Chapter 85 : Arrest Warrant (1)
Arrest Warrant.
To the one who brings me the ornament held by Namgung Il, a first-year student of the Vermilion Bird Class, I will grant twenty merit points.
Also, all matters that arise in the process of capturing Namgung Il will be dismissed by the authority of the student council president, as long as they do not greatly violate the school rules.
Namgung Il stared blankly at the paper for a long time.
An arrest warrant... wasn't this a public notice that would only be used for a heinous criminal?
But for his name to be written there now, Namgung Il was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even let out a hollow laugh.
"What on earth is this? Why did the student council president suddenly put up a public notice like this to chase you?"
"..."
"Namgung Il, there's something you're not telling me, right?"
Jeong Hyeon-yeong asked Namgung Il.
A public notice with twenty merit points and Namgung Il's name written together.
Just with that part, Jeong Hyeon-yeong had guessed that Namgung Il was up to something to get merit points without his knowledge and had come here in the middle of the night.
"...Where did you find this?"
"It's already posted all over the academy. This is just one of them that I took down."
"It was posted all over the academy?"
Then why had he not once discovered this public notice yesterday?
If Jeong Hyeon-yeong's words were true, Namgung Il should have naturally discovered this public notice.
"I found that public notice late in the evening."
"...!"
"I was going to go to you and ask about that public notice, but since it was almost curfew time then, I had no choice but to come secretly like this later."
Hearing those words, Namgung Il could understand why he had not discovered this public notice.
Yesterday, he had returned to the dormitory right after eating dinner.
Although he didn't know exactly when the public notice had started to be posted, hadn't it been circulating around the academy at least after he had returned to the dormitory?
If Jeong Hyeon-yeong hadn't come to see him like this, Namgung Il would have only noticed the existence of the public notice in the morning.
'Cheon Hong-ryeon... was this what that woman was up to?'
In the first place, Namgung Il had not thought that Cheon Hong-ryeon would give him merit points so easily.
But to think that she had been up to something so absurd.
As he had felt at their first meeting, she was a truly eccentric person.
"..."
Although it seemed the public notice had been posted late at night, probably quite a lot of students had already discovered the public notice.
Even if not, the student who had discovered the public notice might have spread rumors within the dormitory, just as Jeong Hyeon-yeong had done to him.
If he thought about the situation that would unfold later based on that guess...
'...It's going to be a mess.'
It was really difficult for a student to get merit points.
Besides that, if it was twenty merit points at the beginning of the semester, wouldn't its value be even greater?
The figures of the students who would be chasing him with their eyes turned upside down tomorrow were already being drawn in Namgung Il's head.
Crumple—
The public notice held in Namgung Il's hand was crumpled with force.
As soon as the day dawned, a pursuer who was chasing him would surely appear.
But even if he went outside now to avoid that, it would be meaningless if Cheon Hong-ryeon herself did not come out of the dormitory, right?
If he were to be caught trying to invade the Azure Dragon Class girls' dormitory for no reason, it seemed it would not end with just getting demerit points.
'...If she's going to come out like this, I'll get the merit points no matter what.'
If he just returned the ornament to Cheon Hong-ryeon today, the arrest warrant would end.
Since he felt the opponent's intention was quite obvious, he didn't feel very good... but that was why Namgung Il was trying to win the match with Cheon Hong-ryeon no matter what.
The opponent was Cheon Hong-ryeon, no, perhaps it could be all the students in the Flying Dragon Academy.
If he thought about it that way, twenty merit points as a reward was by no means an excessive score.
"Namgung Il."
"...?"
"I promised to help you with all my might. So if you need any help, don't hesitate to tell me."
Jeong Hyeon-yeong said to Namgung Il.
When you think about it, if Jeong Hyeon-yeong hadn't come here in the middle of the night, wouldn't Namgung Il have been chased by pursuers in the morning without even knowing the reason?
Just with that, it could be said that Namgung Il had already received considerable help from Jeong Hyeon-yeong.
"I understand."
"..."
"I need your help."
The opponent had already made all the students in the academy her allies.
So even if he increased his allies by a few people on this side, they wouldn't have anything to say on that side.
Namgung Il said to Jeong Hyeon-yeong and Jong Seo-eon with a meaningful smile.
"We'll have to fight a one-against-a-hundred battle in a little while."
"..."
"The entire academy is the enemy. Are you confident?"
"Of course."
Jeong Hyeon-yeong answered with a line drawn on his lips.
"Uh... but who on earth are we fighting now?"
"Then let's start the strategy meeting right now."
"..."
Why was he up in the middle of the night like this, doing this without even knowing the reason?
Jong Seo-eon was naturally attending the strategy meeting without even knowing the reason.
* * *
The day of the decisive battle dawned.
As soon as the curfew was over, Namgung Il left the dormitory early in the morning.
'Now I have to choose where to go.'
To end this crazy arrest warrant, he had to find out Cheon Hong-ryeon's location.
Although Cheon Hong-ryeon would also be in the dormitory now, there was no guarantee that she would be there all day.
Namgung Il had to find Cheon Hong-ryeon in this wide academy while avoiding the pursuers.
'For now, it's probably there.'
The most likely place where Cheon Hong-ryeon was presumed to be was, as expected, the student council hall.
Namgung Il decided to set his direction of travel there first and move.
'It seems there's no one now... but I can't be careless.'
As time went on, this side would become disadvantageous.
Because the students who had not yet checked the public notice yesterday would check the public notice today and join in to pursue him.
Before that happened, Namgung Il wanted to end this game of tag as quickly as possible.
"..."
To do that, he had to get as close to the student council hall as possible while it was still a little quiet.
If he hid nearby and found Cheon Hong-ryeon, he could just run in and hand over the ornament.
Namgung Il drew a rough blueprint in his head, released his stealth, and quickly ran forward.
Phat—
It was then.
As soon as Namgung Il had completely left the dormitory grounds, countless presences appeared around as if they had been waiting.
As people appeared from all directions as if to surround him, Namgung Il had no choice but to stop moving and stop in his tracks.
'So many have already gathered?'
The dormitories of each class were located to the east, west, south, and north, respectively, with the central area as the standard.
Among them, the place where the dormitory of the Vermilion Bird Class was located was the southern area.
Since it would take quite a lot of time to come to the southern area from the dormitories of the other classes, Namgung Il was puzzled by this situation.
"...?"
Just then, Namgung Il looked around and could realize something.
Although not all of them, a familiar face was visible here and there.
Namgung Il could tell that the people who were now surrounding him were students of the Vermilion Bird Class.
'This... I didn't expect this.'
In the first place, if the starting point was the same southern area as him, the travel time was almost non-existent.
A strange situation where a student of the Vermilion Bird Class was chasing a student of the same Vermilion Bird Class.
There was probably only one person who would do such a thing.
"I've been waiting."
As expected, Hwang Dong-jae appeared in front.
A conceited smile naturally formed on his lips as he looked at the surrounded Namgung Il.
Namgung Il said to Hwang Dong-jae, still maintaining his vigilance of the surroundings.
"I knew you were petty, but I didn't expect you to go this far."
"Are you calling this petty?"
"..."
"There's nothing petty in a fight. It's just that the loser is wrong, and the winner is right."
Hwang Dong-jae said and held out his right hand towards Namgung Il.
"Hand over the ornament right now."
"An ornament? Why would I have such a thing?"
"I don't like to play with words."
Seeing that tone, it seemed that Hwang Dong-jae knew the contents of the public notice.
There was probably only one reason why Hwang Dong-jae was trying to snatch the ornament in this situation.
Although Namgung Il could guess the reason, for now, he slyly tried to sound out Hwang Dong-jae's intention.
"If I hand over the ornament, what are you going to do with it?"
"Don't worry. I'll return it safely to the student council president."
"..."
"Of course, it will be two days later."
Two days later, that was the day when the deadline promised in the bet would be one day over.
As expected, Hwang Dong-jae's purpose was not the score of the Vermilion Bird Class, but to win the bet with him.
After confirming that for sure, Namgung Il said, raising the corners of his lips slightly.
"What you want, senior, is in my clothes right now."
"That's good. I'd appreciate it if you'd hand it over this way."
"If you want to take it, you'll have to take it yourself, senior."
It was an expected thing that Namgung Il would not hand over the ornament so easily.
Hwang Dong-jae lowered the hand he had been holding out and said in a cold voice.
"Snatch it."
When Hwang Dong-jae gave that order, the people who were surrounding Namgung Il all took out their weapons.
Although an act of surrounding one person like this was against the school rules, hadn't the student council president herself written in the public notice that it didn't matter if it was slightly against the school rules?
As long as he didn't kill him, a serious injury like a broken arm or leg would be fine.
"...!"
Just then, the two eyes of the people around widened sharply.
Namgung Il, who was now holding a sword in one hand.
Crackle—
As if he had injected internal energy into the sword, an electric light was repelling around.
At the same time, the blade of the Thunder Roar Sword, which had turned completely red.
Although it was not surprising to use internal energy on a sword, the sight of it being wrapped in a red thunderbolt was not something that could be easily seen.
'The sword... is dyed red?'
Hwang Dong-jae was also surprised inwardly at that sight.
The Thunder Roar Sword, whose color changed according to the achievement of the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art.
The fact that the blade of the Thunder Roar Sword was now dyed red meant that Namgung Il's Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art had reached the fifth star.
"...!"
To the people who did not know that fact, that sight naturally felt strange.
Also, since that strangeness was stimulating people's fear, no one who was surrounding him could easily move now.
Phat—
Just then, Namgung Il jumped high from his spot.
At the same time, the Thunder Roar Sword, which was raised high above his head.
At that moment, the surroundings were filled with a thunderous roar, and a red thunderbolt struck the floor.
Boom—!
With the impact, the surroundings were instantly filled with a red light.
The people who had been looking with their eyes open without protection were momentarily blinded by the intense light.
"...!"
The same went for Hwang Dong-jae.
As if he had become blind, Hwang Dong-jae had no choice but to close his two eyes without protection.
"Namgung Il...! Stop Namgung Il from running away!"
Hwang Dong-jae shouted in a blind state.
But the same went for the other people who had a problem with their vision.
After some time had passed like that, their vision barely returned to its original state.
Swish—
As soon as he opened his eyes, Hwang Dong-jae turned his head to where Namgung Il had been standing.
However.
Namgung Il's figure was no longer there, and instead, only a scorched mark and a destroyed floor remained.
"Ugh...!"
Confirming that, Hwang Dong-jae's expression was completely distorted.
To think that he had let Namgung Il go so easily in front of his eyes.
Until he had surrounded him earlier, he had thought that he had perfectly captured Namgung Il, so a lot of resentment was welling up in Hwang Dong-jae's heart.
"You stupid bastards! Chase after Namgung Il right now!"
With that shout, the chase began.
(End of Chapter)