The Heretic of Cleric Academy-Chapter 123

A taxidermy in the shape of Jeong In-ah that came running toward me with a familiar scent and embraced me. Then Kim Jin-seo who cut it down. Immediately after, a school broadcast trying to summon me to the principal’s office. All these events happened too suddenly.

I was confused. My mind was complicated. It seemed I needed to organize my thoughts first.

"..."

I caught my breath and thought. Black smoke was rising from the bisected taxidermy’s corpse. Seeing that, the first question that came to mind was:

"...How did you know?"

If that had been the real Jeong In-ah instead of taxidermy, it would have been a catastrophe. She couldn’t have been unaware of this fact.

Yet Kim Jin-seo swung her sword without a moment’s hesitation and cut off the taxidermy’s neck. Then what was the basis for her certainty that it was taxidermy?

Kim Jin-seo pointed to the foot area of the taxidermy with her sword tip and spoke.

"Foot."

"Foot?"

"There was a wound. You can’t see it now."

"Why is that significant?"

"Sawdust was smeared on it, not blood. It was strange from the start that she was barefoot..."

From wounds on taxidermy, sawdust, cotton, or chemicals flow instead of blood. Kim Jin-seo seemed to have confirmed it was taxidermy by seeing the wound on Jeong In-ah’s foot.

I couldn’t tell if it was true. The taxidermy’s corpse was already losing its form and disappearing as smoke. Whether there had been a wound on the foot or not was unknowable now. But that didn’t matter anyway.

The real problem was the school broadcast.

The voice transmitted through the broadcast was accurately calling my full name and ordering me to come to the principal’s office. Judging by the tone and content, it wasn’t calling me to praise me. It was full of obviously suspicious content.

Still, I had to go. Because of the words "non-compliance will be considered rebellion against the Romanica Church."

"I should go to the principal’s office for now..."

Muttering to myself, I moved toward the principal’s office.

The principal’s office was in the building opposite to where I was, so it took quite a while to get there. I should hurry. If I was late for no reason, things might become more troublesome.

Kim Jin-seo followed beside me and spoke.

"Let’s go together."

"...Is that necessary?"

"Can’t I?"

"Just go up to the classroom. If you come along for no reason..."

I trailed off while glancing at the sword in Kim Jin-seo’s hand. Flesh from when she cut the Jeong In-ah-shaped taxidermy was rotting and stuck black on it. At a glance, it could also look like dried blood. It was convenient to eliminate in advance any factors that could cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

Most importantly, there was no reason to go together with her.

"...Still."

"It won’t be anything serious. Just listen to me."

"..."

She lowered her head. Then she reluctantly nodded slightly. My words might have come out a bit harsh unintentionally, but it couldn’t be helped.

"I’ll be back soon."

Leaving those words, I headed to the principal’s office without looking back.

In uncertain situations like this where I didn’t know what might happen, it was more convenient and efficient to act alone rather than accompany others.

For instance, if I went to the principal’s office and circumstances arose where I absolutely had to use sorcery, her presence would be an obstacle.

And I also needed some time to think alone. The Jeong In-ah-shaped taxidermy that melted away, and the long brown hair that remained in its place... Seeing that, several hypotheses quickly flashed through my mind.

However, they were all vague and ambiguous hypotheses without basis. I needed to sort out the hypotheses with some possibility among them.

[Something you always overlooked. Beyond neglecting, something you couldn’t even perceive. Take note.]

It was Legba’s enigmatic words heard while crossing the playground. My head was complicated. It felt like the words wouldn’t enter my mind but bounced around my ears before being deflected. Right now it was difficult to understand Legba’s words.

Before I knew it, I had arrived in front of the principal’s office. The sky visible through the corridor window was ashen. There was a smell of wet earth. It seemed like it would rain soon.

- What right do you have to carelessly throw around such words now!

- Chairman, please calm down a little....

I could hear someone shouting beyond the door. The conversation was already at a high volume.

But somehow I didn’t feel afraid. The raised voices heard beyond the door were actually making me feel peaceful. I didn’t know the reason.

Click.

"I’m here."

I opened the door and entered the principal’s office.

* * *

"Still hasn’t returned? Where is he and what is he doing?"

"Yes, we received a report that he went as far as Florence, but there’s been no contact since..."

"These bastards, why do they keep cutting off reports halfway since last time!"

Han Dae-ho shouted and shot up from his seat. The subordinate Holy Knight who had been reporting flinched and pulled back.

With his face scrunched up, Han Dae-ho placed his hands on his hips and circled the commander’s office with anxious steps while muttering to himself.

"Should send reinforcements... No, reinforcements might actually be poison. Damn, without information there’s nothing we can do..."

When teams dispatched don’t return on time without prior reports or contact, the principle is to send reinforcements, considering that ’urgent situations occurred that prevented reports or contact to colleagues’ or that they abandoned their posts.

However, he was concerned about the previous incident when they carelessly sent reinforcements and dozens of Holy Knights and priests, intoxicated by black magic, fought each other chaotically. Due to that incident, Han Dae-ho had to be called to headquarters and superiors several times.

"Following principles causes problems, not following them also causes problems. Nothing has gone well since becoming commander. I wonder if this is what tribulation feels like. What do you think?"

"..."

The subordinate kept quiet. Whatever he said would result in criticism or scolding. At times like this, it was better to just keep mouth shut and pretend to nod quietly.

Han Dae-ho stopped wandering the commander’s office with anxious steps. Then he looked around.

"Where did the phone go?"

"You’re holding it in your hand."

"Ah, right. What is this..."

Han Dae-ho let out a hollow laugh and picked up the cell phone he had been holding in his left hand. Contrary to the owner’s imposing build, the phone was adorably small.

He tapped the screen with his thick fingers covered in scars and calluses. He was thinking of making a call.

"..."

Dry dial tones kept ringing from beyond the phone. Han Dae-ho held his breath and waited for the other party to answer..... The person he was calling was Kim Bok-dong. As a result of tracking Elder Gabriel’s location, who was the reporter, his current location was revealed to be Florence. Therefore, he planned to directly ask Kim Bok-dong, who was a teacher, what was happening at Florence.

However, the call was never connected. From the dial tone occasionally shaking and cutting off, it seemed the signal was unstable.

Han Dae-ho irritably shoved his phone into his pocket. The emotions in his eyes were complex. He was recalling what Kim Bok-dong had said to him yesterday.

"The Satan worshipper seems good at breaking CCTVs and cutting signals. Seems like someone who should have been a radio technician or mechanic instead of Satan worship..."

It was a remark Kim Bok-dong had made jokingly while talking about the Satan worshipper who had infiltrated Florence. Underlying those words was compassion toward the Satan worshipper.

Kim Bok-dong had a very soft personality despite his build. The reason Kim Bok-dong, who had superior qualifications to Han Dae-ho in terms of pure skill, retired from Holy Knight duties and became a teacher was because of that soft personality that pitied even criminals and cultists.

"How many teams did we send?"

"Two investigation teams and one rescue team, three teams total."

"But not a single team has returned. No, not a single person. Doesn’t this seem strange no matter how you look at it?"

"Yes. It doesn’t appear to be abandoning posts."

According to Kim Bok-dong, the Satan worshipper knew methods to disrupt signals. And when he called Kim Bok-dong just now, the dial tone shook. It meant either the caller’s or receiver’s signal was unstable. Additionally, they had sent investigation teams and rescue teams that belonged to the elite, but not a single team was returning.

It was still too early to be certain. There wasn’t proper evidence. Perhaps Han Dae-ho was making wrong judgments based on intuition. Nevertheless, with a face full of determination, he gave orders to his subordinate.

"Assemble all teams available for deployment. As combat Holy Knights."

"Equipment, how should..."

"Assuming ’riot suppression’ situation, full armament."

The face of the listening subordinate turned pale. ’Riot suppression’ was a situation the Holy Knight Order had never experienced except when incorporated into the Papal Army. The subordinate couldn’t understand why Han Dae-ho was treating this matter so seriously and gravely.

No, of course the fact that all three dispatched teams weren’t returning was very serious. But even considering that, full armament carried too much risk.

Moreover, deploying in full armament to Florence, which was famous as a prestigious academy. If things went wrong, he might have to take responsibility like resignation or dismissal for unnecessarily creating anxiety and discord.

"Will it be okay? I think the risk is too great..."

"Excessive response is better than dereliction of duty or negligence."

Han Dae-ho spoke as if it was nothing while loosening up his body. Full armament in preparation for riot suppression was indeed a risky order.

However, he had corresponding conviction. No, he had intuition clear enough to be called conviction that made Han Dae-ho give such orders.

"Oh, I’m going too, so prepare so I can leave immediately."

"Yes, understood."

The subordinate bowed and left the commander’s office. Han Dae-ho prepared for deployment while looking beyond the window. The sky was becoming murkily darkened.

* * *

There were four people in the principal’s office. The principal, vice-principal, Kim Chang-won, and an elderly man I was seeing for the first time.

Around the table placed in the center of the principal’s office, the principal and Kim Chang-won were confronting each other, pointing fingers, while the vice-principal was fumbling with his hands between them, not knowing what to do.

The elderly man was lying on a sofa in the corner. A thin blanket was covering his body.

"Chairman, so when we checked the camera, only Do Seon-woo was going in and out of the chairman’s office..."

"Satan worshippers are trying to divide us with bizarre black magic beyond our common sense and knowledge. How can you think only of playing into the Satan worshipper’s intentions?"

"It’s because there’s no one else we can suspect as a suspect besides Do Seon-woo."

"There’s the possibility they used taxidermy, and besides that, there’s the possibility of illusions through black magic. But without considering those, saying ’non-compliance will be considered rebellion’ - shouldn’t that be said after confirming someone as the culprit, not just a suspect!"

"..."

When I entered the principal’s office, Kim Chang-won and the principal were in the middle of fighting. I don’t know if they even noticed I came in.

I kept my mouth shut and waited for their argument to end. After standing like a waiting stone for some time, the principal, whose face was flushed red with excitement, saw me and flinched backward.

"What, when did you..."

"I’ve been here since earlier."

When I spoke calmly, Kim Chang-won beside him cleared his throat and spoke.

"...We showed an unseemly display."

"It’s fine."

"Well, since the student is here too, let’s ask what we originally intended to ask..."

The vice-principal, who had been silently watching the argument, finally spoke. Kim Chang-won nodded with a displeased expression. The principal glared at me fiercely with narrowed eyes and pointed at me accusingly.

"Have you been going in and out of the chairman’s office recently or not? Speak honestly!"

I felt a bit unpleasant at the interrogating tone, but didn’t show it. The standard for ’recently’ was unclear, but I had visited the chairman’s office several times not long ago to get central library access permission.

I slowly nodded and answered.

"Yes."

"You had classes this morning, right? What were you doing going in and out of the chairman’s office, even cutting class!"

"I stopped by to get central library access permission some time ago, but the chairman was absent so I returned. I didn’t visit today."

"...Where are you lying. Morning! This morning, you going in and out of the chairman’s office was clearly captured on camera!"

The principal who had been interrogating me spoke in confusion.

Going in and out of the chairman’s office this morning was captured on camera? But I definitely hadn’t gone to the chairman’s office this morning. At that time, I was probably unconscious after getting hit in the solar plexus by Kim Jin-seo during sparring.

"How could it be captured when I didn’t go?"

Thinking about it, it was absurd so I asked back. Most importantly, the questioning attitude seemed to have confirmed me as the culprit, which made me feel even worse.

"You’re talking backwards. Because it was captured, that becomes evidence that you went to the chairman’s office."

"What was the reason for calling me here in the first place? I don’t understand why you’re obsessed with the chairman’s office either."

"You’re trying to deflect. Right, the reason we called you here is something you know best, so why ask about it..."

"Principal Heo!"

Then, Kim Chang-won’s firm and heavy shout cut off the principal’s words.

"Refrain from meaningless sarcasm."

"...Understood."

The principal backed down from Kim Chang-won’s rebuke. Thanks to that, the principal didn’t stare at me with openly hostile, bulging eyes like before. However, with a clearly displeased face, he looked me up and down while continuing his interrogation.

"The secretary who was in the chairman’s office. You know him, right?"

"Yes, I know him."

I had seen him several times when visiting the chairman’s office for central library access permission.

"That secretary was found dead in the faculty restroom closest to the chairman’s office. Only Elder Gabriel who was the first discoverer and you visited both the chairman’s office and faculty restroom. Do you understand what this means now?"

"...So you think I killed the secretary?"

"Right. Depending on circumstances, we’re also thinking you might be a Satan worshipper. The previous survey results were also very suspicious."

"Why were the survey results suspicious?"

"Unnatural normalcy. In other words, the credibility of answers to questions is doubtful."

I had answered several questions falsely in the survey conducted as part of Satan worship detection operations to hide the fact that I was a Voodoo cult leader.

In areas like religious views and values, I had crafted my answers to appear as normal and typical as possible.

But it seemed that had made me suspicious instead. Of course, I wasn’t a Satan worshipper, so being suspected as one was very unfair.

However, I had nothing to say about the survey.

"...So you’re suspecting me of being a Satan worshipper."

"That’s right."

"But if I were a Satan worshipper, wouldn’t there be no reason to respond to the summons?"

"There’s already evidence that you’re a Satan worshipper. ’There’s no reason to respond to summons so I’m not a Satan worshipper’ - that can’t be a rebuttal to evidence that’s already emerged."

The principal said. Though his tone was aggressive, it was reasonably valid.

The secretary in the chairman’s office was found dead in the nearby faculty restroom, and CCTV checks showed I was the only student who had visited both the chairman’s office and faculty restroom. It was a situation where they had no choice but to suspect me.

"What was captured on CCTV was taxidermy imitating my appearance. It’s the same method as when expelled student Bae Seong-hyeon appeared at school."

"How can you be so certain?"

"Because I didn’t even go near the chairman’s office today. I was taking class at the Divine Training Ground. If you ask Teacher So Do-jin..."

"So Do-jin, right! Teacher So Do-jin is also missing now. Did you do that too?"

The principal snapped.

So Do-jin missing?

When I returned to the Divine Training Ground after taking the unconscious students to the infirmary, no one was there. The lights were off and all the practice swords that had been scattered on the floor were completely organized.

I thought So Do-jin had resolved the incident on his own, filed a report, and taken students to the hospital. But missing?

Then what had I seen at the Divine Training Ground, and what exactly had happened there?

"I don’t really know about that part either..."

"You’re in a position where you need to prove you’re not a Satan worshipper. This isn’t a matter you can brush off by saying you don’t know!"

The principal shouted. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The principal’s office was steeped in chilly silence. The vice-principal was looking at me with vacant eyes while modestly folding his hands.

Kim Chang-won was crossing his arms, and though displeased with the principal’s behavior, he was casting suspicious glances at me.

Kim Chang-won was taking a generally favorable stance toward me, but that didn’t mean he didn’t suspect me.

And I realized.

I was being suspected.

It was an obvious yet surprising fact. I had only now realized something so obvious. Until now, I hadn’t perceived that I could be suspected.

[Beyond neglecting, something you couldn’t even perceive.]

Legba’s voice wandered through my mind. My failure to predict that I would come under suspicion, and my failure to prepare for situations where I would be suspected. That was what I had overlooked until now.

Click.

While I was unable to collect myself from the shock like being hit on the back of the head, I felt a cold sensation on my wrist. The vice-principal had quietly approached and put handcuffs on my wrist.

Suddenly all strength left my body. It seemed to be a holy relic, not ordinary handcuffs.

"The Holy Knight Order will come soon. If you’re investigated and judged innocent, you’ll be released, so if you’re not a Satan worshipper, think of words to prove your innocence until then. As of now, we have no choice but to restrain you, so understand."

It wasn’t asking for understanding but rather notifying me to understand.

Immediately after, there was a clicking sound. My right wrist was connected by handcuffs to a ring of unknown purpose on the principal’s office wall. Thus I was completely restrained. I was in a position where I couldn’t move a single step from here until the Holy Knight Order arrived.

"Is it okay to arbitrarily restrain a student like this?"

"Originally it’s not allowed, but it’s possible for Satan worship and anti-government terror suspects."

In this country, treatment of Satan worship suspects was worse than dogs.

I knew this, but experiencing it as that suspect made it feel even more keenly.

If I was treated like this, what kind of treatment was my mother imprisoned in the underground prison receiving? I wanted to drink water. I felt suffocated and my throat was dry.

I thought about using sorcery to break the handcuffs and escape, but unfortunately I didn’t have the strength to break them. The Blessing of Superhuman Strength was far insufficient, and even using Bosu’s power wasn’t certain enough. Due to the holy relic’s function, I couldn’t even properly exert strength in my body.

"Chairman."

"...I believe in you. However... given the circumstances..."

Kim Chang-won dropped his gaze from me to the floor while trailing off.

Even he didn’t seem confident that I wasn’t a Satan worshipper. Given the circumstances, I understood his feelings. However, understanding aside, my feelings being complicated was unavoidable.

"That aside, when will the Holy Knight Order..."

BANG!

As soon as the principal started talking about the Holy Knight Order, the door burst open. I thought the Holy Knights had finally arrived, but coincidentally, two people appeared.

Yeo Min-seo and Ma Yu-hyeon. Yeo Min-seo was holding a mop in her right hand.

"Ma Yu-hyeon, check."

"Okay... First, two people here. No, three people..."

The completely mismatched disagreeable duo suddenly barged into the principal’s office and started talking among themselves.

When Yeo Min-seo gave a signal, Ma Yu-hyeon emitted divine power and drew a circle around his own eyes. Then he quickly scanned Kim Chang-won, the vice-principal, and me through the circle.

"...Real. Next, the two people are..."

Perhaps quite flustered by Ma Yu-hyeon and Yeo Min-seo’s sudden intrusion, the principal, vice-principal, and Kim Chang-won all had bewildered faces.

Ma Yu-hyeon paid no attention and shifted his gaze to the principal and elder. Suddenly his expression hardened coldly, then he pointed at the principal and elder in turn with his finger.

"Both fake."

CRACK!

As soon as Ma Yu-hyeon finished speaking, Yeo Min-seo broke the mop with her knee. Gripping the broken mop like a spear with both hands, she charged at the elder.

STAB!

And she pierced him.

The elder lying on the sofa couldn’t even resist and was pierced by Yeo Min-seo’s spear. However, no blood was seeping over the blanket.

When Yeo Min-seo pulled out the spear, sawdust and cotton that came with it fluttered down like snow. Kim Chang-won and the vice-principal watched that fantastic scene in a daze.

Immediately after, Yeo Min-seo aimed the spear improvised from the mop at the principal.

But before the spear could pierce the principal’s body, the principal’s belly began to bulge out. The principal’s belly swelled up larger and larger like a balloon.

"Ah, sh*t. Too late."

That was a precursor to when taxidermy exploded.