Episode 177 Ghost Story (1)
A few days passed. I received private tutoring from Ryozo to catch up on my academic progress.
It’s because I’ve been so busy lately that I’ve neglected my studies, which are my primary duty as a cadet.
Not only me, but Chloe, who returned to the academy, also joined the tutoring.
“… Manager, you’re guaranteed a job after you graduate. Is that all? You can just pass the Hero Agency or any other agency without any special procedures. Your very existence is just a passing resume.”
I agree with Weapon. Even today, I was flooded with calls from unknown numbers. Even major agencies are now just trying to contact me blatantly.
I completely ignored them. If it had been a few months ago, I would have thought about those suggestions.
It’s not that I hate money. I like money, whether in my past life or this life.
But recently, I’ve changed my mindset. I’ve decided to be a little more faithful to my cadet life.
There aren’t many days left for us to enjoy our hahahoho academy life like this. If we do well, it’ll be two and a half years. In the meantime, I wanted to live a life like a cadet as much as possible.
After that, the Great War of Inma was scheduled. And the ominous future was becoming increasingly clear.
Half a century ago, the 6th Corps Commander was defeated by the old Chilseongs, and recently, the 5th and 3rd Corps Commanders have been beheaded one after another.
But even so, the Demon Tribe remained silent without a word. This was because the gate connecting the Demon Realm and the Human Realm was still intact.
The gate is destroyed at the same time as the Demon King’s resurrection, which becomes the signal for the start of war.
Honestly, the power of the two legion commanders, Agorna and Vesna, seemed to have been diminished.
If we had faced those two in the Demonic Realm of Gehenna, it would have been difficult to guarantee victory.
The reason I was able to kill the 3rd Corps Commander Vesna by myself was because I was a very capable sergeant.
It’s not that I’m being humble. On their home ground, Gehenna, the legion commanders are truly overwhelming beings.
There is a reason why the demons, who only follow the logic of power, are so obedient.
Moreover, even now that three legion commanders are absent, the two remaining legion commanders are currently ruling the entire Demon Tribe.
By the way, I heard this from Media, but the place where Chilseong faced off against the 6th Corps Commander Basmon was near the Gehenna Gate.
As it was located close to the base, it is said that it drew out power to a level similar to that of the Demon Realm.
If you do that, it makes sense that three of the Chilseong died.
If not for that, the Chilseongs in their prime would not have fought day and night for a week.
‘It’s strange that he had such a hard time against Basmon, the weakest of the legion commanders.’
In other words, it is also evidence of how strong the legion commanders are in the Demon Realm.
The remaining legion commanders will just wait for the time to come, for the Demon King to rise again and destroy the Gehenna Gate.
‘But now that I think about it, how much of a monster was the hero of the first dynasty who invaded the Demon Realm and sealed the 1st Corps Commander Lycan?’
No matter how much he was a friend, it is completely incomprehensible from a common sense perspective.
‘It wasn’t for nothing that the devils started having fits whenever the story of Balor Joaquin came up… … .’
The hero of the poem is a great man shrouded in mystery.
Training of seven disciples, blocking of the passage through Gehenna Gate, and establishment of Joaquin Academy.
All the major milestones in human history are the achievements of that nobleman.
Meanwhile, his appearance and subsequent actions are unclear. This may be the game company’s intention to block the reappearance of Balor Joaquin.
If he, a great man from 700 years ago and a super munchkin, reappears, the story ends there.
He must be a mythical figure who exists only in the setting.
“Sword Demon, are you listening to me?!”
Ryozo’s loud voice broke my thoughts. She tapped the textbook with the lead of her pencil.
“Are you going to get a perfect score on the written midterm exam by looking away like this?”
“I don’t plan on getting full marks.”
“Once you start, you should aim for perfect scores! If you have that kind of half-assed mindset, you’ll end up in second place like Weapon.”
Weapon exploded at Ryozo’s nagging.
“Am I always second because I wanted to? I also want to be first in writing! And Ryozo, you always sleep around, so why are you always first?”
“Tell me how I study?”
“… … .”
Weapon’s face became quite serious. It was too much pride to nod. But more than that, he was curious about Ryozo’s study method.
The weapon groaned and reluctantly gave in. Ryozo shrugged his shoulders slightly and said.
“Preview and review.”
“… … ?”
Weapon’s expression became stern. Ryozo added with a sneer.
“Oh, I forgot the most important thing. Just study the textbook. Listen carefully to the professors’ lectures.”
“… … .”
“And you always say things about me sleeping face down, but I still listen to the lectures. Among mammals, dolphins sleep with half of their brains alternately. It’s similar to that.”
The veins on Weapon’s temples became thick. Then they soon sagged. This was because he knew that those words were not just sarcasm.
However, the ending was ridiculous. He compared himself to a dolphin. And it was Saki, who was famous for being smart. Weapon felt ambiguous.
“… … .”
I looked to the side as I watched the two chatting. Chloe was busy scribbling something in her notebook.
However, I wasn’t diligently writing down Ryozo’s words. That notebook with the teddy bear stickers on it.
I know what it is. It’s a diary. One page is filled with the words, “I love you.”
It was the so-called love note. To me, that was scarier than the DeX note.
Chloe returned to the Academy the day after the Pertinax Auction House incident. She was so happy that she jumped up and down like a rabbit.
The club members welcomed Chloe. I also welcomed her without hesitation. I vividly remembered her running towards me with a knife that day, but I let it go. It wasn’t the first or second time.
They’ve been filming horror movies since their first meeting, so what can’t they do?
‘The roles are Chloe is a ghost and I am a human.’
Suddenly feeling someone’s gaze, Chloe smiled awkwardly and hid her notebook. Then she wrote down Ryozo’s lecture in another notebook.
‘If you do something else blatantly, the other person won’t even notice.’
Or maybe [the protection of the crow] was manifested.
Whatever it was, it was clear that studying wasn’t on Chloe’s mind.
“This part is especially important. There’s probably a 90% chance that it will come up. Even if the questions are descriptive, each professor has their own question pattern. Professors who have analyzed the depth of the magic circle usually… … every three years.”
I thought Ryojo, who has a languid personality, would just get to the point, but he explained it with sincerity. He didn’t even miss the faintly visible words written in the corners of the textbook.
He pretended not to hear the weapon and secretly wrote it down on his cell phone.
… And so the two-hour tutoring session ended.
“Let’s stop here for today. Let’s have the next study session tomorrow after school.”
Ryozo, who was covering the textbook, added.
“Oh, and tomorrow at 5th and 6th period, the Human Love and Gaho Aesthetics class will have a high percentage of grades, so Chloe and Gumma, don’t fall asleep and focus.”
“Thank you. You worked hard.”
“Yes~.”
Only then did Weapon get up from his seat. He grumbled, messing up his hair.
“Then I should go to Gaho training. If I want to survive in this damned practical academy, I can’t just take notes, okay?”
“Come to think of it, Weapon, where have you been going after school lately? Was it the training room?”
Weapon shook his head at my question.
“No, the music room. I’m armed with instruments.”
Yes, it was a recorder.
The weapon continued to speak.
“The training room is a bit too sweaty, so that’s a bit much. Instead, there’s a music room in the Aaron Annex on the southwestern outskirts.”
“If you go to the southwestern outskirts, it’s completely remote. There aren’t any buildings around.”
Ryozo tilted his head. Weapon asked back.
“There are a lot more people looking than I thought. I practice alone in the wind instrument room, but the piano room is always crowded. I saw it by chance yesterday through the hallway window. The female students were lined up in front of the piano, waiting for their turn.”
“Waiting for your turn? You don’t usually take out a number to play the piano. In this day and age when there are so many apps that can act as musical instruments on your pad?”
The weapon clicked its tongue like a stick.
“Hey, Saki, what do you know about musical instruments? There’s a difference in tone between electronic sounds and real instruments. No matter how much the times change, we can’t keep up with that.”
Ryozo’s eyebrows rose into a frown. But soon he waved his hand as if he was annoyed.
Meanwhile, Chloe kept tilting her head with a puzzled expression.
“It sounds a bit strange. The Aaron Annex was closed last year. They said they were doing renovations because the facilities were too outdated.”
Weapon shook his head as if he was talking nonsense.
“No way! I just told you. There are a ton of people! And Chloe, how do you know that?!”
“My older brother Knox is a sophomore. I heard last year that the Aaron Annex had closed down. I remember it clearly because Knox liked to go there because it was quiet. And… … .”
Suddenly Chloe stomped her foot on the floor and opened her mouth with a stern face.
“In the first place, the music room is only on the second floor of the main building.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ryozo and I turned our gazes to the weapon. His face began to turn ashen.
* * *
“Black hair.”
The one who chanted was a man in white on the altar. He was covered with white cloth all the way to his feet, and he was like a ghost, without any form, only a figure.
Below the altar was a gray-white world where all life had disappeared. It was a place, a bottomless pit that was like a phenomenon.
The deer-headed demon bowed deeply and appealed to the man.
“This, this is all my fault for not being able to stop it. Ha, but I just couldn’t imagine the impious thought that the monarchs would fall into the hands of humans. Father, please show mercy.”
The man in white turned around very slowly.
Kookookookookookookook.
The slightest movement shook the whole area. The only thing that escaped the effects of the earthquake was the altar where the man in white stood.
Damn it.
The man’s feet stomped down the stairs. The demons who had been gathered in disorder bowed their heads at once.
“Do you want mercy?”
The man spoke. His voice was almost hollow, revealing nothing.
“Tell me, if I show mercy to you, can you show mercy to me in return?”
“… … !”
“Compassion is something that only those who are above the heavens can bestow. However, I am also nothing more than a tiny creature beneath the heavens. So why do you ask for mercy from me?”
The man in white stopped in front of the deer’s head.
“I ask.”
The man who had been looking down at the demon tribe opened his mouth again.
“Was the man who killed my brothers a being of the opposite sex?”
The deer’s head rose without my knowledge. I saw the majesty of the great one. Behind his head, the black sun was greedily sucking up the light of the world.
All the demons shed black tears as if they had promised.
“Ah. Kuarn, the master of Gehenna-”
Swish.
At that moment, the deer’s head disappeared as if it had been swallowed up by space. It was as if its very existence had disappeared, leaving not even a single trace behind.
The man, the 2nd Corps Commander Kuarn, looked up at the sky. He stared blankly at the black sun with his eyes that were only wandering around in emptiness.
“The day we meet again is not far away, my lord.”
The black sun simply apocalyptic.
