Correcting the Villainess of the Academy

I unconsciously gripped the silver rocket around my neck tightly. At that moment, an extreme anger surged to the point where my head went blank.

It had been a long time since I dismembered and killed those hateful creatures one by one. The witch was an existence that should never appear in Sa Jaehyeok’s life again.

But, without getting tired of it, she appeared before him again.

Sa Jaehyeok instinctively cast a murderous gaze at the boy. Perhaps the boy felt it, as his trembling intensified. His face turned as pale as a corpse.

Even amidst that, the boy’s unwavering stare provoked more anger. Sa Jaehyeok grabbed the blade’s hilt, which he had put away, tightly again.

And just as he was about to pull it out to strike at his head, Yejin suddenly blocked his way.

“Leader! What are you doing all of a sudden? Are you out of your mind?”

“…”

Sa Jaehyeok paused at Yejin’s obstruction and looked back at the boy. His eyes were still filled with fear, but his gaze was now directly fixed on Sa Jaehyeok.

“…If you’re going to kill me, just do it.”

The boy opened his mouth slightly and spoke with a trembling voice, as if he had resigned to everything.

At those words, Sa Jaehyeok felt his tension, which had been tight all over his body, loosen slightly. He regained some calm and was able to think rationally again.

Before him stood a boy who had let go of the thread of life.

There was not a hint of the witch’s usual mockery or destructive behavior to be found.

Furthermore, while he was quite handsome, it was clear that he was not a woman.

“What… What happened…?”

Yoon Chaewon, who returned, wore a bewildered expression. She alternated her gaze between Sa Jaehyeok and the boy, trying to gauge the atmosphere.

Only then did Sa Jaehyeok push the blade back in and turn to Yoon Chaewon.

“It’s nothing. But what about the interrogation?”

“…Sorry. He was tougher than I expected.”

Yoon Chaewon continued with a whispering voice, reporting that the captured warlock had grovelingly begged for his life, but had clammed up at other questions.

Criminals of this kind sometimes display useless loyalty in unexpected areas. It seemed that this was just such a situation.

“But there’s not nothing gained. I confirmed that he has a three-leaf clover tattoo on his body. The magic is very poisonous. He’s definitely a member of the Yakgyeokdan.”

“…Not a wandering raider, but the Yakgyeokdan?”

The Yakgyeokdan was one of the rapidly growing criminal organizations in recent times. Their main clients were not just riffraff but various noble magic families.

The Yakgyeokdan was known for efficiently handling their dirty tasks, which often meant murder contracts.

At first, I thought the boy had come across raiders rummaging through the ruins after running away from the hospital, missing his hometown.

However, the Yakgyeokdan consisted of capable criminals who had to possess a certain level of skill. It was unlikely that well-paid members of such an organization would be pillaging in the outskirts’ ruins.

Considering all these circumstances, the conclusion was simple.

Someone powerful enough to hire the Yakgyeokdan was plotting the boy’s elimination.

“Um…”

Sa Jaehyeok let out a light murmur. It felt like a headache was forming in his head.

The commotion was over, but nothing was resolved satisfactorily.

Although there were glaring suspicious points, the boy was, on the surface, nothing more than the sole survivor of an unfortunate outskirts residence.

He couldn’t think of any compelling reason why influential people would want to commission the extermination of such a pitiable boy. They were likely too busy with power struggles and elimination of rivals.

After mulling it over, Sa Jaehyeok turned back to the boy. The boy was still staring at him with empty eyes.

Seeing that, Sa Jaehyeok gave a wry smile and apologized.

“I’m sorry, kid. I think I just made a misunderstanding. We’re soldiers of the Republic. We are tasked with eliminating criminals like that and stabilizing the peace in the outskirts.”

“Sold…ier?”

“Yeah. We have no reason to harm you. In fact, we came to help you. You can relax now.”

After hearing Sa Jaehyuk’s friendly tone, the boy eased his guarded expression. Not missing that reaction, Sa Jaehyeok continued.

“I’m sorry about what happened to the village. Just out of curiosity, do you have any other relatives or places you could go?”

“…No.”

“…Is that so?”

Before he could finish speaking, the boy shook his head. His forlorn gaze was directed at the ruins of the village spread out behind Sa Jaehyok.

Sa Jaehyok thought. To find answers to the series of incomprehensible incidents, the child’s survival had to be the first priority.

The best way to ensure that was to keep him under his protection. That way, he could continuously investigate the connection to the witch’s powers and who had ordered the boy’s death.

And, just in case something went wrong, he would be right there to deal with it swiftly.

Of course, there was certainly sympathy for the boy in a corner of his heart. He felt a strange sense of kinship as well.

The boy’s current state seemed obviously swept away by a great wave he never wanted.

But if his survival became known, he would certainly be targeted again. There wouldn’t be a criminal organization that wouldn’t want to tarnish their reputation after a failed hit.

“Kid. What’s your name?”

Finally reaching a conclusion, Sa Jaehyuk approached the boy. After a moment of hesitation, the boy opened his mouth.

“Lee…Hyun. My surname is Lee, and my name is Hyun…”

“That’s a pretty decent name.”

“…My mom… gave it to me…”

Hearing Sa Jaehyuk’s compliment, Lee Hyun lowered his head. Sa Jaehyuk felt a momentary pang of regret for not having such sensitivity himself.

“…I see. Then how old are you?”

“I turned 16 a little while ago…”

Sa Jaehyuk felt a bit relieved upon hearing Lee Hyun’s response. At 16, he would legally be an adult in a year.

He looked quite young due to his small frame, which worried him, but with a year, he could manage to cover for it with his abilities.

“I need to ask, do you have any plans for the future?”

“…”

Lee Hyun shook his head silently. At the same time, he subtly hid one of his hands behind him.

However, Sa Jaehyuk noticed the shimmer of glass shards peeking out between the boy’s fingers. That alone allowed him to grasp the situation.

“I’m just saying this as a precaution, but you should drop any thoughts of following in your family’s footsteps. Think about it. If you were to die and go to the afterlife first, how would you feel if someone left behind wanted to follow you there? They would want you to do your best to live.”

“…”

Lee Hyun flinched at Sa Jaehyuk’s words and lowered his head deeply. Below, several tiny drops of water fell consecutively.

He could feel the burning gazes of his companions behind Sa Jaehuk for repeatedly poking at the boy’s painful parts.

However, it was a necessary persuasion for the sake of their objective. Sa Jaehyuk strained to ignore the stares and spoke to the boy once more.

“…So, kid. I’ve got a proposal for you.”

“A… proposal?”

“Yeah. A proposal.”

At Lee Hyun’s questioning, Sa Jaehyuk nodded.

“You must have had it really tough all this time. You’ve probably gone through unimaginable horrors.”

“…”

“But that’s just the way things are in this world. Waves always come crashing down suddenly, sweeping away precious people. I’ve experienced something similar myself.”

Sa Jaehyuk absentmindedly fiddled with the silver rocket hanging around his neck.

“…However, if you have the strength to avoid the waves, you won’t have to suffer such sorrows.”

The moment Sa Jaehyuk finished speaking, Lee Hyun’s body jolted slightly. Unconcealed disappointment and desire seeped out.

Of course, it was only natural; observing Lee Hyun’s reaction, Sa Jaehyuk continued.

“Therefore, I have a proposal. Kid, come with us. If you do, I will help you.”

“Help… me…?”

“Yeah. I will help you overcome your helplessness. I will help you gain the strength to resist the absurd waves. I promise to pour all my knowledge and power into that.”

“…”

“I said earlier that I wouldn’t force you if you wanted to follow your family, but if you’re thinking of continuing to live… then my proposal should hold enough value, right?”

Each of Sa Jaehyuk’s words pierced through Lee Hyun’s being, ruthlessly exposing his most deeply buried vulnerabilities.

After a long pause of silence, Lee Hyun finally opened his mouth.

“…Are you a wizard?”

“Yeah. Me and my comrades are.”

Sa Jaehyuk nodded.

“Then, does that mean you’ll teach me magic…?”

“That’s right. Though it feels strange to say it myself, I’m among the stronger wizards out there. My comrades are the same.”

“If that’s the case… then it’s impossible.”

“What?”

“…It’s impossible. I’m a Complete Non-Responder. My constitution means I can’t use magic at all…”

A look of surprise crossed Sa Jaehyuk’s face upon hearing Lee Hyun’s words.

A Complete Non-Responder; he thought he had only read about such beings in theory during his cradle years, but here was one for real.

Suddenly, he noticed the boy deflating. He was clearly unaware of the powers he possessed or even who the witch was.

“No, you can use magic.”

“…It’s okay. No need to comfort me…”

“I don’t comfort boys. This is a plain fact. I’ll say it again clearly. You will be able to use magic. I swear on my life.”

“…”

After hearing Sa Jaehyuk’s strong declaration, Lee Hyun’s eyes widened.

“…What’s the cost?”

“What?”

“…I asked what the cost is. What reason would a stranger like you have to go that far for me…?”

He tried hard to remain calm, but his trembling voice betrayed the uncontainable yearning within. Confident in his persuasion, Sa Jaehyuk finally let out a light laugh.

“Good question. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. You’ve got quite a bit of caution for your age.”

“…You should answer…”

“Let’s get straight to the point. You have tremendous abilities. And I’m quite interested in that ability of yours. You may not know it, but…”

“…”

“Here’s the deal. If I teach you magic, you’ll occasionally help me with that power of yours. This isn’t one-sided charity. It’s a fair trade. So there’s no reason for you to feel uneasy.”

“…”

Lee Hyun fell into thought after hearing Sa Jaehyuk’s words. If they were plotting something, they didn’t need to bother with this persuasion.

If they had the skill to subdue warlocks without a single scratch, they could just take him away with ease.

Moreover, despite the man’s impression being somewhat intimidating, he didn’t come off as a liar.

He didn’t quite understand what it meant to have great abilities yet.

Most importantly, thanks to what Sa Jaehyuk had said earlier, he had completely dismissed the notion of ending his own life.

Being alone still hurt and was painful. However, thinking that his mother and friends would grieve again made it utterly unthinkable to follow through.

After a long silence, Lee Hyun finally spoke up.

“…If that’s the case, then alright.”

“Great. It’s a deal, then…”

Sa Jaehyuk let out a sigh of relief upon hearing his answer. However, everything needed a conclusion.

Turning around, Sa Jaehyuk approached the members who had been watching him.

“…Leader, what is suddenly going on? What do you mean by abilities?”

“I think we need to explain a bit…”

“Sorry. I’ll tell you everything later. For now, let’s wrap things up here. Sehwa. What about that guy from earlier?”

“I’ve just restrained him. I doubt he’ll have much more to say during the interrogation.”

“Go grab him with Chaewon. We have a use for him now.”

“…Do I have to explain it later?”

Sehwa and Chaewon left looking somewhat uncomfortable as they went to fetch the warlock. After all, they had no intention of keeping anything hidden.

They all knew Sa Jaehyuk’s situation.

“…Leader, could it be…?”

However, Yejin, who had experienced the mysterious phenomenon with them just earlier, was quicker to catch on.

Yejin wore a serious expression as she glanced at Lee Hyun while showing signs of wariness.

Sa Jaehyuk gave a wry smile and said to Yejin.

“No, it’s not like that.”

“But…”

“What you’re worried about doesn’t apply here. I’ll explain it later.”

“…Fine.”

While they were talking, Chaewon and Sehwa returned with the warlock in tow. He looked far more wretched than before.

The warlock was covered in blood and bound all over. Scalds and blisters covered his exposed skin, and a smell like burning flesh filled the air.

“…Looks like you had fun screaming.”

Sa Jaehyuk frowned slightly at the signs of torture he saw. Then, he turned to Lee Hyun.

“Kid, do you have anything to prove your identity? An item or a token?”

“An item… a token…”

Lee Hyun was about to shake his head at Sa Jaehyuk’s words. Suddenly, however, he stopped moving and looked at his left hand.

Following Lee Hyun’s gaze, Sa Jaehyuk soon saw a ring on the fourth finger of his left hand.

Seeing the hesitation in the boy’s eyes, Sa Jaehyuk spoke.

“If it’s something precious, then just…”

“…No.”

“Eh?”

“…Not anymore.”

Lee Hyun shook his head in response to Sa Jaehyuk’s words. Then, with trembling hands, he took off the ring and handed it to Sa Jaehyuk. His voice was filled with moisture.

“…You should think carefully about this.”

“…No, it’s fine.”

“Is that so? Alright then.”

Sa Jaehyuk didn’t press further. Once he made his choice, that was that.

Sa Jaehyuk took the ring and squatted down in front of the bound warlock. The warlock, Rang, looked at Sa Jaehyuk with terror.

“Ugh…! Wh…what are you going to do…?”

“You’re lucky. Despite being societal garbage, you’ll at least die somewhat usefully.”

“Wh…what do you mean by ‘last’…!! I just surrendered…”

“When did I say I would spare you?”

Hearing Sa Jaehyuk’s words, Rang fell into shock and could only blink his mouth open.

Regardless, as Sa Jaehyuk adjusted Rang’s position, he managed to grab Rang’s left hand and pull it forward.

And as he reached for Rang’s fourth finger to try to put in the ring Lee Hyun had given him, the ring obviously wouldn’t fit on the boy’s finger.

“Ah, this won’t work. Then what…”

After struggling for a while, Sa Jaehyuk let out a long sigh. It looked like he was going to give up, but soon after, Sa Jaehyuk tightened his grip and shoved the ring deep onto the finger anyway.

Thud!

“AAAGH!!!”

The ring forced itself into the charred, weakened skin, and the warlock rolled on the ground, screaming in pain.

“…Looks like he still has some energy left. Chaewon. Burn this bastard to ashes.”

“Got it.”

While Sa Jaehyuk’s actions seemed strange, the members, having already grasped his intentions, raised no objections.

Sa Jaehyuk intended to disguise the boy’s death.

Others stepped back, leaving only Chaewon in place to prepare the magic circle.

Fwoosh!

As fiery lines were drawn around the warlock, they gradually formed a circle.

Rang, having finally regained his senses from the painful burns, looked at Chaewon in panic.

“Wait… wait!! What are you…!”

“What do you mean ‘what’? It’s your funeral. Goodbye, trash.”

Chaewon answered coldly without even looking at Rang.

“NO…! I’m not done…!”

However, before Rang could finish his words, a pillar of fire erupted as soon as the circle was completed, engulfing him entirely.

*

“AAAGH!!”

Prior to the fiery pillar, it felt as if Rang’s eyes met mine for a brief moment.

Now he was trapped in the magical flames, his hoarse voice echoing in continuous screams.

“It hurts…! It hurts!! Hot!! AAAAAAH!!”

“Ugh, seriously annoying…”

“If only I had plucked out his tongue beforehand…”

Before Lee Hyun, a strange scene unfolded. A person was burning to death, yet the women in front of him chatted as casually as if they were grilling meat.

But strangely enough, Lee Hyun felt no human pity for the screaming warlock.

Instead, he felt a small sense of vindictive pleasure rising inside him.

“It hurts…! It hurts! Aaaah… Mother…”

Lee Hyun thought. Even evil beings seek their mothers when they die.

Before long, the screams ceased. Only the towering column of flame remained, roaring towards the sky.

After a while, even the pillar of fire began to dwindle. All that was left where the warlock had once stood was a pile of ashes. At the edge, the ring that Lee Hyun had worn on his finger sparkled.

Lee Hyun was staring blankly at the ashes. The man formerly referred to as the leader stood in front of him once again. He extended his hand and said,

“Welcome to the 66th Crow Brigade.”

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