Chapter 128 – 33. Murder Practice (1)
In May.
The time when the vitality awakened by the warmth of spring rushes toward a brilliant peak.
May in Korea is the month of family. Children’s Day and Parents’ Day are held together with only two days in between, and Teacher’s Day also exists the following week.
At this time of year, people have time to reflect on the preciousness of their loved ones and to reciprocate the teachings of their gifts.
May is a month full of opportunities to make good memories.
But this wasn’t the case for me.
‘My loving family is a piece of shit.’
To my parents, being the only son was nothing more than a point of pride for your excellent genes and good education.
As I grew up over the years, I had to constantly show them that their marriages, births, and upbringings weren’t wasted.
The parents treated their son like a sparkling jewel, and the son used the parent’s attention as a means of survival.
In my life, where there was no such thing as family ties, there could be no such thing as happy memories of May.
On the other hand, May in another world is not a special month. It is not the beginning of the year or the end of the year, and there are no historical or religiously significant anniversaries.
However, for academy students, May is an object of love and hatred. I hope it doesn’t come, but it’s a contradictory time that I want to come as soon as possible.
This is because two big events, ‘Final Evaluation’ and ‘End of Class’, are held together this month to welcome students with open arms.
A rainstorm mixed with writing, practical work, and assignments attacks them mercilessly.
The score according to the result puts an indelible number in a corner of life.
So most of the students do their best by reducing their sleep.
To enjoy the sweet moment of the end of the lecture with joy.
“Ireina. If you’re from a commoner, you don’t know, but don’t the children of noble families have to risk their lives on their grades?”
I asked Ireina, the former count’s daughter, as I looked out the window in the carriage heading to the next classroom.
In every direction my gaze goes, people dozing off with wide eyes or memorizing something incessantly appear.
“Academy grades are the most objective indicator of attribute ability and intelligence. So I heard that they have a significant impact on the selection of a successor. .”
Indeed, succession and honor. These two are the things nobles literally risk their lives for. For those reasons, it makes sense.
That’s why everyone lives so hard.
The sight of looking at a book with lights on in both eyes like that is familiar, like a third-year high school self-study time.
Noble bloodlines are not very different from us.
“… Master, are you all right?”
At that time, Ireina opened her words very carefully.
“Huh? What?”
“You seem too busy lately with things other than schoolwork…”
Hmm, I haven’t had much time to study lately.
Conceal the fact of her pregnancy of her wisdom and arrange her environment to take care of her,
Proceed with the necessary administrative procedures for the construction of my own detached house in the academy site, and receive a report on the construction progress from Esna,
He eats Amer once every four days and enjoys similar sex with Iris, who has recently become more active.
······The last thing is that the brain is never dominated by sexual desire.
Developing a relationship with Amera, her main connections, and her greatest strength, Iris, is very important. In addition, her stress can be relieved appropriately. In a word, killing two birds with one stone.
Anyway, yes. If I am, so be it.
“Hmm, so Ireina, you think I’ll ruin the final evaluation, right?”
She was visibly taken aback by my spiteful question.
“Oh, no! I was just wondering if there was something I could be more concerned with or help with…”
Ireina hurriedly rose from her seat and bowed her head to me.
“I’m sorry for the presumptuous remark…”
Well, not even a maid. It was a bold statement for her maid, who was only her tool. A slave worried about his master.
Of course, this is conventional wisdom, and I wasn’t particularly angry or offended.
Ireina is special. She’s my first woman, my first maid, and I’m going to be at least the head maid. She can give me some advice.
“Kyaaak!”
“It’s not in the wagon, should I be careful?”
As her car rattled, taking advantage of the swaying of her body, I pulled her and sat her on my leg. Ireina is on the small side, so she looks like a well-made doll.
We were the only guests in the carriage, and the coachman outside could not look inside.
I held Ireina in her arms. Her body temperature was warm as she twitched. Her cheeks turned red like her hair as my breath touched the soft nape of her neck.
Ireina was my favorite doll until the carriage arrived at her destination.
“Thank you for using!”
The building standing tall in front of me is a special classroom outside the academy.
It’s called ‘The Execution Ground’.
Every Friday afternoon, I come here to kill people.
It was a ‘murder practice’ lecture.
Leaving Ireina in her waiting room for maids, she passed through dull corridors and stairs to reach the auditorium in the basement.
Today, as always, about 10 criminals arrested on stage caught the eye.
They are all those who have been sentenced to death by the Imperial Court, and they are teaching aids to prevent hesitation and mistakes on the battlefield by allowing students to experience murder.
There is no room for resentment or sympathy as each and every one of them is a heinous death row inmate.
Through this course, I wanted to completely abandon the earthly values of dust. At the time of registering for the course, I was curious about the feeling of killing people.
Afterwards, I actually killed people in private for revenge, but it was regrettable that I didn’t get much inspiration than I thought.
“Minho, you’re here.”
“······Jihoo.”
Minho seemed to have been safely discharged from the hospital, and his limbs were moving normally.
When I met him in the first class of this subject, I was really surprised. I never thought that a guy with all kinds of beliefs would attend a lecture that kills people. Could it be that he appeared to disrupt the progress of the class!
When Minho carried out his first execution even though his hands were shaking, I was finally able to put my doubts to rest. I still can’t believe it, but this must be his own way of adapting to a different world.
If you think about it, the death penalty is still a punishment on Earth. Moreover, those criminals are scum whose heinous crimes have been officially confirmed after thorough investigations and strict trials.
Does killing them feel like it’s barely safe from Minho’s point of view?
I don’t know how to know, he’s a tired guy.
“Didn’t wisdom come with you?”
Minho asked me.
Wisdom signed up for this class after me, and it was an excellent choice. The compatibility between this lecture and her [Death] Attribute was outstanding, thanks to which Wisdom was able to greatly increase its power.
She was once famous in her academy, as her corpses she killed were reanimated as undead.
“He’s resting in the dormitory. He’s already passed everything, so he doesn’t have to come.”
I didn’t answer him truthfully.
In fact, wisdom is pregnant. That’s why I didn’t come on purpose for fear of being stimulated by the [Death] Attribute. It is unlikely to have a positive effect on the development of the fetus.
As soon as I finished my words, an awkward silence enveloped the two of us. Despite Minho’s dissuade, there was still resentment about my killing Lee Yujin.
To be precise, I knew he was this kind of guy, so I wasn’t offended by the scolding from a few days ago, so I didn’t think much of it. On the other hand, Minho hesitated while quietly looking at me.
It seemed that he wanted to reconcile with me and go back to his original relationship.
“That···!”
“Jihoo student.”
Then, the professor strode towards me.
“Hello.”
“Hello, student Jihoo and student Minho. Has Jihye not come yet?”
“I don’t think wisdom will come from today.”
The professor was visibly discouraged by my answer. It was the first time I’d seen his soldierly expressionless expression collapse.
“Okay, that’s right.”
“What are you doing?”
“Actually, today is the final evaluation and ‘open class’ for students who haven’t passed yet. So, if it’s okay with student Jihye, I thought I’d show her undead to the audience, but I can’t help it if she doesn’t come.”
The epic [Death] Attribute and the creation of the undead must have been a great spectacle. I could fully understand the professor’s regret.
The professor quickly recovered his expressionless expression and was lost in thought for a moment.
“Then, can Jihoo perform an exemplary execution on his behalf?”
“Am I talking?”
“This is a request that you are the fastest among the students in this class to pass level 4. I was impressed with your movements without hesitation or superfluity until the end. If this subject was graded, Jihoo would get a perfect score.”
In this world, killing people well is praised.
“Thank you. I’ll try it.”
“Thank you. There are no bonuses in this class, but if you need any help, please feel free to tell me.
“Don’t hesitate.”
“Okay. I hope student Minho will thoroughly arm himself for the final evaluation today.”
“Yes, Professor.”
I watched the professor’s back as he strode off somewhere again, and when I turned her head, Minho was looking at me and smiling faintly.
What is it, why are you guys doing this badly?
“As expected, Jihoo, you are amazing.”
“Suddenly?”
“‘Don’t hesitate’… We took the same class, but why was it different in actual combat?”
It was a story about dealing with Lee Yu-jin’s shell monster.
“Looking back now, I was afraid then. I was so afraid of harming my friend with my own hands that I kept hesitating. It must have happened. And I wouldn’t have forgiven myself for being indecisive.”
Then, Minho lowered his head slightly.
“I’m sorry, Jihoo. I didn’t do anything, but I talked about your decision to protect people. I heard that thanks to you, no one but Eugene died this time. Thank you for saving me.”
Minho did not change his own thoughts. He would still have been able to rescue her Lee Yoo-jin, and she would believe that it was best to send her back to her class.
However, he knew how to sincerely bow his head to those with different values.
The apology handed to me was an act of courage in itself.
As expected, it is Minho who pushes to the end to do what he considers right.
“It’s okay man. Why is it all thanks to me?
I made a disgusted expression and waved my hand.
“Go ahead and get ready to pass the evaluation.”
“Yea, I got it.”
I watched Minho’s back as he walked towards the podium with light steps, with a cold gaze.
* * *
The evaluation of the ‘Killing Practice’ lecture consists of a total of four stages.
The meaning of the act of executing a criminal was the same, but the process was different for each stage.
In the first stage, the death row inmates are blindfolded, mouth shut, and limbs restrained. You just have to get close and stick a blade into its beating heart.
Level 2 death row inmates can only roll their eyes. Students are to look into the dying eyes of those who are near death, from close range.
Level 3 death row inmates additionally have free speech. In the face of desperate voices claiming their innocence or asking for mercy, students should not hesitate to take their lives.
Death row inmates in the last 4 stages can move their limbs. So the students have to chase and hunt those who desperately run away.
If you execute a total of four people, one at each stage, you have successfully completed this course.
Jihye and I had already cleared all the steps, and Minho had only the last step left.
“Death row prisoner Keina! The crime is civil war!”
I watched Minho on stage and the female criminal in front of him with very curious eyes.
“She joined the treasonous society ‘Blue Bird’! She conspired to overthrow the state and rebellion! She planned terrorism in the imperial capital and kidnapped many poor people and guards! For this, she was sentenced to death!”
The Blue Bird is a terrorist organization that rejects the status system and attributeism of the current empire, advocates human equality, and dreams of a nation where everyone is equal.
Those who follow the ideals that Minho seems to love.
“Student Minho Park, expedite the execution of the Imperial Security Court’s execution order.”
All the criminals he has killed so far have committed felonies like serial killers or rapists.
Will Minho be able to apply the same standard of imperial law to ideological criminals who evoke nostalgia for the earth?
I rummaged through my pockets ahead of a well-scripted match of fate.
Oh, no popcorn.
