Chapter 107: Contrast and Change (3)
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“Hmm…”
Professor Kim Myeong-hyun looked over the documents carefully with a prudent expression.
They were documents I had submitted to him beforehand.
<Proposal for Establishing a New Circle>.
“It’s… quite detailed.”
While circles at the academy are intended to have a lighthearted atmosphere like clubs at colleges or high schools, establishing one is not as free as the mood.
Circles are ‘officially recognized organizations’ within the academy.
There are quite a lot of circle-related events held internally, and prominent circles must attend major events like the end-of-year academy festival or ‘Battle Tournament’.
‘Because they receive funding.’
It goes without saying, but…
Circles like this require a supervising professor.
The supervising professor has the status of a superior managing the circle externally, and many projects or plans carried out within the circle require the professor’s authorization to proceed.
The reason I came to see Professor Kim Myeong-hyun was the same.
Establishing a new circle.
Without a supervising professor, it’s impossible to even discuss it.
I came to ask Professor Kim Myeong-hyun to be the advisor for the new circle I wanted to create.
And among the many professors, the reason I specifically chose Professor Kim Myeong-hyun for this new circle was…
“A circle dedicated to students directly tracking down and catching villains… it’s certainly an interesting idea.”
The reason was that.
The new circle I’m trying to establish, <Anti-Villain>.
I thought Professor Kim Myeong-hyun would be the only professor willing to accept such a dangerous circle.
Professor Kim Myeong-hyun, whose resentment towards <Villain> grew after the Ha Do-kwon incident.
He would surely be positive about establishing this circle.
“On the other hand, it’s also a very dangerous undertaking.”
But things don’t always go as expected.
Professor Kim shook his head and brought up a principled issue first.
In fact, his words were reasonable.
Looking around the Holder world, <Villain> is difficult for anyone alone to catch and defeat.
Students facing off against such a vicious and powerful clan?
Honestly, almost no one would agree to the proposal.
Without being discouraged, I took a sip of coffee and started persuading him calmly.
“As you know, professor, many <Villain> spies have already infiltrated the academy. Not only students, but staff, security guards… they may even have influence over professors and the administration.”
Spies from <Villain> are in the academy!
For the administration and professors, it was a sensitive topic.
But as long as it wasn’t publicized, many would agree.
Just in the first semester, there were already two incidents suspected of being, or conclusively, <Villain>’s doing.
The academy leadership probably also acknowledged this implicitly.
Besides, it was information I had to bring up to establish <Anti-Villain>.
“In particular, their actions have been growing bolder recently. The fact that during the final evaluations with professors observing, a spy brazenly tried to kill a classmate, even using a berserk potion. This absolutely cannot be overlooked or allowed to happen again.”
Professor Kim flinched at the topic I brought up.
The incident at the end of last semester when Kim Chae-eun almost died.
Fortunately, Kim Chae-eun wasn’t seriously injured and the incident was resolved, so we tried not to bring it up…
But it could have ended terribly for her.
It would still be a trigger for Professor Kim Myeong-hyun.
“Thankfully there were no victims that time, but we can’t predict what incident could occur afterwards and produce a victim.”
“…”
“Besides, many students already died from the emergence of monsters last semester.”
“Holder Do Jae-hyun, do you think the emergence of monsters was <Villain>’s doing?”
“I believe there was a clear reason for the sudden rupture of the barrier.”
My firm response made Professor Kim Myeong-hyun sigh deeply.
After the ‘Ha Do-kwon incident’, I didn’t know what plans he had made.
In any case, it was a shocking incident where he almost lost his daughter, so he must have been planning definite revenge to match his hatred.
‘…It’s not easy alone.’
But he had his own limitations.
As an academy professor, it was difficult for him to move and act directly, and <Villain> was far too huge a criminal organization for one person to oppose alone.
In the end, a group could only be matched by another group.
A small association active within the academy?
While seemingly less reliable, it could become a decent means when viewed differently.
‘At least they have the academy’s protection.’
No matter how much vilification they received, the academy was still the academy.
The Tak clan, a prestigious family of swordsmasters, operated it, and cooperated closely with various clans and groups internally and externally.
While <Villain> could harm individuals within the academy or orchestrate certain incidents, they couldn’t recklessly attack a circle officially approved and established in the academy.
If they could have, after the Ha Do-kwon incident, <Villain> wouldn’t have had to hide like rats.
“Hmm…”
Professor Kim Myeong-hyun made a contemplative expression again.
My persuasion seemed to be working.
Persuading Professor Kim Myeong-hyun, who already had tremendous hostility towards <Villain>, would have been difficult to fail.
I drove in the wedge.
“Admittedly, some aspects of the circle’s work may be dangerous. But I think it’s necessary precisely because it’s dangerous. At least internal precautions should exist to prevent <Villain>’s actions occurring in the academy.”
I looked Professor Kim Myeong-hyun in the eye as I continued.
“And… I think you’re the only professor willing to authorize such a dangerous-natured circle.”
With that last line…
Professor Kim Myeong-hyun finally nodded.
“Alright. I’ll authorize the establishment of this new circle. I’ll be the supervising professor.”
Yes…!
The deliberation was long, but the answer was decisive.
It seemed he had already been leaning towards approval.
I lowered my head brightly.
“Thank you, Professor!”
Fortunately.
No matter how I thought about it, there was no one except Professor Kim Myeong-hyun.
Professor Tak was already advising a circle, so it would have been difficult, and recent acquaintances like Yoo Eun-seol and Jeong Seon-young weren’t official professors so they couldn’t advise a circle.
Other professors, well, they wouldn’t have accepted such a circle in the first place.
“Holder Do Jae-hyun, does Professor Tak Won-ho also know about this?”
“Yes. I mentioned it to him before.”
“That’s good. It’ll make things easier if there are no complaints from the administration.”
Professor Kim Myeong-hyun suddenly stood up from his seat.
He went over to his desk, took out some documents, then…
Came over and handed them to me.
“You may already know this, but at least 15 members are required to establish a new circle.”
“Yes. I know it’s 15.”
“Correct. A total of 15 members. In other words, our circle needs 15 members. The circle admission period starts the week after next, so you need to recruit all new members by next week and get approved within the academy.”
A whopping 15 new members.
It was quite a burden for someone trying to newly establish a circle, but I wasn’t too worried.
‘There are many who harbor resentment towards <Villain>.’
There were quite a lot of student Holders in the academy who held ill will towards <Villain>.
Not just dislike towards a criminal organization, but…
Those who completely loathed and hated them.
Just off the top of my head, there were four or five people I could think of.
When we posted a recruitment notice, they would surely rush to join, believing it right.
Because until now, no one in the academy had tried to create a circle of this sort.
‘…I was only trying to avoid it at first.’
A bitter smile escaped at the sudden thought.
When I first arrived in this world.
I tried to avoid contact with <Villain> as much as possible.
Their power was so great for an individual to oppose, and as a group of psychopaths who casually committed serious crimes, getting involved with them seemed far too dangerous.
But that plan went awry after I got caught up in the ‘Academy Monster Emergence’ incident by chance.
Park Jin-woo, who should have drawn <Villain>’s attention a bit, was completely absent from the scene, so I ended up taking his place.
‘…And the final evaluations.’
Amplifying <Villain>’s plan to throw the academy into chaos.
The ‘murder victim of Ha Do-kwon’ who played that role was Kim Chae-eun, so…
The situation completely changed.
I stepped forward as if I knew the plan, stopping Ha Do-kwon, and through this incident, earned <Villain>’s full wariness.
It wasn’t just the changes around me.
My perception of <Villain> also changed.
‘…Trying to kill Kim Chae-eun?’
Scum who tried to kill precious people.
If I hid from them out of fear, I’d just be an idiot.
I had to build up my strength to fight them somehow, and devise measures to stand against them.
Establishing the <Anti-Villain> circle.
It was the first step towards that, and the first ‘direct change I’d attempted’ since being possessed here.
“It’s been quite a while. Let’s continue the unfinished discussion after Thursday’s dedicated class ends.”
“Understood, Professor. Thank you.”
At Professor Kim Myeong-hyun’s words, I stood up from my seat again.
While doing so, I pictured the new members I would recruit.
Whether the opponent was <Villain> or whatever.
Since it was about ‘fighting’ anyway…
Park Jin-woo would definitely be okay, right?
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