Villain Hides His True Colors

Ding, dong, ding–

A retro bell sounded, marking the end of the first day of the semester.

However, I and other trainees had no choice but to remain in the classroom.

This was because Ma Juhi, who was supposed to call the guide, had been sitting on the floor for a while now and saying nothing but nonsense.

“N-no more lashes! P-please forgive me. Forgive me. Forgive me. Forgive me…”

Her condition didn’t look very good.

Swinging her arms in the air, she kept repeating the same words like a broken radio.

Then, she began vomiting various misconducts even though nobody asked.

“Aaakk! Aakk! Forgive me! Forgive me! I won’t accept bribes again! I won’t tamper with the grades! Even if the student…”

“Hmm?”

I had just wanted to know the color, but even information I wasn’t curious about was easily pouring out.

This was the same symptom heroes who would come after me in the first round often showed.

As expected, when you want information, a whip is better than a carrot.

Classification: Hobby item

Grade: D

Description: A luxury whip with heart decorations that was carefully crafted by a craftsman in a specific industry. 

*No injuries even if you’re struck by this.

*The pain level can be adjusted.

In fact, I had thought it was trash, but it turned out to be a specialized item for interrogation.

If she was interrogated the way I was used to, she would have died long before any confessions were made. But now, with this whip, I’ll be able to collect information ‘legally’ without causing any injury.

This will come in handy in the future.

After observing her for a while, I spoke to Mousin who was staring blankly in the vicinity.

“Ahjussi, please take the professor to the medical center.”

“Oh, oh. Yes, got it.”

“Ah! While you’re at it, let them know our class is over.”

Yeom Gangjun, who was next to him, also helped carry Ma Juhi as they headed to the medical center. Then, the trainees looked at each other and began to murmur about what they had just heard.

“Did you hear that? How can a professor at the institute do such a thing…”

“I thought Noah had gone crazy a moment ago…But did he know about this beforehand?”

“Well, he’s a very righteous person and had even dealt with a villain on the spot yesterday…”

They glanced at me and lowered their voices.

Well, in fact, I didn’t care if she was corrupt or not.

More than that, there was something much more important to me now.

Ding–!

[ Condition for the Challenge – Model Student (Repeatable) has been met. ]

[ Achieve top score in three evaluations (3/3). ]

[ Received 1x Random Box (Low). ]

[ Gained achievement title ‘Model Student.’ ]

“Hehe…”

I smiled as I looked at the messages in front of me.

Thanks to the top score I had gotten after interrogating Ma Juhi, I was finally able to earn a reward.

It was a little trivial to be happy with a low-grade box at my level, but it was a different story when the Challenge was a repeatable quest.

Ding–!

[ Challenge updated. ] 

[ Achieve top score in three evaluations (0/3). ]

The challenge was updated upon me receiving the reward.

As such, low-grade boxes will roll into my hands if I just steadily stack top scores.

Good, good.

I turned on my smartwatch and checked the schedule. There were eight remaining courses I haven’t received the top score yet.

Considering that each professor can only give the top score once, it seemed I would be able to get two more rewards in the future.

I couldn’t believe it was so easy to get rewards.

Maybe school life was perfect for me. Hadn’t the status window also acknowledged that I was a model student?

As I smiled proudly, someone shouted at me.

***

[ Translator – Yasi ]

[ Proofreader – Karane ]

“Choi Noah! How can you beat a professor so mercilessly in the middle of class?”

“Hmm?”

When I looked back, I saw Shirahui standing up from her seat and pointing her finger at me.

What the hell was she talking about? Did she doze off during class?

It seemed she didn’t know what interrogation meant. Or how gentlemanly I had interrogated this time.

Ma Juhi’s arms and legs were still attached, and she wasn’t hurt at all.

“Weren’t you watching? The professor wasn’t hurt at all.”

“Th-that’s…In any case! I don’t know what tricks you’re trying to pull, but you’re done!”

However, despite my kind explanation, she was finding fault with me for no reason.

Why was I at fault? I certainly just did my best within the rules.

“What do you mean?”

“Hmph! I’ve reported you directly to the school bulletin board earlier. I even filmed you assaulting a professor. So you better let go of any expectations that you’ll be able to avoid disciplinary action.”

“…”

Shirahui glared at me with her arms folded.

She was really ungrateful. Had she forgotten that I had saved her this morning?

No matter how blind she was to my performance, I didn’t expect her to be so unscrupulous as a hero trainee.

Honestly, if it weren’t for the Challenges, she was someone who I wanted to take care of right now. 

“Tsk…”

I briefly clicked my tongue and shook my head. At that moment,

Boom–!

The classroom door abruptly opened and a man entered. Everyone’s attention immediately turned toward the door.

And there, Dokgo Hakju stood panting.

“Uh, uh…Director?”

The trainees’ eyes widened at his sudden appearance. Meanwhile, Dokgo Hakju shouted with a flushed face.

“Who the hell was it? Come out in front of me right now!”

He had a tablet in his hand and displayed on the screen was the homepage of the institute.

Mana raged around him. The trainees turned their heads to avoid the fierce gaze of an A-Rank hero.

On the other hand, Shirahui approached Dokgo Hakju with a triumphant smile. She glanced at me as she rolled up one corner of her mouth.

“Director! It’s that guy over there! Choi Noah assaulted Professor Ma Juhi.”

A triumphant look as if every problem had been solved. She seemed to think I would be disciplined as long as Dokgo Hakju had shown up.

But…

“Shirahui…Did you post this on the school bulletin board?”

Dokgo Hakju said, glaring fiercely at Shirahui. Her expression faltered, perhaps because she had felt something amiss.

“P-pardon? I posted it, but…Is there a problem?”

“You! I can’t believe you posted such a thing on the website without the professor’s permission. You’re still a trainee, but you’re already ignoring the reporting system?”

“I-I didn’t mean…”

“Gah! If your behavior undermines the perception of the institute, who the hell can trust heroes in the future? And you even posted a picture, but did you get Professor Ma Juhi’s consent?”

“Th-that’s…”

Shirahui’s eyes fluctuated wildly. Dokgo Hakju, who saw it, frowned and spoke.

“Because of your careless action…No, do you have any idea how difficult a situation you have put the heroes who have completed our training program in?”

“B-but it’s not my fault…”

“Oho! You still haven’t repented for your mistake.”

Judging from the intensity of Dokgo Hakju’s expression, it seemed unlikely that this problem would end easily.

Well, she should have listened to the lesson carefully like I did.

She had been causing trouble since the first day of school.

When people say every school had a ‘problem child,’ they were probably referring to someone like her.

“Huu…Even though you’re the daughter of Lightning Sword, I can’t turn a blind eye to this. Come with me right now!”

“Ah, ah…”

With the appearance as if she was being dragged to a slaughterhouse, she left the classroom together with Dokgo Hakju.

While looking at her back, I shook my head.

* * * * * * * * * *

The morning of the first Saturday after the start of the semester.

Professors had gathered in a conference room to settle the week’s work and discuss the contents for next week’s lessons.

Usually, the first meeting every year had a variety of issues on the agenda, but for some reason, there was only a heavy silence today. An oppressive and somber atmosphere.

After some time, Dokgo Hakju, who sat at the head of a long table, spoke in a dry voice.

“Is everyone here?”

“…Yes.”

Dokgo Hakju looked at the vacant seats. Unlike the usual meetings, there were many absent professors.

Perhaps because the professor of Survival Studies who was sitting near Dokgo Hakju was the closest, but he added an explanation.

“Professor Ma Dongguk has been transferred to a hospital, and professor Ma Juhi is staying inside her home and refusing to teach. The professor of Combat Studies still hasn’t regained consciousness, and the professor of Medical Studies…”

The names of those who weren’t present came out of his mouth one after another. And each time that happened, the atmosphere inside the conference room became heavier and heavier.

After the long report, the professor of Survival Studies handed the report to Dokgo Hakju.

“…That’s all. All the details are written here. And…I’m sorry to be giving it to you with one hand.”

He had a thick plaster cast on one of his arms.

“…”

Dokgo Hakju read the contents with an expression as if he was confirming the list of casualties in a war.

Soon, he looked up and examined the conference room again.

Those who are sitting here now, no one was in good shape.

Everyone had either a physical or mental ailment.

What the hell is this…

It had only been a week since the semester started, but it had become difficult for most of the professors to continue their classes.

This could be said to be the worst crisis in the long history of the institute.

In the past, even during the massive ‘war against villains’ in Korea, the institute here had operated normally…

Why the hell is this happening at a time when I’m here?!

Dokgo Hakju frowned. He looked at the report in his hand again.

There was one name that appeared in each case.

Choi Noah..

His whole political career was on the verge of collapsing because of him.

Not long ago, the daughter of Lightning Sword had posted something on the homepage so he had hurriedly deleted it.

If the incident had gone public, there would have been an uncontrollable situation where even deleting the post wouldn’t be enough.

Damn it!

With this number of reported cases, it would have been natural for Noah to be at fault.

But strictly speaking, he had only participated in the classes diligently, and it was ambiguous because he didn’t break any rules.

There was even the background of a noble behind him, so there was the possibility of Dokgo Hakju facing a backlash, saying that he had taken unfair disciplinary action against him.

Shit! The situation is twisted.

And his crisis didn’t end here.

Even if he could endure it for a year while concealing the cases as much as possible, his position inside the institute was starting to be in danger.

“Director! Are you just going to continue to ignore this?!”

“That’s right! I’m not going to teach any more classes if he comes in the future.”

“Yes! Honestly, is there any subject that is worth learning for someone like Mr. Noah?”

Professors attending the meeting protested in groups.

Even those who used to flatter Dokgo Hakju in order to make themselves look good were angrily screaming at him.

It was nothing short of a dilemma. Dokgo Hakju wiped his forehead and cursed inside.

Fucking hell! Why should I be involved in this?!

Noah was a mass of disaster, as if he had been deliberately planted by someone to end his political career.

“How in the hell are you going to solve this problem?!”

“We have respected Director’s judgment so far, but we can’t stand it any longer!”

More and more professors protested. The more they did so, the more his heart began to sink.

Ah…my dream is over.

His long-cherished ambition was flying farther and farther away. In a quiet nursing home, a shabby and lonely future unfolded in his head.

Then, at that moment, a clear and soothing voice echoed through the conference room.

“Everyone. If so, may I say something?”

It was a voice that drew their attention for some reason. The professors who were protesting fiercely stopped.

Clad in a clergy uniform was a beautiful woman.

Saintess Samaria.

Despite her status as an A-Rank hero, she had applied to be here even though it had nothing to do with her chance at gaining a promotion.

And in any case, even before Dokgo Hakju was born, she was already an A-Rank hero.

So although he held the status of director at the institute, he couldn’t treat her lightly like the other professors.

With a feeling of grasping at straws, Dokgo Hakju asked.

“By any chance, is there a way?”

Samaria gently smiled and replied.

“It’s not such a big deal. I just wanted to tell you the best results come when it’s done rationally.”

“So…Are you saying it’s right to punish Mr. Noah?”

“No. I think it’s the opposite. In fact, all of these problems occurred because his skills exceeded those of the professors. Isn’t it?”

Perhaps because her words were uncomfortable, but the professors in the conference room turned away and coughed.

Samaria smiled at the sight.

“I don’t mean the professors are lacking. It’s just that the child is too excellent. You’ve never had an A-Rank trainee hero before, have you?”

“Th-that’s right! It was strange that there was such a talent here in the first place.”

“R-right…It’s not that we’re lacking… It’s not our fault.”

The professors, who had been listening to Samaria quietly, began to agree with her one by one.

In fact, from their point of view, their careers would be tarnished if this incident became known to the public.

It could be said that it would be much more advantageous to pass the responsibility onto the Hero Association.

Seeing the changing atmosphere, Dokgo Hakju looked earnestly at Samaria.

“Then, what should we do now? He’s already enrolled here. I don’t think the Hero Association will change the rules to solve this problem…Is there any reasonable solution you can come up with?”

“As I told you earlier, all problems can be solved very easily if they are resolved rationally. If his skills are better than those of the professors’…Wouldn’t it be a problem that would be solved if a better professor teaches him?”

“That’s obvious, but…In order to teach him, we need at least a professor of A-Rank or higher. And to be honest, which A-Rank would want to come here? Also, if that happens, this will become known to the public…”

“Huhu, no, you don’t have to bring in a new professor from the outside. Don’t you already have an A-Rank here?” 

“Wait, do you mean…?”

The faculty, who belatedly understood the meaning, looked at Samaria with wide eyes.

With a deep smile, Samaria spoke.

“Yes. Mr. Noah’s classes will continue for the next year. But I’ll take care of it myself.”

Between her beautifully curved smile, a gleam of madness shook.