Correcting the Villainess of the Academy

The first time I came face to face with that woman was in a strange dream during my stay in the ward after returning from the south.

And then came the Jeokhwa Incident. At the Heukryeon Mansion where I was staying.

I discovered a photo that revealed the woman’s name was Seol Yujeong. She was someone close to the head and her sisters.

Realizing that some of the words spoken by the unknown women in my dream actually happened made everything no longer a trivial matter.

I turned my gaze back to the thick book I was holding.

Relying on the dim light, I slowly began flipping through the pages.

The nomenclature had an unblemished record of the sisters’ past activities. Everything—grades during enrollment, student council positions, requested tasks, interpersonal relations ratings—was all there.

All of them were rated exceptionally well. The records made me realize once again that they were far more outstanding individuals than I had thought.

I had been quietly curious about something. At the beginning of the enrollment, there were many talks about me being the first recommended student in 18 years from Heukryeon; then, who was the previous recommended student before me?

Today, I could find the answer.

“Ah, it was Chae-won noona…”

Unlike now, where I had become an adult worn down by something, the photo of the sisters showed them beaming with bright smiles without any worries about the future.

While flipping through the book, I soon discovered something peculiar.

The head’s record wasn’t found anywhere in that thick book.

Moreover, her name was also absent from the table of contents. No matter how many times I flipped through, I couldn’t find any trace of her.

In a photo I had seen at Heukryeon, she was clearly labeled as the student council president of the 55th class. The picture was even taken with the familiar office of the student council as the backdrop.

The head was undoubtedly a living person. She couldn’t have suddenly become a ghost.

Did she have nothing noteworthy to record because she was too busy goofing around? I seriously doubted that.

“…”

I quickly shook off the questions that dug into my mind.

For now, checking Seol Yujeong’s records should take precedence over the head’s.
The nomenclature of the previous sisters had detailed records of their activities after graduation. It even included participation records from formal suppression battles held in the northeast just a few years ago.

So her activities should naturally be recorded too; after all, she was an active person just three short years ago in the dream’s timeline.

Before I knew it, I reached the last chapter of the nomenclature.

Along with the name Seol Yujeong, a profile of a woman smiling brightly greeted me first.
It was a bit confusing as it overlapped with the wicked smile of the face from my dream, which was so contrary to the good impression.

Gulp—I could hear the sound of saliva sliding down my throat.

I started reading the densely packed small print.

Contrary to her impression, she wasn’t born into a prestigious family. Rather, it seemed she was more of a lower-class citizen who had grown up in the outskirts like me. However, she overcame everything by proving her abilities. Excellent grades, extremely high magical potential, and outstanding interpersonal relations. All evaluations were exceptionally positive, just like the noonas.

Though it mentioned once that she was caught in an inappropriate relationship with a student named ‘OOO’ and suffered heavy punishment… why did it feel like the name was visible?

I casually flipped the pages. What I wanted to know were her activities after graduation, not during enrollment.

I just had to flip one more page to see the section I wanted. My palms were already damp from nervousness.
After confirming this woman’s activities, what should I do next? Should I recklessly interrogate her about her relationship with that soldier woman who crossed the barrier? Or should I report it to the information bureau for emergency capture? But she’s a friend of the head…

“…”

I shook my head to calm the confusion I had just revived.

Thinking could wait.

Verification comes first.

I held the paper with my finger and turned the page.

And then, in the moment I eagerly anticipated the flood of unknown information…

“Eh…?”

I could only let out a foolish sound.

There was only a single line of text written on the empty page.

– Killed in action during mission (Year 21XX, Month X, Day X)

*

“…”

I stared blankly at the empty sheet.

The meaning of the single line was clear. She was someone who no longer existed in this world.

Even amid the shock, I stared at that line of text closely again. But soon, I fell into even greater confusion.

The timing of Seol Yujeong’s death was the problem.

Not weeks ago or months ago, but a whopping 15 years ago.

Enough time had passed for her remains to have returned to the earth long ago.

But… that doesn’t make sense.

The date on the calendar in my dream was definitely three years ago. It matched exactly with when the other woman had disappeared.

The vibrant protagonist of that dream… was someone who had died long ago?

My heated brain refused to process any more thoughts. After sitting blankly for a while, I had no choice but to step out of the archives.

Assuming the dream was real and acting on it had already been somewhat of a stretch… but the idea of a dead person returning to life was even more absurd.

I remembered seeing students asking such questions at the beginning of the semester.

And professors had firmly stated that such a thing was impossible by any magic, not even dark magic.

So what conclusion was reached?

Everything I had done was a waste, and that vivid scene was merely a fleeting dream…?

“…”

Yet, something still bothered me.

Still, the timing of Seol Yujeong’s death.

Fifteen years ago.

There had clearly been another incident around that time.

‘Did the column head say, “Don’t you know about the witch? So fifteen years ago…”’

Suddenly jolted back to the voice of Muyeong that rang in my head, I halted mid-step.

*

“Myaang~”

As soon as I opened the dormitory door, Peanut came running towards me with a cute sound.

I picked up the little Peanut and walked towards my room on the second floor.

But despite the presence I could feel, Yeon Minha didn’t show up. She usually sat waiting for me, so this was odd.

Moreover, her bedroom door was firmly closed.

At the foot of the door, something resembling a luxurious shopping bag lay sprawled out.

“Senior?”

-…Heeuh.

I gently knocked on the door, and an urgent, almost hiccupping sound immediately came from within.

“I’m back. Is something wrong?”

– No, there’s nothing…! It’s all fine…!

Yeon Minha’s voice hurriedly responded. It seems nothing had happened, so I felt relieved for now.

– I’m changing clothes, so if you come in, I’m really going to be mad; I’m not joking…!

“…”

Originally, I had no plans to enter since I knew she was alright. After all, after the previous incident where I let my impulses take over and ended up making things embarrassing for her, I’ve been trying to hold back significantly.

The rustling sound seemed like she was busy with something.

That was a good thing for me. It was much better than having to soothe Yeon Minha, who might glare at me and scold me for showing up this late.

I walked into the room and headed straight for the desk.
I settled Peanut on my lap and pulled out a binder from the drawer.
It was the other binder that Muyeong had given me, which I hadn’t read yet. It contained materials organized for someone like me who had no knowledge about witches.
It compiled old newspaper articles and records into an easy-to-read format.
Seol Yujeong’s death was also fifteen years ago, and the witch incident happened fifteen years ago.

Is it possible that this too is just a coincidence?

I’ve been busy with other matters and had set aside my simple curiosity, but it seemed it was time to confirm what the Witch Incident was about.

I brightened the light and began reading the binder that Muyeong had given me.

“A witch… a term used referring to a large number of criminals who plunged the republic into crisis fifteen years ago…”

…Originally a word first used by media fond of exaggeration and drama, it quickly cemented itself as a proper noun.

The commonality was that they were all women. They possessed immense magical power, rated at Category 1 or higher. And they enjoyed nothing but slaughter and destruction without any room for conversation or negotiation.

There was no known background about their emergence. Initially, they were speculated to be carriers of mutation factors. They simultaneously appeared in various places across the country. Hundreds of settlements in the outskirts or pioneering towns vanished. Eventually, when a mid-sized city was wiped out overnight, even the highest council recognized the seriousness of the situation.

Thus the witch hunt operation commenced. However, it resulted in continuous defeats. Even active experts were helpless against them. Ultimately, they began to emerge even around the Masada metropolitan area’s first satellite city.

“…”

Even just from the text alone, I could tell this was an enormous crisis. It would indeed be strange for anyone not to have heard of this.

And as I continued to read, I stumbled upon another familiar name.

– Former Cradle Student Council President Heukryeon’s Sa Jaehyeok, appointed as the commander of the newly established 66th unit and deployed for the witch hunt operation. His staff are all exceptionally skilled individuals who graduated from Cradle…

– The first victory notice against witches from the 66th unit…

– Continuous reports of successful suppressions from the 66th unit…

– Complete removal of threats in the southwestern region by the 66th unit…

Articles featuring the head’s name prominently.

Even when the situation had become desperate, enough to publicly discuss seeking asylum in Hua Country beyond the western seas, the tide of war completely changed with his appearance.

He could arguably be called a savior based on his achievements. Even when gathering others’ suppression records, it barely compared to the results of the 66th unit.

Based on the head’s overwhelming magical power, he exterminated dozens of witches, leaving only one remaining.

“Eh?”

I soon discovered strange articles in the following paragraph.

– Missing former Cradle Vice President Seol Yujeong found deceased…

– Heukryeon’s Sa Jaehyeok arrested in an emergency. Admitted to violating the arcane pact. Current head Paecheon’s Baek Yujeong discovered at the scene in a ghastly state. Maintaining silence regarding the motive for the crime…

– The Black Lion’s Sa Daeryong announced his shocking withdrawal… Expressing intent to step down from all positions as he feels responsible…

– Sentenced to record erasure for violating the arcane pact, Sa Jaehyeok, with Paecheon’s Baek Il-yong infuriated and expressing intent to appeal…

“…”

The materials Muyeong passed to me ended on that page.

After reading the entire thick binder, I took a moment to organize my thoughts.
The Seol Yujeong from my dream was a person who had already been discovered dead fifteen years ago, and the head had received a sentence of record erasure for the murder of Paecheon’s heir. His name was erased from the nomenclature of Cradle, and Heukryeon stepped down from the highest council as an apology for the head’s actions…

However, the most shocking part was the unexpected records about the head.
If the contents written in the articles are true… it feels like I can understand Principal’s words, “The head has a special grudge against him,” a little better now.
Considering he killed the heir, it’s only natural to bear a grudge.
I don’t think the incident itself was recorded falsely. The important thing is the motive.
It’s true that the head might seem like a delinquent. But he’d never take someone’s life without a reason.
Is this why the head and the noonas concealed the existence of witches, which I had come to see as common sense? Were they worried I might learn about his past…?

“…”

I shook my head. No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t seem like people afraid of having their dirty laundry aired would keep quiet.
I felt like there was probably a different reason.
Just one thread.
For some reason, I felt that if I could touch that one thread, I could resolve all my doubts. The head’s past, the strange woman from the dream, and possibly… even my still-unknown powers.
But that thread had broken off.
Maybe the principal knows all the details. After all, she must have been well aware of the head’s past.
With her inexplicably kind demeanor, she might have sincerely wished to unravel my questions, unlike Professors Shin and Kwon.
The issue is that she is currently far away in the south.

“Ha…”

I learned a lot, but the core information is still missing.
Feeling a bit frustrated, I gently petted Peanut while sitting on my knees, speaking to myself.

“Aren’t you curious?”

“Myaang~”

Peanut seemed to respond, crying, and like always, licked my lips with her tongue.

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