An Angel Lives in the Academy
Chapter 42: The Angel Walks Outside (2)

Episode 42

What was the word that best described Yumari? If people had to choose just one, they would undoubtedly choose the word 'perfect'.

The daughter of the Seocheon Yu, a renowned Awakener family, and a descendant of dragons… her bloodline was perfect.

There was no need to even mention her beauty.

Already at a level where she could compete with professional models, perfect.

The top student of the Central Academy entrance exam and currently boasting the most overwhelming skills among the first-year martial arts students, her strength was perfect.

Moreover, despite being born into a noble family, she had a clean record, with no gossip worthy of appearing in the news or newspapers.

Even her personality was perfect?

However, Yumari, as she emerged from the waiting room, seemed somewhat awkward.

Where had her usual perfect composure gone, leaving behind a somewhat clueless demeanor, she seemed almost clumsy, kind of like Soya?

'Soya would be furious if she heard that. She'd yell, "That's black magic hate!"'

Leffrey apologized to Soya in his heart.

Then he asked Yumari,

"Mari, are you feeling unwell?"

"...No."

"Then let's go."

Leffrey, grabbing Yumari's hand without further ado, headed somewhere. Yumari couldn't help but ask again,

"Wh-Where are we going?"

"To the headquarters managing this event."

In truth, the Central Superhuman Academy had many similarities to ordinary schools. Except for the scary professors and the incredibly difficult classes.

Even the Blessing of the Spirits, if you think of it as a sports festival held at ordinary schools… wouldn't it be somewhat similar?

And when ordinary schools held such events, usually...

...a place called the 'student council' manages the event.

Then who would manage the Blessing of the Spirits?

Naturally, the Central Superhuman Academy's student council.

And the student council president of the Central Superhuman Academy was none other than Yu Si-hyun, Yumari's half-sister.

"What exactly are you planning to do?"

"Something bad."

Leffrey, holding Yumari's hand, confidently entered the tent headquarters of the Blessing of the Spirits.

Naturally, several student council executives were having a serious discussion there. Yumari, who had become even more popular during this Blessing of the Spirits, probably must have made Yu Si-hyun furious and given the student council executives a good scolding.

To somehow resolve this situation.

"Hello, everyone?"

Leffrey greeted them with an angelic smile.

The student council executives only then looked at Leffrey.

"You... you're the one on Yumari's team... Hmm, first-year, this place is off-limits to outsiders. Please leave."

"Ah, I see. I apologize."

Despite saying that, Leffrey, of course, didn't leave.

"I said, leave."

"Well, but…"

Leffrey asked with a smile,

"Why are you managing the event so unfairly?"

"What?"

"Even if you received orders from the student council president, isn't it shameful to be bullying one person like this?"

Finally, the student council executives grasped the situation.

"First-year, you seem to be mistaken about something..."

"I'm not mistaken. I've already heard everything from those involved."

Well, it was from a spirit, not a human.

'There's no hesitation at all. Are they certain that those involved will never betray them?'

Leffrey thought.

Perhaps, excluding spirit king Naiad, those involved were all student council members. Then to be certain that those student council members wouldn't betray them...

'Student council president Yu Si-hyun...'

She was a truly scary woman.

Student council president Yu Si-hyun.

"Hey, junior. Stop probing."

Another student council executive shook his head.

"I don't know how you came to suspect us, but we did our best to conduct the event fairly."

"You're saying that after witnessing the Reflection Flower incident?"

"It was a mistake. A series of unfortunate coincidences."

Look at their shamelessness.

Leffrey's hands trembled.

"What about the people who signed up for Yumari's team and then switched to other teams the night before? They were all intimately connected to the student council president."

"It's a coincidence. The student council president is acquainted with many students due to her position. By that logic, half of the students at our academy are acquainted with the president, so you'll suspect all of them?"

"Then why was Yumari's cooking ingredients the only one ruined among all the ingredients stored by the student council?"

"That was also revealed to be the act of students who switched to other teams. It seems they ruined the ingredients out of spite, since the remaining team members couldn't use them after the team disbanded."

"Then what about the incident where a magical studies student, who is acquainted with the student council, handed the Reflection Flower to Yumari?"

"According to our investigation, that student truly believed that the Reflection Flower was an edible ingredient. Of course, even though it was a mistake, it's a major incident, so they will be brought before the disciplinary committee."

Their answers were seamless. So seamless that it was suspicious.

'They probably practiced their answers beforehand.'

One of the student council executives muttered as if casually mentioning it,

"Of course, it was a mistake, so there won't be any major disciplinary action..."

Smirk-

The student council executives were mocking Leffrey.

"You have no conscience. You..."

At that moment, Leffrey felt Yumari's hand.

As if to say it couldn't be helped, she gently shook her head.

'This is how things are. Leffrey.'

She mouthed those words.

Leffrey replied in kind,

'Nothing is how things are.'

Leffrey calmed his rising anger and...

Continued in a calm voice,

"Promise me this and I'll leave. Can you swear, in the name of the student council, that there was no foul play in this event?"

"Yes."

"And if any foul play is revealed... will student council president Yu Si-hyun personally apologize and compensate Mari?"

Sudden silence fell.

The student council executives looked at each other... then, after a moment, the one who appeared to be their leader said "Yes."

Leffrey, hearing that answer, smiled brightly.

"I'm going to turn on the TV."

Leffrey suddenly turned on the TV and changed the channel to a news channel. And all the news channels were covering the same news as a special report.

That news was spirit king Naiad's press conference.

"This is reporter Kim Chan-ho from KB Daily. Spirit King-nim, are you saying that this Blessing of the Spirits was essentially rigged?"

"That's right. The student council promised me worldly wealth and power... so I changed this Blessing of the Spirits to their liking."

Mumble mumble-

The press conference hall descended into chaos with that sudden statement.

"This is reporter Lee Yoo-rin from MCB. Then could it be that this Reflection Flower incident was also...?"

"Yes. The fact that so many Reflection Flowers were gathered in one place... and the fact that the Reflection Flower was delivered to Yumari... were all due to the collusion between the student council president and myself."

Thus, the spirit king calmly confessed her wrongdoing.

Leffrey, watching the scene, clenched his fist.

'As expected of the spirit king. I knew I could trust you!'

⟨Saving a spirit king's life is truly an angelic act!⟩

⟨You have gained a large amount of Angelic Power.⟩

⟨Preventing an unfair punishment inflicted upon a future hero is truly an angelic act!⟩

⟨You have gained a large amount of Angelic Power.⟩

He gained Angelic Power by making Naiad repent.

He gained Angelic Power because Naiad, who repented, confessed her wrongdoing.

He gained Angelic Power by saving Naiad's life because she confessed her wrongdoing.

And he gained even more Angelic Power because Yumari wouldn't be punished due to Naiad's press conference.

'This is the Leffrey-style angelic domino effect!'

He was truly a power-crazed an…

No, a power-crazed domino effect driven by good deeds.

"Leffrey."

Yumari's expression didn't look good.

Why would she look unhappy despite gaining so much power?

'Ah, right. I'm the only one who gained power.'

Leffrey looked at Yumari and asked,

"Why?"

"You shouldn't antagonize the student council. They're dangerous."

Leffrey could only laugh.

He shouldn't antagonize the student council.

He's antagonizing the student council because they're the student council.

Why?

Because the student council gives a lot of Angelic Power.

⟨Confronting a powerful force to uphold justice is an angelic act!⟩

⟨You have gained Angelic Power.⟩

⟨Confronting a powerful force to uphold justice is an angelic act!⟩

⟨You have gained Angelic Power.⟩

'Wow, I'm getting so much Angelic Power just from confronting the student council.'

Leffrey decided that he had to farm Angelic Power from the student council a lot in the future. There weren't many factions that were both moderately strong and bad.

"I know it's dangerous."

And the student council's specialty was only wielding power within the academy. And who were the true owners of this academy?

The professors, of course.

And who was the current angel who had a professor's backing?

'It seems like it's me...'

Leffrey noticed something suspicious on the portal sites. There wasn't a single mention of his past in any of the articles about this Blessing of the Spirits.

The only things written about Leffrey were…

Cute, kind.

A super handsome boy.

His appearance is that of an angel, but his skills are that of a devil...

So basically, a complete Lucifer.

Such cringeworthy things.

'This content... it's similar to that cringeworthy book Professor Park Jin-ho wrote...'

So Leffrey was able to grasp the truth with a rational deduction. Somehow, he didn't know what kind of method the professors used, but… they completely erased all mentions of his past from the public.

'...They truly are scary professors.'

Those words were truly accurate.

Anyway, the professors were the owners of this academy, and the student council was just a group of students.

No matter how much the students acted up, it was all within the professors' grasp.

So why would Leffrey be afraid?

That's why he could say this to Yumari,

"I have to do this."

Of course, Leffrey meant "I have to do this (to gain Angelic Power)." But Yumari interpreted it as...

'He has to do this suicidal act... of confronting the student council... to save me...'

And Yumari bit her lip.

This boy, who is sacrificing so much for her, she ended up harboring a despicable desire of 'wanting to possess him' as a dragon. Even Yumari, who had killed her emotions, felt a sense of guilt.

'I want him even more.'

'Shut up.'

'Leffrey knew my true nature from the moment we met. That I interact with people through acting. That there's nothing but emptiness within this heart.'

The dragon within her heart mocked Yumari.

'But Leffrey is sacrificing this much for me. Now, the only one who treats me so well even after knowing my despicable true nature is him. Only him.'

Yumari's horns grew slightly.

She bit her tongue, trying to drive away that voice with pain.

'He's the only family we have left.'

And with that pain, the dragon's voice disappeared like an echo.

'If we don't hurry, we’ll lose him.'

'Just like mother.'

Yumari, barely suppressing her dragon instincts, looked at the chaos unfolding in the headquarters.

"Then have Yu Si-hyun come and apologize to Mari personally."

Leffrey's voice was slightly raised.

It meant he was enjoying himself.

This is how enjoyable bullying truly is.

"...Do you have any proof?"

A flustered student council executive muttered.

Then the other executives also agreed.

"That's right. What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Go back. Can't you see we're busy?"

But Leffrey wasn't fazed by their denials.

"Hey guys! They want proof!"

And the first-year martial arts students emerged from the tent, lifting the flaps. They also had bright smiles on their faces.

Each of them held a superhuman camcorder in their hands. They brought it to film Leffrey's heroic deeds, the mascot of the martial arts department... but somehow, it ended up being used like this.

"Wow, seniors. We heard everything."

"This video quality is great, right? They say you have to use a superhuman camcorder even inside dungeons these days because the quality is so clear."

"Seniors, you're too much. How could you try to screw over our cute Leff... no, our classmate Yumari like this..."

Watching the first-year martial arts students chattering, one of the student council executives muttered,

"We're fucked."