There Is No Hidden Villain in This Novel Chapter 117

They say the destination for the school trip is finally being announced. It’s five in the morning, but everyone is in an uproar with excitement.

‘What kind of crazy school announces the school trip destination the day before?’

And to call people out this early in the morning, at that.

But when I glanced around, I saw everyone looking at the principal politely with hollow eyes, too excited to sleep. I wondered if this was really something worth looking at the principal politely for. But it seemed my opinion was in the minority.

“Not feeling it?”

Ryuseong asked abruptly from behind my back. Of course I’m not feeling it, would I be? I’ve already been there as Jung Ian. But of course, saying that would get me in big trouble, so I chose some moderately appropriate words and replied.

“I’m not idle enough to look forward to such trivial things.”

“You don’t have to only look forward to big things.”

“My anticipation is more precious than a thousand pieces of gold, so why should I spend it on something small?”

In the first place, this thing called a school trip is not that thrilling, exciting, or fun of an activity. Being herded around in a crowd and jostled by people, the obvious and boring activities, the control, the surveillance… The only fun to be had would be secretly deviating from that control. And as an expert in deviation myself, such things are now trivial to me.

Anyway, I just answered indifferently, but for some reason, Ryuseong’s eyes became sentimental. Why?

‘Are you misunderstanding something again…?’

As the chilly dawn air bit at my skin for a moment, Ryuseong straightened the front of my clothes and said.

“You looked tired, so I just wondered.”

Tired? To be honest, I hadn’t slept well either. Because all sorts of riffraff from all over were trying to cling to me, gilding me with that damned ‘hero’ title. The kinds of things that normally wouldn’t even come near me seemed to be under the delusion that I had gotten soft just because I saved some people.

‘But for all I look, this body’s concept is that of a ruffian, human trash, a schemer, a dark and shady mastermind.’

First, I taught a lesson to the guys who bothered me, and to the guys who couldn’t stop them from contacting me… and by the time that brief interruption had passed, the time I could have fallen asleep had already gone. They should consider themselves lucky I didn’t want to send someone to the afterlife with a news report right after the news that I saved someone.

So, seeing that I looked a little tired, it seems Ryuseong had guessed that I had also stayed up late because I was looking forward to the school trip.

“Pfft.”

How funny. Cassis de Millang being excited for a school trip? There’s a limit to how much rose-colored glasses can do. Why is he acting so affectionately today? If he acts this cute, it makes me want to do all sorts of cute things too…

‘All sorts of things, literally all sorts of things…’

As I had that thought and looked up at Ryuseong, he strangely flinched and avoided my gaze. The tips of his ears had turned slightly red; what could he be imagining? For the first time, I started hoping the school trip destination announcement would start quickly. After hearing it and getting it over with, I’d take Ryuseong, lock the door, and just…

“…Therefore, I will now announce the destination for tomorrow’s school trip.”

At some point, the skull-faced principal had finished his boring speech. Everyone’s eyes, which had been a little dead because of the early hour, began to sparkle. As I scanned the scene with a bored expression, I noticed someone else who was fiddling with something with an even more indifferent attitude than me. It was that crazy sunbae who had caused the insane attempted theft of the exam paper last time.

The principal announced it in what he must have thought was a cool and powerful voice.

“This year’s school trip is to Gyeongju.”

What?

Lee Hyang asked back without realizing and then covered her mouth. The sunbae, who had been indifferent, muttered in an equally indifferent tone.

“I knew it.”

On the other hand, it seemed most people did not know it. Lee Hyang’s face fell for a moment.

“I was asked by the elders to get them duty-free liquor!”

No, the elders around Lee Hyang are definitely of a status where they would have attended Are-A Academy; it doesn’t seem like they were unaware and hinted at an overseas trip by mentioning a duty-free shop. Aren’t the elders around Lee Hyang a bit much, all ganging up to lie just to tease one kid? The kid is so innocent, look how sorry she feels.

Unlike the crestfallen Lee Hyang, Shin Myohan seemed to not have much of an opinion, while Hae Yuna had an expression like she was up to something, lost in her own thoughts. Meanwhile, Capone seemed disappointed, and Logan was the only person here who was excited. What is it with him? Does he have some kind of old-fashioned hobby?

Ryuseong seemed uninterested in the topic, both before and now, and since he kept looking only at me, I couldn’t read his thoughts. He’s cute, but why is he acting so differently from usual? It feels strangely peculiar…

Dietrich grumbled in a slightly loud voice.

“So we’re going to, what, look at Seokguram Grotto?”

He said he has lived in Korea for a long time to absorb plenty of spiritual energy from Daehan, where the best spiritual veins flow, but Dietrich is a foreigner anyway, so hearing a foreigner say that Gyeongju is a boring school trip destination felt somehow strange. So I looked at him, and Dietrich hastily assumed a loyal posture and waited like a dog awaiting a command.

‘…This is interesting.’

Alright. I also think ‘Gyeongju, what the heck?’ but taking these traitors around might be more fun than I thought. Since the incident at the cathedral, the three of them, as if on cue, have stuck to me like usual and shown even greater signs of obedience. However, Capone’s mood was darker than usual, Logan had a healing mana wound on his cheek, and Dietrich had a bruise on his eye that he tried hard to cover with makeup. What on earth did the three of them do? Did they have a duel or something?

‘They should have let me watch.’

No matter how boring the school trip is, I guess there’ll be at least one fun thing to watch.

The principal dropped the bombshell and ran, and a professor went up to the now empty podium and took the microphone instead. It was Dohyeon.

“Ah, ah, youngsters? Hey, listen. Detailed instructions will be sent out separately, but before that, there’s an announcement I have to make, you see? Sit, sit.”

But the students, who were thoroughly deflated, naturally did not follow his words well. Looking at the motley crew of various arrogant and unruly individuals, Dohyeon spoke.

“The most important announcement! During the school trip, drinking, smoking, and bringing in karaoke machines are forbidden.”

Jeers erupted from all sides. And for good reason, since the students of Are-A Academy are all adults over twenty!

As everyone fumed about why we couldn’t even drink, I muttered blankly.

“Why a karaoke machine on a school trip…? Why on earth would you need to prohibit such a thing…?”

Then, a sunbae and classmate who was secretly doing a magic assignment in the midst of the students spoke.

“Ah, that. There’s a sad history there. Last time, a karaoke machine went berserk…”

Because of the angry crowd, the sunbae’s words were barely audible, and right after, Dohyeon raised the microphone again, and everyone quieted down. Because of that, the truth of the berserk karaoke machine incident was cut off there, destined to wander forever in a labyrinth of mystery…

“This is because we are not going somewhere to play, but on a school trip (修學旅行) to cultivate our respective studies. Keep in mind that you will be controlled more strictly than usual. Of course, I believe most of the students will follow this intention, but I also think that deviations by some idiots are inevitable.”

Obviously. If you don’t deviate when you go, what fun is there in enduring it?

“But listen. It is useless no matter what kind of deviation, crazy act, trick, deceit, or stratagem you may try to pull.”

Just when I was expecting some kind of cliché threat or warning, Dohyeon declared.

“Because I’ve done them all before!”

…You. Aren’t you supposed to be an educator? This is another fresh kind of crazy talk. Ryuseong, who had also been preoccupied, seemed to choke for a moment after hearing that and coughed. And Dohyeon, standing with his legs askew like someone who used to mess around a bit, spoke swaggeringly.

“Go ahead and try. I’ll see through it all.”

At the threat, the likes of which they had never heard before, I saw the will being broken in the eyes of a few who had been preparing to smuggle things in.

A moment later, Hae Yuna, with her head bowed, muttered.

“Alright… Then it can’t be helped…”

I turned to look at Hae Yuna. In Hae Yuna’s eyes was a firm will, a fierce fighting spirit, and full of curiosity and a desire for exploration…

‘Professor Dohyeon, is this right?’

—The kid’s been provoked, you know?

Lee Hyang, whose duty-free dreams had been dashed, hurriedly finished her assignments for the day and loitered around the academy for no reason. Even if it was the oh-so-obvious Gyeongju, it was at least completely removed from daily life at Are-A Academy, and perhaps that alone might be quite nice. Wouldn’t even the same training be less boring if done in a different place?

Lee Hyang, who had also packed her bags in an instant, realized that for some reason, Hae Yuna was nowhere to be seen. That was strange; normally she would have come over to chatter or complain nonstop.

So she wandered around, but in the end, she only managed to pick up a similarly restless Shin Myohan to wander around with. Finally, after a long while, the two of them came across Hae Yuna hiding in a storage room, opening a carton of orange juice.

“What are you doing?”

When Lee Hyang asked, Hae Yuna flustered suspiciously and said.

“Drinking orange juice.”

“Secretly in a storage room?”

“I wanted to drink a lot.”

“But you only drink a different brand of orange juice.”

Shin Myohan, who had been listening to the suspicious conversation, suddenly pointed behind Hae Yuna.

“That! A syringe. And there’s a faint smell of alcohol in the air… Don’t tell me you’re putting soju in an orange juice carton?”

At that, Hae Yuna let out a sigh.

“Hah. This is why quick-witted friends are a problem. If you tell… you know, right?”

Hae Yuna made a gesture of slitting her throat with her hand. Lee Hyang became restless. How did my friend become so reckless? Still, since Shin Myohan is here, if the two of them team up and talk her out of it…!

“No, I think you’re a genius. Let me in on it too.”

At Shin Myohan’s reply, Lee Hyang despaired.

And so, the day of the school trip.

Everyone had packed various things, and there were people who brought snacks.

Among them, some snacks were easy-to-drink orange juice cartons.