episode_0154

“But, that… ? Who is that guy? Not you?”

Jimmy Ramirez, the master of flame, paused a little, stiffened his body, and spoke. Actually, I didn’t say this hoping for a proper answer. Because the other people standing next to him also had the same expression.

Dean Northmund was a man with more secrets than I thought. Don’t strange things keep happening around you?

Of course, it was an inevitable position, and there were not always people who defended him, so it was necessary to filter out the rumors about him to some extent.

Not long ago, there was a strange scandal with that nasty dragon woman. Even so, Jimmy thought it was a bit unreasonable, so he dismissed it without even thinking about it.

“… well. I’m not sure. One thing that is certain is that I think I know the dean.”

“Thank you for telling me exactly what I saw with my own eyes.”

When Gideon spoke late, he accepted it as if he was making a comment. It wasn’t that he expected an answer, and Gideon, who was asked the question, was in a similar situation, so he didn’t say anything.

Here, they literally felt like they were outside the event””.

The proof would be that there is no one who can give any answers to this situation.

He wasn’t the only one who found it uncomfortable; someone could be heard clearing their throat.

It was Han Sejun. Isn’t Jang Ah-hyun a guy who is in a relationship like a slave to a confident girl?

In fact, both Jimmy and Gideon knew that no matter how much they were Northmund’s direct disciples, there were invisible differences between them.

Unless you’re an idiot, why don’t you know? To be honest, compared to that Korean group, they are just hanging around the Dean.

But even so, it seemed that even the members of the Korean group did not know the identity of the large old man who suddenly appeared and protected the devil’s leader.

The intention of clearing one’s throat was probably to politely ask who that person who suddenly appeared was.

A question of possibility, such as whether Dean Northmund would answer Han Sejun’s question, briefly passed through his mind.

But unfortunately, Professor Northmund did not provide the answer to Sejun’s question.

Anyway, isn’t it right to solve this problem? Doesn’t the old man who suddenly appeared interfere with his dean’s attempt to deal with the demon and it looks like he intentionally released it there?

Even after experiencing such an incident, his dean seemed a little dissatisfied, but his response was calm. It makes no sense unless you already knew the old man.

‘I don’t think he’s a very good person. ‘I have a plan.’

It may not always be true, but Jimmy was able to roughly judge something about a person and what kind of person they were just by looking at them and feeling them at the moment.

It’s similar to intuition gained from life experience.

‘He must be talented. He seems to be quite powerful.’

Jimmy had never heard of such a person. They say that their faction is receiving support from Europe, but it is still true that their information power is slightly lower than that of other factions.

‘But the other characters don’t seem any different.’

Looking at the situation, it seems that neither Taesung nor the United States could find out any information about him. So that means Northmund deliberately hid it.

Why?

They trusted Dean Northmund and followed him to the final battle. But is there really a reason to hide it in a situation like this?

‘No matter how I look at it, that guy doesn’t look like an ally.’

If you’re not sure, it’s a good idea to look around.

Thinking that, Jimmy suddenly looks away and sees a girl with long black hair looking anxiously at the place where the old man disappeared.

I said I was worried, but I don’t know if I was worried or not. In some ways, it felt like deep, deep anger rather than worry. I really don’t know what that strange woman’s reaction was.

“Isn’t it still a bit strange?”

“Oh, what’s going on.”

Gideon began in a deep, questioning voice. That too, something is strange. It seemed like Gideon was thinking what he was thinking as well.

The woman, who looked like a cat with dozens of nasty horns but was strangely obedient to Northmund, was wheezing in that direction instead of the Dean’s direction.

‘An ordinary Yoon would not be dissatisfied with Dean Northmund’s decision. ‘Do you know anything about that guy who just disappeared?’

Jimmy thought for a moment and shook his head. No, that’s probably not true.

Has the Dean experienced any incidents alone? The attire itself is somewhat like a monk’s robe from a circular bridge.

‘Now that I think about it, I think I heard that the Dean met a spy from the Circular Church at the organization’s headquarters.’

They say there was a significant collision that left the room in shambles and destroyed a floor, but in the end, the spy returned alive.

So, does the dean have some kind of connection with the ringleader?

No, this is truly speculation.

“Mr. Ramirez?”

“… ok? Oh, no, it’s nothing.”

Jimmy may have been faking it without realizing it, but when he saw the worried expression on his deputy Kelly’s face, Jimmy waved his hand and responded lightly as if it was nothing.

Actually, it wasn’t that serious, but there was a feeling that Jimmy himself overreacted too seriously.

As the leader of a faction, you should not create an atmosphere of silent questioning, as if you are demanding an explanation for the phenomenon caused by Dean Northmund.

‘If necessary, the Dean will explain. The reason you don’t need to say it is because there is no reason to do so.’

I shrugged my shoulders like that.

*

‘I’m embarrassed.’

I can feel the gaze of the students behind me narrowing slightly.

Of course, it’s not just limited to me, it’s a question about the situation itself.

‘I can’t even say that.’

How can I say this? I’m actually a piece of the slacker that the guys who caused this evil worshiped, and I’m on my way to get it back.

I can only explain it roughly.

‘how will we do it.’

If there are any doubts about me ahead of the final match, that would be the worst.

However, I can’t explain it properly. If you roughly make up a story, it will definitely create something awkward and raise even more suspicion.

I couldn’t think of an excuse because I didn’t expect him to suddenly intervene.

“Um… So─”

“Is that person the external collaborator you mentioned?”

“External collaborators? Have you ever said something like that?”

” Sejun, come to your senses. You said it out loud during the last strategy meeting. You said that there would be support in many ways during the final operation at the academy.”

“That… Did he do that? Why can’t I remember? Oh, no… .”

I was a little surprised. At that moment, Jang A-hyeon took my words and packaged them into something plausible. Of course, looking at her fleeting expression, it would be true that she also did not know his identity.

However, I instinctively knew that I could be in a difficult situation and was doing my best to solve it.

He is also a very perceptive kid. Sometimes it’s difficult, though.

“Yes, it may take a bit of clarification as to exactly what it is, but he is a collaborator in a cooperative relationship. You probably heard what he said, but he helped me when I almost made a rash move due to the excitement of the battle.”

“What do you mean by reckless behavior? The collaborator seemed to have blocked the professor’s attack, so does that mean we shouldn’t kill the devil’s leader?”

“That’s not the case, he must be destroyed in the deepest part of this place. Because then everything will end. You must have heard a similar answer from him.”

Some amount of acting was necessary. Everyone seemed to roughly agree, although they paused a little at the explanation as if they were not interested.

It was required to give the impression that everything had been calculated, so I acted cool, pretended it wasn’t a big deal, and turned around.

‘Actually, the explanation would still be insufficient.’

Therefore, there is no time to focus your attention elsewhere. If I give it time without driving a wedge, my students who are trying to figure out how this is happening may gradually find something strange.

For example, the old man has dark mana, the fact that he is strong enough to block my sword, and the fact that the old man is the one who awakened mana, etc.

“So let’s get moving quickly, because we have to track down the demon that ran away.”

“… But that person who was a collaborator had sinister mana. Where did you meet such a person?”

“Mr. Sejun!”

At Han Se-jun’s sudden question, Jang A-hyun screamed and I almost touched my forehead secretly. Fortunately, that didn’t happen because my right hand was holding the great sword.

“No, that’s right. I have such questionable mana, I might as well ask about this! is not it? This is the kind of mana that the Ring Bridge and demons have.”

I feel this sometimes, but this guy is really clueless. No, in this case, is it wise? Because you saw through my prevarication.

However, that does not mean that actions that break the flow of the atmosphere are considered prudent… .

Anyway, this guy, who I can’t tell if he’s smart or not, forced me to answer his questions by asking the public about them.

In this situation, if you leave it out, you will be suspected. I have no choice.

“… I’m sure you all have a rough guess. And that’s probably right.”

“Yes? What is that… .”

“You probably know that there was a traitor within the church when it came to clearing out the circular bridge. And also about the traitor’s actions. Thanks to this, I was able to deal with the cult leader, The One, and remove from the organization the cult’s henchmen hiding around the world.”

“Huh? Huh?”

I swept the hair under the hat around my forehead with my fingers, as if I was wearing a fedora.

Of course, since it was a dragon’s body and there was no hair, there was a sound of scales scraping, but my attitude of indifference must have been clearly conveyed.

And it had some effect, and each person’s face took on a glow of approval.

It was a little funny to see only Sejun, who didn’t know what it meant, making a bewildered expression and then struggling on his own.

Judging by his attitude as if he was trying to talk to someone, he may be suffering serious damage due to his colleague Yue’s supernatural communication.

“Some of you may know this, but I’m sorry for not telling everyone about it sooner. Anyway, this guy belonged to an organization that was an enemy of humanity.”

“Oh, no, I understand. If it had been revealed as is, it would have had a negative impact.”

“If the professor determines that the collaborator can be trusted, it would be okay. I will follow.”

“… Sorry, Dean.”

“Thank you all.”

Sejun’s apology sounded a bit pouty, but I just smiled and looked away.

Okay, this is enough. Today all my battles end.

I don’t know what will happen to me after that, but as of today, this world will be protected and everything I hold dear can live peaceful days. That’s enough.

“I don’t think the guy who ran away will come out right away. Let’s take a final rest here and then enter the castle.”

“Yes!”

“There is no need to set up a tent. Everything will end today, so if you need anything, don’t hold back and take it.”

“Yes, I understand!”

Sejun shouts “yes” in the loudest voice and quickly disappears.

This must be an awkward situation for someone who has just become an adult and lacks social experience. Since you focus on the situation and need a reason, that’s not the case.

There is no good point in saying it is not you when everyone else agrees.

Besides, it wasn’t like he was acting and he seemed to agree with it.

‘It’s a last name with bad taste.’

I frowned slightly. Due to the reptile’s unique characteristic of inverted eyelids that are raised from below, there was no significant difference in vision even when the eyes were squinted.

This was because his anger was high enough to make him tilt his head back, so his pupils were up.

It was too strange to be called a devil’s castle-like design, and it felt like an abandoned construction building, similar to the ‘Sagarda Familia’ cathedral that Antonio Gaudi was building, which was destroyed during construction.

Ridiculously large debris from abandoned buildings has become an obstacle tens of meters high, blocking the road.

I don’t know what exactly happened that led to the design, but before worrying about such trivial things, it would be better to find out the location of Alexstras who ran away.

“… Elm.”

As I was sizing up the pitch-black castle with my fingers as if I was drawing it, I heard someone’s voice calling me.

“… Call me professor now.”

“Professor.”

I stopped moving for a moment, looking at her a little abruptly at the sudden name call.

That’s right, there was a picture standing before my eyes that didn’t fit this scene.

In a space where all light was submerged, where people left to take a rest and there were few signs, a tall girl with horns rising forward stood still and looked at me quietly.

“Get some rest, because the final battle is approaching.”

“… Can I ask you something?”

“If you can answer.”

I swallowed, feeling a little nervous. The girl with long black hair that seemed to flow like a waterfall and red vertical pupils that did not suit this kind of silence had an overpowering power.

In these cases, she usually asks for a difficult answer… .

I instinctively expected that she would ask a question that would be difficult to answer, so I swallowed a little.

“Professor, can you come back after winning this decisive battle?”

“… What does that mean? I don’t quite understand. If I win, wouldn’t it be natural for me to come back?”

“I see. But… Why am I so anxious? I feel like the professor is leaving for a place from which he can never return.”

“… What is that.”

Although she was not magically talented, this girl was more professional than anyone else in this field.

When it comes to these issues, Yoon Shia is probably better than anyone else in the world.

This is because she has already awakened as a dragon and has gradually been able to vaguely read my emotions.

She said she wouldn’t use it, but at the same moment as before, my lock was released and she, too, unknowingly accepted a piece of my emotions.

“The professor is also anxious. Why is it… Clearly, the devil I saw earlier was no match for the professor. Your victory is almost a foregone conclusion, so why are you so anxious?”

“… Siaya.”

“There is something, right? There is something uncertain at the end of this fight.”

“… .”

I couldn’t answer easily. In a situation where your emotions can be read, making excuses hastily won’t make the situation better.

Moreover, the reason I can’t answer is because I don’t know the outcome either.

I don’t know what will happen to me. In fact, I don’t even know if I can come back after accepting the divinity that creates even dimensions.

Even his personality as Northmund might be eaten.

“That’s not important. The end may be uncertain, but one thing is certain.”

“… Yes?”

“I remember you and all the other children too. It may be a bitter memory for you, but Jang A-hyeon is also a precious child to me. Not only them, but everyone else is the same. The memories I gained in this world are more precious than anything else.”

“… .”

“So no matter what happens, you won’t be able to forget it. Even if I can’t come back, I’ll always remember that. As the most precious memory, I will take it with me until the end of this world.”

“… Elm.”

That was the only thing that was real. No matter what happens, all these memories will be precious to me. It will never happen that I forget them, my disciples.

And then he lightly caressed her cheek.

“Above all, as I say repeatedly, don’t keep assuming the worst. Why do you keep worrying so much?”

I decided in my head what was important in the current situation, shook my head vigorously, and attempted to change the subject.

At the sound of my voice, Sia’s side screamed and came closer to me as if she was trying to stick her head in my side.

“So you… Hey!”

A hot, tingling sensation rose from the nape of my neck, as if I had been cut with paper. I was embarrassed for a moment and almost instinctively pushed her away, but I reflexively held back.

Well, what are you doing? It feels like it’s tingling in my neck, but it also feels a little rushed.

Did you use some kind of magic? I can’t understand the current situation, so my thoughts keep going in strange directions.

Wasn’t Dimostra like that? Magic is actually the manifestation of possibilities derived from thoughts. Then maybe it wouldn’t be strange for her to use magic… .

“Fuha.”

Suddenly she lifts her face from my neck. I feel something hot slowly flowing down the back of my neck where she left me.

As I move my eyes toward her with a shocked expression, I see something flowing from the corner of her mouth and her stroking it with her slender fingers.

“Well, what is this… Did you use magic at all?”

“I remembered.”

“What?”

My body trembled without realizing it. Her face was strangely bewitching.

At first, I thought it was something like black ink flowing down the corner of the mouth in the dark scene, but now I felt a visual contradiction, as if I was being pushed out and sucked into her just by looking at it.

And now that the color has returned, she can feel the red liquid on the corner of her mouth.

“Well, what is it? Blood… Did you suck it?”

“I remembered everything. Everything about Elm.”

“… What are you talking about?”

“Because Elm can’t give a definite answer. I will remember it too. I feel this way, Elm.”

My eyes are on her. No, her eyes.

I suddenly felt hotter, so that’s what I thought. It felt as if the water under my feet had evaporated.

The moment she thought about sucking my blood, I felt as if the temperature in this damp and dark space had risen by dozens of degrees.

“If Elm can’t come back, I’ll go find him. Because from now on, you can instinctively feel where Elm is. You said you came from across dimensions, right? Even if Elm crosses the dimension, I will definitely find him.”

“No, what is that.”

“Now we can be together forever. So Elm, please do your best until the end. No matter what the outcome is, I will definitely come to you.”

Oh, by the way, Yoon Sia smiles softly, saying, “I might not take the chaebol kid.”

I looked at her without saying anything, not knowing what had just happened or what she was saying.

When she got that look from me, she just smiled and stuck her tongue out for some reason.