Correcting the Villainess of the Academy

“Are you saying that if the signals aren’t reaching a country, it must have fallen victim to witches?”

“Well, that’s the implication. I sincerely hope that’s not the case. There could be other reasons for their downfall, or maybe they just lost contact for a while.”

Mok Jinwoo shrugged to lighten the mood.

“Either way, honestly, it doesn’t look very bright right now. And… it’s definitely a fact that something is stirring in this land.”

He lit his cigarette and took a deep drag before continuing.

“Things are different now than they were 15 years ago. Back then, witches openly flaunted their existence. They were solely focused on destruction and creating corruption.”

“…”

“But this time, what’s emerging is… more cunning, more meticulous, and more skilled. It’s as if they’ve become more like us. I wonder if they’ve survived and learned, or if they’ve inherited knowledge… Huh…”

The multicolored smoke rose to the ceiling, enveloping the surroundings like mist.

“Religion? The witches from 15 years ago couldn’t even imagine such formalities. They were just struggling to mimic us while covered in skins.”

His words sparked a memory. The city shrouded in orange smog. The strange chapel nestled underground. Even the seemingly devout and tranquil woman who was its lord.

“If you hadn’t inadvertently set foot in City No. 1, by now that place would have become a hive breeding corruption and mutants. We would have had to bear much greater losses. Thankfully, we managed to just contain the city for now.”

Mok Jinwoo shuddered. Hearing him, I immediately grasped the problem at hand.

“There could be other entities disguised as us… lurking around.”

“Exactly.”

*

“Now we can’t trust anyone. The biggest fear is not knowing where they are and what they are doing.”

Mok Jinwoo exhaled smoke as he replied.

“There are ways to check brains or inflict wounds to confirm, but… it’s practically impossible to check millions of citizens individually. They would have already caught on.”

He suddenly turned to me with a joke.

“Want to check?”

“Check…?”

“Yeah. What if I’m a witch? How about cutting off a finger or something? Huh?”

“Even joking about that is terrible. If you were a witch, you wouldn’t need to tell me all this. Besides, you’re a man.”

“Tch, no fun…”

I replied with distaste as he clicked his tongue.

“Anyway, that’s the situation. And I think you’re the only key to resolving our current difficulties.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. The power you have, the ability to control particles within a certain radius.”

“That’s correct.”

“When I first heard about it, I can’t tell you how relieved I was. That power is in your hands, not a witch’s.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, deep in thought.

“Fifteen years ago, witches were a disaster. They possessed almost infinite magical power, combined with that unknown ability of theirs.”

“…”

“Of course, that didn’t mean defeating them was impossible. It was costly, but we managed to eliminate all the ones active at the time.”

He slowly opened his eyes and gazed at me, as if peering into my soul.

“But your power… is something entirely different from what we’ve experienced before.”

“…It corners the opponent into a position where they can’t respond.”

“That’s correct.”

He nodded.

“If that power had been in their hands, they wouldn’t need to plot and scheme as secretly as they do now. Even a highly talented wizard wouldn’t be able to compete. If magic didn’t work at all, what good would it be?”

“…”

“Perhaps the Republic has already fallen, and you and I might be resting peacefully in coffins by now.”

“Could you stop saying such horrifying things?”

“Fuhuh, got it. Anyway, about that power, do you still not remember how you obtained it?”

Perhaps this question was the crux of the conversation today.

But all I could do was shake my head.

“…Not at all. If the branch chief hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known I had such power.”

After a brief silence, he asked with a mixture of regret and contemplation.

“Do you remember anything about your late mother?”

I instantly grasped his intention. That’s why his face bore a look of concern and regret.

Could it be that my mother might have been a witch?

She might have survived by fleeing and… I could have inherited her powers…

“…I doubt that’s what you think.”

Once again, I could only shake my head.

“My mother settled in the pioneer village long before 15 years ago. She rarely ventured outside the village…”

“Hmm…”

A hint of disappointment flickered across his face.

“And my mother… she was just an ordinary person. A little tough in personality, but she always cared for and loved me. I don’t think she could have been that kind of monster.”

“I see, I’m sorry. I touched upon a painful wound…”

“It’s fine. It was necessary.”

“Thanks for understanding. So, did you ever encounter any suspicious individuals while growing up? Or were you ever subjected to anything strange?”

“No. Until I was taken by the branch chief, I never left the vicinity of the village. It was such a small community that if anything suspicious had happened, it would have spread like wildfire.”

“…Got it. But keep all possibilities open. Including what I just mentioned. If we can identify how your power was passed on to you, we might catch a clue to deal with them…”

“…Wait a minute.”

“Huh?”

Mentioning a clue suddenly sparked something in my mind.

It was a dream I had after returning from the South. A ruined place with the sea to the east. A group gathered there, sharing an unknown story.

But now that I think about it, I might vaguely know the substance of that.

The women sitting around there were all witches. The conversation was about a conspiracy to taint the land.

I had been keeping quiet, fearing I’d be treated like a lunatic, but after hearing this context, there was no longer a reason to hide it.

I relayed to him everything I had seen in my dream—dates, the surrounding scenery, the number of people gathered, and so on.

“What… no way… really?”

Hearing what I had to say, Mok Jinwoo’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

“I’m pretty certain. I recorded the details right after waking from the dream. If you don’t believe me…”

“No, no. That’s not what I meant.”

He waved his hands frantically.

“Yeah, there was definitely an incident in the Barrier Guard Corps. I remember it clearly; escapees and abductions made quite a fuss for a while. But if that woman had her body taken over by a witch…!”

He eagerly pressed me for details.

“And who else did you say was there?”

“A florist, a PLF member, a nightclub singer, a nun. I think the nun was the woman I killed, named Betelgeuse…”

“Good grief…”

Mok Jinwoo exclaimed, resting his chin on his hand, lost in thought. Then he began to mumble fervently.

“If that’s the case, it’s confirmed that it’s not a surviving entity but a new emergence… Considering the term ‘hatch,’ they’re live-born… scattered across various places… There are 347 florists in the capital, nightclub singers within two years… and PLF members in the South… Opponents? Don’t tell me…”

He stared at me with a blank expression.

“…You don’t know how great a contribution you’ve just made.”

“But I haven’t figured everything out yet. Polaris, okay; but I don’t have proper information on the witch named Spica… and other than that…”

“Finding out even a part is a tremendous relief. Being exposed would be like offering up an arm to fight. Witches are no different.”

Excitement was palpable in his voice.

“Alright, I understand. I’ll take it upon myself to investigate that side. And…”

He glanced at his wristwatch and abruptly stopped speaking, his face relaxing with a smile.

“Oh, it’s already time to send you off, young master.”

*

“An enemy of spirits?”

“That’s right. Thanks to that, spirit mages haven’t had it easy in witch hunts. Spirits have been terribly afraid of them.”

“Uh huh…”

We continued to converse on the way back.

“I don’t understand.”

“What do you not understand?”

“The existence of such a dangerous monster—why was it kept under wraps? People know about witches, but have no idea about the aberrations within them.”

“It wasn’t the right time for that.”

Mok Jinwoo replied simply.

“The Witch Incident may be over, but its aftereffects have spread throughout the country. The five families that support the nation are no exception.”

“…”

“Heukryeon and Paecheon lost their heirs in different ways. Jeokhwa was manic with their ambitions for power, while Baekgwang struggled just to protect themselves. Wolyeong was never really interested in worldly matters.”

Wolyeong must be the headmaster’s family.

Looks like the lethargy of Haewolhwa was not just a casual excuse.

“Of course, there was an investigation. For a full three years. But in the end, it was concluded without discovering any traces.”

If the witches from that time were all killed, and the ones in this generation are newly hatched… it makes sense that the investigation failed.

“So everyone thought it was just a temporary danger. No, it had to be that way.”

“What does that mean?”

“When you can’t guarantee tomorrow, what use is it to assert the existence of alien monsters? It only serves to unsettle public sentiment. Thus, the existence of witches was forgotten… and the families became consumed by power struggles… Well, in the meantime, we’ve come to this point.”

He shrugged and muttered with a hint of regret.

“Only Jaehyuk kept claiming their return. I should have listened earlier, even me or the headmaster…”

“…”

“Well, thanks for the timely confession. Anyway, soon there will be an official announcement regarding the existence of witches. Active plans to respond will be sought, and though difficult, operations to track them down are also set to continue. The situation has changed.”

He scratched his head with a complicated expression.

“You said you used your power against that Betelgeuse, right?”

“Yes. I saved it for the last moment before using it.”

“Does your power affect them?”

“It did. I think it blocked not only magic but also the ability to brainwash that she had.”

“Is there anyone else who witnessed that fight?”

“Only one person, but it’s fine. They’re a reliable friend.”

“Who are they… Oh.”

As Mok Jinwoo looked puzzled, a mischievous smile appeared on his face.

“The Baekgwang lady, right?”

“…”

“Don’t look so serious. Alright, got it.”

Then, with a sudden change in expression, he spoke.

“Is there a chance that your power, or your existence, has been revealed to the witches?”

“I think that side is fine. Until death, they were adamant about informing their kin. If my existence had been conveyed, they wouldn’t need to expend such effort.”

“Really? That’s a relief. Truly a relief…”

Mok Jinwoo let out a sigh filled with relief.

“Until the decisive moment arrives, it’d be better to keep your existence hidden.”

“I was already planning to do that.”

“Good. So you should return to Yoram now. Stay put for a while, acting as if you know nothing. But also keep a close watch on any movements happening there.”

He lowered his voice and whispered.

“The recent disaster at the social gathering. No matter how I think about it, it feels suspicious. Each one of them wasn’t just a vagabond, but well-selected notable figures. They had no reason to stir up such a ruckus.”

“…”

“Even if I don’t know the purpose, it’s clear it was an unnaturally fabricated disturbance. If that disaster was a well-planned conspiracy…”

Although he swallowed his words, I understood immediately.

“…And students aren’t exempt from being targets for witch parasites.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Well then…”

“Wait.”

He halted me just as I was about to leave. His expression was an unusual mix of hesitation.

“And by the way… um…”

“If you have something to say, please go ahead. Didn’t we agree to speak freely?”

“So… uh, this!”

He scratched his head in frustration, ultimately sighing in resignation.

“Yeah, it’s fitting that you should know; there’s no denying you have the right to know since you’re the involved party now.”

I suspected there might be something he hadn’t revealed about the witches. There was no other reason for his hesitation.

“…If I may ask.”

“Go ahead.”

“Two years ago, the incident that occurred in your pioneer village…”

“…?”

But what spilled from his lips was something I had never anticipated.

“If that incident wasn’t an accident, but rather a planned conspiracy… what will you do?”

*

Thud!

“Ah, uh…!”

It was a glorious day. It certainly seemed so.

Yeon Minha’s trembling hands flailed about. Her red eyes were filled with clear terror.
Before her lay her father’s journal, crumpled in disarray.

“Why… why, father… why would you do such a thing…?”

Yeon Minha’s voice was heavy with emotion. It was not sorrow but rather deep-seated resentment towards someone.

“Why… that village of his…!”

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