Chapter 243

Chapter 243

Seeing me lying down in the hallway, Ye-Jin said, "...First, let's get you treated."

I lifted my head and silently gazed at her for a moment. I could see that she was concerned about me.

Considering the state I was in, it was quite natural for her to be worried. After all, my face was covered in blood, and there was quite a bit of blood on my school uniform. However, seeing her worried for me felt really strange.

I had seen Ye-Jin not too long ago, during the battle when I was helping Yuk Eun-Hyung's mercenary corps.

However, the Ye-Jin that I saw back then and the Ye-Jin I was seeing right now were completely different, and the me from back then and the me right now were also completely different, so everything felt strange and unfamiliar.

I got up and left as if I was running away.

I arrived at the nurse's office, and the school nurse, whom I often saw at the beginning of the semester, said, "What... what on earth happened?"

Upon seeing my bloody face, she quickly jumped out of her seat in surprise and examined my condition. She let out a deep sigh.

I smiled faintly. "I got into a fight."

"With whom...? No, never mind. First, let's get you treated..."

The nurse fumbled around for a moment and then brought bandages and ointment. She also brought something resembling disinfectant, cotton, and a wet cloth.

She wiped away the dried blood on my face. While treating me, the nurse continuously sighed.

"The wound isn't too severe. It's just bleeding a lot... Do you feel dizzy or anything?"

"A little."

"I’ve only done emergency first aid for now, so go to the hospital right away."

"Okay."

As I was about to leave the nurse's office after the treatment, the nurse grabbed me and said, "You."

The nurse’s voice was low. It didn't seem like she was going to say something nice. When I turned my head in her direction, the nurse sighed deeply and said, "You’re not going to the hospital again, right?"

"..."

"You might recover quickly at the moment because your body is strong... But who knows what might happen later? Make sure to go today."

I had nothing to say, so I kept my mouth shut. Whenever I got injured at the academy, I always received emergency first aid at the nurse's office and didn't go to the hospital. It was because the restoration spell was enough to recover from those injuries.

Above all, I was afraid of the hospital records.

Last time, when Ji-Ah went to Yuk Eun-Hyung's mercenary corps and got injured due to getting swept up in battle, she didn't go to the hospital. She said that if there were records, they could be used as a clue for tracking.

Like her, I was also using a disguise. If I left too many hospital records, they could be used as a clue for tracking me down. Moreover, Joseph was currently suspecting me. It was better not to leave any records, including hospital records, if possible.

"Understood," I answered, and then left the nurse's office.

Despite saying that, I still had no intention of going to the hospital. Not now, and not later. They were nothing more than minor injuries that would be cured if I used the restoration spell.

Anyway, it would be best not to get injured in the future. If I kept avoiding going to the hospital like this, it could also be a cause for suspicion.

While making my way to the teacher’s office, Legba said, [Sounds like there are a lot of things that could become clues or hints.]

I nodded. Just by existing, the Voodoo Cult was a problem, and just by being alive, the Voodoo Cult was a sin. It was so obvious that there was no need to mention it anymore.

As I headed toward the teacher's office, I saw Yu-Hyun and Jin-Seo. They were standing in front of Ye-Jin with their heads down while listening to her scolding. Most of the scolding seemed to be directed at Yu-Hyun.

As I approached, Ye-Jin let out a deep sigh and said something to the two of them. They nodded and left the teacher's office.

"...Why did you come here? You should have gone straight to the hospital," Ye-Jin said, looking at my swollen face and bandaged head with disbelief.

My face was currently plastered with an absurd number of bandages, and my head was covered by a layer of bandages as well. My current state really was abysmal enough to surprise anyone.

I looked at Ye-Jin silently for a moment and then said, "I thought it would be best to give a brief explanation of the situation before I go.”

“You have strong mental fortitude... But, well, there’s really no need to do so. I heard everything that I needed to know from Yu-Hyun and Jin-Seo.”

Ye-Jin continued to explain that, thanks to Jin-Seo and Yu-Hyun’s testimonies, they had a rough understanding of the situation and that there were no conflicting parts.

I asked about what they had said. Jin-Seo said that when she saw Yu-Hyun hit me, she allegedly tried to stop him from hitting me but unintentionally broke Yu-Hyun's finger.

Apparently, Yu-Hyun admitted to hitting me. However, he didn't say a word about why he did it.

"I think the committee will decide on the punishment..." Ye-Jin said.

"Is there really a need to open the committee?" I asked. Fịndd new updates at novelhall.com

"Thank you for everything."

"Come and say hello sometimes. Let's have a meal together."

I wanted to ask about Do-Jin's well-being, but I figured it would be an unnecessary question, so I just kept my mouth shut. I smiled at Ye-Jin instead.

She also reciprocated the smile and waved her hand. I bowed my head several times towards Ye-Jin and left the room.

Just like that, I walked out of the building. The once vibrant leaves were now red. The wind blew, causing the leaves to sway and a few to fall.

At that moment, someone spoke to me.

"...Finally, you’re out."

I turned my head. Jin-Seo was leaning against the wall, looking at me.

*

"So, Mr. Do-Jin, how's your body?" Joseph asked Do-Jin.

Do-Jin was lying in bed, unable to move. Even the slightest movement caused excruciating pain in his internal organs, making it uncomfortable to even change positions while sleeping.

Do-Jin barely managed to nod his head slightly. "...I'm fine. Except for the occasional bouts of pain that make me want to die.”

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to come and bother you, but I was pressured from above to investigate this incident."

"It's alright. If that’s how it is, it can’t be helped,” Do-Jin said with a forced smile.

It wasn't pleasant to see Joseph, but it was truly an unavoidable situation.

Do-Jin was the only one who had remained sane after facing off against the Cult Leader in close-quarters combat. The rest had either gone mad or had submitted their resignations and refused to make any statements.

"Thanks for understanding. So... you mentioned that you think you met the leader of the Voodoo Cult?"

"Yes, they are probably living undercover among the active-duty clergymen," Do-Jin said with a nod.

"They specialize in spear combat... specifically, throwing spears. Or weapons that can be thrown... They are either a crusader or a paladin. That's what I think."

The Cult Leader had used his staff to block all of Do-Jin's attacks.

Crusaders who used spears learned how to utilize the body of the spear to block attacks. Thus, Do-Jin suspected that the Cult Leader was either a paladin or a crusader who specialized in using the spear.

Furthermore, the Cult Leader had summoned a snake by throwing his staff into the rear ranks. The throwing technique that he displayed was not something that anyone could use.

It had to be someone proficient in handling spears and throwing weapons, such as a paladin or a crusader. Investigating people who knew Do-Jin seemed to be the way to find clues.

Joseph nodded and muttered, "I see. Since you say that they can handle the staff well... it makes sense.”

Outwardly, Joseph pretended he agreed with Do-Jin and played along, but in reality, he thought differently.

When Joseph sparred with Sun-Woo at the sacred training ground, he surprised Joseph by applying techniques such as throwing instead of simply swinging the mace. Joseph didn't think Sun-Woo was the leader of the Voodoo Cult, but at the very least, he speculated that there might be some connection.

Perhaps it could also be confirmation bias. Once he started suspecting Sun-Woo, his thoughts continued to lean toward being suspicious of Sun-Woo.

"...This might be a bit presumptuous of me, but have you ever sparred with Sun-Woo?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, have you ever sparred with—”

Suddenly, there was a loud noise. Before Joseph could finish his sentence, someone forcefully opened the door to the hospital room and entered. It was Joseph's subordinate.

He was sweating profusely and breathing heavily. It seemed like something urgent had happened. Joseph approached his subordinate.

"Huff, huff...! In-inquisitor, I... I'm sorry, I'm out of breath..."

"It’s alright, so take your time and speak slowly."

"...There is an inspection being conducted in the office. They came up with some excuses for doing so, but it feels like they're trying to obstruct the investigation..."

Joseph's face hardened. His jaw muscles twitched and trembled.

"An inspection... The Holy See sent an inspector? That can't be true."

"No, it's not the Holy See. It’s...”

The subordinate employee caught his breath and continued, "It’s from the International Theological Association...!"

The International Theological Association. That was the name of the Theological Association under the jurisdiction of the purification clan members.