Chapter 218
"Kehuk!!"
Jin Yeseo, who saw Guk Jaeryong collapse with foam at his mouth, stammered in confusion.
"Hey, hey... No matter how much you dislike him, suddenly... Unauthorized acts of violence in school are..."
"It's to buy time. To prevent us from finding Professor Shin Jae-yu."
However, in response to Lee Hyun's calm reply, which seemed as though it was no big deal, she asked in greater confusion.
"Buying time...? Suddenly...? Why would he...?"
"The woman we met in the First City. Remember?"
At Lee Hyun's abrupt words, Jin Yeseo shuddered. The sensation of the tentacle's texture that had firmly wrapped around her body still lingered vividly.
"How could I forget that? But why bring that up so suddenly...?"
When Lee Hyun summarized briefly and explained only the critical parts, Jin Yeseo exclaimed in shock.
"What? Then, are you saying a monster like that woman is in the Cradle right now?"
"That's what I think for now."
Lee Hyun still replied calmly.
Then, looking at the unconscious and collapsed Guk Jaeryong, he answered.
"This guy is probably her minion. Your friend we met earlier and the 2nd Year Senior were likely the same."
"Nonsense. Sure, this guy's always been a complete rascal, but there's no way even Jain and the Student Council Senior..."
"I'm not saying they did it willingly. It's probably akin to how the city's residents were manipulated by that woman."
Lee Hyun shook his head as he spoke.
Jin Yeseo, looking confused, pressed her forehead.
"...If what you're saying is true, then this isn't the time to be idling around. Professor Shin Jae-yu... Then where..."
"We'll have to start looking again."
"How? We don't have any clues..."
At that, Lee Hyun pointed his finger at the unconscious sly-looking male student.
"This guy."
Saying that, Lee Hyun reached out towards Guk Jaeryong, who was trembling and foaming at the mouth.
Even though there were no visible movements, it was clear he was attempting to exert that mysterious power he'd shown before.
After some time, the man withdrew his hand and spoke.
"Hey, wake up."
Then, as Guk Jaeryong, still unconscious, didn't wake up, he slapped both of his cheeks repeatedly. Before long, the eyelids of the fainted man began to quiver slightly.
***
"You, what the hell...! Where is this place...!"
Guk Jaeryong, wide-eyed, twisted his body and shouted aloud.
But soon, as if recalling the mask's true identity, he squinted and muttered.
"Huh? You..."
There was something distinctly odd about his demeanor.
Though he had fainted from Lee Hyun's ambush, his current state didn't seem like someone who just fainted from such an incident.
Rather, he seemed more like someone who had awoken from a long sleep of at least a few days or weeks.
"I'll ask again. Professor Shin Jae-yu's whereabouts. Do you know?"
"Ha, who the hell are you to suddenly..."
The sly-looking male student snorted as if he had no intention of cooperating.
"Untie me already. What kind of nonsense..."
Lee Hyun let out a small sigh at his apparent lack of cooperation.
Then, putting his hand into his coat, he pulled something out.
"Hey, Jin Yeseo. Why are you just watching... What, what the hell!!"
Guk Jaeryong's face turned pale upon seeing the sharp-edged folding knife.
"You, you... That's possession of an illegal weapon...! Do you think you'll get away with this? Huh?"
It was an item prepared with discipline in mind after the lessons learned from the social gathering disaster, meant for minimal defense.
Jin Yeseo silently observed the scene without giving any heed to Guk Jaeryong's desperate looks for help.
Anyone with half a brain could immediately infer the meaning behind such actions.
"You, you dare to threaten me with that..."
"It didn't seem like words would work."
"What, what? If words don't work, then what will you..."
Suddenly, noticing Lee Hyun's gaze directed toward his finger, Guk Jaeryong swallowed his hiccup.
Perhaps due to the eerie glint behind the mask, it didn't feel like a simple threat.
"C-Crazy bastard..."
"Shall we start with the thumb?"
"W-Wait a minute... All right, I'll talk. I'll say everything I know! I just woke up, so my memory is all jumbled! Just give me a moment to recall..."
"No need to worry. I'll help you."
Unlike the urgent Guk Jaeryong, Lee Hyun's voice remained calm.
"H-Help? How...?"
"Once you see blood spurting from your fingers, you'll recall whether you like it or not."
"Eek...!"
Guk Jaeryong, rolling on the floor, felt the cold marble boundary stone press against his back.
With no way to escape, the man wielding the knife slowly closed the distance.
Desperately racking his brain, Guk Jaeryong finally seemed to recall something and shouted urgently.
"D-Demon Beast Breeding Ground!"
Almost groveling on the ground, he bowed his head.
At that, Lee Hyun's steps came to an abrupt halt.
"P-Professor Shin Jae-yu is at the Demon Beast Breeding Ground...! The place behind the Main Building...! They moved the unconscious professor there..."
"What?? Unconscious??"
Jin Yeseo, who had been silently watching from behind, suddenly intervened.
By now, her pupils were filled with intense anger.
"Hey! Guk Jaeryong! Why is the professor unconscious!!"
"T-That's because..."
"Don't tell me it was you? Really? Did you bear a grudge from constantly being scolded, you complete rascal...!!"
"N-No! I was just keeping watch nearby! I didn't do anything...!"
"That's the same thing!! Come here. Today, I'll put an end to this...!"
"Eek..."
Seeing the black flame burning in both of Jin Yeseo's hands, Guk Jaeryong flinched.
And before long, Lee Hyun, who had already put the knife away, stepped in to block Jin Yeseo.
"Calm down. I told you, it probably wasn't by his own will."
"Y-Yeah! I really didn't want to do it..."
"..."
Jin Yeseo hid behind Lee Hyun, nodding fervently while Guk Jaeryong glanced at her with a pathetic look in his eyes.
However, she soon sighed and withdrew the flames.
Lee Hyun led her forward and spoke.
"Let's move for now. Since we know the location, there's no reason to delay any further."
***
On their way to the Demon Beast Breeding Ground at a fast pace.
Jin Yeseo turned her head slightly and opened her mouth in a worried tone.
"Will Professor Shin Jae-yu really be okay...?"
"...I don't know."
Lee Hyun shook his head. He even thought it might be fortunate if this could be resolved at the cost of her life.
"What about the Crow?"
"I sent it. Just like during the Social Gathering, I told them to issue an Emergency Alert since something big is happening."
At Lee Hyun's words, Jin Yeseo nodded.
"I hope Choi Woojin and Seungheon can deliver the message well..."
"It'll be fine. They come from good families and are popular, so their words carry persuasion."
Jin Yeseo, as if reassuring Lee Hyun, suddenly turned her head and snapped sharply, changing her demeanor in an instant.
"Hey, aren't you coming quickly?"
Guk Jaeryong, who was panting and dragging himself along, barely managed to answer.
"Hah... Wh-What do you expect when you're so fast... Can't we go a bit slower..."
"Shut up and move faster. We're already late."
Jin Yeseo retorted coldly, as if he wasn't worth her time.
"If you even think about running away, I'll half-kill you myself before handing you over to the Security Bureau."
"S-Security Bureau...?"
"Did you think you could just let this slide? You're already a suspect for treason. So cooperate properly if you want even a sliver of lenience."
"Hi-Hing... Mom..."
Seeing Guk Jaeryong, who sniffled with a tear-streaked face, Jin Yeseo wore an incredulous expression.
Lee Hyun, who was leading at the front while lost in thought, asked without even turning back.
"By the way, how long have you been in that state?"
"Sniff... Wh-What do you mean..."
"You said it felt like you were dreaming for a long time. I'm asking for a rough timeframe."
"I'm not sure... A week... No, maybe two weeks..."
Perhaps Jin Yeseo's threats had worked; Guk Jaeryong replied in a much more cooperative tone, albeit stammering.
"Have your memories returned to some extent? Is there anything else that comes to mind? What you did, or who might have made you like this?"
That a Witch had already infiltrated the Cradle was almost a foregone conclusion. The problem was uncovering her true identity.
"...I, I don't know... My head is still foggy, like it's covered in mist... Wait a moment."
Guk Jaeryong, clutching his forehead as if suffering from a headache, suddenly halted.
Lee Hyun and Jin Yeseo, who had also stopped running, turned their bodies to look at him.
Standing frozen in place, Guk Jaeryong widened his eyes as if recalling something and muttered.
"I remembered."
"What?"
"Who did this to me... I remembered."
"Who? Don't stall, just tell us quickly."
"I-I can't remember the name. But the appearance was roughly..."
Pressured by Jin Yeseo's urging, Guk Jaeryong flinched.
Then, stammering again, he opened his mouth.
"F-First, they had a 1st Year badge..."
At that, Jin Yeseo glared at him with dagger-like eyes.
"Are you joking? There are over a hundred 1st Year students in the Cradle alone..."
"W-Wait... She was a Female Student... And..."
Just as he opened his mouth again.
Lee Hyun's body suddenly froze stiff.
"Brown hair... Brown eyes... And freckles..."
"...What?"
Lee Hyun unknowingly blurted out a question.
The moment he heard the description.
For some reason, he immediately thought of someone who matched the conditions.
The friend he made first after entering the Cradle.
A naive soul from the Frontier, who always greeted him with an untainted smile unique to her.
Yena, it was her.