Chapter 173

Ｒｅａｄ ​ｏｎ Ｋａ​ｔＲｅ​ａｄｉ​ｎｇＣ​ａｆ​ｅ

“Sigh…”

Si-ul, the assistant homeroom teacher of Class A in the first year of the academy, scratched her head.

She leaned back in her chair and let out a deep sigh.

On her desk, a mug of steaming hot cocoa sat, its white steam rising gently.

She brought it to her lips and took a sip, the sweetness of cocoa lingering on her tongue.

“Ugh…”

Though she usually loved cocoa, it did little to ease her troubled mind.

The drink was so sweet it made her head spin, but her mood didn’t improve at all.

“The first semester isn’t even over yet…”

Why were so many problems piling up one after another?

She hadn’t been a teacher for long, but this was a first for her.

One of the academy’s students had gone missing.

Another student was hospitalized in a coma.

And yet another student had stopped coming to school without a word.

On top of that, the homeroom teacher of Class A had returned to the Celestial Corps for some reason.

“…Given her personality, it’s definitely related to Lucia.”

Though she hadn’t heard the details, Si-ul had a hunch.

Her senior had been tirelessly working to find the missing student.

This temporary return to the Celestial Corps was undoubtedly to find Lucia.

“I wish she’d taken me with her.”

She was also a teacher in charge of Class A.

How could she not be worried when one of her students was missing?

In her heart, Si-ul wanted to follow Angelica too.

But she was the assistant homeroom teacher. If Angelica was absent, Si-ul had to manage Class A. 

Angelica must have trusted her to handle things while she was away. At least, that’s what Si-ul decided to believe.

“Phew…”

She let out another sigh.

Her breath carried the sweet scent of cocoa.

Every time she scratched her aching head, her light green hair swayed.

She glanced at her desk. A half-empty mug of cocoa and a messy pile of sticky notes caught her eye. The notes were filled with tasks she needed to handle while her senior was away.

Si-ul downed the rest of the cocoa in one go. This wasn’t the time to just sigh. She had watched her senior long enough to know what needed to be done. 

But knowing and doing were two different things. Si-ul slapped her cheeks lightly. Her senior was doing what she could, so it was time for Si-ul to do her part.

“First, tomorrow’s physical assessment…”

She scribbled down tomorrow’s tasks on a new sticky note.

She listed the class curriculum and other schedules.

After school, she’d visit Alice in the hospital. As the assistant homeroom teacher, she had been so swamped with work that she hadn’t been able to visit since the day of the incident.

Next, she needed to address Eugene’s issue. He hadn’t been attending classes for days now. 

Given Eugene’s abilities, he could graduate early from the academy without any issues. His growth rate was incredibly steep. He might even be stronger than her now.

But he was still a student. The academy didn’t just teach combat. Though the curriculum leaned heavily in that direction, it was also an educational institution that taught the “knowledge” and “culture” that people needed to have. 

She’d have to visit Eugene and talk to him.

Ah, speaking of counseling, she needed to check on Arin too. Si-ul recalled how Arin had looked during class. 

She seemed unusually down. Dark circles hung under her eyes. As one of the people involved in the incident in District 6, she must have been under a lot of stress.

“That should cover it.”

After roughly organizing tomorrow’s schedule, Si-ul stretched deeply. She looked out the window and saw that darkness had fallen. The clock showed it was late. When did time fly by so quickly? Si-ul shrugged her tired shoulders. Maybe it was time to head home. Just as she was tidying up, she heard something.

“Wait, Alice, slow down…”

A voice came from the hallway outside the door.

The sound of running footsteps grew closer.

Si-ul looked at the closed door with a puzzled expression.

Then, without a knock, the door swung open with a thud.

A small figure stepped into the faculty room.

Si-ul’s eyes, hidden behind her bangs, widened.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“Alice?!”

The cute girl with deep blue hair like the ocean.

Si-ul shot up from her chair.

The girl who should have been in the hospital was here.

In a voice mixed with surprise, shock, and relief, she exclaimed,

“You’re awake!”

Alice, who had been in a coma and unconscious.

It had been almost a week with no signs of her waking up, and the worry had been overwhelming.

But now, Alice’s eyes were open.

She was standing on her own two feet and speaking.

Feeling a weight lift off her shoulders, Si-ul forced a dry smile.

‘…Huh?’

But soon, a question arose, and her smile faded.

It was a relief that Alice had woken up, but why was she here?

Even if she had regained consciousness, she shouldn’t be able to leave the hospital so soon.

Given the extent of her injuries, she should have been bedridden for a while.

‘Unless she awakened or something, but her injuries weren’t the kind to heal in just a week.’

Alice was still wearing her hospital gown, but she didn’t seem uncomfortable at all. She walked briskly over and stood in front of Si-ul. This gave Si-ul a closer look at Alice’s face, which only deepened her confusion.

‘…Wasn’t she heterochromatic?’

She was sure Alice’s right eye was red and her left eye was blue.

But now, both eyes were red.

Ruby red, like blood.

“Haah, haah… Alice, you’re too fast…”

Arin stumbled into the faculty room, panting.

She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and gasped for air.

“Sorry for leaving you behind. Arin was just too slow.”

“No, it’s not that I’m slow, haah, it’s that you’re too fast.”

…Was Alice fast?

Si-ul recalled Alice during class.

Her supernatural ability output was top-notch, but everything else was a failing grade.

It was obvious she hadn’t trained her body properly.

Her potential was limitless, and her talent was slowly blossoming.

But at least for now, her physical abilities were no match for Arin’s.

Had their positions reversed…?

Si-ul tilted her head in confusion. Wasn’t it supposed to be Alice struggling to keep up with Arin, not the other way around?

“Teacher Si-ul.”

Alice smiled gently.

But something felt off.

The Alice Si-ul remembered was nothing like this.

She wasn’t stuttering. She wasn’t avoiding eye contact. She wasn’t bowing her head or looking timid. Instead, she wore a soft smile. 

Si-ul felt like she had seen a similar smile before. It wasn’t hard to remember. Lucia. That girl often smiled like that.

“Sorry for coming so late. There’s something I wanted to ask.”

“…No, there’s no need to apologize.”

Her response was delayed due to the sense of dissonance. There were many things Si-ul wanted to ask Alice, but she decided to hear her out first.

“I heard from Arin. Teacher Angelica has returned to the Celestial Corps.”

“That’s right. Why do you ask?”

“Teacher Angelica wouldn’t just abandon her role as the homeroom teacher of Class A. She’s a very responsible person. She wouldn’t turn her back on the students she’s in charge of.”

Si-ul could confidently say she knew that better than Alice.

Angelica was as proud as she was responsible.

Once she took on a task, she would see it through no matter what.

“If Teacher Angelica has gone to the Celestial Corps… there must be a good reason for it.”

Now that one of her students in Class A has gone missing, it’s not hard to guess the reason.

“Where is teacher Angelica?”

I’d like to meet her in person.

Alice smiled softly as she said this.

It was a smile reminiscent of Lucia.

◈

“What did you just say?!”

Angelica gritted her teeth and shouted.

If Isabella hadn’t stopped her, she might have grabbed him by the collar.

Isabella managed to catch Angelica’s hand as it shot out, but even her eyes held a hint of anger.

“Say that again.”

Angelica glared at the man in front of her, emphasizing each word.

The man with light blue hair shrugged and replied.

“Ah, did you mishear me? I said we’re going to deploy Eugene in this operation.”

The corners of his closed eyes curved slightly.

Karma spoke as if it were no big deal.

“I heard you’re the teacher in charge of Eugene. That’s why I came to let you know.”

“Are you out of your mind? Eugene is still a student. A first-year, at that.”

“His skills are far beyond that of a student. Especially a first-year.”

As the homeroom teacher of Class A, Angelica was well aware of Eugene’s abilities.

His combat prowess was more than enough for actual combat.

But that didn’t mean he was ready to be thrown into the field.

Though he had experienced real battles a few times, Eugene was still young and inexperienced.

He needed more protection, more learning, and more experience.

And yet, they wanted to involve him in the Family suppression operation, not even a battle against monsters.

The Family wasn’t made up of monsters. They were humans. Even if they didn’t act like it, they were still human.

“The Family is a criminal organization mostly composed of supernaturals. Their primary enemy is the Celestial Corps, and they specialize in fighting supernaturals rather than monsters. And you want to throw Eugene into that?”

“It’ll be a good experience. In life, your enemies aren’t just monsters.”

“Sigh…”

The previous Family suppression operations had resulted in heavy casualties.

Supernatural vs. supernatural.

Human vs. human.

When dealing with a mad terrorist organization, there’s no room for mercy, nor the luxury to show any.

The Celestial Corps focused on subduing them whenever possible, but they didn’t hesitate to kill if necessary.

“What the hell are you thinking, you bastard?!”

Finally, Angelica dropped all formalities and let her anger show.

Angelica, who had broken through the wall and reached the level of a Captain.

Her supernatural ability wouldn’t go out of control due to emotions.

Yet, the air around her trembled because she was directly expressing her hostility.

“Are you planning to make Eugene, that kid, kill someone?”

“Oh my, kill someone? What a grim thing to say.”

“The enemy isn’t a monster. They’re human.”

Angelica glared at Karma. The fact that he was the Captain of the 4th Division, or that he was stronger than her, was no longer of any concern. The Hero who had slain the Beast of Calamity. The raging storm. A natural disaster in human form. Angelica chewed on her anger as she spoke.

“You bastard, what’s your game?”

Finally shaking off Isabella’s hand, Angelica grabbed Karma by the collar.

Facing her fury head-on, Karma replied in a light tone.

“Ahaha, my game? Someone might misunderstand.”

I’m just acting out of pure concern for my junior, Eugene.

Karma’s smile deepened.

As if he had just heard a funny joke.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Intention (Pure)
Result (Misunderstood)

Did you all have a Merry Christmas?

I spent this year in harmony with my family.

Sniff.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Everyone probably had a good Christmas (that was 2 years ago.)

Either way, Azazel is funny.