Academy’s New Guard is Unusual - Chapter 14

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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 14
“Damn it, hurry up and move this. If I get another salary reduction, I’ll be sucking my fingers for a living—.”
Mailo rushed me with an anxious voice. Even a mad dog feared salary reduction.
“Right, let’s move fast.”
The moment I nodded, Mailo’s expression brightened and he followed along.
We left the Underground Warehouse and headed toward the Great Hall.
The Great Hall was still bustling with Entrance Ceremony preparations. Countless Security Force members worked like ants.
I calmly surveyed the gathered personnel in the Hall.
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you moving anything?”
Mailo asked suddenly.
Mailo had already loaded his back with Materials. Salary reduction was clearly terrifying to him.
“Tsk, when will we ever finish moving all this.”
“Do as I say.”
“If a man has a weak mind, his body suffers for it.”
“Why are you suddenly picking a fight?”
I clicked my tongue and turned my gaze away.
Then, I spotted them coming from the Back Gate of the Great Hall.
“Oh, found them.”
“Found them? We need to move this faster, I said.”
“There’s a quicker and easier way. Follow me.”
“A quicker and easier way? What in the—”
I headed straight for the Back Gate. They naturally blended in among the Security Force members as they left.
Once we exited the Great Hall, their pace quickened. The Materials on Mailo’s back clattered and clanged loudly.
“The opponent has Bedrick backing him with the Inspection Unit. Even a tiny bit of shirking and he’ll come down on us hard, yeah?”
“We just need to earn merit.”
“Earn merit carrying luggage? How are we supposed to—”
Mailo asked in disbelief, so I pointed toward those figures ahead.
“By catching a Republic Member hiding in the Entrance Ceremony.”
“A Republic Member?”
Mailo looked in that direction, then stared at me as if I were a madman.
Just then, they came to a stop at the Open Ground where several Carriages were parked. Security Force members who seemed to manage the Carriages were there. They naturally blended in among them.
“…Really a Republic bastard?”
“Yeah. Gathering in a secluded spot like that—doesn’t it look suspicious?”
“That alone? If they really are Republic Members, we should request support—”
“Hey there, friends from the Republic!!”
I casually raised a hand in greeting.
The Security Force members’ gazes snapped toward me. The look in their eyes wasn’t particularly friendly.
One of the Security Force members stepped forward.
“Who’s there? Identify your unit.”
I boldly announced my unit and name.
“Squad 42’s Mailo.”
“Hey, why are you using my name—”
Mailo squinted and grumbled.
“What business does Squad 42 have here?”
“Two little rats came this way, see.”
“Rats? We haven’t seen any.”
“Strange. I’m sure they came here—”
I gestured toward the two figures at the end, adding:
“Republic rats.”
The moment the word “Republic” came up, the Security Force members’ faces went rigid.
They all gripped their weapons. The atmosphere grew taut as if about to snap.
“Oh, there they are.”
At my pointing, one of them tensed slightly.
Of course, his expression immediately shifted to one of bewilderment.
“Republic? What kind of bullshit is that. We’ve been serving in the Security Force for over three years.”
“What would a rookie who just got in know. Well, that’s probably why you got assigned to Squad 42.”
“Your act is flawless. Definitely Republic.”
“You’re completely insane, kid. Got any proof?”
They spoke in menacing tones. Mailo urgently looked at me and asked:
“You have proof, right? Come on, you do, don’t you?”
His eyes were quite desperate.
‘Proof, huh.’
Unlike Black Magic sorcerers branded on the heart by demons or savages with strange tattoos, Republic members had no outward distinguishing features.
Republic members are thorough in their work. Even if we captured these two and investigated their parents and grandparents, we’d find nothing.
Tangible evidence was essentially impossible to find.
“There isn’t any.”
“…What?”
“No proof. Republic members are very cunning. Finding physical evidence is practically impossible.”
“Y-you pulled this whole stunt with no evidence? You’re seriously out of your mind—”
Mailo’s face went pale.
“But there’s something more certain than proof.”
“More certain than proof?”
“Yeah. You two there.”
I called out to the two figures hiding in the corner of the group of Security Force members.
Both looked at me with bewildered eyes. A subtle tension passed between us.
Republic members had no external markings, but their spirits bore the brand of conviction.
To them, the Commander was father, emperor, and god all at once. They revered the Commander profoundly.
So—
“Call the Commander a son of a bitch.”
Both their pupils trembled slightly. Yet they managed to pass it off as mere irritation, wrinkling their brows naturally.
“What kind of crude thing is that?”
“Just call the Commander a son of a bitch. Can’t you?”
“Why should I follow your orders, rookie punk?”
They responded logically and by the book.
Then Mailo stepped forward boldly.
“Commander’s a son of a bitch. A worthless bastard. Ungodly wretch who murdered your parents. A goddamn piece of shit.”
Mailo spewed crude insults. They were so raw that even I winced.
There was no way a Republic member could endure this. The Republic Member’s brow furrowed.
“You goddamn bastard! How dare you insult our glorious Commander!”
Unable to hold back, the Republic Members drew their blades. It was a splendid provocation. The problem was—
“Wait, were they all Republic Members?”
Not just two—they were all Republic Members.
Six Auras locked onto us.
Republic Knights are infamous. Knights of the Republic, trained in brutal knight discipline from childhood, are so vicious that even Black Magic sorcerers would think twice.
And there were six of them—
“Good fortune smiles.”
The corners of my mouth lifted high.
“You bastard, hastening your own death.”
“Wait.”
I casually raised a hand. The Republic members let out mocking laughs.
“Begging for mercy? Too late, you bastard.”
“I’ll count to three. Drop your blades before then. One.”
“What? You really are a lunatic with a hole in your head.”
Hahaha! They laughed aloud.
“Three.”
I pressed my right thumb firmly against my right chest.
“Curse!”
They frantically stamped the ground.
But it was already too late.
* * *
‘Damn it, they really were Republic members—’
Mailo watched the incoming enemies and bit his lip.
True to their Republic Knight reputation, the enemy’s momentum was formidable. Each one was sharp as a honed blade.
‘Shit.’
Mailo cursed under his breath, lowered his stance, and raised his fists.
Then, from behind, he felt a cold sensation.
‘A Curse?’
Turning his head, he saw black blood rising in waves.
Mailo had once been dragged to a Black Magic professor’s lecture as a demonstration dummy for Curse.
The Curse the professor had displayed then felt like child’s play compared to this one’s density.
The Curse quickly enveloped the surroundings.
As it touched them, the knights’ muscles became flaccid, their strength draining away. Even those vaunted Republic Knights froze like statues.
Blood and saliva streamed from their eyes, noses, and mouths. Terror bloomed across their faces.
‘Who in the world cast such a vicious Curse—’
Then someone emerged from within the Curse, walking with composure.
It was Grave. Grave walked lightly through the Curse-soaked ground as if taking a casual stroll.
‘Wha—a Black Magic sorcerer? Didn’t he use Holy Power before?’
Then Grave swung his blade.
With a soft pop like ripe fruit dropping, a Republic Knight’s head rolled across the ground.
“Ugh!”
Veins bulged on the Republic Knights’ hands. They seemed to be straining with all their might, but their blades didn’t move an inch.
Grave walked between them, moving his sword.
Pop, pop—heads rolled across the ground like ripe fruit.
This wasn’t combat.
It was one-sided execution.
Then our eyes met.
Grave had just slain six people, yet his gaze was utterly hollow. As if this was nothing at all.
‘Wha—what the hell was this bastard doing?’
Mailo unconsciously swallowed dry saliva.
“Take one of them that looks decent.”
Grave gestured curtly toward the heads.
“Yes! Understood!”
Mailo, who had quickly nodded, suddenly had a question.
“Just one?”
Catching Republic Knights disguised as Security Force members was enormous merit. Especially having caught six, taking all of them would be substantial achievement.
Just one—
“Taking too many means a promotion.”
Mailo couldn’t understand what joke that was.
* * *
“Not a single piece moved.”
Bedrick glared at the Materials still stacked there.
From the start, it was an impossible amount for two people to move. He’d intended to give an excessive order to catch them in shirking, but they hadn’t moved anything at all.
‘Perfect catch.’
Bedrick shot a sidelong glance at the woman beside him. It was Seila from the Inspection Unit.
Even unit leaders keep an eye on the Inspection Unit. Yet with the Entrance Ceremony coming tomorrow, to be caught shirking by them—
Even the mad woman of Squad 42 couldn’t escape unscathed this time.
“At this rate, there could even be disruptions to the Entrance Ceremony itself.”
Bedrick hinted subtly to the Inspection Unit member.
Seila from the Inspection Unit checked the Materials with an expressionless face. Then she wrote something in the papers she carried around and made a check mark.
‘It’s over.’
Just as Bedrick smirked, a calm voice came from behind.
“Oh, convenient timing.”
Turning his head, Grave and Mailo were there.
Sensing the severity of the situation, Mailo was pale as a ghost. A very satisfying reaction.
But Grave was different. He looked refreshed, as if he’d just woken from sleep.
Bedrick’s mouth corners lifted.
“I distinctly told you it was a critical task, yet you abandoned your post without permission. With the Entrance Ceremony tomorrow, leaving the Materials like this—”
“If you’re in such a rush, clean it up yourself. You seem to have free time.”
“What—”
Bedrick’s face crumpled. He suppressed his agitation and spoke.
“I’m sure I gave you a direct order.”
“There was an urgent matter.”
“More urgent than Entrance Ceremony preparations?”
Bedrick asked while glancing at Seila.
Then Seila spoke in a flat voice.
“Abandoning your post without authorization is a serious crime. With the Entrance Ceremony tomorrow, it qualifies for enhanced punishment. There must be compelling justification.”
‘There’s no way there’s anything more serious than the Entrance Ceremony.’
Bedrick murmured to himself, watching him.
But Grave remained perfectly composed throughout.
“I caught rats. Very large ones.”
“You abandoned your post because of rats?”
Seila, who had been expressionless, squinted. Grave nodded calmly.
“Yeah.”
“That hardly constitutes sufficient justification.”
“It’s more than sufficient. Quite substantial rats.”
“Substantial rats?”
“Mailo.”
Grave gestured to Mailo.
Mailo, with a stiff expression, undid the bundle he had on his shoulder and opened it.
Thud. What dropped from the bundle was a human head, streaked with crimson blood.
“Is it insufficient?”
Grave asked in a hollow voice.
To Bedrick, that question sounded like an offer to bring more if needed.
“Th-that’s plenty.”
Bedrick, drained of color, hastily shook his head.

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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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