I Got Into School For Nothing - Chapter 288
I Got Into School For Nothing (288)
Lesson 56. The Neighbor's House Is Also Burning - 1
The meeting, heavily clouded by the suspicion that the Chancellor merely wanted to show off in front of Ban Yuwon and Yumina, left immediate and fatal side effects.
Specifically, Yumina, thoroughly frightened by his declaration, clung to Ban Yuwon as if he were a fragile baby rabbit that would instantly perish if she let go, refusing to be separated from him.
Naturally, her actions sparked resentment among the Rebellion members.
“So, you’ve decided to be blatant about it now? How can a full professor openly act like this towards a single student?”
“Everyone, I think there’s a misunderstanding. Please, don’t glare at me like that, listen to what I have to say calmly.”
As the Rebellion members stared at her with incredulous expressions—especially Asha, who always took the lead with her sarcasm in such moments—Yumina offered her explanation in a sincere tone.
However, her appearance, with Ban Yuwon’s head nestled tightly between her arm and chest, embraced so he couldn't escape, lacked any persuasive power.
“A misunderstanding? There were quite a few students outside the restaurant, you know. Do you intend to tell every single student who saw us that it was a misunderstanding?”
“Up until now, your excuses might have worked somehow, but it seems that’s no longer possible...”
To add to that, their current location was a famous restaurant in Ronica, the external city of Union Academy.
Ban Yuwon had been summoned by the Chancellor, and immediately after returning from their expedition, everyone had collapsed amicably from exhaustion, preventing their planned after-party. So, when Ban Yuwon appeared at their dinner reservation, booked under the team's name, still held captive by Yumina, what else could the team members think?
Although they were now in a private room, the students who had spotted them entering the restaurant seemed to be whispering loudly enough for their murmurs to pierce through the barrier and reach even this room.
“I’m being serious right now. This is absolutely... not because of any personal feelings.”
In place of Ban Yuwon, whose face was buried in Yumina’s chest, unable to speak, she roughly explained the situation.
The Rebellion team’s expeditions had always been unusual, but this time, they had crossed a line.
As all the members were aware, these changes in the Tower of Babel were centered around Ban Yuwon, and not only students but also influential figures, including the Ten Great Families, were reacting sensitively to this peculiarity.
This wasn't just simple caution or suspicion; it could lead to attempts to exploit him, or even violent actions such as abduction.
And if Ban Yuwon truly had been chosen as the successor to the Tower of Babel, then current expeditions or evaluations were no longer important; they needed to combine all their strength to protect him, and even that might not be enough.
“So—you’ve been carrying ‘this one’ tightly wrapped in your arms ever since you left the Academy?”
Dokgo Yeon sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.
Hearing that, Asha tilted her head and murmured.
“This one...? Per...?”
Dokgo Yeon let out a loud voice, drowning out Asha’s foolish mutterings.
“So, I understand why you’re so tense, but...”
“It’s too much. Besides, are you planning to reveal to the entire world that we’re on high alert?”
“T-This is intentional. Believe it or not, I’m a full professor at Union Academy and a renowned powerhouse both inside and outside Union. If I openly declare that I’m protecting Yuwon, they won’t be able to act rashly, will they?”
“Yuwon...”
Asha’s gaze now turned to Yumina.
Under her dull, blunt gaze, Yumina tightened her embrace on Ban Yuwon and continued.
“Everyone, we need to think seriously about this. A massive war could erupt, one that would make the Prominence Family’s attack on Earth feel like child’s play. It could escalate into a huge uproar, with several S-rank dimensions getting involved over Yuwon’s custody...”
“Should we have refrained from our expeditions?”
“Sooner or later, he would have attracted attention. Moreover, if Yuwon truly is the Tower of Babel’s successor, then not ascending the Tower wouldn’t even have been an option.”
“If we hadn’t operated the Rebellion channel, would Master have attracted less attention than he does now?”
“That was actually a smokescreen. A smokescreen to somehow disperse the attention concentrated solely on Yuwon... though it seems it’s too late now.”
“Master...”
Finally, Asha stared blankly at Rucell and murmured.
Rucell, not even sparing Asha a glance, her eyes gleaming.
“Students of Union Academy cannot simply remain within the Academy. From now on, every moment we step outside, we must be prepared for engagement with enemies.”
“Student Rucell, exactly. So, what I propose is... ah, they’ve arrived.”
The barrier was momentarily lifted, the private room door opened, and three new women entered.
They were, of course, Mira, Shati, and Aire.
“Oh my, it was true then.”
Mira, after a quick glance at the group, who hadn’t touched the prepared dishes and wore serious expressions, covered her mouth with one hand and let out a laugh, as if deliberately doing so.
“They said a full professor from the Academy was engaged in a love spat with her students, and I didn’t intend to believe it until I saw it with my own eyes...”
Yumina flinched, receiving Mira’s cold, violet gaze.
“Professor Yumina, you’re far too familiar with my boyfriend. Anyone would think you truly harbored feelings for your student.”
“Ah, oh.”
“Boyfriend...”
Regardless of Asha’s meaningful murmur.
Mira casually approached Yumina, detached Ban Yuwon from her, and sat down with him, while Aire swiftly took the remaining seat beside him and crossed her legs.
Those present naturally turned their attention to her.
Aire, with a nonchalant expression as if what she had just done was unimportant, opened her mouth.
“I saw the expedition results. And the video... Is that why you’ve gathered?”
“Huh? Yes, that’s right, it is—but—”
“That’s not the problem right now, why are *you* sitting there?”
“Hmph... Really, how did it come to this?”
“...Guys, I can’t leave here, can I?”
Shati, inadvertently whining in the awkward situation where everyone else present, save for her, was getting worked up over one man. Yet, Shati too was indebted to Ban Yuwon.
Seeing him, still buried among the women yet maintaining a consistently serious expression, she sighed and eventually found a suitable seat for herself.
The faces, which had briefly flared up over the ridiculous topic of where to seat Ban Yuwon—who was closest to him and thus deserved special treatment—decided to calm their excitement upon seeing Asha, utterly oblivious to the situation, open the door and return with additional drink orders.
“—So, it’s not just a matter of one or two of the Ten Great Families getting involved anymore.”
“Even better, then.”
As soon as Yumina finished explaining the situation once more, Mira shrugged and spoke.
Rolling her wine glass idly in her hand, she took a sip, then set it down.
“I was already thinking Yuwon needed a fitting title, you know. If he’s to lead all of the fairy race in the future, then he ought to be at least the Tower Lord. It’s actually good news, at a perfectly opportune moment.”
she said, revealing a relaxed smile.
While someone looked dumbfounded at Mira’s cunning maneuver, arbitrarily making Ban Yuwon the leader of the fairy race...
“War was inevitable anyway, and I knew a war involving the Ten Great Families wouldn’t be easily contained—so, at this point, perhaps it would be better to just finish off the Prominence Family quickly.”
Shati, too, nodded with a not-so-serious expression.
In truth, everyone already knew Ban Yuwon’s Authority was immense, and watching him explore the Tower of Babel as comfortably as his own living room, they had implicitly thought, ‘Ah, with this man, it might actually be possible, wouldn’t it?’
While the Chancellor’s direct involvement certainly added to the sense of reality—they also simultaneously felt, ‘It was bound to happen.’
“What a joke. They founded the Academy with the intention of nurturing those who would reach the top of the Tower of Babel, yet the moment someone truly capable of reaching that peak appears, everyone is desperate to kill them.”
Aire scoffed.
Gently brushing the back of Ban Yuwon’s hand, she continued.
“Yuwon, you should come to Melodia with me. The family head will lend us his strength.”
“Wait, Fairytale comes first. Everyone’s expecting the Queen’s man, you know.”
Mira retorted in a sharp tone, swatting her hand away.
And the Rebellion members watched them with extremely subtle expressions.
“Our beast-kin also... no, but we’re too weak to fight against higher-ranked dimensions. For now, at least my parents and the elite troops...”
“All the kids from our dimension are so weak, what should we do... No, even so, I can’t fall behind for a blessed marriage...!”
“Are you treating your military forces as dowry now?”
Dokgo Yeon, who had spoken in an exasperated tone, suddenly clapped her hands, silencing the group.
“Ban Yuwon, what about you? You’ve been quiet since earlier; it seems you’re thinking something. Tell us. You’ve been preparing various things on your own, haven’t you?”
She was likely referring to his solo explorations.
Only then did Ban Yuwon raise his head, clear his throat with a 'hmm,' and speak.
“They say a war has already broken out.”
“What? Why are you talking about it like it’s someone else’s problem...?”
“War?! Don’t tell me someone’s invaded Earth again!”
“Unforgivable!”
The members sprang to their feet, startled.
Ban Yuwon shook his head, then briefly severed the connection with the person he had been communicating with via transmission.
After gesturing a few times in the air, he realized it wasn’t working, clicked his tongue, and lifted his mirror to access the Union Net.
The first thing that popped up was news of a large-scale military conflict unfolding in a forsaken dimension.
“Let’s see, Exodus, Crimson Spear... and a fleet from the Ketiuses dimension are engaged in a three-way battle?”
“Ketiuses?”
Beside Asha, who tilted her head, Rucell’s ears twitched as if she had realized something.
“Ketiuses... isn’t that the dimension that man who bothered Dokgo Yeon came from?”
“What?!”
Shati, flustered, leaned closer to the screen.
Even though a forsaken dimension should be an environment difficult for anyone to easily approach, the holographic photos clearly captured the moments each faction clashed.
What’s more, these photos had been uploaded only a few minutes ago.
The one who took the photos seemed to be maintaining a distance from the factions, not actively participating in the war.
“My older sister’s mercenary team took them. She said it’s good to spread things like this quickly...”
“Wait, then Mother is there too. That’s dangerous... No, but if that’s the case...”
“Mother...”
Regardless of Asha’s quiet murmur, Mira ran a hand through her hair in exasperation.
“The Ortima Family... are they allies now? Really?”
“What nonsense are you talking about, Mira? The Ortima Family is the worst of the worst.”
“But they’re fighting our enemies right now?!”
And they brought a massive fleet!
Those who had been staring at the photos in disbelief soon recalled that the Ortima Family had recently launched a project leading the Special Class to hunt dimension pirates, including Exodus and Crimson Spear.
Surely, a minor clash like that couldn’t have truly escalated into a full-blown war involving the main forces of the Ten Great Families and the entire might of the dimension pirates, could it?!
And then—everyone’s gaze fixed on Dokgo Yeon, who was practically responsible for creating this situation.
“Why, why are you looking at me like that? I haven’t even had contact with that man!”
“Is this true femme fatale...?”
“F-Femme...?!”
Dokgo Yeon, her cheeks flushed crimson at the shameless remark, sprang to her feet and shouted.
“I have never even held hands with any man except Yuwon, do you understand?!”
“Yuwon...”
And Asha quietly murmured, just as before.
Ban Yuwon thought he understood what Asha was thinking, but indulging that girl’s playful antics in this situation was too much of a bother, so he decided to pretend he didn’t know.
Comments