There’s not enough time

“What’s that? What’s that sound?”

“…An explosion?”

Following the loud noise, as black smoke began to rise, the people around also started to realize.

That an unexpected incident had occurred in the middle of the city that no one had foreseen.

“Teacher?”

Waden reflexively called out to his mentor, but no answer came back.

Her expression was stiff as she focused her gaze on the rising smoke.

Yes. Something had happened that even she couldn’t overlook.

She who had maintained composure even when faced with the boy of barbarian origin.

“Disciplinary Committee head.”

She spoke after a not-so-short silence.

“I’ll check that out, so you go back to your members.”

“What? Go back…”

“Don’t worry.”

She turned to look at the bewildered Waden.

As always, a kind smile was drawn on her lips. A gentleness that contrasted with her previous seriousness.

“Being located on the border, there are many problems, but the defenses are also very secure. Moreover, if it’s not related to the school, they definitely shouldn’t extend their hands to children like you.”

“……”

“…I’ll see you later then.”

The teacher quietly moved through the crowd.

However, Waden couldn’t bring himself to follow her.

Even though her current statement taught him that this was not just a light incident.

‘…Yes, withdrawing would be the right answer.’

After quite a long deliberation.

As many passersby’s attention turned towards the explosion site, Waden finally chose to distance himself from it.

She is a person more amazing and experienced than himself. Her judgment is surely more correct than his own.

That’s what he realized while thoroughly carrying out the education over the past three days.

As Waden, who had made that decision, was walking down the street, his footsteps stopped as soon as his gaze fell on a certain place.

People moving in the exact opposite direction from where the public was showing interest. Their footsteps were heading towards a secluded alley nearby.

Moreover, the way they hunched their bodies while glancing around suspiciously was noticeable.

‘…What’s this?’

Waden felt quite familiar with such behavior.

Even problem students who were hiding that they had caused trouble at school usually showed such reactions.

‘Could it be…’

A situation he couldn’t possibly overlook.

Waden briefly looked around, then pulled down his hat and began to quietly follow behind them.

As a member of the Disciplinary Committee, he was well-versed in how to conceal his presence.

By gently changing the nature of the mana surrounding his body, most noise can be blocked, and by distorting light, one can prevent their body from being easily revealed even in shadow-like places.

What Waden, who had melted into the darkness of the alley like that, came to face was the sight of those he was tailing joining up with others who were similarly hooded.

“Why are you so late?”

“Sorry about that. There were too many eyes watching, so it took a while to set up.”

‘Accomplices.’

Waden’s vigilance heightened at the suspicious conversation.

But they never noticed Waden’s presence and just continued their conversation.

“Did you set up everything else?”

“Don’t worry, they’ll all go off when it’s time.”

“Didn’t the one just now go off before it was time? Seems like it was set up wrong~”

“We needed to draw attention for the deal, so we set off one. Don’t nitpick when you know that.”

Setup, signal, explosion…

Each word mentioned in the conversation couldn’t be seen as unrelated to the previous explosion.

Moreover, a deal? Could it be that they intend to conduct an illegal transaction in this city?

In a city built on the border that every country on the continent is interested in and investing in, no less?

“But is it really okay?”

“Haha, when have we ever cared about what happens after we hand it over?”

“Right, let’s just do as the boss orders.”

The suspicious individuals said this as they moved deeper into the alley. Waden, who had eavesdropped on their conversation, broke out in a cold sweat and looked back in the opposite direction from where they were heading.

‘This is… dangerous.’

The moment his instincts as a Disciplinary Committee member hit the mark exactly.

But he couldn’t help but hesitate to interfere any further.

He was a Disciplinary Committee member, not a guard. He was in a position to deal with situations that occurred within the scope of students.

If he encountered criminals beyond problem students outside the school, it would be correct to withdraw as his teacher had said.

Nevertheless…

‘What if I let them go here?’

He didn’t know what the deal they mentioned was, but probably the moment that process ends, they would indiscriminately detonate the explosives they had set up everywhere, if only to escape.

The city would turn into chaos and there would be casualties.

But what’s dangerous is what comes next.

‘Why are they conducting an illegal transaction here of all places, where countless countries are focusing their attention?’

If they wanted to conduct a deal comfortably, wouldn’t there be more proper places than doing such a troublesome thing?

The reason they came to this city despite taking the risk must be because the place where the item to be handed over through the deal will be used is none other than this city.

He didn’t know the details, but an incident even more dangerous than using explosives…

Having foreseen that, how could it be an easy decision to let them leave like this?

‘…Time.’

Soon, Waden, holding his breath, followed behind them while placing his hand inside his school uniform.

‘There’s not enough time.’

What was inside was something his father had given him.

For Waden, it was an object he had hoped to never use in his life, including his school life.

‘Father, this is…?’

‘Now that you’ve become part of the Disciplinary Committee, you never know what might happen, so it wouldn’t hurt to keep it. I’ve already gotten permission from the academy, so it should be fine to have one.’

‘…It’s presumptuous of me to say, but currently the academy doesn’t consider the use of weapons.’

‘Yes, I also hope you won’t have to use it.’

What came back to his resolute attitude at that time was none other than a desperate feeling.

As if teaching that even though he had indirectly contributed to countless deaths, his love for his child was still genuine.

‘Waden, you must never use this carelessly. It’s just an amulet or a last resort… Remember that you should only use it when your life is threatened, not for handling incidents.’

An object allowed to be used only when there was no other option.

It’s not like he had never had such experiences before, but nevertheless, Waden had only kept this weapon in his bosom without ever drawing it out.

If what he faced was not something that could be resolved at the student level.

If what he faced was an evil on a scale beyond students.

-Click.

Unable to overlook this, Waden felt the cold touch inside his bosom and continued to follow those heading to the opposite side of the alley.

---

And at the same time.

When black smoke rose in the middle of the campus, for a very brief moment, everyone’s attention at the academy turned to where the explosion had occurred.

It was a situation where you could see the black smoke just by looking out the window.

But in reality, not many people raised their guard just from that.

“What’s that? What’s that sound?”

“I guess they’re doing some magic experiment somewhere.”

“The place where the smoke is rising seems a bit strange for that though…”

“Well, if something happens, the Disciplinary Committee will take care of it.”

“Didn’t they say the Disciplinary Committee is at a training camp now?”

“Then the teachers will take care of it.”

Even if an incident occurs, this academy will solve it without problems.

As it has been so far, students had faith that it would continue to be so in the future.

But even such faith is ultimately the result of many people working hard in places that are not visible.

Maya, one of the subjects of such trust, unlike them, couldn’t feel at ease about the current situation.

“Oh my, President? Where are you going in such a hurry…”

“I’m sorry everyone. I’ll borrow these for a moment!”

Maya quickly snatched tools and school supplies from students she encountered while sprinting through the corridor.

Eventually, after securing a large amount of school supplies and putting them in her bosom, she frowned as she looked at the graphite visible through the corridor window.

‘Yes, looking closely, it’s clear. That’s definitely an explosion caused by gunpowder!’

Gunpowder.

A substance mainly used in bombs or weapons, which is naturally prohibited from being brought into the academy.

Although its power is inferior to magic, unlike magic, it can cause explosions even in places unrelated to individuals, and even that inferior power can greatly increase damage depending on the quantity and how it’s used.

Someone intentionally brought such a dangerous thing here…

Isn’t it not strange to consider that as having malice towards this academy and ‘committing terrorism’?

‘It’s too late to go up the stairs one by one!’

Eventually, Maya, standing at the place where the source of the explosion could be seen best, immediately opened the window and jumped down.

Although it’s a building boasting several floors in height, a body reinforced through mana can sufficiently mitigate the impact.

The important thing is what comes next.

Converting the impact of falling to the ground into repulsive force to make a leap, she gazed at where the explosive smoke was rising.

‘The destination is the clock tower.’

The tall tower mainly used to announce time on campus.

The black smoke rising from its top indicates that it’s the source of the explosion.

-Boom!

The moment another explosion occurred, tearing apart that black smoke, Maya also expanded the magical power gathered in her two legs and quickly sprinted towards that place.

‘Currently, the Disciplinary Committee is absent… In the case of mercenaries or teachers temporarily in charge, their response will inevitably be slower than the Disciplinary Committee.’

No matter how skilled veterans they are, their response speed will be inferior to those most familiar with the existing system.

In other words, the only one who can go there right now is herself, who first recognized this situation.

-Tap tap tap!

Eventually, upon arriving in front of the clock tower, she immediately made a leap and started dashing up its wall as if running.

The force applied to the run that defied gravity only stopped after reaching the top of the clock tower.

“Don’t move over there!!”

Soon after arriving at her destination, Maya pointed the pen tip she was holding towards those in front of her.

The moment the sharp pen tip was tempered with mana.

It’s not a proper weapon, but she was in a state where she could make even such an object into a weapon.

“Quietly…”

Maya said while pointing such a dangerous weapon at the person in front of her.

“Please quietly turn your head towards where I am.”

“……”

At that call, the man took off the black hood he was wearing and quietly turned his head towards where Maya was.

“It’s been a long time, President. Have you been well in the meantime?”

What was uttered upon facing each other was a welcoming voice.

There was nothing hostile about it.

As if he had no awareness at all of the crime he had committed.

“Ludger Vistas… You were certainly the head of the Festival Research Club, right?”

“Oh~ I’m honored that you remember such a humble person. We’ve actually only met face to face once, exactly half a year ago.”

A thin and haggard impression, as if he hadn’t eaten or slept properly.

But what was drawn on that face was a gentle smile. If you only looked at his hollow eyes, he couldn’t possibly be considered normal.

“…Yes, I can’t help but remember. That one and only meeting was the day the disciplinary committee was convened.”

Maya couldn’t erase her hostility towards such a person.

While there are always problem students in the academy, in the case of students who commit crimes corresponding to ‘serious offenses’, a disciplinary committee is convened within the school.

A meeting that mobilized the Disciplinary Committee and Student Council who exerted effort to restrain that student, and numerous teachers who have the authority to record in the student record…

At the time when such a disciplinary committee was convened, the opponent was someone who had not only served the maximum detention period of 1 month in the punishment building, but also received an after-school outing ban for half a year, and furthermore, was disadvantaged by the confiscation of all medals and scholarships given to academic high achievers.

A person of concern who received the maximum punishment possible in this academy short of expulsion.

“I’m sure I told you clearly at that time. Leniency is only once… I said.”

Yes, the reason the disciplinary committee was convened at that time was because the person in front of her had attempted to smuggle gunpowder into this academy.