I Became the Academy's Kibitz Villain-Chapter 391: A Letter From The Cradle Of The Nation (3)

“You’re planning to have a baby with Do Ji-hwan…?”

“Yes, why are you so surprised? Wasn’t this already decided?”

“I mean, I didn’t think you’d announce it as soon as the pregnancy warrant came out.”

Honestly, I was taken aback.

I thought this was something we’d agreed upon to happen after some time had passed. But apparently, Baek Seol-hee was planning to fully take advantage of this newly issued pregnancy warrant for her own purposes.

“What are you planning to do?”

This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.

“In front of everyone, I’ll declare that I’ve chosen you.”

“Didn’t we agree to take things slow and see how it goes?”

“With the pregnancy warrant issued, there’s no time for that now. Hand over your genes.”

“You already took them….”

“This is about making it official in front of everyone.”

Baek Seol-hee just kept smirking, and I had no choice but to wonder how to calm this woman who seemed determined to push things to the limit.

“Seol-hee.”

“Yes?”

“If you announce to the world that you’re planning to have a baby with an ordinary person, won’t it cause quite a bit of confusion?”

“Wouldn’t it actually be better considering the chaos already caused by the pregnancy warrants?”

“Huh?”

“Right now, A-grade heroes and above are all flustered because of the sudden additional warrants. This one is newly issued.”

Baek Seol-hee tapped her Taeguk Watch and brought up a photo.

“This is the one from earlier this year. They send them once a year, but after the ‘Cradle Destruction’ incident, they issued another one.”

“It’s essentially a warning to have children before the cradle gets destroyed.”

Yoon Iseon chimed in from the side.

“Initially, it starts with a warrant, but after that, they arrange matchmaking events. They deliberately call heroes to gatherings with handsome celebrities or competent ability users under the guise of national events.”

“Most of those men are political elites or connected to Haegneul Group. And many of them are quite strange.”

Baek Seol-hee tapped her temple lightly.

“They’re so deeply rooted in Confucian ideals that they view women as nothing more than baby-making machines for ability users.”

“I’m well aware of that.”

Do Ji-hwan might be clueless, but Goblin knew this too well.

“If not pregnancy, then it’s treason. They force you to have a child every year, pressuring you to give birth the following year after having one.”

“Exactly. And now that another warrant has been issued, I’ll be summoned to another national event. So will you, Iseon.”

“…It’s strange. Didn’t the president say something about this? Hasn’t Baridegi been exempt from receiving a warrant? Is she the only one with such a privilege?”

“Look, Do Ji-hwan, you’re misunderstanding one major thing here.”

Baek Seol-hee spread out her hand.

“The president’s term is only five years. No matter how absolute their power is during that time, after five years, they’re just another civilian. Though he might retain the title of being the grandfather of two S-class ability users.”

“So, this isn’t about the president’s will but the will of the political forces behind him?”

“Exactly. And most of them are connected to Haegneul Group.”

“…I see. Haegneul must be dealt with sooner rather than later.”

Until now, I’d avoided dealing with them because they were hard to approach, but it seemed there were those who must be addressed before the world was further thrown into chaos by Pandemonium’s demons.

“Once the Jeju incident is wrapped up, we need to plan an operation to eliminate Haegneul.”

“Handle that as you see fit. Right now, the important thing is the warrant issued to me. To prevent things from going their way, I need your help.”

Baek Seol-hee clasped my hands firmly.

“I’ll set an example as an S-class hero so that other women won’t panic. I’ll make sure they can’t force pregnancies on other female ability users, and so they won’t try to leave the country.”

“…You look like you have a plan.”

“A plan? It’s simple. We’ll condense the operation we planned in Jeju into a single scene.”

With an excited expression, Baek Seol-hee put her hand on my shoulder and leaned closer.

“Shall I phrase it in terms you’d like? Project ‘Girl Crush.’ What do you think?”

“…Calling yourself a ‘girl’ at almost 50—”

Thunk.

A punch landed squarely on my chest.

It wasn’t imbued with magic or particularly strong, more like a featherweight punch, but the determination behind it was enough to make me stop talking.

“What did you say?”

“……Let’s hear the plan. If it’s reasonable, I’ll go along with it.”

I listened to the plan Baek Seol-hee and Yoon Iseon had crafted.

“……Not bad.”

Now.

Even Do Ji-hwan, the librarian, would step onto the stage if it meant protecting the mental well-being of ability users being coerced into pregnancy.

“If that’s what it takes, I’ll do it.”

Evening.

At the hotel’s buffet restaurant, students and staff from the academy had gathered, each finding their own seats.

Though the luxurious buffet allowed them to eat and drink as much as they pleased, the faces of the ability-user students—especially the girls—showed no signs of brightening.

“Mr. Do. Why are they like that…? Their expressions say it all.”

The staff sitting with me lowered their voices as they began analyzing the students’ discontent.

“What kind of expression do you mean?”

“It’s exactly the same expression my son had when he received his military draft notice.”

Whether they said it knowingly or not, their lowered voices couldn’t hide the fact that ability users’ hearing far exceeded what ordinary people imagined.

In other words, whispering in this place only ensured that the conversation reached the ability users’ ears.

The teachers were merely speculating about the reasons for the unpleasant atmosphere, while some male students exchanged suggestive conversations without directly addressing the issue.

“Hey, shouldn’t you hurry up and have a kid before the ‘Fire Egg’ breaks?”

“Do I give birth? Women do. What kind of woman would willingly say, ‘Have my child,’ and actually mean it? Huh?”

“True. It’s not like someone’s holding a knife and threatening you to impregnate them. Oh, wait. Are demons wielding the knives? Or villains? Haha.”

Even some male students were aware.

They knew about the letters the female students had received.

The gathering today was prompted by those letters, intended as a collective response and a warning, so those in the know couldn’t hide their unease.

“Everyone is here now.”

The person who had gathered everyone, Baek Seol-hee, grabbed the microphone and stood before them.

“The reason I’ve called you all here today is to openly hear your thoughts while preparing countermeasures for two pressing issues.”

The crowd began to focus on her words.

“One is the ‘Cradle Destruction,’ which we learned about through the villain Goblin. While there’s currently no clear way to protect the cradle, the only one who can safeguard it is you. Let me warn all students—if you even jokingly target someone’s cradle, remember that it’s not a joke but an attempt to commit ‘Zenros Intentional Homicide.’”

Attacking an ability user’s cradle meant wielding magic with the intent to kill them.

“And the other issue concerns the worry that comes with the cradle’s destruction. Many people are wondering: If a cradle is destroyed before a child is conceived, does that mean the ability user is left with nothing, simply awaiting their eventual decline and death?”

The underlying patriarchal notion in that idea was clear.

“Thus, before the cradle is destroyed, one must have as many children as possible. This is the declaration made by the Ministry of Defense, the Department of Ability Countermeasures, and other state agencies. They are effectively urging the female ability users here to conceive quickly. Who knows, the state might even start forcibly matching women to men for this purpose.”

Some female ability users began to stand up but quickly sat back down.

This was partly due to the stares from others, but mostly because Baek Seol-hee raised her hand to stop them.

“Please calm down. Nothing has been finalized yet. It’s merely speculation.”

“But…”

“You’re thinking, ‘Isn’t this meeting proof that something like that might actually happen?’ Correct. It’s highly likely the government will manipulate the Jeju summer semester midway.”

With a serious expression, Baek Seol-hee interlocked her hands, forming a circle, and then inserted a finger into it.

“The summer camp will turn into a ‘Patriotic Camp’ if they go along with the government’s or public opinion’s suggestions.”

“That’s an exaggeration…”

“Exaggeration? I don’t think so. This country will do anything if it means producing ability users.”

Baek Seol-hee smiled bitterly for a moment before stepping forward and addressing everyone again.

“Fine. You want ability users? I’ll give birth to them. Maybe I’ll even form FC Baek Seol-hee by having one child per year.”

“Sn-Snow White…!”

“As for the security gaps caused by the childbirth process, let them figure it out themselves.”

The room was thrown into confusion.

“Professor Seol-hee, are you seriously… considering having a baby?”

“Yes, I am. But I won’t be doing it because of the incessant pressure to conceive.”

Baek Seol-hee’s bulldozer-like determination left the audience swallowing nervously in astonishment.

“I’ll do it because I want to.”

“…Because you want to?”

“Yes. If I’m going to have a child, I’ll choose the father myself.”

Baek Seol-hee scanned the crowd and then pointed her finger at someone.

“I’ll make a counterproposal to the government. If a female ability user decides to have a child, the selected male must provide his genes without the right to refuse.”

“That’s….”

“Let’s start with me. Perhaps with someone here?”

Baek Seol-hee’s bombshell statement left everyone speechless.

“Then….”

Her white finger.

“You.”

She pointed directly at me and began walking toward me.

“Let’s make a baby together, shall we?”

“Me, me? Th-that’s—”

Thunk!

“It wasn’t a question.”

Baek Seol-hee’s fist landed squarely on my chest, and I closed my eyes as my entire body went limp.

“Sn-Snow White! Why him of all people?!”

“Oh, that.”

As she slung me over her shoulder, Baek Seol-hee raised a finger.

“I consulted a professor who enjoys cola, and this guy was the best fit.”

“That’s absurd…!”

“Then, here’s my answer.”

Pointing to her abdomen, Baek Seol-hee declared.

“The man who will take my first and father my child is my choice.”