Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Coincidence for the Transfer Student (8)
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“Everyone! This is an actual situation! Stay calm and head to the shelter!”
No sooner had the alarm blared than Gemini Teacher began guiding the evacuation.
“Don’t panic, and follow evacuation procedures! Slowly, starting from the front row, stand up and move to the emergency shelter!”
“Everyone, maintain order. There’s nothing to worry about! And if any student from the seat next to you is in the bathroom, let the teacher know!”
The students followed the teacher out of the classroom and descended to the basement via the central staircase.
As expected of Lord Howe Academy?
Not a single student panicked or screamed. There wasn’t even the usual line-cutters you’d see in a mass evacuation like this—what more was there to say?
Some were even chatting casually, as if it were no big deal.
“Getting a real workout since morning.”
“Did the Magic Faculty screw up again?”
“Anyone know today’s lunch menu?”
They were so relaxed it bordered on familiarity.
The dissonant mix of the ominous alarm and the students’ chatter persisted all the way to the shelter.
Once inside the massive bunker-like shelter, the students finally relaxed, gathering with friends or slumping into seats.
Yeomyeong watched them for a moment before turning to Soemiri, who stood beside him.
“…Why is everyone so relaxed?”
Soemiri blinked at the sudden question, then smiled faintly as realization dawned.
“Oh, right. Soe… no, Yeomyeong, you just arrived yesterday?”
She added briefly.
“Actually, this is already the third evacuation. So everyone’s used to it.”
“…The third?”
Yeomyeong raised an eyebrow in disbelief. How long had the semester even been going?
Soemiri explained nonchalantly.
“The first alarm was the day after the entrance ceremony. The Magic Faculty accidentally set off leftover fireworks from the event, triggering it.”
“...”
“The second was last weekend… The staff accidentally hit the alarm button or something. Anyway, it was nothing serious—we gathered in the shelter and disbanded after five minutes.”
Yeomyeong looked around the shelter with fresh eyes.
Humans were creatures of habit, after all. After two such incidents, it made sense they’d be this nonchalant.
But that very attitude kept Yeomyeong on edge.
Just because the last alarm was a false one didn’t mean this one was.
“…Major disasters always come with complacency.”
Yeomyeong scanned the shelter’s students and muttered shortly.
“Got a bad feeling about this.”
“Hmm… Isn’t it just unnecessary worry? With all the superhumans and mages stationed at the academy, it’ll be resolved in no time.”
“I’m not so sure. Look over there.”
Yeomyeong pointed at Gemini Teacher.
She was frantically tapping the shelter’s phone and her own cellphone, trying to reach someone.
Were the lines down? Her expression as she held the receiver wasn’t good.
She was trying to hide it for the students’ sake, but it couldn’t fool the eyes of superhumans like Yeomyeong or Soemiri.
Only then did Soemiri realize something was wrong, subtly drawing up her mana.
“…Suddenly I’m getting a bad feeling too. What do we do?”
“What do you mean, what? We don’t even know why the alarm’s going off—no point making separate plans.”
“…True.”
Soemiri paused, then turned toward Seti.
More precisely, toward the Saintess clinging to her.
“…Should we ask the Saintess?”
“For what?”
Soemiri stood on tiptoe, bringing her lips to Yeomyeong’s ear. As if that weren’t enough, she whispered in the tiniest voice.
“This is a secret, but… the Saintess can see the future.”
Her cautious tone suggested a massive revelation.
Yeomyeong didn’t ask how she knew. She was an elf princess, after all.
Considering the legendary exploits of elven spies during the Cold War, it wasn’t that strange for her to know such secrets.
Anyway, Soemiri continued, glancing around.
“If the Saintess looks into the future and tells us what’s happening… we could prepare somehow, right?”
Not a bad plan. Yeomyeong didn’t love getting further entangled with the Saintess, but he couldn’t think of anything better right now.
Decision made, Yeomyeong headed straight for the Saintess without hesitation. Soemiri, startled he’d move so fast, hurried after him.
“Yeo, Yeomyeong! Wait, wait. Precognition is a secret—she can’t just blurt it out. You have to ask indirectly…”
“No need. I already know.”
“Huh?”
“I know.”
Before Soemiri could ask what he knew, Yeomyeong strode up to Seti and the Saintess.
“So, like, our mom… Huh? Yeomyeong? What’s up?”
Seti noticed him first but didn’t acknowledge him. Thanks to that, the Saintess spoke up.
“Can you spare a moment? I need to talk to you alone.”
“…You and me alone? What’s this suddenly?”
“It’s urgent. Won’t take long.”
The Saintess hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave Seti.
Seti shoved her back firmly, forcing her to stand.
“Come on.”
As the newly freed Seti sighed in relief, the Saintess and Yeomyeong headed to a corner of the shelter away from the students.
It was still a spot where anyone could see them by turning their head, but sufficient for a private talk.
“What is it? You didn’t…”
Before Yeomyeong could speak, the Saintess eyed him up and down suspiciously.
“…come to get jealous about me and Seti, did you?”
What the hell was she babbling about?
Precognition or not, Yeomyeong’s temper flared—he jabbed a finger into the center of her forehead.
Thwack!
Caught off guard, the Saintess yelped and jerked her head back.
“Hey! That hurts…!”
As she clutched her forehead and protested, Yeomyeong cut in seriously.
“I need your precognition.”
“…Why all of a sudden?”
“This alarm blaring now—it doesn’t feel right. I’m saying it’s not something we can just brush off.”
Finally realizing it wasn’t a joke, the Saintess rubbed her forehead with a grave expression.
“You shouldn’t look into the future lightly…”
“Please. I’ll grant you one favor later.”
“Huh? Really? You promised? One favor from you?”
“…As long as it’s not weird.”
At Yeomyeong’s words, the Saintess smirked and crossed her arms.
Confident pose, but her swollen red forehead ruined any dignity.
“Fine, wait a sec.”
The next moment, the Saintess’s gaze drifted far away.
***
She’d use precognition right away?
Yeomyeong circled behind the dazed Saintess, blocking others’ view of her with his body.
Worried a stray glance might disrupt it.
And sure enough, countless eyes were on them both.
For some reason, most were from male students.
Wesley from the dorm fight, even Jeon Yunseong with narrowed eyes.
Whoever was watching, Yeomyeong calmly guarded her back.
No—in the meantime, he checked the shelter’s occupants one by one.
The still-relaxed students, Gemini Teacher turning away to hide her tension, Jeon Yunseong staring complexly at Soemiri, and…
Baonic Lerak, biting his lip in fear, glancing between the shelter wall and the Saintess.
‘…What’s with him?’
It wasn’t just fear. He couldn’t keep still, like someone staring down a bomb.
As Yeomyeong narrowed his eyes for a closer look.
“Urk!”
The Saintess finished. She bent over, suddenly dry-heaving.
“What? What did you see?”
“N-No. Ju, just… can’t die…”
“Die? Who?”
“Se, Seti, my Seti…”
Yeomyeong patted her back; she clutched his clothes like a lost soul, mumbling.
“G-Gotta get out… right now… if we stay…”
Yeomyeong watched her tremble toward Seti, then sighed and gripped her shoulder with his left hand, pulling her up.
Then raised his right…
Slap!
And backhanded her cheek.
The sound echoed loud enough for everyone in the shelter. Her head snapped to the side.
The watching students’ eyes went wide.
“…Ah.”
The Saintess finally looked straight at Yeomyeong.
“Tell me clearly. What did you see?”
As Gemini Teacher rushed over in shock, she said.
“…Soon, unknown people will burst through the wall into here.”
“Terrorists? Or necromancers?”
“Don’t know… Precognition was blurry… But lots of students dying…”
“Time left?”
“10 minutes… No, less. And…”
The Saintess’s blindfold turned toward the shelter’s vast wall. No—beyond it.
“Outside the shelter isn’t safe either. Corpses under the sea around the school… massive numbers… they’ll all turn undead and swarm here at once.”
“…Corpses around the school? Why?”
“I-I don’t know, it’s beyond my precognition…”
Yeomyeong released her shoulder. He turned to Gemini Teacher, who’d approached.
“Hey, transfer student! How could you hit the Saintess?! Violence between students is…”
Gemini Teacher raised her voice, but Yeomyeong cut her off.
“Teacher. Are there any weapons or firearms in the shelter we can use right now?”
Sudden question, but his tone was deadly serious.
Gemini glanced between Yeomyeong and the fidgeting Saintess, sensing this was no mere student squabble.
“…Why do you need weapons?”
“Enemies are coming. If we stay put, students will die.”
His tone brooked no doubt, laced with rising mana.
Gemini didn’t ask how he knew. She couldn’t.
Overwhelmed by the aura from Yeomyeong’s golden eyes, she averted her gaze and answered.
“…This is a shelter. No weapons here.”
“Then we need to get out now. Dormitory, anywhere—as long as it’s better than here.”
At Yeomyeong’s words, Gemini Teacher’s face darkened visibly.
“The shelter door… once locked, can’t be opened from inside until someone unlocks it from outside.”
“...”
Trapped tight. Yeomyeong frowned; the Saintess ran toward approaching Seti.
Seti hugged her in surprise, patting her back while shooting Yeomyeong a questioning look.
What the hell is going on?
The other students’ expressions were much the same.
Only Soemiri, who knew of the precognition, and Baonic, oddly gleaming-eyed, stayed composed.
As Yeomyeong stood silent, unable to think of a plan.
Gemini Teacher spoke.
“No real weapons, but there are practice ones the club kids stashed…”
She trailed off, but Yeomyeong nodded. No teeth? Bite with gums.
And even practice gear for superhuman students wasn’t mere toys.
“Bring those out. And…”
Yeomyeong turned to the shelter’s students.
Confusion, curiosity, anticipation, fear… myriad gazes converged on him. He infused his voice with mana.
“I’ll select those who can fight.”
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