Academy’s New Guard is Unusual - Chapter 118

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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 118
[This morning’s roll call will be held outdoors.]
As always, the roll call took place at the Drill Ground.
The atmosphere of the roll call felt different from usual. Normally it was fairly relaxed, but now there was a tension that seemed ready to snap at any moment.
“It’s because of the Midterm Exam today. Everyone gets quite on edge during exam periods.”
Milo scratched his belly as he explained. True to his words, the faces of the Security Corps personnel were taut with tension.
Though there were exceptions.
“Today being Midterm Exam day, personnel allocation is bound to be more difficult. I’ve created a deployment map for efficient positioning.”
Hanswell, looking excited for some reason, held out a sheet of paper to me. The paper was densely filled with today’s Security Corps deployment and movement routes.
It put ordinary academic papers to shame. It wasn’t just thorough—it was obsessive, verging on abnormal.
I had no idea how much care he’d put into it.
“Ah, I’ve set aside you and Milo separately. Is there any particular sector you’d prefer? I’ve left empty spaces on the side—just pick one.”
At Hanswell’s question, I mentally reviewed my plan.
The plan was simple.
Detonate the bomb at the Back Gate, summon the Wanderers to postpone the exam.
In that chaos, slip into the Exam Hall and consume the Chasm.
For that, being near the Exam Hall seemed best.
“I’ll take a position around the Exam Hall.”
“We’ll need more personnel near the Exam Hall today. An excellent choice.”
Hanswell nodded and began marking something on the Deployment Map.
He was adjusting the deployment based on my choice.
‘A human spreadsheet.’
Just then, the Security Captain climbed onto the platform.
Normally, roll call ended with the Security Captain delivering a brief address. But today, the Security Captain didn’t address us immediately—he stepped aside.
It was as if he were ushering in a superior.
A thick-framed middle-aged man followed the Security Captain onto the platform.
His build was sturdy but far from clumsy, his gaze soft yet his eyes blazed with intensity.
A drawn hero.
“Good morning.”
It was the Headmaster.
‘Why is the Headmaster here with the Security Corps?’
The Headmaster was the type who didn’t appear in person unless it was a major event.
Yet here he was at the Elite Security Corps morning roll call.
‘Because of Hanswell?’
In the game, Hanswell was the trigger for the Headmaster’s rampage. The Headmaster definitely took interest in him.
When I first met the Headmaster, he clearly knew I was from Class 42.
It was why I moved carefully in the Security Corps.
Hanswell, seeing the Headmaster, clenched his teeth hard. His jaw muscles were visibly taut.
For Hanswell to show such a violent reaction—clearly there was something complicated between them.
“Today is an exam day. The most important day at the Academy. You stand at the forefront of that.”
The Headmaster’s voice carried a force that made listeners feel something ignite within.
He’d barely spoken a few words before the Security Corps personnel were stirring.
Some of them hoisted their Security Staffs high.
It looked like they were ready to march to war immediately.
“Take pride in yourselves. Feel your responsibility. You are my sword.”
The Headmaster drew his blade.
A pure white sword—the Headmaster’s own, the White Dragon Sword.
A brilliant Aura bloomed from the White Dragon Sword. Simply unleashing his Aura made the air feel heavy.
It was truly monstrous Aura.
It naturally inspired awe in all who saw it.
The Security Corps personnel cheered and rallied their spirits.
On the surface, it looked like he’d simply come to encourage the Security Corps.
But to me, it appeared differently.
‘He came to crush Hanswell’s spirit.’
I checked Hanswell from the corner of my eye.
Hanswell was staring at the ground. The shoulders he’d thrust up just moments ago with excitement had sagged.
Then the Headmaster stepped down and the Security Captain returned to the platform.
The Security Captain opened his mouth while watching the Headmaster standing behind him.
“Today, there must not be the slightest problem. Each Security Corps member must take full responsibility for their assigned sector.”
Normally, the Security Captain had nothing to do with Security Corps operations.
Yet suddenly he was speaking about task assignments.
‘The Headmaster ordered this.’
I muttered quietly to myself, watching the Headmaster standing behind the Security Captain.
Don’t let problems arise—stick to your original sectors.
On the surface, it made sense.
The problem was that the Elite Security Corps’s original deployment was incredibly inefficient. Only because Hanswell had taken matters in hand did it function as it did now.
And now, to revert to the original Security Corps arrangement—
“Oh, so those of us in the support squad are on Security Corps standby. That’s pretty cushy.”
Milo grinned happily.
At those words, I understood the Headmaster’s intention.
‘He plans to pin Hanswell to Security Headquarters.’
It was clearly meant to keep Hanswell from getting caught up in any potential danger.
The problem was that I got caught up in it too.
To slip into the Exam Hall immediately when needed, I had to be positioned near it.
There was considerable distance between the Security Headquarters and the Exam Hall.
And moving secretly would be difficult too.
The Headmaster had personally attended the Security Corps roll call. There was a high chance he’d be directly watching the Security Corps.
Even I couldn’t easily escape the Headmaster’s gaze.
Then I noticed the Deployment Map in Hanswell’s hand.
The Headmaster cares about Hanswell. When Hanswell dies, his eyes roll back and he berserks to the point of killing everyone.
The important thing is that what the Headmaster cares about is Hanswell alone.
I raised my hand.
“I object.”
Both the Security Captain and the Headmaster looked at me simultaneously.
The Security Captain shook his head urgently as if to say I shouldn’t. The Headmaster must have ordered this.
Of course, I ignored it lightly.
“I won’t hear objections.”
“The previous deployment was far too inefficient.”
“It’s tight enough for that. I won’t hear—”
“But Vice-Captain Hanswell has created a deployment that is both efficient and tight! Perfect!”
I pointed at Hanswell with my hand, looking toward the Headmaster.
The Headmaster’s thick eyebrows rose ever so slightly.
The Security Captain cried out desperately.
“Perfect deployment?! The Midterm Exam is a critical time! What matters is keeping everything as safe as possible!”
“Hear him out.”
The Headmaster cut off the Security Captain’s words with a quiet voice.
The Security Captain squeezed his eyes shut. He looked like he’d just bitten into a lemon.
I glanced at Hanswell. His normally steady eyes wavered.
After all, it was just a deployment map. I quietly gave him a thumbs up.
Seeing it, Hanswell understood somehow and nodded emphatically. His eyes gleamed in a way that felt oddly burdensome.
Soon, Hanswell stepped forward.
“The existing deployment is far too inefficient. It fails to account for movement patterns, causing significant waste. Especially during exams centered on the Exam Hall, this waste becomes more pronounced. Since the Main Gate and Back Gate won’t be opened today anyway, if we reduce personnel assigned there—”
Hanswell spoke desperately toward the Security Captain, deliberately avoiding looking at the Headmaster.
The Security Captain still wore his lemon-bitten expression, watching the Headmaster for cues.
The Headmaster stared at the Deployment Map Hanswell offered. The distance was far, but for a Sword Master, that wouldn’t matter.
In the Deployment Map, Hanswell is stationed at Security Headquarters.
It matched what the Headmaster wanted, so he’d accept it. That was my calculation.
As expected, the Headmaster accepted the Deployment Map. The problem was—
Clap, clap, clap.
“Excellent. Truly excellent work.”
The Headmaster even applauded while praising Hanswell.
‘The Headmaster reacted that intensely?’
Hanswell, the one actually receiving the praise, looked like he’d just eaten excrement.
The Headmaster was the most powerful villain except for the Foreign Gods. My nightmare every night was the berserk Headmaster killing everyone.
The trigger for the Headmaster’s rampage was Hanswell’s death.
So I thought all I needed to do was keep Hanswell safe—
‘If this goes right.’
I quietly placed my hand on Hanswell’s shoulder and shouted.
“Wow! Truly the best! The best!”
“The best! The best!”
Milo immediately picked up my words and shouted. Then the Security Corps members beneath me followed suit.
Soon an atmosphere of cheering for Hanswell was created.
“Hanswell! Hanswell!”
“It’s nothing special—”
Hanswell scowled and spoke.
He seemed the type to be susceptible to praise.
I checked the Headmaster’s expression.
The Headmaster—
Was smiling broadly.
Like a parent watching their own child receive praise.
‘Wait, this—’
In the game, the Headmaster came from the Kerieetan Clan, a renowned Swordsmanship family. Officially, he was known as an only child, and Hanswell was listed as his half-brother.
But that had always seemed odd.
A half-brother dies and he berserks, overturning the continent?
Even in the game, it was a part I never understood—
‘Could it be?’
I alternated my gaze between Hanswell and the Headmaster.
They definitely resembled each other.
“Hanswell.”
“……Yes? Is there something unclear about the Deployment Map? I’ve added footnotes, so just review those.”
Who puts footnotes on a deployment map?
“It’s not that. There’s something else I wanted to ask you separately.”
“Questions are always good. Ask whatever you wish.”
Hanswell’s eyes sparkled.
“By any chance—”
I watched Hanswell’s reaction as I asked.
“What is your father’s name?”
Hanswell’s eyes, visible below his glasses, shook violently.
For a moment, his gaze shifted upward—toward where the Headmaster was.
It was only a flash, but I caught it.
Hanswell’s face hardened rapidly. His mouth corners trembled as if he’d swallowed poison.
“I have no father.”
Hanswell answered in a voice pressed down with force.
I turned my gaze toward the Headmaster.
The Headmaster was among the strongest Sword Masters. Even at this distance, he would certainly hear this conversation.
The Headmaster’s eyes were narrowed.
And in that narrowing, I could see guilt.
‘A quite complicated father-and-son relationship.’
Now I was beginning to understand why the Headmaster berserk at Hanswell’s death.
What father wouldn’t rage at his son’s death?
‘This could be useful.’
If I played Hanswell right, not only could I prevent the Headmaster’s rampage, but I could also use the Headmaster.
I quietly placed my hand around Hanswell’s shoulder.
The Headmaster’s eyes narrowed.
I couldn’t discern his intention.
Then Milo placed his own hand on Hanswell’s shoulder opposite mine.
And he shouted with great excitement.
“Oh, so you’re an orphan too? I thought you must be. There’s a certain feeling you get from orphans. Hehe.”
The Headmaster’s eyes crumpled fiercely.
Of course, Milo, unaware, was grinning away.
I said a silent prayer for Milo’s soul.
The roll call ended like that.
Thanks to Hanswell, Milo and I were stationed safely near the Exam Hall.
[The exam will begin shortly. Students, please gather at the Exam Hall.]
The sky was brilliantly clear, and the breeze was refreshing. A perfect day for detonation.
“Kuga, the Horn Flute.”
“Right here, ga!”
Kuga quickly retrieved the Horn Flute from his mouth.
Kuga’s function was genuinely useful, but there was one problem. Things came out a bit wet with saliva.
Normally it didn’t matter, but the Horn Flute, which required pressing it to my lips to blow, was quite awkward.
“Milo, blow this. Blow it hard.”
“Huh? What is this?”
“A Horn Flute that calls the Wanderers.”
“……Aren’t the Wanderers among the Empire’s Ten Evils?”
“That’s right. Blow it with enthusiasm.”
“I’ll blow it with tremendous enthusiasm.”
Milo took it thinking I was joking, tittering as he accepted the Horn Flute.
Then he quickly brought the Horn Flute to his lips and blew hard.
Wooooooooooo─────!!
A sound like shaking the very soul echoed out, a magnificent horn blast.
“Now, press this next.”
I pulled out the Detonation Device.
“Oh, you’re really letting me press it?”
Milo had been right to want to press it. A red button like that begged to be pressed.
“Hehe, here goes.”
Milo pressed it without hesitation.
Booooooooooom─────!!
“Ah, most satisfying.”
Watching a massive pillar of fire shoot up, I nodded with satisfaction.
“?”
Milo blinked his eyes blankly.

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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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