Chapter 88
The video we posted caused a stir on social media.
Not surprisingly, the opponent was no ordinary villain, but rather Plague, a villain rumored to have overthrown an entire country.
Moreover, he had never directly named a target like this before, as he usually just outlines his ideology.
It was even rumored that the source of the video was none other than the massive mafia group, Corleone and that was bound to be an issue.
“Is that what this is about?”
“Boss, you watched it yesterday too, right?”
As soon as we enter the classroom, Jin-woo looks at me and smiles.
“You mean the……video?”
“That’s right. That’s right, do you know who posted that video on the internet?”
He twitches the corners of his mouth as if he doesn’t know what to say.
Apparently, he was taking some pride in the fact that it was a Corleone initiative.
“I saw that on the news today, too, so don’t get carried away and sit down.”
“Huh? That was on the news?”
I walk past Jin-woo, who looks dumbfounded as if he’s never heard of it, and sit down.
“Hmm? I don’t see Young-jae.”
There’s no sign of Young-jae, who should normally be at school earlier than anyone else, reading a book.
As if to answer me, Se-ah, who was sitting in the front seat, turns and looks at me.
“Mr. Young-jae left long before Mr. Eugene came, and hasn’t come back until now. Could it be that the teacher called him?”
“Instructor Ji-hyun?”
“Yes. Other than that, where would Mr. Young-jae go?”
Just when I was thinking that was definitely the case.
“Maybe he went to the restroom?”
Another plausible argument came up.
Should I try to contact……?
“Almost there?”
Just then, a complicated-looking Young-jae walked through the front door and stood in front of the classroom table.
“This morning’s Dungeonology and Monsterology classes are canceled due to a meeting of the academy’s instructors and staff. The Monsterology teacher will give us a test next hour, so please don’t play around.”
The kids are excited at the mention of the meeting, but sigh at the mention of the test.
“Apparently, the mood in the staff room is pretty serious because of the Villain Alliance. We also have a freshman welcome party coming up soon.”
At Young-jae’s words, one of the kids sitting in front of him raised his hand.
“Wait, does that mean we’re not having a freshman welcome party?”
When he says welcome party, he means an opportunity.
The other kids look uneasy at the thought of missing out on such an event.
“I don’t know, but maybe that’s why they’re having the meeting, because the whole point of having the meeting is to somehow organize the new student welcome.”
The Freshman Welcome isn’t just for freshmen, but also for alumni to donate to the program.
It would be a shame for the academy to miss such an event, so the meeting would be oriented towards the event.
That’s how it always worked in the game.
“That’s all for now. Go do your own thing, whether it’s studying or on your phones, and don’t disturb the other kids around you.”
I was confident in my Monsterology anyway, so I kept up with the news and world events through my Smart Lens, and before I knew it, it was almost lunchtime.
The teachers, who were supposed to be in a meeting, are nowhere to be seen.
At this point, I was thinking, ‘What will happen to my afternoon class?’
“Ha, I’m back……How’s everyone’s self-study going?”
Ji-hyun walked in with her bangs messily tousled.
“You know from the class leader that there was a meeting all morning, and now I’m going to tell you the Academy’s guidelines based on the results of the meeting, so listen carefully.”
Ji-hyun said three things.
1. The academy’s classes will be held as normal, but there will be no practical exercises such as dueling or dungeon exploration, and the afternoon classes, which are usually packed with practical exercises, will not be held. Students will be instructed to return home after lunch as the academy’s instructors have been deployed to search for villains at the request of the association and the government.
2. The new students welcoming party will be held and with the help of Academy alumni and the Association, we will maintain top-notch security. The safety of our students will be our top priority.
3. For the time being, we ask students to refrain from outside activities.
At this, the children begin to murmur and express their anxiety.
The fact that the academy took serious measures makes it clear that the academy is also in danger of terrorism.
The sense of danger was palpable.
“Does anyone have any questions?”
At that moment, Jin-woo raised his hand.
“……Jin-woo Bevalt, what is it?”
“Can we eat and go home now?!”
‘Ha, that’s crazy…….’
Ji-hyun wipes her face dry with the palm of her hand as Jin-woo shouts in excitement.
“……Yes. Eat and go home.”
“Woohyo~!!”
Jin-woo makes a weird noise as he’s excited to go home earlier than usual.
Feeling embarrassed just by looking at him, I turned away from him and raised my hand.
“Does that mean we can’t do any club activities today? Since it’s a sudden announcement, I think we need to prepare.”
Hearing my question, Ji-hyun nods.
“Yeah, well, if you’re going to ask a question, ask that one. Not the stupid one about can I go home.”
“Huh?”
“Shut up Jin-woo Bevalt.”
“Yes!”
Having shut Jin-woo up with one word, Ji-hyun turns her attention back to me and continues.
“Unfortunately, club activities are banned after today. Well, what can you do, a global villain has declared war against us.”
After saying that, Ji-hyun looks at the clock on her wrist and checks the time.
“So…… you have ten minutes until lunch, so take it easy, eat, and then go home. Oh, and Kim Se-ah.”
“What?”
“The government and the Association have requested a commission for spatial mages, do you want to do it?”
“What? A, a request? But I’m-”
“Of course, you’re going as an assistant or something, so you’ll just have to assist me. Your payment will be about 200,000 credits per day.”
Se-ah’s jaw dropped at the sound of that.
“Two, two hundred thousand? I’ll do it, I’ll do it, I’ll do it!”
Se-ah exclaims in delight, and Ji-hyun smirks.
“Then eat and come to the staff room.”
“Okay!”
Se-ah hurriedly replies, and then bursts into laughter as she sits down to eat.
“1.4 million for just one week’s work! Hehe……!”
Jin-woo, who had been watching the scene carefully, suddenly raised his hand.
“Instructor. Aren’t you looking for more patrol people or something?”
Apparently, the 200,000 credits per day was very coveted but Ji-hyun shook his head and replied flatly.
“Uh.”
Jin-woo hangs his head in disbelief, and Se-ah, who giggles at the sight, pats him on the shoulder.
“Don’t be so sad, I make a lot of money, so I’ll take you out to a club dinner or something.”
“Really? You?”
“How about tteokbokki in front of the academy?”
“……tteokbokki.”
“With assorted tempura.”
“I thought you were──but you’re actually an Angel?!”
A mere addition of tempura had elevated Se-ah from a mere mortal to an angel.
Ji-hyun, who had been watching the scene in disbelief, shook her head and started toward the door.
“Anyway, don’t go off in different directions, and go home when you’re done.”
Only after the children responded with a ‘yes~’ did Ji-hyun leave the classroom.
“Wow, I’m going to have extra time today, so I’m going to go to the fish restaurant.”
Jin-woo’s insistence on going to the fish restaurant, despite being told that there is a risk of terrorism, is almost peaceful, like watching a typical Korean high school student.
“Hello? Huh? Dad? Come home? Yes? Now? No, I know the academy…… finished early? No, I don’t know how my dad can…… that, okay, I’ll come home right away.”
But Jin-woo is also a member of Corleone and the heir to the Bevalt family.
The last thing he needed was to be alone in the middle of an emergency that affected all of Corleone.
……I caused this so I felt a little sorry.
* * *
And so, days passed.
The academy I saw on my way to school was bustling with activity.
It seemed to be in preparation for the new student welcome party tomorrow.
“Mr. Kim, fly this thing over here!”
“Oops, oops, oops! Be careful!”
Workers had already been coming and going from one side of the academy for some time to set up a stage or a sculpture, and the other students were also looking forward to tomorrow’s welcome party.
Surprisingly, after several days of emergency, nothing happened.
The children who had been following the teacher’s instructions at first gradually became more relaxed, and some of the teachers went back to their normal lives when nothing happened.
Some of them, like Jin-woo, even seemed to be enjoying the shortened lessons, so everyone seemed to have relaxed a bit.
Moreover, the new student welcome party was the first festival of the academy, and it was bound to be exciting.
As I walked through the cheerful hallway and into the classroom, I saw Jin-woo turn his head to look at me with a smile on his face.
He stops talking to the other kids and stands up from his seat to run over to me.
“Ah! Boss, what do you think?!”
“About what.”
“You know, the text.”
……Text?
“You mean the text that said afternoon classes will resume after the new student welcome party?”
“That’s right! That’s right! No, boss, don’t you think it’s a bit much to resume afternoon classes after just one week?”
‘No, I was just wondering what you were talking about.’
It was clear that the most relaxed student of the week was this one.
He must have family problems, but he’s so light-hearted because of his nature.
“Well, it’s an expensive academy, but it’s not fair to go to only morning classes, is it, Young-jae?”
“……It’s better to have afternoon classes than to be dragged around by your mentor every day because you don’t have afternoon classes. I strongly agree with the academy.”
‘……It’s not like I don’t know how you feel.’
I, too, had to go straight back to the mansion after the academy to help with the organization, so I didn’t get a chance to rest.
“Look at this. These guys are weird. They say it’s better to stay in the academy longer, what does the boss think?”
“No I don’t…….”
At that moment, Ji-hyun entered the class, looking as tired as ever, and flopped down on the table.
“Oh…… is everyone here? Did you see the text? It was an after-work honey, but I’m done sucking h……honey.”
“Instructor thinks so too, right?!”
Here was another instructor like Jin-woo.
“Huh? What’s he talking about again, stop talking nonsense and sit down.”
“……Hing.”
She seemed to have a different tone.
“Now that we’re all seated, I’ll start with a quick announcement. Classes will resume in the afternoon, just like it says, after the new student welcome party tomorrow. But don’t let your guard down, it’s just government policy, the situation is not over yet…….the next message is──”
[──Jizik ────JizikJizik]
Suddenly, Ji-hyun stops talking as a loud noise blares from the class speakers.
The other kids are also frowning or covering their ears at the sound.
I’m also thinking, ‘What the hell is going on?’
──♪ ───♬
Ring around the rosie.(Let’s ring around the rose.)
A pocket full of posies.
Ashes! ashes!
We all fall down!
Never belonged here.
The cheerful, upbeat song echoes throughout the academy.
A song that most South Koreans have heard on the news at one time or another.
“……?”
Someone who recognizes it speaks up briefly, and then──
────────!!!
There was a loud bang and my vision went black.
