The Academy’s Deceased Ate It All

The next day.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I looked at the basin I had brought next to me.

Laune, who was sleeping in the basin, still looked weak.

No, on the contrary, he had gotten worse.

I could easily see the green leaves that he had always boasted to me had turned black, withered, and died in places.

”Laune, look here.”

”…… .”

Even though I carefully lifted him up, he seemed to have no power to turn his head.

Seeing that figure, I wanted to cut that thing that was swimming calmly and leisurely in the tank right now.

The reason I didn’t was because the people who gave me the guy as a gift were Choi Hyun-Woo and Han Soo-Young.

”Wait a minute.”

Holding him in my left hand, I carefully brought my right hand to his body.

The branches of the World Tree came out through my skin and dug into various parts of his body.

I paid as much attention as I could to avoid leaving any scars on his body by any chance.

”…… .”

”Huu… .”

Energy flowed to him through the branches of the World Tree.

I was worried if there would be any problems such as rejection, but thanks to the nature of the World Tree, none of the things I was worried about happened.

In any case, the energy of the World Tree was the energy of nature.

”Are you okay?”

”…!”

The guy, who had been given energy for a while, looked up with a disheveled look.

The guy who stared at me blankly nodded and shook his head at my question.

Then, fiddling with his leaves, he began pulling out the bad ones.

He seemed to have regained some of his energy, so with a small sigh, I put him on the desk.

”I’ll order the new tank you’re going to live in today. Just hang in there for a little bit.”

”…….”

The guy nodded his head.

Then he waved his roots at me and pointed to a corner of the original tank.

There lay the spirit stones, which could be called his treasures.

”Oh, right. Wait a second.”

I immediately took out the spirit stones as he wanted.

Laune jumped up from the spot as if asking to give them to him quickly.

”Here you go.”

”……!!!”

The guy holding the spirit stones in his arms touched their surfaces, stroked them, rubbed his face, and shook his body as if he was relieved.

”…right.”

The sight reminded me of what I had forgotten.

I sat down on the bed and pulled out the wooden box I received yesterday from the shadows.

”…….”

Inside was a piece of wood that appeared to be Svengali’s body.

I immediately appraised it, but nothing appeared.

Could it be an ordinary piece of wood?

However, I immediately shook my head at the strange feeling that was emanating from it.

This was definitely part of Svengali’s body.

‘… it’s the first time this has happened, so I don’t know how to use it.’

I had never seen or heard of a case in which a part of a Seven Evil remained even after the death of the Seven Evil.

In the case of Margo, he died spitting out flames, and Svengali disappeared as ashes.

Originally, that should have happened to this piece of wood, too.

”I don’t know.”

It was completely unprecedented in both the original story and my memory.

It was not a simple problem to approach, so I put it back in the wooden box and put it in the shadow.

It was necessary to take the time to investigate later.

”……!!!”

When I got up, Laune waved his roots as if to see me off.

The guy, who knew very well that I always leave around this time, always saw me off like that.

My heart, which had been a little frustrated, seemed to be relieved by his insignificant behavior.

”Yeah, see you later.”

I smiled and waved to him.

It was time to go out.

* * *

”Oh, come to think of it, Miss Jin Ye-Seul hasn’t come yet?”

The young professor, who was now almost replacing Alice Blesbuck and was treated as our professor in charge, looked around.

”Um, no contact until the morning class is over… .”

He muttered and shook his head as if troubled.

”Is there anyone who can contact Miss Jin Ye-Seul? If there is, feel free to let me know, and I hope everyone has a good lunch.”

With those words, he walked out, followed by most of the students, who also got out as if they had been waiting.

I figured everyone would be a little sore today since we had only theory class this morning with very little break time.

”Ugh, it’s hard to see your face.”

Meanwhile, someone sat down next to me.

It was Choi Hyun-Woo.

As I had arrived at class in the nick of time, I ended up sitting apart from the two of them.

Perhaps it was because of the bad timing, or perhaps it was because the professors were particularly passionate about their classes today, but we didn’t have a good time to talk separately during the break.

Therefore, I could say that this was the first time we could talk properly.

Choi Hyun-Woo, who sat next to me, glanced at me and asked.

”… I guess the talk didn’t go well?”

”Well, yeah.”

I don’t know if it’s possible for the others, but it was impossible to hide from the two.

As I nodded my head and agreed, Choi Hyun-Woo looked at me with a complicated gaze.

”I don’t know if it’ll be encouraging, but stay strong. It’s not empty words, but Ji-Hyuk, your relationship with Ye-Seul... it wasn’t normal.”

”That’s why I think it’s going to be harder.”

When I answered that with a bitter smile, Choi Hyun-Woo nodded slightly as if he understood.

He seemed to have decided to remain silent rather than giving me clumsy encouragement in my attitude.

And it was certainly a choice that brought me much more stability than a clumsy encouragement.

It was in the meantime.

”Excuse me, Ji-Hyuk.”

A female student, whom I had not spoken to many times, quietly approached me.

She said to me, pointing her finger outside.

”The president asked if he could meet you?”

”President? Student council president?”

”Yes.”

It seemed that I wasn’t the only one who was perplexed at the completely unexpected words.

”What, Ji-Hyuk, are you going to join the student council?”

”No? Why would I? I’m not joking, I’ve never been to the student council, except for when I temporarily joined during an event at the request of senior Ye-Eun before.”

”Um… I told you, right? Then I’ll be on my way.”

The female student immediately walked to where her friends were waiting.

First of all, I spoke to Choi Hyun-Woo, and Han Soo-Young, who stood next to him and was still thinking deeply about something without saying a word.

”You guys go to the cafeteria first. I don’t know what it is, but it seems like it will take a little while to get here.”

”Okay. Should we go and order something first?”

”Uh… I’ll call you when I’m done. I’d appreciate it if you did.”

”Yeah, Soo-Young and I will wait over a cup of tea.”

In the meantime, I looked at Han Soo-Young, who was still silent.

She was looking intently at me, or more precisely at the part of my neck that was covered with a turtleneck.

I naturally fixed the turtleneck on the neck and called her name.

”Soo-Young?”

”Huh? Yes. We should. We should go first?”

She nodded as if she understood.

I looked at her for a moment and soon she smiled faintly.

”Why? Is it because I’m so pretty to look at?”

”Uwek…cough!”

Right next to her, Choi Hyun-Woo made a retching sound, and Han Soo-Young punched him in the side with her fist.

I said, looking pityingly at him, who coughed violently as if he couldn’t breathe.

”Well… I’ll be back. If you think it’s getting too long, eat first.”

”If I can’t eat with you, I’d rather starve.”

”Don’t do that. Make sure you eat.”

Han Soo-Young nodded as if she understood.

After looking at her for a while, I made my way to meet the student council president, who was waiting for me.

* * *

”…… .”

Han Soo-Young saw off Yoo Ji-Hyuk with a still smiling expression.

And as soon as she saw him walk through the classroom door, she erased the smile from her face as if asking, when did I?

”Huu.”

Then, Choi Hyun-Woo, who was coughing to death next to her, immediately stopped coughing and straightened his posture.

No matter how defenseless he was when he was hit, he wasn’t the kind of person who would feel pain from Han Soo-Young’s fist.

”Hyun-Woo.”

”No.”

At Han Soo-Young’s words, Choi Hyun-Woo shook his head.

”What? I didn’t even say anything.”

”You’re going to see Ye-Seul right now.”

”No? I just left something in the dormitory... .”

”Hey, Soo-Young.”

Choi Hyun-Woo let out a small sigh and ruffled his back hair as if troubled.

”I don’t know anyone else, but at least don’t try to deceive me. How many years do you think you and I have been together?”

”…….”

”And when I look into your eyes, I can see what you are thinking now.”

Choi Hyun-Woo said so and stared at Han Soo-Young.

Then, Han Soo-Young turned her head and looked at the window, and soon realized what kind of eyes she had.

”…then why are you stopping me?”

”This is a problem for Ji-Hyuk and Ye-Seul to solve between them.”

Choi Hyun-Woo sighed.

”I know what you think of that person, and I also know that you’ll lose your reason if that person is the only one involved, but please don’t do something foolish this time. If the situation gets worse, Ji-Hyuk will be the only one in trouble.”

”You don’t know.”

Han Soo-Young said so and looked at Choi Hyun-Woo with sharp eyes.

Looking into her eyes, Choi Hyun-Woo let out a small groan.

”My eyes can see the flow of mana. So right now, Hyun-Woo, I can see that you have a stiff left shoulder and a slight dull pain in your lower back.”

”…….”

”You, do you know what happened to Ji-Hyuk’s neck?”

Han Soo-Young muttered like that.

Even without a careful examination, she could tell that the wound was caused by strangulation.

His neck was strangled to the point that the scar was so deep.

”I know.”

”What?”

”Soo-Young, I know even if I don’t see the mana like you. Starting from wearing a turtleneck for no reason in this weather, and seeing that his breathing and voice sounded a little strange, I know he was strangled.”

”Knowing that… !”

”There must be another story intertwined besides the one he told us. As you know, those two have acted separately at times. I’m sure things are more chaotic than ours.”

”Bu, but… .”

”But whatever it is, Ji-Hyuk is the one who made the choice, and he’s trying to solve it himself, isn’t he?”

Then we should respect his choice.

At Choi Hyun-Woo’s words, Han Soo-Young shut her mouth.

”…….”

After a while, Han Soo-Young, who closed her eyes as if to calm down and sighed heavily, muttered quietly.

”… I really hate you at times like this.”

I can’t figure out how to refute it.

Choi Hyun-Woo giggled at her murmur.

”I told you last time. I’m more mature than you.”

”… at least it seems like it right now.”

Han Soo-Young nodded.

She didn’t deny the thought that if it wasn’t for Choi Hyun Woo, she would have caused big trouble even if she got into trouble earlier.

* * *

At Orhe Academy, the student council was actually an organization that was not as powerful as the outside thought.

Of course, compared to other schools and educational institutions, they were more powerful, but that was only the extent of it.

It can have an opinion on the academy and impose some sanctions on students, but that’s all.

And, as with any group, it would act in a thousand different ways, depending on the tendencies of the leaders and the executives of the group that led it.

In this sense, you can see that the tendency of the man who is currently in front of me, Rev Dunkinson, who leads that student council, is quite conservative.

A conservative, change-averse, stability-seeking, and sometimes opportunistic man.

Perhaps that’s why I remember that he did not breathe very well with Lee Ye-Eun, but he was a man who was quite capable and excellent at coordinating relationships, so Lee Ye-Eun followed him without saying a word.

That was the Rev Dunkinson I knew.

”Oh, hello. It’s the first time we’ve talked alone like this.”

He greeted me in his characteristic somber voice and asked me to shake his hand.

As soon as I grabbed his hand, he shook it and looked at me, still with a smile on his face.

”I think you know, but let me introduce myself one more time. It’s Rev Dunkinson. I am the student council president.”

”Yes, I know, because I saw you last time.”

”Well, I’m sure you came because of Lee Ye Eun’s recommendation, right? But then I found out that you two are relatives... .”

He glanced at my face and tilted his head.

”But you don’t look much alike. Oh, sorry. That must have been quite a rude remark just now.”

He apologized immediately, saying, I’m sorry, and, in a word, he was a hectic man.

He liked to talk in this way, wearing the other person out and throwing his main point away.

”Could you get to the point?”

”Yes?”

”As you know, it’s lunchtime now.”

He paused for a moment at my answer, then nodded and smiled.

”Ah, yes. Right. I’m sorry, I was such a nuisance.”

He handed me an apology as if he was really sorry and said to me.

”Um, the thing is, in a few days, the faculty will come here as part of an exchange class from Urea. Can you tell Lee Ye-Eun to attend the meeting for the final adjustments?”

He shrugged his shoulders at my look, which seemed to ask why are you asking me to do that.

”I don’t know if you know this, but the reason why Lee Ye-Eun is in the student council was to get things done faster and more accurately with the academy and the World Tree clan. But right now, she’s quite busy, so I can’t contact her, and since we can’t just push forward the work without her, which involves large groups like the Academy, Urea, and the World Tree Clan... people from above are openly asking us for confirmation and applying pressure.”

He shook his head as if he had no choice.

”If they were going to be like this, they should have taken charge of the work themselves from the beginning, or should have said they’re letting the students take the initiative, and get their own @sses caught on fire. Thanks to them, only we pushovers are getting stir-fried.”

Blinking as if he were tired, he muttered.

”But I can’t contact her, and I can’t visit in person…but suddenly, I heard that her younger brother is going to this place, so just to be sure, I came. I don’t know about anyone else, but if it’s you who call, she might receive.”

After saying up to this point, he smiled awkwardly, as if asking for a favor.

”So, could you do me that favor? I’d really appreciate it if you could give me an answer within today. If you help me, I will definitely pay you back later.”

”Okay, I’ll try calling her once. But please don’t expect too much.”

”Oh, thank God. Even if it’s just a try.”

Saying that, he handed me a note with his number on it.

”Call me whenever you are comfortable. Then, have a nice lunch, and I’m sorry for the sudden visit.”

After saying those words, he hurried off to somewhere.

What a hectic man, I thought, and when I turned around to go to the cafeteria first.

”Excuse me… .”

”Yes?”

It was the female student who had called me earlier.

Sticking out of the corner of the wall, she looked around and approached me.

And spoke to me in a quiet voice.

”It’s a message from the boss.”

The female student, no, Esmeralda Lysnerger, said so and looked at me.

”Can I talk to you for a second?”

”…why the hell does everyone come only during lunch?”

”Do you think I wanted to come to you at this hour? I came here because the boss ordered me to.”

Muttering grumblingly, she let out a sigh.

”It’s really important. That’s why I came running right away.”

Graduates of the academy are disappearing one after another.

I couldn’t help but frown at her sudden words.

As she said, it was really important.