There Is No Hidden Villain in This Novel Chapter 51

“To avoid the guardian jangseungs in front of the professor’s office at that hour…”

Oh, fuck.

As soon as I heard that, I backstepped and started looking for Ryuseong. I was going to tell him that his friends were about to do something crazy, so he needed to stop them right now. But Ryuseong, whom I ran into in the hallway, had the exact same expression as me.

“Is it the same for you?”

“It was the same for you too?”

We realized that a sigh wasn’t enough to express what we were feeling right then and simultaneously slapped our foreheads. And at that point, we, who had thought each other the craziest bastards in this world, realized we were surprisingly sensible in certain areas and shared an existential pity for one another.

…So, the fact that we were here on this stormy night.

Perched on a chandelier from midnight under an invisibility spell, planning to wait all night, was undoubtedly our penance for having such sucker-like friends.

At the very least, the mindset of telling the professor if our friends actually committed the act of cheating was encouraging our all-nighter.

‘We already failed to prevent it in the first place…’

At least, we had definitely failed with Logan, Capone, and Dietrich. When we told them not to cheat, they said they understood, but.

‘Honestly, I’ve been so distracted by Ryuseong lately that I haven’t paid much attention to them, so in their current state, they probably won’t listen to a damn thing.’

Meanwhile, Hae Yuna, Lee Hyang, and Shin Myohan’s group was in an ambiguous state. He said he’d scolded them until they cried and made them quit, but I alone questioned whether that had really succeeded.

But we couldn’t just report them when they hadn’t actually done anything yet…

“In any case, it is my job to prevent my people from cheating.”

“Right. But why did you drag me along too?”

“Your friends might come too, you know. And if it’s my job, you should be with me.”

It was a sound argument, and Ryuseong said nothing. Which meant he neither affirmed nor denied the statement that he should be with me if it was my job.

Anyway, sitting perched on a chandelier like it was a swing, just the two of us at midnight, was a pretty creepy and thrilling experience. Especially in the sense that I was scared a ghost might pop out.

I felt even more creeped out since I’d recently had sleep paralysis.

“Don’t you think a ghost might appear?”

“I think it’s fine if a ghost appears.”

“What? Why would you say something so horrible.”

“What’s more horrible is a person appearing.”

“…”

That’s so damn true it’s making me tear up, you know?

‘Still, no way. Are those brats’ intellects really that comprehensively and meticulously screwed?’

But had only a few minutes passed since then?

“If it is to offer the exam paper to Sir Cassis, I can bear any act of cheating…”

“Honestly, you’re just trying to take it for yourself.”

“I admit it. I have to have it. Lady de Millan is good at studying, but I am not.”

Something more horrible than a ghost happened.

“Gasp, it’s over there. We’re here.”

“You said it was D3, right?”

“Be quiet. I hear footsteps from somewhere…”

Six budding yellow sprouts had run into each other.

“…”

“…”

“…Why are you guys here?”

“Why are you…?”

It meant that both of our friends had, without exception, class-changed into thieves.

“Ha! Turn back. The exam paper is ours!”

“What?! We can’t lose! We won’t let you take it!”

Thus began the prelude to a battle for possession.

Ryuseong, who had been looking down at them in a daze, slowly opened his mouth.

“I thought that you, of all people, would want the exam paper.”

“Is that so? Why?”

“Because it is a chance to get a perfect score.”

“My, you have a long way to go before you can understand me. It would be a different story if I hadn’t started studying, but I have already invested effort into this subject. The fact that I spent my precious seconds means I must obtain a commensurate price for it.”

“Can you not obtain a greater price if you get the exam paper?”

“Well, to put it in a way you can understand, I’d rather not get involved in a market-floor squabble like that one.”

Our gazes turned to the floor below. There, a fierce argument over the ownership of the exam paper had still not ended.

“It’s not a hard thing to do, breaking the limbs of you little brats who were raised as delicately as flowers.”

“Right, right. You must be so happy, having lived such a base, vulgar, and dirty life?”

“Should I repot you? Want me to make it so your body can’t recover unless you shower in potions? Huh?”

“Don’t worry. We won’t treat you that harshly. The strong are originally merciful, you see.”

…At this point, it seemed to have devolved into an emotional fight, but considering the countless power struggles surrounding the Korean peninsula, my conclusion was that it was understandable. You could say that the troubles that hadn’t erupted because Ryuseong and I were getting along were now bursting out like a fanfare.

“The exam paper is ours.”

“Nope. It’s on our land, so it’s ours.”

The fact that the exam paper belonged to the professor was not important to the cadets who had lost their minds.

In particular, everyone except Shin Myohan, who had tagged along because hanging out together looked fun, was under immense academic pressure from their families. To survive even one subject, they had to snatch the exam paper.

“If you truly will not tuck your tails and run, then let’s have a match!”

“Alright! The winning side takes it all!”

—And so, the cadets began to depart from their genre.

To put it another way.

[Academy Genre OFF]

[Superpowered Battle Genre ON]

‘This is so damn exciting…?!’

The reason I didn’t even consider the possibility of this getting called off was that every single idiot gathered here couldn’t stand the taunt, “You scared?”

“But if we fight like this, our ki signatures will be detected and our presence will be exposed. If we don’t want to be punished, we have to avoid that.”

“Oh, so you’re tucking your tail in the end? Because you’re scared of us?”

“Ha! What a joke! We are not the type to avoid the likes of you. But why don’t you use your head a little? Did you not even prepare a way to avoid the guardian jangseungs?”

“Don’t look down on us! We have a plan too, you know!”

It was hard to know when it would start, so I couldn’t go grab snacks at this time.

“Should I have brought popcorn?”

“You should work on your humanity and character first, really.”

Area has a mystery that prevents outsiders from entering and cadets from going out at night. It is the existence of the guardian jangseungs, which have been mentioned a few times. They have a different nature from mysteries born of other spirits inhabiting objects or from dokkaebi whose egos were born from old objects.

Befitting their attribute as jangseungs, they are loyal beings who take on the protection of the academy.

‘The terrifying deans of students who come running the moment they feel the ripple of an unpermitted energy!’

That was what Area’s guardian jangseungs were.

Originally, jangseungs are beings that act as boundary markers or milestones between regions, or as village guardians, but perhaps due to the ancient mystery that dwells in Area, the guardian jangseungs have stubbornly protected the safety and discipline of the cadets for a thousand years.

Therefore, the reason the two groups of cadets had been able to approach the professor’s office safely until now was because they knew how to perfectly conceal their mana and internal energy.

That wasn’t something one could do at this age without considerable talent.

An awakened person’s energy naturally flickers like breathing and emits an aura. Moreover, controlling this naturalness was so tricky that it was only taught in the graduating year, just before students went out into society.

Thus, it was obvious where they had learned to conceal their energy…

‘Private education is insane, seriously.’

Then again, now that I thought about it, it would be strange if their bloodlines and families hadn’t taught them something like this. Logan is a member of the Esteban family. Capone is from the Yones family. Dietrich is the only son of Winkel. Lee Hyang is a descendant of the Gukseong. Hae Yuna is the disciple of a Haenam Sect elder. And Shin Myohan is the eldest daughter of a shaman family that has continued for a thousand years.

‘Of course, this body is the pinnacle of family and bloodline privilege. Hmph!’

In any case, Hae Yuna confidently took out a certain scented pouch.

“Here. Look at this. This is the scented pouch that the guardian jangseungs hate! With this, no one can approach us! I even bought it for a whopping 50,000 won! Mwahaha!”

“…Hey, Ms. Hae Yuna of the Haenam Sect. I’m not trying to pick a fight, I’m asking because I’m genuinely curious, so please don’t take it the wrong way.”

“Go ahead and say it, Winkel.”

For reference, jangseungs are made of wood and stone.

“Jangseungs don’t have noses, so how do they smell?”

“Why wouldn’t a jangseung have a nose? I saw it had a big one.”

“They’re made of wood…”

“Ah.”

Hae Yuna seemed to freeze for a moment, looking dazed, before she started flailing her arms and legs frantically.

“Th-that can’t be. My sunbaes said this would definitely let me avoid the guardian jangseungs! It’s true! They even said they were selling it to me at a special discount of 49,990 won, just for me…!”

Dietrich placed a hand on the thoroughly scammed Hae Yuna’s shoulder and was about to pat her comfortingly, but Capone stepped forward coolly first.

“Dietrich, don’t try to console her with such nonsense. Fix that habit of yours of going crazy whenever you see a cute girl.”

“Wh-what did you say.”

Before Lee Hyang could snap back in anger, Hae Yuna cried out with a bewildered expression.

“Capone! You’ve been thinking of me as a cute girl this whole time?!”

“…Is that what’s important right now?”

To that, Winkel sneered as if picking a fight, but Capone spoke as cold as ice.

“Unlike you all, we gathered proper information and are on our way back from setting up five wave-disruption barriers far from us to confuse the guardian jangseungs’ perception. To lure them on a wild goose chase.”

“Oh.”

“But what did you all do? Hae Yuna, even if you act all needlessly adorable in your admiration, it doesn’t change the fact that your entire group is completely stupid.”

“A-adorable… even I haven’t been called that.”

Just as Lee Hyang was shocked in a slightly different area, Shin Myohan cut in.

“Then let’s put up a detection-jamming barrier.”

It was something they had learned in a recent sorcery class.

“There will be a ripple of ki when we cast the barrier, but break one of those wave-disruption barriers you mentioned at that exact timing. They’ll be lured that way, and even if one of them comes here, we’ll already be inside the detection-jamming barrier.”

“That’s a pretty good idea. As expected, you’re quite smart. Why are you wasting time with kids like them? Because Hae Yuna is cute?”

“I-I’m losing my mind. I’m being brainwashed into thinking I’m an incredibly cute person right now…”

Shin Myohan burst into laughter, ha-ha-ha.

“Please don’t insult my friends. Shamans don’t let go easily once they take someone to heart.”

“…Fine. Then prepare the barrier.”

Capone clicked his tongue and spoke primly. However, Lee Hyang’s position was a little different.

“Wait, it’s a given that we’re going to duel one-on-one in sequence, right?”

“Right. Though we haven’t decided if it will be a wheel battle or best two out of three.”

“Then don’t you think it’s wrong for our side to be solely responsible for the barrier? Only our energy will be drained.”

“It was your side that suggested it, you know? Why are you talking as if we’re the ones playing tricks?”

At that, everyone’s gaze turned to Shin Myohan, and she tilted her head.

“Hmm, I did that because I wasn’t sure if those friends over there could properly use high-level magic.”

“…”

“Erasing one’s presence with magic has a high difficulty. But we just learned detection jamming recently, so I thought sorcery was the most versatile choice in the current situation…”

“Such concerns are unnecessary, shaman.”

Logan, his pride scratched, said with a frown. Unlike the irritable and sharp Capone, and the stiff-in-pronunciation-despite-his-drawling-sneer Winkel, Logan’s accent had a particularly gentle and soft quality.

But this time, a hint of ruthlessness seeped in, as if he had half-shed his gentlemanly demeanor.

“One cannot use the name of a great or prestigious house if one cannot even use magic of that level. Let’s each take on half.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. As expected of the noble houses. But I have a question. Is that a standard that applies to newborn babies too? You guys don’t even give a surname to a newborn if it can’t use high-level magic?”

“…Do you prefer a wheel battle, or a best two out of three?”

“Let’s go with the latter. Let’s finish this quick so we can get a late-night snack.”

—And so, the battle royale began.

“…Shouldn’t we stop them soon.”

“…”

“If we don’t, I think they’ll be arrested for the crime of dueling, rather than for the theft of an exam paper.”

Despite my kind remark, Ryuseong’s coldly hardened eyes did not change.

“If they did something to get arrested for, then they should be arrested.”

He had a point, but still.