Academy’s New Guard is Unusual - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 10
In the game, Elysium Academy came under attack by villains whenever there was a dull moment.
And the threats varied each time. The Republic, dark sorcerers, barbarians, heretics, and so on. A full course meal, really.
I’d often wondered why their defenses kept getting breached despite all that vigilance—
‘Turns out the Elite Guard itself was a nest of villains.’
I clicked my tongue silently as I looked at the team members seated around the circular table.
The Saint of Foreign God, the Spear Ghost, a barbarian, even the headmaster’s panic button. Villains that I’d searched for endlessly in the game and never found were sitting here peacefully together.
‘My luck is extraordinary.’
My lips curled up of their own accord.
Yeon-jol is no easy game. And I’d possessed a body on hard mode, at that.
I could never clear it by walking only safe paths. I had to embrace every danger.
So when danger came looking for me on its own, I couldn’t help but welcome it.
“Sit.”
Hanswell gestured to an empty chair. As I sat, he pointed at me and spoke.
“This is a new recruit who’s just joined us. I’m sure you all feel keenly how short-staffed we are. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“The Entrance Ceremony is the day after tomorrow, and we’re only now refilling Team 42’s ranks? Piss-poor timing.”
Scarlett cut off Hanswell’s words with a laugh in her voice. Hanswell’s brow stiffened.
“We’re short-handed enough that we had to bring people in quickly.”
“You gave other teams reinforcements ages ago. You need time to train them, after all.”
Scarlett had hit a nerve; Hanswell’s lips twitched.
“Well, even shit has its uses.”
Scarlett rose with a sly smile, and in her hand was a crude-looking liquor bottle.
“Scarlett, sit down.”
“Why? It’s our team’s tradition.”
“Did you already forget what happened last time?”
“How was I supposed to know the new recruit would be weak with alcohol? Right?”
Scarlett cast a foxlike smile and looked around at the team members as if seeking confirmation. Rudrick merely nodded with indifference, while Mylo deliberately avoided her gaze.
“Tradition is important. It ought to be respected.”
Volcan spoke in a grave tone, belying his barbarian nature.
“Isn’t that so?”
Scarlett smiled at Hanswell. His jaw clenched.
“Come on, drink it in one go. That’s the tradition.”
Scarlett thrust a cup of liquor toward me.
I swirled the cup lightly. The sharp reek of strong alcohol pricked my nose. Threaded through it, just barely, was something sweet.
‘Poison.’
Not the kind that worked immediately. This was a vicious, insidious toxin that accumulated with each dose before revealing its effects after a time delay.
As I raised the cup, lethal gazes fixed on me.
I drained it, using their stares as my aperitif.
And then—
“Delicious.”
I held up the empty cup toward Scarlett.
“This is fun.”
Scarlett’s red lips curved deeper in a smile.
It was the sort of smile that the legendary villainess who’d sacrificed a thousand students—the Saint of Foreign God—might wear.
‘I won’t be bored, at least.’
I smiled back at her.
* * *
“Scarlett is a dangerous woman. You don’t want to make an enemy of her.”
Hanswell pulled me aside and warned me seriously.
I understood Scarlett’s danger better than Hanswell did.
The Saint of Foreign God was the symbolic villain who opened up the second half of the story in earnest.
But Hanswell was more dangerous than Scarlett.
If the Saint of Foreign God marked the beginning of the second half, the headmaster was the main villain of it.
If I misstepped with Hanswell, the headmaster would emerge.
There was a high chance the headmaster was already watching Team 42 right now.
‘I need to be careful.’
With my opponent being the headmaster, I had no choice but to be on edge.
“Phew, territorial instincts run deep, I’ll grant you. But they’re not bad people.”
Each one of them was a major villain, yet he called them not bad? I laughed bitterly.
“You must be exhausted. Get some rest first. Rooms are shared by two, and you’ll bunk with Mylo. That way.”
Hanswell showed me to the room.
It was bare. Just two beds and two wardrobes. Yet it was a mess. Like a doghouse.
I sat on the relatively cleaner bed and went over the situation.
‘Villains are clustered here.’
But killing them now wasn’t a smart move. They hadn’t caused any trouble yet. Dealing with them preemptively could raise suspicion, and there was a risk of provoking the headmaster.
And besides—
Objective: Evangeline’s Graduation
Reward: Wish Token
Failure: Death
The goal wasn’t to kill villains—it was Evangeline’s graduation.
Though Team 42’s villains were formidable, killing them wouldn’t make Evangeline graduate.
Even if I killed Scarlett early, someone else would just become the Saint of Foreign God.
‘I need to reform them.’
It was a kind of Side Quest.
* * *
“Mylo, what’s this all about?”
At that achingly soft voice, Mylo flinched.
Mylo loved beautiful women. No—he was mad for them. He’d even fought for his life against enemies he’d just met, all because they were beautiful.
Scarlett, under normal circumstances, was a stunning beauty worthy of his double-take welcome. But Mylo feared her.
He knew the venom hidden behind that radiant smile.
“Huh? Mylo, answer me.”
Mylo really did want to answer. He just couldn’t.
How could he tell her he’d gotten beaten down by a recruit who’d just walked in yesterday? There wasn’t even proof.
“You seem to be having an easy time lately?”
Scarlett’s chilling words scraped across his back. Mylo swallowed hard and shook his head.
“That’s not it.”
“No? It seems like it. Or did you forget about Charlotte?”
At the name Charlotte, Mylo’s expression hardened.
“Charlotte will come back. When she returns and finds her place is gone, how heartbroken will she be? Don’t you think? If it were me, I’d feel my heart sink into my stomach.”
Mylo bit his lip hard. Rudrick drew deeply on a cigarette, and Volcan prayed quietly.
Scarlett whispered as she looked around at her team members.
“Remember this. You’re all still in one piece because of Charlotte’s sacrifice.”
Then she gently stroked Mylo’s hair.
‘Damn it.’
Mylo scratched his head furiously and headed toward the room.
He’d planned to beat the runt and chase him out.
The problem was that this runt could fight. Not just fight well—but fight incredibly well. Mylo hadn’t even grazed him.
And he couldn’t bring himself to admit the truth because his pride was wounded.
‘Damn it all.’
Mylo muttered a curse and opened the door.
There was a savage back on display. It was lean, yet densely muscled.
Rough scars covered those muscles. The scars were so hideous he looked like a monster.
And above all else—
“Hmm?”
As the figure turned at the sound, Mylo saw a bizarre scar on his right chest. It looked like the bite marks of thousands of teeth.
Just looking at it made his blood run cold.
He couldn’t begin to fathom what kind of life this man had lived.
Then their eyes met.
“I’ll have to teach you how to knock.”
Grave said flatly, clenching his fist.
“But this is my room—”
Mylo felt genuinely wronged.
* * *
I woke at the sound of rustling.
‘An unfamiliar ceiling.’
I muttered a joke and exhaled, pushing out the accumulated weight. The reek of rot and blood filled the room.
I rose slowly and worked out my body. Crack, crack—just a short sleep and my frame felt rigid as a corpse. An unavoidable side effect.
Then someone approached.
It was Mylo.
Mylo threw a punch at me without warning.
He’d only had one day of training, yet he was already bold enough to charge in. Good spirit.
I stepped lightly. Mylo, still throwing his punch, fell flat on his face.
Thud! A heavy sound erupted, but Mylo got right back up and came at me again.
“Damn you! Die!”
“Your stance is too high.”
I clicked my tongue and kicked him again. My foot sank precisely into his solar plexus, and he wheezed.
“Wait, weren’t you sleeping?”
Mylo gasped out the words, drool dripping down his chin.
“I don’t sleep.”
“What kind of bullshit—”
Mylo cursed roughly and charged. I didn’t bother explaining, just threw a punch. My fist connected squarely with his face.
Gack—Mylo crumpled. I followed up, throwing another punch. Mylo scrambled to raise his guard.
“You should watch the attack before blocking. If you just throw up your guard carelessly, you get hit like this.”
“Wait—Ugh!”
“Now again. This time, block properly.”
I kindly corrected Mylo’s stance. He griped about something, but I didn’t bother listening.
Mylo was more beast than man. There was no need to speak with words.
After how many kicks, Mylo threw both hands up and barked.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
I released him, satisfied.
“That was a good morning workout. Let’s do it again tomorrow.”
“Morning workout?”
Mylo muttered with a face like he’d eaten shit. I stretched contentedly.
Mylo’s expression turned sulky again, as if he’d forgotten he’d just been beaten.
“It’s task assignment time. Normally the runt goes around waking everyone—”
“And?”
“Nothing, just so you know.”
Mylo grumbled quietly. Even though he’d just taken a beating, his attitude was stiff.
“How are tasks assigned?”
“During morning Roll Call, each team puts in support requests, and the vice-captain distributes them. But since the Entrance Ceremony is tomorrow, everything will probably go to Entrance Ceremony support. Oh, and new students will be arriving starting today, so there’ll be New Student Escort duty too.”
“New Student Escort?”
“Taking the new students in carriages and bringing them to the dorms.”
Mylo explained while grumbling.
‘Ah, the opening sequence.’
The opening of Yeon-jol involved arriving at the academy by carriage. Apparently the Elite Guard operated those carriages.
That sounded promising.
“I’d prefer New Student Escort duty.”
“So what? What about it?”
Mylo stared at me with a confused expression.
Clearly dim-witted. I explained again, slowly and carefully.
“I wish to undertake New Student Escort duty.”
“Rudrick usually does New Student Escort. It’s the academy’s first impression, so they pick the handsome or pretty ones.”
“How fortunate. I’m handsome.”
“I’m not saying you can just ask—the vice-captain assigns the duties.”
“Ah, I misspoke.”
I nodded lightly as if I understood, and Mylo relaxed visibly.
I looked at him and spoke decisively.
“I will undertake New Student Escort duty.”
Mylo’s eyes went blank. A moment later, understanding dawned, and his face twisted. Then, reluctantly, he nodded.
“Fine.”
I straightened my disheveled hair.
“That’s not how it works—”
Mylo grumbled quietly.
Then an announcement came from a Magic Tool affixed to the ceiling.
[This morning’s Roll Call will be held outdoors.]
That voice sounded familiar somehow.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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