Chapter 136

Chapter 136

I Became the Academy Mafia Chapter 136“Are you fucking kidding me──!!”

A massive mass of light fell toward my head like a gavel passing judgment from the heavens.

The moment I recognized it, I abandoned the motorcycle, reinforced my body and fist with every bit of aura I could immediately use, then thrust upward.

Crack.

The sound of bones seemingly being crushed came from my fist.

The weight was so tremendous it felt like my muscles were twisting apart.

“Ghhhh...”

Damn. What the hell is this...

If I relaxed my strength here, I'd obviously be flattened into dried fish, so I endured with everything I had.

And at that moment, a voice came from above my head.

“How dare some filthy wolf target the Lord's lambs?”

Something landed atop the mass of light with a thud, increasing its weight.

“Honestly, this is why I always told you to be careful, kids. Are you all okay?”

Meanwhile, the person who had landed above checked on the children's safety.

As I used every muscle in my body to withstand the pure white force constricting my entire body, I felt like some alien training under extreme gravity.

Judging from what I was hearing, there seemed to be some kind of misunderstanding.

I needed to somehow say something to her───“Bishop! That person isn't a Raider! He's our guest!”

Fortunately, Sister Maria, who had opened the window, shouted as loudly as she could toward the person above my head.

Then a voice came from overhead.

“Hm? What do you mean? The thing he rode here on was definitely one of the Raiders' motorcycles.”

At that moment, there was a hiss as the bus door opened, followed by the sound of people pouring out.

“Bishop! Please save Mister!”

“Mister is a good person! He's not a Raider!”

“Waaaaah! The bishop killed Mister!”...

No.

I'm not dead yet.

Judging from their voices, all the children who had been riding the bus seemed to have gotten off and were protesting to the bishop still standing above my head.

“Hm? No, really. He's a guest...?”

“I told you! Are you trying to kill our guest?! Hurry and remove the cross!”

“Huh? Ah. Yeah.”

At that moment, the crushing weight from above vanished in an instant, and I heard someone land behind me.

“Mr. Cloud, are you okay? Y-your arm... your arm is covered in blood...”

Seeing my already mangled hand, she flinched in shock and stared blankly at it.

Judging by the state of my arm... it was completely wrecked.

Still, I did manage to block that technique.

I'd encountered her a few times while playing as a villain and even died inexplicably to her several times, so the fact that I hadn't died in one hit this time meant all my training had paid off.

“I'm fine. More importantly, a golden cross falling from the sky. There's only one person in my memory with an ability like that.”

“Um... so... you're a guest...”

Did she hear my muttering?

Unlike her overbearing tone from moments ago, a flustered voice tinged with guilt came from behind me.

She looked somewhat pitiful, but I was still the one who'd been unfairly attacked.

Shouldn't we settle accounts properly?

“...

I think we need to have a little talk first.”

I said that, then turned around and forced a smile as I extended my crushed hand.

This woman had been granted full authority over Jeju Island by the Catholic Church, given the position of bishop, and served as the head of Halla Cathedral.

Augustus.

One of Jeju Island's four major powers and Halla Cathedral's greatest fighting force.

“I'm Saber Cloud, a Hitman belonging to the Calione Family. Bishop Augustus. Is that correct?”

And...

“Hic.”

She was also the unilateral perpetrator who had used violence against me, an innocent person who could actually be called their benefactor.

Shall we have a little discussion about compensation?

______________

Inside the moving bus.

There, I enjoyed the luxury of being healed by several sisters as we headed toward the cathedral.

“To be treated by this many nuns. Guest, you're seriously blessed, aren't you?”

“This is because of you, Bishop! Be quiet!”

“Okay, okay. I said I'm sorry...”

After what had just happened, the bishop couldn't say a word when a sister shouted at her and instead shrank into a corner.

Seeing her in reality for the first time, how should I put it... she looked like a woman worn down by life.

Dark circles drooped beneath her eyes, her hair was disheveled, and even her expression lacked energy.

In the game, people called this decadent beauty, but seeing it now, she just looked like an office worker suffering from overwork... though perhaps that meek, shrunken demeanor contributed to the image.

“Still, when I heard they were sending a Calione Hitman, I expected you wouldn't be ordinary... but they sent us support far beyond my imagination.”

At some point, the bishop had taken out a cigarette and held it between her lips as she looked at me.

Sister Maria tried to snatch it away, but the bishop blocked her hand and shouted as though aggrieved.

“I'm not lighting it! I'm not lighting it! I'm just holding it in my mouth because I'm bored!”

“It's still bad for the children's education!”

In the end, the cigarette was confiscated, and the bishop looked dejected before turning back to me and continuing.

“You blocked my attack too, and Calione has never sent manpower support like this before. What got into them? That's what I'm curious about.”

Still, perhaps a bishop was a bishop.

The look she gave me, regarding me with intense suspicion, became extremely sharp for a moment.

“You don't need to worry. I didn't come here to do anything bad. I simply had business on Jeju Island and needed somewhere to stay in the meantime.”

“...

If that's all, I won't concern myself with it, but don't do anything that harms the cathedral. You understand what I mean, right?”

“That won't happen.”

“Then good. Please make yourself comfortable while you're here.”

After saying that, she tried to move toward the back seats of the bus, so I grabbed her hand.

“Hm? What?”

“Surely you're not just leaving like that?”

“Hm?”

Look at this shameless face.

She naturally elevated her own position in the hierarchy and tried to escape.

As expected of a bishop of an entire diocese, this wasn't her first time using political maneuvering like this.

Whether she intended it or not.

But I'm not someone who falls for tricks like that either.

“Surely that can't be the end of it. You crushed someone else's arm like this.”

“What? Hey. Our nuns are already treating──.”

“Ugh! My arm still hurts!”

“...

Bishooop.”

At the same time, the bishop flinched under Maria's gaze beside me, then eventually sighed.

“...

I'm planning to compensate you separately for that, so don't worry too much. Once we return to the cathedral, I'll prepare some high-quality holy water for you.”

“Holy water?”

This woman.

She's trying to rip me off until the very end?

“No matter how poor the Jeju Diocese's financial situation is, I don't think settling this with holy water is quite appropriate.”

“But we really don't have anything to give you. What do you want?”

What do I want?

It wasn't particularly difficult to say.

The location simply wasn't ideal.

“Let's discuss the details once we return to the cathedral. I'm completely exhausted because of someone's attack and feel like I could collapse at any moment.”

“...”

Only after forcing her to acknowledge her own wrongdoing did the bishop finally close her mouth.

Still, I hadn't expected to make the bishop owe me a debt like this.

An unexpected gain.

Hiss─The bus came to a stop, and the other vehicles following behind also stopped.

“All right, everyone! Unfasten your seatbelts and get off slowly. Don't forget to wash your hands as soon as you go inside.”

“““Yeees!!”””

One by one, people began getting off the bus and cars and started moving the luggage through the external storage compartments.

Eventually, only the two of us remained inside the bus.

“This should be private enough to talk, right? For reference, my room is dirtier than this.”

“Yes. I think this will be fine.”

“So what do you want? You already know this, but our cathedral is dirt poor. We barely survive on the daily necessities supplied by the Calione you're part of. I don't know if there's anything at the cathedral besides holy water that would satisfy you.”

“Ah, that's fine. I came here knowing you had it. Ascalon. I'd like to borrow that item for a while.”

At the same time, the air inside the bus began constricting around me as though something were pressing down from above.

“──You. Where did you hear about that?”

“Judging by your reaction, it really is here.”

“Are you not going to answer? I'm asking how you know about it.”

“Pfft! Kukukukuku!”

Seeing her glare at me as though she might kill me at any moment, I couldn't help bursting into laughter.

“What the hell is so funny? Don't tell me you've gone crazy──.”

“You shouldn't be asking how I found out. You should've asked what I intend to use it for, Augustus. No, Angelina.”──Boooom!

In an instant, the bus crumpled inward, and a massive cross of light crashed into the spot where I'd been standing moments ago.

But.

“Did you really think I'd fall for the same thing twice?”

I'd expected her to react the instant she heard that name, but I hadn't expected it to be this violent.

Good thing I'd prepared in advance.

One wrong move and I would've been completely torn apart like the bus was now.

“Bishop──!!”

“Everyone get inside the cathedral and don't come out!!”

Voices outside called for the bishop at the sudden commotion, but she shouted even louder.

Apparently realizing this wasn't an ordinary situation, the priests and sisters entered the cathedral with the children.

“You. That name.”

“How do I know it? I asked the community service center, and they told me.”

“...

Stop joking.”

She doesn't appreciate sophisticated humor.

She must be really angry.

If I provoked her any further here, she might genuinely try to fight me, so I spoke in a calm voice.

“The Don told me.”

Of course, Father had never done such a thing.

But the easiest way out of this situation was naturally to use Father's name.

If I explained it to him later, he'd definitely understand.

Deciding I'd repay Father with results, I kept my eyes fixed on her as she clenched her fist hard enough to make a crunching

sound.

“...

That man did? There's no way.”

“No. There is. Because there should be a promise between you and the Don.”

She froze at my words.

“...

You're that guy?”

“Haven't you already heard plenty about me on the bus?”The Jeju Island story in CS was extremely simple.

In the past, repeated Dungeon Breaks and the arrival of criminals from outside had turned Jeju Island into complete lawlessness.

And there was only one way to fully restore Jeju Island.

Deal with the monster occupying Baengnokdam, the leyline of Jeju Island and the primary cause continuously triggering Dungeon Breaks.

And that monster was...

“I guarantee it. If you intend to kill Fafnir with just that level of skill, give up and get lost. This is the last piece of advice I can give you because you're affiliated with Calione.”

The dragon Fafnir.

And the person absolutely necessary to defeat Fafnir was the bishop of the Jeju Diocese, Augustus.

Angelina.

She possessed a sacred relic that was practically Fafnir's counter, and in the game, an enormous amount of time and effort had to be invested to get her to join the party.

But as someone who frequently played with a phantom thief concept, I knew.

There was no particular need for her herself to be present.

Because in the end, what was needed wasn't Angelina herself, but the Ascalon she possessed.

“You know who I am and think I'll lose, don't you?”

“What? This is seriously ridiculous... fine, what exactly are you?”

At last, hearing the question I'd been waiting for, I smirked and recited the line I'd prepared.

“I am Saber Cloud, a Hitman of the Calione Family.”

And in the end.

“A Hitman ordered to kill a dragon.”

She would have no choice but to hand Ascalon over to me.