All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 30

30. I Do Too – 2

Ignoring Ian’s gaze, he continued speaking nonchalantly.

“How do you think we should resolve this issue, Chairman?”

“Guarding peace is no easy task. Always strive for it.”

“Is that so? I understand. I sincerely appreciate your advice.”

“Then, I’ll be on my way. And if you tell me their names, I’ll speak to them separately.”

“As you say, Chairman, I will try harder.”

Rachid nodded and turned his eyes back to the documents. The two of them went outside.

“Why did you say that?”

“I still suspect that guy.”

“We already did the inspection, didn’t we?”

“Not completely. Inside the heavy armor, they might wear inner armor for protection against killing intent. There’s also underwear and other equipment.”

Ian replied firmly, and Haryun couldn’t say anything more.

After walking in silence for a moment, he opened his mouth slightly.

“What you said earlier, was that to provoke him? If Chairman Rachid is really related to a demon, you were trying to make him attack you for suspecting him?”

“That’s right. You caught on?”

“I’m Haryun Salt. This much awareness is basic.”

“Anyway, I’ve planted the bait, so I need to prepare myself as well.”

“Are you going to show everyone that Chairman Rachid is related to a demon?”

“I’ll get more out of it that way.”

“True. The opponent is the chairman of the Academy, after all. Even if we discover him with something related to a demon now, the instructors will thoroughly deny it and try to protect him, just as you said.”

The reward given to Ian would be greatly reduced.

Perhaps all he would get is a useless shop or a meager reward.

To avoid that, Ian deliberately gave Rachid time to move.

“Amazing. I’m curious how big your liver is [a Korean expression for being brave/audacious]. If it’s real, you’ll have to fight a demon contractor, right?”

“That’s nothing.”

“What if it’s not the Chairman but someone else?”

“That’s unlikely.”

And even if things go wrong and he doesn’t find a demon, it doesn’t matter.

They are conducting a demon verification on four people, including their equipment.

Considering the solar energy he will gain in the process, it was not a loss for Ian.

Of course, his reputation might be slightly tarnished, but he didn’t care about that.

“Then what if he doesn’t come? No, what if he tries to hide things related to the demon?”

“It doesn’t matter because I can investigate in other ways.”

There are plenty of ways to investigate.

‘Kirke. Monitor Rachid’s surroundings. Report immediately if he moves.’

“Haryun. There’s something I need you to do.”

At Ian’s words, Haryun replied as if he had been waiting.

“I’ll do anything.”

* * *

Rachid sighed deeply.

Due to the increased workload since the beginning of this semester, he hadn’t been able to pay much attention, but the problems with the students within the Academy had increased even more.

The information in the investigation reports was greatly shaking Rachid’s heart.

‘Why are they doing this? Why do they bully those weaker than themselves? That kind of thing is what erodes peace…….’

He believed that there must be a reason why people have intelligence.

And he thought that reason was to maintain peace, to care for and help others.

But the world was not accepting it.

“My brother and mother, too……”

Bominda envied, attacked, and disliked him for being able to do everything easily.

Even though he had no interest in the throne, Bominda was always afraid and rejected him.

That’s why he refused the royal family’s teachings and took up a sword.

Later, he happened to catch the eye of Overlord Gust, became his disciple, and rose to the rank of Master.

After that, he told Bominda.

The reason he took up the sword was simply to achieve peace.

But Bominda couldn’t believe it and eventually sent him to the Academy.

It was to prevent him from building power within the kingdom.

When he accepted it and came to the Academy, he was even more disappointed.

Even in the Academy, which commemorated the hero who sought peace, there was no ideal that Rachid desired.

Only those who sought their own gain by suppressing and tormenting others.

Only those who tried to disrupt the peace were overflowing.

After a long time, only the shell of the value left by the hero remained in the Academy.

That’s why he wanted to change it.

The people produced by the Academy are all elites who have received excellent lessons.

What if those people learned the ideology of valuing peace and spread it to the continent?

The world he wanted could be created.

That’s why he worked hard every day.

But even so.

“……Why doesn’t it change?”

Wasn’t it getting worse as time went on?

He recalled the story that another problem had occurred in the intermediate class and bit his lip tightly.

‘And even the demon problem…….’

The amount of work is increasing.

There are many things to process and many agendas to organize.

He was getting tired of the pressure, but he couldn’t stop.

Let’s quickly pack up and do today’s training simply, then finish the work he couldn’t do.

He will prepare as soon as the other students return and go to the temple.

There was no time to spare to match that time.

Rachid shook his head greatly to concentrate and opened the drawer to take out his inner armor, dagger, and other equipment.

At that moment.

-The method is just wrong.

A voice was heard from the inner armor he was holding.

“……Did you say that?”

-Yes.

“So there was a demon. Ian was right.”

As Rachid was about to take the inner armor and leave, a soft voice like Willis’s rang out.

-Listen to me before you go.

“I have no story to share with a demon.”

-Don’t just hate demons, okay? We just have different perspectives. Hey.

The demon inside the inner armor whispered in a very sweet tone.

-Do you know the story that acting evil is better than just talking about justice?

“Tell that kind of sound at the Sun Temple.”

-Haha. That’s not bad either. But listen. You should listen at least once. If it goes according to my words……

He paused for a moment and then said with conviction.

-The true peace you want will be achieved.

At that sweet voice, Rachid, who was heading to the temple, stopped walking.

And after hesitating for a moment, he said with difficulty.

“……Only during training.”

-Did you want to show off how great you are that much?

-Why? Why don’t you just step up and say you’ll be the successor?

-If only you weren’t here!!

Rachid swung his sword, trying to ignore the cries echoing in his head.

King Korza Scarlet and Queen Bledin wanted their eldest son, Bominda, to ascend to the throne.

To them, the talented Rachid was nothing short of a curse.

Rachid was not the child they wanted.

He was just a son born through a marriage for political reasons.

Korza accepted the Icebin County, a large noble family in the Scarlet Kingdom, to stabilize his power.

Willie from that family entered the royal family as the second queen, gave birth to Rachid, and died less than ten years later.

The official cause of death was a disease that was prevalent at the time.

But the opinion of Rachid’s maternal family, the Icebin County, was different.

Poisoning.

They claimed she was assassinated.

And they always told Rachid.

That he must avenge those who killed his mother.

And the more they did, the more Korza, Bledin, and Bominda hated him.

They thought that the Icebin County was trying to take over the Scarlet Kingdom by putting Rachid forward.

Only Rachid, caught in between, suffered from checks and balances.

‘I had no interest in power. Only the peace that my mother wished for…….’

-You are not powerless. You just don’t know how to use it.

As the voice echoed in his head, Rachid smashed the log in the training ground with one blow.

-You know, right?

Among the lower-class students, those who bullied the same class students were badly beaten by someone.

No, not only that.

-Senior student Brad was going around the shopping district outside the village and collecting money as he pleased. Intermediate student Ortias was harassing the villagers. What about Widimore? What about Alkreitz? Don’t you know all these stories?

All of them have been seriously injured in the last few days.

-I helped a little while you were asleep. But in the end, you did it with your own hands.

Would an Academy student be injured so badly that they would have to rest for a month just because they were hit by a falling iron plate?

Would their leg break just because they fell into a pit?

Widimore too.

Alkreitz too.

They were all injured strangely severely.

-How is it? The peace you couldn’t achieve with your method was achieved as soon as I helped you.

The shops that had to pay money to Brad while he was resting after being hit by an iron plate falling from the roof would gain peace.

The villagers would be at peace while Ortias, who broke his leg, was being treated.

The lower-class wizards that Widimore was harassing would be able to enjoy peace for the time being.

What about the others?

Strong sanctions accompanied by violence created peace, albeit temporarily.

“……Is evil also helpful?”

He, who had been silent throughout the training, opened his mouth.

The voice was delighted and replied.

-Only evil can catch evil. Do you want to achieve peace? To do that, you need acting evil.

“……But I have no intention of selling my soul to a demon.”

-Soul? I don’t need that kind of thing.

“Then what is your purpose?”

-Well, it’s not the time to talk about that now. Why don’t you find out about my power first?

“What is it?”

-My shadow will hide your evil. Also, if I want to hide, no one can recognize me. The Sun Order? The Moon Order? Those guys won’t notice me.

Even when the mission was over and they returned.

Even when the priests of the Sun Order came.

No one noticed that there was a demon in this inner armor.

No, only one person.

Only Ian was suspicious.

“That’s only until today. If the Sun Order investigates with determination, it will be caught soon.”

-I guess so.

The demon, who answered obediently, continued.

-Then, are you going to say this to those who have been suffering until now? The peace you have is what the demon has achieved, so don’t expect the next one?

“……That’s.”

At that moment, Rachid’s shoulders trembled, and the demon inside the inner armor noticed it.

-Rachid. You have been advocating peace to people until now, right? But don’t you know that forcing your ideology is also evil and violence?

“……I.”

The hand is already dirty.

What’s wrong with adding physical violence to it?

If you can achieve the desired ideal, isn’t it a good thing?

As the sweet temptation continued, Rachid wavered.

-Why hesitate? If it’s the same evil, isn’t it better to have an evil that can achieve the ideal?

At that moment, Rachid bit his lip.

It was a temptation he would have ignored normally.

But it was enough to shake him, who was exhausted from continuous hard work and disappointment.

As a gap formed in his heart, the demon moved.

The black shadow that continued to sway covered Rachid’s body.

Soon, the sword and body.

As everything that could recognize him was covered in shadow, the demon said sweetly.

-I am the Shadow Demon Voladi. Darkness is my domain. No one can catch me. And…….

Rachid’s body moved.

Voladi suggested to him, who was rushing out.

-No one will be able to cut the shadow. Come on. Rachid. Make a contract with me and become the incarnation of peace.

‘I have no intention of making a contract.’

-Then, let’s just call it a provisional contract and taste what my power is like.

When he was about to pass through the empty lot near the intermediate dormitory after leaving the training ground.

A cold voice was heard behind Rachid.

“Halt, suspicious person. Stop. Hands up. I’ll cut you if you move.”

He slowly turned his head and was startled.

‘That guy is…….’

It was definitely Ian, the representative of Class B, whom he had seen earlier.

-That guy seems to be aware of me. Let’s get rid of him.

‘I refuse. Ian is not an enemy in my standards.’

The moment Voladi spoke and Rachid refused.

“The shadow moved.”

Ian swung his sword mercilessly.

The shadow disappeared halfway with that blow, and Rachid’s face was revealed.