The Heretic of Cleric Academy-Chapter 91

Using interrogation through intoxication sorcery, I succeeded in getting the mercenary to talk. As expected, the mercenary was an assassin sent by another executive to kill me.

I also heard directly from the mercenary’s mouth which branch’s executive had commissioned this. Regarding this incident, I plan to hold them directly ’responsible’ at the upcoming executive meeting.

After extracting all the information I wanted, I sent the mercenary home safely. I didn’t forget to erase his memories with ’memory destruction’ sorcery either.

Unfortunately, during the interrogation process, the mercenary became addicted to intoxication sorcery and would be unable to live a normal life from now on, but that wasn’t my concern. I think this was merciful treatment for someone who tried to cut my Achilles tendon.

The next morning, I came to the student council room.

"6:50..."

The meeting was to start at 7 o’clock. I had arrived a whole 10 minutes early. Perhaps because I couldn’t sleep properly last night due to interrogating the mercenary, my head felt very heavy. I lay my head down on the student council room desk to sleep. I planned to sleep for exactly 10 minutes until the meeting started at 7.

Tap tap.

The darkness that came as soon as I closed my eyes. Someone woke me up. As I lifted my disheveled head while grooming my hair, Kim Jin-seo was looking at me as I slept.

"Sleep well. You must have been tired."

"..."

Before answering her words, I first checked the time. 7:05. Even though 5 whole minutes had passed since the meeting started, there was no one in the student council room except for Kim Jin-seo and me.

The cool morning breeze was swaying the curtains. Suddenly, I recalled Kim Jin-seo smiling at me under the swaying moonlight. The only difference was that it had been night then, and now it was morning.

"Where are the others?"

"They don’t seem to have come yet. Just the two of us."

"Just the two of us."

The nuance felt strange, so I repeated it for no reason. Kim Jin-seo looked at me and smiled softly. Her smile always had a mysterious and mystical feeling. Clear and distinct, but not mundane and somehow mystical.

"The gym owner woke up."

"Gym owner? ...Ah, that person."

"Yeah. The one who was with me."

She seemed to be talking about that person who had been dying under the collapsed building materials at the gym. Even while saving him, I had wondered if we could actually save him. I heard his life was spared, and it seemed he had regained consciousness as of yesterday.

"That’s fortunate."

"But he hurt his nerves so he can’t move his legs."

"..."

I regretted carelessly saying it was fortunate and looked at Kim Jin-seo. She had a faint smile while looking down at the floor.

The meaningless smile devoid of any emotion that she used to habitually wear when we first met. The mysteriousness that had been there just moments ago had disappeared without a trace as if it had never existed.

"If I had done just a little better then..."

The smile gradually faded. What remained on her tightly closed lips was self-reproach, despair, regret.

"...I think the result would have been different."

"What."

I let out a chuckle and spoke, causing Kim Jin-seo to look at me with a somewhat surprised expression. I continued.

"What more could you have done there."

"..."

"You did enough, you did."

In the midst of confusion, Kim Jin-seo had steadfastly drawn healing and blessing circles to treat the gym owner. The fact that the gym owner didn’t lose his life but at least survived was all thanks to her.

The one who should harbor regrets of ’if I had done better’ wasn’t her, but me.

If I had moved my body faster, no, if I had completely destroyed all the taxidermy remaining in the Satan worshippers’ hideout from the beginning. There would have been no explosion, no fire, and the gym owner wouldn’t have become disabled.

Perhaps the mistake began with going to save Kang Ji-ah without any preparation, simply driven by emotion.

[You also did enough. You jumped into the flames while destroying your body with intoxication sorcery.]

Then I suddenly heard Legba’s faint voice. Perhaps because Kim Jin-seo was in front of me, his voice was much quieter than usual. Instead of answering, I shook my head slightly.

The phrase ’did enough’ was nothing more than vile rationalization to me. No matter how hard I tried, even if I gave my best while risking my life, if the best results didn’t come out, that was failure.

Kim Jin-seo and I shouldn’t be placed on the same level. In the first place, the responsibilities given to her and me were different. So were our roles.

[It’s obsessive-compulsive disorder. You’d better go to a hospital.] 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Legba mocked. I ignored him and looked at Kim Jin-seo. She was combing her hair with her fingers while staring at me with mysterious eyes.

"Thank you."

She said. I seemed to hear thanks from her particularly often. I felt like I had never done anything worthy of receiving gratitude from her. My mood felt slightly strange.

I hid my expression with laughter and opened my mouth.

"I already heard from your father."

"...Then you can hear it once more."

Kim Jin-seo replied somewhat sullenly as if slightly offended.

"But where are the others?"

I looked around and changed the subject. It was already almost 7:10, but no one had arrived except Kim Jin-seo and me. Something was strange. She opened her mouth with a smile.

"Everyone must be late."

"Is it normally like this?"

"Not usually this late. Normally."

Kim Jin-seo pulled up a chair and sat next to me. She put her elbow on the desk, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at me with a slanted gaze as she continued.

"I hope no one else comes like this."

"...Don’t tease me."

I turned my gaze away. Her face was too close. From somewhere, a warm yet refreshing fragrance flowed and tickled my nose. It seemed to be a scent coming from her hair.

"Look this way."

"No."

"Why are you avoiding my eyes. Are you embarrassed?"

"I said don’t tease me."

Saying that, I turned my head to look toward where she was. Her face was much closer than before. Kim Jin-seo stared at me blankly with her mouth half-open and eyes wide as if surprised.

Silence flowed. Before long, her face began to noticeably redden.

"Ah..."

Crash!

At that moment, the wardrobe door in the corner of the student council room opened and blankets and clothes poured out. A person was sprawled over the messily spilled bedding.

"...Hello! I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on purpose, but this just happened to... Um. Did, did I interrupt? Should I leave?"

What emerged from the wardrobe was the Holy Name of Temperance. Her name was Han Su-ryeon, I think... She hastily organized the scattered bedding, stuffed it crumpled into the wardrobe, and jumped up from her spot.

"Actually, executives aren’t supposed to date each other! Uh, this is strictly secret, right. To the grave! I’ll take it to the grave. Really."

"...It’s a misunderstanding."

"Ah, haha. Right. Of course it’s a misunderstanding. Anyway, I have something to do so I should go-"

Bang!

"-Ah!"

Suddenly the door opened. Han Su-ryeon, who was trying to hastily leave the student council room, hit her forehead on the door and tumbled to the floor. It was Kang Dae-man who opened the door.

"How can this be! I thought I would be the first to arrive. I’ve brought shame to the name of diligence."

Kang Dae-man said this and sat down in any empty seat. He seemed to have gotten even more massive than when I first saw him. His distinct muscles were prominent through his clothes.

Han Su-ryeon remained fallen while rubbing her forehead for quite a while, then eventually scrunched up her face and jumped up from her spot.

"...Hey! I almost cracked my forehead because of you!"

"Ah, sorry. You were too small so I didn’t see you."

"I’m not small! You’re just too big like a bear!"

"I’ll take that as a compliment! I’m still far from being able to fight a bear. I need to exercise more diligently."

Han Su-ryeon and Kang Dae-man continued bickering for quite a while after that. When Kang Dae-man apologized again, Han Su-ryeon also seemed to cool down and sat down while catching her breath. In the briefly silent student council room, Kang Dae-man looked around and opened his mouth.

"That aside, why did everyone come so early! Today’s meeting was definitely supposed to start at 7:20."

"7:20?"

I questioningly repeated Kang Dae-man’s words and looked toward Kim Jin-seo. She was hiding her reddened face with her hair hanging down while glancing at me with careful eyes.

"...Sorry."

Then she quietly offered an apology while looking down as if ashamed.

* * *

Finally, the ’real’ meeting start time of 7:20 arrived. Seong Ha-yeon and Yeo Min-seo also arrived at the student council room without being late.

Especially Yeo Min-seo opened the door and entered the student council room at exactly 7:20, immediately proceeding with the meeting. She was amazingly precise with time, if nothing else.

"Is everyone here? Except for Humility?"

Yeo Min-seo looked around the student council room. Everyone was there except for the Holy Name of Humility. Yeo Min-seo put down the bundle of documents she was carrying with a thud and suddenly clapped at the air.

"Good news. Do Seon-woo has been re-elected as the Holy Name of Charity. Applause!"

Clap clap clap.

Starting with Yeo Min-seo, Han Su-ryeon and Kang Dae-man joined in applauding. Seong Ha-yeon and Kim Jin-seo also got swept up and clapped along. The applause lasted roughly 3 seconds. When the applause stopped, Yeo Min-seo picked up the documents she had put down.

"Let’s keep today’s meeting short and finish. First, we need to write a proposal. A proposal for a religion-related essay contest."

Thud.

Yeo Min-seo threw a thick bundle of documents in front of me as if tossing it.

"So Do Seon-woo, who just received congratulations, will do this work. Just bring it by next week."

"What, as soon as I arrive-"

"It’s like a handover and practical work, something like that."

Handover and practical work. I found it funny and repeated it to myself. It was called handover and practical work, but it was essentially dumping work on me.

"Then, next item."

Yeo Min-seo immediately moved to the next agenda without even listening to my answer. As if my opinion wasn’t important from the beginning. Yeo Min-seo looked back and forth between the documents and beyond the window as she continued.

"This next item is really important... Humility, that bastard!"

"Eek! Ah, I’m sorry."

Yeo Min-seo cursed irritably, and Seong Ha-yeon, startled by this, flinched her shoulders and made a strange sound. Yeo Min-seo gripped the documents with trembling hands as if crumpling them.

"...Humility isn’t here so we can’t proceed with the meeting. I heard he was coming today. Kang Dae-man, is there no contact from that guy?"

"Uh... He says he’ll arrive soon!"

"Really? Let me see."

Kang Dae-man turned his phone screen to show Yeo Min-seo. The phone in Kang Dae-man’s large hands looked like a miniature. Yeo Min-seo’s face hardened as she scanned beyond the screen.

"He said he’d arrive soon 10 minutes ago and still hasn’t come? Is he crazy?"

"Don’t get angry at me. It’s not my fault."

"Right. It’s not your fault. It’s that bastard Humility’s fault. All that bastard’s fault..."

Just as Yeo Min-seo was sighing deeply to calm her anger.

Slam!

The door opened and someone walked in. Sharp, upturned eyes, skin tanned to a subtle brown, bleached yellow hair that looked dry and frizzy. The muscles attached to various parts of his body looked quite solid and firm.

He crossed through us with swaggering steps and very naturally took a seat at the head of the round table.

"Ah... I overslept so I’m a bit late."

He spoke wearily while placing his hand on his forehead as if trying to drive away a headache. All the executives in the student council room stared at him as if dumbfounded.

"...Why are you looking at me like that? I’m, uh, Humility. The Holy Name of Humility. Ma Yu-hyeon. Don’t you know? You know, right?"

Ma Yu-hyeon.

The Pope’s grandson of the Romanica Church. A name that no cleric could be unaware of, and a name that I, as the leader of Voodoo, absolutely could not be unaware of. Because of the two ’talents’ he possessed.

"The Holy Name of Humility has finally arrived. You’re 5 whole minutes late and not even a word of apology."

The one who broke the silence was Yeo Min-seo. Whether Ma Yu-hyeon was the Pope’s grandson or not, Yeo Min-seo’s tone remained the same. Ma Yu-hyeon stared at Yeo Min-seo for a moment with his characteristic slit eyes.

"Uh... So, I said I overslept and was late?"

"You overslept and were late... Does anyone else dislike oversleeping so they come to meetings early? Are you calling that an excuse now? Just the agenda items delayed because of you-"

"No, why are you getting angry, making a person feel awkward. You stupid-looking bitch."

Ma Yu-hyeon smiled broadly and casually cursed with a somewhat stupid and foolish-looking face. Yeo Min-seo stared at Ma Yu-hyeon with a dumbfounded expression. A dangerous current flowed between the two.

It felt like a fight was about to break out. The two hadn’t even known each other for a full minute.

Soon divine power flowed from Yeo Min-seo’s fingertips. Han Su-ryeon, who had been watching the fight, jumped up from her seat.

"Hey, hey! You can’t fight here-!"

Before Han Su-ryeon could stop it, Yeo Min-seo completed her blessing circle. I’m not sure exactly, but it seemed to be a blessing related to physical abilities. She seemed determined to beat up Ma Yu-hyeon using blessings.

"...Huh?"

Then Yeo Min-seo looked at her arm in bewilderment and let out a questioning sound. The light of blessing that should have been directed at her had changed course and was directed at Ma Yu-hyeon instead. The light of blessing was flowing brilliantly around Ma Yu-hyeon’s thick forearms.

Ma Yu-hyeon jumped up from his seat and silently approached Yeo Min-seo with big strides.

"Fucking hell. Why is this...!"

Yeo Min-seo stepped back hesitantly while hastily drawing the next blessing circle. It was also a blessing related to physical abilities.

However, the light of blessing didn’t head toward Yeo Min-seo but again changed course and was absorbed into Ma Yu-hyeon’s body. Yeo Min-seo’s face hardened with panic.

Ma Yu-hyeon gently grasped Yeo Min-seo’s neck with his thick forearm wrapped in blessing light.

"Feisty women aren’t bad either. I actually like them..."

It was scarier than most death threats. The panic reflected on Yeo Min-seo’s face was gradually changing to terror. This was the first time seeing Yeo Min-seo with such a terrified expression. Her body was trembling slightly.

After some silence flowed, Ma Yu-hyeon released the strength from the hand grasping Yeo Min-seo’s neck. Then he looked around and showed an innocent smile.

"It’s a joke~ A joke. Just saying let’s not fight."

"...You, this, how."

Yeo Min-seo opened her mouth while forcibly calming her trembling body. Ma Yu-hyeon casually waved his finger in the air as if it was nothing. In response, the blessing light wrapped around Ma Yu-hyeon’s arm fluttered here and there.

"I don’t know how either. It’s just been like this since I was born."

He can control the flow of divine power. Just as I can control the flow of Voodoo magic power. This was his first talent.

Leaving behind Yeo Min-seo, who was staring at him with her mouth agape as if dumbfounded, Ma Yu-hyeon continued.

"Why is the atmosphere like this. Um, should we introduce ourselves? I heard the Holy Name of Purity was re-elected?"

"...It’s Charity. I’m the Holy Name of Purity."

"Ah, right. So Charity changed."

Ma Yu-hyeon looked at Seong Ha-yeon with his slit eyes. It was a sticky gaze that gave an unpleasant feeling.

"What, it was Seong Ha-yeon? You’ve gotten really pretty. Do you remember me?"

"...I don’t remember."

"Aw~ Hey. We used to play together often when we were young. We even slept in the same bed."

"What, what nonsense are you-!"

"Ah, that wasn’t you. Well, whatever."

Seong Ha-yeon and Ma Yu-hyeon seemed to know each other. Seong Ha-yeon didn’t seem to like Ma Yu-hyeon much. No, she seemed to loathe him.

"Anyway, so the new kid who joined is..."

Ma Yu-hyeon roughly calmed down the fuming Seong Ha-yeon and looked around. His sharp gaze licked over the faces of the executives.

From Kang Dae-man to Han Su-ryeon, from Han Su-ryeon to Kim Jin-seo, Yeo Min-seo, and finally to me. I slightly lowered my head to avoid meeting his eyes.

Suddenly, a very old memory came to mind.

A few days after Father, the 2nd leader of Voodoo, died and the Holy War ended. The Romanica Church extremist faction called ’Leviathan’ began searching houses and arresting Voodoo practitioners.

Leviathan gathered the Voodoo practitioners in pits they had dug in advance and set them on fire, burning them all to death.

The black, acrid smoke that rose then covered all the stars in the sky, so that incident is called the ’Starless Night’ today.

"I definitely saw your face at the appointment ceremony, I did. Uh..."

During the Starless Night, the main contributor to expelling the Voodoo practitioners was Ma Yu-hyeon.

Though he was just a ten-year-old child, he picked out Voodoo practitioners with his characteristic sharp intuition. I don’t know the principle. As the Pope’s grandson, he has the skill to distinguish between Romanica believers and heretics just by their eyes... That’s all I can vaguely speculate.

After that incident, Ma Yu-hyeon came to be called the ’Heretic Detector.’

"Right. There you are."

This was his second talent.

I could clearly feel Ma Yu-hyeon’s sharp gaze directed at me.