Ch.143Chapter 6. The Devil Is Everywhere. (5)

Ymir was confused.

“Gong Tae-beom. Where’s the team leader?”

“I heard he’s coming, but it might take a little time. There was an accident on the way.”

“An accident?”

“Yes. He said he’s handling the situation through emergency contact. But he should be here in about 10 minutes.”

Both Gong Tae-beom and Nam Du-chang had suddenly changed.

In a positive light, they had become people who only did the right things; in a negative light, they had become machines programmed to only perform good deeds.

Ymir thought they would have carelessly thrown their bags in a corner and gone behind the building to smoke, but the two of them were standing outside the pension in neat attire without any trace of cigarette smell.

“…What’s going on?”

Ymir wasn’t the only one confused.

Eun Hae-young, who had followed them out, also had her eyes widen when she saw their clothes.

“Why did you change into academy uniforms all the way out here in Ulleungdo? You were wearing casual clothes just a moment ago…”

As Eun Hae-young pointed out, they were both wearing academy uniforms.

They were dressed in suits like office workers, except the outer garment wasn’t a suit jacket but a similar-looking magoja.

“Is there a problem with academy students wearing academy uniforms?”

“Ah, no. It’s not that there’s a problem…”

“You’re adults,” she muttered as she lowered her head.

“Ha, haha.”

Ymir scratched his cheek.

Unlike Eun Hae-young, who was wearing ordinary casual clothes—a hoodie and loose jeans—Ymir and the other three had all come out of the pension in academy uniforms.

“…Hmph. Just because it’s field training doesn’t mean we have to wear uniforms. Even high school students are demanding freedom of dress code, so college students shouldn’t be obligated to wear uniforms.”

“But according to the field training guidelines, wearing academy uniforms is recommended.”

“Hey, Gong Tae-beom. Did you suddenly change? You weren’t like this before.”

“It’s nothing unusual. I’m just fulfilling my duty as someone who will become a hero, a true hero.”

Gong Tae-beom’s words were exemplary, but somehow seemed soulless.

“I’m wearing the uniform because I want to. Senior Eun Hae-young, does this make you uncomfortable?”

“……Tch.”

Eun Hae-young couldn’t argue further.

How could she stop someone who claimed to be following the academy’s training regulations?

“Anyway, who’s the team leader?”

“Didn’t you check? It’s Yoon Yi-seon.”

“What? When could I have checked that…!”

“Academic calendar, announcements, 2025 Regional Training Adult Division Operation Plan, third attachment.”

“Who has time to check all that…!”

“The file was uploaded when we arrived at Ulleungdo. You should check announcements regularly.”

“Wow, Nam Du-chang, you’ve really changed. Are you trying to become the top student or something? If that’s the case, why not be the team leader?”

“I’d like to be the team leader, but if someone more capable wants to lead, I should follow. That’s how organizations work.”

“……What’s with these guys? Did they all take some drug?”

Ymir remained quiet.

He just wanted to feel comfortable in this strange situation as quickly as possible.

“Excuse me, ability users?”

A man in a suit approached from a distance.

His necklace had a badge indicating he was an academy staff member.

“Yoon Yi-seon will be here soon, so please get in the car. Your team is… ‘Ulleung Team 1.'”

“Why is the team name like that? Huh?”

When Eun Hae-young immediately questioned this, the employee flinched and stepped back.

“W-well. This time, team names are standardized by area….”

“Last year, team members were allowed to choose their names.”

“Eun Hae-young. That was last year, and this is this year.”

“What? Tch, a D-rank nobody daring to…”

“Senior Eun Hae-young?”

When Nam Du-chang and Gong Tae-beom simultaneously pressured Eun Hae-young, she bit her lip and stepped back.

“…….”

I want to go back to the pension.

In this hostile atmosphere, Ymir decided to just be a team member who only thought about men.

* * *

“You’re back? I see you’ve brought a lady with you this time.”

The pension employee, Sylvia, covered her mouth with excitement when she saw me.

“You came alone before and just soaked in the hot spring… This is wonderful. I’ll prepare red bean rice for dinner tonight.”

“That’s Japanese culture.”

“Oh…!”

At Celestia’s correction, Sylvia immediately covered her mouth with her hand.

“I-I’m so sorry! My knowledge is limited…!”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Instead, please prepare food that’s full of energy. I’ll come down to get the food, so don’t come up.”

Celestia gave instructions to Sylvia as soon as we arrived at the pension.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s nothing to worry about. Let’s go up. We need to unpack quickly. And you’re getting a call.”

As Celestia pointed out, my Taegeuk Watch was ringing loudly with a call from someone.

It turned out to be Ymir.

“Hello. Taking a break?”

[Teacher. Something’s strange. Can people suddenly change?]

Ymir’s voice was subdued.

[Ability users.]

“Are they about to die?”

[But what if their behavior isn’t reckless, but rather very diligent and kind?]

“That’s exactly what people do when they’re about to die, isn’t it?”

Ymir’s voice was like that of a sister who had seen her brother return from military service, making his bed and going out for morning exercise at dawn—as if she had witnessed something impossible, but couldn’t say anything because it was such proper behavior.

[It’s weird. Suddenly two guys have become like model students. They were such trash just when we got in the car.]

“If you’re calling them trash, they must be really… or maybe not?”

[It feels different when I talk to you versus other people. They were the kind of guys who seemed like they might try something weird with me at night.]

“Maybe they’re trying to reassure you?”

[If that were the case, they should have been proper from the beginning. I’m telling you, they changed at some point.]

“Hmm….”

There are two possibilities.

“Is there a chance they’re trying to make a good impression now?”

[No way. In the car earlier, they were glancing at my chest, but now there’s none of that.]

“That is strange.”

Men in their early twenties not glancing at Ymir’s chest?

Something’s definitely going on.

It’s closer to the second possibility I was thinking of.

“I’m not certain yet, but this doesn’t seem like something to discuss over the phone.”

[…I’ll listen anyway.]

As Goblin and Platinum Sun, we shouldn’t speak carelessly.

“When people suddenly change their behavior, they truly change only when they’re about to die. And there are various reasons why people might feel that way.”

How should I explain this over the phone?

“…Could they be brainwashed? To live righteously, to act properly. They’ve been reformed.”

[It’s not like they were taken to some facility and forcibly corrected.]

“Rather than a facility, um, there might be some change in their hearts.”

[…..Ah! Hmm, I see. I understand what you’re trying to say.]

That’s a relief.

She understood my cryptic message.

[Teacher. Always be careful of villains… and demons. Understand?]

“Of course. You be careful too, Ymir. Whether it’s villains or demons.”

We understood each other.

Now I just hope Ymir will act cautiously.

[Ah, the team leader is here. I’ll contact you again later.]

“Team leader? I thought they were making you the leader?”

[Someone very leader-like has arrived. Student council president Yoon Yi-seon. Ah, sorry, I have to go!]

Click.

The call ended.

“Yoon Yi-seon?”

Why her all of a sudden.

No, it’s possible.

The original story is just a reference now; everything has been twisted since Ymir entered the academy as a woman.

“…Tavern Owner. How many teams came to Ulleungdo?”

“Four teams. If it’s Student Council President Yoon Yi-seon’s team, that would be the southern area.”

“Right where our pension is.”

It’s quite close.

Close enough that Ymir could secretly come to the pension during personal maintenance time.

But she will now carefully observe her team members.

To see if they become demons or not.

So…

“I think I need to watch over Ymir.”

“Oh? Well, there’s already trouble from the start.”

“…Already?”

The Taegeuk Watch isn’t ringing.

That means the incident is happening somewhere other than Ulleungdo.

“What is it? Did some middle or high school kids cause trouble?”

“No. College students, adults.”

The Tavern Owner, still in the midst of preparations, connected her equipment to the living room TV and displayed breaking news.

“Demons have appeared simultaneously in three locations.”

“…Ganghwado, Jindo, and Jeju Island?”

“Yes. It’s not the Sambyeolcho rebellion, but these three places… ah.”

The Tavern Owner displayed another popup window with a helpless smile.

“Another one appeared. This one is… Marado.”

“No way.”

What’s with demons appearing only on islands?

“…Wait.”

Don’t tell me.

“Damn it.”

My head is throbbing.

It’s even more frustrating because I think I understand why this is happening.

“They’re releasing demons all over the country to find Platinum Sun, causing chaos.”

“Must be Wijungcheoksa?”

“Probably.”

Only Wijungcheoksa and Pandemonium could release demons on this scale.

“Looks like I need to start traveling across the country.”

I reached to my side and pulled out a belt from my hand.

“…Ah.”

Just a moment.

I had a good idea.

“If I transform here… it might be possible.”

“What are you planning?”

“A miracle that could offset my penalty.”

After putting on my shoes at the entrance.

“I need to mix Ymir and Baek Seol-hee’s transformation techniques.”

I finished putting on my shoes and opened the door to the bathroom.

Splash.

“What are you going to do? Demons are starting to swarm all over the country, and don’t you need a bike to leave Ulleungdo?”

“Don’t need a bike.”

Before removing my Taegeuk Watch, I made a call first.

“I may not be able to teleport, but I have a way to fly through the sky.”