Correcting the Villainess of the Academy

Suddenly, a chill runs down my arm. It feels eerie even under the cozy white light.

Isn’t this a bit too much of a coincidence? The dates are identical, down to the very day!

I kept reading the report on Lee Hwar-yeong’s disappearance.

No traces of kidnapping, no signs of resistance, no evidence of torture or murder, and no residual dark magic or mana detected.

There’s a possibility of voluntary desertion or defection, but considering her good relationships, excellent performance evaluation from last year, family to support, and her ambition, the conclusion suggests the likelihood of voluntary escape is low.

“…”

The military investigation records ended there without providing a definitive answer.

After reading to the last page of the records, I sat there dumbfounded for a moment. Then, I created a small spark with my fingertip and burned the stack of papers.

Tap… tap…

I fell into thought as I watched the paper shrink away without smoke.

Now, a series of events felt like ominous signs.

Have I overworked myself to the point of losing my mind…?

They say dreams are a combination of subconscious memories that sometimes project surreal images.

Dreams also have duality. Memories can rush in like waves, bringing joy but also dragging us down into deep sorrow.

Sadly, in my case, only the latter existed. Whether it was happy dreams from those days or the horrific nightmares from that day of the attack, what followed those dreams like bubbles was always a dark ceiling and empty hands.

But this time, it felt different.

The contents of the dream I had in the ward after the southern incident were things that didn’t exist anywhere in my memory.

I had never heard the name Lee Hwar-yeong in my life. How could I have come across a record from the military investigation team treated as top secret?

The same goes for the other side. It seemed like the squad leader and the others had agreed to keep Seol Yujeong’s existence a secret from me.

Despite being so close that they could casually drape an arm over the squad leader’s shoulder like lovers.

If I hadn’t accidentally seen that photo at Heukryeon’s Mansion, I would have never known who she was.

‘…Wait a second.’

Then, suddenly, a thought strikes my mind.

My mind, which had been swirling like a storm, quieted in an instant.

What if, what if the contents of that dream are actually true…? It makes sense why the investigators couldn’t come to a conclusion.

After all, the woman named Lee Hwar-yeong voluntarily headed north in my dream.

And that happened three years ago. Even if they issue a warrant for defection, how could they catch someone who vanished years ago? The fact that the only evidence is a nonsensical dream makes it even more absurd.

However, I do know the identity of one person who appeared in that dream.

*

The next day, as soon as my afternoon lecture ended, I headed straight to the basement of the main building.

By now, I was operating under the assumption that the content of the dream had truly happened.

What could those women possibly be? Reflecting on the conversation I jotted down before I forget, they didn’t seem like very good people.

Demon? Spy? Warlock? Or just a criminal?

If a criminal entered a cradle and even made it to vice-chairman, that would be a problem in itself…

Regardless, one thing is certain: Seol Yujeong’s past could be the key to unravel the mystery.

The nomenclature in the archives is not just updated with records from the cradle days but also with her later major and workplace.

Then Seol Yujeong’s record after graduation must still exist. The date of the dream was only three years ago.

It’s not a particularly difficult or complicated task. Whatever I do later, I should first check her records.

“Uh…?”

However, as I hurried down to the first floor of the main building, I encountered an unexpected obstacle.

In front of the stairs leading down, there was a huge sign saying “No Entry.”

Along with it, thick chains were blocking the passage like a spider’s web.

“…”

What in the world is this? There was nothing like this yesterday.

“Internal… repairs?”

I stood there in a daze for a moment until I could finally hear the explanation from the facility manager controlling the scene.

“Has something collapsed?”

“Not really. It’s just a routine inspection and facility maintenance. The main building’s basement, including Building B, is part of this inspection. The cradle has nearly been around for over a hundred years, right? It’s getting old, and water is seeping in here and there…”

The manager said the repairs for the basement of the main building would take at least five days.

For a moment, I felt a rush of impatience, but I quickly calmed down.

Previously, when I had brought up Seol Yujeong’s name to Professor Shin Jae-yu, I had received an instant silence. So, I could only imagine how tight-lipped Professor Kwon Chanyul would be. Even if he was a classmate of the squad leader, speaking out wouldn’t help me if he doesn’t have any information.

In the same vein, I hesitated to mention it to Mok Jinwoo, the branch chief of the Information Bureau. He might even throw a wrench in my plans.

Since I had no one else to turn to for help, I had to investigate on my own anyway. Compared to the three years already passed, five days would be nothing.

Although the expiration date on the key the chairperson gave me would pass, given these circumstances, I assumed they’d renew it willingly.

I tried to look at the situation positively, but… a bigger issue arose from another side.

“All personal training rooms are under repair as well…?”

“Yes. This one also includes expansion work, so it will take longer. At the very least, it’ll take about two weeks…”

The facility manager’s thunderous words left me in darkness. Personal and public training rooms aren’t that different in equipment, so they must have scheduled all repairs at once. Normally, if personal training rooms were under repair, one would just practice in the public training rooms.

But being able to use a wide space completely alone without disruptions is a significant advantage. Plus, it’s an essential factor for me.

I’m already lacking patience and calmness; public training rooms force me to feel the eyes around me. It would be hard for me to concentrate on training.

So, I had been taking advantage of the privilege of personal training rooms granted to the top-ranked students.

What should I do? I can’t just twiddle my thumbs for two weeks. Not to mention skipping training is out of the question unless I’m hospitalized.

Just then, the facility manager, as if sensing my dilemma, cautiously spoke up.

“Um… besides here, there’s also a personal training room in Building A. It’s only one, and the facilities are quite old, but… if a personal training room is essential…”

“Building A…? I’ve never been there.”

“I can guide you. It’s near the main entrance, so you should find it easily. Just go out and turn right…”

The old facilities don’t majorly concern me.

I followed the route the manager provided and headed to the personal training room in Building A.

To the right of the main entrance, close to the massive rampart surrounding the cradle grounds. It’s said to be a building established at the cradle’s founding.

Before long, I easily spotted a building that perfectly matched the manager’s description.

“Catch!”

“Wait… scream!”

In the communal training room on the first floor, a few students were engrossed in mock sparring.

But it seemed like there weren’t many people, likely due to the facilities being quite old. It seemed to be used occasionally by students from the adjacent dormitory.

I carefully walked up the worn-down stairs to the second floor personal training room.

“Oh no…”

However, the only personal training room that wasn’t closed had the “In Use” light turned on.

Hah…! Hah…!

Bang! Boom!

Through the soundproof walls, I could hear someone gasping for breath and the sounds of magic exploding faintly.

I approached the guard, who was sitting in a chair with his chin resting on his hand, half-asleep.

“Excuse me. How long has someone been in the second-floor training room?”

“Cough… cough… Who… oh goodness…!”

The guard jolted awake at the sight of my mask.

“It seems like it’s been about two and a half hours. They just went in for a shift, so that’s almost certain.”

Two and a half hours… They should be coming out soon. I thought I was going to end up regretting this, but I could hardly wait that long.

I sat quietly beside the guard, who seemed to be heading back to his nap, and waited for my turn.

I occasionally wrote letters to the sisters, recalled the strange dream, and speculated about Yeon Minha’s gift.

“…”

However, even after more than an hour had passed, there was still no sign of anyone coming out of the training room.

I felt my irritation beginning to creep in. But this was a justified and sensible annoyance.

Did they rent the place out or something?

After waiting another thirty minutes, my patience finally ran out.

I couldn’t hold it anymore and decided to ignore the “In Use” indicator and stepped into the training room.

If they were just stretching time and slacking… I might just slap them across the face.

Hah…!

Bang! Boom!

Yet inside the training room, the sounds of heavy breathing and explosive magic continued to echo.

And I immediately recognized who was responsible for it.

Shining blonde hair, gleaming green eyes, and a training outfit clinging to her sweat-drenched body.

“…”

As soon as I saw the familiar face of the female student, I couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh reflexively.

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