Chapter 101: Resolution (3)

Thirty minutes later…

“…With this, my explanation concludes.”

Finally, Speedweapon stopped talking. The expressions of those listening showed clear exhaustion.

At first, Speedweapon had been so nervous that he stuttered, but once he found his rhythm, he didn’t stop. Managing to tire out these three formidable figures with words alone was something only Speedweapon could achieve.

‘I knew he talked a lot, but I didn’t expect it to be at this level…’

Despite the long-winded explanation, the content was serious enough to leave a solemn and tense atmosphere in the room.

The core of Speedweapon’s explanation boiled down to two main points.

The first was what had happened during the final exams. Speedweapon recounted the events in such detail and vividness that it seemed as if he had been there himself, even though he was only relaying what Kang Geom-Ma had told him. His natural storytelling ability shone through.

And the second was the unsettling truth that villains had infiltrated the academy. Speedweapon presented a list of suspects as evidence, along with details of what had transpired during the exam.

Media, resting her chin on one hand, examined the document Speedweapon had handed her.

Her usually serene face began to twist as she read. Without looking up from the paper, she pressed her temples with her fingers.

“So you’re saying that these scumbags could be the half-demon hybrids you mentioned?”

“Yes. Even after reviewing it multiple times, their admission records and subsequent behavior at the academy are highly suspicious. Although we can’t confirm it yet, they are our primary suspects.”

“……”

When Speedweapon finished answering, Media pressed her fingers against her brow. Though she tried to maintain composure in front of the students, it was impossible to completely hide her inner frustration.

Finally, after a long silence, she spoke.

“I just used my unique blessing to analyze these individuals. There is an extremely high probability that they are not legitimate academy staff.”

With those words, Media crumpled the paper in her hands. The doubt that had lingered on her face vanished, now replaced by pure anger.

The fact that Media had used her unique blessing meant that there was no longer room for uncertainty.

‘The Poet’s Blessing.’

It was a blessing that allowed her to vaguely observe and discern the causes and consequences of events. This ability had earned Media the title of “Sage.”

While it sounded like an almost omnipotent blessing that could prevent any problem, it had a crucial limitation—it required physical evidence or a concrete starting point to function. In other words, it needed a “key term” to search and connect information within her mind.

Well, if it had no restrictions, the narrative of this world—based on the game—would have ended before it even began.

‘…Still, it’s undoubtedly an incredibly advantageous ability.’

One of the reasons I had handed that piece of paper to Media was to have it verified through her unique blessing.

There’s a saying that you should knock on even a stone bridge before crossing it, so being cautious never hurts.

Media, after seemingly organizing her thoughts to some extent, let out a sigh filled with complex emotions.

“…Anyway, putting that aside…”

Suddenly, Media narrowed her eyes at us.

“Students. How do you think you managed to print a list of academy staff? Care to explain?”

“……”

At the unexpected question, Speedweapon’s pupils trembled violently.

Although he was a great talker, when it came to action, Speedweapon was completely useless. Ignoring his panicked gaze, I began weighing my options in my mind.

Should we make up an excuse or tell the truth?

I wanted to gloss over the source of the information because Ryozo had obtained it by hacking into the academy’s network.

If that were discovered, avoiding severe punishment would be impossible. But if I fed Media a lie, she would surely see through it immediately.

Additionally, I couldn’t stop worrying about Ryozo, who was still hospitalized. With her physical and mental state already weakened, facing severe punishment could cause her significant harm. Even though her method was not legitimate, I couldn’t place all the blame on her.

I quickly set my mind to work. Though I hadn’t been the most educated in my past life, I had always been good at thinking on my feet.

‘…….’

Making a decision in an instant, I sent a glance at Speedweapon. When our eyes met, he seemed to say, ‘I trust you, President.’

I nodded in response before turning to Media.

“Speedweapon and I hacked into the academy’s network.”

“…P-President?”

Before I even finished speaking, Speedweapon’s mouth fell open. Media, visibly surprised, asked,

“Are you telling me that you two managed to break through the best security system in the world?”

“Yes. As president, I gave the order, and Speedweapon carried out the hack. Though he doesn’t seem like it, he’s the second-best student in his year. He’s brilliant and has incredible talent with computers.”

“W-Wait a moment, President.”

Speedweapon’s anxious gaze locked onto mine, but I kept my face expressionless as I continued speaking.

“We know it was wrong.”

“……”

“We intended to inform you earlier, but with the limited time before the vacation, we had to act quickly. Besides, we trusted that you, as the director, would understand our intentions.”

Taking action before reporting it.

If one gets too caught up in rules and procedures, they might miss the critical moment.

Though I was slightly shifting the focus of the conversation, I was convinced that this was the right choice. Instead of hiding who had done it, I redirected the topic to why it had been done.

I felt a little guilty for putting this on Speedweapon. But what could I do? As president, my word was law.

I met Media’s incredulous gaze, maintaining my neutral expression.

“…Ha.”

Finally, Media placed a hand on her forehead, shaking her head. She exhaled a deep sigh filled with conflicting emotions.

“I understand your intentions, so I’ll let it slide this time… But don’t do it again, boys.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Director.”

“I trust you, Geom-Ma, because of everything you’ve done so far. If it had been any other student, they would have faced severe punishment or even expulsion.”

I smiled and thanked her for her generosity.

“…We’re saved.”

Only then did Speedweapon let out a long sigh of relief, like a deflating balloon.

‘…Still, he never mentioned Ryozo’s name.’

In fact, if Speedweapon had protested, everything would have fallen apart right there. He only reluctantly went along with my plan because I convinced him, so this must have seemed incredibly unfair to him.

However, despite his nervousness, he never mentioned Ryozo’s name. Maybe because he had similar thoughts to mine.

I gave him a subtle smile as I watched him wipe his cold sweat with his sleeve. Noticing it, he returned a timid smile.

Sometimes, I’m surprised at how considerate he can be. Though he might stand out among a group of people with ambiguous morals, his kindness seemed genuine.

Once the brief commotion settled, Siegfried, who had been silently listening, finally spoke.

“…But things have gotten a bit complicated. If we’re going to strike those elders tonight…”

He trailed off, realizing our presence, as if catching himself mid-sentence.

With a slightly complicated expression, Altair smirked faintly and commented,

“Master of the Sword, since they’re involved as well, I believe they should know.”

“…Ha, you’re right. I suppose I’ve become too distrustful with age, doubting them just because they’re young.”

“Sieg, you’ve always been a grumpy old man. Why are you surprised now?”

At Media’s teasing, the Master of the Sword shot her a fleeting glare, narrowing his eyes.

Soon after, he let out a soft sigh and hardened his expression, as if about to address a heavy subject.

He turned his head toward Media, seeking her opinion with his gaze.

After a few brief moments of reflection, she nodded.

With his intention confirmed, the Master of the Sword took a short pause before speaking.

“My initial plan was to visit Cladi’s private residence tonight.”

“…Are you referring to Elder Cladi?”

Unable to help myself, I repeated his statement to make sure I had heard correctly.

The Master of the Sword nodded before continuing.

“Kang Geom-Ma, the forces that attempted to slander you and your companions are the Elders. Among them, the main instigator is Cladi.”

“……”

“And, thanks to the cooperation of the Auditore family, we have just gathered enough evidence to confront them. Of course, in my heart, what I really want is…”

He let his hand, which had instinctively rested on the hilt of his sword, finish the sentence.

I already knew the Elders were behind these schemes, thanks to Knox, so it wasn’t particularly shocking.

However, now we had a specific name as the main instigator, which made the situation much more concrete.

That strange sense of satisfaction lasted only a moment before I understood the meaning behind the shadow on the Master of the Sword’s face.

‘…Even though he knows who the leader is, he can’t act rashly.’

Even if the evidence was conclusive, executing the Elders immediately—who were deeply rooted within the academy—would cause significant chaos.

Even with legitimacy on our side, the resistance would be immense. Moreover, the nobles backing the Elders would protest fiercely, and we couldn’t forget that the Master of the Sword no longer held his position among the Seven Stars.

Even with Media and Altair from the Auditore family collaborating, the backlash would be inevitable.

‘Of course, as if the Master of the Sword cared about criticism.’

However, even he would want to avoid causing unnecessary trouble for others. More importantly, any reckless action could indirectly affect his granddaughter, Abel.

The Master of the Sword, now with a more composed expression, resumed speaking.

“Additionally, if we attack the Elders directly, the villains will immediately disappear from the academy. It’s almost like admitting they’ve been discovered.”

“…That’s true. If that happens, tracking them down again will be extremely difficult. But we also can’t let those arrogant old bastards do as they please. Especially Cladi, that bastard… I won’t be satisfied until I take care of him personally.”

Media’s gaze radiated a palpable thirst for blood.

‘…It’s understandable why she’s so frustrated.’

Unless we stormed into a place where both the villains and the Elders were gathered simultaneously, we would always lose one of the two groups.

Therefore, the most important thing was to find a way to gather all that trash in one place. However, that was no easy task.

They weren’t foolish enough to fall for a simple invitation: [Please gather here before a certain time. ^^].

‘We need something that can attract both the villains and the Elders while also linking them together.’

At that moment, a spark ran through my mind like lightning piercing through my temples.

‘How did I not think of this before?’

Yes, the key to unraveling this tangled mess was right in front of me.

I quickly took out my phone and dialed a number.

I knew it was impolite behavior in front of my elders, but now was not the time to worry about formalities. Acting was what mattered.

Beep, beep… click.

The call was answered.

“Yes! Kang Geom-Ma! What’s up?”

The feminine voice on the other end sounded overly sweet, as if trying to sound cute. Ignoring that unnecessary affection, I responded in a low tone.

“Choi Seol-Ah.”

“…Y-Yes?”

“Earlier, you said the villains don’t know each other, neither their names nor their faces, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

I recalled what Choi Seol-Ah had mentioned before: the villains only interacted with a primary contact known as ‘the professor.’ They had no personal meetings and didn’t know each other’s identities.

Thinking about it, even with hidden identities, exposing their faces among criminals wouldn’t be something they’d be comfortable with.

After organizing my thoughts, I gave her a direct instruction.

“Gather all the villains whose names I give you. They must have some place where they usually meet, right?”

“Huh… Yes, but… what did you just say?”

I responded briefly.

“A chain of lucky letters.”

Barbarians are drawn to other barbarians.

This was also an ancient proverb I had decided to put into practice.

***

After finishing the brief call, I immediately summarized the conversation for the Master of the Sword.

Without saying anything, I remained silent.

Explaining from the beginning how I ended up using Choi Seol-Ah, a former villain, as an informant would take too much time—something we didn’t have.

“For now, let’s go. I’ll explain everything later.”

At my words, everyone momentarily froze. After a brief pause to organize their thoughts, they nodded and began rising from their seats.

Siegfried ran his hand over the hilt of his sword and then asked Altair,

“How many men did you bring with you from Sicilia?”

“As a precaution, I selected the eight best from our family.”

“…Eight, you say?”

Siegfried murmured in a low voice.

No matter how lethal the Auditore assassins were, attacking Cladi’s residence with so few was extremely risky.

After all, the order of knights assigned to protect the members of the Council of Elders was permanently stationed at his residence.

And calling for reinforcements would nullify the advantage of a surprise attack.

“……”

The golden glint in Siegfried’s eyes, reflecting the moonlight, revealed his uncertainty.

I watched him silently for a moment before deciding to speak.

“I’ll go with the Auditores to Cladi’s residence.”

All eyes turned to me instantly. Without giving anyone time to respond, I added firmly,

“I am one of the victims in this matter, and I want to accompany you. You already know my ability, so don’t worry. Besides…”

Before finishing my sentence, I lifted my gaze toward the night sky beyond the window.

I recalled the decision I had made the night before while staring at the moon from the hospital corridor.

‘With great power comes a position and responsibilities of equal weight.’

I took a deep breath and declared in a quiet voice,

“Besides, I’m the next successor of the Seven Stars, aren’t I?”

The gazes fixed on me widened in surprise.

The only one who held my stare without hesitation was Siegfried. Slowly, the corner of his lips curled into a slight smile.

“It seems you’ve finally made your decision.”