principal, either. She has her own duties to manage.'
If this could be contained, it had to be. From a macro perspective, it was for the sake of humanity. I fully intended to hold Meain accountable later, but understanding the situation took priority.
After letting out a series of heavy sighs, Medea finally began to explain the whole story, sitting cross-legged with her hand clutching her forehead.
"It seems Kojima quietly snuck into Korea yesterday afternoon. Nobody knew he was coming. Ah, thinking about it pisses me off all over again. Why does that bastard have to live right next door so he can just hop over whenever he pleases?"
Her surging anger was plain to see. A bulging, throbbing vein on her temple and the audible grinding of her teeth laid her emotions bare.
"Anyway, Kojima waited for my sister on a hill at the outskirts of the academy last night to have a conversation... Well, calling it a 'conversation' is generous. It was basically a provocation."
"What kind of provocation?"
"I don't know the specifics. But that bastard is a master at getting under people's skin, and he runs his mouth without a filter. Whatever it was, Kojima must have flapped his lip the wrong way. That's why things blew up like this."
Between her slender, delicate fingers, her mint-colored eyes trembled with rage.
"There's something I don't understand. If All-Power and the Archery Saint clashed, there should have been some noticeable disturbance. I stayed up all night, but I didn't feel anything strange."
"My sister deployed a Subspace Barrier."
"Can a barrier be deployed anywhere outside designated areas?"
"Normally, no... But 'of all things,' my sister is the former principal, making her one of the few who can deploy it anywhere. Haah..."
"Wait, then if she deployed a Subspace Barrier, why did the Archery Saint end up in that state?"
"That's..."
Medea pursed her lips. After hesitating for about thirty seconds, she quietly confessed the truth.
"I guess 'of all things' applies here too. The problem was the mountain where they fought. Or more precisely, a certain well inside that mountain."
"A well?"
"Yeah. It's a well hidden deep in the mountain, known as the 'Well of Depravity.'"
I tilted my head slightly. The Well of Depravity? That name sounds a bit... hardly something that belongs in the hills behind the academy. As if agreeing with my thoughts, Medea offered a faint smile.
"Sounds like something that belongs in the Demon Realm, right? Well, you're not wrong. The founder, the Hero of the Origin, drew water from a canyon in the Demon Realm to construct that place. Shaping it into a well was a form of seal. You know how in horror movies they put a lid over something to seal away curses or ghosts? It's similar. The water in that well is saturated with demonic energy."
"Why is such a well inside the academy grounds? The Special Pavilion where we had the first-semester final exam was meant for training, so that makes sense, but this isn't something that should be in the back hills."
Medea readily agreed.
"Right? It makes no sense for such an unholy place to be hidden inside Joaquin Academy, a place that ought to pursue goodness. But there's someone who actually needs that unholiness."
"I don't know the full story, but I take it that person is All-Power."
"Oh, as expected! You catch on right away without me spelling it out, Geomma. Very, very clever! Yes, it's my sister."
Uncrossing her legs, she suddenly slid over and sat down beside me.
"Because Meain Poison is the only person in this era who has awakened her Blessing."
"..."
Awakening of a Blessing? What was that? A concept unknown even to me, someone who played the game halfway through? That meant...
'It's a concept that only appears in the late stages of the game's narrative.'
Or perhaps it was a MacGuffin—a concept that existed but was passed over as unimportant. Either way, I felt that this word, "Awakening," was the key to this whole incident.
Just then, Medea began unbuttoning her robe. Bit by bit, soft, bare skin was exposed.
"P-P-Principal... what are you suddenly..."
Flustered, I snapped backward to put distance between us. She blinked her eyelashes, looking at me as if asking what was wrong.
"Geomma, it seemed like you didn't know about 'Blessing Awakening.' I wanted to explain it to you quickly and simply! Nothing is clearer than seeing it firsthand, and above all, we don't have time to waste, right?"
"Does a quick explanation require taking off your clothes?"
At my question, Medea's eyes narrowed. She stared at me intently and giggled.
"Our Geomma... I thought you didn't have a single drop of interest in the opposite sex, but you really are a man, aren't you?"
Medea spoke slyly. The inverted triangle of her opened robe had already pulled down to her upper stomach.
"..."
"Geomma, while I'm flattered as a woman that your face turned red looking at me..."
Medea's fair lower abdomen came into view. I was about to avert my eyes quickly, but froze and looked back. For a second, I thought my eyes were deceiving me.
"Principal... that scar..."
A deep gouge carved into her flesh, looking as if it had been seared by fire. It felt somewhat unnatural to call it a mere wound.
"This is what I wanted to show you."
Medea caressed the mark. Her smile turned lonely.
"My sister is the one who carved this onto me."
"That... All-Power did that?"
"Don't misunderstand. My sister wasn't trying to harm me. In fact, it was the opposite. Decades ago, I almost reached the verge of 'Awakening.' To stop that from happening, my sister destroyed my lower abdomen."
"..."
I let out a low groan. I didn't fully grasp what she meant. However, one thing was clear: Medea wasn't simply making excuses to protect her twin sister. That much was certain.
"A Blessing circulates from the lower abdomen—the dantian—and travels through the blood vessels to every corner of the body."
"Which means if the dantian is destroyed..."
"Yeah, usually you lose your Blessing entirely."
"Yet you can still use yours, Principal."
"That's why my sister is amazing. She blocked the Blessing from spreading freely throughout my body while still allowing me to utilize it. She precisely pierced only the necessary mana points."
Medea moved back closer to me. She rested her head against my right shoulder. She seemed a little exhausted. Keeping my gaze fixed straight ahead, I spoke.
"To be honest, given the nuance of the word 'Awakening,' I assumed it was something positive."
"Once you Awaken, your lifespan and humanity melt away simultaneously. You could call it the price for receiving a god's favor. Isn't it ironic? That the god takes away the life of the very human they love."
Anyone hearing this for the first time would have been terrified. But my face remained unbothered. After all, stripping away humanity was something I was already familiar with. There was an intersection between 'Synchronization Rate' and 'Awakening.'
"Then the 'Well of Depravity' must be a means of distancing oneself from god."
Still leaning on my shoulder, Medea nodded.
"You have to drink foul water with properties directly opposing a Blessing to dilute the 'Awakening.' That's why my sister visits the well periodically, and that's also why the Subspace Barrier couldn't function at its full capacity."
I could hear her soft, steady breathing right beside me.
"I don't know the exact details, but Kojima probably started spouting nonsense about Awakening to my sister. He's been reckless ever since he was young, which is why he's ended up in a hospital bed now. Honestly, serves him right."
"Where is Meain now?"
"I set up a hideout for her. A wanted notice hasn't been issued yet, but if Kojima pushes the issue, it won't take long. For now, it's best to wait and see."
"That does seem like the best move."
"Right."
A hush settled over the room. Afternoon sunlight seeped through the curtains. Flecks of pale dust drifted gently through the illuminated air.
Amid the idyllic atmosphere, Medea spoke once again.
"Geomma, should we just throw everything away, go to a deserted island, and live out our lives like a romance movie? I think I said something similar when we first met, too."
"That sounds like a proposal."
"As time passes, you start wanting someone to rely on. It's hard to explain, but since I tend to live a bit longer than most, I'd like to be with someone who can stay by my side for a long time."
Medea lifted her cheek from my shoulder. She buttoned her robe with a soft smile.
"Still, talking to you has calmed me down, Geomma. What I said just now was a joke. I'll take responsibility and handle this matter somehow, so go back and rest. Wouldn't want that handsome face to wear down."
I pondered for a moment before replying.
"Noir fits the genre better than romance right now."
"Huh?"
"Principal, please go to All-Power and find out her motives. I'll go meet the Archery Saint and talk to him."
Medea stared at me, utterly baffled.
"Geomma, you...?"
"To resolve this as quickly as possible, dividing up the tasks makes sense. I'll head to the affiliated hospital right away."
"Ah... That's true, but..."
"There's no time to hesitate. A wanted notice could be issued at any moment. Principal, please go straight to Lady Meain."
"Alright."
She nodded reluctantly. But then, she asked in a subdued voice,
"By the way... why are you carrying around so many sashimi knives just to go to the hospital?"
"Ah, that."
Noir calls for sashimi knives; sashimi knives are noir. But I couldn't exactly give her that answer.
"I'm going to cover an issue with another issue."
I offered a different reply.
* * *
The Joaquin Academy Affiliated Hospital.
Men clad in black lined both sides of the corridor. Though dressed in neat suits, their faces were covered in scars. The distinct rough-and-tumble swagger of those working in the underworld gleamed in their eyes. They were the security detail guarding the Archery Saint.
Thud. Thud.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway. The men's gazes simultaneously shifted toward the source of the sound. A familiar, youthful boy was walking toward them.
'The Heavenly Sword?'
Coming within arm's reach, Kang Geomma spoke.
"I'm here to see the Archery Saint."
Archery Saint? Where did he leave off the honorifics? Dozens of pairs of scarred eyebrows furrowed fiercely. The burliest man among them stepped out in front of Kang Geomma. Though intimidated, the man had a job to do.
"I don't know how you found out about this place, but you can't pass beyond here."
Kang Geomma tilted his neck to the side and spat out curtly,
"Move."
"I'm sorry, but no."
At his stubborn refusal, Kang Geomma narrowed his eyes. Then, he casually scanned the size of the crowd.
Around fifty men completely blocked the hallway. Talk about a public nuisance.
"Disobeying an order and causing a disturbance in a hospital are grounds for severe punishment, but I don't really feel like shedding blood in a hospital."
Kang Geomma spoke coldly.
"Go to sleep."
Simultaneously, his broadly expanded Mindscape Domain blanketed the crowd of men.
Thump.
Like wooden puppets with their strings cut, every single one of them collapsed to the floor. Without uttering a single word of defiance.