Ch.149149 – Visitor Interference

<149 – Visitor Interference>

“I heard Oknodie is sitting in the visitor’s room.”

“Why isn’t her guardian coming?”

“She’s from the Wiheomhae Foundation. If they know their actions toward Oknodie have been exposed, they’d obviously stay away to avoid getting beaten up.”

Passing through the corridor, Zhang thought the rumors she heard were about a foolish child.

‘How could an assassin meet face-to-face? Even if they said they’d come, they wouldn’t. And even if you asked them to come, they shouldn’t.’

Even considering Oknodie was still a child, it was excessively reckless behavior.

Today’s events would surely teach her a lesson.

She wouldn’t place meaning in empty promises that only cause trouble for both parties, nor would she make such promises.

That’s how everyone grows stronger.

While Zhang liked Oknodie’s bright innocence, she prayed that the period when that innocence caused self-inflicted wounds would end quickly.

She didn’t want to see her newly made colleague and friend suffering from heartache.

Thud.

“…!”

Still, maybe she should at least see her face before leaving.

With that thought, she stepped into the corridor and sensed an unusual <Boundary> expanding.

A unique technique of the powerful who twist internal laws to create their own small world.

Freshman? Not such a low-level power.

Teaching assistant? Second or third-year students wouldn’t be capable.

Instructor? Even that would be insufficient.

Professor.

This boundary was deployed by someone at least at the professor level.

‘Whatever it is, I’ve stumbled into somewhere I shouldn’t be.’

The power emanating from the boundary felt like cognitive distortion and sensory disruption.

The result they would create: expulsion beyond the corridor.

“Huh? Where was I trying to go?”

A student who happened to be caught in the boundary nearby turned around with a blank face and left the corridor.

Watching them go upstairs, it seemed they would think they just got lost for a moment even if they reached their destination, with no awareness they had entered a boundary.

<Advanced Concealment>

<Boundary Deception – Complete Harmony>

Having noticed quickly, she barely managed to hide her presence and avoid the boundary’s biological recognition.

Moving carefully to avoid triggering the boundary, Zhang detected another layer of boundary deployed in double.

Unlike the boundary that expelled others, beyond this double boundary line was a boundary of different properties.

A small thread plucked by hand.

Whoof.

The thread she gently blew from her palm dropped straight down vertically as soon as it crossed the boundary line.

‘The gravity is different.’

An enormous pressure dominated that space.

Now she understood the meaning of the double boundary.

The outer boundary was a safety measure to prevent innocent students from getting involved.

The inner boundary was combat mode to achieve the main purpose.

Inside, someone was fighting a professor.

‘Who could it be? Who’s trying to stop whom?’

Before entering the academy, she wouldn’t have been curious about such matters.

Relationships with others inevitably led to betrayal, pain, disappointment, detachment, and cold revenge.

She had never expected anything from any relationship.

She never wanted to form any relationships.

But things changed after meeting Oknodie.

There was a child in this world like herself.

Born with the same fate of an assassin, yet living a completely different life and trying to live differently.

Perhaps, just as that child resembled her, she might come to resemble that child.

She had developed such a troublesome expectation.

She knew.

That her current self was weaker than her former self.

The knowledge, skills, and friendships learned at the academy.

Such things were nothing compared to an assassin’s mindset.

Don’t step into danger.

Live thinking only of yourself.

Don’t get involved in personal grudges.

The numerous pieces of advice left by her master bound her feet.

But one suspicion wouldn’t let her turn away.

What if the fight beyond was related to Oknodie?

What if it was related to Oknodie’s guardian?

Could she still walk away saying it had nothing to do with her?

Crack.

Zhang heard the sound of something breaking.

It was the sound of her master’s shackles, which had bound her feet for so long, beginning to crack.

‘Oknodie is not a stranger to me.’

Hadn’t she always acted superior to Hestia and Titosoga?

Saying assassins don’t make friends carelessly.

That those who betray friends should be prepared to receive the pain of betrayal in return.

‘I shouldn’t be doing this. I really shouldn’t.’

While thinking how troublesome this was, she took one step forward.

Pressure bearing down as if it would snap her neck.

Thighs straining with force.

Stubbornly trying to keep her back from bending.

Before her eyes, now more sincere than at any time including the entrance exam, the hidden scene within the double boundary finally unfolded.

A long-haired man standing proudly with his back turned, arms crossed, his cape fluttering.

Another man in a tailcoat, covered in blood, taking steps while enduring the full pressure from the first man.

If she had to identify them…

‘A thief… and a butler?’

Two men of an incomprehensible combination were glaring at each other.

* *

Jona Wiheomhae.

He had been counting the days until this one arrived.

The Guardian Visitation Day.

“The young lady has caused quite a lot of trouble. Please give her a stern talking-to on my behalf as well.”

“I’m sorry, Leaf. I’ll convey your message to the young lady too.”

“Delivering the candy basket properly will be enough. It’s about time to give her different poison candies carefully selected by type, as she must have developed tolerance by now.”

Though disappointed at not being able to see her in person, Leaf understood it couldn’t be helped.

Recently, the academy investigators’ attention toward the Wiheomhae Foundation had been concerning.

With news that artifacts had been stolen from one of the central continent headquarters’ key outposts, they couldn’t ignore the academy’s intentions.

“To break through the academy’s interference in trying to take the young lady from the foundation’s embrace, a diversion is necessary. Please leave this to our assassination maid unit.”

Behind Leaf, professional assassins disguised as maids revealed themselves.

As soon as they dispersed, explosions erupted throughout the banquet hall, thick smoke spread, and emergency alerts rained down.

More than half would likely not survive, but that too was an investment from the higher-ups for the foundation’s “special scholarship student.”

‘Live, Leaf. I don’t want to see the young lady saddened by your death.’

Jona and Leaf.

They hadn’t wanted to go to such extremes from the start.

But when the “screening of minor guardians” disguised as a pre-visitation banquet began, they had no choice but to act.

“Everyone knows that each visitation ticket allows for a set amount of time. Isn’t it a shame to part so quickly from the children eagerly awaiting their guardians’ visits?”

Due to one vile person’s scheme, a betting game involving visitation tickets began in the banquet hall.

While outwardly presented as betting, it was actually a ploy to extort tickets from powerless guardians.

Even Jona might have struggled to protect his ticket if targeted by the powerful.

‘You brought this terrorism upon yourselves.’

With the banquet canceled due to the assassination maids’ bombing operation, ticket holders were rushed to use the teleportation magic circle.

With influential figures from various countries gathered for student visitations, it was impossible to postpone the schedule or make procedures more complicated.

“We will expedite the move to Gift Island. Those with visitation tickets, please gather quickly at the teleportation magic circle.”

Arriving at Gift Island amid the chaos, Jona felt his body tremble at the immense mana permeating the island.

Though returning after a long time, it remained a monstrously powerful island.

“As expected of an island with dragon veins, the mana energy is truly magnificent. Don’t you agree?”

“Indeed. The large sum spent on admission was worth it. If our child grows in such a place, it’s not impossible for our family to produce its first Swordmaster.”

The nation’s top merchant.

The head of a martial family expanding its influence.

High nobles and imperial high officials—prestigious guardians visited the academy.

Prepared identification.

Once verified through the mana board, movement to the visitation hall was permitted one by one.

‘I’ll have to wait quite a while.’

Due to priority being given to those with power and influence, Jona had to wait a considerable time.

Still, he showed no complaints or loss of dignity.

His every action could affect the reputation of the Wiheomhae Foundation and the young lady.

“……”

Eventually, all other guardians had left, and Jona remained last in the inspection room.

The reward for his waiting was only cold treatment.

“Since no one else is here, could you please proceed with the inspection procedure?”

“I apologize. Due to a malfunction in the mana board, inspection is currently impossible.”

“The board looks fine to me.”

As the staff member applied pressure with a smiling face, the mana board’s circuit burned with a crackling sound.

“Now it’s broken.”

“……”

“Don’t worry. According to regulations, all inspections must be completed by 6 PM at the latest. We’ll definitely repair the board before then.”

Such childish tricks.

Though murderous intent flashed in Jona’s grim eyes, the staff member smiled with his mouth while his eyes challenged Jona to try anything.

That was precisely what they wanted.

Unlike Leaf, Jona had revealed his identity.

If he caused trouble, he could be immediately expelled.

If he wanted to meet Oknodie, he couldn’t dirty his hands.

No matter how dirty and petty the other side was.

“…”

By early evening, as the sun was setting.

“Identity confirmed. Enjoy your visit.”

Leaving behind the staff member’s brazen mockery, Jona entered the corridor.

He couldn’t help but laugh at the changing atmosphere as soon as he set foot inside.

This is too much.

They even deployed a boundary that increased pain with each step.

“Nice to meet you, Oknodie’s guardian.”

“And who might you be, sir?”

“I’m a professor who acts as Oknodie’s teacher. People call me Destroyer.”

“Destroyer… the thief from the previous generation’s hero party?”

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to turn back. This corridor has been sealed with a barrier for special reasons. No one can use it until visitation hours end.”

“According to regulations, those with visitation tickets can immediately meet after guardian identity confirmation.”

“What can we do about an unfortunate accident? Thankfully, it happened after all the other guardians had passed through.”

After experiencing such brazen, almost contemptuous behavior, he felt more like laughing than getting angry.

“This won’t make our young lady yours.”

“Isn’t this what you people do well? Recruiting talented children as disciples, then threatening them using their lives as hostages.”

Destroyer said:

“Today, our roles are simply reversed.”

A professor teaching <Adventure Tales of a Retired Former Hero>.

A companion of the hero chosen by the deity <Sophemia of the Sun>.

A member of the previous generation’s hero party, Destroyer.

From the center of the double boundary spread across the corridor, he blocked Jona’s path.

“Turn back if you want to preserve that worthless life of yours.”

Without hesitation, Jona stepped forward.