Ch.206201 – A New Wind

“Teacher Jackie, you’re still not off work?”

“Yes, yes…! I have a lot of final exams left to grade. I was planning to finish these before leaving.”

“Whew, but isn’t the staff room a bit hot? Should I turn on the air conditioner for you?”

“Oh yes, I’d appreciate that!”

Teacher Jacqueline Carroll nodded gratefully at the kindness of Class B homeroom teacher Shim Hyo-chan, who turned on the air conditioner for her.

As he mentioned, the staff room was humid and hot.

Jacqueline had been so focused on grading that she hadn’t even noticed the beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

“Huh? Why won’t it go below 26 degrees?”

“What?”

“Did you touch anything on this air conditioner?”

“No? I just pressed the power button.”

“That’s strange. The staff room air conditioner seems to be under central control.”

Teacher Shim rubbed his chin as if this was his first time encountering such a situation.

“I’ll go ask the administration office about it.”

Jacqueline Carroll waved her hand with an awkward smile at Teacher Shim’s excessive kindness.

‘How strange. Why would it be under central control?’

These days, with low birth rates and concerns about children’s welfare, hundreds of complaints would come in if air conditioners weren’t turned on in classrooms.

Not to mention that the Academy had plenty of funding?

“The air conditioner? Director Kim said we need to conserve after 3 PM. For details, you’d have to inquire at the foundation.”

“The administrative director?”

“No, of course not. Planning and Coordination Director Kim Yong-seong.”

“Huh? Why would he…?”

Following the administrative staff’s guidance, he crossed the playground under the blazing sun to the adjacent foundation building.

Here too, the air conditioner was running at minimal strength inside the building.

Just then, a neatly dressed man in a suit came down the stairs.

From him, Teacher Shim received a rather absurd answer.

“We’ve exceeded the budget and have to make up for it elsewhere. It’s just manifesting in the form of electricity conservation.”

“What? What do you mean…”

“So don’t complain to me… Please go complain to your principal instead.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

“Honestly, all this fuss over just the elementary division—what is this!”

“Pardon?”

“The whole Academy acts like they own the place! Huh!”

Director Kim suddenly burst out in anger. Teacher Shim flinched at the gradually rising fury.

“Haah… I’ve already submitted a budget increase request to headquarters, so I’d appreciate the teachers’ understanding until then… There’s an ice water dispenser at the entrance, go refresh yourself. Your back is soaked with sweat.”

Director Kim left the school grounds with a haggard face and a deep sigh.

Looking closely, his sideburns were also drenched with sweat.

“Wow, so that’s the infamous division head I’ve heard about? Really startled me.”

* * *

[IWC Reminiscence]

[2nd Circle Cast: Cold Wind]

“Ahhhh… that’s refreshing.”

I blew cool air toward Ji-hye, who was sprawled out on the gym floor.

“But is it okay to just use magic like this?”

“I got permission. It’s fine.”

“I see. As expected of NoName!”

The cooling cycle magic circle embedded in the wand spun diligently in the air, creating a breeze.

“About earlier. I told you not to close your eyes and to watch the incoming spell until the end. You won’t get hurt anyway.”

“But… they close automatically! What can I do!”

Ji-hye sat up and protested.

“And while moving, the amount of mana you inject into the magic circle should change too. Less when you get closer to the opponent, more when moving away.”

“Hmm… I know that… *sniff*… but I keep forgetting when I need to…”

Ji-hye’s eyes quickly filled with glistening tears.

“Okay! I’m sorry, I’m sorry! You’re right, casting spells while moving is really difficult.”

“Hiiing…”

“There’s still plenty of time until the competition, so if you practice consistently every day, you’ll be able to do it, Ji-hye.”

As I continued patting her back, a girl with half-open eyes chimed in from over my shoulder.

“Why do you act all weak in front of NoName when you fight like a polar bear in actual battles?”

Hearing the words of her best friend Han Seo-ri, Ji-hye whipped her head around.

“I’m not a polar bear!”

“Then since you wear glasses, a glasses bear?”

“I’m not a glasses bear either!”

“Alright girls, calm down, calm down. Haah…”

After final exams, the Academy has shortened classes almost every day.

So today again, I stayed after school to help Ji-hye with her combat training.

From 2nd to 6th grade, there are no midterm exams in the second semester.

This is to allow students to enjoy the National Exchange Competition, or what’s commonly called the Inter-Academy Tournament.

And to select representatives, a small preliminary selection is held for those who wish to participate. If chosen as an Academy representative, students can earn significant bonus points for their future academic evaluations.

Then there’s Ji-hye, who was placed alone in Class B for 2nd grade due to her poor 1st grade performance.

She planned to enter the selection tournament so she could join Class A next year in 3rd grade with her friends, including Seo-ri.

“They say you can’t use portable formation writers in the competition?”

“Umm… nothing like what NoName has is allowed. Probably only bracelets or gloves? Those types will be permitted.”

“But bracelets and gloves don’t have gyro sensors in them.”

“Mmm…”

Ji-hye can be considered a somewhat unusual case compared to other children.

In the combat tournament, contestants primarily use aura to break through opponents’ barriers.

For elementary division competitions, contestants can use aura along with up to three 1st Circle spells.

1st Circle spells aren’t particularly difficult, and handling aura seems about 100 times harder, but she’s not good at multitasking.

“Still, if we look hard enough, wouldn’t there be wands like that somewhere?”

A bracelet or glove type, with a gyro sensor attached…

It’s like going to a kimbap restaurant and ordering premium Hanwoo beef kimbap, but still.

“I’ll just try harder…”

Ji-hye was quick to give up.

“Okay, Ma Ji-hye! Let’s spar now! You’re all tired out, so I’ll take this chance to defeat you!”

“You’re dead. I won’t go easy on you.”

With those words, Ji-hye got to her feet.

“Hey wait! Barrier, barrier! I haven’t put it up yet! NoName, save me!”

Seo-ri scampered away, giving me a pleading look.

Where does she get all that energy from?

[Output Pressure(log): 5]

[Deploy: Mana Barrier]

* * *

The law is distant, but fists are close.

And in Korean society, those fists were public support and empathy.

When NoName gave her interview, the Blue House National Petition site literally exploded.

Once a fire catches on the fuse, it doesn’t die down.

The biggest hit was taken by the “Serious Crime Investigation Agency.”

It’s all well and good to diligently catch politicians who commit corruption, economic crimes, and public official crimes.

But they had shown a notably lukewarm response to the Banghwa Bridge bombing incident, classified as one of South Korea’s “major disasters.”

This was due to a lack of so-called “political benefit.”

Most of the perpetrators involved in the incident were poor immigrants or illegal refugee residents that Walpurgis had been running through subcontractors of subcontractors, and arresting them would only result in taking up more prison space.

The horrific incident was gradually forgotten as time passed, and it was revealed that they had consistently rejected requests for reinvestigation under the pretext that the investigation was still ongoing, in line with the social atmosphere.

[“Taking Responsibility for Investigation Noise” Kim Dae-woon, Head of Serious Crime Investigation Agency, Announces Resignation]

-Again with the scapegoating lol how are they so consistent

-Through this incident, I’ve truly felt the powerful chain of corruption between prosecutors, media, and politics. The people will grow stronger.

-Strange things happen when an unprincipled administration takes power.. That’s why we need to vote carefully in elections

└ Yeah, still not voting for them lol

Although they’re losing ground to individual media, the power of the press is formidable.

For the Blue House, which had seen too many cases of people getting hurt by trying to hide things, sharing information as it came in was the best strategy.

[President Lee Jo-won’s 2nd Public Address: ‘Operation to Eradicate Walpurgis Was a Meticulously Designed Plan from Long Ago’]

The president was also making a bold move to make up for his mistake in the previous emergency address, according to media analysis.

He said he would investigate whether the Banghwa Bridge bombing incident could truly have been prevented through a special prosecutor team formed by bipartisan agreement, and expressed strong regret for the hostages they failed to rescue, except for one.

While some people were disgusted by expressions suggesting the government had “rescued” NoName, who had been trapped in a capsule for 7 years, others supported her future life as she was recognized as a true victim.

“You’re also on the list of key investigation targets, Jeong-ho. How did you end up getting involved with such a bold girl?”

“Prosecutor Park…”

“Not prosecutor. Special prosecutor. I retired as high prosecutor 10 years ago, yet you still call this old man from the back room. Anyway, hang in there. Nothing to worry about?”

“…No, nothing.”

“Good, let’s do well going forward. Of course, we’ll proceed with the investigation, so don’t even think about destroying evidence and making things difficult for each other.”

Seoul Central District Prosecutor Cheon Jeong-ho gave a bitter smile.

He thought he had done everything he could, but he recalled the sincere advice from his seniors that to rise higher from here, “luck” also needed to be on his side.

As the door slammed shut, the black prosecutor’s robe hanging beside it fluttered and fell.

The winds of change had begun to blow.

* * *

It was one morning just a few days after summer vacation started.

When I woke up, there was a small red LED light blinking on my capsule.

Had Yoon-sul, who had returned home after her house repairs were completed, contacted me?

Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I shuffled over and brought the hologram to my bed.

When you’re standing, you want to sit; when you’re sitting, you want to lie down—that’s human nature.

To stay true to my nature, I pulled the blanket over me and waited for my pupils to adjust to the bright hologram light.

[Baek A-rin – Active]

‘What? It’s A-rin?’

The cute friend I spent a whole two months with at the orphanage.

Among children who emphasized rules and discipline, she was a truly free and pure soul.

There were days when I felt uneasy after losing contact with her since she was adopted by some rich man.

When I saw through that person’s nature, he didn’t seem like a bad person.

That’s why I could trust and entrust A-rin to him, and I could only pray from afar that she would grow up seeing only good things in a good environment.

He might be strict about things like games or capsule use for his family.

Surely she wouldn’t have forgotten me already.

That’s what I had been thinking, but then,

[Baek A-rin: NoName…]

[Baek A-rin: Help me…]

[Baek A-rin: Please… you must…]

A message came that made my heart sink.

[NoName: A-rin, where are you? Are you okay?]

“…”

I threw off my blanket, got up, and sent a message.

Nibbling on my thumb, I waited for her to reply.

I paced around the carpeted floor so many times that my footprints became clearly visible.

Ding-

“Why is she taking so long to reply…!”

[Baek A-rin: No one lives here.]

[NoName: What do you mean no one lives there?]

[Baek A-rin: Uninhabited island?]

Why is she being so unsettling? Talking like that makes it sound like someone died.

Why on earth is she on an uninhabited island?

[NoName: Are you in a truly urgent situation right now?]

[Baek A-rin: What’s urgent?]

[Baek A-rin: Ah, I understand.]

[Baek A-rin: No.]

At least it’s not urgent, that’s a relief. But I don’t understand how she’s using a capsule while on an uninhabited island.

[NoName: If you know the address, can you tell me first? I’ll keep in touch while I’m on my way.]

[Baek A-rin: Wait a moment.]

[Baek A-rin: Jeollabuk-do, Gunsan-si, Okdo-myeon, Durido]

[Baek A-rin: Are you really coming?]

‘Ah, this is frustrating…!’

I searched the location on the map and found that there are buildings, but it’s an island where no one currently lives.

I don’t know how A-rin ended up in such a place, but since she’s asking for help, I needed to go as soon as possible.

If she would just tell me the reason, I could easily explain it to Professor Cheon.

[Baek A-rin: I’m sorry…]

[NoName: What are you sorry for? I’ll get to you quickly. Are you sure you’re on Durido?]

[Baek A-rin: Yes.]

[Baek A-rin: I want to leave here. But grandfather won’t let me.]

[NoName: Grandfather? Is he keeping you there?]

[Baek A-rin: I’m not locked up, but there are no boats.]

[Baek A-rin: I’m scared of grandfather.]

[NoName: Okay, I’ll keep in touch while I’m on my way.]

[NoName: (Shared: 010-xxxx-xxxx) Just click on this number once.]

* * *

“A-rin… A-rin! Baek A-rin! What are you doing? Come out now!”

“Huh…?”

“Hurry! We need to hide now.”

“Minwoo oppa! NoName… NoName said she’s coming! NoName said she’s coming!”

“Hey, just hide quickly! If we get caught, we’re both done for today.”