Academy's Drunk Fighter-Chapter 40: Case Closed

“This pressure is insane.”

She’d brought the old man in because the scent and atmosphere around him reminded her of the one clinging behind Esha—the End. She hadn’t expected this kind of reaction.

For the first time in a long while—no, maybe for the first time ever—an overwhelming aura filled the entire conference room, shaping an environment where Yoon Siwoo could only speak the truth.

‘Alright then... Would you kindly explain yourself?’

She was smiling, but it wasn’t a smile.

Yoon Siwoo, reading the weight behind that expression, began to slowly speak about what he knew.

“The place where I found him was the Outer Archive.”

“The Outer Archive, meaning...”

“Yes. The same location where the attack happened. I thought it was strange—he didn’t seem like someone who’d go down so easily...”

“He?”

“No, please continue, Siwoo.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

They nodded at each other and exchanged words like they were in on something he wasn’t. It made Siwoo feel like the only one left out. Still, he continued.

“When I arrived, the building was collapsed, and there were multiple injured people.”

“And that’s when you found him?”

The Headmistress's gaze, strangely devoid of anything human—no, it wouldn’t be wrong to call it outright hatred—landed on the old man.

And Yoon Siwoo thought:

It had to be Esha who knocked him out back there.

Even if she wore a mask, there was no mistaking the white hair and short frame. No one else in this Academy looked like that.

But should he really say that out loud?

What if he misspoke and ended up causing a massive incident? Could he honestly say he’d be free of responsibility?

“...It looked like someone else was the one who knocked him unconscious.”

“Who was it?”

“That...”

The hesitation didn’t last long.

“I don’t know. Whoever it was just dumped him on me and vanished.”

“...Siwoo.”

But... was that really the right answer?

That calm, coaxing voice made something in him feel off. Something was wrong.

“What do you think this place is? You don’t believe we can protect you, is that it...?”

“No, I’m telling the truth.”

The silence pressing down on the conference room only made the atmosphere heavier. The air felt thick, like it was crushing his body.

Maybe she already knew he was lying.

No—she definitely knew.

There was no reason to apply this much pressure ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) otherwise, not just because he brought the old man in.

“....”

But... that was exactly why he said nothing else.

‘I trust myself.’

Even if she had some kind of lie-detecting ability, unless she tore through his brain and dug out his memories, there was no way she’d know who it really was.

“Huuuuh...”

.

.

.

.

.

“Why are you lying?”

And finally, the Headmistress broke the silence.

“Really... I don’t understand. Sure, if it was just this one case, I could see some room for doubt. But the Academy hasn’t allowed a single intrusion in centuries. And now this?”

“That’s...”

“It’s fine. I won’t ask again who captured him. But that man... you’ll need to hand him over.”

“This... man?”

“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll be compensated generously. Besides, he’s an unforgivable criminal—you don’t have to concern yourself with how he’ll be treated.”

She clearly knew Yoon Siwoo had lied—but she was smiling anyway.

It meant the conversation would end here.

This was the furthest limit of the line the Headmistress was willing to draw. And Siwoo understood.

She was only making this offer because he had brought the old man in himself.

So giving any more resistance wouldn’t be a smart choice.

“...Yes, ma’am. Understood.”

“Such a good student. Really...”

And just like that, the crushing pressure vanished.

A few of the surrounding professors dragged the old man away somewhere.

Yoon Siwoo finally took a proper breath and gathered his thoughts.

‘Still... she’s seriously strong...’

That strength—if you could even call it human—was enough to make his very existence feel insignificant.

He couldn’t imagine ever winning in a fight against her.

It became obvious why she was called the head of the Academy.

And so, clenching his trembling hands, he spoke with as much calm as he could muster.

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Yes. We’ll talk about your compensation later.”

It wasn’t actually him who captured the old man—it was Esha. But she clearly didn’t want to be discovered, so it was probably better for him to handle the report himself.

And if she agreed later, he could always tell the Headmistress her identity so the reward could be passed on.

There was plenty of time. Nothing said he couldn’t.

The only problem... was figuring out how to approach her about it.

****

After Yoon Siwoo left, a cold silence settled over the conference room.

“I had a feeling it wasn’t ordinary—but to think those revolting lunatics dared to violate the Academy...”

The Headmistress wrinkled her nose at the memory of that foul, familiar stench she’d caught the moment she saw him.

“What should we do with the old man, then?”

“Extract every scrap of information from him. I won’t be placing any restrictions on methods.”

“...”

No restrictions.

That meant all interrogation methods were on the table—up to and including techniques that were considered mental torture or only permitted in certain countries under international magical law.

No one spoke.

Each of them imagined different spells—destructive, mind-breaking magic.

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A few professors even trembled slightly.

“Haaah... Anyway, let’s move on to the topic we didn’t finish earlier. Who was the casualty?”

“He’s been identified as one of the eldest sons of a collateral line in the Barthessel family.”

“A distant branch?”

“Yes.”

“...Tch.”

The Academy had seen its share of accidents over the years. It wasn’t as if there had never been casualties.

One student had lost control during a sparring match and killed their opponent.

Another had secretly raised a magical beast that started out docile, but eventually grew wild and tore off someone’s head.

There were even cases—rare, but not unheard of—of students killing each other out of jealousy using curses.

No matter how thoroughly a family might drill discipline into a child, no matter how much more mature their mindset might be compared to others their age—that doesn’t mean their actual age is any greater.

The kind of education and mental growth expected at that age... it’s not something that can be permanently shaped just by upbringing alone.

Even if a child receives mental conditioning from a young age, it’s nearly impossible to predict or prevent occasional accidents.

But this incident... was different.

A student had died—his upper body ripped clean off by a beast that came through a Gate.

The body had been in such a grotesque state that even the professor tasked with retrieving it, a man who had seen more than his share of corpses, couldn’t help but grimace.

For a student to die to a monster inside the Academy—a place built specifically to train students to fight such creatures—was, without question, a disaster waiting to explode.

Yes. The Academy’s honor and reputation could plummet.

‘That can’t happen.’

How many years had it taken to bring the Academy to its current level of prestige?

Letting it all fall apart over a single incident... could not be allowed.

“What’s the student’s relationship with their parents?”

“Ah, we checked. It appears... not very good. And according to testimonies from other students hiding at the time, the victim ignored the guards and went off on his own before being killed.”

The professor brought up a holographic display. It showed the student's family tree, public records, and even a few short articles that had been printed in the news recently.

“Alright. Then here’s what we’ll do.”

“...”

“It’s a common enough story, isn’t it? A kid who pushed himself too hard trying to get his parents’ attention—and ended up dead.”

“Are you sure we can go with that?”

“It’s tragic, but... I’ve seen more than a few kids like that. And honestly, this one probably fits the bill.”

“...Yes, ma’am.”

According to the gathered reports and public opinion, the student’s family ties were severely strained.

His father, from a collateral branch of the family, was obsessed with restoring the family’s status. His mother, on the other hand, had recently become addicted to underground gambling.

And in records from his past counseling sessions, the boy had displayed something close to an obsession with pleasing his father—an unfortunate, but not unfamiliar, kind of desperation.

“Alright then. Let’s start negotiating compensation directly with the family.”

There was little chance they’d reject the offer. But even if they did, it wouldn’t be a major issue.

The ideal scenario was to quietly settle with the family so the incident wouldn’t escalate. Still, if that failed, a public apology paired with proper honors for the deceased student could be used as an alternative.

Of course, that path would invite harsh criticism from certain media outlets—broadcast stations, journalists eager for blood.

But even if the student had acted recklessly and gotten himself killed, covering it up entirely, sweeping his death under the rug... that was something no decent human being should ever do. Not before considering themselves accountable.

‘We’re not about to become monsters like them.’

They were alive. They had rights. And they owed that student a proper acknowledgment of his death.

“That’s what we’re here for, after all.”

The conversation continued, with topics shifting as they started adjusting some of the Academy’s upcoming events.

“What about the upcoming festival?”

“The festival, huh...”

The one scheduled for May was starting to look like a problem.

The Academy was still dealing with the aftermath of the breach—minor facility damage, injured students, lingering unease.

If they held the festival now, and those damn cultists invaded again...

That would truly jeopardize Central Academy’s standing.

[Central Academy Shaken Again?]—she could already picture the headlines.

And reporters were always worse than you imagined. Whatever she was thinking, they’d go even lower to get clicks.

Even so—

“We’ll go ahead with the festival.”

“Wait... isn’t that a little too fast? I mean, some students are still injured, and others are probably scared.”

“That’s why we have to move forward.”

She had made her decision.

But why?

“We need to show the world that a single terrorist attack won’t shake this place.”

The world’s greatest academy.

Those words weren’t just a slogan—they were a pillar.

A pillar that must not break. The strongest foundation humanity had left.

By showing that not even dozens of Gates could cause it to waver, they would reinforce its image, not weaken it.

They would turn this crisis into an opportunity.

And every professor in the room understood what she meant.

“The ground always hardens after the rain.”

The Headmistress smiled quietly as she said it. And with that, the emergency faculty meeting came to an end.