Became a Dark Merchant in the Academy - Chapter 167
166 – Fiance_25
Even if there was an illegal incident where someone entered the emergency control zone, there was no need for the association president, Kang In-cheol, to personally intervene.
Such trivial matters were to be dealt with by the staff deployed below, and the job of the association president, Kang In-cheol, was to verify the validity of the disciplinary level once it was determined and either stamp or not stamp the document, and that was it.
That’s why, even if someone had invaded the emergency control zone and someone had been caught, Kang In-cheol had no intention of moving.
Even though he was a newly-adult cadet and a junior at the academy he attended, he was curious about who could have done such a stupid thing. But that was it, there had to be a distinction between public and private.
[It’s been a while, sir.]
But that couldn’t be done.
That’s because I got a phone call just as I was almost done with the work.
The person who called was Baek Seol-ha, the chairman of Laplace Academy.
Because she had a connection with her father.
Even when he was alive, we weren’t on bad terms, to the point where we would exchange greetings a few times a year.
Even that was hushed up to the point where it only came up once or twice in the years after his death.
Anyway, I don’t know how she found out about the situation here, but since she said that cadets were being detained here, it seemed like Baek Seol-ha, who cares deeply for her cadets, took action herself.
[Sir, can I ask you a favor? Cadet Lee Seong-hyeon…]
[I don’t know how you found out about that, but it’s a law that requires distinction between public and private affairs.]
[I know, I’m not asking you to let me go.]
[Then, the reason I’m calling you after such a long time is… a request for a job? If you’re going to ask me to parachute into the Hero Association, then back off! I never raised you that way.]
[What do you mean by raising me… No, that’s not it…]
[It’s a joke.]
[…]
A small sigh was heard from the other end of the phone.
It’s been a while since we last spoke, so I just wanted to joke around.
‘You used to respond well, but now there’s nothing you can do about it.’
He followed along well, saying, “Uncle, uncle.”
Time just passed by so cruelly.
‘Why didn’t you do anything, sir? Why on earth did you do anything when you were the president of the association…’
That incident must have been very traumatic for the child, so it’s only natural that there would be a change.
[So what is this request? Even for me, it is impossible to ask for a job or to release a student who committed an illegal act.]
[Neither. What I would like to ask is that you personally see the cadet Lee Seong-hyeon and tell me your impressions.]
Anyway, I asked again because I was curious as to what the request was, and the answer I got was a strange request whose intention I couldn’t understand.
[Impression… That’s not a problem, but shouldn’t you tell me the reason?]
[There is no particular reason. Rather, since you accepted, I will ask you to take good care of me.]
And then he hangs up the phone.
It’s been years since we last spoke on the phone, and the conversation lasted only about a minute.
This isn’t a request to release it, but rather a request to see it and give feedback.
I couldn’t understand at all why or what his intention was for saying that.
I couldn’t help it since I called again but got no answer.
“That’s right.”
That’s why Kang In-cheol became curious about the cadet named Lee Seong-hyeon.
I wondered what had happened and what kind of cadet Baek Seol-ha was to make such a strange request.
“Team Leader 7, please do me a favor.”
“I will obey your orders.”
He called the intelligence unit and ordered them to bring information on a cadet named Lee Seong-hyeon.
Although it would be fairest to go and do the evaluation without knowing anything, I judged that Baek Seol-ha’s intention was not that, but rather that she wanted to see something specific.
“Hmm.”
After some time had passed, the information the intelligence unit brought back about Lee Seong-hyeon contained some quite interesting information.
And among them, what caught Kang In-cheol’s interest was the fact that it was somehow related to several terrorist incidents that have shaken the world so far.
‘From the Academy terrorist incident a year ago, to the LA incident last time, this incident is also a nationwide Academy terrorist incident.’
That’s understandable, because Lee Seong-hyeon, a cadet, was experiencing events throughout the year that a normal person might experience once or twice a year.
Don’t they say that once is coincidence, twice is fate, and three times is destiny?
At this point, it was safe to say that rather than getting involved in an incident, they were creating one.
Of course, that’s not the case according to the information brought by the intelligence unit, but the frequency with which it gets involved in incidents is just too strange.
No, it wasn’t just strange; it was logically impossible.
In that case, it was only natural to conclude that there might be something about the cadet Lee Seong-hyeon that could be connected to the incident.
“…I guess I should go there sometime.”
From noble mtl dot com
I roughly understood why Baek Seol-ha made that request.
Curiosity, interest, wonder.
I was going to leave it alone, but I had a favor to ask, and since I saw it like this, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to go and check it out.
“Actually, I think we should be rewarded instead.”
The story I heard while we were having a half-joking, half-serious conversation after arriving there was surprising.
“I have the ability to see the future.”
If so, then the probability is right.
“Shouldn’t you say something like this? Team Leader 2, stop being noisy and come out!”
Of course, I don’t believe the story that he suddenly awakened. Unless he was in collusion with Team Leader 1. Even if he didn’t see the future, the fact that he was able to predict exactly what he was going to say meant that he had something similar to that.
‘I’m sure there’s something there.’
If that’s the case, then most of the evidence presented is likely to be true.
The authenticity of the evidence will have to be reviewed by the intelligence unit.
Heroes are also presumed innocent unless they are special cases, so unless they are declared criminals.
“Team Leader, let those cadets go for now.”
In principle, there would be no problem in releasing it.
Of course, this is not without its aspects of leaping, minimizing, and distorting the presumption of innocence.
If the evidence presented was true and no murders or anything like that had been committed inside, then there would be no problem.
‘Rather than looking at him in such a tense state, it would be easier to judge if he were to let go and look at it secretly. So first… I think it would be good to put one on the outside and two on the back.’
That’s why Kang In-cheol and Team Leader Lee Yu-rin came out of the tent and ordered them to be released.
“Huh? No, that’s…”
“They’re just barely adults, so trespassing is a privilege that comes with the spirit of youth.”
“Chairman, they are inside the gate…”
“Inside?”
“no.”
Yurin kept her mouth shut as if she had something to say.
Then he lowered his head slightly and bit his lips.
“But it is true that they entered the gate where the emergency control zone was set up, caused chaos, and were caught on the spot. This is a violation of Article 4, Paragraph 5 of the Emergency Control Zone Management Act. However, if you let them go like this…”
“That would be the case if you came in when the restricted area was set up. If you came in before then, there would be no problem. Right now, it’s at best illegal trespassing.”
“yes?”
“Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s completely innocent, so Team Leader 1, please take care of it.”
“If you ask me…”
Once suspicion or evidence is discovered, then an investigation can be conducted.
What was important now was something that this cadet named Lee Seong-hyeon had.
If you really saw the future, it wouldn’t matter.
If not…
“I have a simple favor to ask. Can you follow those kids around for a bit and see what they’re doing?”
“Does that mean, perhaps, to keep watch…”
“Don’t say unpleasant things about surveillance. Just follow-up care. Don’t let your youthful spirit run wild. Just console me a little.”
“What do you mean?”
“Then please.”
“No…yes, I understand.”
At Kang In-cheol’s request, Lee Yu-rin couldn’t raise her bowed head.
**
“…come out.”
Returning to the tent again, Yurin looked as if she was wondering if this was right.
But even with that expression, those words meant that he would be released from custody.
In that case, there was no reason to refuse.
It was a bit disappointing that it ended without even using half of what I had prepared for.
It felt like something good was good, not bad.
Whether it is through someone’s intervention, a temporary release, an inability to ultimately confess one’s wrongdoings, or some other reason, what is released is what is released.
‘By the way, I thought Yurin would report on the murder.’
It seems that even the most righteous heroes close their eyes, cover their ears, and keep their mouths shut when faced with the goals they want to achieve.
Of course, even if I had said that, there wouldn’t have been a problem since I had already prepared to drag him in due to insufficient evidence.
‘By the way, there are no executives or higher here…’
They say that although swans look elegant on the outside, they are constantly flipping under the water.
I too was imprisoned in a tent, and I couldn’t just sit there and rest, so I used teleportation and my servants to gather information about the surroundings.
And I was able to hear some stories.
It was a story about the upper echelons of the Villain Alliance who had clearly entered the gate together evaporating like smoke.
‘Hmm, I definitely checked to see if it went in.’
I checked and reported them until they entered, so if my eyes weren’t wrong, they should have been inside the gate.
But there isn’t any…
‘Did you get killed by a monster?’
No matter how much I thought about it, it was impossible.
There are hundreds of people who have joined, and their actual skills are at least A-class.
It’s true that the Level 7 Gate is a difficult place, but it doesn’t make sense that they would be wiped out.
If the upper echelons of the Villain Alliance were completely destroyed in the first place, it would make no sense for their subordinates to be alive.
‘Then are you hiding inside the gate?’
That’s possible, but I wonder if it’s possible to hide so well that not even his subordinates know about it and none of the Hero Association’s senior members can find it.
Of course, things will proceed as they should, whether they are caught or not.
The real culprit behind the nationwide academy terrorism is the Villain Alliance, and the culprit behind this attempted gate destruction incident will also be them.
That remains unchanged.
And wherever they are, they will be chased by heroes.
‘hmm.’
But I felt uneasy.
It felt like someone was secretly interfering with the plan I had set up.
‘It’s probably nothing special, though.’
It could be an illusion.
It could be that the Hero Association is incompetent and cannot find it.
Or maybe there was just not enough time, or maybe it was because the inside of the gate was so wide.
‘Still…’
I felt uncomfortable.
If I had known this would happen, I would have gotten information from Eishun and dealt with her instead of throwing her straight to Xiaomei.
But it was a belated regret.
Because it is impossible to bring back ‘anything’ that is dead.
So before a person loses something…
[─Sobbing…]
‘Tsk, I guess I’ll have to look it up.’
I hope it rains, but the more prepared you are, the better.
“Is it okay if we let it go like this? We…”
“…I’m not trying to cover it up.”
“I see. Sorry.”
“Don’t do anything you’ll regret from the start, ha… Anyway, I’ll come looking for you in the near future, so don’t cause any trouble until then. And don’t even think about running away. Got it?”
“”yes…””
Anyway, Xiaomei and I left the tent with our heads bowed as if we were sorry for what Yiruin said.
The sun was at its zenith, and it had only been about nine hours since he had been detained.
**
“If I hadn’t been there, the old men would have been brutally killed by that really scary older brother.”
Han Sang-won and the executives of the Villain Alliance were dumbfounded.
That would be the case, since he was inside the gate until just a moment ago.
When I came to my senses, I was standing on what appeared to be the peak of a mountain.
“Then, since it’s the same as saving your life, I think I have the right to receive a debt of life.”
But I can’t come to my senses for a moment.
At the sound of a single, soft voice that continued to be heard, Han Sang-won and the Villain Alliance executives turned their gaze in the direction from which the sound came and prepared for battle.
It was an automatic reflex that was ingrained in their bodies as they rolled around in the underworld.
Then, a single figure came into their sight.
A pink-haired woman sitting cross-legged on a flat rock higher than them, smiling innocently.
“So from now on, please listen to me.”
No matter how you looked at her, she seemed like a fragile woman.
However, Han Sang-won and the villain alliance executives were unable to move.
This was because their bodies were being crushed by an enormous amount of mana that left them speechless.
And the source of that mana is clear…
“It’s better to have equal odds in the long run. No, is it disadvantageous? I don’t think it’s bad. Unlike back then, I have cheats now, so I think a handicap is okay.”
It was clear that it was coming from that woman, who had an innocent smile, or rather, something similar to that, but a sinister smile that made her body shiver for some reason.
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