episode_0136

Cadell approached stealthily. He extended his hand with an ominous smile. “Yuda.” “I have something serious to discuss.” “It will only take a moment.”

As he suggested, we had a brief conversation. It was indeed something that needed to be settled.

Just in case there were ears listening, the Serpent and the Professor headed to a secluded spot. We faced each other in a chilling atmosphere.

The conversation that began then lasted just under 30 minutes. To state the conclusion first: “Then… I trust you understand.” “Please choose wisely. For my part, I am showing you mercy, student.”

The conversation ended with a definitive outcome. Thanks to it, the traitor’s identity became firm.

I concluded the conversation, leaving behind a warning that wasn’t quite a warning. Though I felt a meaningful gaze from behind, I simply continued on my path, regardless. There was no worry from the start. ‘Anyway.’ Everything was going according to plan. There was no need to worry about a play unfolding on my palm. I merely observed from a step back.

I remained silent, my heart rate lowered. ‘There’s no reaction yet… but what will happen if they’re soon cornered?’

A day passed with various idle thoughts. The next day, a break was given. I had expected to be bothered by tedious tasks for a while, such as faculty meetings, testimonies, and report writing, but most of the related matters were entrusted to the professors. As it was a very sensitive issue, the academy seemed to be exercising extreme caution. Thanks to this, the students in assistant professor positions were able to get a short vacation. I was no exception.

“Hmm.” I spent my time holed up in the dormitory. With a book tucked into my hand, in a room where no sunlight reached, I simply wished to kill time quietly. The reason I added that I “craved” this behind the sentence was, of course: It was probably because life was so exhausting that even such a small wish couldn’t be granted.

I raised my head with an awkward smile. The interior of the dormitory came into view. Among the familiar sights were girls with pink, blue, platinum, red, and orange hair. All of them gazed at me with resolute eyes. As if they wouldn’t let me go, no matter what I said.

“Um… everyone? I told you I was fine earlier.” I tried to speak, but. “Young Master-nim! When you’re sick, you need to rest well…!” “Stop making noise and sit down.” “Yes… If you keep doing that, even Yuda will have no choice but to get angry.” “Just accept it quietly. If you think about it, you’re the one who caused this.”

What came back was nothing but the girls’ scolding. Shrinking, I leaned back against the innocent wheelchair and mumbled. “I don’t really feel sick, though…”

That’s right. I was practically imprisoned in the dormitory in broad daylight. By the hands of the protagonists themselves.

‘I didn’t expect everyone to react so sensitively.’ I mulled over a monologue inwardly. The subjugation of the Four Dragons, which had happened just a few days ago. Because the original plan went awry, it was an event where I inevitably had to overexert myself to some extent. Because I ended up greatly consuming my life force beyond my normal output. Fortunately, it wasn’t to the extent of affecting my lifespan, but for a few days afterwards, I had to suffer from muscle pain and feverishness. Of course, it was a minor ailment compared to when I was at my lowest.

‘This is troublesome.’ I didn’t want the children to worry. Therefore, I had intended to keep my overexertion as secret as possible. But I was betrayed by unexpected people. None other than Irene and Charlotte. The two who had been with me during the subjugation battle had revealed my condition. They looked serious and said something about how I needed protection. “Yuda is a patient. You shouldn’t overexert yourself until you recover.” “I couldn’t stop you myself… so I thought if I brought in the others, you’d listen.”

Since their actions stemmed from worry, it was hard to scold them. Because their sorrowful eyes weighed on my mind. Anyway. Through that process, the other children also found out about that day. Regia, Emilia, Elize… The three whose expressions darkened. When they even heard the story about me spitting blood, all of them turned pale and hovered around, asking if I was okay. Such a backstory existed for the current situation.

The Serpent, the Pilot, the Vain One, the Fox, the Little Prince, and even Rose. A dormitory where five people, excluding me, were settled. It was wide enough not to be inferior to most mansions from the start, so I didn’t particularly feel cramped or uncomfortable. Still, being constantly worried about weighed on my mind.

‘I’m truly grateful for your concern, but…’ Still, I thought making me sit in a wheelchair was a bit excessive. My life force was gradually recovering now, so it was hard to say I was particularly sick. Of course, there was no use arguing.

“You’ve already collapsed once, so we can’t trust you when you say you’re fine.” “You need to rest! The commoner and I went to all this trouble to come here, so stop complaining and just recuperate!” “Young Master-nim… *sniff*, you, you can’t die.” “Everyone will be sad if Yuda dies. And so will I.”

A torrent of nagging poured out. My mouth automatically closed. Especially Regia was looking at me with teary eyes, as if she would burst into tears if I didn’t stay still. In the end, I surrendered to her pure gaze and decided to go along with it. It wasn’t that difficult anyway.

“Haha…” As I let out a hollow laugh, Rose, who was sitting next to me, poked my cheek. She was also a girl in a wheelchair. The corners of her mouth held a mischievous smile. She seemed intent on teasing me. She spoke with a rare smile. “So… how does it feel to sit in a wheelchair for the first time?” “I think I understand a little of Your Highness’s frustrating feelings.” “Let’s get along well as fellow patients from now on. Of course, I won’t allow you to die before me.” “No… mine is a temporary symptom, though.” “Hmm.”

The Princess-nim seemed particularly pleased. Was the wheelchair, a ‘couple item’, so pleasing to her? Her reaction even included a slight hum through her nose. “Your face is as pale as a girl’s… you’re practically a sickly flower.” “I can’t compare to Your Highness, but.”

Actually, there was also an aspect of reaping what I sowed. Dizziness due to life force deficiency. When I happened to collapse or stumble a few times in front of the children, everyone became obsessed and started monitoring me constantly. I should have just stayed quietly in bed until I recovered. In the first place. If I had properly dealt with the Puppeteer back then, the Four Dragons wouldn’t have been resurrected, and I wouldn’t have had to consume life force. Of course, there was a somewhat unfair circumstance hidden on my side. I grumbled quietly. ‘Who would have known that name would be called…?’

A smile so grotesque it sent shivers down my spine. In the Puppeteer’s pupils, only madness and enlightenment gleamed. I remember the lightly moving lips and the sound. “It was you, ■■■■.” How? By what means did he know that name? In this world, only I… and those people should know that code. Problems beyond control always caused a headache. As I pondered silently for a moment, the suddenly boisterous atmosphere touched my ears. It was, as expected, the voices of Rose and the Fox arguing.

“A pet talks too much for its own good.” “Pets at least receive abundant love from their owners. Isn’t the relationship between a patient and a doctor just a professional one?” “Oh, have you forgotten? I even received a promise to be made happy.” “To boast with mere promises.” “And while stroking my skin here and there.” “How vulgar… Perhaps I should fix your head before your body.” “Can you even handle it? Daring to make such a statement to a princess of a nation.” “I don’t care about the trivial hierarchies of humans.” “What an ill-mannered beast.” “And you’re a bothersome woman.”

Should I say I’ve gotten used to it now? The two people who fought whenever their eyes met. There was no sense that they actually hated each other, but perhaps because both had tempers, they often clashed. To soothe the girls, I pinched both of their cheeks. A soft sensation touched my fingertips, and the bickering stopped.

“I clearly asked you to get along, you know.” “…They started it.” “That’s what I should be saying! You insolent beast-person.”

The Fox and Rose, grumbling to the very end. Noisy sounds came from the kitchen as they prepared dinner.

“Young Lady-nim…! Th-the stew is burning!” “Oh, oh no? What do I do? It was fine when I practiced alone…!” “First, you need to turn off the fire!” “No, no! Th-that’s wrong! I’m scared of fire…” “I’ll do it!”

The Vain One, whimpering that things weren’t going according to plan. And the Pilot, who, with her exceptional practical skills, quickly salvaged the ruined dish. “Yes. Everyone looks happy.” Behind them, even the Little Prince was gently smiling. The noisy atmosphere of the dormitory seemed likely to continue for a while.

***

Five days after the attack. The situation among the faculty remained unchanged. Although the search for the traitors continued, no significant results were achieved. Only a chilling atmosphere lingered among the academy’s adults. A situation where everyone watched each other. As there were limitations on information for an assistant’s position, I couldn’t know how seriously the situation was unfolding. I could only infer the turmoil through the sharp atmosphere.

I appropriately withdrew my interest. Because my position was to walk a different path from theirs. It was obvious that worrying unnecessarily would only complicate my mind. ‘I hope it goes according to plan.’

I leaned my back against the backrest. As I mulled over my fleeting thoughts, the Fox, who was pushing my wheelchair from behind, asked a question. “So… you need to go out from this morning?” “My Teacher-nim is waiting.” “She didn’t seem particularly pleased to see you last time.” “She’s originally someone who dislikes people. But she’s also subtly kind.” “You seem to trust her a lot.” “Because I received a lot of help from her.” I replied casually.

The rolling wheels traversed the corridor, heading towards the hospital room at the end. It was on my way to visit the Drunkard. Selena was currently staying in the academy’s infirmary. “No. I cannot cooperate in such a dangerous situation.”

During the attack. She was the woman who blocked us as we headed to the underground passage. After falling under hypnosis and fainting, she was found by other professors, lying unconscious on the floor nearby. The Drunkard naturally went through admission procedures and remained there. There were no lingering side effects, and her lost consciousness quickly returned, but strangely, she seemed unable to regain her strength since waking up. Because of this, she couldn’t attend the faculty meetings that had continued for the past few days. This was also why I visited her hospital room every day. ‘I need to convey the meeting’s contents.’ I also needed to hear her opinion on the traitor. After all, I was directly under her. It was also my duty to convey minor issues missed in meetings or the current atmosphere of the academy. Though a big reason was simply that I wanted to see her face. Anyway.

“Teacher-nim.” I wheeled the wheelchair into the hospital room. What awaited beyond was a white room. It was a dreamy space with not even a hint of a human presence. I instructed the Fox to wait outside the door, and as I moved the wheels by myself, I suddenly made eye contact with the person sitting on the bed. It was the Drunkard, lost in thought as usual.

“…You’ve come, Yuda.” She tried to greet me warmly, but the worry on her face wouldn’t disappear. Her already deep melancholy seemed to have grown much darker. Her eyes were clouded with intoxication, as usual. Her flowing purple hair was spread out on the blanket. I could tell her condition wasn’t good from the worsened dark circles under her eyes. Did she have trouble sleeping last night too?

“You seem even more haggard.” “I’m fine… Let’s talk about work first.” Her expression remained particularly dark. The woman took a sip from the liquor bottle she was toying with and spoke. Just two days ago, a patient had clearly confiscated it, asking “What kind of alcohol is this?”… It seemed she had somehow found and emptied several hidden bottles. Perhaps because of the gloomy atmosphere, I hesitated to point it out. Left with no choice, I conveyed the work-related matters as she requested. It was about today’s meeting.

“The academy’s atmosphere seems to be settling down somewhat.” “I see… This was originally my work to handle, but I’m causing trouble for Yuda.” “Not at all.”

The conversation continued for a while. Even while listening to the story, the woman on the sickbed couldn’t take her eyes off the wheelchair I was in. It seemed she was distressed by the fact that her disciple was injured. The fact that I looked particularly sickly also played a part. I didn’t know that consuming my life force during the Calamity subjugation would be used in such a way. I smiled gently.

“Teacher-nim.” Yes. Isn’t this enough by now? Five days after the attack. She must have also reached various conclusions inwardly. I brought out the question I had been waiting to ask. “I’d like to ask for your thoughts.” “Yes?” “Because you haven’t given any opinions so far.” “What do you want to ask me?” “I want to know the identity of the traitor… who you suspect it to be.” “The traitor, you say.” “It’s an important matter.”

Selena Drunkerd. She was simultaneously the dean’s top disciple and a person of high rank, having served as a head assistant. Moreover, she was a veteran who had experienced the academy for a long time. She must have certainly figured out the identity of the faculty member who betrayed the academy. Such as the overly incompetent Dean. Or Cadell, who was the most suspicious. Or someone else we didn’t expect. Or if it’s not even that.

“What do you think, Teacher-nim… no.” Actually. “Traitor-nim.” Or herself.

My eyelids had subtly opened, and I was gazing at her with my white eyes. The answer that dared not come created a brief silence. “……” The hospital room was steeped in stillness. The Serpent glared. At his Teacher-nim, who was a natural educator, an adult full of scars, and… the academy’s traitor. I had faced her, overcoming a long period of waiting. Her closed lips parted. Her pronunciation was so clear, it defied her intoxication.

“As I thought… you knew.” The traitor, Selena Drunkerd. According to the original story, she was the seed of ruin planted by the cult. The woman murmured. “……It’s all my fault.” A recollection of the sins committed over a long time.