The Academy’s Deceased Ate It All - Chapter 188:

There were many twists and turns before we left, but somehow the six of us managed to get to the facility where Yu-Na had spent her childhood.

It was a short walk from Five Streets.

“We’re here.”

Yu-Na was leading the way, looking noticeably brighter than usual.

The others seemed quite taken aback by the state of the orphanage, which appeared to be worse than they had expected.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Yu-Na dashed toward someone.

She flew straight into the back of a woman crouching by a flower bed.

“Sister!”

“Hey….”

The elderly woman, dressed in a nun’s habit, held a seedling shovel in one hand.

She seemed surprised initially, but she stood up, and they hugged each other.

“You say you’re a grown woman, but you’re still a child in my arms.”

At her words, Yu-Na whimpered with regret.

“I haven’t seen you in a long time, and the first thing is a sermon? I really missed you so much….”

“There, there….”

She laughed and pulled herself away.

Then she patted Yu-Na’s head once more and said.

“Your friends are waiting for you. Why don’t you introduce them to me first?”

“Oh, sure. Uh, I mean….”

“Hi.”

I was the first to step forward and bowed deeply.

“I’m Ji-Hyuk. We came here on a whim, but we won’t cause you any problem, Sister.”

“Oh, you’re a good boy.”

Soon, the others greeted her politely.

She smiled in amusement, then patted Yu-Na on the back.

“Come on, you must be tired, so why don’t you drop your stuff and rest with your friends for now.”

“Is there anything I can do for you or the kids?”

“Come on, you run away every day because you don’t want to work, and now you’re the first to offer to help out in front of your friends?”

“When have I ever done that, Sister….”

She patted Yu-Na’s head affectionately.

“The kids are still learning. You should show your friends where they should stay.”

Yu-Na nodded and turned to us.

“Well, let’s go and put our stuff down first.”

As we followed her, I felt something move in my clothes.

“Sorry. Hang in there.”

“…….”

I whispered to Raune, who was hiding in my chest.

He didn’t want to be in the bag, so I carried him like this…

After walking around for about two hours, I was pretty tired.

“Okay, boys, that room over there. Girls, you can use this one with me.”

Following Yu-Na’s instructions, Ivan, Hyun-Woo, and I put our luggage in the corner of the small room.

When the other two finished and went outside, I secretly set Raune down in a corner and gave him the spirit stone and water bottle I had brought.

When I left the room, everyone was gathered except for Yu-Na.

Choi Hyun-woo looked around and blurted out.

“From the looks of it, this place needs a lot of repairs….”

Ivan nodded in agreement.

“I saw some nails sticking out of the fence.”

“There were two other nuns besides the one we just saw and an occasional volunteer. There are almost forty children to take care of.”

Soo-Young said, and Ye-Seul frowned slightly as if trying to recall a memory.

“Come to think of it, Yu-Na told me she was the oldest….”

“By the way, where’s Yu-Na?”

“She’s going to visit the nuns for a while. She told us to take a break.”

Soo-Young said. Hyun-Woo rolled up his sleeves and muttered.

“I think we should pay for the meal.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Should I help prepare the meal first?

“Wait.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nice to help, but I must do something first.”

Ivan looked at me slyly as he said that.

When Soo-Young looked at him questioningly, he waved his hand like it was nothing.

“Guys, it’s going to be at least two hours before we can eat, so have this… huh?”

Yu-na, who had just arrived with a bowl of sweet potatoes and potatoes in her arms, shook her head as she saw us gathered around.

She carefully removed her slippers and asked us.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, Yu-Na’s here, too.”

Ivan nodded and looked at me.

“Now, then, Ji-hyuk…You said you had something you wanted to tell us, right?”

I nodded at his words.

I didn’t want to put it off anyway.

“Well, this will be a long story, so why don’t we all sit down?”

We went into the boy’s room.

Han Soo-Young, Choi Hyun-Woo, Jin Ye-Seul, Ivan Hunt, and Lee Yu-Na.

The people who trusted me.

I didn’t want to hide from them.

* * *

I explained to them the details of the current situation.

Soo-Young, Hyun-Woo, and Ye-Seul, who already had some idea of the situation, quietly listened to me.

I told them about the Seven Evils.

I talked about the current situation with Minerva.

The attack on the World Tree Clan in the past was also related to the Seven Evils.

And now, powers, including the Ten Strongest, are gathering.

I told them everything in as much detail as possible.

“…Then let’s get this straight.”

Ivan, who had been listening to my story with a serious expression, spoke up quietly.

“So this whole thing with the distortion field… it had nothing to do with the gate at all and was a cover-up to evacuate the people in preparation for the interception of the Seven Evils?”

“That’s right. But to be fair to them, the Seven Evils are worst than a gate.”

“The Seven Evils… I have no idea. What do you think they’re going to do?”

“For starters, they’ve evacuated all civilians in case they get caught in the crossfire, and a select group of people will take part in the attack. From the looks of it, they’re even going to use the Aegis system.

He crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought for a moment.

“I see now why you asked my mother for such a favor… The name of the target is Minerva, isn’t it?”

I nodded.

Suddenly, I realized that I had just pushed my friend’s mother into danger.

And now he was standing in front of me, face to face.

I felt a surge of embarrassment and looked away.

“When the academy announced it, they told us to prepare for at least close to a month, right?”

“I think so. The original plan was to start the slaughter in a week or so….”

“Aren’t some pretty intense protests going on down on Five Streets right now?”

I nodded at Yu-Na’s words.

“Yes. They’ll start later than expected because they’ll have to wait until all the civilians have been evacuated before they can prepare.”

Even if I didn’t ask Lee Ye-Eun or Lee Myung-Joon, I could still get some information about the protests because it was a significant part of the daily news.

Even if I didn’t know the details, it was clear that, at least on the surface, there was still fierce opposition.

The controversy was unlikely to die anytime soon, given that there had been instances where gates had been contained and their locations specified. Furthermore, the Association did it abruptly, which didn’t give people much time to prepare.

“So… there must be a reason you’re telling us this.”

Ivan muttered.

I nodded, his gaze demanding an answer.

“You’re right about what you’re thinking.”

“You’re thinking about dying?”

Ivan said to me with a straight face.

He continued to speak to me in a calm tone.

“The Seven Evils are the stuff of legend. No, they’re not legends; they’re just plain disastrous. If you look at historical records, there have been many times when they have nearly destroyed the human race. So what the hell are you going to do, go to a place where all the world’s great powers are gathered to try to destroy it?”

“Glad you understand.”

At that, Ivan seemed at a loss for words.

I just stared at him, then everyone else, and then opened my mouth.

There was no turning back now.

“No one else can do it. Only I can do it. I have to kill Minerva.”

“So why would you want to….”

“The Seven Evils puts an unbreakable curse on the person who kills them.”

It was Soo-Young who answered.

“If you fall victim to the curse of the Seven Evils, you will surely die. When that happens, the curse of the Seven Evils will spread to the world. In other words, you will become a host for the plague.”

She looked at me as she continued her explanation in silence.

“But Ji-Hyuk can nullify that curse…Am I right?”

“That’s right.”

I nodded at her words.

Ivan looked at Soo-Young with a puzzled gaze, then realized something.

“How could you… No, wait. You can’t…?”

“…….”

“…Have killed one already?”

This time, I nodded.

Ivan was covering the corners of his mouth in disbelief, and Yu-Na then muttered.

“Wait…? Was this the one you discussed before, or is it different?”

“What?”

“That means you’ve already killed two…”

Ivan looked at Lee Yu-Na in surprise, then back at me.

Then he looked around, dumbfounded and surprised.

He let out a small laugh when he saw Soo-Young, Hyun-Woo, and Ye-Seul with nonchalant expressions.

“What the hell, judging from your reactions… it seems only me and Yu-Na didn’t know about this?”

Ivan shook his head slightly and looked at me.

I gave him a small nod as if to explain.

“Only four people know, and that was the four of us. And now you two know. Originally, I was going to hide it from everyone, not just you guys, until the end, but….”

I stuttered for a moment, then looked at them both.

“Because I realize now that I was wrong. I realize now that it was selfish and self-righteous of me to keep it from everyone in the first place, so I thought I should tell you two.”

Ivan and Yu-Na were both silent at that.

Yu-Na pursed her lips as if she were about to say something, then closed tightly and looked at me.

“I’m offended, really.”

After a moment, Ivan smirked and turned to me.

“Why the hell are you just now warming up to me? I thought I was the party leader. I can’t believe you left me in the dark.” (TN: I’m unsure who the leader is, but the context tells me it’s Ivan.)

With a mischievous laugh, he looked at me and asked.

“You’re not going to leave me out of this, even after you’ve explained the situation and the abilities of the Seven Evil called Minerva?”

“Ivan.”

” I don’t think I’ve heard what I need to hear yet.”

As he said that, he locked eyes with me, his expression serious.

I bowed my head.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been keeping it a secret.”

“And?”

“Thank you for your help.”

I said, making eye contact with them and everyone else individually.

“I know how selfish and cowardly this is to ask, but I can’t do it alone anymore. I need your strength, so please….”

“Idiot.”

With a snap, Soo-Young slammed her hand down on my unsuspecting head.

I momentarily looked at her in confusion, but she continued without saying a word.

I stared at her, wondering what she was doing, but Hyun-Woo answered.

“It’s the medicine to cure stupidity.”

So I got beat.

He even encouraged her to continue.

Soo-Young continued to slap my head without saying a word.

After a while, she seemed to relax a bit.

She looked at me and muttered in a low voice.

“Why are we not the first?”

“What?”

“Shouldn’t you ask me and Hyun-Woo first?”

Soo-Young looked like she really didn’t like me.

“Of course he wouldn’t.”

Hyun-Woo chuckled and shook his head.

“I’ve been waiting for this. Ji-Hyuk is so clueless when it comes to things like this.”

The two of them, my first two friends, looked at me.

They’ve been waiting.

They’ve been waiting for me to ask them for help.

Ye-Seul was the next to speak.

“I think I already answered that question.”

She looked at me with a meaningful smile.

“As long as I’m by Ji-Hyuk’s side, I will follow unconditionally.”

Even if what’s waiting at the end of it is my death…

She muttered in a whisper.

Yun-Na raised her hand.

“I’ll help, too, and I didn’t make this decision on the spur of the moment. I’ll help you too….”

“No.”

At that moment, Ye-Seul, sitting next to Yu-Na, grabbed her arm and gently pulled it down.

“You can’t.”

“W-what?”

“You’re not fully recovered yet.”

Ye-Seul glared at Yu-Na with a look that said she wouldn’t accept any arguments.

“Stay in bed this time, and don’t tell me you’re fine.”

“Why should I!”

Yu-Na shouted angrily.

Ye-Seul frowned slightly and glared at her.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Ji-Hyuk told me all this, and now you want me to stay quiet? You think I will stay put just because you’re Ye-Seul?”

“What the hell are you on about.”

Ye-Seul turned to face her and continued.

“You should know better. You know how your body is right now. Didn’t you listen? It’s where even the Ten Strongest are willing to fight for their lives. Of course, we will risk our lives too. What is a person who isn’t physically fit do in such a battle?

“That, that’s….”

Yu-Na gulped and bit her lip.

She couldn’t rebuke her claim.

In fact, with her current physical condition, she wouldn’t be able to exert even half of her usual strength.

“J-Ji Hyuk, say something!”

“…What?”

A confused Yu-Na looked at me in frustration.

She had a really irritated look on her face.

“Even if the other girls say no, Ji-Hyuk can’t do that to me because I’m your…!”

Yu-Na stopped talking at that point and clamped her mouth shut.

It seemed she had finally remembered that what happened between us was a secret.

“I, I’m….”

Her hands, clenched into fists, were clammy and shaking.

She gritted her teeth and slumped helplessly into her seat.

“…If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have sold all those elixirs I’ve been saving to pay off my debt…”

Yu-Na sighed and muttered something along those lines.

I couldn’t help but look surprised when I saw something trudging from behind her.

It was Laune.

He was walking out, looking like he had made a big decision.

And before I could do anything, he knocked on Yu-Na’s back.

“Huh…? Uh, sister!”

Turning her head back to see what it was, Yu-Na freaked out when she spotted Laune, and Ye-Seul immediately pulled her away. (TN: Was Laune male or female?)

They weren’t the only ones who were surprised.

Everyone was all wearing surprised expressions, but only Ivan was looking at him with a serious expression.

“That smell…?”

After muttering that, he looked at me in disbelief.

“…! ……!!!”

The mastermind behind the chaotic situation stared at us with his arms crossed.

He then looked at Yu-Na and nodded vigorously as if to say, “I hear you!”

He looked at her and wiggled his roots to tell her to come closer.

“Eh, eh, go, come closer…?”

“……!!!”

Without hesitation, he tore off one of his roots and held it toward her.

“…You’re giving this to me?”

Laune nodded with a solemn expression.

Mandragora Root.

A legendary herb said to bring back the dead.

There was no other healing elixir as good as it.