Chapter 119

Chapter 119

I Became the Academy Mafia Chapter 119Still, just in case, I decided to ask one more time.

“By any chance, was that relic an old gun?”

“A gun? Ha, an old gun, you say.”

Right? Who would bother with some antique like──“It was quite an old-fashioned double-barreled shotgun. I bought it because they called it a relic, but since its only real advantage was that it was sturdy, I think I just left it hanging on the wall of my study without ever using it.”

“A shotgun...?”

“Yes. Come to think of it, when your father asked for permission to marry, that happened to be what I could grab, so I shot him with it. Well, I didn't manage to kill that damn bastard...”

“What?”

“Ahem, it was nothing. Anyway, he seemed to be in pain, so I suppose it was fairly effective...”

How could he so casually talk about trying to kill our father in front of his grandchildren...

Anyway, no matter how much I heard, I could only think that it was the item I'd been looking for.

“Grandpa. You shot Papa with a gun?”

Had he become lost in old memories?

At his careless words, Ji-yoon stopped chewing her meat and asked.

Han Jin-wol's expression immediately stiffened as though he'd realized his mistake.

“It wasn't what Ji-yoon is thinking. It was more like a joke. A joke. Do you know what that is?”

“A joke? I know! Joke, joke!”

“Right. A joke.”

It seemed he'd somehow managed to smoothly get past it.

Still, now that I knew the item I'd planned to collect while I was here had disappeared, there was no way I could simply go back.

“Grandfather.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Would it be all right if I stayed here for one night today?”

“Hm? Here?”

Grandfather looked surprised, as though he'd heard something completely unexpected from me.

“Well... I-I don't mind. But are you really sure? You'll have to prepare to go to the Academy, and you'll need your father's permission too.”

He quickly restored his expression and spoke in a blunt tone, but under the table, his leg was shaking violently.

“I'll persuade Father. As for the assignments I need to submit to the Academy... I can finish them quickly.”

Fortunately, there weren't that many assignments this week, and none of them were especially difficult, so it should be fine.

No, even if there were, was that really what mattered right now?

“Ahem. If that's what you want... then what about Haru?”

“Me?”

Haru glanced toward me when the question was directed at her. I lightly poked her leg and smiled.

“It's okay, right?”

If I wanted to move according to my plan, having Haru here would be far more helpful.

Fortunately, Haru also nodded as though it wouldn't be a problem.

“Most of my work can be handled easily over the internet, so I don't mind either.”

“Is that so? Haru... you said you live alone, didn't you?”

“Yes.”

“...

I see. Still the same. Right, Eugene, you should ask your father first. No matter how much the two of you are fine with it, if your father says no, there's nothing I can do.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Just as Grandfather said, I should get Father's permission first.

I immediately excused myself and contacted Father.

______________

To start with the conclusion, it was a complete success.

Father seemed flustered at first, but soon told me that since it had been such a long time since I'd seen Grandfather, I should stay the night and rest comfortably before coming back.

“Then Ji-yoon is sleeping at Grandpa's house?”

Ji-yoon raised her head and asked Grandfather.

Grandfather stroked Ji-yoon's head and nodded.

“Yes, it seems so. Gang-cheol. Could you prepare rooms for the children and the people who came from Calione?”

“I will do so. Chairman.”

Kim Gang-cheol left first after receiving Grandfather's order.

After confirming that he had completely left the room, I looked back at Grandfather.

“You must be busy as well, Grandfather. I'm sorry for suddenly deciding to stay the night.”

“You don't need to apologize so much. I was planning to rest properly this weekend anyway. Maybe it's because I drink elixirs three times a day, but even though I'm not an Awakened, my body is still fairly healthy.”

Just as he said, even though he had long since passed the age where gray hair first appeared, his straight back, solid build, and firm eyes looked not merely healthy, but vigorous.

“That's a relief. In that case... Grandfather, would it be all right if Haru and I tried catching that thief?”

“You two?”

“Us?”

Grandfather looked at me as though surprised by my statement, while Haru looked as though she had no idea what I was talking about.

Even so, I continued speaking without hesitation.

“For one thing, Haru and I are Academy cadets, so we won't be a burden. It's just... I became interested.”

“Interested?”

To make it easier for him to understand, I took out [Al Capone's Tommy]

which I used as my ‘Unique Armament’ at the Academy.

“Actually, I like antique firearms like this too. I'd like to see it in person.”

Of course, this was bait.

Because if there were grandparents in the Republic of Korea with grandchildren, then in a situation like this they would definitely...

“Haha! So that's the reason. Fine, if you find it, you can just take it.”

They were bound to give it to their grandchildren as a gift.

“If you say so... then I won't refuse.”

“Right, right. If you need anything, tell the chief butler you saw earlier... hm? Are you sleepy?”

While talking, Grandfather lowered his gaze toward Ji-yoon.

There, perhaps because she was getting drowsy after eating, Ji-yoon was nodding off. Come to think of it, it was about time for her nap even back at the estate.

“It seems I've neglected Ji-yoon too much.”

Grandfather stood up, lifted Ji-yoon into his arms, and gently rocked her.

“The guest rooms don't seem to be ready yet, so I'll let her sleep in my room for now. Will you two stay here and talk some more?”

“No. We've finished eating, so we should get up soon too. Would it be all right if we looked around the estate a little?”

“Yes, treat it as your own home and make yourselves comfortable. Ah, Haru.”

“Yes. Chairman.”

“Let's have some tea together this evening. It's about the Inomiya Group.”

“Understood.”

It seemed Grandfather had also called Haru because of something involving the Inomiya Group.

After Grandfather and Ji-yoon left first.

“...

Sorry for suddenly dragging you into this.”

“It's all right. If word of this spreads, people will think Hanwol Group is behind me. That benefits me more.”

She'd thought that far ahead in such a short time?

It seemed she'd already finished making her own calculations.

“If you say so, that's a relief... then. Shall we head out first?”

“Where are you planning to go?”

“Outside, for now. If we're going to catch the culprit, there's a lot we need to prepare.”

Haru tilted her head as though she didn't understand what I meant, but when I took the lead, she quietly followed behind me and came outside the estate.

Far away, the organization members and Alessia were waiting inside the cars.

When I approached, they got out from where they'd been resting and bowed.

“I heard the situation from the chief butler. Young Master.”

“Did you? Sorry for deciding this so suddenly.”

“For me, skipping cleaning and work means it's practically a vacation. The other organization members were also deeply moved by the Young Master's kindness.”

Just as she said, the expressions of the other organization members were also extremely bright.

“That's good, then. By the way, there's something I need to talk about for a moment.”

When I briefly explained what had happened inside, Alessia's eyes widened in shock.

“With a shotgun, the Don

... I mean, the Boss was shot? By the Chairman of Hanwol Group?”

That's the part you're shocked about?

Well, it was a shocking story...

“It's not like I can't understand it.”

Eugene Han Calione was a child conceived before marriage.

In the West, people commonly called it a shotgun wedding.

Shotgun wedding.

A long-standing Western tradition where a shotgun was pointed at the bastard who got your daughter pregnant before marriage while asking, ‘Do you want to die, or do you want to marry her?’

In Grandfather's case, it seemed he had altered the tradition a little and simply fired the shotgun first the moment he saw Father, but who could disrespect a father's noble heart?

Maybe Father had always felt guilty toward Grandfather too.

“I think I understand why the Young Master wants it. How shall we proceed? Should we start by gathering evidence?”

“No. This is my maternal grandfather's estate, of all places. There's no way they'd quietly watch you wander around everywhere.”

“Then what should we do?”

“Ah, nothing much. Let's just kidnap one person.”

“...

What?”

Maybe that is something much.

What I asked Alessia to do wasn't particularly difficult.

Find a maid among the estate's servants with a scratch through one eyebrow.

She'd definitely been visible when we first arrived, so my guess was that she was somewhere in this estate.

While we stood in the garden discussing the plan.

Alessia, whom I'd sent on the task, returned.

“I found her.”

“Already?”

“Apparently, because Calione and Hanwol Group are related by blood, organization members who want to work in the public world often transfer here. Fortunately, one of the organization members who came with us has a friend working as security at the estate, so it was easy to find her.”

She said that and handed me a document envelope.

“The personal information and name of the woman you mentioned, Young Master. And the room number where she's currently staying.”

After checking the photograph, name, and age attached to the document, I became certain she was the person I was looking for and smiled.

“Then let's get to work immediately.”

It'll be over quickly.

______________

After Kim Gang-cheol guided each of us to our rooms.

“...

Her?”

Kim Gang-cheol looked puzzled by my sudden request to assign one servant exclusively to me.

“When we arrived, I wasn't completely sure, but she's someone I know. So I wanted to greet her briefly.”

“...

Is that so? Then understood. I'll ask her.”

Some time passed after that.

A knock sounded from outside the door, followed by a woman's voice.

-Young Master? I heard you were looking for me.

“It's open.”

A moment later, the door opened with a click, and a girl wearing a confused expression entered the room.

The scratch through her left eyebrow immediately caught my eye.

She was the person I'd been looking for.

“I heard you know me, so I came... but have we met somewhere before?”

“...”

“...

Young Master?”

I didn't answer.

Instead.

“Haru.”

“Yes. Young Master.”

The moment she, who had been hiding behind the bed, raised her mana and shut the door, Alessia sprang out from where she'd been hiding behind it and pulled a cotton sack over the girl's head.

“Mmph───?!!”

It happened so quickly that she tumbled to the floor in a heap.

I shoved my hands into my pockets, approached her where she lay on the ground, and quietly whispered into her ear.

“...

Still don't understand the situation?”

You've been kidnapped.