Academy Delinquent in Charge — Chapter 44
North Wind clubroom.
Ji Tae-gyeong opened the door and entered. Alberto looked at him and spoke.
“You're too late.”
“Fuck, class just ended, what do you want me to do? Should I have beaten the professor and come out?”
Alberto shook his head side to side, thinking that the Yukdaemun Faction seriously needed character education these days.
‘Dares to throw a tantrum when he’s the one who was late.’
Alberto pointed at the empty seat across from him with his chin.
“Then it can’t be helped. Sit down.”
“So, what’ve you decided?”
“We’re taking the Center today.”
“What? We can exclude the Jeongmu-dan bastards since they always keep to themselves, but what about the Magic Research Club and the Blood Lion Society?”
Frey brought up photos of the Blood Lion Society’s executives on the large screen in front. On several of their faces, an ‘X’ mark had been placed.
“What about the ones with X marks?”
“Ah, they’re third-years. Anyway, the third-years are practically retired, so we took them out.”
“I see. But isn’t it dangerous as long as Vigri is there?”
Frey pulled his hand out of his pocket and opened his palm. Then he made a slitting gesture across his neck.
“The rest of the Blood Lion Society riffraff are nothing special if we exclude Vigri. Vigri will be handled by me and Alberto.”
“What about the Magic Research Club?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
The answer came from the back. Ji Tae-gyeong’s eyes widened as he turned his head to see who it was.
Short in stature with a sturdy body, he was the former president of North Wind and currently a third-year in the student council—Rioki.
“R-Rioki sunbae-nim?”
“I’ll block the Magic Research Club.”
Ji Tae-gyeong wore a face full of questions. It was tradition for third-years and above to step back from the front lines and not get involved in external activities.
“Is that allowed? And I heard you joined the student council, sunbae-nim.”
“It’s not. That is why I will not directly attack the Magic Research Club; I’ll simply block them.”
“Still, I don’t think the student council or the disciplinary committee will stay idle……”
“They won’t.”
Ji Tae-gyeong’s words were correct.
If this failed, he might be expelled from the student council. No, he would be expelled. But what if it succeeded?
Rioki’s eyes gleamed red.
‘The next student council president is me.’
It was the standard path for executives of the Four Major Clubs to join the student council or the disciplinary committee upon becoming third-years. Unlike the disciplinary committee, where the committee head held absolute power, four factions existed within the student council based on origin.
And the student council president had a high probability of being someone from the strongest faction.
The prevailing theory was that the current student council president, “Sword Dragon” Ji Dae-hak, had been chosen less for his individual ability—though of course, his ability was outstanding as well—and more because the power wielded by those from the Jeongmu-dan was formidable.
Ji Tae-gyeong asked carefully.
“But if we do that, won’t the third-year sunbaes from the Blood Lion Society step in too?”
The answer came from Frey. Frey lifted one corner of his mouth and explained.
“That’s exactly why we have to launch a surprise attack. The other clubs won’t even conceive of the idea that third-years would get involved.”
Ji Tae-gyeong wore an expression of incomprehension. If they forcibly seized the Center, who would acknowledge it?
Alberto added, as if reading Ji Tae-gyeong’s thoughts.
“We won’t directly rule the Center. We’re handing the representative position over to another club.”
What kind of nonsense was this? If that was the case, what was the point of storming in there now?
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
“We’re going to set up the weakest club in the Center as our puppet. And the membership dues will become our structure.”
“Puppet? You mean you’re installing a puppet?”
“Exactly. That way we gain justification as well as practical benefits.”
After listening and pondering for a moment, Ji Tae-gyeong opened his mouth.
“What if other factions don’t recognize the puppet and try to kick them out?”
“We request mediation from the student council.”
“Hmm, will the student council actually mediate?”
Rioki, who had been listening, stroked his darkly grown beard with his thumb and index finger and spoke.
“If it’s the current student council president, Ji Dae-hak, he’ll probably think it’s better to establish a puppet representative than to let the war continue.”
Hoo— Ji Tae-gyeong sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Alright, do you know which club you’ll make the puppet?”
“A club called Patissier. I heard it’s a club that makes bread and snacks.”
At the words “a club that makes bread and snacks,” Ji Tae-gyeong snickered.
“They’d make good puppets, all right.”
“We’ve already sent an official document, so they should be preparing.”
“When are we going?”
“Now.”
“What?”
Frey and the executives finished speaking and rose from their seats. As they stood, all the students in the clubroom followed suit.
“Let’s go. Everyone, get ready.”
* * *
Berripan, the president of Patissier, had contacted the clubs belonging to the Center, but none had offered to help.
There were even some who said, “Wouldn’t it be better for a representative club to come from within the Center, even if it is a puppet?”
“Hmm… It’s hopeless.”
Leaning against the wall, Berripan surveyed the people inside the clubroom. Ten new 13th-generation recruits and twenty existing 12th-generation members—for a total of thirty, that was all they had.
A sigh escaped Berripan naturally as he spoke to the vice president, Bugiro.
“What should we do? Should we just bow our heads and surrender now?”
“Are you crazy? If we pay the tribute they’re demanding, we won’t even be able to make bread. We’d be better off dissolving the club.”
They couldn’t destroy a club that had lasted thirteen years with their own hands.
“Then what do we do?”
“…Mhm.”
They knew it was like hitting a rock with an egg, so the words “let’s fight” didn’t come out easily.
They wanted to sweep them away immediately, but the world did not operate according to one’s will.
The Heavenly Demon Sword, which had been listening, let out a light snort and delivered a scathing criticism.
“So all the Academy’s riffraff had gathered here. Even these second-years are worse than your own classmates?”
‘Yeah.’
“Why did you say you would help? You shouldn’t need to bother with such riffraff.”
‘Because the bread is delicious.’
The Patissier members kept their mouths shut and waited for their seniors’ decision. But this was not a problem that time could solve.
Eventually, one of the new recruits raised his hand. Hwangbo Cheol-su looked at him and asked Hwangbo Su-jeong.
“Isn’t that Jegal Mu-hyeok? He was in our club too?”
“You didn’t know? I greeted him yesterday.”
Jegal Mu-hyeok, adjusting his rimless glasses, stepped into the center with a confident smile.
“Please focus.”
He waved his hand to draw everyone’s attention before he began his explanation.
“It is not that there is no way.”
“A way? What is it?”
Jegal Mu-hyeok pulled out a large map from inside his jacket. It was a map depicting the entirety of the Academy. He raised his finger and firmly pointed at the clubroom’s location.
“Where we are now is here. Around us, the Blood Lion Society, the Magic Research Club, and North Wind are standing guard. Over in the distance is the Jeongmu-dan.”
“So?”
Jegal Mu-hyeok glared at Berripan, who had cut him off, then raised his index finger to his lips. Berripan smiled awkwardly and nodded.
“In my opinion, the Jeongmu-dan does not seem to have great ambition for the Center. They’re standing guard in name only; even if a war breaks out, they won’t participate.”
“I see.”
The Patissier club members nodded.
“That leaves the Blood Lion Society and the Magic Research Club, but it is out of the question for North Wind to face both of them alone.”
“Hmm……”
“Then, the way for them to get a definite edge over the other clubs is a surprise attack. Therefore, we must inform the other clubs about the official document sent by North Wind.”
Just as Jegal Mu-hyeok was about to continue his explanation, a clamorous noise came from outside.
Kwaaang—
“It’s those North Wind bastards!”
Kwaaang—
When they hurried outside, North Wind was attacking the Blood Lion Society members who had been standing guard. For some reason, the Magic Research Club was nowhere to be seen.
“Damn it, we’re too late.”
This was exactly what he had feared, which was why he had tried to warn them in advance. Jegal Mu-hyeok shouted at the Patissier members.
“We have to help the Blood Lion Society! Quickly!”
“What?”
“Shut up and help!”
Bugiro flinched at Jegal Mu-hyeok’s sudden shout.
‘He’s still an upperclassman, after all…’
Having shouted at Bugiro, Jegal Mu-hyeok ran off somewhere.
The situation developed rapidly.
The Blood Lion Society members, who had been standing guard with minimal personnel and no executives present, were helplessly pushed back without being able to properly respond.
In contrast, the North Wind members were so relaxed that they were chatting amongst themselves.
“These Blood Lion Society bastards are nothing special.”
“If the tribute increases, they’ll increase our activity funds, right?”
“Of course, Frey isn’t a stingy guy……”
Kwaaang—!
“Ugh! Fire, aack!”
One North Wind member who had been laughing was thrown to the side, charred black like a piece of charcoal.
Pueeeong—
Following that, blue flames scattered among the North Wind members. In the middle of the path made of fire, someone walked out leisurely.
“It’s Ludens!”
“Ludens of the Blue Flame?”
Ludens, with sleepy eyes and messy bird’s-nest hair, wore an expression that found everything bothersome. Having ignited flames upon his fingertips, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
“You fuckers, making noise while I’m sleeping……”
Just as the cigarette was dying out, a greasy-looking man with double eyelids stood before him. Ludens twitched his right eyebrow upon seeing him.
“Alberto, you fucker. What the hell are you trying to do?”
“Ludens, your mouth is as filthy as ever.”
“Go chew on some taffy.”
Ludens threw the cigarette butt at Alberto’s face. At the same time, four magic circles drawn by Ludens surrounded Alberto on all sides.
“Idiot.”
With a ziiing— sound, the magic circles began to rotate and pour out blue flames. In an instant, Alberto’s clothes burned away, and blisters bubbled up all over his body.
‘What, he’s not blocking it?’
It was strange. Despite being in agony, there was no change on Alberto’s face.
‘An illusion?’
The moment he realized that, Ludens’s field of vision shattered like breaking glass. His head went blank, and his semicircular canals rang. Soon, Ludens lost his balance and collapsed on the floor, retching dryly.
Alberto approached the fallen Ludens and firmly pressed his head down with his foot.
“Tsk, this is why you can’t beat me.”
The North Wind members who saw that scene cheered.
“As expected, Alberto of the Senses!”
“No one can rival Alberto in illusion magic!”
However, the situation was not flowing entirely in North Wind’s favor. Because the Patissier members had interfered and bought time, all of the Blood Lion Society’s forces had gathered.
Alberto stared at a man with red hair fluttering amidst them.
“Vigri……”
Meanwhile, Elia and Hailin were summoning intermediate spirits and fighting against North Wind members. Elia and Hailin were students with outstanding skill even within their grade, but perhaps due to the difference in years, they couldn’t easily gain the upper hand even fighting two against one.
“Wow, they really are different since they’re our sunbaes.”
“Hmph, different how? They’re just weak compared to those guys back then. Portia! Flame Blast!”
Portia, who had been eyeing the opponent with her teeth, opened her maw and spewed flames. The opponent seemed to find it burdensome to block directly and levitated into the air.
“Hailin!”
“Got it, Silos! Tempest.”
The whirlwind raised by Silos combined with Portia’s flames, turning the surroundings into a sea of fire in an instant.
“Kkuk.”
The opponent who had been dodging took a direct hit from the magic and tumbled across the ground.
“Whew, we won.”
“No big deal.”
Thud— Elia sat down and leaned against Hailin’s leg.
Footsteps.
Before they could even catch their breath, their large ears twitched. Hailin clenched her fist and whispered quietly.
“I think someone’s coming?”
“Shh.”
Finally, the one who revealed himself was Ji Tae-gyeong. He looked at the fallen North Wind member, then shifted his gaze toward them.
“What, I was wondering who did something this cute because it suddenly got hot, and it turns out to be the elves from my class?”
Ji Tae-gyeong swung his sword to create wind. The flickering flames around them were extinguished in an instant by his sword wind.
Instinctively shrinking back, Elia and Hailin stepped backward.
“Ji Tae-gyeong sunbae, are you with North Wind too?”
“That’s right. It’s our first time exchanging greetings, isn’t it?”
Ji Tae-gyeong raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, as if he had no intention to fight. Then he slowly approached them.
“If you cooperate nicely, I’ll let you leave without injuries. Where is your club president? Just spill that bastard’s location.”
“We don’t need that.”
Pushing Hailin behind her, Elia stepped forward and glared at Ji Tae-gyeong.
“What?”
“Did you get blood sausage stuck in your ears? I said we don’t need it.”
Portia, who had been behind her, stepped forward, waves of flames flickering in her mouth as if she would spew them out at any moment. Silos wrapped wind around its legs as well.
Ji Tae-gyeong had shown some consideration, thinking it might be awkward meeting them in class later, but he was dumbfounded that they responded like this.
“Ha, this is exactly the problem with kids who use spirits and summons. They just hide behind them and can’t read the room.”
With a shhing— sound, heat haze rose from Ji Tae-gyeong’s drawn sword.
“I’ll make sure you can never use spirit magic again.”
The moment Ji Tae-gyeong, full of scorn, was about to swing his sword, Baek Il-jin appeared without a trace and grabbed his arm.
“I suppose I’ll have to make sure you can never hold a sword again.”