No Dark Secrets In This Book

Episode 171

When the prospect of Cassice Demillang’s return was detected, the energy returned to Capone’s eyes. It was because there was something to distract her from the endless outpouring of old-fashioned nagging… No, the principal’s preaching words.

‘First of all, it was strange just to see the principal step out in front of the reporters. It doesn’t seem like he put an illusion on his face. Although a large-brimmed wizard hat is covering his face, if he walks around like that throughout the Academy Competition…’

Within a few days, everyone will know that the principal of Areah Academy is a skeleton face. Before that, one or two people might faint and scream, saying they saw a ghost. Then, reporters will think they caught a good lead and rush to dig into why the principal of Areah is a skeleton face. It won’t be too difficult to find the answer. Because Damyeon’s identity is something that is spread around secretly in the strategist society.

Even if only a very small number of people know the detailed inside story, just the spread of superficial information can ignite the anger that has been building up in the Republic of Korea.

Of course, the newspapers may not be able to post proper articles because they are wary of Demillang’s watchful eyes. But reporters’ mouths are originally like sparrows. It takes four days at most for rumors to spread in the capital. By then, Damyeon’s position will be almost the same as Zhuge Liang’s. If Damyeon steps up and says a word, the north wind will blow towards Demillang.

Everyone who was skilled in power struggles and political strife could understand Damyeon’s intention. Damyeon was dissecting all the scandals and pains he could use to preempt public opinion. It would be a dangerous path overflowing with the risk of being assassinated, but Damyeon’s voice sounded like he had made up his mind. Capone Jones felt a chill down her spine. The fact that the former Teacher Damyeon, who had extremely hidden himself and tried to avoid conflict, had completely reversed his attitude in an instant would also be a move laid out by the young clan leader.

Cassice Demillang was shaking the world even while trapped in his sickbed.

In fact, not all of Capone Jones’ reasoning is correct. Cassice never gave orders to Damyeon. It’s not Cassice’s strategy, but Damyeon’s independent judgment.

However, looking at the results, Capone Jones definitely reached the correct answer.

After all, Damyeon moved for Cassice.

It was no exaggeration to say that Cassice Demillang had overturned all the dynamics.

‘…They said he collapsed.’

Capone recalled Cassice Demillang and smacked her lips bitterly for a moment. A month ago, on that day. Everyone knew that Cassice Demillang had overexerted himself. In the first place, an ordinary person would have died instantly from the height he fell. Moreover, the place he fell was a wilderness called the starting point of the black fog. Cassice Demillang had to be exposed to contamination for a long time to the point where even the purification barrier didn’t work, then participate in a large-scale battle as soon as he escaped. And then he even held a meeting to come up with countermeasures. Everyone knew it was not something possible in a sane state of mind. Nevertheless, the reason no one actively stopped him may have been largely due to the world’s prejudice towards Cassice Demillang. To people, Cassice Demillang had an image that seemed like he wouldn’t bleed a single drop of blood even if stabbed with a knife. So maybe they assumed he would be fine even after going through an unreasonable schedule.

But it was a misunderstanding.

‘Come to think of it, we were the same age.’

Thinking that the gap was too great, thinking it was a superior-subordinate relationship, it was carelessly overlooked.

It was only when they said Cassice Demillang had collapsed that it was realized.

No matter how many deadly battles Capone Jones had gone through in the dark, in those battles, Capone Jones was the target of poisoning, not in the position of a soldier sent to the battlefield. And on the battlefield, Capone Jones was naturally a being that should be protected. But Cassice Demillang never received such treatment from the beginning.

Was it when he was thirteen? When was it? When news came that Cassice Demillang had shattered a dungeon.

‘…I’m telling you it’s strange.’

During that damn courage test, after meeting the goblin, Cassice Demillang felt strangely human. Until then, she felt like he wasn’t even human, but some weird monster, so she didn’t feel anything strange at all. Thinking about it now, Cassice Demillang must have been a child just like herself.

It seems like he had no one by his side to protect him, and when she thinks about that, it feels like in some memory erased by that damn goblin, Cassice Demillang was looking at her with a strangely serene face, but she can’t properly recall anything, so only the emotion remains.

The feeling of wanting to cry keeps coming up.

After he collapsed, she heard that his family and Ryuseong forcibly kept him from working, but perhaps because she hadn’t seen him in person, the worry wouldn’t go away.

When she glanced to the side, Logan Esteban and Diedrich Vinckel seemed to have similar feelings.

“The letter clearly said he would participate in the Academy Competition…”

Logan Esteban muttered anxiously, unable to hide his uneasiness.

Diedrich Vinckel continued,

“Ah, geez. I wonder if there’s some problem…”

However, Diedrich stopped speaking because he was kicked in the shin.

“Watch your words, or else boom!”

Looking back, there was… Hae Yuna with her axe eyes open.

Diedrich was about to lightly sneer and get angry, but his words got stuck in his throat at Hae Yuna’s gaze, and he couldn’t say anything. She wasn’t particularly exuding intimidating murderous energy, just glaring with her eyes wet.

It felt like a vague and hazy memory was overlapping with that gaze.

‘Why does it feel like I’ve seen this before? Ah, was it during the goblin incident?’

Damn goblin, damn courage test.

An unknown emotion pierced his lungs, and he coughed as if he had swallowed pollen.

Diedrich Vinckel turned his head to the side for a moment and coughed a few times.

Even during that time, Hae Yuna didn’t soften her expression, and Logan and Capone were staring intently at Diedrich, wondering why he wasn’t getting angry.

Meanwhile, Lee Hyang, who really didn’t want to see Hae Yuna cry, decided to convey that Hae Yuna was so worried about Cassice that she was now afraid that her words would become seeds. But Hae Yuna was glaring as if one of them would get caught. If he told her verbally, it seemed like he would get a drop kick.

Contemplating various methods, Lee Hyang finally gave up on his dignity and returned to the king’s way of expressing his intentions.

‘Let the body do the talking.’

They say that even if you don’t know the language when you go abroad, you can communicate everything with nuance, expressions, and gestures. However, Lee Hyang didn’t seem to have that level of communication skills. He tried his best to express the act of talking by putting his hand next to his mouth and shaking it, and to convey the image of something popping out from between round objects to convey the meaning of a sprout growing from a seed, but…

“…The name of that bird is Abraxas?” Logan muttered, so it didn’t seem to help at all.

It seems he misunderstood the expression of a sprout growing from a seed as a bird hatching from an egg…

‘That’s not it!’

Come to think of it, it was Lee Hyang’s fault for not considering whether the saying that words become seeds is a metaphor that is also used in foreign countries.

Meanwhile, Diedrich, who belatedly understood Logan’s words, added in a deflated voice,

“If you put it that way, it would be closer to Park Hyeokgeose. Since this is Korea?”

“Oh, that’s unexpected.”

“What is?”

“That you can display intelligence.”

Shin Myohan smiled casually and raised his thumb. Diedrich was momentarily stunned by the gap between her expression and words, then turned red to the tip of his head. But before he could throw a fit, this combo came in.

“Seeing only the way you flirt with girls, I hope you understand that your current appearance is awkward.”

“When did I ever flirt?”

“You do that every day.”

“They are friends.”

“Do they think the same way?”

Let’s put aside the fact that Jang Wi-an, the student council president of Mirinae Academy, became displeased while watching them whisper.

The friendly competition between Areah Academy, Mirinae Academy, and Guiding Star Academy was an annual event that lasted about a month. During that period, they stayed at Areah Academy and prepared for the festival and various friendly competitions.

Therefore, there was definitely a gap in emotions that was passed down for each academy.

‘To the point where even the repertoire of cursing each other is set.’

In short, there were many occasions to clash with other academies. There was no need to focus on it from the start.

What was more worrisome was Cassice Demillang’s side.

“But why isn’t he coming when he said he would?”

“Could something really have happened…”

“Shut up!”

It was fortunate that Hae Yuna, who had lost her words, used violence to stop them, otherwise, flags that would lead to a negative development would have been planted several times.

Around that time, an anomaly began to occur.

It started with students standing in the back rows screaming strangely. Surprised by the sound, they looked back and other students also started screaming.

“Wh-what is it!”

It was the 21st century modern times.

A red carpet was descending from the sky.