I Became the Daughter of the Academy’s Villain

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<1050 – Weakling Mode (8)>

Jiang felt anxious as he watched the Principal preparing to leave through the dimensional gate.

“Principal, please take us with you!”

[Nope.]

“Oknodie is really sick.”

[That’s exactly why I don’t want to.]

“…Can a person who ignores a sick student truly be called a Principal?”

Jiang’s comments were downright provocative!

But the Principal had his reasons for refusing.

[What do you think that curse Oknodie is carrying is?]

“A disease that can be cured in the medical room.”

[To me, it looks like a contagion that will turn the Academy into a disaster zone.]

The Principal spoke with a disgusted tone, not wanting to get any closer.

[That curse is a strong curse of strong-murdering, which gets even stronger once the bearer dies.]

“Strong-murdering…?”

The curse possessed by the Heavenly Sovereign of the East is already powerful, but it becomes even more potent the moment the Heavenly Sovereign dies, reaching a level of danger like now.

Those who previously suffered under the Heavenly Sovereign’s curse were directly blamed for influencing his death, and the curse was activated to kill every single one of them without exception.

[Strong-murdering isn’t a harmless curse. If you’re strong, you die because you’re strong; if you’re weak, you die because you’re weak.]

“Could it be an incurable disease?!”

[It’s not incurable.]

“How do we get better?”

[To live, you must empty all your mana and become an ordinary person.]

Give up your mana.

Put down your power and become ordinary.

That basically means becoming a being that just gets swept along with the changes of the world after leaving the Gift Academy.

“I won’t allow it!”

[Agreed. I’ve been hoping for this kid once in hundreds of years. I can’t have him dying or turning into an ordinary person.]

“Hoping for him?”

Jiang felt confused.

What was the Principal expecting from Oknodie?

A clown who brings joy every week?

The Principal, who merely enjoys tormenting students out of boredom during the weekly event.

Receiving such expectations from the Principal didn’t sound good at all.

[In any case, the return will only happen after that contagion is cured. I won’t let you into the Academy until then.]

The Principal coldly closed the dimensional gate and disappeared.

Jiang angrily grumbled.

“Professor Red Mountain was supposed to take Oknodie with him. Why can’t the Principal just let it happen, as if he’s not a curse expert? He’s not even half the professor.”

“Huh? That’s true…? The professor was going to take Oknodie, but what if there’s an outbreak?”

The Senior Instructor mumbled, and suddenly his face turned pale.

“Oh. Didn’t he lose a bet with other professors recently? Could it be that this crazy professor plans to use Oknodie for terrorism to avoid repaying his debts…?”

No way.

There’s no way our professor would be that extreme.

Even trying to comfort himself, Jiang’s mere existence stripped away any trust in the professor.

After all, they had kidnapped Jiang, who wasn’t even a student anymore, and thrown him into the Eastern Empire under the guise of forced auditing; what wouldn’t they do?

In a way, it’s fortunate that they got caught up in Jibsa Jang Okashii-ne’s dimensional leaps, delaying their return.

“At least it’s somewhat better now that the strong ones have been swept away.”

With the transcendent beings gone, the monsters in the Cheonryeong Mountain Range were so terrified by the aftershocks of their power that they remained holed up in their dens, not showing their faces.

Thanks to Sadi’s words, Jiang quickened his pace with a newfound confidence.

“I-it’s a human!”

“Yikes, we’re going to get killed!”

“Everyone, run!”

Monsters that happened to make eye contact with him saw the residual mana swirling around Oknodie and panicked, digging into the ground like moles to disappear.

A massive beast resembling a tiger curled its tail in fear and stumbled backward, trying to escape by climbing a cliff in a hasty retreat.

Thud!

How hasty could it be?

The beast lost its footing and fell while climbing the cliff.

The severely injured tiger startled birds, causing them to flutter into the sky and scatter in every direction.

Rumors about terrifying humans turning beasts into blood cakes spread across dozens of peaks nearby.

“Sadi, can you feel the residual mana from the transcendent beings?”

“Once the spirit opens up.”

“After graduating from the Academy, I’ll quit being an assassin.”

“Isn’t it a shame to cast your aptitude aside? Jiang, for a junior, you’re quite strong—especially in assassination.”

“Being weakly strong is more of a problem.”

Jiang realistically felt his limits.

“Strong assassins receive big commissions, but it’s rare for the clients to accurately gauge the danger of their targets and offer commissions.”

“Sounds like a tiring industry.”

“If you underestimate a target and they happen to be a transcendent being, you might lose your head in one shot without realizing it due to residual mana.”

“What else do you want to do if you’re not an assassin?”

“Well…”

Jiang felt the weight of Oknodie on his back.

Her warmth felt stable, as if this place was home.

This was what he liked.

He hated the cold nights.

He hated eating alone.

“Maybe I should be Oknodie’s guest?”

“Hehe, that’s cute.”

“…Don’t tease me.”

Sadi couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at Jiang’s clumsy reasoning.

He was afraid of transcendent beings, so he would quit being an assassin?

But it was Oknodie who drove away all those transcendent beings.

How many powerful beings were out there harboring resentment, and how big were the risks following the Outsider’s journey?

Jiang was just better off staying close to Oknodie.

Being an assassin would mean acting solo.

He didn’t want to part with Oknodie.

“I need to brace myself.”

“I plan to. I’ll build enough skill to be accepted by Jonna and Reap.”

“Not just that. Crossing this mountain range.”

“What else is left?”

“The movement of the spirit vein wasn’t everything. It seems some have been holed up for quite a while, plotting here.”

Sadi didn’t need to ask what had caught her attention.

The strong, plucked from the transcendent beings, and the military forces that had followed them were trembling in fear, closing the doors to return to their original dimensions.

“One hundred dimensions of spirits. Invasive species of the Middle Realm. You wretched beings have been thoroughly preparing this trap so you could step foot on this land with carelessness. Finally, the time for harvest has come.”

Magic that prevents the powers of spirits from manifesting, achieving a mysterious realm.

An ancient will that could not be defined by a spell, only unleashed with a strong desire.

He who inherited the mysteries and purged spirits.

The Wahyhiemhai Foundation’s precursor and the organization of the inheritor.

Once known as the <Butler of the Foundation>.

The Leader of the Organization solidified the dimensional disturbance at the heart of the Cheonryeong Mountain Range, severing the path to the highest spirits.

“It’s an excellent opportunity to wipe out the top-level spirits, who have no contractors. Strike!”

“For the Organization!”

“Long live Velocasio!”

With a united front, the attackers raised their weapons and unleashed almost carpet-bombing magic against the spirits.

Amongst this chaos, Jiang couldn’t help but feel incredulous at a name that stood out against all else.

“Velocasio? Could it be… the <Foundation Investigation Bureau> that Jezel mentioned?!”

Contract Scammer Velocasio.

That unscrupulous merchant who would buy low-grade materials meant for lower-class lectures and turn them around as expensive wares sold for a high price.

Even if he had lost strength to Jezel’s Dark Trading Company and was now a mere inmate in the Great Prison, that was a distant past.

He was different now.

Only the Leader of the Foundation was worth mentioning, considered a major player among the Three Great Evils.

Starting from the Leader and his subordinates, they were powerful foes. Still, many power-hungry individuals across various nations are trying to wipe out the Foundation’s influence and reclaim their power.

Having recruited talented children or subordinates, the <Winners Group> was established.

Thanks to Professor Buzhaar’s instructor unknowingly making Velocasio an ally, the <Remaining Beasts Squad> found a way to live by depending on Velocasio.

Even the <Golden Magical Girl Avalon>, who had devoted herself to the organization after being kidnapped by the Leader.

The prominent forces appeared one by one, overcoming the fierce resistance of the top-level spirits, and an intense battle ensued.

“This is a good opportunity to gather the public merits needed to acquire the rights to use the magical artifacts known as the Foundation’s Legacy. Let’s show our strength as the new nobles!”

“Velocasio and the Foundation Investigation Bureau were the ones who accepted us, who have nowhere to go. It’s time to pay back the grace that protected us from Oknodie and Professor Buzhaar, those terrifying individuals. We will risk our lives to protect humanity!”

“Once this is over, they promised to send us back. I’m definitely going back to the Academy. I’m going to stay there forever without going out again… !”

Desire, grace, opportunity.

Watching the battlefield where everyone was fighting like their lives depended on it, Jiang blinked in surprise.

Well… they fight well.

But doesn’t it really have anything to do with me?

Those guys seem to have a grudge against Oknodie, with their ominous words.

Seizing the moment of confusion, Jiang grabbed a new way to escape the mountain range.

“Are you thinking of joining the fight?”

“Who would want to take Oknodie into danger in front of those who seek to harm her?”

“That’s not necessarily true.”

Jiang had indeed acquired the device from Sadi.

Despite what the Leader of the Organization might think, he wasn’t so hostile toward Oknodie.

In fact, he was feeling thankful.

Thankful to Oknodie for helping him revert to the First Heart that aimed to save humanity while preventing the Chairwoman’s rampage.

Though the Foundation’s spies were being caught, hanged, and killed by assassination magic, the way they avoided using their organizational strength to attack the invasion threats but instead focused on eliminating the spirit contractors showed their sincerity.

Moreover, the Leader had already noticed Jiang and Oknodie.

He even sensed Sadi Chocolate’s own device.

-It’s mind-reading that reached the realm of mysteries.

-Huh, you’re quite perceptive. Still, we don’t intend to interfere. Can’t you just let us go peacefully?

-Get lost.

-Really?

-We’re not an organization created to harm Oknodie in the first place. Knowing this fact, isn’t Oknodie also helping us to shake the spirit veins of the East and summon spirits from the Cheonryeong Mountain Range for a complete eradication?

-…True. This is all Oknodie’s plan. Hehe, always remember to be grateful.

-I’ve relied on the Chairman so many times, but I never thought Oknodie, his daughter, would show such incredible skill. I look forward to our future collaboration.

Somehow, they even made a secret alliance.

-This is a small token of gratitude. If you’re going to descend, you’ll need a safe route. I’ll let you know how to escape while avoiding the eyes of top-level spirits and our soldiers’ battles.

-I’ll make sure to pass that on to Oknodie.

-By the way… Oknodie’s condition isn’t looking too good. I can feel a strong curse that’s powerful enough to scare even me, a mystic who has seen and dealt with many marvels.

Sadi felt a sense of unease.

A strong entity casually speaking to his device had acknowledged the danger Oknodie was in.

The secret alliance was pushed aside, and they might try to kill Oknodie here to gain experience points or capture her to absorb the Foundation’s powers.

-I’ll impart one secret to you. Use it on Oknodie. It will help alleviate her illness.

Fortunately, the Leader didn’t intend to use Oknodie or harbor any malicious thoughts.

-Can I go without any rewards?

-Payment can be deferred. The activities of the Foundation Investigation Bureau need to gather larger merits. I hope you create a scene later, where Oknodie gets victimized by Velocasio.

-It’s nothing, really. I won’t even get hurt. Totally fine.

-…Are you sure you’re really Oknodie’s retainer?

Anyway, the deal was a success.

Contrary to what he had anticipated, the conversation went smoothly, enabling Oknodie’s party to safely escape the Cheonryeong Mountain Range this time.

The problem, however, was still the curse that was gnawing away at Oknodie’s lifespan.

“I can’t go back to the Academy until I fix this curse. What should I do?”

“We need to find someone who can fix it.”

“Where can we find them?”

“There’s a report that records all talents in the Middle Realm, isn’t there?”

Sadi pointed her finger towards the dark empire’s system.

“The Ranking Board!”

If they could just find the top ten healers ranked as the best in the world, surely things would work out.

Jiang’s small heart swelled with hope.

 

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