30 Years Have Passed Since the Prologue - Chapter 18

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B

Chapter 18: The Status Window Opened on My First Day of School (2)

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* * *

Most students never gave it a thought, but a university’s staff included far more workers than just professors and teaching assistants.

For example, security guards handled campus security and safety.

Administrative assistants managed the broad range of clerical work.

Just as the employees cleaning a dining hall during a meal tended to disappear from one’s awareness unless one paid attention, some people simply entered and left the edges of one’s vision unnoticed.

Gardeners were the same. That was why Elizaveta had slipped Ivan into a gardening position.

It was neither a conspicuous profession like professor or teaching assistant nor an odd position to be tucked away anywhere.

At the same time, it was a post with no set duties. A gardener was only necessary if there was a garden in the first place, and Saint Yansk University did not have one.

“Hmm.”

Naturally. Why would a university built in the heart of the capital waste land on gardens or flower beds?

Even if the princess made a position for him, nobody would find it suspicious.

If he had been someone truly important, or if Elizaveta had intended to pull strings within the university, they would have assumed she would place an agent in a more significant role.

The Crown Prince’s faction would probably think that one of Elizaveta’s subordinates had quietly found a job for an acquaintance.

This was no more than the minor sort of corruption prevalent throughout the kingdom, slipping an acquaintance into a cushy post to collect a pension. Technically, it was not illegal. In the House of Nobles, corruption on this scale was considered almost honest.

“Just as I thought. It was here.”

Saint Yansk University’s gardener therefore had plenty of time.

Enough to pursue leisurely hobbies.

At that moment, the gardener’s hobby was disarming explosives.

‘They considered the guards’ patrol routes, the movement range of everyone on campus, and the sightlines from every building.’

These people were professionals.

Ivan narrowed his eyes as he disarmed the third bomb. It was a crude homemade mana bomb, but that made it impossible to identify the culprits.

Ivan had identified and searched for the bombs for the following reasons.

First, because it was common knowledge that an academy entrance ceremony would be attacked.

Second, because with bombers in the sky and the Counterintelligence Command on maximum alert, any organization capable of attacking the academy at this point had to be made up of professionals.

Once he thought that way and reverse-engineered their movements, he could identify where they would plant the bombs.

Places hidden from the guards’ eyes.

Dark corners where they would not be exposed to passing civilians.

Blind spots that could not be seen from any building’s windows.

Search through the intersections of those conditions, and bombs turned up. At this point, it was no different from harvesting potatoes.

Figure out roughly where they were, stroll over, and pluck them out.

“Now all that remains is finding out who did this.”

That was the problem.

There were too many likely suspects.

The demonfolk. They were the least likely possibility, which made them suspicious in its own way.

They had more than enough reason to terrorize Saint Yansk University. At the same time, unless they were idiots, they would not try something like this again immediately after their last failure.

The elves were more suspicious, but their motive was weak.

They still had a warship floating over Saint Yansk University, so they were in the best position to pull this off.

Yet even if the elves did this and damaged Krasilov’s prestige, they had far too little to gain.

The Crown Prince faction. They were probably the likeliest culprits.

They had both the means and motive to attack Saint Yansk University. Today would have been difficult, though. The Counterintelligence Command, having borne the full force of Elizaveta’s anger, was guarding the area with bloodshot eyes.

There were simply too many likely suspects.

Which meant some unidentified secret organization had planted an extremely capable operative inside the academy.

‘A perfectly ordinary academy story.’

At that point, Ivan actually felt relieved.

Right. An academy story needed an attack at the entrance ceremony and secret operatives planted within the academy.

He had already been uneasy because this year’s freshmen did not include anyone who drew a sword with a flourish, introduced themselves as the Heavenly Demon, was a cowboy firing a pump-action shotgun with a blade of grass in their mouth, or happened to be a young girl tank who was strangely good at swearing.

Ivan shook his head with a bitter smile and headed toward the next likely bomb site.

Then he heard something strange.

Very faintly.

-What’s that supposed to be? Santa Claus?

Ivan’s eyes sharpened. Without showing that he had noticed anything, he bent over.

There was a pebble of just the right size.

As naturally as if he were tying his shoelace, he picked up the pebble and threw it toward the voice.

-Clang!

Something deflected it. At the same time, Ivan shot forward like lightning, straight toward the sound.

Tap, tap-tap! Quick footsteps rang out, and Ivan ultimately had to stop.

The person had vanished without a trace, slipping outside Saint Yansk University and into the vast crowd waiting for the entrance ceremony to end.

“Santa Claus, huh.”

With a hollow laugh, Ivan turned around. When he retraced his path, he soon found the pebble, cleanly split in two.

He broke down the information and assembled it again.

-Swordsmanship.

-A young man or woman. If male, at least young enough that his voice had not broken.

-The voice was too faint to identify. He would need to hear it two or three more times to judge.

-Height, unknown.

-Quick movements. Fast reflexes. Probably line-of-fire detection.

-An ability difficult for a student to possess, but the chance that person was a student was extremely high.

He turned and began walking.

This time, toward the campus.

Toward the most dangerous place in Saint Yansk University, the grand auditorium where Elizaveta was likely observing the entrance ceremony.

And toward the Counterintelligence Command’s field control room, which had to be nearby.

“Santa... Claus.”

This world had no folk tale about Santa Claus.

Naturally, it had no Christmas either. There was no righteous old red bandit who put candy and toys into stockings.

That was why he had reacted so sharply to that trivial mutter.

Which meant.

“A transmigrator.”

Had that person written a [5,700-Character Review of Gratitude] too? Or were they the product of some accident? Had they been hit by a truck? Diving into the Han River was too old-fashioned, so probably not. Of course, they could be the original author. That happened often enough.

What had brought them into this world, and how?

One thing was certain.

They knew this game was an academy story. There was no other reason for a transmigrator to enroll in or find work at the university.

If so, that person...

Knew the [original work].

Knew what would happen next.

Knew the ending.

“Hey, wait. Stop right there! This is a restricted area!”

“Get Dmitry.”

“What? Where did you hear that, and what are you talking about...?”

-Crack!

Ivan twisted the arm of the uniformed soldier blocking his path. The moment the soldier reacted and drew a pistol from his sleeve, Ivan smoothly disassembled it by turning the latch.

The soldier whose arm Ivan held stared blankly at the pistol grip left in his hand.

Click, click.

Gun barrels appeared in an instant.

Five. They were well trained. Their disguises were good too.

The five soldiers surrounding him were each dressed differently, like ordinary civilians one could see anywhere.

Ivan swept his gaze over them, drew a deep breath, then let it out shortly.

Anger churned within him. Anxiety was burning away his patience with every crackle.

“Get Dmitry.”

“Do you know the lieutenant colonel? Do not cause a disturbance here. Let us speak somewhere quiet...”

“Ivan.”

“...Pardon?”

“My name is Ivan Petrovich. Is anyone here from the Annihilation Unit?”

“I was in the final class, sir. Forgive me, but may I see your face...?”

The soldier Ivan had forced to his knees carefully raised his head. Slowly, he lowered the pistol grip he had still been holding and spread his hands wide.

He studied Ivan’s face for a long while with a bewildered expression, then raised one hand and gently covered the area beneath Ivan’s nose.

“Good heavens. Is it really... Little Ivan...?”

Cold sweat ran down the soldier’s face as he examined Ivan’s eyes, nose bridge, and forehead.

He quickly signaled the surrounding soldiers to withdraw, then bowed with a respectful expression.

“Colonel Petrovich. It is an honor to meet you.”

“Your name?”

“Osip Sorenov. You probably do not remember me. I was with the 3rd Assault Team, and I only saw you once, from a great distance.”

“I remember now, Osip.”

Ivan released the soldier’s arm and stepped back. Osip brushed off his knees a few times, rose, and respectfully offered his hand. Ivan took it, and they shook hands.

“Do not mourn those who went ahead.”

“For I stand in the same ranks as them.”

“I heard you were killed in action, Colonel. I clearly saw your nameplate at the National Cemetery...”

“And I did not think there would be a survivor from the 3rd Assault Team.”

“We survived in place of the finest men of our age.”

“All of us did.”

The final mission given to every Assault Team in the Annihilation Unit had been the assassination of the Seven Dragon Generals.

Therefore, including Ivan’s Assault Team, the only one to return alive, if there had been any other survivors...

They were simply those who remained alive because they owed their lives to better men.

Ivan patted Osip’s shoulder twice and spoke again.

“Bring Dmitry here. Tell him I need the full roster of incoming students... No, every undergraduate student and every member of the university staff. The observers at the entrance ceremony, the VIPs, their family members, acquaintances, relatives. Tell him I need a list of everyone who can currently access Saint Yansk University.”

“Yes, Colonel. Hey, report to Lieutenant Colonel Cherkatov! Tell him there is an emergency!”

The agents, who had still been too stunned to follow the situation, hurried away.

As he looked toward the grand auditorium where the entrance ceremony was in full swing, Ivan slowly caught his breath.

A transmigrator.

Were they Korean? No, it did not matter. They were from Earth.

Someone from his homeland. Sadly, that was what they were.

That was what they were. Kim Seonwoo and Ivan both felt bitter.

Because he would have to kill them.

He needed information about the ending.

He needed to eliminate the variables leading to that ending.

Most importantly...

“I am not some NPC.”

Ivan closed his eyes.

I am not some NPC. My memories, my experiences, my career are not a prologue. I am not some NPC.

My life is not some passing background story. I, I...

I have to survive and return home.

So there are more reasons to kill you than to let you live.

Before I hear that I, Ivan Petrovich, exist in your damned “original work.”

Before it is too late. Without fail.

* * *

“Huff, pant... Huff... What was that insane bastard...? An aggressive monster? No, I was never told something like that existed! Damn it, damn it, where did this start going wrong?!”

After wiping away cold sweat and gasping for breath for a while, they suddenly heard a familiar voice.

Their father.

“You are back. Where have you been and what were you doing... Forget it. Pathetic.”

“Father...”

“Sit. Causing such a commotion just from going to the restroom. You are still as useless as ever.”

This damned wastrel of a youngest child.

Wasn't a wastrel of a youngest child in a proper fantasy story supposed to start getting head-patting from the very moment they transmigrated?

They were supposed to stop this Academy Attack in spectacular fashion and begin turning their reputation around!

Then the quest had suddenly been canceled!

[“D-Rank Quest” Stop the Academy Attack -Canceled-]

[The academy is under attack by an unidentified group! Stop the attack on the grand auditorium and undergraduate facilities during the entrance ceremony!]

[Objective: Disarm campus explosives 3/3 (Completed)]

[Optional Objective: Eliminate the intruders -Canceled-]

[Optional Objective: Protect new students 0/322 -Canceled-]

[Reward: -Canceled-]

“Damn it.”

They had lost an important early-game quest. Wasn't an academy attack originally meant to be the protagonist’s debut stage?

It had been the perfect chance to leave a strong impression on the heroines and future companions, and earn the instructors’ favor...!

The quest had canceled itself out of nowhere, so they had run over in shock, only to encounter a freak who looked like Santa Claus!

And what was this supposed to be?

[“???-Rank Quest” The Gardener of Saint Yansk University.]

[You have caught his attention. Good luck.]

[Objective: Eliminate Ivan Petrovich, gardener of Saint Yansk University]