Chapter 1126 – 1126. Savior Of The Academy
Cursed Objects.
Those bastards dared to try and dismantle my Sexology Department. There are other small departments, but the Cursed Objects Department is the one taking the lead. My rage-fueled footsteps headed towards the Cursed Objects Department building.
The Cursed Objects Department was located on the first basement floor of the academy’s annex. True to its name, it was a damp and gloomy place. On the ground floor was some incomprehensible department called the Magic Sound Department.
“Yujin, calm down. You’re not planning to start a fight in the Cursed Objects Department, are you? I absolutely cannot allow that.”
Kales, who had been following me, grabbed my shoulder in front of the stairs leading down to the basement.
“Teacher, I’m calm. I won’t do anything that would get me expelled, so don’t worry.”
Kales looked into my eyes calmly and nodded.
“…Just don’t go too far. The Cursed Objects Department may be small, but its history is comparable to the Sword Dance Department. The teacher who took the representative position when the department was first established was very famous.”
“Oh, really? But I’m not really into history.”
I went down the stairs. About halfway down, the temperature suddenly dropped, and it became chilly.
‘A barrier. Not to keep people out… but to protect people outside from what’s inside.’
At the bottom of the stairs was a steel door. I didn’t bother knocking. I opened the door and went inside. The Cursed Objects Department should be grateful that I didn’t kick the door down.
“…”
As soon as I entered, eight pairs of eyes were fixed on me. Seven were students, and one was a teacher.
I quietly looked around. Even with the fluorescent lights on, it didn’t feel bright. Bizarre objects hung on the walls, and the dried-up corpses of people or monsters were placed on the bookshelves.
“It’s even gloomier than I thought. Typical Cursed Objects Department.”
“…You barge in here and start spouting nonsense. What business does the Spirit Department have here?”
A man sitting on the sofa said, sounding annoyed.
His long, black hair flowed like seaweed down to his waist, and his upper body looked lean but sturdy. He had handsome features, but the dark circles under his eyes made his impression quite unpleasant.
He was Kim Jeo, the representative teacher of the Cursed Objects Department.
I walked confidently and sat down opposite him.
Kim Jeo glared at me as if he wanted to kill me, then turned his gaze to Kales. A sharp voice flowed from his mouth.
“…Teacher Kales. What is this, without any manners? Did my comments during the meeting seem so funny that you had to come here like this? And to bring a student with you… I thought you were a very sensible person, but… I guess I was wrong about you.”
“Yujin said she had something to say to you. I only followed her to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.”
“…Unforeseen circumstances? Do you think I would hit this student?”
His irritable voice grew louder. Kales didn’t flinch at all. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and smiled. She wasn’t the type of woman to be intimidated by someone’s sharp demeanor.
“That’s not what I meant. This is the Cursed Objects Department. It’s full of cursed items. Yujin, the only student in the Spirit Department, could be cursed by them.”
“So you don’t trust me even though I’m here.”
“I heard there was an accident in the Cursed Objects Department last year.”
“……”
Kim Jeo shut his mouth. He glared at Kales once, then turned his gaze back to me.
“State your business for coming to the Cursed Objects Department.”
“Don’t you even offer a cup of coffee?”
“Eating is prohibited in the Cursed Objects Department. Not even water is allowed. If you want coffee, go out and get it.”
He wasn’t just saying that. It was because of the cursed objects.
Cursed objects refer to items that are cursed. They are different from cursed tools, which are tools used for curses.
However, there are people in this world who have the ability to use cursed objects. The Cursed Objects Department is where such people gather. Since this place is full of cursed objects, it’s natural to be careful about consuming food.
“I heard you want our Spirit Department to be dismantled.”
“You’re the only student in the Spirit Department. It was created to give you special treatment. Not only me, but everyone else doesn’t acknowledge it.”
I turned my head. Blue sleeves. I spoke to a first-year male student.
“Hey, you don’t acknowledge it either?”
“Uh, uh…? I, I…”
The male student panicked and stepped back. Cold sweat formed on his forehead.
In the academy, ranking was equivalent to class and power. I was ranked 5th upon admission. Most guys couldn’t even dare to challenge me.
“I’m asking you.”
“W-well…”
The male student’s eyes wavered. He desperately signaled to Kim Jeo.
Kim Jeo narrowed his brow.
“Stop threatening him.”
“Threatening? I just asked a question.”
“…What you want is for the Spirit Department to remain, right?”
“Yes. It’s not that I’m receiving special treatment because I’m the only student in the Spirit Department, but that the academy is taking care of even a single minority. Anyway, the Spirit Department will disappear when I graduate. Is there really a need to forcibly eliminate it now?”
“Your persuasion won’t change the situation. There are over 20 teachers who want the Spirit Department to be dismantled. Do you think you can persuade all of them?”
“Well, it seems like I only need to persuade you.”
“I will never give up. I suggest you don’t waste your time and look into other departments.”
“If the Spirit Department gives up its budget, will the dismantling be called off?”
“What’s the point of a department without a budget? In my opinion, the Spirit Department is a department that doesn’t help the academy students at all. The building is just taking up space. The Spirit Department should be eliminated.”
“Actually, giving up the budget was just something I said. Teacher Kales and I have no intention of giving up the Spirit Department’s budget. And of course, dismantling the Spirit Department is out of the question.”
“……”
There was no room for compromise. Kim Jeo’s eyes were saying that.
“Let’s make a bet with the dismantling of the Spirit Department on the line. If you win, we’ll accept the dismantling of the Spirit Department cleanly.”
“That’s ridiculous. The dismantling of the Spirit Department will be decided at the next meeting. The public opinion is like that, so even the headmaster will have no choice but to accept it.”
“So, if we win the bet, I’d like you to help us maintain the Spirit Department.”
“I said there’s no reason to make a bet.”
“Is there really no reason?”
I looked around.
Three first-year students. One second-year student. Three third-year students. A total of seven students. Among them, the first-year students’ faces hardened when they met my eyes.
“Do you know who my mother is?”
“…It would be stranger if I didn’t. What, are you going to go to your mother and whine, begging her to keep the Spirit Department alive?”
“Yes. I will. I’ll ask her to get rid of the Cursed Objects Department.”
“Ha, that’s useless. Do you think the academy will be pressured by outsiders?”
“My mom is the president of the parents’ association. She’s not an outsider. And… with my mom’s power… someone like you…”
I deliberately cut myself off and twisted my lips. Kim Jeo didn’t object even though he guessed what I was going to say. He kept his mouth shut. What flashed in his eyes was fear.
“Are you curious about how persistent I can be? Let me tell you in advance. I’m confident I can be persistent all the way to hell.”
“……”
Kim Jeo’s jaw twitched. He was clenching his teeth.
“Can we really end this cleanly with a bet?”
“I’ll ask the headmaster and vice-headmaster to notarize it.”
“What are the terms of the bet?”
“A match between the Spirit Department and the Cursed Objects Department. Isn’t it simple? You can decide the details of the match. What I recommend is a head-on confrontation. It’ll be over quickly, won’t it?”
“The Spirit Department has only two people, you and Teacher Kales. Do you really think you can beat us?”
“Even if the Cursed Objects Department gangs up on me, they can’t beat me. Because that’s a fact.”
*Crack*
The sound of Kim Jeo grinding his teeth was clear.
“…Fine. I’ll report the bet to the headmaster and vice-headmaster and get their approval. It’ll be a good opportunity to show the academy the incompetence of the Spirit Department…”
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
I stood up from my seat.
“But, as expected of the Cursed Objects Department, there are quite a few interesting items here.”
“…Don’t touch anything and get out. These aren’t items you can handle.”
“I’ll just take a look. Just a look.”
There were many strange things, such as a spoon with blood droplets, a portrait with moving eyes, a ghost photo, a notebook with red names, and a dried-up leg.
But what caught my interest more than anything else here was a female student in the corner.
‘The ace of the Cursed Objects Department. The decisive reason why Kim Jeo accepted the bet.’
She was short. Although she was a year older than me, she looked about five years younger.
Her pale white hair reached her waist, and she had lifeless red eyes. Under her academy uniform, she had white bandages wrapped around her entire body. Her neck and part of her face were also wrapped in bandages.
Shin Nari. Class 3 of the 2nd grade. Ranked 65th.
Although her grades were 65th, her skills were among the top in the second grade.
“……??”
When I stared at her, Shin Nari tilted her head.
I activated my Spirit Eye. My eyes glowed gold. At the same time, I could see the being behind Shin Nari’s body.
It was a female ghost. To be more precise, it was a higher-level evil spirit than a ghost.
With long black hair, red skin, hollow eyes, and black fingernails that were over 10cm long, the evil spirit was hugging Shin Nari from behind and looking at me.
‘It looks even worse than it did in the game.’
Shin Nari confirmed the direction of my gaze and opened her mouth.
“You can see it.”
“My eyes are a bit special, so I can see well. Senior, would you like me to help you?”
“…Out of all the people who said they would help me, only one person has actually helped me.”
The person Shin Nari was talking about was Kim Jeo. I shrugged. Her reaction was as expected. She wouldn’t believe me and follow me just because I said a few words. It was better to show Shin Nari directly through actions.
I deactivated my Spirit Eye and left the Cursed Objects Department with Kales.
“Yujin, were you planning to make a bet with the Cursed Objects Department from the beginning?”
“Yes.”
If it were somewhere else, I could have ended it nicely by contacting Jinryeong Sungga or Sung Hari. But this was the academy. The names of Jinryeong Sungga and Sung Hari didn’t work well here.
‘If I really step up, I can easily deal with Kim Jeo… but to get Shin Nari, it’s better to go this way.’
Shin Nari wasn’t my type.
‘But I can’t give away a beauty like Shin Nari to someone else.’
I also planned to take care of the other things in the Cursed Objects Department.
“…Just because the Cursed Objects Department is small doesn’t mean it’s a place to be taken lightly. There are people who fear curses more than magic. Do you have any countermeasures against curses?”
“I’ll tell you this specially, Teacher Kales. No curse can bind me.”
I spoke confidently, but Kales, looking worried, only rubbed my shoulder.
