I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor

Chapter 26

After Obia departed, Jin Crow, left alone in the lodging, roughly unbuttoned his shirt in frustration.

Amidst the black hair cascading down to his nose, his scarred body was revealed through the reflection in the mirror, but being alone, he felt no shame.

Eventually, he rose from the sofa and sat at the mini bar set up in one corner of the room, pouring a drink to the brim of his glass.

“…What in the world is happening?”

He was the most confused of all.

Even Obia was taken aback by the news, so how could he possibly feel lighthearted about it?

It could be an unnecessary suspicion.

Yet, the reason he doubted both the Defense Force and the Federal Army was simple.

“The Defense Force is needlessly escalating the turmoil. If that’s related to the Red Hand…?”

There was still much to uncover regarding why they opposed the Federal Army that had come to provide support.

However, one thing was certain: their attitude towards the 17th Fleet was not that of comrades come to aid in the reclamation of Remaal, but rather that of outsiders or plunderers.

So why suspect even the Federal Army?

The reason was both simple and fundamental.

“How did the Red Hand acquire the routes of hyperspace?”

It was the 17th Fleet that had sent armored cruisers to each special operations academy.

Naturally, they managed the routes as well.

Yet, during a hyperspace jump, not just one, but all instructors from the special operations academies were attacked?

…Could it possibly be a coincidence?

“Information leaked from within. At least, that much is certain.”

Moreover, it was the top-secret route of hyperspace that had slipped out.

Though the darknet existed, they wouldn’t engage in the foolish act of selling humanity’s hyperspace routes to terrorists.

After all, if they valued their lives.

If there were no allies within, it would be impossible from the start.

The most likely scenario is that some of the high command of the 17th Fleet have been bribed, but in the worst case, perhaps the entire command has fallen into the hands of the Red Hand.

‘The latter is almost impossible.’

If it were the latter, there would be no need to make things this difficult in the first place.

I gently swirled the whiskey glass in my hand.

As I stared blankly at the liquor sliding down the walls of the glass, the tangled thoughts in my mind began to unravel.

‘Yes, it was around this time.’

The Red Hand began to stir in earnest when the protagonist, Baek Hwi-young, entered his second year, but their power had surged rapidly just before the midterms, around now.

And soon, chaos would ensue…

Isn’t the timing rather uncanny?

Whether it’s part or all of the defense forces of the Lemal planet joining the Red Hand, or someone in the Federation’s high command leaking information continuously.

Either way, there’s a possibility.

“…I’m going to lose my mind.”

Breaking the silence, a chuckle slipped out with my softly spoken words.

I can trust no one.

At this point, it’s certain that the Red Hand is plotting something in the Atla Colony.

The problem is, what exactly is it?

Swoosh—

Jin Crow brought the whiskey glass, which he had been rolling in his hand for a while, to his lips and took a sip.

If he stepped in himself, it would undoubtedly draw too much attention.

For now, it would be wise to wait for Obia to bring in the information.

No matter how much she moves out of curiosity, she’s a woman who knows her duties.

“Ha.”

With a short sigh, as I emptied the glass halfway.

Knock, knock—

Turning at the soft sound of a knock from outside, he instinctively placed a hand on the sword at his waist and opened the door remotely.

“Loyalty!”

Then, beyond the now-opened door, a woman who looked visibly tense saluted sharply and shouted.

“I am Lieutenant Hana, of the 17th Fleet!”

Had I seen her before, in the hangar?

Jin Crow gazed at her, sending a silent question with his eyes: why had she come? For a moment, she blinked, then belatedly grasped the meaning and hurriedly replied.

“Lieutenant Antonio is drafting a statement for the military police, so I came in his stead…”

“And?”

“The, um, General has summoned all the instructors from the Special Operations Academy to the conference room.”

At her words, Jin Crow immediately rose from his seat and donned the black coat draped over him.

“Lead the way, Lieutenant.”

It was news he had been waiting for.

*

Creeeak-.

As he opened the door and stepped into the conference room, all the instructors, except for him, were already seated.

“Ah, you’ve arrived.”

He turned his head at the gruff voice.

The first thing that caught his eye was a rugged man with chestnut hair and eyes, his freckles standing out starkly against his rough features.

‘Miller Camp from the West.’

Perhaps it was because Lieutenant Antonio had given him a prior description; recalling the name was not difficult.

Light brown hair and eyes. A friendly demeanor.

‘Hughes Chaint from the East.’

A boyish figure, looking no older than an elementary school student, with hair and eyes of a bluish hue.

‘And even Judith from the North.’

Of course, only Judith had been significantly mentioned in the original work.

“Hmm…”

Dressed in a black military uniform, her small frame rubbed sleep from her eyes, appearing utterly innocent and naive.

Yet, knowing her infamous moniker, Jin Crow couldn’t help but feel a sense of dissonance when he looked at her.

But that feeling was fleeting; he made a point of not showing it, silently scanning the instructors before heading to an empty seat.

“…”

“…”

A strange silence lingered.

Tap, tap-.

Hughes maintained a friendly expression, casually drumming his fingers on the armrest of his chair, while Miller, seemingly displeased, scowled and crossed his arms.

“Haah…”

Of course, Judith still wore a bored expression, rubbing her eyes with the slightly long sleeves of her shirt.

The silence did not linger for long.

Creeeak—.

It was only a few minutes after Jin Crow entered the conference room and took his seat that two men stepped inside.

“Major Legchaf.”

His face was a clear canvas of fatigue.

“Oh, everyone is already here.”

The deep lines around his eyes stood out against his robust demeanor.

Though he wore a navy uniform, not a superhuman, his voice carried the weight of experience that could not be easily dismissed, as if he were not just any general.

He then cast a slight glance at his aide, who followed closely behind with a file binder in hand, and made his way to the empty seat, while the young aide, with a cold and intellectual air, promptly closed the door to the conference room.

“This atmosphere remains unchanged. Let us begin.”

Major Legchaf swept a glance over the instructors, who exuded a chilly demeanor, and clicked his tongue as if he had expected nothing less.

The instructors straightened their postures, if only for formality’s sake.

Instructor Hughes tidied the slightly rumpled cuffs of his shirt, Instructor Miller corrected his slouched stance, and Jin Crow brushed back his slightly disheveled black hair.

Of course, Judith, indifferent to it all, swung her legs back and forth, muttering incomprehensible words that barely touched the floor.

“Aide.”

It would have been easy to feel anger at such mere gestures of decorum, but Major Legchaf waved his hand dismissively.

At that, the aide, as if waiting for the cue, pulled a document from the binder and handed it to them.

There was no superfluous detail.

How should one put it?

A perfect specimen of a standardized aide.

“This is…”

“Remarkably, it remains intact.”

Meanwhile, the instructors, having received their documents, slowly skimmed through the contents, each expressing their own reactions.

The title of the document was strikingly simple.

“Evaluation of Cadets from the Lemaal Defense Special Officer Academy”

Though the defense special officer academies on each planet might be of a lower caliber than the federal upper special officer academies, their curriculum and systems were nearly identical.

It was only natural.

The current system for managing and nurturing special officers, or superhumans, was the result of long years of trial and error.

However, the reason they did not appear indifferent upon receiving such an ordinary document was due to the peculiar nature of the situation.

“The evaluations and reports of the cadets from each special operations academy are, in principle, managed within the Ministry of Defense’s database, but for the planetary defense forces, it is not so.”

Strictly speaking, the data is indeed transmitted.

However, due to the pretext of talent leakage and the autonomy of each planet, only the most formal information is shared, which is the crux of the issue.

Legally speaking, it makes no sense, but as a federal government, there is little to gain from provoking the influential figures of each planet, so most turn a blind eye to this malpractice.

Moreover, it provides a convenient justification for accepting bribes.

“In the end, the data sent to the Ministry of Defense is not particularly helpful.”

Because of this, Jin Crow himself had only skimmed through it once.

It would be better to see it directly.

However, if the evaluation materials used within the actual Defense Special Operations Academy were available, it would be possible to narrow down the scope without the hassle of wandering around.

“I have marked all cadets who, based on the statistics, are capable of transferring to the higher special operations academies.”

As the adjutant continued, the organization was neat, with special markings for the top-tier cadets.

Perhaps because of this.

The instructors began to listen attentively, despite the adjutant being merely a regular officer.

“As you all know, cadets from each planetary defense special operations academy have the opportunity to transfer to the higher special operations academies under the federal jurisdiction once they reach a certain level.”

The planets within the defense line possess autonomy within the bounds guaranteed by the federal constitution.

The same applies to the defense rights of each planet.

Some say it is a “malicious law that fosters the separatist independence of each planet and cultivates local power holders,” but realistically, it is impractical for the federal military to cover the vast expanse of the galaxy entirely.

Yet, that does not mean the federal side has relinquished all rights.

The military strength of each planet is meticulously tallied to ensure it does not exceed a certain level, and cadets with high potential are periodically sent for entrance audits, naturally lowering the quality of the defense special operations academies.

Swoosh-.

The adjutant adjusted his slightly slipping glasses and continued.

“However, I believe you all know that there have not been many cadets wishing to transfer in the usual course. Statistically, only about 24.3% have transferred to the higher special operations academies.”

Not even a third.

Jin Crow listened to the adjutant while slowly scanning the names written on the documents.

“The merits are not as significant as one might think.”

The moment one transfers to a higher special operations academy, they are classified as elite within the federal military.

Yet, at the same time, they are burdened with endless tasks to prove themselves.

In contrast, most of the top-tier cadets from each planet’s special operations academy are supported by influential patrons.

“After all, special operations officers are always in short supply.”

While the growth potential is overwhelmingly in favor of the federal military, humans are creatures that often choose the comfort of survival over the perilous gamble of ambition.

Because of that, had the circumstances been different, the special cadets of the planet Remal would not have been much different either.

Yes, if the situation had not changed.

“Though unofficial, I’ve confirmed that a majority of the top-ranking cadets have responded positively to the transfer.”

“Certainly, that makes sense.”

“Indeed, I would feel the same.”

In agreement, Instructors Hughes and Miller nodded, as if they understood.

In truth, the cadets’ reactions were to be expected.

What is the current state of the planet Remal, after all?

Many of the influential sponsors supporting each cadet have either died or gone missing, and those who survived have been dragged away by the Red Hand.

The planet is being consumed by monsters, dying slowly, and the future that remains has become infinitely uncertain.

The choices laid before them are starkly twofold.

Either transfer to the adjacent planet’s defense special officer academy, or aim for the higher-ranking special officer academy.

If they must gamble, it would be wiser to reach for something greater than to settle for another planet with no ties.

“That is all.”

The adjutant fell silent after that.

Then, the Major Legchaf, who had been quietly listening to the adjutant’s briefing, nodded and spoke.

“Well, I won’t say to share amicably. Just stick to the principles.”

He lightly clipped the end of a cigar, resembling his thick fingers, and placed it in his mouth.

“Whether you stake your wealth or your faction, the method doesn’t matter. But the moment it turns coercive… well, I believe everyone understands.”

However, just as he was about to light it, the moment his eyes met with Judith’s, Major Legchaf clicked his tongue lightly, extinguished the flame of the lighter, and removed the cigar from his mouth to add,

“I’ll give you a week. Take care of it. You’re all free to go now.”

It was an exceedingly calm decree.

The instructors, finding this more convenient, merely offered a brief nod before rising from their seats.

“…Ugh.”

Especially Judith seemed thrilled that the tiresome task had finally come to an end, immediately leaping from her chair and dashing outside with a light step.

“Well then.”

Just as Jin Crow was about to rise and leave the conference room, the Major, having confirmed Judith’s departure, took a puff from the lit cigar and called out to him.

“Oh, you come see me.”

He halted his steps toward the exit, contemplating the slightly greasy face of Major Legchaf.

“Just looking at his face, he’s got the look of a quartermaster.”

For some reason, his words stirred a forgotten echo of military PTSD within me.