“…Cheonma Church?”
Anna seemed curious about what the Cheonma Church was, but honestly, I couldn’t just tell her it’s a group I formed with the Demon King.
I waved my hands dismissively and stood up.
“Um, don’t worry, we’ll handle it just fine.”
“What? But shouldn’t I know…?”
Well, it would definitely be better if she knew, no, she should know, but since Anna asked me, it’s up to me how to resolve it, right?
“…Harang?”
With that thought, I winked and slipped out of the principal’s office, feeling a bit guilty but…
Well, it’ll all work out, right?
I can’t be going around blabbering about the Cheonma Church, so there’s no helping it.
Hmm, that’s right.
“Mung, let’s go!”
“Yes, Master.”
“Harang? Still, I should know so I can help—”
Ignoring Anna’s call from behind, I returned to the dorm.
With the arrival of complete night, the dark dorm room had no light creeping in.
Mung, sitting on the bed, was avoiding my annoyed gaze and looking around.
“Hey, don’t avoid my eyes.”
“…Yes.”
The reason Mung and I were in this position is pretty simple.
It was just a continuation of the conversation we had in the principal’s office.
However, since there were quite a few things that shouldn’t be shared with others, it was best to discuss them when it was just the two of us.
“How are we going to call those kids? Do you even know where they are?”
“Couldn’t we just pass it to Lili?”
“…Lili?”
I frowned at Mung’s suggestion.
Lili?
It’s been days since I last saw her; how does this guy expect to get in touch with her?
No way.
“So you’re saying…”
I sulked, pouting and poking Mung’s solid stomach while continuing,
“What you’re saying is, you’ve been in touch with Lili all this time?”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
I sighed deeply and rubbed my throbbing forehead for some reason.
…Why hasn’t Lili come to see me but only gone to Mung?
Sure, she didn’t seem too interested in the Cheonma Church, so it’s not like I was bothered or anything, but the fact that she didn’t come to me was important.
It felt like she was hiding something from me…
For example, could it be that Lili has feelings for Mung?!
Considering Mung is handsome and Lili is also a girl, it’s understandable, but somehow that doesn’t sit right with me.
Feeling his stomach twitch from my poking, Mung jerked slightly, so I jabbed him around the solar plexus just for good measure!
“Ugh!”
“It’s just a punishment, a punishment.”
I added sweetly and continued poking his stomach.
“Well then, when are those kids coming?”
The royal banquet the Emperor is throwing for me is in less than three days.
So they must arrive within a couple of days…
Honestly, I don’t think that’s going to happen.
Distance is one thing, but isn’t the Academy in the empire’s capital?
It’s going to be a complicated process for that many people to pass through the empire’s gates.
Sure, I got in easily with the credentials Camilla gave me, but they’re from the slums, right?
It’s not going to be simple.
…Though it might only be around ten of them, that’s still not a small number.
Did Mung notice my doubts?
He grabbed my hand that was poking his belly and spoke.
“…There shouldn’t be any issues with their arrival.”
“Why’s that?”
Mung pinched my hand, pulled it away, then poked his stomach again.
This is oddly addictive.
With a slightly furrowed brow, Mung let out a small ‘ugh’ before continuing.
“…Didn’t we have someone who could cross that space?”
“Hmmm… Ah.”
Was it Jackal?
He’s definitely the one I heard Lily mention who was affiliated with the Demon King.
But would he help us?
As I tilted my head curiously, Mung withdrew and spoke.
“Since he has received a favor from the Master, I’m sure he will help.”
“Hmmm.”
“And for them, coming to the Academy wouldn’t be a disadvantage either.”
That’s certainly true; they are minions of the Demon King after all, Mung’s statement made me nod in understanding.
…Absolutely.
There’s no way they would lose out on visiting the Academy, where the empire’s talents gather, even for positioning or information gathering.
They wouldn’t suffer losses; in fact, it’d probably be a gain.
Then…
As Mung backed away, I pulled my rear up close to his face.
“So we have nothing to do?”
“Correct.”
Hehe, one annoying task eliminated.
I briefly flashed a dark smile at Mung.
“Ugh!”
“Ugh! Master!”
In that moment, I felt so good that I tackled Mung down and hugged him tightly.
“Well then, that means I don’t have to go to class anymore!”
Thankfully, since we were chatting on the bed, there was no risk of getting hurt.
“…Why is that happening?”
Mung sighed heavily, but I ignored him and just smiled.
Finally, freedom!
I could escape the vile and wicked professors of the Academy!
A grin spread across my face in joy.
*
In the Demon Realm, at the world’s end.
Venturing deeper still,
Past the endless cliffs and into the deep abyss, lies the Demon King’s castle.
Here, there is no brilliant and warm sun in this sky,
Only a blood-red moon shining down on the parched earth as if dipped in crimson.
It’s so murky, like a room lit with red fluorescent lights, yet it strangely felt like screams should fit right in the atmosphere.
“One—!”
In truth, only the loud voices of men echoed here layered upon one another.
“Two—!”
Looking on, there were easily hundreds of men, each wielding swords while maintaining a significant distance from each other to train their bodies.
“One—!”
In front of them stood a man with red hair.
What’s there to hide?
He was Jack, the practical leader who had been gathering and leading the followers of the Cheonma Church since long ago when Cheon Ha-rang and Cheon Mu-myeong visited the slums.
Years ago, he was so emaciated you could see his bones from starvation;
Where has that man gone?
Now, he stood proudly displaying his well-defined muscles and the scars on his mouth as he commanded his followers.
“Two—!”
And there was a woman watching him with an eager expression.
“Jack~”
Lili approached Jack, moving her wings at her waist like a gentle breeze.
Waving cheerfully at him, she drew near.
“What’s up?”
Jack tilted his head, observing Lili approaching him.
Looking into Jack’s thin eyes, which rarely showed emotion, Lili blushed slightly, tapping her slightly flushed cheeks, and finally spoke.
“I’m here to call you!”
“Call…?”
Jack narrowed his brow, puzzled.
This was the first time he had heard that word since coming to the Cheonma Church.
“Um…?”
Of course, it wasn’t that he didn’t know its dictionary meaning,
he just wondered who actually called him here.
That was understandable because, here, the only one capable of calling him was Lili.
And considering she had come to notify him in person, it was completely reasonable for Jack to ponder the situation.
Then.
“…No way.”
It didn’t take long for Jack’s puzzled expression to gradually fill with excitement.
“Phew.”
In response to Jack’s rising hopes, Lili smiled, patting his shoulder as she continued.
“It seems that person is looking forward to seeing you, so prepare well!”
Beaming, Lili took a step back from Jack and added,
“The target is the Academy! Let’s set out now!”
“…Huh.”
“Anyway! You’ll hear the details directly when you get there!”
“Thank you for informing me.”
With a creepy smile that might send chills down anyone’s spine, Jack nodded and broke his gaze from Lili.
Then.
-Thud!
Stomping his foot to gather everyone’s attention, Jack opened his mouth with a face full of exuberance.
“The long wait has finally come to an end!”
The followers fell silent.
Yet their expressions lit up, anticipating the events to come.
“Finally, a command has come down from that person!”
Confirming that everyone had heard him, Jack grinned and stomped his foot once more for emphasis.
-Thud!
“Damn those nobles at the Academy!”
Jack’s eyes, like thin threads, widened slowly,
Soon revealing his chilling black pupils.
“We are heading there.”
The followers gritted their teeth in anger at Jack’s words.
Watching their reaction, Jack felt satisfied and continued.
“Under no circumstances! We must not disappoint that person.”
After finishing his speech, Jack took a deep breath to calm himself, then raised both arms toward the sky.
“Cheers!”
Jack’s proclamation was met with a thunderous response that reverberated like a tremor through the ground.
“““Cheers!”””
Their gazes sparkled with an unsettling fanaticism typical of a cult member.
“Hmm… this looks tasty.”
It seemed like Lili found Jack’s expression delightful, as she reddened even more.
Some day, I’ll definitely get drunk, Lili promised silently.
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