Episode 87 Festival: Contract (2)
“Well, it’s not as bad as I thought.”
A pink water droplet crystal. I was rolling it around in my hand.
I don’t know much about cosmetics, but at first glance, it looks cheaply made. Even at a high price, it’s mid-quality.
“excuse me…….”
A woman kneeling with her hair down. Just a moment ago, she revealed that her name was Choi Seol-ah.
“Can you please give it back… … ?”
Choi Seol-ah opened her mouth in a crawling voice. Her tone was full of humility. The corners of her lips, forcibly raised, were filled with meanness.
‘This kid.’
When I frowned, she curled her lips and hissed. The fists on her knees were shaking, either in anger or in fear.
I sighed and looked back at the jewels.
I turned it around with my index finger and thumb and examined its color under the streetlight. It looked almost exactly like a translucent amber stone.
‘I thought it would be different because it was a stallion’s mark.’
A mark of the stallion, a crystal created when a villain makes a contract with a legion commander-level demon. They used this to prove which legion commander they were a villain under. It is said to be used similarly to an employee ID card in the villain society.
‘But that’s the information that has spread to the people.’
Its primary purpose was as a means for the commander to control his villains. This pebble-like gem contains the life force of the contracting party.
When a contract is made, two crystals are created, one for the commander and one for the contractee. The token of the commander, the employer, is for transmitting magic power, and the token of the villain, the slave, is for receiving magic power.
In this way, the commander kept the hearts of his slaves in his bosom, so that he could use them at any time. It was an intuitive and most effective leash.
Then some may wonder why I took away this decision that was only for the receiving end.
Agor is already dead and gone, so the token doesn’t function, and since I have no magic power, it seems useless to me.
Besides, even if it contains life force, it seems worthless because it belongs to the villain in front of you.
but.
‘… At least I, as a user, can use it for other purposes.’
I smiled faintly and put the certificate away. Choi Seol-ah rolled her eyes dynamically. Her reaction told me that my choice was right.
“hey.”
“yes?”
When I blurted out the words, Choi Seol-ah lifted her head. She intentionally mixed in a cute tone of voice.
I stared at Choi Seol-ah. Her pupils were cloudy and gleaming, proof that she had no humanity left. Her eyes might look kind, but they were probably empty inside.
‘… But thanks to him, I heard things I never knew before.’
A story I heard from Choi Seol-ah a little while ago.
Leon is said to have written the story of subduing Agor among the villains instead of me. At first, I was secretly surprised.
The reason is the villains’ information power. The inspector must have been strict about keeping his mouth shut, but it seems like the news has already leaked to them.
It seems like the villains have already taken root deep throughout the Academy.
According to Choi Seol-ah, the villains periodically change their appearance, but their disguised identities remain consistent.
Even if there are hundreds of Academy staff members, they wouldn’t be able to recognize each other just because their appearance has changed a little. But there is always a way.
‘I should ask Ryojo to print out a list of the Academy members.’
The method of identifying the villains you have in mind is simple: take a look at all the hundreds of faces and confront them with real people.
I’ll have to sell my feet, but I have my teammates. If I explain it well, they’ll definitely lend a helping hand.
They also had no reason to refuse, as it would be unpleasant for them to have villains within the Academy. But if they didn’t like it, then so be it.
‘You either take charge yourself or-.’
After finishing my thoughts, I opened my mouth low.
“So why are you targeting Leon instead of me?”
“… I don’t know about that part either.”
Choi Seol-ah answers in a hazy voice. When I shoved the sashimi into her throat, she was startled even though the blade was still in the scabbard.
“I, really! Among the villains, there’s this guy named Professor Wen, and almost all the work comes from that brat’s head. A lowly person like me wouldn’t know, wouldn’t know!”
“What kind of guy is that professor?”
“…that is.”
Choi Seol-ah let out a sigh, as if she was hesitant to speak. She pushed the blade a little further into the nape of her neck. Only then did she confess in a voice full of tears.
“Kwarn-nim, no, I really don’t know anything other than the fact that I’m a subordinate of that devil-!”
… … 2nd Corps Commander Kuarn.
Now that Lycan has been sealed, Mine is called the leader of the Demon King’s army.
That devil’s stallion was sure to be a troublesome opponent.
‘There’s a guy like that in the academy.’
Choi Seol-ah slowly backed away using only her knees, and when she was caught by me, she returned to her original position. She added with a hehe.
“Unlike other villains who know each other secretly even though they hide their identities, no villain knows the identity of that kid. That’s why he has a really bad reputation among the villains. He pretends to be a professor and acts all classy.”
Choi Seol-ah was gossiping about me a lot. She was using all kinds of gestures and footwork, and she seemed to really want to live.
… It’s quite disgusting that such a pretty girl with a clean appearance is so mean to a teenager.
‘He’s the type that I can’t trust at all.’
I suddenly opened my eyes slightly and sharpened my senses. I focused all my nerves on one point, Choi Seol-ah.
It’s sharper than ever, having just developed my sixth sense. It’s a bit strange to say, but it feels like I can see things through my eyes. It’s an ability that I feel like I’d feel inferior if I tried to use it. Anyway.
‘I feel… … .’
A faint trace of magic power, as if only the dregs of magic power remained. Magic power must have been gradually leaking out since Agor died. Since he has been relying on magic up until now, his physical abilities are nothing special.
No matter how you look at it, he’s not really a threat. But if we leave him alone, I think my judgment will be distorted.
I rubbed my forehead and thought hard. How should I handle this so that people will say I handled it well? After thinking about it for a while, I finally raised my head.
Choi Seol-ah flinches when our eyes meet. She swallows dry saliva and smiles disgustingly. I stare at her with a dry gaze and then speak softly.
“Choi Seol-ah.”
“yes yes!”
“You, from now on, be a villain.”
Choi Seol-ah opens her eyes wide, as if she doesn’t understand what he’s saying.
“…Huh? What is that?”
“Don’t you know what I’m talking about?”
“Uh, uh. That… I think I know, but it’s a bit ambiguous. I was originally a villain… No, now that my lord is dead, I’m not a villain. Anyway, what are you saying… … .”
Choi Seol-ah chose her words while sweating profusely.
‘It’s natural not to know.’
It can’t be helped. Because it’s a line from a movie I liked in my past life.
The fox that escaped from the tiger’s den is put back in the den. This was the basics of fighting that I learned from movies.
* * *
Choi Seol-ah, who had survived, fled the scene as if running away.
Before leaving, she bowed and repeatedly bowed. I knew she didn’t mean it, but I did it anyway.
Honestly, if I looked any further, I would think of all the things Choi Seol-ah had done and I felt like I was going to pull out my knife. I could barely hold back the way my hand tried to grab the handle of the knife like a magnet.
I emphasize this again and again, but I think verbal communication is the best way.
Next is hand gestures. I think it’s right to try talking to someone and if that doesn’t work out, then try a different way of talking.
‘I couldn’t help but get stabbed today.’
Choi Seol-ah’s personality is exactly like a bat. She’s not qualified to be an ally or helper, but she’s not bad in terms of information. After thinking about it, my decision was to use her.
‘You have to use it appropriately.’
I was confident that I could handle the laundry if I used the carrot and stick well. I also received the stallion’s badge, so if there was a problem, it wouldn’t be too late to deal with it then.
I sorted out my thoughts. Final exams are coming up soon, followed by vacation.
I’m not a planned person, but I think it’s important to have at least a rough blueprint. Preparation is important for anything, otherwise it’ll be too late.
Although we do not know the true intentions of the author, who is a professor, we are starting to see the outline of what is behind it.
Auditore, who will oust the elders, is also moving, and Choi Seol-ah has been planted on the villain side. I am just waiting for the gears to mesh. In the meantime, I plan to gradually build up my internal strength.
Mining magic stones, training with the sword master, and gathering information.
In addition to that, there were many events. There was a mountain of things to do. It may not be everything, but I should do as much as possible.
At that moment, my phone vibrated in my pocket and the screen lit up.
♬
[Ryojo: Where is it?]
“Oh, that’s right.”
I had been away from my desk for too long due to an unexpected incident. I tapped the keys of the Cheonjiin keyboard with my index finger.
[Me: Bathroom for a moment]
Rollin’ sounds scary~♬.
[Ryojo: Are you making it and selling it? Why are you so late? -_-]
A pause in the index finger. It doesn’t seem like a word choice that someone like Kyushu from a noble family would use.
‘Well, that’s just how he is.’
… But isn’t it supposed to be made and sold? I replied with a hollow laugh.
[Me: Right now]
[Ryojo: When you come, Marona]
[Me: I’m going to buy Vivienne Westwood]
[Ryojo: Wow, old man]
I sent a text and shook my butt.
At the same time.
The sound of celebratory gunfire reached my ears.
Naturally, my gaze followed the sound.
Hugs, paang!
Once again, a beam of light flashes across the retina and then scatters.
Soon after, sparks flew brilliantly across the black sky. I was lost in the sight of fragments of light scattering like a fountain.
“It was a good thing I didn’t go back to the dorm.”
I tilted my head back a lot. The flames continued to embroider on the black background.
Animals such as birds and elephants, as well as phrases in various languages, are engraved on it. It is overwhelming in its sheer size and splendor.
‘One scale is the end.’
The significance of the fireworks in the Academy’s festival is great. It is a way to honor the cadets’ blessings and the ancestors who became stars. It is a long-standing tradition that has not been broken since the Academy was founded.
“I should have asked you to come with your club members.”
I scratched my head. Being alone had yielded unexpected results, but I felt like I had missed something more important.
I took a quick step. If I hurried, I could join them before the fireworks ended.
Knock!
The footsteps heading down were light.
Pa⎯ang⎯!
Bright colors burst out again behind her back.
The afterglow illuminated the night scenery, signaling the end of the festival.
* * *
Time passed quickly, as if it had been waiting.
As if the festival of the past was a dream.
So, what greets us after the youth event ends.
“Ah- Again, another test.”
Weapon scratching his temple with a pencil eraser. His brows are furrowed in annoyance.
Next to him, Ryozo is lying limp like seaweed.
Wheeeeeeing-
Chloe follows the fly with her eyes. Her pupils move quickly.
“Damn, what the hell is this test scope? Isn’t this a complete disregard for students’ human rights? What do you think, Principal?”
Weapon slammed three encyclopedia-sized textbooks into his palm. The mountain of books shook. By the way, those are the scope of the final written exam this semester. I nodded in agreement.
“No, do you only look at the written test for the final exam? You also have a practical test. Oh, I’m going crazy.”
“Oh, come on!”
It was Ryozo’s voice that cut off the seemingly endless grumbling. She glared at the weapon with fierce eyes.
“How long do I have to listen to you whine? Just shut your mouth and do it. Are you whining so much that you can’t even sleep? Hey!”
“Hey! Am I the only one taking the test? Ryozo, you’re taking it too. How are you going to memorize all this crazy material! I won’t have time to just read it.”
“I already memorized it all?”
“…what?”
Weapon flinched at Ryozo’s blunt response. Ryozo twisted his head as if to say, ‘What, is there a problem?’ At that moment, Weapon’s face turned red like a carrot, and his lips were about to part.
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
The sharp sound of flesh touching flesh. Chloe’s sharp grip slapped Weapon’s cheek.
“… … ?”
“Uh, uh.”
Weapon, whose head was turned a lot. He covered his left cheek with a dazed expression. Judging from the roundness of his eyes, it seems that his hand was quite hot.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. A fly got stuck on Weapon-san’s cheek and… …! I’m so sorry!”
Chloe quickly apologized with a look of regret. Weapon just opened his lips as if he was still half-conscious, and Ryozo smiled bitterly at that scene.
That moment.
Buzz! A text has arrived.
Mayru Death! Rollin~♬
Cell phone notification sounds ringing simultaneously.
We checked our phones, except for the dumb weapon.
==
[2034 1st semester final exam practical notice]
We would like to inform you that due to certain reasons, the content of the existing final exam has been changed as follows.
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