Chapter 130

Chapter 130

I Became the Academy Mafia Chapter 130“Hm?”

As we silently headed toward the estate, Kwak Chun-sik, who had been staring blankly out the window, seemed to sense something and straightened his back as he looked around.

“Hah! Incredible.”

“...

What is it?”

“You said your father worries quite a lot about his children, didn't you? Judging by this, that certainly seems to be true.”

“Pardon?”

“What? Don't tell me you didn't know?”

I genuinely had no idea what he was talking about, so when I asked, Kwak Chun-sik widened his eyes in surprise.

“Isn't there an absurdly powerful barrier spread across this entire vast area?”

“...

A barrier?”

“Yes. It looks like no one can possibly reach the destination unless they possess a special mark or are a designated person... judging by things, this car must have such a mark.”

Even in the game, there was extremely little information about the Calione estate.

Even I had never once visited the Calione estate, so I figured there had to be some reason for it... but I never expected a setting like this to be hidden here.

Han Seo-jun in the front seat also seemed to already know this, as he merely continued driving in silence.

“To spread a barrier over land this vast, not only would the item used as its core have to be extraordinary, but the caster would have to be quite something as well... as expected, I suppose. That's your father for you.”

No wonder I always found it strange that despite being the Calione estate, the security was merely strict and there were never any attacks against it.

So there was a setting like that behind it...

Wait.

“Han Seo-jun. Then does that mean I can't enter the estate without a car?”

When I asked just in case, Han Seo-jun, who had been silently driving, spoke.

“As far as I know, the Young Master's ring serves that function, so I don't believe you need to worry.”

“Ah, really?”

I thought it was practically nothing more than a ring with a ‘C’ written on it, but apparently it had an effect like that.

So Father hadn't simply given it to me for no reason...

Well, to begin with, I normally wouldn't have had any reason to go out alone anyway, so it wasn't all that meaningful.

“Oh, is that your house over there?”

Beyond the windshield, a mansion with enormous iron gates and gardens began to come into view.

“Yes. That's right.”

The Calione estate.

There were even rumors that anyone who wasn't a member of the Calione family would have difficulty leaving alive, making it a place normally regarded as a symbol of fear, yet Kwak Chun-sik might be the first person to approach it this excitedly.

And his purpose was merely to have dinner with Father.

If the people from the old community saw this, wouldn't they curse at me and tell me to stop joking?

“Oho, calling it a fortress rather than a mansion wouldn't even be an exaggeration. Not only is it prepared against aerial attacks, there are barriers to defend against magic... and the guards stationed there make it look like some kind of classified military facility.”

Listening to him suddenly made me curious about something.

“Then, Old Man, if it were you, could you break through this place?”

“Hm? Me? Let's see...”

Saying that, Kwak Chun-sik fell into deep thought.

I could tell Han Seo-jun was also listening carefully to our conversation, curious about the answer.

And finally, Kwak Chun-sik spoke.

“Ten percent.”

“Ten percent?”

“Yes. Even if I estimate generously, my chances of breaking through here are ten percent. And that's assuming I enter prepared to die and lose at least two of my limbs.”

That was a little, no, very unexpected.

Considering his usual personality, I'd expected something like, ‘What the hell do you take me for?! Want me to break through it right now?!’... but he was being this serious.

And for someone other than anyone else, Kwak Chun-sik, to lose two limbs, what kind of scenario had he imagined in his head?

While I was staring at him in shock, Han Seo-jun's voice came from the front.

“Ten percent. May I ask what basis you used to arrive at that estimate?”

“Hm? Ah, I wasn't trying to look down on Calione. Honestly, if I prepared properly, I could probably break through things like the outer guards and barriers somehow. But the monsters of Calione I know wouldn't all leave the estate empty at once, would they? If I had to fight them, my body certainly wouldn't remain intact.”

I knew who the monsters he meant were.

Even right now, three people immediately came to mind.

“Hmm, if two of those bastards attacked me at the same time? That would be... tch... even I couldn't handle it. My assumption is based on encountering only one of them. Eugene. So there's no need to worry. There are probably only a handful of people in the entire world who could break through this place.”

I agreed with his opinion.

Facing Father, Parnello, and the Consiglière inside the estate at the same time in the game?‘Silver Crow... no, if we're talking infiltration, maybe Magical Girl(Middle-Aged Man) Phantom Thief

would be better? Even with that, I don't think I could guarantee success.’Even the old me would clearly have needed far more time than expected.

“We've arrived.”

At some point, the car had entered the estate and come to a stop. Han Seo-jun, who had been in the driver's seat, got out first and opened the rear door.

“We're finally hereee. Hup!”

Kwak Chun-sik got out after me, stretched, and looked around.

“Hah. It's a palace. A palace! No wonder they call him the Emperor! Hahaha!”

“This way.”

“Yes, let's go.”

Just as we turned and were about to head inside the estate, the door opened first and a man walked out.

“It has been a long time, Elder.”

“Who's this! Isn't it the little brat from Calione! It really has been a long time!”

Was it out of respect for the Elder?

Father, who would normally have remained seated and received his guest, had unusually come out to greet him first.

Father gave a composed nod, while Kwak Chun-sik spread both arms wide and laughed with obvious delight.

Just as their reunion seemed far more friendly than expected, like two middle-aged men meeting again after a long time.────Krrrrrrrrk!

The air began to tremble.

“...

Hm?”

What is happening?

“You still have quite the rough way of greeting people, Elder.”

“And you're still as monstrous as ever.”

Aura surged from both of their bodies, seized control of the surroundings, and collided in midair.

I'd wondered why so few people had come out to greet him.

Don't tell me they anticipated this situation?

Han Seo-jun, who had been with us until now, had already driven the car away to evacuate elsewhere.

I stepped backward and could only stare blankly as their auras clashed as though trying to devour one another.

Crackle! Craaackle!

The more the wildly rampaging red aura tried to engulf everything from all directions, the more naturally the blue aura dismantled it as though neutralizing it and gradually expanded its own territory.──!! ─────!!!

As if refusing to lose, the red aura surged endlessly.

In response, the blue aura also sharpened its nature even further, blocking the red aura's encroachment as if cutting it apart with a sword.

A battle between tiger and dragon with neither yielding an inch.

It was truly a sight that made my chest swell...!

If I could, I wanted to post on the community, ‘CalionevsKwakChunSikAuraBattleIsThisActuallyReal?

MyChestIsSeriouslySwelling.’ It was almost frustrating that I couldn't.

To think I had to witness such an incredible contest alone...

The building shook, and the ground trembled.

The surrounding soil began to be torn apart, and cracks slowly spread through the ground beneath the two men's feet.

Even in the middle of that, the way both sides manipulated their aura gave me tremendous inspiration.‘To shape it like that... and that method...’Every single one was a high-level technique you'd normally only see in the latter half of the game.

The scale alone was enough to make me question whether everything I'd believed about aura control until now had even been correct.

If this were the game, a notification saying my experience had increased would definitely have appeared.

Their invisible exchanges continued several more times.

“Shall we leave the greeting at this, then? The paving stones are expensive.”

“This should be enough. Quite a few years have passed, yet you're still strong.”

“You remain as upright as ever as well, Elder.”

With those words, the aura gradually subsided and flowed back into their bodies, and the surroundings, which had resembled a battlefield only moments before, slowly returned to silence.

“Perhaps because it's been so long since I had a warm-up. I feel refreshed.”

“I feel refreshed thanks to you as well, Elder. Come, please head inside.”

“Let us.”...

Trying to kill each other with aura was a greeting?

I was certain that if it had been me, I would've instantly died the moment I got hit by that Greeting Kill Technique without even being able to respond.

“Hehehe. Judging by your face, you seem surprised?”

Perhaps Kwak Chun-sik noticed me standing there blankly as he was about to move, because he spoke to me first.

“You're shocked by my greatness, aren't you?”...

Did he just want to brag about himself?

Still, what he'd shown really was incredible, so I obediently nodded.

“I was surprised, honestly. How should I put it. I saw with my own eyes what it means to be on a different caliber

entirely.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I'm worried whether I'll really be able to become as strong as you and Father.”

“What a pointless worry.”

“Pardon?”

He abruptly turned around and started walking toward the estate.

“One is your father and the other is your master. Truly, what a pointless worry.”

The sight of Kwak Chun-sik saying that almost as if he were humming made me smile without realizing it.

Maybe it really was a pointless worry.

______________

“Hello! Thank you very much for taking care of my Big Bro!”

When I entered the estate with Kwak Chun-sik after Father had gone in first, Ji-yoon was there performing what had now become her trademark deep bow.

“Hm? You had a little sister too?”

Kwak Chun-sik widened his eyes in considerable surprise and alternated looking between Ji-yoon and me.

“...

Yes. This is my little sister, Ji-yoon.”

“I'm Ji-yoon Han Calioneee. It's nice to meet you.”

After kindly introducing herself with her full name, Ji-yoon straightened her back and smiled brightly at me.

“Welcome back, Big Brooo!”

Then she leaped straight into my arms.

She'd somehow managed to behave politely as she'd been taught, but as expected, she couldn't hold out for more than a few seconds.

By now I was quite used to this, so I naturally stroked her head and asked.

“Who told you we had a guest coming?”

“Alessia said Big Bro's teacher was coming, so I came down to say hello!”

“Really?”

Apparently she'd heard that he was my teacher and come down out of courtesy.

“You didn't run away from your homework, did you?”

“Eek!”

I'd only asked as a joke, but judging by the way she buried her face in my chest as though I'd hit the mark, she really had escaped.

-Young Lady! You still have five pages left!

As expected.

“Alessia is looking for you upstairs.”

“Tell her Ji-yoon isn't here!”

“Alessia! Ji-yoon says to tell you she isn't here!”

-Young Ladyyyyy!

Then Alessia silently came down from the second floor in an instant.

Despite her rapid steps, she descended with extremely neat and upright posture, then looked at us and bowed politely.

Then.

“Shall we go, Young Lady?”

“Waaaaah! Alessia's mean!”

She grabbed Ji-yoon, who was clinging tightly to me, and carried her straight back upstairs.

“...

People live the same way everywhere, I suppose.”

“That's true.”

Even I'd initially imagined that a Mafia household would be extremely bleak and dark.

At that moment, Father, who had gone to the dining room first, returned, apparently wondering why we were taking so long.

“Is something wrong, Elder?”

“Nothing at all. Your daughter is very adorable.”

“You must have met Ji-yoon? Haha! She's my daughter, but she truly is an adorable child.”

“I don't know about that. She reminded me of my granddaughter. By the way, how old is your daughter? My granddaughter is seven...”

“Our Ji-yoon is seven as well.”

“Really?! What a coincidence! So, speaking of which...”

And in an instant, the topic shifted to their daughter and granddaughter, and the two headed toward the dining room together.

Is this what a conversation between a doting father and a doting grandfather is like?

Listening to their incomprehensible conversation as we reached the table, dishes began to be laid out one by one.

Apparently considering Elder Kwak Chun-sik's tastes, Korean and Italian dishes were being served in equal measure.

Even then, they seemed to have taken care with the combinations, because there wasn't a single dish that would be unpleasant or clash when eaten together.

Carpaccio with stuffed squid... would that work?

“I hope the meal suits your taste.”

“Just looking at it makes my mouth water, so don't worry.”

The meal began, and conversation passed back and forth between them.

Talk of recent events, discussion of clearing out the Villain Alliance together with Elder Sword Saint, and exchanges of miscellaneous information.

And when I finally realized it was time for the conversation to turn toward me, I immediately spoke first.

“Father. Elder. There's something I'd like to ask of both of you.”

“Hm?”

“What is it?”

At my words, Father and the Elder simultaneously turned their heads toward me.

“Well...”

It's nothing particularly difficult.

I'd just like you to help me cheese this.