Chapter 177

Chapter 177

I Became the Academy Mafia Chapter 177“The foreign maidens who have flown from distant lands greet the head of the Calione family, ruler of the underworld!”

The witches who flew down on broomsticks from the crimson moon landed gracefully before us, removed their long pointed hats, and bowed politely at the waist.

“You're always working hard.”

As though accustomed to their greeting, Father removed the fedora he was wearing and gave a slight nod.

The witches burst into delighted laughter at the sight.

“As expected, the head of Calione is always such a gentleman!”

“If only the others could resemble the Don

even a little!”

“Aah~ what a shame. Once we've escorted the Calione gentlemen, pitiful little us will surely suffer contempt and discrimination from the others.”

“Dirty whores who sold their bodies and souls to demons!”

“But we're fine with that! It's true, after all!

Hahahahahahaha──Their gestures and movements, as though watching a musical, were more than enough to draw the eye.

After all, the witches of CS possessed extremely beautiful appearances.

“My goodness. There's one more person than the number written on the invitation?!”

“What could this mean? Don Calione. And Sir Parnello.”

“Oh? You're right? There really is one more person!”

The witches began moving with exaggerated gestures and crowded around me.

“Who might this handsome gentleman be?”

“Hmm... judging by his features alone, he looks very similar to Don Calione. Could he be Calione Junior?”

“Calione Junior! What an honored person we're meeting! Nice to meet you! Calione Junior!”

“Would you perhaps consider keeping a witch servant? For you, I could offer my soul to someone second only to a demon!”

As they pressed their bodies closer and laughed, Father quietly approached and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“I personally guarantee the qualifications of my son, Eugene Han Calione, and I will take responsibility for any consequences that may arise. Would that be sufficient explanation for the others?”

At Father's intervention, the witches retreated like balloons blown away by the wind and nodded.

“Of course! Who's doing the guaranteeing!”

“If Don Calione says so, the others will surely understand!”

“If you say it is so, who would dare voice an objection?”

Watching them be settled by a single word from Father, I once again realized the power carried by the name Calione.

Even in the game, the witches ranked among the craziest of the crazy, NPCs who couldn't be reasoned with and among the ones players least wanted to deal with.

Yet he could persuade them this easily.

Even when I was a magical girl, these girls acted friendly but tried to prank me whenever they got the chance...

The problem was that their pranks were never remotely normal.

Like ordering their familiars to suddenly bite someone's head, or forcing some weird demon-possessed item on you while babbling about entropy.

And those vicious bastards were acting like this.

Thrilling.

As expected, this world was definitely one where anything was possible if you had strength, authority, and connections.

“Now, now! Gentlemen, gather around!”

“From this moment onward, our witches' festival begins!”

“Gentlemen, please enter within our circle and look forward to the festivities that are about to unfold!”

“Now! Elder sisters, younger sisters, all sisters! Gather together! Let's show the gentlemen our dance!”

The witches lined up around Father, Parnello, and me, took one another's hands, formed a large circle, and began spinning around us.

“Please enjoy a comfortable journey!”

“Don't forget us!”

“We'll spread the word far and wide that Calione's Young Master is handsome!”

“If he's handsome, he's automatically Oppa!”

I felt like I heard something irritating in the middle... but if I called it out here, things would probably go in a strange direction.

Father and Parnello were staying still too, so it would be ridiculous if I alone got worked up over it.

Little by little, the witches surrounding us began moving faster.

Multicolored mana began wrapping around us like a thinly spread rainbow, and at last it started covering our bodies.

A warp between continents that until now I'd only ever seen in the game.

When the mana pouring from them formed a dome and blocked my entire field of vision.────Bang!

An incredible gravitational force pressed down from above, and I began to feel as though my insides were twisting.

“Ghk!”

As I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth to endure, a massive hand gently landed on my shoulder.

“If you keep your waist and head as straight as possible, it will be easier to endure.”

Even though I was having trouble getting out a single word, Father calmly gave me advice as though he had all the余裕 in the world.

Even I, someone accustomed to the recoil of teleportation, was struggling this much.

Just how was he enduring this kind of force?

Still, I couldn't show weakness in front of the two of them.

Arriving at the party sprawled face-down on the ground would be far too disgraceful.

I straightened my waist, legs, and neck as much as possible and stared directly ahead.

A metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, but I ignored it.

A man could die, but he couldn't let his dignity collapse.

At that moment.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzz───The loud noise that had filled the surroundings until now gradually diminished, and the cluster of light began to fade.

Then Parnello's voice reached me.

“It seems we'll arrive shortly.”

Right.

At last, we were entering.

The place where the greatest underworld figures in the world gathered.

Boooooom───!

With an explosive roar around us, the cluster of light disappeared completely, and the scenery that had been Calione's garden only moments ago had changed entirely.

Huge trees filling the surroundings and a neatly maintained lawn.

And dazzling lights filling the area.

“Welcome to The Hague, Don Calione, Sir Parnello. And... the new gentleman over there must be Calione Junior.”

An elderly man wearing a monocle bowed at the waist and welcomed us with dignified manners.

He then raised his head, swept his gaze over us once, and spoke.

“The others are waiting. Allow me to escort you.”

We followed as he turned away.

The scenery around us could only be called fantastical.

It looked like an ordinary park in a European city.

But instead of conventional lights, the darkness was filled with multicolored magical illumination.

The wavering lights resembled both sky lanterns and ghostly flames.

It truly looked like we'd stepped into another world.

When I focused carefully, I could see engraved spell formations embedded in each light.

Judging from their form, they were likely spells that isolated this space from the surrounding area.

To install engraved spell formations on every single one of this many lights—it showed how much effort had been placed into security, cost aside.

“This is the Bos Forest of The Hague. European forests certainly have an atmosphere different from those in Korea.”

Parnello immediately identified our location simply by looking around and nodded as he surveyed the surroundings.

Bos Forest, huh.

Even if the meaning was different, how did a forest end up being called Boss?

Well, I suppose it suited Calione.

“We've arrived.”

Father spoke after seeing a brightly illuminated area in the distance.

Lights and decorations adorned the surroundings so lavishly that anyone would immediately recognize it as a banquet venue.

Groups of servants moved busily about, and the tables were packed with food.

“It really is a party.”

Seeing the gathering from my memories unfold before my eyes stirred something in my chest.

Nostalgia? Familiarity?

No.

In this case, it felt more like happiness, accomplishment, and overwhelming emotion swelling within me.

Giggle── Giggle────♬ ───♪Glowing fairies flew above the garden tables, while a band performed onstage, filling the surroundings with a lively atmosphere.

Witches flew through the sky on broomsticks, creating new lights or repairing barriers, while people throughout the garden banquet hall walked about in either distinctive outfits expressing their individuality or clean formal wear, chatting with one another.

This was ‘Walpurgis Night(valˈpʊəgɪs nʌɪt)’.

“I sincerely hope you enjoy your time here.”

The guide who had led us to the entrance of the banquet hall bowed, walked into the forest, and eventually vanished from sight.‘A barrier?’Before fully entering the banquet hall, I looked at the people inside who were already busily eating or conversing.

“Looks like we're almost the last to arrive?”

There already seemed to be quite a number of people gathered here.

Knowing that Walpurgis Night, by its nature, couldn't accommodate too many people, I asked the question.

Parnello answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“It would be absurd for the Don to wait for others.”

“...

That's true.”

He was someone others waited for, not someone who waited for others.

“Let's go.”

With Father leading the way, Parnello and I stepped into the banquet hall.

At that very moment, silence spread across the formerly noisy venue.

It wasn't because they were watching their behavior or because they were shocked.

“Don Calione.”

“Don Calione.”

“Don Calione.”

“Don Calione.”

They were simply showing respect as though it were only natural.

As we passed, countless people removed the hats they were wearing, held them before their chests, and offered quiet greetings.

Father, accustomed to the sight, made brief eye contact with each person and silently continued forward.

He wasn't heading very far.

He was walking steadily toward a man seated in a chair positioned slightly higher than everyone else's.

When we stopped before the platform, the man who had been sitting silently until now rose from his seat, slowly descended from the platform, and gave a slight bow.

“Don Calione.”

“Doctor Faust.”

I swallowed as I watched him take Father's offered hand.

That man was the chairman who led this ‘Walpurgis Night.’

The only man said to have defeated a demon in a contest, and the man regarded as possessing the greatest intellect in Europe.─Doctor Faust.

After finishing his handshake with Father, Faust shifted his jade-colored eyes slightly and looked at me standing behind him.

“I remember sending invitations to Don Calione and Sir Parnello... but I do not recall inviting the young man standing behind you. Might I ask who he is?”

A strange sensation, as though he were seeing straight through a person.

Part of me wanted to immediately avoid his gaze, but I knew that moments like this were precisely when I needed to act boldly, so I instead gave him a relaxed smile.

After all, the person he'd asked wasn't me, but Father.

“My son.”

“Oh.”

“Would that be a problem?”

At Father's words, he waved both hands as though the very idea were absurd and smiled.

“Of course not. He is none other than Calione Junior, the crown prince. If anything, I merely wish to express my deepest gratitude that he has come to grace this gathering.”

Step

- step

- step

- step

-He naturally passed Father, approached me with smiling eyes, and extended his hand.

“Faust. Doctor Faust. I've heard many stories about the crown prince of the Calione family.”

I hadn't expected him to offer a handshake first in front of all these people.

It was effectively a declaration that he respected Father and respected Calione just as much.

So I gave him the brightest smile I could and answered as usual.

“Eugene Han Calione. I've also heard many stories about Doctor Faust.”

“Oh? Stories about me?”

He looked genuinely delighted, as though he hadn't expected me to bring up stories about him.

“May I ask what sort of stories you've heard?”

“Ah. Nothing particularly remarkable, but if you don't mind, I'll tell you.”

Doctor Faust.

“I heard you've joined hands with the Villain Alliance.”

Let's start with the Greeting Kill Technique

first, shall we?