episode_0095

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The history of the Judith Girls’ Military School is long.

This is because it was opened in the early 20th century as a kind of model school to encourage the newly formed female military. At the time, it was called the Judith Women’s Military Academy, so the name was slightly different.

The name Judith comes from the Book of Judith in the Old Testament. She was a woman who falsely surrendered to an invading army, beheaded the leader, and escaped, so it was probably deemed appropriate as a symbol of a still unfamiliar female soldier.

Looking at it through the eyes of a modern person, one might feel a sense of discomfort and wonder, ‘What? Does this mean they’re going to train beauty agents?’, but it seems that there was some awareness of this at the time as well.

Looking at the record that it competed with the name Nongae Women’s Military Academy right up until the opening, one can think that there was a sense that ‘it is better to be a widow than a gisaeng’, and ‘it is better to achieve one’s goal and run away than to die together.’

Joan of Arc was canonized in 1920, so if it had been a little earlier, it might have become the Joan of Arc Military School.

After that, during the Japanese colonial period, it was a girls’ high school that lost its military school nature, and after liberation, it became a women’s university. At that time, it suffered from serious financial difficulties and was closed, but when the concept of a military school arose with the advent of Hwanma’s training, it took on the form it has today.

Due to its unique history, it has a large dormitory unlike other military schools, so female cadets who are unable to commute to school due to various circumstances are often assigned here.

Especially for orphans, the three years of military school they have to attend immediately after becoming independent is a huge burden, so there are many cases where they wish to be assigned to the Yudith Military School, which has a dormitory and offers a lot of support.

Thanks to that, the nickname ‘National Orphanage’ was given to me, but… it was quite comforting to know that most of the people around me were in similar situations.

At least that’s what she, Sung Jae-hee, thought.

Even after Master Wars started. Even after I got caught up in it. Even after it ended in the worst possible way.

Until you realize that nothing is actually over.

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It must have been a bad thing that I couldn’t fall asleep last night.

Jaehee, who suddenly came to his senses as the sunlight streamed in through the open window, quickly pulled out and checked the lower bed.

My roommate, Lien, has not been in bed for several weeks now. Originally, I was weak in the morning, so Jaehee would always wake me up first, but recently, she has been waking up much earlier and disappearing somewhere.

Since I woke up late today, it can’t be helped that I won’t be able to see your face.

The dormitories of Judith Military School are divided into three parts.

Unless there are special circumstances, roommates of the same age will share the same dormitory, and each room is designed to accommodate two people. If no reasonable cause is provided, it is common for roommates to remain together for three years.

So, it is normal to have a close relationship with your roommate. If you are not close, it is tiring.

Fortunately, Jaehee and his roommate, Lien, got along very well. To the point that they kept hearing rumors that they were dating.

Of course, they weren’t dating. To Jaehee, Lien was the actualization of a ‘woman’ he couldn’t find even a speck of dust in, and just being able to look at her from the side made him feel embarrassed without realizing it… That kind of person.

Until just before Master Wars began.

Jaehee left the dormitory, half-asleep, and started running.

I woke up late, feeling a little groggy, and made excuses to calm my dizzy mind, but in reality, I was looking for Lien.

The unique history of Judith Military School is also revealed in the buildings within the school.

Because it had a kind of promotional and exhibitionistic influence, it was able to receive quite abundant support. In particular, support from the Catholic Church was great, and during the period when it was maintained as a high school and a women’s college, this trend was strengthened, so overall, there are many Christian or Gothic-style buildings and decorations.

There was no need to destroy the existing things just because it became a military school, so the atmosphere still remains. The cathedral with its bell tower (now used as an auditorium) and the uniforms that are devoted to white and elegance.

It was a strange combination that didn’t make sense, but it suited Lien very well and was a terribly incongruous sight for Jaehee.

Jaehee, running between buildings with her ponytail fluttering, stood out so much that people who knew her raised their voices without a second thought.

“Jaehee, what are you doing? Are you looking for Lien?”

“Yes! Have you seen it?”

“I didn’t see it! But I was just at the second restaurant, so it shouldn’t be there!”

“Oh, thank you!”

The sight of Jaehee running to find Lien every morning must have become familiar. Jaehee, who finally confirmed Lien’s location through various information, ran to the target point.

It is the music room on the 4th floor of the old special activity building.

As expected, when they arrived at the second floor of the special activity center, they heard a familiar piano sound. Jaehee’s feet became stronger.

I jumped up three or four steps at a time and arrived on the fourth floor. However, by the time I reached the music room, my steps had slowed down and I was trying to minimize the sound of my footsteps as if I was a thief entering someone else’s house.

When I arrived at the door of the music room, my feet stopped completely. Inside, the piano that had finished playing once began playing the same song again.

One of the few piano pieces that Jaehee knows the name of, Beethoven’s Moonlight.

Jaehee stared from afar through the window at the long, thin fingers that began to play a gentle melody.

It looks so different from his own fingers, just like its owner.

Unlike the calm atmosphere of the first movement, the second half, especially the third movement, leaves a rather intense impression. Jaehee watched the fingers moving across the keyboard in time with it, forgetting even to breathe.

I used to think those fingers were so beautiful.

Saying it like that may sound like it’s not the case now, but of course it’s not. I still think the same. But… I just know that those fingers can’t just play on the keyboard.

“Do you have a fever? Your face is bright red.”

I turned around in shock at the voice ringing right next to my ear. My ponytail swung wildly at the sound and I hit the owner of the voice with all my might, but the owner of the voice didn’t seem to care.

“Ugh, Jaehee hit me!”

He spouted out nonsense without any hesitation. I was so scared that I tried to cover my mouth, but of course that was impossible.

The sound of the piano playing stopped, and Lien got up from her chair, tilted her head, and opened the music room door.

“What the… Oh my, Chairman. Jaehee.”

“Oh, hello… .”

While Jaehee awkwardly greeted him, the ‘Chairman’ passed Jaehee and jumped at Lien.

Lien smiled at Jaehee as she pretended to stop and accept her.

“Did you sleep well? I didn’t wake you up because you seemed tired, but you woke up sooner than I thought. How are you, Chairman? Did you sleep well?”

Lien, with her long, beautiful hair growing down to her waist and her affectionate smile, often looks so mature that you wonder if she’s really the same age.

On the other hand, the girl in her early teens who pretended to be in his arms, so white that her other side was transparent, looked so childish that it was hard to believe she was born 40 years ago.

But there’s nothing I can do.

It’s not like she intentionally doesn’t age.

Yunain, who has been the cadet president at the Judith Girls’ Military School for 27 years, is a person who cannot age.

Because he died 28 years ago.

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28 years ago.

A major crisis has struck the nearby area, including the Judith Military School. It has been subjected to a wide-ranging dimensional isolation by a demon whose identity has not yet been clearly identified.

Military schools are meant to serve as shelters in times of disaster. Many of the students at the Judith Military School and the refugees who gathered from the surrounding areas were in danger of dying.

A situation where observation is possible from the outside, but intervention is not possible. A powerful demon using an unknown power and countless armies. Everyone thought that only a tragedy awaited them.

But the tragedy everyone feared did not occur.

This was because a girl who was attending Judith Military School at the time protected everyone. That girl, Yunain, covered the entire school with a mental barrier, preventing the demons from recognizing people.

That alone was a remarkable feat, but what was even more astonishing was the fact that the miracle continued. Nine maintained the mental barrier for a full 17 days, and the rescue team finally managed to open a passage to the isolated dimension.

The unidentified demon disappeared during the battle and was not defeated, but Nine saved everyone in that desperate situation with only one casualty, making everyone cry.

Yes, that’s right.

During those 17 days of dimensional isolation, there was only one casualty. A girl named Yunain, who died of exhaustion due to mental exhaustion.

She died alone in the greenhouse of the Judith Military School, not allowing anyone to come to where she was.

When the rescue team leader who discovered the body got down on one knee and burst into tears, Yunain appeared again. Floating upside down in the air, like a translucent ghost. She wondered why the old man was crying.

In fact, she had already died on the 7th day, and for the next ten days, she guarded the school in a ghostly state. To put it in an extreme way, she was like a ghost, and considering that she couldn’t leave the school, it would be more correct to say that she was a haunted spirit.

It was not at all strange that there was a movement to posthumously promote her to the position of student council president, having protected the school even after her death. The following year, and the year after that, she continued to be the student council president.

Everyone believes without a doubt that she will remain the student council president for life, perhaps until her ghost completely loses its power.

Jaehee, who was bewildered because the reality was so different from what he had imagined, agreed with that opinion. Even though he was a very, very different person from what he had expected.

“You didn’t sleep well, did you? Are you even paying attention to what happened last night?”

“Of course I care!”

“You’re worrying too much.”

The location is the student council president’s office.

Jaehee and Lien were watching Nine, who was sitting on the table and wiggling her legs.

Jaehee and Lien had moved yesterday after receiving an invitation from a person calling himself R.

To be exact, Nine and Jaehee were the designated targets, but since Nine is basically unable to move except at school and her home, Lien took Nine’s place.

There, I was told to surrender and that I wouldn’t be touched. Instead, as proof of my intention, I was told to leave Jaehee behind for the night.

At first, I just didn’t understand English. I wondered what a one-night hostage meant.

However, only after Lien, with her face distorted to a surprising degree, flatly refused and ran down to grab his hand, was he able to understand his intentions.

They didn’t really stop the two. It’s like they knew from the beginning that they wouldn’t accept it.

In other words, doesn’t that mean they’re ready to attack at any time? Doesn’t showing off mean they have that much skill?

I came back and reported to Nine, but Nine wasn’t even that flustered.

It may not have felt like a particular crisis to her, but it was different for Jaehee. I wanted Nain to think of it as a crisis a little more. I wanted her to be a little more vigilant.

If that’s the case, then maybe Lien too… .

“Chairman, please stop. Jaehee doesn’t look too happy.”

“Huh? Did I say something that mean?”

“I don’t think so… Jaehee knows that the chairman is not really worried about anything, so isn’t it a different problem?”

Nine tilted her head, saying, ““hmm… .”.”

And then he suddenly flew up and landed in front of Jaehee.

I met his gaze and carefully opened my mouth.

“I’m sorry, Jaehee. It’s not that I’m underestimating your intuition or your anxiety. I didn’t want to make you anxious, but I guess I made you more anxious.”

“Oh, no.”

“Yeah, I know you’re worried. It’s natural to be anxious. After all, that happened. … I won’t let that happen again this time. Okay? Will you believe me if I promise?”

Childlike appearance, childlike voice, childlike tone. But there was a persuasiveness that befitted someone who had lived much longer than Jaehee. A feeling that made you nod without realizing it.

Jaehee nodded forcibly. He said he believed it. Of course he believed it.

But seeing Nine’s face brighten at that answer, I felt frustrated again.

If Nine was really doing her best, if she really wanted to prevent something like that from happening again, shouldn’t she have read Jaehee’s mind now?

Nine’s psychic abilities are so powerful that if not intentionally suppressed, she can easily read people’s thoughts. For the sake of privacy and her own mental hygiene, Nine does not read other people’s thoughts.

That’s why I couldn’t figure out the war between the masters that was happening on campus in time.

That’s why he didn’t even notice that Jaehee was being toyed with and made into Lien’s slave.

That’s why I fell into Lien’s trap and suffered a serious blow at Jaehee’s hands.

I did the training.

The Master Wars within the Judith Military Academy were completely ended by Nine that very day.

But even I, like that, couldn’t undo what had already happened. The aftereffects still remain for everyone.

Even so… Nine still doesn’t seem to be able to read Jaehee’s mind. If she had, she would never have smiled so affectionately.

“… .”

Self-loathing suddenly arose.

Isn’t there a limit to blaming others? Just say it. Just say why your heart is so complicated right now.

The chairman may be embarrassed. Lien may be shocked. But if you keep this grudge in your heart, it will definitely become a terrible filth and ruin you and those around you.

Jaehee has a good sense.

This time, the feeling was correct. This was a really important turning point.

but….

The chime rang. As the president looked toward the table in the student council president’s office, the bell rang and a call from the security office at the main gate came through the speakerphone.

“Mr. Chairman, we have a visitor.”

“Yes. Please let me in~.”

Jaehee checked the time without realizing it.

It’s only 7 in the morning. What kind of visitor is this at this hour?

It must have been because his puzzled expression was clearly visible. The chairman smiled and taught me.

“There’s a competition in June. At Wolmyeong Military School, with Elin… Who is it?”

“The secretary is accompanying you. His name is Kang Se-ha.”

The application form that Lien showed had attached photos of a girl with a thousand-kill spell who was familiar from broadcasts and other sources, and an unfamiliar girl with silver hair and red eyes.

“… .”

I’ll say it again, Jaehee has a good instinct.

But he had no basis to explain to himself why he felt a chill as soon as he saw the sight of the strange girl.

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