I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor

Chapter 41

After Jin Crow’s return, the atmosphere at the Central Special Officer Academy remained peaceful, without much disturbance, yet the media began to catch a whiff of something amiss.

‘Why is it so quiet?’

…a question that lingered.

It was no great secret that the 17th Fleet had been dispatched to the Atla Colony due to matters concerning the Lemal planet.

Yet, there was no news.

Typically, when the government delays a follow-up announcement on an incident, it’s for one of two reasons.

To lay the groundwork for inflating a minor achievement.

Or to buy time to bury a mismanaged affair.

Either way, it was a good sign.

In the silence, the ethics of the media, which should have spoken the truth, were drowned out by the increasing noise and clamor, and to survive, they had to seize any scoop they could.

And the government’s blunders were always prime fodder for the media to tear into.

“What has become of the Atla Colony?”

“LD News has arrived! Please, a word!”

“The operation is still ongoing, so I cannot provide details…”

“According to a recent statement distributed by the Red Hand on the dark web, it is said that the Atla Colony has been invaded by creatures. Is it possible that the colony has already been destroyed?”

“That is a preposterous claim, as I mentioned before…!”

“What do you think about the conscience declaration of an officer claiming that the federal government is covering up the incident?!”

“Hey! Turn off the camera! Damn it, this is infuriating!”

And the media, ever relentless, always caught the scent of a story.

How many days had passed like this?

As the citizens grew weary of the deluge of questions and rumors, the federal government finally spoke up.

“Dear citizens of the United Human Synthesis Nation, the soldiers of the 17th Fleet have rescued the refugees from the planet Lemal of the Atla Colony, even in the face of despair. In the process, they apprehended and eliminated Satra Ruin, who led the insurrection, along with some members of the defense forces and officers of the Red Hand. The captured defense forces have been referred to military trial…”

In response to their announcement, the citizens condemned the atrocities of the Red Hand and the defense forces of Lemal for their treachery during such unfortunate times.

Yet for those who had experienced it firsthand, the only response was laughter.

‘Is the censorship policy being reestablished? It feels a bit late for that.’

The matter of the creatures was not even mentioned, and details regarding the higher special officer academy were conspicuously absent.

It was not hard to understand.

How much of a headache must it be for the politicians of the federal government and the military of the Ministry of Defense?

‘Just when we’ve barely ended the war with the Empire and are trying to foster a peaceful atmosphere, this kind of misfortune strikes.’

Of course, the aim was less about alleviating the citizens’ anxiety and fear and more about preserving the interests of those in power.

Clink—.

The medal that had just been pinned to his chest seemed to sway in agreement.

“2nd Class Iron Cross Knight’s Medal”

A medal received as a reward for killing Liberto.

The Ministry of Defense was already waging a public relations campaign, boasting about the achievement of having killed a 2nd Class wanted criminal on the scene, but that was not something he needed to concern himself with.

The position of instructor at the Central Special Officer Academy was not as light as it might seem for him to be bothered by mere public opinion.

Jin Crow thought this as he detached the medal and tossed it onto the sofa in his quarters before stepping out of the room once more.

With midterms looming, most of the lectures had turned theoretical, leaving the practicals to be handled by Assistant Instructor Ginatios.

But did that mean he had been idle?

Of course not.

‘Three weeks. It was tight.’

Jin Crow glanced at the watch on his wrist and then stepped out of the instructor’s quarters, making his way toward the research building.

Could it be that lunch hour was drawing near?

There were quite a few cadets and instructors wandering the campus.

Of course, as expected, the moment they spotted him heading toward the research building, they busied themselves with hushed whispers.

‘Getting used to the insults, I see.’

A bitter smile crept onto his lips as he pulled out the hip flask filled with the low-grade liquor he had received from Obia and took a swig.

The simple letters ‘5min’ floated beside the specter of addiction.

As he tried to ignore the murmurs around him and move on, their whispers brushed against his ears, sharp and intrusive.

“What’s this? So that was real?”

“I told you.”

“……Wow, even if he’s a level two fugitive, that’s a bit much.”

Just the usual gossip, nothing out of the ordinary.

Yes, it was certainly that.

Yet, for some reason, an oddly unpleasant feeling clung to his ankles.

Turning his head, he noticed the cadets engaged in conversation, unaware that he was watching them.

‘Second year, perhaps.’

For a moment, he considered confronting them, but time was short.

Thus, he moved past the cadets, leaving behind the inexplicable discomfort that gnawed at him.

“Oh, he passed by. Anyway, let’s talk about it again.”

Meanwhile, oblivious to the fact that their words had reached him, the cadets busily chattered among themselves, watching the retreating figure of Jin Crow.

“So, I heard that Instructor Jin Crow laughed while killing the soldiers with the red hands who begged for their lives.”

“……So he really wasn’t in his right mind.”

“And that level two fugitive? They say he was decapitated alive.”

“……That’s chilling. Seems fitting.”

If Jin Crow had heard them, he would have surely replied.

‘……What utter nonsense.’

*

As Jin Crow reached the building of the research department, a familiar face on duty at the post immediately saluted.

“Ah, loyalty. Is it Professor Lilian again today?”

“Indeed.”

“I’ve heard. The level two Iron Cross medal, how enviable.”

When I first saw him, he was undeniably disciplined for a sergeant, but after a few encounters, he had relaxed into a state that seemed to say, “When did that ever happen?”

Yet, perhaps he had heard the rumors, for he still bore a certain sharpness uncommon for his rank.

“I’m aiming for a first-class knight’s medal before I discharge. Just you wait.”

“How long until your discharge?”

“Uh, didn’t I mention? I’m about to be promoted to corporal soon.”

“What?”

As they exchanged trivialities, Jin Crow turned to look at him, caught off guard by the sudden revelation.

“Why?”

“Oh, I pondered it a bit, but the personnel officer kept insisting, so I applied.”

“……Right.”

He hesitated for a moment, considering whether to intervene, but ultimately passed by him with only a small prayer for his well-being.

He knew all too well that once you fell into the swamp of the personnel officer, escaping was no easy feat.

“Oh, you’ve arrived, Instructor.”

As they stepped into the building, the android at the reception, having seen them several times before, merely offered a brief greeting.

Soon, Naomi, the lead researcher, came out to greet him personally.

“Instructor, you’re here.”

“Is it complete?”

“Yes. To be precise, it’s closer to a prototype, but…”

Was it due to Lillian’s character, which was hardly sociable?

Or perhaps it was because of her position as lead researcher?

Since Naomi had been the one communicating with Jin Crow until now, she answered quite freely as she guided him to the back entrance of the building.

At last, they stepped out the back door and walked with familiar strides toward the external research facility, resembling a hangar.

—KWA-aaaNG!

—It’s a success! We did it!

—Now, you can sleep! You can sleep now!

It was always striking how the place, filled with researchers, felt even more chaotic than the military academy.

Naomi seemed to share the same thought, subtly avoiding eye contact.

How long had they walked?

They soon reached the nearly completed research facility and opened the door.

“Oh, you’re here? Mmm.”

The first thing that caught my eye was Professor Lilian, sprawled across a sofa in the middle of the corridor, separated from the inner laboratory.

She had a strangely shaped massager perched on her waist, puffing on the electronic cigarette she had been smoking since our first meeting, waving her hand lazily.

“I heard the news. You got some cross thingy medal, right?”

“Well, it turned out that way.”

“Right. Congratulations, and yawn.”

As she stretched out a long yawn, her horn-rimmed glasses, precariously balanced on the tip of her nose, slipped down.

“Ugh.”

Narrowing her eyes slightly, she adjusted her glasses, twisting her stiff body a few times before finally rising from her seat.

Then she spoke to Jin Crow.

“I made it as I said… Well, you’ll see for yourself.”

She passed through the corridor and entered the isolated inner chamber.

Her pink, tousled hair carried a faint, musty scent from the nights spent awake, but it wasn’t an overpowering stench, so I followed her without hesitation.

“Hey! Secure it properly!”

“Have you checked the power levels?”

The researchers, whether they had received word of Jin Crow’s arrival or were simply always bustling about, moved busily, preparing for the tests.

What stood out, however, was that all of Lilian’s researchers were women, and their eyes seemed to carry a certain madness.

“Got any drinks?”

“Oh my, you’ve already finished them all. I’ll bring some right away.”

“Su-an, let’s try to be a bit more prepared. What are the three essential nutrients for humans? Nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol, right?”

“I’m sorry, senior.”

It was so bad that I began to question the energy drinks they consumed.

‘I’ve tried it already, but the fact that it’s just a pure caffeine lump was even more chilling.’

…It was no wonder that drug addiction had activated within a minute.

Considering the toxicity of the stimulants he took, one could say he was practically grinding away at his lifespan.

Whether she knew his thoughts or not, Lilian couldn’t hold back another long yawn before speaking.

“Yawn, it’s just begun. You should see it with your own eyes.”

And no sooner had her words fallen than one of the lead researchers, Naomi, shouted.

“Activate!”

At last, all eyes turned toward the glass wall separating the desk from the inner chamber.

– Hissssss.

With a sound like a short breath, a voice mingled with the clanging of metal scattered a familiar, yet slightly murkier light than memory.

Slowly straightening its bent back, the creature twisted its body, rising against the long spear that served as its arm.

And soon, it fully stood, approaching the glass wall with deliberate slowness.

– Hissssssssss.

“Whoa!”

“It’s a success!”

Though somewhat sluggish, its smooth movements drew cheers from the researchers, their dark circles deepening with excitement.

But in that very moment.

– Hiss.

With a burst of light, the creature let out a short metallic sound, raising its massive arm to strike the glass wall.

Kuuung!

The lab shook with the impact, and bewildered researchers tangled their gazes.

“Uh? Why is it doing that?”

“It seems the training protocol hasn’t completed yet, causing an error!”

“W-What do we do?”

“W-We need to initiate a forced shutdown…!”

Jin Crow narrowed his brow, placing a hand on his sword in preparation for any unforeseen events.

Yet, standing beside him, Lilian calmly took a drag from her electronic cigarette and walked toward the cracked glass wall.

“Professor, step back…”

“Shh, Poppy.”

In that instant, he could hardly believe his ears.

“Poppy?”

Moreover, the words and scene that followed were nothing short of astonishing.

“Sit!”

Kuuung!

– Hiss, hissssss.

The creature, Fon, plopped down before Lilian, blinking its eyes playfully, and Jin Crow could only echo her words back to her.

“…You’re insane.”

In that moment, even the researchers had no choice but to agree with him.