Chapter 151: 151
"There were sixteen kidnapping cases discovered over the past few days. All but one were related to the Demons."
"Fifteen cases were related to the Demons…?"
Baek Seol-hee nodded calmly.
"Yes. Fortunately, all the kidnapped people were unharmed. It seems the Demons need sacrifices."
I furrowed my brows at her words, taking the matter seriously.
'Wasn't there a kidnapping incident at this point in the story?'
No, there wasn't.
No matter how hard I searched through the Demon story and the personal stories of the characters in my head, there was no such sinister event at this point.
What kind of story would you expect in a dating sim during the Academy's summer vacation?
Of course, the highlight of any dating sim:
The swimsuit event!
And that event was still a week away, not happening at the current point in the story.
However, according to Master, there had been fifteen cases of Demon-related kidnappings that she had discovered during her search.
'This is something that can't be taken lightly, even considering the story.'
In just a short investigation period, they had found fifteen cases. It was highly likely that the Demons were still operating under the radar.
I wondered if this incident was somehow related to the hidden truth behind the swimsuit event, but soon shook my head.
'That has nothing to do with the Demons. The swimsuit event is manly about monster extermination.'
So, the only conclusion I could draw was:
The butterfly effect.
Like how the flapping of a butterfly's wings can cause a typhoon on the other side of the world, small changes or differences can create unexpected variables.
The most likely explanation was that the changes I had made since falling into the world of "Velvet School Life!" had led to the current situation.
'There were a few things I couldn't change within the game, and among those, the ones that could have a significant impact on the Demon story are…'
I pondered deeply, stroking my lips.
Two major things came to mind.
First was the Hunter Management Bureau.
In the early stages of the game, they were an antagonistic force that constantly clashed with Velvet Academy.
Right after the tutorial, the original director, Kim Jiwon, who was a moderate, was ousted due to corruption, and the hardliner Ryu Jinju took her place.
However, just before the Demons could manipulate the situation with fabricated evidence, Instructor and I took care of Ryu Jinju, and exposed the real corruption within the Bureau ahead of time.
As a result, there was a major overhaul within the Hunter Management Bureau, and their position in the game's story was significantly weakened. Although the rotten elements had been cleaned out, their current state was far from the annoying villainous group they once were.
The second was the mid-term evaluation that we had just gone through.
In the original story, there were supposed to be casualties during the evaluation, but due to my party's efforts, all the students survived. The subsequent media and public opinion play further solidified Velvet Hunter Academy and Lina's position, which should have been weakened by now.
In this situation, what would the Demons be feeling?
Pfft─
'…It must be infuriating for them.'
Their long-prepared plan to overthrow the Hunter Management Bureau had fallen apart from the very beginning, and what they thought was a golden opportunity during the mid-term evaluation had only helped us instead. It was no wonder they were feeling desperate.
"Yes, they're taking a desperate measure."
"...…A desperate measure?"
"What does that mean?"
Lim Ga-eul and Sophia looked confused, but Baek Seol-hee nodded in agreement.
"Yes, as you said, they're taking a desperate measure. They're doing something they wouldn't normally do at a time when the Emperor is keeping a close eye on them."
"Yes, they wouldn't usually take such a risk while the Emperor is so focused."
"Hmm, but they seem to be aware of that, as they're putting in a lot of effort to act covertly. Even I didn't notice their activities until recently."
'Wow, I accidentally stepped on the Demons' tails while backing away.'
I had only intended to ask for a casual investigation at Yoo-ri's request, but it had led me to uncover the clues of the butterfly effect.
"Well done, Jin Yuha."
Baek Seol-hee reached out her hand towards my head, presumably to ruffle my hair again.
'Hmm... It feels good, but, well, Instructor, my party members are watching right now, so could you please hold off on the head-patting for now...?'
Ahem─
Before she could ruffle my hair, I quickly spoke up.
"Uh, Instructor. Can we dig deeper into this?"
Her hand, which had been reaching for my head, froze in mid-air. She resumed her sullen expression and spoke in a cold tone.
"...…I called you here because I knew you would ask that. Didn't you bring those two along because you had a hunch as well?"
No, they just followed me on their own.
At Instructor's words, Lim Ga-eul and Sophia looked startled, then awkwardly widened their eyes.
"J-Junior, did you know this would happen? I, I felt that I had to follow you because I knew I couldn't stay as I was... Did you give me a chance on purpose!? You walked right in front of me, knowing that I was hiding there! I thought I hadn't been spotted, but I was in your palm the whole time... But, does this mean you're giving me permission? Even better!"
Lim Ga-eul and Sophia started making their own assumptions.
Baek Seol-hee stared at the two girls in front of her, who were getting overly excited.
With a terse voice, I spat out,
"We need to move discreetly, so bringing anyone else is out of the question… But this is a kidnapping case. Those two might just be 'barely' 'helpful' in a 'minimal' way."
"Oh, then the extermination team seniors…"
"Not available."
"What?"
"I originally planned to wrap this up with the extermination team, but the day before, there was an urgent request for support from Japan, so it's impossible."
"Then, you too, instructor?"
"No, the Chairman also went there, so I stayed here."
'Hmm, so they timed this while Lina was out of the country?'
Even so, the fact that an emergency broke out remain unchanged.
Honestly, I was at a loss with this sudden butterfly effect, but knowing my teacher would be with us from the start couldn't be more reassuring.
"Then, let's start the operation now."
Baek Seol-hee spoke with a serious tone, her eyes lowering.
Lim Ga-eul and Sophia, who had simply tagged along and were now unexpectedly part of the operation, responded with:
"Indeed! Staying close to the junior is the right move. Even in a massage chair, surprises happen!"
"I'll do my best!"
Hmm, it seemed I didn't need to worry too much.
And I, too, clenched my fists and steeled my resolve.
'This sudden event… I'll finish it as quickly as possible! The kidnapped people are in danger!'
It wasn't because I was worried about the upcoming swimsuit event being disrupted. Not at all.
Absolutely not.
.
.
.
As Baek Seol-hee pushed off the ground,
Pang—!
The sound of her takeoff echoed as she led the way, with us following closely behind. The urgency of the situation demanded our full attention and swift action. We were heading into a dangerous mission, and every second counted.
The fierce sound of the air splitting followed behind her.
She and the three cadets were running across rooftops. Traveling by car would have taken longer, so this was the only option.
Baek Seol-hee glanced back subtly.
'…They're keeping up better than I expected.'
While she had expected Jin Yuha to keep pace since she trained him herself, she was surprised by the two girls.
"Huff, huff— I can't be invisible any longer!" "Heave, heave— I can't lose sight of Jin Yuha!"
The two cadets, sweating profusely and breathing heavily, were doing their best to keep up.
'Cadet Lim Ga-eul is a supporter, and Cadet Sophia is a healer…'
Even with abilities that enhance their speed, it's not easy for support roles to run across rooftops without considerable courage and training. Especially Sophia, who had joined Utopia not long ago, showed no signs of fear or hesitation.
'She's fundamentally brave, and her physique is remarkable… This girl is a genius too.'
Although she didn't show it outwardly, Baek Seol-hee had a significant interest in the Utopia party.
She had even created a YouTube account for the first time in her life and subscribed to the Utopia channel through one of her subordinates. As a teacher, it was only natural to check who her disciple was working with and what activities they were involved in.
Despite this, she knew little about these two cadets.
Lim Ga-eul's activities were suspiciously hidden, and Sophia was a new healer who had just joined.
But from what she knew:
'Lim Ga-eul can accelerate and decelerate, while Sofia can heal from a distance.'
These two would undoubtedly be a great help in rescuing survivors.
Frankly, they were talents even the Demon Slayer Squad didn't have. It was almost fascinating how Jin Yuha managed to gather such unique individuals.
'No time to dwell on it.'
Baek Seol-hee refocused on the task at hand.
As they continued their swift journey, she outlined the plan.
"We're nearing the location. Lim Ga-eul, use your acceleration and deceleration to manage our approach and escape. Sophia, be ready to provide healing support from a safe distance. Jin Yuha, you and I will handle direct confrontations. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am!" they chorused.
The rooftop running continued, their mission taking precedence over everything else.
Baek Seol-hee knew they had to be swift and efficient. The lives of the kidnapped were at stake, and they had no time to waste.
Bringing those two along must mean that Jin Yuha is taking this matter very seriously.
When Jin Yuha first brought those two along, Baek Seol-hee honestly felt a little disappointed. After all, she had thought that this would be an opportunity for just the two of them, master and disciple, to bond and strengthen their relationship, but now, uninvited guests had suddenly intruded upon their time together.
She stole a glance at Jin Yuha, who was right behind her.
"Faster, faster—!"
Jin Yuha's face was set in determination, desperately chasing after her. There was no room for any other thoughts on that face.
All that could be seen was a firm resolve to dispose of the manes as soon as possible and rescue the kidnapped people.
Just by seeing that he had brought those two along, Baek Seol-hee could tell how seriously Jin Yuha was taking this incident.
"...…Truly, a disciple is a source of embarrassment for their master."
How shameful it was that she had been happy about having more time alone with her disciple.
On top of that, Jin Yuha had felt sorry for troubling her master at her request and had even given her a gift.
Baek Seol-hee let out a soft laugh as she felt the weight of the sword maintenance kit on her chest.
"Hmm, I actually have another one just like this...."
The sword maintenance kit that Rina, the director, had given her some time ago. She had given it to her, saying that she didn't use swords herself and that it was a waste for such a fine gift to go unused. Indeed, the sword maintenance kit was the best one Baek Seol-hee had ever used.
But how could she not be happy to receive the same gift from her disciple? It was a gift that her disciple had prepared, thinking of her.
The weight of it felt different.
Her disciple must have wanted to use it himself, but despite his own difficult financial situation, he had saved up to buy it for his master. After all, the gifts that came to Lina, the director, were all expensive luxury items that were hard to come by.
As Baek Seol-hee basked in the warmth of her disciple's gift for a moment, a thought occurred to her.
"Hmm, maybe we could exchange gifts as well."
Perhaps giving her disciple the one she had been using would be a meaningful gift in itself.
As she continued to think along those lines, the building they were aiming for came into view.
"We've arrived. Let's go in."
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