I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain

Chapter 302: Gold Rush (6)

Rasputin fell.

Before the Dragoon Killer that dug into the tentacle fort, Rasputin, who had been pouring all her energy into the tentacles, fainted from mental shock.

[Maybe I went a bit too far.]

Seeing the foam at her mouth and her collapsing over the mana lump she had scattered, I felt a bit sorry.

But if Rasputin had not been taken down, those above—Kiparang, Ssang’eogung, Taejo, Cheonma, and the many suffering Chinese people—would have been ravaged by Rasputin’s tentacle cannon.

[The rest… there’s no need to say.]

I stretched the Dragoon Killer sideways.

I pulled the trigger on the side where the blade had not yet been restored and shot the Dragoon Killer into the air.

[Go.]

Of course, they did not die or bleed.

It just gave the visual effect of having their hearts pierced by the blade, simultaneously shocking them so they could not use mana and fainted.

[That was scary. Even if it was a miss, I thought you were killing them.]

[They are opponents I can handle without killing.]

I did not kill people carelessly in front of Yumir.

Though they were villains who came to steal resources, if they had committed acts akin to Laplace’s demon…

‘I don’t know yet.’

I needed to find out through the Society’s database what Rasputin and her gang had done to decide whether to kill or spare them.

Until then, I just needed to prevent them from using their abilities recklessly and stop them from awakening alone and becoming demons in their own worlds.

The ability most suitable for that was not mine or Yumir’s, but the man moving Asura’s arms diligently over there.

[Taejo.]

“…….Ah.”

Taejo, who had been moving Asura’s arms to detoxify Cheonma, turned his gaze to me.

“Huff, huff, huff….”

Cheonma was not in a state to converse right now.

Even against four opponents, Taejo could move the black iron hands easily, focusing all his hands on one person. Moreover, he was concentrating on removing the remaining toxins from Rasputin inside Cheonma, so how could Cheonma be in her right mind?

[It would be nice if you could push the ground with metal once. And trap all the ones here in ‘our’ place.]

“…….”

[What’s wrong?]

“Uhm….”

Taejo tilted his head and alternated his gaze between me and Yumir.

“Just asking because I’m curious. Since no one is here right now…”

Bang!

Taejo’s Asura hand slammed down on Cheonma’s head.

Cheonma fainted, and Taejo checked if anyone around was conscious.

“Are you….”

[To discuss that, we need to resolve this first.]

I tapped my left wrist, and Taejo nodded, extending his hand.

“Disassemble. Divide. Unite.”

Crackle!

Metal fragments gathered from all directions, forming a sphere in front of Taejo.

Those metals were all pieces of smartwatches, traces of all electronic devices in this space.

“Clean up.”

Taejo placed the sphere on the ground and, through mana manipulation, created a broad plank.

He started sweeping the ground with it, pushing the white mana staining the ground towards the tunnels dug by the thieves.

“Now, there’s no one here to hear our conversation. Can I ask now?”

[Of course. If it’s about Gwang Ik Gong-]

“Goblin, right?”

[…….]

What?

Did this guy always have such keen insight?

[What makes you think that?]

“Seeing Platinum Sun’s reaction to you…?”

[How does that mean I’m Goblin?]

“Because the person Platinum Sun likes is Goblin, and Platinum Sun looks at you that way.”

Taejo’s eyes were filled with certainty.

As if his belief was the truth, without a hint of doubt.

[If I am Goblin, does that mean the supporter sent by Gwang Ik Gong is Goblin, implying Gwang Ik Gong is allied with Goblin?]

“I don’t know the connection between you two, but I judged based on Platinum Sun’s gaze. It’s more plausible to think that Goblin is Hessed and acting, rather than Platinum Sun looking at a being called Hessed from the future with loving eyes.”

Taejo pointed to his eyes with a tense voice.

“I don’t know much else, but I can always tell who a girl likes by looking at their eyes. Even just from CCTV footage.”

[Maybe we talked too much.]

It seemed that I shared too much with Taejo on the train.

[Is this my fault?]

[Seems like it. Next time, how about wearing a visor that covers your eyes?]

[Shouldn’t I have avoided looking at anyone right from the start when I boarded the train in disguise?]

Yumir’s eyes curved into a crescent shape.

[Should we erase his memory? Even as an S-rank, it’s possible.]

“Wa, wait a moment. Hold on. I have no intention of fighting you two.”

As Yumir rolled up her sleeves and gathered her magic, Taejo hurriedly stepped back to create some distance.

“Let’s help each other out as fellow Koreans. For now. Okay?”

[I’m not Korean.]

“…No way.”

[I’m just an international novice bride aspiring to be Korean.]

[You’re very open about it.]

I lightly placed my fist on the back of Yumir’s head, deactivating my transformation as Hessed and putting on a suit.

[It’s been a while, Taejo.]

“…As expected. Revealing yourself means there’s a bit of room for discussion, right?”

[I’m not interested in talking to Armored Taejo, but I think it’s worth talking to Black Agent Taejo, who is willing to self-destruct for the national interest in a place like this.]

“…….”

Taejo smiled.

“Just one more question. If I touch that gold mine, will a demon pop out?”

[It’s just a story made to cause confusion.]

“Then, I can use it, right?”

[Of course.]

“…Phew. Then.”

Taejo sighed deeply with relief and approached the gold mine.

“First, I will restrain everyone here.”

Gugugugu.

As Taejo placed his hand on the gold mine, the entire mass of gold began to move.

[Wow.]

[The most expensive bulldozer in the world.]

The gold spread across the entire width of the cavity, moving like a squeegee.

The white mana lumps pushed by the gold were driven towards the tunnels dug by the thieves, and the fainted thieves lying on the ground were swept behind the moving gold.

“…Come, golden prison.”

With an incantation added to Taejo’s ability, the gold quickly formed a giant hexagonal box that swallowed the thieves.

Inside each box, as big as a one-room bathroom, were all the ability users, and I leaned my head against Yumir’s ear as I watched.

[That’s Taejo’s ultimate killing power.]

[…If he doesn’t make a space for air, they’ll just die.]

[Right.]

The technique shown by Armored Taejo, ‘Iron Casket.’

The motif of that casket, Crown Prince Sado, starved to death inside it.

If the casket were made of wood, one might be able to breathe, but what if it were covered with metal plates, leaving no air?

Naturally, they would die of suffocation first.

Even if they were ability users, they would die from lack of oxygen if they couldn’t escape from inside.

Once all the mana in their bodies was exhausted, they would really die.

“…It’s done.”

[It’s understandable for Rasputin and Cheonma, but trapping Kiparang and Ssang’eogung as well?]

“If others knew, it would become a complicated situation.”

Taejo imprisoned everyone in a golden cage.

Even before, when I revealed my identity, we could have talked, but Taejo became even more cautious.

“Did you test me?”

[Huh?]

“Appearing as a member of the Sephiroth Knights, and previously revealing yourself as Hyun Chul-soo. Did you test whether I could notice your true identity based on these discrepancies?”

[…….]

No.

Strictly speaking, I didn’t plan to reveal myself as Hessed.

I intended to appear as a member of the Sephiroth Knights to suggest that ‘Gwang Ik Gong and the Sephiroth Knights have some relationship.’

‘I missed the timing.’

When I tried to present another concept of Sephiroth, a big problem arose.

-Oh, isn’t this closer to silver than gray?

The moment I thought it seemed more like silver than gray, my mind wavered, thinking of myself as gray.

Because of that, I couldn’t focus my ability as well, and eventually, I had to bring out ‘Black War (Gray) Dragoon.’

It was a mistake.

But I could have made an excuse that Hessed became a serious character only when he wore armor.

The fact that my identity as Goblin was revealed is purely because of Yumir.

[I would have let it slide if you hadn’t noticed, but now that you have, I can’t just let it go.]

“…If you revealed yourself because you want something from me, let’s talk. I don’t know what kind of conversation it will be.”

Taejo clenched his fist and manipulated the gold to create a square table and three chairs.

“If it’s a story that benefits this country, I’ll gladly cooperate.”

[Let’s hear it, then?]

[…….]

This guy.

He made chairs that put Yumir and me side by side instead of a round table.

Well.

It didn’t matter much.

[Taejo.]

This was also the Society’s way.

[Are you willing to join forces with the Society for the sake of this country?]