Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Memorial Service (4)

The girl’s voice carried a chill that seemed capable of freezing the air.

Throwing a piece of paper with something drawn on it at the black mage, who had been struck dumb by her presence, she watched as he picked it up.

T h is was c o p ie d f r o m kin g m t l . o r g
It was a partially drafted magic formula, cobbled together from the traces left at the scene, where only ashes, debris, and a ring remained.
T h i s wa s co p i e d f r o m ki ng mtl . o r g

Normally, it would have been impossible to reconstruct anything, but her magical talent allowed her to see even the faintest traces of particles.

“This, this is…”

“Do you know what this magic formula is?”

“…Yes. Cough…!”

Seoyeon’s fists clenched reflexively at his answer.

Aside from cleaning up the trash, today’s visit also aimed to answer some lingering questions.

“This is… military magic… Great Flame of the Sky… Cough…!”

But at his next words, Seoyeon’s thoughts came to a halt.

“Military… magic?”

“Cough…! Yes… it’s hard to see clearly, but it’s very similar to ones I’ve seen… Cough!”

She could no longer tolerate his lies.

Immediately, she conjured a thick spear of light from the air and drove it into his hand, making the brazen black mage scream like a writhing shrimp.

“Ahhh…! Ahhh! Ahhh!”

“Dirty criminal scum!! How dare you deceive me with such nonsense! This magic formula was found at the scene of your victims! Trying to pin your crimes on someone else!!”

“I-I’m not lying! I recognized it from traces left by my comrades… Cough!! This isn’t a magic we use!! Ahhh!!”

Seoyeon’s fierce demeanor began to waver as she sensed the sincerity in his words.

“Hah… Hah… Cough, cough…!!”

With the black mage spewing blood, Seoyeon pressed an ice spear to his neck.

“Tell me everything you know about this magic.”

“Hah… Cough!! Believe me… Great Flame of the Sky is a military magic only issued to the national army… It’s locked, so even if outsiders recognize the magic formula, they can’t use it…”

The once-dominant leader of a criminal syndicate now desperately babbled like a child caught in wrongdoing.

“And it takes a long time to draft, so… Cough! It’s not suited for hitmen like us… Cough, cough!!”

“You’d better not be lying.”

“In this situation, why would I lie? Please believe me… Cough…! As Paechun’s young lady, you surely have ways to cross-verify this… Cough!”
T h i s w a s co p i e d f ro m k i n gm t l . o r g

Seoyeon could find no errors in his words. After a pause, she asked him one last question.

“…The purpose?”

“Cough…! It’s a torture spell that inflicts maximum pain and death on the victim…”

“What…”

Her vision darkened momentarily. She barely held herself up with superhuman willpower.

Seoyeon stood there silently for a long time, while the criminal, coughing endlessly, watched her warily.

With her head hanging low, Seoyeon turned and headed towards the corridor.

The black mage’s face lit up with hope at this unexpected stroke of luck.

-Swish!

But his face twisted in pain as a heavy sensation struck his chest.

Looking down with difficulty, he saw a large magical spear embedded precisely in his heart.

“Cough…! Ugh…! Wh-why…!”

“…That doesn’t change the fact that you tried to kill him.”

“Urgh…”

The black mage died with a groan, and Seoyeon staggered down the frozen corridor.

Before she could reach the exit, she collapsed to the ground.

“Ah…”

A groan of confusion escaped her lips, soon turning into a wail of sorrow and grief that echoed through the corridor.

“Ah… Ugh… Ahhh… Ugh…”

Clutching the burnt ring in both hands, she thought of the boy who had died in agony.

She couldn’t even fathom what he must have felt.

Without a chance to atone, he had left her side in an instant.

After sobbing for a while, Seoyeon finally gathered herself, her thoughts accelerating once more.

According to military documents, the boy had been attacked and killed by a group of wandering raiders, with the army arriving too late and killing the raiders afterward.

However, this didn’t match what she knew to be true.

Why did they falsify the documents?

The 66th Crow Squadron, which happened to be in the area at the time, was responsible for suppressing the black mage and recording his death.

The commander of the 66th Crow Squadron was Sa Jaehyuk of Heukryeon.

Everything she knew about him was overwhelmingly negative.

Once appearing reformed, he eventually reverted to his rogue nature. A fallen student council president.

And if the operations were hindered…

“…he would kill civilians as well.”

Recalling this fact, Seoyeon’s eyes trembled.

Moreover, Heukryeon and Jeokhwa were known to maintain close ties.

Could all this be a coincidence? Was it really a coincidence that someone closely associated with them arrived in the boy’s hometown, who was targeted by Jeokhwa?

Was it really a coincidence that military magic traces were found on his body?

“…”

Seoyeon bit her lip and staggered through the frozen corridor.

Her task was clear. There was only one fact she was certain of.

Th i s w as c o pied fro m k i n g m t l . o r g
He had died in agony and loneliness, and it was all her fault.

The girl was no longer weak. The power dynamics had completely reversed, and she was now a beautiful and powerful figure.

Her innate talent had quickly reached fruition, and those who followed her swarmed around like clouds.

But it was all just an empty shell of a life.

*

T h i s w a s c op ie d f r o m k i n g m tl . o rg
Seasons passed, and the fickle spring returned to her once more.
T h i s was co pied f ro m k i n g m t l .o r g

Young mages who had just awakened applied to Cradle, whether they were ready or not. Seniors busily activated their information networks to find promising and talented allies.

T hi s wa s c o pi e d fr o m k i ng m t l. or g
Baek Seoyeon was no exception.

She muttered as she sifted through a preliminary list she had obtained from the administration office.

“Yu Jinhyun…”

A male student admitted to Cradle with Heukryeon’s recommendation for the first time in 18 years. His origin was a southern frontier. Aside from the lack of a photo on his application, there was nothing unusual in his profile.

However, she had gathered confidential information about him through Paechun’s military contacts, suspecting something was off. And her instincts were correct.

His true identity was a former soldier of the 66th Crow Squadron. He enlisted two years ago.

A notable point was that despite a short military service, he had an impressive record of slaughtering numerous demons, beasts, and bandits.

Additionally, his brutality and cruelty repeatedly flagged by superiors were noteworthy.

The most crucial point was his enlistment date, a few months before the boy’s death. He could have been at the scene.

Or… he could have been directly involved.

-Clench…

Seoyeon clenched her teeth, trying to calm herself.

With no way to get to Sa Jaehyuk, the best approach was to make Yu Jinhyun spill the truth somehow.

But despite her constant smiling facade, she couldn’t muster the confidence to act.

She would try, but just thinking about his potential involvement filled her with rage.

***

Although it took some wandering beyond her brother’s directions, Seoyeon and her collaborator, Choi Ireh, managed to locate the storage site.

T h is w a s c op i ed fr o m k in g mt l. o r g
There were all the documents and evidence he had mentioned.

Details of Jeokhwa’s collaboration with demons and evidence of their research into forbidden Interference System mental magic.

Even more shocking was the illegal human experimentation conducted as part of their research.

The recent mutant outbreak in Sector B-143 of the capital.

It was the result of failed experiments at a lab owned by their company, Hogyung Industries, leading to an accidental escape.

This incident was even reported to Cradle by the Security Bureau overseeing the area.

Hogyung Industries couldn’t have reported it themselves, as it risked exposing their illegal experiments.

But the escaped mutants caught the Security Bureau’s attention, leading them to request Cradle for stabilization without knowing the full story.

And the Cradle team assigned to the case was led by the masked student recommended by Heukryeon.

Realizing this, Seoyeon’s suspicions deepened.

“This, this is…”

Choi Ireh, who was with her, couldn’t hide her shock as she reviewed the documents.

“No matter how much faith I have in you, Seoyeon, to think they actually did this…”

“…Ireh. Where are those two now?”

Ireh, understanding whom Seoyeon referred to, nodded.

“They left Cradle two days ago for a mentoring group activity. Officially, it’s a visit to Hogyung Industries, but they likely went to Jeokhwa’s estate.”

“…Perfect.”

Inside Cradle, emergency provisions could not be applied due to special law.

It was an opportunity granted by the heavens. Seoyeon closed her eyes and gathered her thoughts.

The most troublesome individuals in Cradle were those two.

First, Yu Jinhyun.

His suspected involvement in the boy’s death was enough reason.

T h is w a s c opi e d f r o m k i ng m t l . o r g
Moreover, every encounter with him invoked an inexplicable sense of déjà vu, which only added to her discomfort.

His demeanor, his small gestures—even his way of speaking.

And then, Yeon Minha.

The one who constantly thwarted her efforts to establish her own power within Cradle.
T h i s w a s c op ie d from k in gmt l .o r g

She was distinctively brutal and arrogant.

Thinking of how much effort she had put into hiding her own nature over the years made Seoyeon feel as if she were looking into a mirror.

She was also the type of person the deceased boy detested most.

Moreover, as the heir of the family directly responsible for his death, the hatred she felt now was beyond words.

Yeon Minha’s sudden improvement also fueled her suspicions.

Perhaps they had found a way to overcome the Spiritmage’s Curse using Interference System magic through their collaboration with demons.

And the foundation for this was laid through their collusion and illegal experiments, sacrificing countless innocents.

Whether it was personal vengeance or something else, there was no reason to leave them be.

“…Ireh. How many soldiers can you mobilize?”

“…What? But…”

“You saw it too. If we delay, there could be more victims. Who knows what other schemes they’re plotting with the demons.”

Though initially surprised, Choi Ireh quickly understood Seoyeon’s intent and nodded.

As heirs of their respective prestigious families, they also had the authority to mobilize their family and company soldiers.

According to the gathered materials, the Jeokhwa estate only maintained routine security.

They wouldn’t be able to fend off a surprise attack from two families.

“Mobilize every soldier you can. I’ll do the same.”

“Got it.”

“Now. We must hurry. If the Intelligence Bureau catches wind of this, who knows what obstacles they’ll place. With clear evidence in our hands, preemptive action followed by a report should pose no problem.”

Baek Seoyeon hurried forward.

In the flickering shadows, her face bore a complex mixture of emotions.

Sadness and rage.

Regret and remorse.

And an overwhelming sense of self-loathing.

“Jeokhwa… is finished.”

End of Chapter