Chapter 174

Chapter 174

I Became the Academy Mafia Chapter 174The moment killing intent and aura burst out, the guy let out a shriek of “Hiiik!” and backed away.

“W-what the hell... Han Eugene?”

His face turned pale, as though he'd only just recognized me.

“W-why are you here?”

“You applied for investment funding this time and already forgot?”

“Ah! Right! There was the investment funding?! So what happened? The research funding. Are you going to support me?”

The guy who had been trembling just moments ago suddenly had his eyes light up when money came up.

“I was going to. But I didn't expect to have my collar grabbed the moment I arrived. While getting screamed at and cursed out, too.”

Only then did he seem to realize what mistake he'd made, and he opened his mouth wide before hurriedly waving his hands.

“It was a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding! I was in the middle of a really important experiment, so I got too focused without realizing it!”

For something he called an important experiment, whatever was sitting on the table looked pretty shabby... but it seemed to have caught Choi Yeon's interest, who had remained silent until now.

“...

An important experiment?”

“Right. An important experiment! You are... huh? Ch-Choi Yeon?”

“Yeah. Hi.”

The moment he recognized Choi Yeon this time, he jumped in surprise and backed away again.

The difference was that unlike the shock and fear he'd shown when seeing me, this reaction came purely from fluster.

“Why is Choi Yeon here? Ah! Right, I heard Choi Yeon recently joined a club too. Are you perhaps here to ask me to join your club as well──.”

“We didn't come looking for you today to ask you to join a club. We came to gain confidence in the investment.”

As I said that, I looked at the mana stone on the desk, which had already turned completely black.

“Is this the experiment you sent me?”

An experiment to obtain explosive power by applying impact to a mana stone.

The reason he'd kept the door shut and blocked out as many changes as possible until just now was probably to obtain reliable data amid all the uncertainty.

“That's right. The environment is still poor, so I haven't been able to get proper data... but what's certain is that the results are gradually getting better. Before, no matter how much stimulation I applied, I couldn't even observe anything!”

Just as he said, this experiment was impressive for something done by a mere student.

In terms of difficulty, it was closer to building a machine barehanded in the middle of untouched wilderness.

“If you're already able to observe a reaction without any support, that's definitely fast.”

“Right? So──.”

“──But it's still too slow.”

At this rate, it would take decades to reach the level of progress I had in mind.

And that wasn't what I wanted from him.

“If you read the report, you should know this isn't that easy!”

As expected, he flew into a rage at my words.

A torrent of words poured out of his mouth about just how incredible and difficult this experiment was, but I let them go in one ear and out the other while smiling.

If I'd planned to end it here, there would've been no reason for me to come all this way.

So I answered him.

“That would've been true if you were alone. That's why I brought someone.”

The person who could solve this difficult problem in an instant.

“Choi Yeon.”

“...

Yeah?”

“Can you help me for a moment?”

“Me?”

Why else would I have brought you?

I took out a mana stone I'd kept inside the Cube in case I ever needed it and placed it in Choi Yeon's hand.

“Can you cut this in half?”

“...

A mana stone?”

“W-wait! Cut a mana stone in half? Are you trying to recreate the hellscape from the freshman welcome party?!”

Mana stones changed depending on how force was applied to them.

If weak force was continuously applied, the energy contained inside would diminish until it became an ordinary stone, while applying strong force in a short period would cause it to become a dungeon.

That was basic common knowledge in this world.

“It's even funnier that someone who knows that is conducting experiments by applying impact to mana stones.”

“I was obviously proceeding slowly and carefully! This experiment isn't something you can do just by blindly applying powerful force!”

As expected, a newbie who doesn't know anything.

There's one more thing.

“It isn't powerful force. It's extremely pure energy.”

“...

What?”

“You'd better watch carefully. It'll definitely help you.”

Saying that, I observed Choi Yeon, who was still blankly holding the mana stone.

She held the mana stone in one hand and brought mana to life at the fingertips of the other.

After standing there blankly like that, she raised her head and looked at me.

“Do I really cut this?”

When I nodded, she slowly brought her aura-covered hand toward the mana stone without the slightest doubt.

“Hiiik! I can't watch! I can't watch!”

Even while the guy hid behind me in terror, there wasn't the slightest hesitation in her movements.

As though she were certain that because I had told her to do it, nothing bad would happen.

And.

Giiiiik── Gigigigik───Aura so pure that not even the slightest impurity could be felt began penetrating the mana stone.

The mana stone began emitting increasingly stronger light.

“No! It's wrong!”

The guy sprawled on the floor clutched his head and screamed, but Choi Yeon's expression remained utterly serene.

Just like the aura rising from her hand.

And finally.

Tap

-The mana stone that had originally been one piece split cleanly into two.

Without leaving behind any explosion or abnormal phenomenon.

“Did it work?”

As though unaware of how incredible what she'd just done was, she merely tilted her head as if asking whether she'd done well.

“It cut faster than I expected?”

“Yeah. It wasn't very difficult.”

She handed me the two mana stones in her hands.

The cut surfaces were extremely smooth, as though sliced with a laser cutter.

“Hey. You saw that, right?”

“...

Does that even make sense?”

The guy who had remained sprawled down staring the entire time got to his feet and looked at the mana stones in my hand.

“A person... cut a mana stone? And this cleanly?”

Of course he couldn't help being shocked.

At the current point in time, it was common knowledge that mana stones couldn't be processed. That was why most of them were simply used like batteries in their original dimensions.

But now, that common sense had been destroyed right before his eyes.

“The only things that can cut mana stones are pure aura and mana. If you apply force while impurities are mixed in, it'll just become a dungeon like you said. But as you just saw, something like this is possible with pure power. Though of course, it isn't easy.”

The key was force that was pure and of a similar output.

Applying power at the same level as the mana stone.

“Pure power... transparency... impurities...”

After hearing me, the guy suddenly sprang to his feet as though possessed, sat down, and began frantically writing something.

Good.

“All right, then let's go.”

“Hm? We're leaving like this?”

Choi Yeon spoke as though she hadn't expected me to say we were leaving.

“This is enough. He'll figure out the rest.”

I wasn't a scientist, just someone who knew the general method.

Mechanism? Scientific principles? What did I care?

The monsters sitting over there could establish a whole new theory just from being shown the phenomenon.

“We just need to swallow the results.”

That was what this visit had been for in the first place.

______________

When I returned home, I was able to see a welcome face.

“Right, have you been well?”

Father had finally finished his business in Russia and returned.

His beard was a little bushier than usual.

“You worked hard, Father. I heard a lot happened overseas.”

“Hahaha. The ones who worked hard were the Consiglière, who handled the business while I was away, and you. Right, I've heard about it. You absorbed an organization in Bucheon?”

Perhaps he'd been back at the estate for a little while already, because Father knew about what had happened while he'd been gone.

“Yes. While carrying out an Academy assignment, I discovered an organization involved in human trafficking and drug sales. In accordance with the organization's code, I immediately disposed of them and reorganized the business.”

Card And Rabbit had long since been transformed into a new club through the hands of the Consiglière and me.

A business that handled only legal operations, with no drugs involved.

It had been inevitable that the police investigation would close in because of what had happened there, but the Consiglière taught me a useful method for situations like this.‘Take what you need, and give up what you can discard.’By trading the list of drug customers the guys had managed as part of the deal, we naturally succeeded in having the club matter buried.

Of course, that had only been possible because we were Calione and because the Consiglière had handled the negotiations.‘From the police's perspective, they probably judged it better to leave the place to Calione, which intends to use legal routes, rather than have a new criminal organization take over.’As a bonus, the number of places under my management increased too.

“Excellent. I'd already received the report... but you're truly doing well.”

Father laughed heartily, stood from his seat, and patted my shoulder.

“I thought the gift I brought would be enough, but it seems I'll have to give you something more as a reward.”

Saying that, Father took out a box he'd apparently prepared in advance from beneath the desk and handed it to me.

“I hope you like it.”

A heavy box settled into my hands.

Even the wrapping seemed to flaunt that it was a gift, with a ribbon made of extremely soft material, and the box itself felt unusual to the touch, as though it wasn't made of ordinary material.

“What are you doing? Aren't you going to open it?”

Thinking it might be rude to tear it open immediately after receiving it, I simply held it quietly, but Father smiled and spoke.

He seemed curious about my reaction after seeing the gift.

If Father was going that far... I had no choice but to check it, right?

I carefully placed the box on the table, grabbed the end of the ribbon, and pulled to undo the knot.

With hands as careful as though conducting a ritual, I gripped the lid of the box and slowly lifted it.

“...

This is?”

A metallic lump thick with the scent of iron rested inside the box, surrounded by cushioning material.

It wasn't particularly flashy.

If anything, it was utterly rugged.

And yet.

No, perhaps precisely because of that, I could feel my heart begin to pound without realizing it.

As I slowly placed my hand on the grip, new information appeared before my eyes.[Name: Toolsky Tokarev of the Old Republic Spy][Rank: Relic][Type: Firearm][Description: During the Cold War of the past. This is the handgun of a legendary spy feared by every ruler in the world. This handgun, containing his narrative, will be used as a dagger that pierces the hearts of enemies no matter the location.]【Skills】[1. World-Famous Relic: The original owner of this relic is a world-famous figure. Three effects are granted.

a. The efficiency of imbuing bullets with mana greatly increases.

b. The gun can be fired simply by charging it with mana.

c. Durability increases dramatically.][2. Silence: A total of 9 bullets per day can be fired without making any sound.][3. Spy Exclusive: A spy's weapon is harder to detect and predict than anything else. Visible Mode and Invisible Mode can be used, and it cannot be detected by any form of detection.]

“What do you think? I saw that you only collect relic weapons, so I acquired it thinking you might like it... do you?”