Chapter 248
"...What?"
Hae Wolhwa's tone, which had seemed coaxing and soothing, suddenly turned sharp. It was an incredibly arrogant and dangerous statement to just sit and listen to.
Soon, the atmosphere of the office centered around her began to shift. The noise of scattered furniture and documents echoed in Lee Hyun's ears.
"How insolent. This is wartime. And I am your superior by far. Would you like to be thrown into a solitary cell for insubordination and come to your senses?"
"I believe that simply delivering their news should suffice as respect. Lady Hae Wolhwa... You do not have the right to stop me."
Through the gaps of the mask, gloomy eyes occasionally flashed.
He was doing his utmost to maintain his composure. The seemingly calm demeanor was the result of such effort.
And Hae Wolhwa, even with just a brief look at it, could gauge Lee Hyun's true feelings.
That his inner self had already been completely consumed by sorrow and fury.
Therefore, she couldn't possibly let him go.
Hae Wolhwa's eyebrows raised dramatically at the tone that cut off persuasion in an instant. Reflecting her anger, the Sphere of Lightning behind her swelled in size and spun fiercely.
"Did I not tell you? If I did not come myself, they would immediately kill the Unit Commander and the older sisters. I cannot take even the slightest risk..."
"I told you, didn't I? They are already dead."
Hae Wolhwa asserted as if it wasn't worth a moment's thought. In her cold eyes, there wasn't even the faintest trace of sorrow or longing for her former disciples. At least, it seemed that way.
"And do you think you can just recklessly search for them, not even knowing where they are? We are also desperately searching for the Witches' Stronghold. If we destroy them, the demons who invaded this time will naturally collapse as well. You know this, don't you? The main agent of this Southern Invasion isn't the demons but the witches who are using them."
"..."
"But how could you, alone, locate their stronghold when even the Intelligence Bureau could not..."
"I can find it."
"...What?"
Hae Wolhwa's eyes widened. Lee Hyun repeatedly clenched and unclenched his hand, as if trying to sense something.
"I can sense the direction. It's as if someone is calling out to me. It's probably the witches' trick. They're inviting me to their land."
"Wait, if you can sense the direction..."
Hae Wolhwa, who seemed momentarily tempted, quickly shook her head and regained herself.
"...Even so, the answer is no. Don't be stubborn."
"Isn't this also a good thing for the Republic? The Unit Commander and the older sisters have already inflicted significant damage on them. That's why they're struggling to find a way to survive so desperately. Even provoking me to retrieve my authority is likely part of their plan."
"And yet, you, someone who knows all that, are still set on doing something so foolish!"
Hae Wolhwa screamed. It was such an intense outburst that cracks appeared simultaneously in the window.
"I must have misjudged you. I thought you were quite clever, which is why I entrusted you with important responsibilities, but I didn't expect you to be this foolish. Being swayed back and forth by unnecessary emotions disqualifies you as a mage. Even kindergarten snot-nosed kids would make better decisions than you right now."
"If it were the Principal, wouldn't you know? My major in the military. Even the best current experts in active duty cannot surpass me. I will surely risk my life to kill the witches and rescue the Unit Commander and the older sisters..."
"No. Don't even think about it. I absolutely cannot let you go. Quietly return to the dormitory and unpack your things. You will stay with me for the entirety of this war."
"...I don't think there's any point in continuing this conversation."
-Bang!!
Lee Hyun was just about to turn his body. With a loud boom, a thick smoke suddenly rose from beneath his feet. The floor right in front of his dress shoes was charred black and caved in.
"You really think I have to use force to make you listen."
Lee Hyun, staring blankly at the wooden floor that was burning acridly, turned his head.
"...You seem weaker than before. It seems you've been overexerting yourself recently."
"Who do you think is to blame for that? Thanks to you, I can't even step onto the battlefield and am stuck guarding this place."
"That won't be enough to stop me."
"Huh, an unplucked chick thinks it can measure its opponent. I can handle an ignorant chick like you with one hand."
At Lee Hyun's words, the girl with a slightly annoyed face snorted as if it was absurd.
"I'll leave you with a full-body fracture for about three months. By the time everything is over, your heated head will have sufficiently cooled down. Let's talk again then."
As she finished her sentence, Hae Wolhwa flicked her finger. Soon, six Spheres of Lightning, floating and growing in size in the void, surged toward Lee Hyun with a deafening roar.
Lee Hyun, without any intention to evade, simply stared at them. Hae Wolhwa lightly furrowed her brows at the strange flow of air. No matter how skilled he was, if he got hit by this attack, he wouldn't be able to avoid serious injuries.
However, she had no intention of withdrawing the magic or altering its trajectory, not even a bit. A disobedient, troublesome disciple needed stern discipline. For that, she was willing to endure a certain degree of sacrifice.
"What..."
Yet, as Hae Wolhwa prepared for the massive explosion that was about to happen, her eyes widened.
-Swoosh...
The Spheres of Lightning, which had been rushing forward with a deafening roar, were gone without a trace. Instead, what entered Hae Wolhwa's sight were clusters of light filling the office's air.
Lee Hyun, who had scattered the particles that were once spheres, quickly approached Hae Wolhwa. Seeing him unscathed, Hae Wolhwa bit her lips firmly.
"...So, this is the witch's..."
She already knew about the authority Lee Hyun possessed. She had been informed by the professors during the recent Core Rampage incident that he wielded a mysterious power.
However, knowing something as knowledge and experiencing it firsthand were two entirely different matters.
The two were beyond comparison. For the first time in her life, a sense of helplessness enveloped Hae Wolhwa's entire body.
It was an unfamiliar and refreshing shock for her. Over the many seasons that had passed, no one had ever made Hae Wolhwa feel such a sensation.
Lee Hyun, in a typical Close Combat Stance, dug in, aiming for Hae Wolhwa's vital point. The Principal, noticing his intention, instinctively extended her arm and conjured a magic formula.
Yet, before the magic formula could even take full shape, it disintegrated like grains of sand.
"No..."
Her face, rarely showing emotion, now bore a rare glimmer of astonishment. By now, Lee Hyun was right in front of her.
Soon, a Strong Fist clenched tightly struck directly at the center of Hae Wolhwa's lower abdomen.
"Urgh...!"
A sharp pain that awakened her fading nerve cells enveloped Hae Wolhwa's entire body. Unable to keep her balance any longer, she fell to the floor on all fours, gasping for air.
"Hah, hah...!"
It was a sensation so unfamiliar that her brain felt like it was on the verge of overloading. Even when she lost her eye to a witch not long ago, she hadn't felt such intensity.
She was even less resistant to physical altercations than the Cradle Freshmen. After all, in this country, there was not a single person who would dare to physically touch her.
And as she writhed pitifully on the ground, Lee Hyun's voice came from above her head.
"Didn't the Principal herself say it last time? That the only person capable of subduing you...is me."
"Hah...huh...Yes, you did. You did say that."
"And yet, I hit you as gently as possible."
"Huh...Are you...calling this gentle...?"
Upon hearing his apologetic tone, the Principal's face displayed an expression of disbelief.
"There won't be any aftereffects. Naturally, no treatment will be needed either. Then..."
"Wait..."
Soon, the sound of footsteps grew distant. Hae Wolhwa, barely catching her breath, staggered to her feet. Then, she conjured dozens of Lightning Snares and threw them at Lee Hyun once more.
"Didn't I tell you...that you can't...!"
The snare twisted like living snakes, closing in from all sides. From beyond them, a faint sigh could be heard.
"Hah..."
Yet again, the snares dissolved into clusters of light and scattered into the void. Lee Hyun, parting through the light clusters, turned his body and grabbed Hae Wolhwa's wrist as if to snatch it.
Then, with his weight and acceleration, he lifted her and slammed her into the ground.
-Bang!
A deafening boom echoed, shaking the building. A cloud of dust billowed, revealing the pitiful state of Hae Wolhwa.
"Huh...uh..."
Her cherished navy dress was in tatters, revealing patches of skin. Her disheveled hair bore no trace of its usual neatness.
Looking down at the ruined Hae Wolhwa, Lee Hyun spoke in a pained voice.
"To the Principal, who is my benefactor...I don't wish to cause further disrespect."
"Hah, hah..."
"So please...don't block my path anymore."
Leaving those final words, Lee Hyun turned away. But once again, he sensed the presence of someone approaching from behind. Was it truly impossible to subdue someone like the Principal without shedding blood? He was just about to contemplate whether he should rupture her internal organs when he turned.
What he felt was the texture of soft skin and the lukewarm body temperature beyond it.
"You...cannot."
Hae Wolhwa, who had approached before he realized it, was now blocking him with her entire body. Hugging him tightly from behind, she entwined him like a vine.
By now, her body had no trace of magical power left. She was acting purely out of sheer willpower.
"To send a student to such a dishonorable battlefield...one where meaningless death is certain...I will absolutely not allow it...I cannot let another student end up like that..."
"Lady Hae Wolhwa..."
"I beg you...please...heed this body's plea..."
Her voice carried a trace of moisture. The desperate Principal had long since discarded her mask of composure.
Soon, calm descended upon the office that had been in chaos moments earlier. Only the sound of the Principal's labored breathing intermittently broke the silence.
"..."
Lee Hyun, whose mind had cooled somewhat, gently grabbed the Principal's hand and carefully pulled it away. As he turned, he saw the face of a girl with teardrops welling in the corners of her eyes.
After a brief moment of anguish, he finally spoke.
"Either way, I am...someone who won't live long."
The Principal blinked once. Then, as if unable to believe it, she looked at him and asked again.
"What...?"
"I have only two months left in my life. This is the price for obtaining power that exceeds my limits."
"Two, two months...?"
Hae Wolhwa, shocked, murmured. It was immediately obvious what he meant by 'power that exceeds my limits.' However, even so, two months was an unbearably short amount of time.
"If it's a life that will fade away anyway, shouldn't I use it meaningfully, at least at the end?"
Lee Hyun let out a faint, bitter smile at the Principal's innocent reaction, unbecoming of her age.
"And to me, there is nothing more meaningful than saving the Commander and my older sisters."
After finishing his words, Lee Hyun turned his body. Hae Wolhwa, flustered, stretched out her hand in desperation, but only the empty void between her fingers was grasped.
"Wait, wait a moment...!"
As if he couldn't hear Hae Wolhwa's desperate cry, Lee Hyun continued walking. Finally, at the moment he opened the office door and stepped out—
He stopped abruptly and stared at the things in front of him. It was an encounter he had never expected.
A pair of golden eyes shining brilliantly.
A pair of bright red eyes like rubies soaked in blood.
It was evident that they had already come to the office but had hesitated to enter due to the commotion from inside.
"What...did you just say...?"
Yeon Minha, her face pale, opened her trembling lips. Baek Seoyeon's eyes wandered aimlessly, unable to focus.
Feeling like he had met another mountain beyond the mountain, Lee Hyun unconsciously let out a sigh.
"...Ah."