The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 76

“Today, let’s discuss Machiavelli’s The Prince, as we covered in the last class.”

The professor, dressed in a uniform and sporting a beard reminiscent of Bismarck, cleared his throat and adjusted his tone.

At Babel, a few new subjects were introduced for the second semester. Imperial Studies, which we are currently attending, is one of them.

Traditionally, Imperial Studies referred to the discipline individuals of certain statuses studied to govern a country. However, in modern times, it has evolved into a field focused on the qualities of leadership.

“Let’s begin with the premise that ‘a ruler must also learn to be evil.’ Is ruling through fear effective? Here, ‘ruler’ refers to a leader.”

Imperial Studies classes typically proceed like this: the professor introduces a topic for discussion, and students exchange their views, making it feel more like a debate.

“Ruling through fear only leads to counterproductive outcomes for a leader.”

A female student said, raising her hand.

“Robespierre, who led the Reign of Terror in France, ultimately met his end at the guillotine. The same applies today—regimes that seize power through coups inevitably face resistance from the citizens, resulting in political instability.”

Many students nodded in agreement. The logic she presented was conventional, making it seem unlikely that anyone would disagree.

“Pfft.”

Laughter came from right beside me, more like an intentional provocation than genuine amusement.

“That’s such a simplistic view.”

All eyes turned to Ise-ah.

“What exactly is simplistic about it?”

“From the start, you’ve only been talking about results,”

Ise-ah replied, crossing her legs in the opposite direction.

“You’re citing examples like Robespierre and coup regimes, but you’re focusing solely on their outcomes while ignoring the actual effects of ruling through fear.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Ise-ah sneered, heightening the tension in the room.

“Do you not realize that Robespierre played a crucial role in guiding the French Revolution by opposing absolute monarchy? And when a coup regime is established, it can often lead to stronger internal solidarity.”

“That’s deterministic thinking!”

The female student slammed her desk, standing up in anger.

“In the end, the people rose up and resisted because of the leader’s evil actions!”

“If such a leader hadn’t existed, they wouldn’t have thought to unite in the first place.”

“How ridiculous.”

The female student scoffed at the seemingly absurd logic.

“You’re saying tyrants deliberately played the villain to consolidate power internally?”

“No,” Ise-ah replied coolly. “My point is that sometimes, for a greater cause, a leader has to dirty their hands. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t overinterpret my words.”

I silently observed their heated debate.

‘She’s toying with her.’

Compared to the female student who was getting increasingly agitated, Ise-ah’s expression remained very composed.

What Ise-ah was saying was mostly sophistry. She subtly shifted topics or muddied the issues whenever necessary.

This was because Ise-ah saw the other student not as an equal debate opponent but merely as a toy.

“Interesting.”

What was interesting wasn’t the muddying debate itself but the idea that—

“If such a leader hadn’t existed, they wouldn’t have thought to unite in the first place.”

The part that intrigued me the most was not just the dialogue itself, but what Ise-ah said. Knowing the outcome of her story, her words felt like foreshadowing.

‘The C-virus.’

Ever since it was announced that the C-virus could infect humans too, the number of infected has been gradually increasing.

Although it’s still manageable, as the scenario progresses, the rate of infection grows exponentially, and so does the frequency of appearances of monsters infected with the C-virus.

Even as the world gradually shifted towards an apocalyptic state, Babel was still relatively stable. However, it was Ise-ah who ended up undermining it from within.

‘The main culprit behind spreading the C-virus in the school.’

Faced with the threat of losing her position in the family business, Ise-ah decided to distribute drugs that were popular outside the school within its boundaries.

These drugs, highly addictive, heightened human emotions and provided a sense of liberation.

Knowing that these drugs were based on the C-virus, Ise-ah still proceeded to distribute them among the students.

‘That incident fundamentally changed the school’s stance.’

As Ise-ah mentioned, following that event, Babel, which had been hesitant about deploying students in real combat, was forced to draw its swords. In a way, Ise-ah’s trolling hastened Babel’s involvement in the conflict.

“Winning by any means necessary. That could be said to be the most important quality of a leader.”

I silently listened to Ise-ah speak.

I wondered if the current Ise-ah was aware that her future would align with the fallacies she was spouting.

* * *

I sat on the bed, deep in thought.

‘What should I do?’

I knew about Ise-ah’s death.

Ise-ah is a useful character who provides information about artifacts and letting her die while knowing this isn’t my style. So, I decided to prevent her death.

‘Alright, that’s settled…’

But simply preventing Ise-ah’s death felt insufficient.

Is saving Ise-ah enough? What will happen to her afterward?

I stood up and approached the wall. I lightly knocked on it twice, causing the wall to rotate and reveal a black LCD monitor.

I grabbed a pen that was nearby and began jotting down memories on the monitor one by one.

[What are you doing?]

“Trying to organize the timeline.”

[Time… what?]

“It’s just doodling.”

It would take more than a day to explain what I was doing to Yomi. For now, it was important to retrieve and organize the information in my head without interruption.

“Done.”

Several events were listed on the white line. The disorganized events were all related to Ise-ah, now arranged in chronological order.

Summarizing these events broadly, they can be classified into four main categories:

1) Ise-ah’s Transfer

2) Choice Events Occur

3) Ise-ah’s Corruption

4) Ise-ah’s Death

Categories 1, 3, and 4 occur regardless of the player’s chosen route. The only choices left to the player are the events that determine whether or not to build a relationship with Ise-ah.

If you choose to engage with these events, you can obtain information about artifacts from Ise-ah. Skipping a few events means there will be no interaction with her until she becomes corrupted.

‘That’s only in the game.’

Unlike the game, which is bound by system constraints, this is reality. The limited flags have become virtually limitless and can influence characters at any time.

“So, the timing of exerting that influence becomes crucial…”

Simply preventing Ise-ah’s death (category 4) isn’t enough. The solution is simple: prevent category 3, Ise-ah’s corruption. Keeping her as a useful ally instead of allowing her to become a villain is the most efficient course of action.

The goal is clear. The key lies in determining the exact moment to act in order to stop Ise-ah’s corruption.

Tack

I circled a specific point on the timeline with my pen.

“Yomi, starting this weekend, we’ll be going out every week.”

[To visit that old geezer?]

Thinking of Seol Baek-san, Yomi frowned.

“No.”

There’s a lot to prepare.

Straightening the collar of my dress shirt, I responded to Yomi.

“For cultural activities.”

The Ise-ah Rehabilitation Project.

Starting this weekend, it’s in full swing.

* * *

“Let’s head out then.”

It was the first weekend since the new semester started.

Dressed in my school uniform, I stepped out of the school. I had a reason for not changing into casual clothes.

[Steak! Let’s get some steak!]

Yomi’s enthusiasm peaked, sniffing the air of society.

“Not now. The entrance time is almost upon us.”

[Entrance time?]

“Over there.”

I pointed towards a spot a few blocks away. There was a long line in front of a building, and most people in the queue were dressed rather formally.

[A high-end steakhouse, perhaps?]

“Even better than steak.”

As we drew closer, placards placed nearby came into view.

[Exhibition of Rare Artifacts]

[Many artifacts to be publicly displayed for the first time worldwide]

A large-scale exhibition that rented out an entire downtown building. The status of rare artifacts in this world isn’t simply about discovering historically valuable antiques.

‘It’s drawing global attention.’

In truth, it was more of an auction in disguise or a battle for ownership rights. Despite being hours away from opening, the building’s entrance buzzed with the general public and stakeholders eager to see the exhibition.

Of course, among them, there was always a privileged class.

“Ugh, it’s suffocating. They should have made a separate entrance for VIPs.”

Hiding around the corner, I caught a glimpse of a familiar face among the suited men.

“Ah, maybe they didn’t have the money for that?”

Ise-ah, ignoring the queue, approached the guard. But she wasn’t exactly cutting in line.

“You are Ise-ah of Seonjin Networks. Your identity has been verified. Please, go ahead.”

The highest echelon, the ones who could ultimately determine the ownership of artifacts, had been allowed early admission hours before.

“I wonder what they have this time. I hope it’s not a wasted trip.”

Ise-ah, escorted by her bodyguards, entered the venue. Others, including political figures and people who seemed to belong to the privileged class, also entered the exhibition ahead of the general public.

“Guess it’s my turn to go in.”

Privilege isn’t something that’s given; it’s something you create for yourself.

“I would like to enter early as well.”

“A student from Babel?”

The guard at the door gave me a quizzical look. The guards were accustomed to recognizing the faces of the privileged, and evidently, mine was not one they remembered.

‘Which is to be expected.’

The guard started to scrutinize my face more closely. Given his size, he exuded an intimidating presence.

“Excuse me, who are you?”

“Looks like I’ll need to show you this.”

Guards are usually careful not to be too forceful at first, considering they might be dealing with someone important. I extended my hand toward the bowing guard, revealing what I was holding. At that moment.

Swoosh

Fog billowed out from within my hand.

“Huh? Wha…?”

The guard’s complexion turned peculiarly pale as he inhaled the fog.

“What’s wrong? You need to check it.”

“Ah, right… Yes, of course.”

With a dazed gaze, the guard looked at the student ID placed on my palm and without hesitation, clapped his hands decisively.

“Oh my, aren’t you Seol Ha-Baek from Babel’s first-year class! Such an esteemed guest in such a humble place!”

The guard suddenly embarked on a one-man show. As the waiting people’s attention began to shift towards us, I whispered softly to the guard.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough.”

“Yes, please proceed!”

With my head lowered, I moved into the exhibition hall.

‘This spiritual energy consumption and side effects are more than I expected.’

What I had the guard inhale was the Jellyfish Fog. The plan was to induce a hallucination and slip inside undetected. The plan succeeded, but judging by the guard’s condition, I’d need to use this more cautiously in the future.

“Lord Ha-Baek has arrived~!”

With the half-lucid guard’s farewell, I made my way deeper into the exhibition.