I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor

Chapter 10

In a study where soft lighting flickered.

“Hmm, hmm-hmm.”

Bottles of liquor decorated on one side added to the ambiance.

It was a room steeped in nostalgia for the past, to the extent that someone with a deep appreciation would instantly recognize the owner's taste.

The middle-aged man sitting on the antique sofa in its center cut the tip of a cigar with a practiced hand and poured whiskey into a glass.

〔H-Help me!〕

And at that moment, a desperate scream echoed from the large, Gothic-style speaker on one wall.

〔Th-This is Reumal. Reumal Planetary Defense Force! Space, no. C-Creatures have invaded! Requesting support! Support!〕

〔Gyaaaaaaaah!〕

The screams piercing through the speaker filled the room.

It was enough to give one goosebumps even if it were merely a performance, yet the middle-aged man simply lit his cigar, calmly humming a tune.

“Hooo.”

From beneath his well-groomed white beard, thick smoke escaped his lips, scattering as if to crumble against the yellow light.

His composed demeanor was even rather chilling, but as if unconcerned by the gazes of others, the middle-aged man simply swirled the glass in his hand, appreciating the screams and cries of the battlefield.

Yes, as if it were a pleasant piece of classical music.

Creeak-.

But that, too, was brief.

The firmly shut door opened, and a female secretary who entered approached the middle-aged man, adjusted her slightly slipped glasses, and said.

“A variable has occurred.”

“Hoho, in a tedious life, variables are a joy. Well, what is it?”

Even in her grave tone, the middle-aged man asked back, completely unconcerned.

Perhaps because of that.

The female secretary, with a face that seemed a bit more composed, delivered her message.

“Jin Crow. He has been lecturing the cadets of the Central Special Mission Military Academy, mentioning the recent incident on Planet Aurum. Shouldn't we find out what he's thinking?”

“Jin Crow did?”

The middle-aged man bit down on the tip of the cigar in his mouth.

One might have thought he was displeased.

But as someone who had assisted him for a very long time, she instantly recognized it as a habit he displayed when deep in thought and remained silent.

〔I-It's over. It’s all ov—*Bang!*〕

Of course, even during that time, the desperate screams of soldiers echoed from the speaker, but neither the middle-aged man nor his secretary paid them any mind.

How long did that strange silence continue?

“I see. So that's what it is.”

“Sir?”

When she questioned his cryptic muttering, the middle-aged man replied with a faint smile on his lips.

“Do you still not understand? This is the answer he sent.”

“……Then?”

“Yes, it seems that even if he was broken, his fundamental nature hasn't gone anywhere.”

The faint smile had now turned into a delight-filled one with admiration.

But unlike the middle-aged man, the female secretary standing beside him spoke cautiously with an even more serious expression.

“Instructor Jin Crow is dangerous. If by some chance he were to change his mind…”

Her words were clearly a loyal warning.

But unlike her, who always wrestled with documents, to the middle-aged man, it was nothing more than a meaningless worry.

Inhale, exhale-.

He blew out acrid smoke between short breaths.

“Karin.”

“Yes.”

“Whatever he does, let's leave him be for the time being.”

“……Yes.”

It was a coercive command without any explanation.

But in that moment, the only option allowed to her was to nod her head.

It was only natural.

There was no way the middle-aged man before her would make a wrong judgment.

It wasn't simple faith, but something that bordered on fanaticism.

〔G-God. P-Please have mercy…….〕

Of course, even during that brief conversation, the requiem, with the soldiers' screams as its melody, continued to play on, endlessly impassive.

***

Idealle's answer came sooner than expected.

Late at night, when he was lost in thought and unable to sleep, his Watch chimed.

[The park behind the quarters. - Idealle]

Jin Crow got up from his bed and slightly raised the blinds.

‘If it’s the park behind…’

It was a park made for the welfare of the instructors, but since they were such busy people, it was sparsely populated, making it a suitable place for a secret meeting in many ways.

Being summoned there implied a great deal.

Swoosh.

He threw on the overcoat he had tossed on a chair and stepped outside.

As he passed through the hallway and down the stairs, the corporal on guard duty asked in a strictly business-like tone.

“To the training grounds, sir?”

“Yes.”

“Understood. Loyalty.”

Since he had been consistently training at dawn for the past few days, there was no particular suspicion.

As he headed towards the back park, his Watch chimed again.

[To the maze garden inside. - Idealle]

Such a cautious woman.

Jin Crow let out an involuntary smirk and headed for the rendezvous point she had designated.

When he reached the maze garden, Idealle, who had arrived beforehand, was silently watching him.

“Jin Crow.”

“Have you made your decision?”

As expected, the instructors who usually accompanied her were not present.

A thought crossed his mind.

Was she aware?

That no matter how much they claimed to follow her of their own free will, to others, they still looked like a small faction of their own.

‘There’s no way she doesn’t know.’

Whether by instinct or calculation, the way she subtly pushed them away suggested she wasn't completely oblivious.

Fwoosh, puff-.

As he put a black cigarette to his lips with that thought, Idealle’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

But that was brief.

Perhaps realizing she had no grounds to scold him since it was clearly a meeting after work hours, she went straight to the point.

“First, I’ll ask. Is all of this the will of the faction behind you?”

“Is that important?”

“It is. If it is, then I will leave this place.”

She wasn't the type to make empty threats.

Knowing this, Jin Crow conveyed his intentions to her as plainly as possible.

“Rosen won't be unaware. But if this incident has displeased them, I too will pay the price.”

“Which means…”

“Yes, this was entirely my own decision.”

An answer didn't come back immediately.

Only Idealle’s characteristic white eyes stared intently at him, as if reading the truth.

But the silence was brief, and soon, a voice mixed with doubt escaped her lips.

“……Why?”

Her narrowed eyes and her question were not without reason.

The large-scale invasion of the Creatures targeting Planet Aurum would later be remembered as a symbolic declaration of war, called the ‘Aurum Shock,’ but for the Idealle of the present, his actions held nothing but risk.

Humans generally react negatively to things they cannot understand.

Perhaps there was another motive.

And Idealle was no different.

“Does the reason matter?”

“What?”

But for now, he couldn't satisfy all of her questions.

One misstep could shatter the delicate balance maintained between suspicion and distrust.

Therefore, the path he chose was to not give her time to think.

“What I proposed wasn't an agreement or cooperation to bare our positions and inner thoughts, but purely a transaction.”

At the same time, he took the black cigarette that had burned down almost to the end from his lips, stubbed it out in a portable ashtray, and took out a micro hard drive from his pocket.

“It's not enough to bring down the Kukenhausen family, but it's information that can at least leave a scratch.”

He said it as if it were no big deal, but being able to inflict even a ‘scratch’ on a corrupt powerhouse like the Kukenhausens, who held so much power and vested interests, was by no means an easy feat.

Whoosh…….

A timely breeze swirled between the two before disappearing.

Idealle’s lips trembled several times as if she were about to say something but held back, and then she finally spat out the words as if exhaling.

“……Yes, that's all it was.”

The emotion in her voice was not simple, but endlessly murky, making it impossible to guess her inner thoughts.

But one thing was certain: she had decided to accept this deal.

“In three days, there will be an instructor's meeting to deliberate on the newly established lecture. Should I support you then?”

“There’s not much else you can do, is there?”

“……Yes, that’s right.”

Only after Idealle’s self-deprecating voice brushed past his ear did he realize he had spoken in a sarcastic tone without meaning to.

But knowing this wasn't the time to worry about such trivial behavior, he stored the micro hard drive he had brought back into his pocket and said.

“Then, I'll be going.”

“……”

At his clean ending, Idealle immediately turned and disappeared beyond the maze garden.

It was only natural, as there was no reason to exit through the same entrance and create gossip.

‘Now, all that's left is Rosen's choice.’

As she had said, Idealle, who had broken away from her family half-willingly and half-unwillingly, could only offer a handful of support.

But would Rosen, who was fighting tooth and nail with other factions for dominance in the original story, just stand by and watch such a good opportunity?

Beep-.

Just then, an alert chimed on his Watch.

[Proceed.]

“The first gamble was a smooth success.”

Seeing the text from a restricted number, he couldn't help but smile with a mixture of relief and satisfaction.

But this was just the beginning.

Complacency was forbidden.

With that thought, he put another cigarette to his lips and turned back the way he came.

If he lingered for a bit before returning, they would just think, ‘Did his training end a little early?’

“……Unbelievable.”

But it was at that very moment.

As he turned his gaze toward a familiar yet chilling voice that brushed past his ear, a lock of red hair peeking out from behind a park tree caught his eye.

Thud-.

Instantly recognizing the owner of the hair, Jin Crow couldn't help but mutter as the cigarette in his mouth fell to the ground.

“Obia?”

“Y-Yes?”

At his low murmur, she peeked her head out as if she had been waiting.

Her movement was rather cheerful, but seeing her flushed expression and trembling red pupils, he couldn't help but have ominous thoughts.

“……Did you hear everything?”

Had he brought his hip flask?

No, before that, he didn't have his sword.

He couldn't cause a disturbance.

But if she had heard about the deal with Idealle…

“Well……. I didn't hear everything. But I'll keep it a secret!”

Jin Crow's eyes darkened.

At the same time, cold sweat poured down his back like crazy.

The person was bad, the situation was bad, and everything was the worst.

Swoosh-.

Because of that, just as he was about to resort to his last option and pull out his hip flask.

“A secret rendezvous late at night, between a notoriously strict superior and her stoic subordinate, who are rumored not to get along…! Kyaaaaaaah!”

Obia muttered with a completely flushed face and then quickly dashed off into the woods.

Thanks to her, Jin Crow could only mutter in a daze.

“……What kind of bullshit is this?”

It seemed things had gotten twisted in a different direction.