Academy’s New Guard is Unusual - Chapter 89

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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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Episode 89
The Republic regarded anyone whose beliefs diverged from its own as an enemy.
As a result, the Republic had countless enemies.
Or rather, everyone except Republican members was treated as an enemy.
The Republic had many foes, but one stood above all the rest.
‘The Empire’s Security Bureau.’
The Security Bureau was an organization that harbored Logan. In other words, a group of people obsessed with the Republic’s destruction.
In fact, the Security Bureau had come close to assassinating the Republic’s Chancellor once.
But—
“Are you from the Security Bureau?”
Evelyn, a Republic executive, asked if I was from the Security Bureau.
This was decidedly unfavorable.
The Security Bureau and the Republic were beyond mere enemies.
At the same time, a cascade of doubts rushed through my mind.
Was she planning to eliminate me here?
Is that why she chose an empty lecture hall?
Then why ask at all?
If she meant to eliminate me, she could have done it outright—unless she lacked certainty?
Logan mistook me for Security Bureau personnel, but I wasn’t actually from the Security Bureau.
No matter how thoroughly someone dug into my background, they’d find no trace connecting me to the Security Bureau.
Still, the problem remained.
‘In the Republic, the rule is to eliminate anyone suspected of being Security Bureau.’
The Republic wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice the few for the many.
They were the type to gladly sacrifice others for their own cause, if needed.
If I were genuinely suspected of being Security Bureau, Evelyn wouldn’t be asking so civilly.
She would have at least pressed a blade to my throat.
Yet here was Evelyn, a Republic executive, asking with such courtesy—
‘Ah, it must be because of that gambling match.’
I had defeated Evelyn in a drinking contest and earned the status of ‘friend.’
In the Republic, a friend is a deeper bond than family.
That’s why Evelyn was trying to confirm whether I was from the Security Bureau.
If I answered that I wasn’t Security Bureau, Evelyn would believe me.
Because we were friends.
But that alone wasn’t enough.
Evelyn had made the first move. A superficial answer that merely dodged the situation would be insufficient.
So—
“Haven’t you asked plenty of questions? This time, I’ll be the one asking.”
Instead of saying I wasn’t from the Security Bureau, I spoke while looking at Evelyn.
Evelyn stared at me quietly. About thirty seconds passed. Then she nodded.
“Fair point. Go ahead. Oh, but don’t ask about age, weight, or—foot size.”
Evelyn spoke flatly.
I understood age and weight, but why foot size?
A minor question arose, but it wasn’t particularly important.
I looked at Evelyn and asked.
“Are you a Republican member?”
The expressionless face that had held steady shattered.
In the same instant, Evelyn’s shoulders shifted. Her index finger was now pointed directly at my brow.
The speed was so fast that even I, who had been anticipating it, almost missed it.
‘Damn. She’s a Sword Master.’
In the game, Evangeline was a bomb-loving character who blew up the Academy.
I had never anticipated she’d be a Sword Master.
No matter how foolish the Republic was, they wouldn’t waste a Sword Master just throwing bombs around.
But Evelyn being a Sword Master—
The Republic trained its members harshly from childhood.
Because of this, even at equal rank, a Republican knight was considered a step above.
Sword Masters were no exception to this principle.
‘A Sword Master of the Republic.’
It was quite a dangerous reversal, but I was confident Evelyn wouldn’t kill me.
Because we were friends.
That’s what a friend means in the Republic.
“So it seems.”
I spoke while looking at Evelyn’s index finger, which had stopped just short of my brow.
“So you were the Empire’s lapdog.”
“To be honest, I’m not.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m serious.”
“Look me in the eyes.”
Evelyn grabbed my chin and tilted it upward.
Scarlet eyes drew close. From within them, a blood-red Aura flickered coolly.
“……It’s true.”
Evelyn’s eyes trembled roughly.
‘She can distinguish truth from lies with her Aura.’
A Sword Master operates in a superhuman realm.
Beyond having Aura expand as a domain, a Sword Master is one who has become one with their Aura itself.
That’s why they could accomplish various things with their Aura.
Evelyn appeared to be discerning truth and falsehood through her Aura.
‘When verifying truth and lies, Aura wraps around the eyes.’
Learning that Evelyn was a Sword Master was a gain as significant as the information she’d sought.
“……Then how did you know I was a member?”
Evelyn asked in a flat voice. Yet unlike before, her voice trembled ever so slightly.
“When you asked if I was from the Security Bureau, I had a hunch, so I took a guess.”
“You guessed?”
“Yes.”
Ha. Evelyn let out a short breath.
“Then how did you even know the Security Bureau exists? It’s completely classified.”
“A former superior mentioned it.”
“A superior? You’re military?”
“Yes.”
“Which unit?”
A crimson Aura flared in Evelyn’s eyes.
She seemed to be distinguishing truth from falsehood.
I looked directly into Evelyn’s eyes and spoke.
“That’s classified.”
“Classified?”
Evelyn’s voice rose sharply at the end.
“Yes. It’s no fun if I reveal everything from the start. A bit of mystique, you understand.”
Evelyn stared at me quietly. She seemed deeply preoccupied.
She had every reason to be. Not only had she failed to uncover my identity—her own had been exposed instead.
“Then why did you tell Logan you were from the Security Bureau?”
It seemed there was something lodged in Logan’s mind. His paranoia didn’t arise without cause.
“He misunderstood first, so I just went along with it.”
“You just went along with it? If you get caught impersonating the Security Bureau, they’ll make an example of you.”
Evelyn stared at me intently. A crimson Aura rippled in her pupils.
“As long as I don’t get caught, there’s no problem.”
At my answer, Evelyn let out a bitter laugh.
For the first time, her expressionless mask cracked.
It was a very faint sneer.
“You really are insane.”
“I’d call it reasonable judgment.”
“You’re genuinely insane.”
Evelyn scratched her head roughly. Her expression openly showed frustration at how complicated things had become.
“This time, I have a question for you.”
“Suit yourself.”
“In the Basic Black Magic lecture, a Mana Stone Bomb appeared—from the Republic. Did you have something to do with it?”
I spoke while looking at Evelyn, my fingers moving as if loading something.
Evelyn’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“A Mana Stone Bomb appeared in class?”
“Yes.”
“That damn bastard.”
Evelyn spat out crude profanity. After that, a crimson Aura rose like heat shimmer.
The atmosphere turned ominous.
“So you were involved.”
“Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t?”
Evelyn chuckled briefly before asking.
“Yes, I would believe you.”
“……You’d believe me?”
“Because we’re friends. In the Republic, friends don’t lie to each other.”
“You know quite a bit about the Republic.”
“A former comrade was from the Republic.”
“If they told you they were Republican, you must have been close.”
“We were.”
“Past tense. Are they dead?”
I didn’t bother answering.
Silence stretched long. A moment for both of us to organize our complex thoughts.
Evelyn spoke first.
“Outsiders see the Republic as monolithic, but inside we’re quite complicated. There are the zealous, and there are the docile. Our beliefs are the same, but the degree differs. I’m on the gentler side.”
Evelyn spoke while brushing back hair deeper red than blood itself.
“This time, the zealous ones are moving. Damn them. I told them to stay put—”
The zealous ones were moving. She meant the militant Republicans.
But Evelyn was a Republic executive. The fact that some didn’t listen to her was remarkable.
‘The Republic’s internal structure is a mess too.’
Then again, the Republic was built by gathering people obsessed with equality.
When you gather obsessed people, chaos is inevitable.
The Chancellor is just barely keeping the lid on.
“Hmm.”
Evelyn looked at me and hummed.
It was clear she was considering how to handle this situation.
I asked directly.
“What is it you want?”
“No one should benefit or suffer for something they didn’t do.”
Evelyn answered without hesitation.
It was an idealistic sentiment indeed.
“Students are an exception, I presume.”
“Right. Since they haven’t done anything yet.”
Perhaps she was the kindest of the Republicans.
Of course, even so, she was still a Republican.
In the game, after all, Evangeline blew up the entire Academy.
Hundreds of students died in that incident.
But still, she had value as an ally.
“Then those zealous idiots are the problem. They might unnecessarily provoke the Headmaster.”
“Agreed.”
“There’s room for negotiation here.”
“Negotiation?”
“All I need is for the students within the Academy to remain safe.”
Evelyn looked back into my eyes. I met her scarlet gaze unflinchingly.
“It’s the truth.”
Of course it was the truth.
My goal was Evangeline’s graduation.
“Doesn’t Logan bother you?”
“He does. Greatly.”
Evelyn answered with a note of irritation in her voice. I nodded readily.
“Logan believes I’m from the Security Bureau. Because of that, he trusts me considerably. In fact, Logan asked me to investigate you.”
“So?”
“I’ll be the bridge between you two. Let’s exchange information.”
“You’re asking me to betray my members?”
A crimson Aura flared violently.
She looked like a beast baring its fangs.
“Betray? Is removing a rotten branch from a tree betraying the tree? If left alone, the whole tree rots.”
“Hmm.”
“We’re pruning the rotten branch so the others don’t wither.”
“You damn smooth talker.”
Evelyn spoke bluntly.
For the first time, intonation entered her voice.
“Thank you for the compliment. We’re simply cutting away what would cause problems for both sides. Because we’re friends.”
“Friends—. Are you sincere? My blood runs red.”
Red blood. It was a unique Republican expression.
I answered while lifting the corners of my mouth.
“Mine runs quite dark.”
“Dark, huh—.”
Evelyn regarded me silently for a moment, then slowly nodded.
“Good. I’ll visit you once a week. At those times, we’ll go on a date.”
It was questionable why information-sharing needed to be called a date, but it was a minor detail, so I nodded lightly.
“But this bond can only be broken with the consent of both parties.”
Evelyn extended her hand as she spoke.
Breaking this bond requires mutual agreement—
It was quite an honorable condition.
“Agreed, anytime.”
I smiled and took her hand.
There’s something knights say.
That hands don’t lie.
Evelyn’s hand was rough with no softness to it.
Then, Evelyn’s index finger scratched along my wrist.
When I looked, Evelyn closed one eye expressionlessly, then opened it.
A truly dry wink.
“Looking forward to working with you, dark friend.”

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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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