blueteamnovel Chapter 76
Chapter 76
In any organization, it’s inevitable that big and small incidents happen every year.
No matter how thoroughly things are managed, as long as people are involved, there can never be absolute perfection.
Therefore, it wasn’t strange for accidents to happen; what really mattered was how well the aftermath was handled, which was often seen as a measure of the organization’s competence.
In other words, what was important was how well things were managed afterward, not getting caught up in what had just happened.
...However, this time was different.
"They say there’s going to be an inspection from the royal family."
"The Chancellor, no, I mean the Headmaster, is usually so cautious, but now that there's an opportunity, even those who usually stay out of sight are raising a fuss."
The royal family was stirring up the academy.
Even now, soldiers were patrolling the department, rummaging through all the paperwork and interrupting their work...
It was natural that the teachers’ dissatisfaction was rising.
However, they didn’t just blindly curse the royal family.
They were well aware of how serious this incident was and were willing to cooperate.
But...
"I heard that the royal family already knew there were signs of a possible terrorist attack?"
"Ha, this is a complete witch hunt, isn’t it? What exactly did the Headmaster do wrong—!"
"Who doesn't think so?"
Why was it that, although the royal family and the academy were essentially no different, the academy was receiving all the blame?!
This frustration seeped among the teachers, fueling their anger.
"It’s like a dog covered in dirt scolding a dog with straw on its coat."
A sigh that summed up the situation perfectly.
In truth, it was quite a well-known rumor that not only the royal family but everyone had been warned about the signs of terrorism.
One knight had passionately spoken out, but simply no one had listened.
It was, in a way, a belated realization, a situation where no one could be innocent.
At the same time, it meant that no single person could take responsibility for it now.
If someone were to take the blame here, that person would surely end up on the chopping block, and if they went to the guillotine, their entire household would meet the same fate.
Thus, they couldn’t believe anything, whether it was the inspection from the royal family or the unsettling rumors circulating within the academy.
The mudslinging battle had already begun, and for a while, an ominous atmosphere would linger.
"...But, who exactly is the 'initial informant'?"
"Beats me; no one knows anything about them."
"According to the rumors, it’s supposed to be some burly knight..."
"A burly knight? Hmm, could it possibly be...?"
"Let’s not speak out of turn. It would be rude to that person."
"R-right."
The initial informant.
There were rumors that someone had been the first to inform the Headmaster and the Princess about the impending attack.
It was a rumor that had reached everyone’s ears at some point, so naturally, people were curious and suspicious about who the initial informant was.
After all, it was only logical to question the source of the information and dig into it.
...However, there was an oddly persistent lack of information about the person who had reported it.
Even though they could investigate to find out, if they wanted to.
Even though the soldiers moving around in real-time had heard the rumors, they were keeping quiet about it...@@@@
It was a peculiar flow of events in many ways, but nothing could be done about it.
"Ah, this is driving me crazy. If we could just track down the information provider, everything would be resolved, so why are we being told not to pursue it?"
"Tsk, at this point, why not just dig into it? Maybe it’ll get me some credit."
"Hey, if you want to die, die alone. Don’t drag other people into this."
The command had come down from both the royal family and the top of the academy: no one was to pursue the source of the information.
The reason was unclear, but the order had declared that the person was not the culprit.
A stern warning had also been issued to not investigate or bring any harm to them.
Thus, the investigators could do nothing more than kill time on the job, abandoning the easy means of obtaining any decisive clues.
They all agreed not to poke a hornet’s nest.
And now, the knight who was presumed to be the initial informant, who supposedly knew the whole truth, and who had, in the meantime, earned the title of 'Hero of the Academy'...
"—Going forward, the student joining the Department of Swordsmanship will be called So-Shim. Everyone, please treat him well."
"It's So-Shim, not So-Shim... actually, it’s Derek..."
"Do you want to be addressed by your name with your current standing?"
"...Is this the military here?"
They were introducing a new face.
“The new cadet who recently transferred... is he, by any chance, the one who threw that unusual weapon from the sky the other day?”
“...Hmm.”
Ihan had wondered why no one seemed curious about it, but at last, someone was showing interest in the new cadet.
Well, it was a bit of a troublesome student, though.
The Northern returnee had an intense gaze fixed on Tae-Chang, who used a skill in mid-air.
The cadet remembered the myriad of needles that had filled the sky.
"I, um, I..."
Under the piercing stare, Tae-Chang began to sweat profusely.
Known for his difficulty in dealing with others, he couldn’t seem to form a coherent sentence under the scrutiny of the most intimidating student.
Ihan decided to step in and help the newcomer before he started crying.
After all, he had scouted him; it wouldn’t do to ruin his image on the very first day.
Ihan ‘kindly’ warned,
"Hey, Dark Eyes. Look, I don’t mind the questions, but maybe tone down that intimidating stare of yours. I might have to draw out some ink from those black pupils of yours."
"......"
“If my newly scouted assistant ends up running away, you’ll find out my words weren’t a joke, haha.”
"I don’t understand why you’d say something like that in such a pleasant tone."
“When did I say anything about killing?”
“That’s what it sounded like to me.”
At that, Dark Eyes—Loen—finally averted his gaze.
He knew better than to pick a fight with the knight who fought the Demon King.
And above all...
“If there’s anything to correct, it’s that I only asked out of gratitude. Thanks to those weapons that fell from the sky, there were no casualties that day.”
The needles that had rained down like flower petals from the sky.
When they had fallen, they had wiped out a horde of monsters, and those injured or exhausted had miraculously recovered their strength.
“On that day, I was the one in charge of command in your absence, Instructor. As the person responsible, I felt it my duty to express my thanks and to ask a question. ...So, I’ll say it in advance: if you were the one who scattered those needles, then I offer my respect. In the name of Lionel, I swear I’ll repay this debt.”
Though his gaze was still intense, there was now a different air about him.
Along with respect toward Tae-Chang, there was an earnest sense of gratitude and recognition.
Receiving such genuine acknowledgment and respect, it was hard for a man’s heart not to feel a swell of pride.
Tae-Chang, his face red, lowered his head deeply.
In truth, he had already revealed himself, but Ihan wasn’t the kind of petty adult who would scold his student over that.
‘This Dark Eyes kid really knows how to say cheesy lines for a noble.’
Though it was indeed corny, words filled with true sentiment carried weight.
Especially for that cadet, the effect was even stronger.
‘At any rate.’
The cadet occasionally displayed exceptional qualities.
Ihan was satisfied to see a sense of camaraderie developing, allowing Tae-Chang to fit in well..
"And, Instructor, this may be an inappropriate question, but... can we—can any of us—learn how to make flowers bloom with our swordsmanship?"
The room heated up instantly.
"...Hmm?"
As soon as Dark Eyes voiced his second question, everyone’s intense attention focused on him, as though So-Shim had been just the appetizer and now, the main course was finally served.
"...These kids."
Ihan was taken aback. He had gone through all that effort training them only to see...
‘They're seriously thinking of switching to the Plum Blossom Sword Art?’
A frown formed between his brows.
‘The legends say that Shaolin is the cornerstone of martial arts, yet here they are looking to Huashan Sect...’
And thus,
‘Rootless brats.’
The small martial artist within Ihan’s heart couldn’t help but shout in indignation.