“Shut up!”
An old female professor instantly seizes the atmosphere in the meeting room.
But that still couldn’t stop Yoon Hwaran’s anger.
On the other side of the table, Yoon Hwaran glares at me furiously.
The number above her head just went up by one.
However, unlike before, there were no mirror fragments appearing this time.
“Die!!!!!”
I was feeling a bit uneasy focusing my gaze on Yoon Hwaran when suddenly, a scalpel flies sharply towards my face.
Of course, it came from Yoon Hwaran.
But since I had already anticipated it, I was able to catch it without any issue.
“Tch!”
The failed attack prompts Yoon Hwaran to click her tongue.
At the same time, the red number above her head rises again.
“You’re so slow. Even your throwing is pathetic.”
“What are you doing!!!!!”
The old female professor raised her voice, seeing the current situation unfold.
Thinking this was my chance, I quickly spoke up.
“Professor, isn’t throwing a weapon at a student against the rules?”
“That brat called me a gold miss!”
“In that case, I will treat it as self-defense.”
‘No, fck, this btch?’
[So that word is sensitive for her too.]
Hearing that, my frustration spilled out.
The source was other professors and staff of similar age to Yoon Hwaran.
“Kill her!! Don’t let her live!!”
“We’re not old maidens. It’s just that time flows relatively faster for us!!”
“I’m anti-marriage!!! But that word is blasphemous!!!”
“Death penalty! It’s the death penalty no matter what!”
The atmosphere turned quite perilous.
Then Yoon Hwaran began talking as if to drive the nail in further.
“From today, Yerim, who’s on vacation, is getting married thanks to that brat!!”
“Don’t shake our anti-marriage vow!!”
“““Kill!!!!!!!!!”””
[Crazies.]
‘Are all these poultry farm folks really out of their minds?’
It was pretty ridiculous, considering it wasn’t even Totto season.
In the meantime, I was surprised by the swift actions of Yerim, who took a vacation.
But right now, the situation in front of me was the priority.
If I carelessly spoke up, it’d be a scenario where not just one scalpel, but dozens would come flying my way.
I needed to steer public opinion back in my favor.
“Wait a moment. I have something to say.”
“Go ahead.”
The old female professor recognized my right to speak.
She glared at me with eyes asking what I would say, so I calmly spoke the truth.
“Everyone except for Yoon Hwaran will get married within three years before Christmas. I’m sure of it.”
“Why are you singling me out!!!”
In that moment, the intense atmosphere of the meeting room began to ease.
“Oh dear, that student could be right.”
“Of course, I’m anti-marriage, but if they’re getting married, I won’t strongly oppose it.”
“We’ve been too on edge. Sorry, student.”
“Well, marriage isn’t bad. It could happen someday.”
“If you know any good people, can you introduce me?”
“Why is everyone just brushing this off!!! I’m saying we need to kill that motherf*cker!!!!”
[How foolish. What’s the big deal about marriage?]
‘Says the grandmother, who has never been married herself.’
[Fcking btch.]
Everyone else was throwing kind words my way.
Only Yoon Hwaran was having an even worse outburst than before.
In the relatively mild atmosphere, the professor meeting resumed.
“Since this isn’t a big problem, let’s just move on. Then, if you don’t mind, can you introduce yourself?”
[…Didn’t that person say it was self-defense?]
‘Poultry farm brat.’
“Hello, I’m Kim Shinwoo, a first-year with the Iron rank.”
It was still a tolerable situation.
Once I finished my introduction, the old female professor spoke to me.
“There are suspicions that when Kim Shinwoo entered the academy, he hid his abilities.”
“I will clarify that point.”
At that moment, Professor Pilyong next to me raised his hand and spoke.
Seeing Professor Pilyong defending me was so cool that I quietly chimed in.
“Thank you, Professor. I’m really touched.”
“You’ve got no one to trust but me, right?”
“Thanks! You’re truly the only professor.”
“If you get expelled, we’ll have to scrap our paper.”
[Who’s he believing in?]
‘As if that’s true, f*ck.’
My emotions of being touched vanished in an instant.
Regardless, Professor Pilyong opened his mouth towards everyone.
“Please take a look at this.”
He said that and connected a USB to the beam projector.
A video began to play.
“As you can see, not long ago, the reading results for Kim Shinwoo student were as follows.”
– [Reading complete]
– [No abilities.]
– [Declared powerless.]
“This was consistent until recently.”
To show this, Professor Pilyong began to play the remaining videos in sequence.
Each video, despite slight variations, consistently showed the result of being powerless.
“But after the recent sparring with the Lucianer student, the results have slightly changed.”
– [Reading complete]
– [Unable to identify abilities.]
– [Considered powerless.]
“Today, before the professor meeting, I conducted experiments using 53 identical models as before, but the results were the same.”
And now he started to play the videos filmed just two hours earlier.
With each video that played, a sense of relief welled up inside me.
I was really glad.
However.
“I have an objection. I want to counter this.”
“What is it?”
That relief lasted only briefly.
Suddenly, someone raised their hand to object.
Professor Park Mi-ran, to be exact.
“Are you questioning the performance of our lab’s reading device?”
“Not really. The performance of the readings has been sufficiently verified when I confirmed my own abilities.”
“Then what’s the problem!”
With the sudden rebuttal, Professor Pilyong began to growl.
Of course.
“Have you collected samples for cases where an illusion ability user hides another’s abilities?”
“Well…”
Professor Park Mi-ran’s statement made him falter.
In an instant, the atmosphere turned strange.
Illusion ability user.
Someone with the power to conceal something.
The way or object they conceal could vary from person to person.
They could change their face or make their body completely invisible.
They could also hide someone else’s abilities.
But simply causing it to not activate is another matter.
They could distort someone’s visible abilities slightly or manipulate the reading device’s results, as is the case now.
Of course, that alone significantly increases the risk.
That’s why Professor Pilyong was obsessed with researching the reading device.
“Wait a minute. How can I build a relationship with an illusion ability user?”
“One shouldn’t disregard even one of the countless possibilities.”
In Korea, registered illusion ability users are few and far between.
Naturally, there are none within the academy.
“Don’t talk nonsense. How would I meet them?”
“Is that so?”
Illusion ability users are operated secretly by the state.
They aren’t easily encountered.
It’s impossible to forge a bond there.
However, Professor Park Mi-ran’s dirty smile somehow weighed on my heart.
“Are you confident? I’ve never met one at all.”
“On the day of admission, there’s a record of who you last contacted.”
[……That guy, Ryu Kang-hyuk.]
‘Oh, f*ck.’
“Uh.”
“Please tell me. If you’re innocent, you should be able to reveal who it is.”
Of course, I could spill the name of Uncle Kang-hyuk here.
But considering how Yerim reacted earlier, that wouldn’t be a good choice at all.
It could lead to even more problems.
For a moment, I was at a loss for words, unable to say anything.
Then Professor Park Mi-ran spoke first again.
“And there’s evidence that the person is an illusion ability user.”
“What evidence?”
“The defensive coat that Shinwoo wore last time.”
It was undoubtedly true that I received it.
But hunters all wear at least one kind of gear.
That was a stretch.
“All hunters wear it, so are you saying I’m being singled out for wearing that?”
“That coat, it’s the prototype of the original defensive coat. In other words, it’s the original version, right?”
It wasn’t a stretch.
[You didn’t babble about it here and there, did you?]
‘How the fck did this btch know that?’
Suddenly, the meeting room was buzzing.
It seemed a student wouldn’t easily get their hands on the original version of a defensive coat.
Then, Professor Mi-ran continued to push as if she had seized on prey.
“Other people might be fooled, but I won’t. My research focuses on defensive items, so I know for sure.”
“It’s indeed the original version. However, I only got it through personal connections. It has nothing to do with any illusion ability user.”
It was as if she’d been waiting for my rebuttal when Professor Mi-ran smiled slightly.
She then added:
“Shinwoo student, as you know, there aren’t many original version coats in the country.”
She pushed her glasses up slightly and glared at me.
With the gaze of a criminal staring at me.
“The original version coats are distributed by the state to a select few special individuals.”
“Nah, what does that have to do with any illusion ability users?”
“The state records serial numbers for all illusion ability users and provides them with original coats.”
“Everyone?”
“Yes, because they’re very precious human resources to the state, so they provide maximum support.”
That was something I didn’t even know.
The fact that the state gives original version coats to all illusion ability users.
Indeed, this added potency to Professor Mi-ran’s claims.
Did I get an original coat just because I introduced a woman to a retired hunter?
It’d actually make more sense to think I received it from an illusion ability user.
“Shinwoo’s abilities in face-to-face combat are top-notch, so there are two possibilities here.”
With those words raised, she held up her index and middle fingers.
The V shape she made with her fingers aimed right at me.
“First, that Shinwoo student subdued the illusion ability user and seized their coat. Of course, in this case, your abilities wouldn’t be concealed, so the probability is low.”
Her words barely finished when she swiftly lowered her middle finger.
And the other index finger was now pointing right at me.
“Secondly, you have a relationship with an illusion ability user, and if they cloak your abilities with goodwill, that hypothesis fits too as they’d hand over the coat.”
[Ugh, this is spiraling out of control. Wouldn’t it be better just to reveal it?]
‘Should I really sell out that old man?’
Suddenly, the meeting room became suffused with silence.
Everyone was holding their breath, intently watching what would happen next.
Professor Mi-ran, determined to hammer down the final nail, slammed her fist on the table and opened her mouth.
“So I’m proposing two things.”
“What are they?”
“First. Acknowledge all these suspicions and voluntarily leave the academy. In that case, you won’t face any penalties other than expulsion.”
“What’s the other one?”
To put it simply, it was an option to cover it all up as my fault.
I didn’t like it, but.
“Second. Bring the coat you have. Since it has a serial number, we can find out who gave it to you.”
“And if it turns out not to be an illusion ability user?”
“Then there’s no problem. However, we’ll arrange a separate meeting to explain why that coat was given.”
The next option was even worse.
Although it was unlikely, I asked what would happen in case it was an illusion ability user.
“…If it’s an illusion ability user?”
“In that case, Shinwoo student, be prepared for maximum punishment. This won’t end with just expulsion.”
Caught in a bind.
That word described my current situation perfectly.
When I glanced to the side, Professor Pilyong also looked quite troubled but didn’t speak up.
If I sell out Uncle, I’ll be guaranteed my life at the academy.
But then Uncle would be forced to take the stage.
On the other hand, if I don’t reveal it and admit to the suspicions, I’d have to face the consequences.
In that moment, memories shared with Uncle resurfaced in my mind.
Daily beatings like catching a dog on a hot day. Life jargon (not!) recommendations.
Suddenly, I felt awful.
[At this point, you’ve done enough to justify throwing him under the bus.]
‘Should I seriously sell out this old bastard?’
I let out a deep sigh.
Whatever his intent, he did hand me something precious.
Thanks to it, I won against the Ear Goblin too.
Honestly, I thought I had done enough by now.
[At least it’s spring and the weather is warm, so it won’t be too hard during the end of the carriage.]
‘F*cking idiot uncle. You better thank me.’
“Shinwoo student! Make your choice!”
“Yes, I’ll say it. I-”
