episode_0252

Haewolhwa looked really indifferent. There was not even a shred of will to stop us in her attitude.

Of course, you can’t just believe that signal. For someone with her level of skill, putting on that kind of attitude would be a piece of cake.

“What are you planning… ”

“Okay, okay, so just follow me.”

“… Weren’t you trying to stop us?”

“Block me? Why me.”

But my suspicions were quickly shattered by the principal’s continued irritation. She turned her head and glared at me with a cold glare.

“What can I do? He says his wish is to die. I have no choice but to grant it.”

“… ”

He looks completely different from yesterday. We exchanged glances for a moment, standing awkwardly. But eventually, I followed the principal who had already gone far away.

The principal led us somewhere, keeping a little distance. The place we finally set foot in was her office, where there had been a huge fuss yesterday.

The office was restored to its original state, just like the dark brown one-piece dress the principal was wearing.

And then a strange woman sitting on the comfy sofa there waved at me happily.

“Long time no see, kid.”

His sharp features and flowing hair caught my eye. Contrary to his slender figure, he had a well-built and stocky body and was wearing the latest in military uniforms.

It felt familiar, so I searched my memory.

“It’s only been a few weeks. Surely you haven’t forgotten already?”

I remembered. She was a member of the National Guard that I saw during the messy Nakseongil Festival. She was said to have been dispatched to guard the cradle.

After subduing the big guy who was causing a ruckus, he showed up late and demanded the handover of the new soldier. I left immediately because I thought Yeonmin-ha’s safety was more important.

“… That guy who boasted with his own mouth that he was number 1 in the Royal Guard popularity vote?”

“Hmm. This time I remembered correctly.”

The woman who heard me nodded with satisfaction. Then she got up from her seat and held out her hand to me.

“Let me introduce myself again. I am the 4th rank in the Royal Guard, and I am called Black Cat.”

“… This is Lee Hyeon.”

I accepted the handshake without thinking. A peculiar tingling sensation ran up my arm and enveloped my entire body. Now that I think about it, it was the first time in a long time that I felt this unpleasant feeling.

There will come a day when I won’t feel this sensation at all. For now, the chances of me dying before that happen are higher.

“I know you well.”

And she had a sinister smile on her face that didn’t match her appearance. It was a part that made me think of someone.

In the past, I just passed over it because it was such an urgent situation, but looking at it this way, it looks quite familiar.

Somehow it seems like it resembles someone I know… something like that.

“Ahem, indeed… ”

And then the woman who looked around at me, Yeonmin-ha, and Yeon-i in turn opened her mouth in a low voice.

“… He is indeed the younger brother of Heukrang. He has even more of an edge. Even with that strange thing on his face, he still drags two women around. And he is even the next in power of Paechun and Jeokhwa… Hehe.”

Black Wolf probably refers to the captain. It must have been his identification during his time in the Royal Guard. The captain never mentioned it, but it’s not particularly strange.

For a family as large as the Heukryeon, it would be natural for them to serve in the Royal Guard after graduation.

“What do you think? When we graduate, what will happen to our generation?”

“… Yes?”

“Why are you so surprised? As the second son of Heukryeon, it is only natural that he should come to the Royal Guard. He should come and inherit the name of Heukryeon.”

“I… ”

“With your skills, I can put you in a position right away with my authority. What do you have to do to make you my adjutant? There won’t be much work to do. Just be my drinking buddy sometimes, go out on patrol with me, and do my laundry… ”

The woman awkwardly closed the distance between them. A distinctive scent wafted through the air, but even that seemed somehow familiar.

But this means that he wants to treat me like a slave. I don’t know for sure, but he clearly has a grudge against the captain. It’s obvious that he’s trying to take out his old grudge on me.

“Inspector Kwon Yoo-seol, stop with the boring jokes.”

And just as I was about to say a few words of rejection, a chilling voice was heard from behind me, one step ahead. It was Yeon-i.

“Hyun-i is still a freshman. Isn’t it a violation of the contact regulations to do that to a freshman? Is someone who is supposedly an inspector blatantly committing an illegal act?”

“Illegal… This is just a joke. It’s still blocked, right? Hehe.”

It was so cold that it made her breath freeze, but the woman shrugged her shoulders and let it go. But there was something strangely jarring about the sound of that name.

And as if noticing my discomfort, the woman winked at me slightly.

“Do you know my brother? I heard that the two of you are very close.”

Oh, damn it. She’s Kwon Yuri’s older sister. Somehow, I had a bad impression of her from the beginning. Now that I think about it, even the location of the teardrops under her eyes are the same. And the things she does are very similar.

As I became aware of him, the place started to feel like a bed of thorns. I turned to the principal and asked for an explanation.

The reason this person is here, and the reason the principal brought us here.

“… As I said before, I have no intention of stopping you.”

The principal, who had been watching our farce with a sullen expression and his hand on his chin, opened his mouth.

“That would be pointless. They wouldn’t even listen to me. Right?”

“… ”

“One horrible experience of having your office turned into a mess is enough. But since it’s already come to this… I guess I’ll have to use you.”

“You’re using me?”

“Yeah.”

The principal nodded and continued his explanation.

“Let me tell you the conclusion first. It is impossible for you to break through the land of witches on your own, no matter what happens now. Ah, before you open your mouth, this first.”

The principal waved her hand and silenced my mouth as I tried to refute her. With that, the stack of papers in front of her desk flew into the air.

Then, a piece of paper flew into our hands one by one. We immediately began reading it.

And after checking the contents, I frowned.

“… nest?”

“According to Witch Spica, it is a sanctuary containing the genetic essence of their race. It is an organic structure built by Regulus, a so-called ‘Alpha’ individual, sacrificing his own body.”

-You. Your body is falling apart?

The voice of someone I had encountered on the roof of the cradle rings in my head again.

“… According to Speaker, as long as the nest containing the essence remains, dead witches can continuously regenerate their bodies there. ”

It was the most horrible thing I had heard in the past few days. If it was true, then the captain and his sisters were just being played around by those guys.

“… The slaughtered witches you saw probably recovered their bodies by now. ”

“… ”

“The destruction of the nest is an essential prerequisite for winning the war. This invasion of the demons is ultimately due to the will of the witches who ruled them. Furthermore, it is also a way to prevent the destruction of the Republic. Unless we completely destroy the base, we will continue to be consumed by the war of attrition.”

“But until now, there was no way to know where the nest was. Witch Spica said she had never been to Harmony before, so she didn’t even know where it was.”

And the black cat that was twirling its hair heard the principal’s words.

“They say it’s somewhere in the ruins of an old civilization that hasn’t been restored yet, but we don’t have the capacity to search that vast area right now. But… ”

“… That’s where I appeared.”

“That’s correct.”

The black cat, with its eyes wide open, looked at me and applauded.

“We plan to launch a decapitation operation by raiding and destroying the witches’ stronghold, commonly known as the ‘nest’. The nest is a structure like an ark that contains all of their genetic information. If we just destroy that… ”

“… I could wipe out all the witches on Earth right now. ”

Now I think I understand what they are talking about. Black Cat continued his explanation.

“Of course, it is impossible to return all the troops on the front line to the nest. We have already lost a lot of energy suppressing Baek Il-yong’s coup. Right now, it is difficult to just hold off the Demon’s army.”

“… It’s to the point where they even issue a mobilization order to the cradle cadets. ”

The black cat nodded at Yeonminha’s words.

“Yeah. If you withdraw troops from one place and a hole is created… then you will suffer irreversible damage.”

Although it wasn’t her intention, her words triggered my memories. The pungent, acrid scent of death suddenly wafted past my nose.

“I plan to recruit the elite of the Royal Guard, you, and the cadets who have volunteered from among the top grades of each grade. You are qualified enough. If you have the top grades of the cradle, you will already be on par with the first year of the Royal Guard.”

“While using the troops in front as shields, raid the nest as quickly as possible and subdue the witches. Then destroy the nest before they can regenerate their bodies… ”

“That’s right.”

The principal nodded as she heard my muttering. She looked at me and passed the ball of choice.

“So… what do we do now?”

At that moment, all eyes in the office were on me. It was easy to realize that my decision now would determine the rest of my life.

And the decision I had to make was… just one.

***

“Did you say you had someone to meet?”

“Yeah.”

I followed the principal out of the office. He said I had some work to do while the applicants and units were being organized.

“People, yes. People. For now.”

“… ?”

“Well, you’ll know when you see it. More than that… ”

The principal’s incomprehensible words made her tilt her head involuntarily. Seeing his bewildered expression, she changed the subject.

“… Thank you for accepting this body’s request.”

“… It wasn’t something to be thankful for.”

In the end, I accepted the principal’s offer of a mission. My personal grudge had suddenly become a major mission that would determine the fate of the Republic, but I had no choice but to refuse.

It was such a cool and rational statement that it put my own cheek to shame.

Anyway, I feel uneasy about being with the principal and acting calmly after what happened yesterday. Even though I don’t think there’s a single scar left…

I looked at the principal and opened my mouth cautiously.

“I… Are you okay?”

“Do you think it’ll be okay? Now that I look at it, you have some bad taste. You’re worrying so late after you’ve done so much.”

And Haewolhwa, as if she had been waiting, scolded me. It felt strange to be getting scolded to death by someone who looked the same age as me.

“This is the first time in my life that someone has treated me so harshly. And you hit my stomach? What if I suddenly become useless?”

“… ”

And I was lost in thought for a moment, trying to remember what the principal’s joke was about.