The Academy's Deceased Ate It All

“I’m sure… it was Yoo Ji-Hyuk? Your name?”

It didn’t surprise me that he knew my name.

It was because I could infer without difficulty that my rough personal information had been passed to him when he had requested the transfer of the pendant in the past under the guise of renting it through Dmitry.

“Yes. Professor Isaac McDowell, right?”

“Oh, my, what a delightful surprise. I didn’t expect you’d remember my name.”

He let out a laugh as if he were in a good mood.

Accordingly, his fairly huge body swayed like a wave.

“Where were you going in such a hurry?”

“Oh, because I have to deliver the material requested by Professor Evangeline.”

“Ohh… If that’s the case, shall I deliver it for you?”

I smiled at his words.

“It’s okay. It’s my job, so I’ll do it.”

Despite the direct rejection, Isaac nodded as if he understood.

At the same time, he raised his hand as if he was not offended at all.

“Then, since it came to this, why don’t we walk together? I also have to go there just in time.”

He let out a roaring laugh.

“And there were also a few things I wanted to ask a academy student here in Orhe if possible. Please help me not to be embarrassed.”

“… well, okay.”

I was going to refuse immediately, but changed my mind and nodded.

Isaac and I talked about many things as we walked down the street together.

Most of the time, I responded or chimed in with what he said.

He talked about the things that an ordinary educator would say, such as the weather these days, the differences between here at Orhe Academy and Urea, and his expectations and aspirations of being able to give lectures.

Meanwhile, he asked me gently, as if tossing it.

“By the way, even though I knew your name, you weren’t too surprised…?”

I replied calmly to his words, which he suddenly let out.

“Perhaps because of my status as a member of the World Tree clan, quite a few people know my name. So now I just accept it.”

“Oh, I forgot about that.”

He nodded, still looking at me.

“By the way, may I ask what lectures you’ll be taking in the additional classes this time?”

“I’m going to take Professor Evangeline’s general theory of magic and Professor Emilia’s basics of Manalogy.”

“Umm….”

Looking at him, who looked disappointed, I added with a sneaky smile.

“It’s a shame, but I’m pretty much a layperson when it comes to magic. I know it’s a good opportunity, but I’m thinking of building up the basics step by step first.”

“Umm, well… Professor Emilia is also an intelligent and outstanding professor. Evangeline, that person, I don’t need to tell you, and….”

He muttered like that and naturally tapped me on the shoulder.

“But it’s also a bit of a shame. I mean, you’re not taking my class. For some reason, I thought you and I would get along well… Not just as a professor to a student, but as a person to a person.”

Then, an electronic sound that I had not heard in a long time rang out.

[An unidentified vicious energy trying to penetrate inside you has been detected!][Judgment result. Most of the mental interference has been defended!]

Soon after, Svengali’s voice, which seemed annoyed, was also heard.

[What, now it is ridiculous… I moved in here first, so look elsewhere.]

Hearing the notification sound that the mental interference had been completely nullified, I looked at him, still smiling.

Isaac was also looking at me with a smile.

This damn guy and that damn guy are all going crazy because they want to stir up people’s heads.

While I was thinking if I should smash that damn guy’s head right now, Svengali whispered as if saying, calm down.

[What he did was, simply put, a suggestion for confession. To make you tell the truth without knowing it.]

“That, Oh. Come to think of it, I’m just asking now because I remembered, but….”

Isaac muttered as if it were nothing.

“I am sure you were the owner of the pendant that my assistant, Dmitry, mentioned. Can I ask about its whereabouts?”

“Why are you asking such a question all of a sudden?”

Despite the sharp reaction, he still had a leisurely smile.

“Because it is absolutely necessary for my research. As I said before, I was wondering if you could rent it to me, even if it’s impossible to transfer it.”

“As I said before, that pendant was handed over to my former professor in charge, Alice Blesbuck.”

At those words, he asked me with a slight frown.

“… So you mean she has it?”

“No. She doesn’t. It was stolen not long after, really.”

“Wait a minute, it was really stolen?”

“Yes.”

“Do you by any chance know about the culprit?”

Here I was recalling the contents of the report that Jin Ye-Jeong had written at the risk of her life.

I’m sure it said that the Big Watch he leads had frequent contacts with children of Milited while antagonizing the Red Case and the Thorns Cross Society?

[Hey. You are having very bad thoughts right now.]

Ignoring Svengali’s words that he said while clicking his tongue as if it were a shame, I muttered quietly with a face that seemed to be trying to bring back memories.

“Well, I’ve never heard of it before, but… I’m sure….”

She said it was Children of Milited?

“… what?”

He couldn’t hide his expression for a moment.

Then he immediately covered his mouth with the palm of his hand and exhaled quietly.

After a while, he asked, staring as if glaring at me.

“… is that true? You didn’t hear it wrong?”

“Yes. I actually almost overheard it, so I can’t give you a definite answer.”

“…….”

He began to ponder for a while.

Meanwhile, looking at me, he said, trying hard to put on a smile on his face.

“It was really an informative meeting today. And I’m sorry after suggesting it first, but I have to go first due to an urgent matter.”

With those words, Isaac began to stride toward somewhere.

With a serious look, he immediately pulled out his phone and made a phone call somewhere, his backside looking very agitated even from a distance.

And looking at his back like that, I said bye to him, still smiling.

“Have a hard time, you f*cking idiot.”

[As expected, you have a very bad personality.]

Ignoring Svengali, who clicked his tongue, I turned towards the place where Evangeline was staying.

* * *

“… my God.”

Evangeline let out a small sigh when she saw Jin Ye-Jeong’s documents that I handed her.

Then, with an expression like she was dizzy, she began to press around her eyes like acupressure.

“As expected, you met with Ye-Jeong”

At her words, I asked her what I had been having doubts about.

“… rather than that, if you were going to tell me right away how I could meet her, why on earth did you hide it?”

“Well, I just did what Ye-Jeong asked me to. She has been a smarter child than me, so I just went along with it because I thought she meant something.”

After saying that, Evangeline carefully put the documents on the table, fixing her glasses.

“… so, did you talk a lot with Ye-Jeong?”

“Yeah, well. We talked about a lot of things, from what’s going on right now. And that it would be difficult to contact her for a while because of body readjustment.”

“I see.”

She nodded.

“More than that, there were already reports that the seal has become unstable, but I had no idea they were stirring things up like this… And so is this new organization that’s using the name Children of Milited….”

Evangeline kept letting out sighs as if she were feeling stuffy.

“Ye-Jeong did a really great job. Thanks to her, we were able to respond somehow without falling behind them.”

“So, I mean.”

I dragged the chair in front of her and sat on it.

I faced her gaze, that seemed to be observing me.

“I think we need to talk a little.”

“What kind of talk?”

“Let’s stop the needless power struggle. We’re not in that situation right now, right?”

I stared at her with the most serious expression I could make.

In order to implement the plan that I recalled immediately after seeing the report of Jin Ye-Jeong, I needed the full help of the other Ten Strongest, including her.

If only we could get their help, perhaps we would be able to receive Minerva in the most optimal situation for us.

“I will try to arrange a meeting with Sister, I mean, the Clan Head, as soon as possible. And I will actively help you so that a cooperative relationship can be formed.”

“… why?”

“It’s to reduce the damage.”

As Svengali said, it was a fact that everyone knew that the best way was actually to prevent Minerva’s seal itself from being broken.

However, once the seal begins to collapse, it cannot be prevented from collapsing by any means.

It was just a difference in time.

And that was a fact that not only I, but also Evangeline knew very well.

“If the seal were to break in the five streets, the damage would be beyond imagination. If it falls there, Orhe Academy is also under the nose… But that doesn’t mean we can issue an evacuation order for a seal that we don’t know when it’ll be lifted. First of all, the seal of the Seven Evils itself was a secret, so the social confusion and repercussions caused by it would be uncontrollable. For now, we need to coordinate everything and gather information as much as possible.”

Hearing my words, she nodded slightly.

She said, pointing her finger at one part of Jin Ye-Jeong’s report.

“And the methods of those b*stards recorded in Ye-Jeong’s report… I mean, it said they can control the rate of collapse of the seal by occupying the key point and turning the vein, so if we use this in reverse, we can break the seal at any time we want, or keep it up continuously.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“… I think I know what you’re thinking.”

Evangeline sighed quietly.

After pondering for a moment, she nodded and stared at me.

“I’ll really have to go visit with you in the near future. It’s not a decision I can make on my own.”

“I thought so. Then when would be a good time?”

“As long as it’s convenient for you, anytime is fine.”

“Then I’ll contact you as soon as as the preparations are done.”

Saying so, she and I exchanged numbers.

Meanwhile, Evangeline suddenly let out a small laugh.

“Why?”

“No, it’s just….”

She murmured, looking more relaxed than before.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve exchanged numbers with a man.”

“…….”

“… I’ll be embarrassed if you take it so seriously like that. Because of just one joke.”

She blushed as if she were really embarrassed.

I told her that I would contact her as soon as the preparations were done one more time and walked out.

As soon as the door closed, Svengali murmured as if curious.

[Who will win?]

“What?”

Without realizing it, I asked back with a voice out of my mouth.

Svengali replied as if it were nothing.

[No, I mean that woman. Did you say Evangeline? or Jelly? Well, anyway, it seems she was just joking to loosen the mood a bit, as she said just a while ago, but… chances are that she did it because she thought she could see a sight quite worth seeing.]

I spat out, as if dismissing him, who was talking without a break.

“Don’t say such useless things.”

[Well….]

Svengali muttered quietly.

[I assure you, you will not die nicely the moment you make a mistake.]

“…….”

After a while, I pulled out my cell phone, ignoring Svengali’s now-accustomed screams.

There were two people to contact.

“… good.”

After sending the text message, I began to take a deep breath for a while.

This is only for the public interest, so it’s absolutely not wrong or shameful― Reasoning with myself like that, I pressed the call button.

The connecting tone didn’t last long.

― Yes, received the call….

“Sister. It’s me, Ji-Hyuk.”

It was when I was about to continue talking right away.

I couldn’t help but stop when I heard not Lee Ye-Eun’s voice, but clearly a man’s breathing.

― Are you in good health, Young Master?

“… Shin Woo-Seok-ssi?”

I heard a still polite voice from beyond the phone.

― Thank you so much for remembering my name. Young Master.

“No, why is Shin Woo-Seok-ssi picking up….”

― Currently, the Clan Head has gone into the bathroom, so I’m keeping it for a while. First of all, I am also in charge of the role of secretary and guard of the Clan Head.

“Ah. Yes.”

― Should I tell her to contact you as soon as she comes out?

“Oh, yes. I’d appreciate it if you would do so.”

― Yes, I will tell her exactly.

Shin Woo-Seok said so and added quietly.

―By the way, I don’t know if you’ll think I’m being presumptuous, but… would it be okay if I dared to do some private talk with the Young Master?

“Yes? Oh, yes. Go ahead.”

At those words, Shin Woo-Seok sighed as if relieved.

― Actually, I dared to worry that the relationship between the two of you might be too hard, but… I didn’t know that the relationship had developed to such an extent that even in private, you call her to give regards and call her Sister intimately.

“…….”

― From now on, you’re really not Young Master, but Master… my God, I have a light mouth, so I’m just spouting nonsense. Please forgive me.

“No… yes. it’s okay.”

― Please wait a moment. Perhaps Clan Head, no. Your sister will be out soon.

As if he was strangely buoyant, Shin Woo-Seok hung up the phone with a smile.

I quietly put my phone down and leaned my head against the wall.

“Ah….”

As I shuddered in indescribable shame, I heard Svengali muttering.

[I told you so. If you make a mistake, you will really not die nicely.]

Look, you are already digging your own grave.

So careless….

Clicking his tongue, he ended like that.

Soon after, in the midst of Svengali’s screams that resounded again, I quietly lifted the phone.

This time, it was indeed Lee Ye-Eun’s call.