episode_0066

“Yes, grandfather.”

Ellada’s campus in the midst of autumn. It was a very clear, high autumn sky, after several days of rain and gray skies had completely disappeared.

Perhaps due to global warming, the greenery that filled summer is still the trend, but now that the fall season has passed, the world is turning to fall.

Red rowan berries mark the beginning of autumn leaves. The green gradually disappears, and the autumn leaves turn red, signaling the end of summer.

Jang Ah-hyun looked at the sky with her cell phone pressed to her ear.

How beautiful that blue ink-colored sky is, an unknown bird is flying in the sky below the high clouds.

I raise my head and look up at the sky, and also look at the leaves changing color. Lastly, I also pay attention to the small shrub flowers that decorate summer.

“Yes, you are great, my granddaughter. Just keep doing that. You are the pride of Taesung.”

And under this infinite indigo sky with scattered clouds, this was what made her happier than anything else.

A ball made by Elada’s hunters during their sortie. It was broadcast around the world, and their popularity skyrocketed.

Not only did it always appear in news headlines when I accessed the Internet, but I also felt disappointed if I didn’t see the related video on the first page when I went to the video platform.

And with such attention and attention, it was only a matter of time before it was revealed that Jang Ah-hyun was the famous daughter of Taesung Group.

Thanks to this, her group received more attention than anything else they had done so far, such as advertisements, mass media, social media, viral messages, etc., and it was a situation where customers had no choice but to cling to her.

Because she had become a walking symbol, her father Jang Ho-yeon, who tried to keep her in check, was in an awkward position.

Every day, everyone in Taesung asks her about her choreography and pays attention to her position in the strategic secretariat.

Besides, didn’t the principal of this academy reveal it himself? It is said that she was the one who personally dealt with the dimensional anchor that appeared in Tbilisi.

As a result, I was proud to see the people who were so afraid of her stand up to her due to the attention she received, but I also felt a little burdened by receiving too much attention.

‘Just thinking about that… .’

Just thinking about what happened there, in the underground cave, makes my heart warm. My face turns red and my heart feels like it will explode.

In fact, she didn’t do anything special. It was the professor who destroyed the barrier, and it was the professor who guided her. Like a fool, I only passed the burden on to him by getting injured and losing my memory for a while.

However, instead of leaving out the professor’s own story, all the credit was given to Jang Ah-hyun herself. As a human being, how could I forget that gratitude?

“Anyway, please handle it clearly. So as not to be a burden to Him.”

“Oh, of course, you cutie. We were already scolded because the machine guys kept trying to rip us off without compensation. That went well. I plan to take this opportunity to take the lead.”

“Professor… No, because the dean is a good person, the organization continues to place a burden on him. So please take care of that part too,”

“Hmm? Hehehe. okay. Oh, it looks like our cute granddaughter is completely missing. Yes, that’s good. If I can bring that dragon to Taeseong, I will always agree with this allowance.”

“… It’s not a personal feeling. It’s just that he deserves respect.”

The long laughter of her grandfather, Jang Tae-san, could be heard through the phone call. Jang Ah-hyeon did not avoid frowning, which was unusual for her.

Isn’t that the advantage of the phone, which is long-distance communication rather than face-to-face communication?

“… Anyway, I understand. Then, Ahyun, please take care of yourself. No matter how famous you become, if you lose your health, it’s a shame.”

“Yes, grandfather. Please enter carefully.”

A call that suddenly hangs up.

Jang Ah-hyun sighed heavily. I’ve intentionally avoided contact with the group’s officials, but this fox-like old man. Because Chairman Jang Tae-san’s phone call wasn’t the only thing that could be avoided.

Still, it worked out well.

After the re-emergence of the circular bridge became known, a huge storm hit the world.

Criticism poured in on the international defense organization, and the organization was completely shattered by protests from countries around the world who were dissatisfied with its existence above the government due to its nature as a global organization with armed forces.

─What is this? Didn’t they say that the Circular Truth and Light Association has already disappeared? But it reappeared only three years later.

─You say you’re going to manage all people with special abilities, but you don’t even know that the Circular Bridge is siphoning off psykers. We can no longer trust the organization.

─Aren’t the people involved in the organization a liaison for the circular bridge? That’s why they’re always so late in every Gate incident.

It was also a huge blow that Dean Northmund personally held a press conference and harshly criticized the organization.

─It is truly a pity. A person who appeared to be an executive of the circular school ambushed the academy’s cadets, resulting in several deaths. Even a rocket launcher was mobilized in a big city called LA, so what did the organization do? I take this opportunity to strongly condemn them.

─That’s right! right! right!

─GDO, reveal the truth! Did you think we would believe that you were going to hide it forever!

─Is the International Defense Organization just a subordinate organization of the circular bridge? Traitors to humanity!

The news reported that everyone present at Principal Northmund’s words, even the reporters who were supposed to keep the media neutral, shouted and joined in his words, making it look like a revolutionary army entering the capital.

It is equally difficult from the organization’s perspective. In some ways, it might have felt a little unfair.

The Circular Church is a secret society that has existed for over a thousand years despite being oppressed. If they are trying to hide it properly, there is no way they will be able to find it no matter how hard they search.

However, their mistake was so serious that Northmund, the world’s hero, was almost assassinated, and many of the hunters who were dispatched lost their lives.

In the aftermath, the head of the organization resigned and several important figures also voluntarily resigned.

Not only was it resolved with that, but it was also revealed that they were exploiting partners and receiving illegal bribes, and they were arrested and investigated, so the organization’s leaders completely collapsed in an instant.

Of course, it was a public fact that Taesung Group, one of the partners, had a strong influence on it.

“Phew.”

Jang A-hyeon walked quietly through the campus and headed to the academy’s main building. This is because there were regular meetings of her group members.

I pass by the giant dragon statue standing tall in the main hall of the main building and slowly climb the marble stairs.

‘The woman.’

The professor seemed to be deeply interested in me, so I tried to get to know him several times, but each time I failed and had no choice but to withdraw.

Does this mean that if you approach an abnormal person with the values of a normal person, they will not be accepted? Because of their different ways of thinking, the gap could not be narrowed.

I don’t know why the professor is so protective of that woman. He is a nuisance and a psychotic person with a strange personality.

Or is it because they are of the same dragon race? A golden energy leaked out from his fist, which had gained strength without realizing it.

If that were the only reason, I would be very disappointed.

‘A woman like that should never be with a professor.’

Jang A-hyeon said that although she believes in the nobility of Northmund, her idol and the object of her admiration, she is stubborn and stubborn.

If a woman full of such darkness continues to be by your side, there is no guarantee that it will not gradually fade away.

No, even if his noble spirit never deteriorates, it would be difficult to avoid the gradual decline in social perception of Northmund just by the Dragonhorn Woman itself.

Isn’t that true just this time? Strange rumors are spreading among students about Yoon Sia due to the sudden sight of her massacring prisoners.

There hasn’t been any criticism of Professor Northmund yet, but if that continues, someday. Because I can’t guarantee that you, my dear, will not become an object of criticism.

‘If you cross the line again, I’ll have to bury you.’

Jang A-Hyeon It was the last reprieve she gave to the horned lunatic. If she goes over the limit again, he will bury her at any cost.

Socially, mentally, and physically. With the help of the group, there wouldn’t be a big problem no matter how famous the talented person was.

I’ve had the urge to do that many times, but the reason I didn’t do it is because my dear Dean had no intention of doing so.

If Professor Northmund doesn’t want to, he can’t take the initiative and solve the problem on his own. Because it is not for the benefit of the other person, but rather deception.

The other person’s life is owned by the other person. You cannot arbitrarily intervene in the biography written by the owner without permission. No matter how much it is in her heart.

Anyway, the reason for that decision was a counseling session.

After the LA incident in which the executives of the circular school went on a rampage, the war members all received counseling with the principal at least once in the principal’s office.

Are you injured too much, are you not too mentally cornered, and are you able to continue fighting in the future?

Her turn was yesterday, and on that occasion she asked about the dragon-horned woman.

She didn’t miss the confusion that flashed across the professor’s expression at those words.

He only said a few words and didn’t say much, but he felt like his love for Yoon Sia had cooled off a bit, and he spilled the beans that out of the three locks he had locked on himself for her, two had already been unlocked.

‘I will never leave her alone.’

After bowing my head for a moment and walking across the marble floor, I arrived in front of the classroom I was aiming for.

It was an empty classroom on the second floor that was almost like her group’s exclusive club room.

As soon as I opened the door and tried to go in, I heard something being talked about inside. The sound coming out was very serious, so I listened to it for a while outside the classroom.

At that moment, Han Sejun was opening his mouth.

“I’m really sorry, everyone. I ruined everything. I was a fool.”

Han Sejun was bowing his head to them.

What on earth is going on? Jang Ah-hyun, who was startled by the absurd incident, looked at the scene through the window.

“Oh, no. Mr. Sejun.”

“No, Sejun. It was something that couldn’t be blamed on anyone.”

Yue and Tania approached Sejun and tried to dissuade him, but his bent back refused to straighten. The left arm was wrapped in a bandage, but some blood was leaking.

Muriel, sitting on the desk in front of him, was frowning, crossing her legs and tapping her toes.

‘… ?’

What is this supposed to do? What kind of skit is this?

I don’t really understand the situation, perhaps because it appears in the middle and cuts back and forth before watching the climax.

The electric light on the classroom ceiling shines on Sejun, who has his head down, like a spotlight, and two women hold his arms and try to dissuade him.

And in front of him, a woman with short hair and piercings clutching a spear looks down at the scene with a frown like an arrogant top star.

The top star was pounding the pole on the floor with a dissatisfied expression, and the sound seemed to be criticizing the stupid situation.

“If I had just said to run away, those guys from the loop wouldn’t have attacked us. Because I caught you Nakajima. I’ve caused trouble to all of you.”

“No, Sejun!”

“Sejun! Don’t say something ridiculous!”

“‘… .’

Is that so? Now things are starting to make sense little by little. He must be apologizing for not following the professor’s orders immediately after the crazy girl spoke gibberish and disappeared.

If you’re asking if it was a mistake, yes, but I don’t think it’s worth coming to the point of questioning whether it was right or wrong. Because the situation is so complex, it would be difficult to explain who is to blame.

Everyone there had their share of the fault. If that’s the case, wouldn’t Jang Ah-hyun herself have made a mistake by not dissuading Se-jun’s action to carry the injured person and responding even after hearing the story?

“… Because I want to listen. I’m starting to get a little annoyed.”

“I’m sorry. I really have nothing to say.”

Muriel opened her mouth in a slightly annoyed tone.

“Once I got the call from our leader, I immediately evaded to the other side, so I don’t know much about your situation and I’m just judging you based on what you said.”

“Mr. Muriel! It’s not Sejun’s fault… .”

“Be quiet, Yue. I need to point this out.”

Muriel mutters somewhat coldly and pushes Yue away when she comes to object.

He’s not even giving her a look. Tania also looked at Muriel dissatisfied, but the short-haired woman holding the spear did not look at her either.

She clicked her tongue slightly and took the spear she was holding.

“Ugh!”

I poked Sejun’s arm, which was still wrapped in bandages.

“Sejun!”

“Mr. Sejun!”

Sejun groans at the sudden surprise attack and stumbles to the ground, clutching his arms.

It wasn’t a hard stab, but it was a severely injured area, and it seemed like I wasn’t mentally prepared because it was a surprise attack.

“Muriel Müller! What is this!”

Tania reflexively pulls out her sword and points it at her.

A sudden flow of mana surges through the classroom, and light green, the color of her magical power, appears on the blade.

Jang Ah-hyun is embarrassed by the situation in the classroom that has changed so drastically, and just looks at the scene beyond the window with her eyes wide.

Muriel got off the desk and slowly approached Sejun.

Ignoring Tania, who was blocking her as she headed toward Sejun as if protecting a princess, she looked coldly at Sejun, who had collapsed and was moaning while clutching his left arm.

“There’s something I’ve wanted to say for a long time. Sejun, you are so weak-hearted.”

“What does that mean! What are you doing now? .”

“Shut up, Grayson. I’m not talking to you right now. Don’t intervene.”

Muriel’s sharp words and the sound of her high-heeled boots stepping on the marble floor resound lightly. It was a powerful voice that could hardly be called the usual Muriel.

Even Jang Ah-hyun, who heard it, froze with her mouth open, so you can feel how surprised the people who faced that force were.

Muriel slowly opened her mouth with such force that it seemed like a queen’s announcement.

“Now that I listen to you, what did you do wrong? I heard that the members of the circular bridge were already at the rescue site itself? And at the end you said you shouldn’t run away yet? After hearing that, I don’t think the outcome would have changed no matter what you did now?”

“Well, that is.”

“Wasn’t that kid Yoon’s fault? You said you were leaving the phone behind and running around in a primitive way to spread the word. Jun: No matter what you did when you heard that call, wasn’t it already too late? Even if you ran away as soon as you heard the news, you couldn’t have prevented the rescue team from being attacked.”

“… .”

“I don’t know if her smartphone was broken or if there was another reason. No matter how much I think about it, that woman was just stupid. If you don’t have a phone, you could have asked other people to contact you. Could it be that I never thought of that?”

“… .”

“Rather, I was glad you guys went. It wasn’t that long, but wasn’t that how we bought time until the Dean arrived? Since you, Tania, and the leader joined, we gained some time. If that dimensional anchor had been completed, LA could have become like Tbilisi.”

Muriel poured out her words in a loud voice and then clicked her tongue.

Muriel. It’s scary when I get angry. I don’t know because I always go around smiling like an idiot, but maybe it’s because of the piercings on my face, but when I get angry, I feel an incredible power.

Jang Ah-hyun trembled slightly as she felt like she was somehow raising an amazing child.

Yu, who was hugging Sejun, who was lying down due to the force, seemed to be a little intimidated, and tendons were sticking out from the hand holding Sejun.

“Anyway, Jun, you didn’t do anything wrong, so don’t apologize. That’s why I’m angry. Don’t bow down and apologize for something you didn’t do wrong. That would adversely lower your own value.”

“… huh. Sorry.”

“Again, again!”

Only then did Muriel open her face and smile.

Because the tense atmosphere suddenly changed, Tania, who had raised her sword, put the sword back into the sheath at her waist with a slightly embarrassed expression and scratched her head.

Muriel immediately returned to her original, slightly frivolous mood.

“Sorry, Jun. It hurt a little, right? I’m sorry for touching your hurt. Yes, an apology is only for times like this.”

She approaches Sejun, bends her legs, kneels, and places her hand on his left arm, which she hit with the spear.

And the moment I was about to touch the bandage that was slightly bleeding-

─Tap!

Yue’s hand slaps her hand away with a loud thud.

Muriel, who was dazed by the dull shock she felt on the back of her hand, looked at the person who had slapped her hand away with a blank expression.

There was resentment in the eyes of the black-haired, hime-cut girl, so Muriel, who was looking into those eyes, made an embarrassed expression this time.

“Anyway, is it okay to hit the injured person like that? The attitude towards patients itself was terrible!”

“Oh, no, I’m just a little… Well, I was just trying to raise awareness… . You didn’t hit it too hard… .”

“The problem starts with the lack of awareness of violence! Get out quickly!”

“Uh, huh?”

Seeing her screaming like a hamster, Muriel becomes tearful and turns to Tania as if asking for help.

After receiving that gaze, Tania returned to her original blunt state and lightly shook her head.

He placed his hand on the handle of his sword, which had returned to its sheath, and shook it lightly. A euphemistic sign of rejection.

When Muriel was betrayed by the person she trusted, her cheeks clenched as if she was about to burst into tears.

Actually, Muriel herself knows—of course she can’t—but she knows that they are just excuses and a check on herself.

Just like Yue said, anyway, after listening, I was the one who was being pressured, so I couldn’t do this or that and just sighed heavily.

Mixed in with that sigh,

Even Jang Ah-hyeon outside the classroom was sighing loudly like a chorus.

“… When should I go in?”

The door was closed, but I couldn’t find the time to enter the peach-colored atmosphere that continued to flow through the gap in the door, so I could only sigh.

Anyway, in Elada’s second floor hallway, only the sighs of two people flowed.