The Cult Leader in the Clergy Academy

Chapter 243

Seeing me lying down in the hallway, Ye-Jin said, "...First, let's get you treated."

I lifted my head and silently gazed at her for a moment. I could see that she was concerned about me.

Considering the state I was in, it was quite natural for her to be worried. After all, my face was covered in blood, and there was quite a bit of blood on my school uniform. However, seeing her worried for me felt really strange.

I had seen Ye-Jin not too long ago, during the battle when I was helping Yuk Eun-Hyung's mercenary corps.

However, the Ye-Jin that I saw back then and the Ye-Jin I was seeing right now were completely different, and the me from back then and the me right now were also completely different, so everything felt strange and unfamiliar.

I got up and left as if I was running away.

I arrived at the nurse's office, and the school nurse, whom I often saw at the beginning of the semester, said, "What... what on earth happened?"

Upon seeing my bloody face, she quickly jumped out of her seat in surprise and examined my condition. She let out a deep sigh.

I smiled faintly. "I got into a fight."

"With whom...? No, never mind. First, let's get you treated..."

The nurse fumbled around for a moment and then brought bandages and ointment. She also brought something resembling disinfectant, cotton, and a wet cloth.

She wiped away the dried blood on my face. While treating me, the nurse continuously sighed.

"The wound isn't too severe. It's just bleeding a lot... Do you feel dizzy or anything?"

"A little."

"I’ve only done emergency first aid for now, so go to the hospital right away."

"Okay."

As I was about to leave the nurse's office after the treatment, the nurse grabbed me and said, "You."

The nurse’s voice was low. It didn't seem like she was going to say something nice. When I turned my head in her direction, the nurse sighed deeply and said, "You’re not going to the hospital again, right?"

"..."

"You might recover quickly at the moment because your body is strong... But who knows what might happen later? Make sure to go today."

I had nothing to say, so I kept my mouth shut. Whenever I got injured at the academy, I always received emergency first aid at the nurse's office and didn't go to the hospital. It was because the restoration spell was enough to recover from those injuries.

Above all, I was afraid of the hospital records.

Last time, when Ji-Ah went to Yuk Eun-Hyung's mercenary corps and got injured due to getting swept up in battle, she didn't go to the hospital. She said that if there were records, they could be used as a clue for tracking.

Like her, I was also using a disguise. If I left too many hospital records, they could be used as a clue for tracking me down. Moreover, Joseph was currently suspecting me. It was better not to leave any records, including hospital records, if possible.

"Understood," I answered, and then left the nurse's office.

Despite saying that, I still had no intention of going to the hospital. Not now, and not later. They were nothing more than minor injuries that would be cured if I used the restoration spell.

Anyway, it would be best not to get injured in the future. If I kept avoiding going to the hospital like this, it could also be a cause for suspicion.

While making my way to the teacher’s office, Legba said, [Sounds like there are a lot of things that could become clues or hints.]

I nodded. Just by existing, the Voodoo Cult was a problem, and just by being alive, the Voodoo Cult was a sin. It was so obvious that there was no need to mention it anymore.

As I headed toward the teacher's office, I saw Yu-Hyun and Jin-Seo. They were standing in front of Ye-Jin with their heads down while listening to her scolding. Most of the scolding seemed to be directed at Yu-Hyun.

As I approached, Ye-Jin let out a deep sigh and said something to the two of them. They nodded and left the teacher's office.

"...Why did you come here? You should have gone straight to the hospital," Ye-Jin said, looking at my swollen face and bandaged head with disbelief.

My face was currently plastered with an absurd number of bandages, and my head was covered by a layer of bandages as well. My current state really was abysmal enough to surprise anyone.

I looked at Ye-Jin silently for a moment and then said, "I thought it would be best to give a brief explanation of the situation before I go.”

“You have strong mental fortitude... But, well, there’s really no need to do so. I heard everything that I needed to know from Yu-Hyun and Jin-Seo.”

Ye-Jin continued to explain that, thanks to Jin-Seo and Yu-Hyun’s testimonies, they had a rough understanding of the situation and that there were no conflicting parts.

I asked about what they had said. Jin-Seo said that when she saw Yu-Hyun hit me, she allegedly tried to stop him from hitting me but unintentionally broke Yu-Hyun's finger.

Apparently, Yu-Hyun admitted to hitting me. However, he didn't say a word about why he did it.

"I think the committee will decide on the punishment..." Ye-Jin said.

"Is there really a need to open the committee?" I asked.

"What? Why?" Ye-Jin said, tilting her head as if she couldn't understand.

“Because I don’t want to escalate the situation,” I said.

"...If you want, we can do that, but why? Aren't you angry?" she asked.

"Just... please do that," I said.

If they formed a school violence committee, investigated the situation, and checked out the CCTV footage, then my current situation would become difficult.

Everyone would see that Yu-Hyun didn't do anything and that I was the one who had banged my head against the window as if I were possessed. If that happened, it would become difficult for me to have a normal school life.

In the first place, I didn't do this because I wanted Yu-Hyun to be punished for this. I just wanted to vent my anger a little.

"So why did you get hit? It's not important—I was just curious," Ye-Jin asked.

I hesitated to answer. I thought about how to beat around the bush, but then I realized there was no need to beat around the bush, and I smiled.

"We fought."

"Yeah right, you fought, but you were the only one getting hit. You don’t look like the type of person to go around getting hit, though.”

"I always get hit," I said with a smile.

I said it like a joke, but it wasn't just a joke. Ye-Jin laughed awkwardly and slowly nodded at me.

"Yeah... I'm glad you seem okay. Are you going to the hospital? I'll write an approval for an early leave, just in case," Ye-Jin said, rummaging through her drawer.

She took out a small piece of paper the size of her hand, wrote down both my name and hers, and then signed it. She handed it to me.

I bowed my head in thanks and was just about to leave the teacher's office when I suddenly remembered something and stopped in my tracks. I had a question I wanted to ask.

"Why did you come today?"

It was common knowledge among Florence Academy students that Ye-Jin had resigned from her teaching position and was currently working under Joseph.

I was curious why she had returned here. Ye-Jin hesitated to answer, but she then smiled and lifted her head.

"I had some business to attend to. I thought I'd take the opportunity to see my fellow teachers and the students in my class. I didn't have a chance to properly say goodbye when I left so suddenly."

"I guess you don't plan on returning permanently."

Ye-Jin nodded and replied, "Well... yes. I suppose not."

"Why? Are you happy now that you don't have to see me at school?"

"No, I'm sad."

"Thank you. Although those sound like empty words," Ye-Jin said with a smile.

I wasn’t sure if it was just me, but she seemed more relaxed and comfortable now than when she was a teacher. At the very least, she didn’t seem to feel as desperate or anxious as before.

The expression on her face when she looked at me with fear on the day I fought to protect Yuk Eun-Hyung's mercenary corps suddenly came to mind.

The two expressions were so different that they didn't seem to overlap at all. The Ye-Jin from back then and the Ye-Jin in front of me now were practically different people.

"I heard you participated in the mercenary corps suppression mission."

I said something that I didn't need to say. It would have been better to end the conversation and leave with a simple farewell, such as ‘Thank you for everything.’

I regret what I said after I said it out loud. Ye-Jin closed her mouth tightly, then forced a smile by lifting the corners of her mouth.

"Yes, that's right. It wasn't a good memory though," she said.

"I'm sorry for asking unnecessary questions."

"No, it's okay. I understand why you may be curious. Someday, you might also end up going to such a place," Ye-Jin said as she nodded and looked toward somewhere.

Her eyes seemed distant and empty, and I couldn't tell where she was looking. It seemed like she was deeply lost in thought.

I also briefly thought back to what happened back then. I remembered the image of Ye-Jin and Do-Jin being afraid of me.

"Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish between who is good and who is evil. I don't even know if such a thing exists these days."

"..."

"...I'm sorry. This time, I was the one who said something unnecessary," Ye-Jin said with a smile.

Instead of responding, I shook my head. There was a moment of silence. It was such a heavy silence that I couldn't breathe for a moment. I shouldn’t have brought up this topic in the first place.

Just what was I thinking when I said those words? I regretted what I said several times. I took a deep breath and bowed my head toward Ye-Jin.

"Thank you for everything."

"Come and say hello sometimes. Let's have a meal together."

I wanted to ask about Do-Jin's well-being, but I figured it would be an unnecessary question, so I just kept my mouth shut. I smiled at Ye-Jin instead.

She also reciprocated the smile and waved her hand. I bowed my head several times towards Ye-Jin and left the room.

Just like that, I walked out of the building. The once vibrant leaves were now red. The wind blew, causing the leaves to sway and a few to fall.

At that moment, someone spoke to me.

"...Finally, you’re out."

I turned my head. Jin-Seo was leaning against the wall, looking at me.

*

"So, Mr. Do-Jin, how's your body?" Joseph asked Do-Jin.

Do-Jin was lying in bed, unable to move. Even the slightest movement caused excruciating pain in his internal organs, making it uncomfortable to even change positions while sleeping.

Do-Jin barely managed to nod his head slightly. "...I'm fine. Except for the occasional bouts of pain that make me want to die.”

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to come and bother you, but I was pressured from above to investigate this incident."

"It's alright. If that’s how it is, it can’t be helped,” Do-Jin said with a forced smile.

It wasn't pleasant to see Joseph, but it was truly an unavoidable situation.

Do-Jin was the only one who had remained sane after facing off against the Cult Leader in close-quarters combat. The rest had either gone mad or had submitted their resignations and refused to make any statements.

"Thanks for understanding. So... you mentioned that you think you met the leader of the Voodoo Cult?"

"Yes, they are probably living undercover among the active-duty clergymen," Do-Jin said with a nod.

"They specialize in spear combat... specifically, throwing spears. Or weapons that can be thrown... They are either a crusader or a paladin. That's what I think."

The Cult Leader had used his staff to block all of Do-Jin's attacks.

Crusaders who used spears learned how to utilize the body of the spear to block attacks. Thus, Do-Jin suspected that the Cult Leader was either a paladin or a crusader who specialized in using the spear.

Furthermore, the Cult Leader had summoned a snake by throwing his staff into the rear ranks. The throwing technique that he displayed was not something that anyone could use.

It had to be someone proficient in handling spears and throwing weapons, such as a paladin or a crusader. Investigating people who knew Do-Jin seemed to be the way to find clues.

Joseph nodded and muttered, "I see. Since you say that they can handle the staff well... it makes sense.”

Outwardly, Joseph pretended he agreed with Do-Jin and played along, but in reality, he thought differently.

When Joseph sparred with Sun-Woo at the sacred training ground, he surprised Joseph by applying techniques such as throwing instead of simply swinging the mace. Joseph didn't think Sun-Woo was the leader of the Voodoo Cult, but at the very least, he speculated that there might be some connection.

Perhaps it could also be confirmation bias. Once he started suspecting Sun-Woo, his thoughts continued to lean toward being suspicious of Sun-Woo.

"...This might be a bit presumptuous of me, but have you ever sparred with Sun-Woo?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, have you ever sparred with—”

Suddenly, there was a loud noise. Before Joseph could finish his sentence, someone forcefully opened the door to the hospital room and entered. It was Joseph's subordinate.

He was sweating profusely and breathing heavily. It seemed like something urgent had happened. Joseph approached his subordinate.

"Huff, huff...! In-inquisitor, I... I'm sorry, I'm out of breath..."

"It’s alright, so take your time and speak slowly."

"...There is an inspection being conducted in the office. They came up with some excuses for doing so, but it feels like they're trying to obstruct the investigation..."

Joseph's face hardened. His jaw muscles twitched and trembled.

"An inspection... The Holy See sent an inspector? That can't be true."

"No, it's not the Holy See. It’s...”

The subordinate employee caught his breath and continued, "It’s from the International Theological Association...!"

The International Theological Association. That was the name of the Theological Association under the jurisdiction of the purification clan members.