Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 72

EP.72 Student Council Election Part 2

“Summer is coming soon…!”

“I love summer! But what is summer?”

As Jeong-hyeon watched Lucia hugging a stuffed toy and gazing outside, he checked the schedule.

‘There’s not much time left until the presidential election.’

It had already been several days since he had returned Erie to her family. The ‘presidential election day’ set for the planned terror operation was fast approaching.

‘Honestly, I thought Esich would make a fuss.’

Whether he had regained his senses halfway through or was merely planning something, it seemed he was quieter than expected. Hearing that news made Jeong-hyeon feel a bit disappointed.

‘But does it really matter? I’ve delivered what needed to be conveyed.’

According to Miria, some of the second mages that had recently arrived at the academy had started exploring underground. Soon enough, they would likely uncover something about the magical circles.

Jeong-hyeon rose from his seat, eager for that situation to arrive.

‘Speaking of which, the presidential election…’

He summarized the current election. It was essentially a battle between Regina and some unknown candidates, with Regina being the likely winner.

‘Even if there are rumors that Regina killed someone, she’s still likely to win.’

As long as there weren’t any significant variables, Regina’s victory seemed assured.

He anticipated Regina’s election win, looking forward to using it as a stepping stone for his achievements, and turned to Lucia.

“By the way, have there been any movements from the church? Heard anything different?”

At his question, Lucia awkwardly smiled and replied,

“I… haven’t really heard anything.”

“Oh, really?”

“… Yes.”

Seeing her reaction, Jeong-hyeon felt somewhat puzzled. The saintess was one of the key figures in the church. He wasn’t exactly sure about her status, but considering she symbolized the church, it seemed they would be paying significant attention to her…

‘Instead, they’re leaving her completely unattended.’

He wondered why that was the case, feeling curious. He was about to inquire when he noticed Lucia’s expression gradually becoming serious, so he decided to postpone his question for a while.

‘It seems like something’s going on.’

He resolved to wait until Lucia was ready to speak about it and kept silent, pretending not to notice.

***

After finishing training and returning, Jeong-hyeon was once again approached by Hana, who was ready to share her daily experiences.

“Daddy, guess what? Today, I had bread that looked like this!”

He nodded along, listening to her as she spoke excitedly.

As Jeong-hyeon watched, Miria let out a sigh and addressed him.

“Honestly, I shouldn’t interfere as a third party, but… aren’t you being a bit too much?”

At her words, he looked at her in surprise. Miria glared at him and pointed to Hana.

“The child is so attached and happy to be around you. You haven’t spent a single proper day with her, and you’re always training or dealing with the second princess. You should at least play with her for a day as a father, don’t you think?”

When Miria spoke somewhat harshly, Hana, who had been hovering around Jeong-hyeon, spoke up with teary eyes.

“D-Daddy, you shouldn’t bother her.”

At this response, Miria flinched, then quickly explained to Hana,

“No, that’s not it. This is just a suggestion to improve your treatment…”

It was clear how flustered she was, as she mixed up words she usually didn’t even use.

Hana, seemingly trying to protect Jeong-hyeon, spread her arms wide as if to shield him from Miria, glaring at her. Miria looked at Jeong-hyeon with a mix of indignation and helplessness, forced to give an awkward smile.

“See? There’s no need to be nice. But anyway, since I know you’re busy, how about making some time at least once a week?”

Jeong-hyeon nodded, lifting Hana into his arms.

‘After all, my progress is stuck.’

It was becoming necessary to pay more attention to his surroundings.

‘And I feel a bit guilty too.’

As he held Hana, who beamed at him, he gently patted her back, reflecting on his shortcomings. Lucia, watching the scene, brightened up and suggested.

“Then how about we all go out together after the presidential election? Of course, we can’t go outside the academy, but there are mountains and rivers nearby that we could explore.”

Jeong-hyeon wiped the tears from Hana’s face and decided that would be a good plan.

***

Time passed quickly, and it was the day of the presidential election.

Waking up early in the morning, Jeong-hyeon took a deep breath of the somewhat chilly air and got out of bed.

‘Alright, then… shall we head out?’

He tidied Hana’s hair as she slept, pulling the blanket over her to keep her warm and preventing her from catching a cold, while also organizing the tasks he needed to accomplish for the day.

‘Terrorism.’

There was no need to elaborate further. After all, it was what he had to do. He checked his physical condition and stepped outside.

‘The main points of today’s operation are to gather achievement points and deal with the second princess, Karina.’

If possible, he also aimed to uncover the identity of the magical circle.

With those thoughts in mind, he decided to move to a location where Regina was likely to be. The place he chose was the Asiris Club Room. Confirming that the lights were on, he entered, only to find a considerable number of people staring at him simultaneously.

Jeong-hyeon waved cheerfully at the gathered group.

“It’s me, you bastards.”

Greeting them in the style of a previously popular confession letter, he noticed their expressions shift to one of anger. He considered pulling out his sword for a flashy display, but before he could make a move, Regina spoke up.

“… What do you want?”

In response, he answered somewhat shamelessly,

“I came to cheer you on.”

Regina tightly gripped the pen she was holding, her eyes shutting tightly for a moment. She then spoke in a surprisingly calm voice to everyone around her,

“… I’m sorry, but I need to talk for a moment. Everyone inside, please step outside.”

With a gesture for Jeong-hyeon to follow her into her office, she went inside. Jeong-hyeon chuckled quietly and followed her. Once inside, the first thing he heard was,

“… What do you want?”

It was a demand for his requirements. Her somewhat arrogant tone prompted him to approach Regina in silence. As he drew closer, he noticed that the fear he had instilled in her was resurfacing, causing her body to tremble uncontrollably. It felt like he was looking at a small, frightened animal.

He considered giving her another little jab, but for the sake of his achievements, he decided to hold back and sat down on a nearby chair.

“What do I want? Nothing in particular. I really just came to cheer you on.”

At those words, Regina narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at him with suspicion. Jeong-hyeon couldn’t help but smirk at her reaction.

“Oh, and there’s one more thing. The new head magic instructor, Esich, is apparently gunning for your life.”

Regina’s face twisted in confusion, and Jeong-hyeon tossed her another piece of information.

“I heard he figured out you killed Erie.”

At this, Regina shouted back, indignantly,

“That wasn’t me; it was you…!”

Before she could finish, Jeong-hyeon stood up and grabbed her shoulders, asking,

“What did I do?”

As he gripped her shoulders, Regina turned pale, trembling in fear. He looked at her and whispered succinctly,

“I think you’re misunderstanding something, so let me clarify. The reason I’m keeping you alive isn’t because you’re valuable or because you shouldn’t be killed.”

“……”

“It’s simply because I think it would be interesting to keep you around.”

Honestly, that was a lie. The real reason was that he wanted to pin all the problems on her.

However, there was no need to be completely honest, so when Jeong-hyeon said this, Regina replied with a quivering voice,

“Okay, I get it… Just stop.”

Where had her usual haughty and confident demeanor gone? Seeing Regina crumble in fear made Jeong-hyeon smile warmly. He gently stroked her hair and said,

“So, I hope you’ll move according to what I want before you change your mind. Understood?”

Regina, unable to resist even when her enemy was patting her head, nodded. Jeong-hyeon observed her and shook a small carrot of hope in front of her.

“And just so you know, if you listen to me and do well, I might just let you go.”

“… Let me go?”

“Yeah, if you do well.”

In a situation shrouded in darkness, he extended a glimmer of hope. Regina stared blankly at that hope, and Jeong-hyeon kept waving the promise of freedom before her.

“Anyway, I really hope you win this election. I’ll be cheering for you.”

When he indirectly told her she had to win, Regina wiped her tears and said,

“… It’s not going to be hard. No matter what I do, I’ll definitely win.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

As he prepared to leave, he paused to throw one last brief question her way.

“So, I’m really curious: why did you kill Erie?”

At that single question, Regina shut her eyes tightly and responded,

“I didn’t like her from the start.”

“Really? Is that all? Like, did the kingdom pressure you or something?”

Upon hearing this, Regina seemed to realize what Jeong-hyeon was looking for. She bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then slowly opened her mouth.

“Yeah… the kingdom did put some pressure on me.”

“Is that so?”

“……”

Leaving Regina, who couldn’t say anything more, behind, Jeong-hyeon walked out of the clubroom. He had obtained everything he wanted. He pulled out a magic stone with a recording function from his pocket and decided to head toward Esich, the next target.