The Heretic of Cleric Academy-Chapter 125

"A plan?"

Yeo Min-seo tilted her head.

After the gymnasium exploded, she had wandered around the school with Ma Yu-hyeon, grasping the situation and organizing the incidents. And she had pondered solutions to the incidents. Right up until entering the principal’s office, she had been devising a plan to break through the situation.

However, no plan came to mind. After racking her brains for quite a while, Yeo Min-seo finally gave up on making a plan.

There were too many incidents that had occurred, and each incident was difficult for students to resolve. With Yeo Min-seo’s mind, she absolutely couldn’t find a way to break through this situation.

"...Tell me, where."

But Do Seon-woo, who had just heard about the situation, had already formulated a complete plan. She didn’t want to believe it.

If anyone else had spouted such nonsense, she would have dismissed it as gibberish and not listened. However, she thought Do Seon-woo’s words were worth hearing.

Do Seon-woo rubbed his shoulder that he had just popped back into place and looked up at the chairman.

"First, Chairman, you need to drive away the mercenaries positioned at the school gate. Vice-principal, please issue an evacuation order to the students through the broadcast."

"...What nonsense are you talking about? Hey, do you think mercenaries are the type who’ll just leave if you ask ’please go away’? I told you issuing an evacuation order now would be meaningless."

"Shut up and listen."

When Yeo Min-seo interrupted, Do Seon-woo glared at her sharply and spoke. His tone was cold and rigid.

For a moment, Yeo Min-seo was intimidated and lowered her gaze to the floor, then raised it again. Feeling displeased that she had cowered before Do Seon-woo even briefly, Yeo Min-seo opened her mouth.

"...Ah, yes. Please continue speaking."

"Chairman, how long do you think it would take to drive away the mercenaries?"

Do Seon-woo asked without even acknowledging Yeo Min-seo’s words. Kim Chang-won lowered his gaze diagonally and swallowed thoughtfully.

"...It would depend on the situation. If combat is unavoidable, it would take at least 30 minutes, I think."

"Shall we allow a generous hour? Then Vice-principal, could you replace the bell music that signals the start of afternoon classes with an evacuation broadcast?"

"Probably...it would be possible."

"Yes, then the evacuation broadcast will sound throughout the school in about an hour. Until then, if the Chairman drives away the mercenaries and secures an evacuation route, that will work. Next is..."

"Wouldn’t it be better to secure the evacuation route first, and then have the vice-principal do the evacuation broadcast? Is there really a need to make it so complicated?"

Ma Yu-hyeon asked. Do Seon-woo shook his head.

"They might take control of the broadcast room to prevent evacuation broadcasts, so it’s better to do it in advance."

"Would the Satan worshipper think that far ahead?"

"The Satan worshipper cut off radio waves first to block external communication before causing incidents. In the worst case, the broadcast room might already be taken over."

"Hmm... Okay!"

Ma Yu-hyeon nodded as if convinced by Do Seon-woo’s words. Do Seon-woo continued.

"And Ma Yu-hyeon and Yeo Min-seo. You two should go together like before and search for the missing people."

"Do we really need to go together?"

Yeo Min-seo had been planning to go with Ma Yu-hyeon anyway. It was rational and safe. However, she somehow didn’t want to follow Do Seon-woo’s words obediently, so she questioned him for no reason.

Do Seon-woo stared into empty space with unfocused, blank eyes and opened his mouth as if muttering.

"If you go with Ma Yu-hyeon, you can immediately tell who’s taxidermy. It would be a disaster if you thought someone was a missing person and tried to rescue them, only to find out they were taxidermy."

"...That’s true."

Yeo Min-seo reluctantly nodded. His plan couldn’t be called perfect, but it could be called the best option.

This fact hurt Yeo Min-seo’s pride once again. Do Seon-woo said that much and then briefly closed his mouth. During his silence, quiet stillness circulated through the principal’s office.

"...You said you came from the gymnasium?"

"Huh? Yeah, that’s right."

When Do Seon-woo asked, Yeo Min-seo reflexively answered. Before she knew it, she was being swept up in Do Seon-woo’s flow.

"Have you ever seen Jeong In-ah at the gymnasium?"

"Who’s that?"

Ma Yu-hyeon asked with a stupid face as if he’d never heard the name before. Yeo Min-seo frowned as if trying to revive her memory. Do Seon-woo pointed to his own hair with his finger and opened his mouth.

"Brown hair, kind of short, round impression..."

"Ah! I think I know. She’s kind of pretty, right? I tried talking to her before but she ignored me."

"I’m not curious about that. Anyway, did you see where she went?"

"She escaped first when the gymnasium exploded? She didn’t even put her shoes on properly."

"That’s...taxidermy. Probably."

"Really? Then I don’t know either."

Ma Yu-hyeon shrugged his shoulders. Do Seon-woo lowered his head and rubbed his face wearily with a troubled expression. The corners of his lips were trembling finely. After sighing and finally raising his head, Do Seon-woo’s face had become calm.

"I see... Finally, I’ll find and kill the Satan worshipper myself."

"What? At first it sounded somewhat reasonable, but as you go on, you’re just spouting more nonsense. How will you find them, and how will you kill them?"

Yeo Min-seo shot back. Do Seon-woo stared at Yeo Min-seo with unfocused eyes.

"Why should I tell you that? There’s no guarantee you’re not a Satan worshipper."

"This crazy bastard. What about you then? What if you’re the Satan worshipper?"

"You’d better keep your mouth shut. You keep saying things that don’t make sense."

Do Seon-woo spoke in an extremely cold tone. Yeo Min-seo’s face crumpled.

"This son of a bitch, talking like... Hey, you asshole. You need to explain the most important final plan. If you don’t, what are we supposed to believe to follow you?"

"Hey, hey. The chairman is here too, why are you cursing so much..."

Ma Yu-hyeon tried to stop Yeo Min-seo who was spewing curses without restraint, but Yeo Min-seo had already lost her reason.

"’I’ll find and kill them myself’ - I could say that kind of thing too. Calling that a plan..."

"This is a plan that only I need to know for it to succeed."

Do Seon-woo cut off Yeo Min-seo’s words.

"Oh, really? Just how amazing is this plan that only you need to know for it to be effective? I’m fucking curious."

"Then just stay curious."

Do Seon-woo said as he stood up. Yeo Min-seo let out a hollow laugh. Nausea rose to her throat at Do Seon-woo’s shamelessness. However, because Do Seon-woo was walking toward her with threatening steps, Yeo Min-seo couldn’t spit out curses and ended up keeping her mouth shut. Yeo Min-seo forcibly prevented her gaze from dropping down and lifted her head. Do Seon-woo was looking down at her with cold, chilly eyes.

"If you don’t want to believe it, you don’t have to. There’s no reason you absolutely have to follow my instructions."

"..."

"But just believe it and do as I said."

Do Seon-woo’s tone was firm and resolute, unlike usual. It felt somewhat high-handed. His pupils were filled with conviction, and his face without a trace of laughter was cold.

"Then I will find and kill the Satan worshipper."

Whether it was an aspiration or a resolution, those words lacked proper basis. In the first place, he wasn’t even explaining how he would find the Satan worshipper or how he would kill them.

Nevertheless, Do Seon-woo’s words had a strange persuasiveness. His expression and tone were filled with strong conviction. He must have some plan.

However, no one could even guess what his plan was.

What on earth was Do Seon-woo thinking...

Everyone in the principal’s office was curious about this, but no one could ask. Thick silence flowed among the people watching Do Seon-woo while holding their breath.

* * *

Let me make a personal statement.

There’s no such thing as ’a plan that only I need to know for it to succeed.’

I haven’t even identified who the Satan worshipper is yet, and I haven’t even made a plan for how to kill them.

For now, I was certain that sorcery and Loa powers would be needed to track and kill the Satan worshipper. However, I couldn’t use sorcery and Loa powers while Yeo Min-seo, Ma Yu-hyeon, Kim Chang-won, and the vice-principal were nearby. So I created an excuse to scatter with the vague words ’a plan that only I need to know for it to succeed.’

[You’ve gotten much better at lying.]

Legba said with a hollow laugh.

I wanted to say that it would be stranger if I didn’t improve at lying when I lie every single day, but I wasn’t in a position to answer. Yeo Min-seo and Ma Yu-hyeon were beside me.

"Where’s the chairman’s office?"

"Right upstairs."

Ma Yu-hyeon asked, and Yeo Min-seo answered curtly.

"There’s an anti-magic mask in the chairman’s office. Use that on the wall, no, that won’t work. Since we can’t identify the source of the black magic... Still, just in case, keep it in mind."

This was what Kim Chang-won said to us right after leaving the principal’s office, as he was about to head toward the school gate. After hearing those words, we decided to get the anti-magic mask first before executing the plan.

There was a big difference between having no immunity to black magic at all and having immunity to even some black magic. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

We finally arrived at the chairman’s office. As soon as we entered, Ma Yu-hyeon looked around and opened his mouth.

"Where did he say it was?"

"He said the first drawer... Here it is."

Slide!

Yeo Min-seo roughly pulled open the drawer and examined the inside. She rummaged through the drawer with quick hand movements, then finally tilted her head and frowned.

"What, it’s not here?"

"It’s not there?"

Ma Yu-hyeon approached beside Yeo Min-seo.

"Look, it’s not here."

Yeo Min-seo pointed inside the drawer with her finger. Ma Yu-hyeon rummaged through the drawer wildly and then frowned and tilted his head like Yeo Min-seo.

"It’s really not here? Did the chairman lie?"

"Right. Isn’t the chairman the mastermind?"

"The Satan worshipper probably took it. What nonsense are you talking about..."

Watching Ma Yu-hyeon and Yeo Min-seo make absurd deductions was so ridiculous that I had to say something.

Yeo Min-seo and Ma Yu-hyeon didn’t even pretend to listen to my words and finished searching the remaining drawers, then gave up and left the chairman’s office to walk down the corridor.

"Do Seon-woo was right. It really seems like the Satan worshipper stole it? They’re more meticulous than I thought."

"Looking at how they start by blocking the entrance, they seem to have read some military strategy. Same with using taxidermy to create confusion."

"...What’s military strategy?"

"Ah, you guys wouldn’t know...? It’s nothing special, just something like that."

Ma Yu-hyeon mumbled. Yeo Min-seo stared at Ma Yu-hyeon with a clearly puzzled expression. I also couldn’t understand what Ma Yu-hyeon was talking about at all.

He narrowed his already thin eyes even more and smiled as he continued.

"...Whether it’s a grandson or granddaughter, what does that matter? Anyway, we just need to go out and wander around looking for Gabriel and the principal, right? Then you’ll take care of catching and killing the Satan worshipper yourself."

"Right."

"How are you planning to kill them?"

Ma Yu-hyeon asked, but I didn’t answer. I hadn’t thought deeply about how to kill the Satan worshipper.

For now, I was planning to focus all my efforts on finding the Satan worshipper, and thinking about how to kill them could wait until after that.

Moreover, Loa powers are greatly affected by weather and topographical features, so making plans now would be meaningless.

Most importantly, today is the day of the full moon.

Tap.

While going down the stairs with my mouth closed, Yeo Min-seo tapped my shoulder.

"Hey, I have one thing to ask too."

Before I could even answer, she immediately continued.

"You’ll find and kill the Satan worshipper yourself, well, let’s say that’s fine. But do you know who the Satan worshipper is?"

"There are several people I suspect. I need to narrow it down to one of them."

"Really? Who’s the most likely?"

"You."

When I answered honestly, Yeo Min-seo made an expression as if she found it absurd.

"What’s your evidence? Aren’t you doing your deductions based too much on personal feelings?"

"No personal feelings. I’m also suspecting Gu Jun-hyeok."

"Gu Jun-hyeok? ...Hey, can this guy really be trusted?"

Yeo Min-seo glared at me with one eyebrow furrowed. She seemed to question the very fact that I was suspecting Gu Jun-hyeok.

"What’s the problem?"

"Both of Gu Jun-hyeok’s parents are high-ranking clergy. Ah, his mother’s side is former clergy."

"..."

I don’t know much about that. I only vaguely know that Gu Jun-hyeok’s mother has some kind of mental illness.

Come to think of it, I didn’t know anything about what Gu Jun-hyeok’s father did for work. Because I wasn’t interested.

But how does Yeo Min-seo know something I don’t know?

Before I could wonder about it, she continued.

"He hasn’t changed his address recently either, and there’s nothing particularly suspicious about him..."

"But how do you know that?"

When I asked, Yeo Min-seo quickly turned her head. Her gesture clearly showed she was trying to hide her panic.

She knew everything from Gu Jun-hyeok’s family background to his address. How did Yeo Min-seo, who wasn’t even that close to Gu Jun-hyeok, obtain that information? If she found out through background investigation, the possibility that she’s a Satan worshipper increases. An ordinary student would have no reason to investigate others’ backgrounds, and wouldn’t have easy methods to conduct such investigations.

After hesitating for a moment as if thinking of an excuse, Yeo Min-seo opened her mouth.

"...Unavoidable personal information access for the public good... Something like that..."

"For the public good? What kind of bullshit..."

Bang, bang...

At that moment, gunshots rang out. The gunshots trailed long and created an ominous feeling. We stopped walking for a moment, and chilly silence flowed between us.

"...What’s that?"

Yeo Min-seo turned serious and glared beyond the window. I couldn’t breathe. A cold, chilly sensation was flowing down my spine. My throat was burning with thirst, and a throbbing headache struck me.

"The Holy Knights must have come? I haven’t heard that sound in a long time."

Ma Yu-hyeon laughed and spoke as if it was nothing. His composure gave me chills.

That wasn’t the sound of gunfire when live ammunition is fired. It was the heavy, crude gunshot sound when rubber bullets or tear gas are fired.

Not long after the Holy War broke out, Holy Knights used rubber bullets or tear gas when suppressing Voodoo practitioners. It was a measure to avoid unnecessary killing. However, more Voodoo practitioners died from rubber bullets than from live ammunition. Because the gun barrels were aimed at the Voodoo practitioners’ heads.

As a child, I crouched in a wardrobe, listening to the heavy gunshots flowing through the window and the screams of Voodoo practitioners.

I could hear my father and mother calling for me, but I didn’t go out. I felt like if I opened the door, the Holy Knights’ gun barrels would be pointing at me. I hoped I would seep into the darkness of the wardrobe and finally disappear. Like mist.

"Hey, why is he suddenly like this? Why are you sweating so much?"

What pulled me out of the tangle of gunshots and screams was ironically Ma Yu-hyeon.

The very person who led Leviathan and killed innocent Voodoo practitioners. I felt disgusted by those thin eyes looking at me with pretended concern. But I must not show it.

"...It’s a bit hot."

"It’s not hot weather though?"

Yeo Min-seo asked as if puzzled. Indeed, it wasn’t hot weather yet. I wiped away sweat with the back of my hand and opened my mouth pretending to be calm.

"I get hot easily."

"Oh! Hey, me too. It’s been getting warmer lately."

Ma Yu-hyeon expressed agreement with delight. It didn’t feel good.

Then Yeo Min-seo lowered her posture and checked below the stairs through the railing.

"...Hey, be quiet."

"Why? Is something there?"

"I said be quiet, you stupid bastard..."

Ma Yu-hyeon stuck close to Yeo Min-seo with curious eyes. Yeo Min-seo expressed irritation and spat out rough curses in a whispered voice.

Only then did Ma Yu-hyeon keep his mouth shut. In the suddenly arrived silence, Yeo Min-seo was quietly staring down the railing like a predator who had spotted prey.

Click, click, click...

"...Someone’s coming up?"

Ma Yu-hyeon said, erasing the smile he had been holding at the corners of his mouth.

From downstairs, obviously suspicious footsteps were slowly approaching us.