There Is No World For ■■

* * *In the newest building at the heart of the northern island of the academy, in the VIP room on the top floor, a middle-aged man, Director Nikolay, was staring out the window.The nighttime view of the academy, reflected in his drunken eyes, was different from usual.Gone was the beautiful scenery; heavy machinery and workers tirelessly engaged in repair work had taken its place.It was an unseemly sight for the academy.At least, that was how Nikolay saw it.Damn it.His scowl grew deeper as he thought about this.All of this was caused by the traditionalists led by the Principal.Fools who were unable to realize that the times were changing, clinging to the founder’s will and traditions while keeping the academy’s doors locked.What worth did mere traditions possess in an era that transcended the global age and even spanned dimensions?Was it that hard to share their technology with the powerful nations and admit a few high-ranking families through the back door?Were they even aware how immense the benefits and influence that came with it were?!Other prestigious schools were already doing it…–Ding dong.The doorbell interrupted Nikolay’s train of thought. He turned away from the view and checked the intercom.“What is it? What’s going on?”On the intercom was the building manager, looking flustered.- Director, um… you have a guest.“A guest? Didn’t I tell you that I won’t be accepting any visitors!?”Nikolay hit the intercom as he responded angrily.- No, um, well, the thing is…The terrified manager would have hung up immediately any other day, but this time, his lips were sealed tight, glancing around nervously.He wasn’t concerned about the Director on the other side of the intercom but for the person standing beside him.“This bastard….”Even a lowly bastard like you dares to ignore me now? Just as Nikolay was about to explode with rage.The unexpected visitor peeked through the intercom.- It’s me, Nikolay.An elderly Asian man with intense eyes appeared on the screen. Seeing his face, Nikolay’s jaw dropped.“…Minister Kim Kwanhyung?”- Can you spare me a moment?Nikolay didn’t dare to refuse him.He hurriedly began making preparations to greet the guest, adjusting his clothes as he opened the door using the intercom button.By the time he finished tossing the scattered liquor bottles and trash into the trash can…Creak.The door to the VIP room opened, and two Asians stepped inside.An elderly man in an elegant suit and a man with a buzz-cut head, who obviously looked like a bodyguard.“Minister Kim, what brings you to this humble place… I would have hosted you in a better place if you had contacted me in advance.”Nikolay bowed and welcomed the elderly man. The minister returned the greeting with a friendly smile and patted his shoulder.“No need to bother with such formalities for an old man like me. The truly valuable ones are people like you, who are contributing to humanity’s future.”After the ceremonial greetings, the two sat at an elegant table, facing each other.“Um… Minister, what brings you…?”Before Nikolay could even complete his sentence, the elderly man known as Minister Kim Kwanhyung interrupted.“Director Nikolay, I’ll get straight to the point. What do you think about partnering up with us for some work?”“…”Us?Nikolay immediately realized that the ‘us’ the elderly man in front of him was speaking about was no minor force.He was a minister from South Korea, one of the leading external forces pressuring the academy to make its technology accessible.“What do you… want from me?”“It’s not something difficult. I find the Principal’s plan quite troublesome. It would be really helpful if you could assist us with some matters.”The Principal’s plan? Nikolay wanted to ask to elaborate but swallowed his question.Pretending to know what he actually didn’t—That was the politician way he was familiar with.“May I ask what exactly do you need me to do?”“It would be great if you could grant permission for our people to visit the academy.”“…Is that all?”Director Nikolay blinked in surprise. Permission to visit the academy?Why would they approach him for such a simple request?Even though the standards for issuing permits had become stricter due to terrorist attacks, there wouldn’t be any problems with a visit as long as the identity was clear…“Is the person who needs the permit… a dangerous individual?”Hearing Nikolay’s hesitant question, the elderly man smiled and replied.“A dangerous individual, you say? It’s nothing like that. This person is a highly skilled teacher recognized by Korea.”“…Then, what do you mean by that?”The minister did not give him an answer immediately, instead, he licked his dry lips while building the suspense.As Nikolay exhaled cautiously and the bodyguard’s cold eyes swept over the two, the minister spoke again.“She’s already at the academy.”“What…?”“Those damn frozen rats. It took us longer to figure out the Principal’s plan because of them. The Principal’s plan was unexpected, and… we were in a hurry as well.”In a hurry? Could it be…?“Are you asking me to make it look like I was the one who invited the unauthorized intruder to the academy?”“Oh, unauthorized intruder, you say? If you put it that way, it makes things more difficult for me.”“…”“Being a former soldier, you should understand, right? We often act before making a report in times of crisis. Can you see it from that perspective?”Nikolay could not hide his shock.Regardless of his reaction, the minister took a small vial from his pocket and handed it to him.The vial was filled with a shimmering liquid, unmistakably a potion.And there was only one potion with such a glow…“…Awakening Potion?”A potion that has a 20% chance of turning people, even someone with no talent at all, into a mana user—specifically, a Mage.Nikolay’s eyes gleamed with greed as he gazed at the potion.“…We also have something important at stake. You know about those sisters, right”Nikolay immediately understood who the minister was referring to.Outstanding talents who failed to become the top representative, but were in the top three in martial arts, magic, and divinity, respectively.And Oh Siri especially, who held the second rank in magic, was an exceptional talent that even Professor Kadan, the Head of the Magic Department, had his eyes on.…Was the Principal’s plan somehow related to these girls?While Nikolay’s mind was racing, the minister continued in a subtle voice.“…I also heard that your son recently failed at the Moscow Superhuman Training Institute?”“That is…”“Moscow is really harsh, right? Just because your son’s mana response was a little delayed, they disqualified a talented individual like him.”The minister’s voice slipped into Nikolay’s ears like the whispers of a devil.“If this matter is resolved well, this item will be yours.”Nikolay could no longer refuse the offer.

* * *The 6th floor of the first-year girls’ dormitory at Lord Howe Academy.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

As expected of the floor where research labs for Mage Apprentices were located, the 6th floor was in complete chaos.- If I add the Toulen formula here… Damn it… why?! Why isn’t it working?!- With positive and negative charges! Respond to my call—kyack!Students who had gone mad while struggling with magic formulas, and idiots who accidentally struck themselves with lightning while practicing offensive magic.- Hey, you crazy bitches! Cut it out!- Do you think you’re the only ones in the dorm?- For crying out loud, just go to the training room like those martial arts department kids!Even when the priests-in-training from the 5th-floor temple screamed in frustration, it only quieted down briefly.It didn’t take long for the Magic Department students to go back to their chaotic antics.And as always, it was the priests-in-training who waved the white flag first.These past few days had already taught them; these crazy mages would stop until it was time for bedThus, the priests-in-training either fled to the third floor below, where the noise was less, or, thinking of it as a trial, covered their ears and focused on their prayers.To an outsider, this might have looked like a typical scene from a Superhuman academy dormitory…But Siri, sitting in the central lobby of the 6th floor, thought otherwise.…They’re acting like morons.From her perspective, the recent terror attack on the academy was the reason for all this chaos.To be more precise, it was because of the first-year students who helped thwart the attack.Among the students who fought on the front lines, only one of them was a Mage.This seemed rather pathetic when compared to the four martial arts Superhumans.From the priests-in-training, only the Saintess stepped forward, but she was far from an ordinary priest-in-training.And even if they didn’t participate in combat, the priests-in-training did their part by assisting with healing.So, what about the Magic Department? Aside from Soe Miri, who fought on the front lines, the others were nothing more than dead weight.They had plenty of excuses—no staff, no wand, no memorized spells…However, no matter what excuse they made, it didn’t change the fact that they had remained as mere bystanders, watching their peers from the rear.Hence, the Magic Department students were now behaving like fools to shake off the sense of powerlessness they had felt then.Even the Magic Department’s freshman representative, ‘The Vessel,’ was so engrossed in her research that she hadn’t even left her room—Huh?As Siri was lost in her thoughts, she noticed someone coming up the central staircase.A student with black hair and a small War Hammer, someone Siri was very familiar with.“…Seti-unnie?”Why was she on the 6th floor, instead of the 5th-floor temple?Siri immediately got up from her seat and ran over to her sister. Seti let out something like a sigh of relief on seeing her.“…Siri.”However, for some reason, her sister’s expression seemed unusual.“What’s wrong, Unnie?”“Do you have your phone with you right now?”“…Huh? My phone? Of course, I do.”Why did she look so serious? Wasn’t it just about borrowing her phone? Did she happen to break hers again?Just as Siri pulled her phone out of her school uniform pocket with a smile, her older sister spoke.“Contact our third and youngest sisters, and tell them to come to the rooftop as soon as possible.”Her voice sounded urgent and was filled with concern.Siri finally realized that her sister wasn’t joking.“…To the rooftop? What’s going on?”“I’ll explain everything once we get there. Contact them first.”Although Siri looked puzzled, she followed her sister’s instructions and contacted their siblings.[A million flowers, millions of flowers, millions of flowers…]¹The unsophisticated caller tune² played, and soon, a familiar voice could be heard over the phone.- Hey, you gal, what’s up, calling me at this hour?“I have a message from our second sister. She asked us to come to the rooftop as fast as you can.”- Unnie said that? Ugh, I’m literally naked right now.Hesitating on whether to respond to the joke, Siri snuck a quick glance at her older sister.Seti still looked serious.“…Stop joking around and get up there fast! Oh, and is the youngest with you?”- Yeah, but does the youngest need to come too?“Yes, bring her too! ASAP, got it?”- Tsk, you’re going to blow my eardrums. If this is some sort of prank, you’re dead meat…Siri quickly hung up the phone and turned to her older sister, Seti, for an explanation.But instead of explaining, Seti gestured for her to follow as she began climbing the stairs.It was Siri who broke the silence first.“Unnie, why are you acting like this?”“…We’re going to break the ban tonight.”Siri stared at her sister, thinking she must have misheard.She was completely serious, not even the hint of a smile on her face. It was something she hadn’t seen since Superhuman Olympia.“How? And more importantly, why now?”“I’ll explain everything once everyone has gathered.”Siri wanted to press on but decided to remain silent and follow Seti to the rooftop.With only two floors left to climb, they reached the rooftop in almost no time.Strangely enough, the rooftop door, which should have been locked, was wide open as if some unlocking spell had been used.Anyway, the first thing Siri saw when she opened the door was…“…Unnie, why is that person here?”The one who answered was not Seti but someone else.“It’s been a while, Siri.”A man with shining golden eyes stood under the dim rooftop light.“I-Is this illusion magic? Why is Yeomyeong-oppa in the girls’ dormitory?”Siri blinked and rubbed her eyes.However, no matter how many times she rubbed them, Yeomyeong was still there, standing in the middle of the rooftop, gazing at her and Seti.…He wasn’t a fake?Siri immediately turned towards her sister.“…Unnie, are you out of your mind?”“…”“How could you bring a guy into the dorm? Are you trying to get us both expelled…!”Just as her voice was about to rise further, someone covered her mouth from behind.Who dared? Turning her head, Siri saw yet another familiar face.“…Unnie’s roommate with the unusual name.”Soe Miri, the beautiful blonde girl with her hair tied to the side, the only one from the Magic Department who stepped up during the terror attack.What was she doing here?“…Isn’t it a bit ironic for you sisters to say things like that?”Yeomyeong tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but Siri wasn’t in the mood for jokes.She pushed away Soe Miri’s hand covering her mouth, and asked.“It doesn’t matter who—just tell me what’s going on already.”However, the answer was the same as before.“…I’ll explain when all the sisters have gathered. Just wait a little longer.”Hearing her sister’s cold response, Siri let out a hollow laugh but said nothing more.In spite of everything, she trusted her sister—trusted that she wouldn’t do anything to harm them.In the end, Siri stood by the rooftop entrance, silently watching Soe Miri, her older sister, and Yeomyeong prepare something.Soe Miri drew a magic circle—likely to block out sound and light—with her wand, which was embedded with a green gemstone.Her sister followed Soe Miri, pouring mana into the magic circle.However, the one who stood out the most was Yeomyeong.He pulled out something golden from his pocket and stood in the center of the magic circle, gathering mana.She didn’t know what was happening, but she could tell that something serious was about to go down.Siri waited in silence for the ritual or preparation to come to an end.Just as two distinct footsteps, undoubtedly her sisters’, echoed from the stairway below…—RingSiri’s phone buzzed.Everyone on the rooftop turned their gaze toward her, but Siri casually checked the caller ID.And the next moment, her face turned pale.“Uh… Unnie.”“What’s wrong all of a sudden, Siri?”“I-it’s that bitch… i-it’s that bitch’s number.”“…What?”That bitch. Her sister immediately rushed over and snatched the phone from her hand upon hearing those two words.And when she saw the name displayed on the phone, Seti’s expression turned completely serious.

[Shepperd 10-11-16]

1. Lyrics from Million Roses, a 1997 song by Shim Soobong.2. A sound or music that is played when you make a phone call to someone. It's a kind of service provided by a carrier.