"Sorry guys, sorry... Sorry...!"
Gu Jun-hyeok was muttering apologies while running like crazy.
The smell of blood from the livestock barn still lingered at the tip of his nose, and screams echoed in his ears. Every time he felt it, Gu Jun-hyeok shuddered with guilt.
Eventually, his steps arrived at none other than the faculty office. Because most of the teachers had been dispatched to western Seoul, the faculty office was completely empty.
Even the remaining teachers didn't seem like they would be much help in combat.
"Ah..."
Gu Jun-hyeok collapsed to the floor as if flowing down.
Satan worshippers appearing at a church in western Seoul. Teachers from Florence being dispatched west because of that. And Satan worshippers appearing again at Florence, located in eastern Seoul.
It didn't take long to realize that the entire sequence of events had been Satan worship's strategy.
"What? Wasn't the Charity class in the middle of practical training?"
Then, someone spoke to Gu Jun-hyeok, who was drowning in despair.
A voice cracked with fatigue and an irritable tone. He could tell who it was just from the voice.
It was So Do-jin.
"Livestock barn. The dogs, magical beasts, that. During practice. Quickly!"
Gu Jun-hyeok tried to explain the situation, but he was out of breath and his heart was racing, so words didn't come out well.
Still, So Do-jin roughly understood what he meant. So Do-jin's expression hardened coldly.
"Magical beasts appeared during practical training at the livestock barn?"
"Yes, yes!"
"Tell me exactly what kind of practical it was, and roughly how many magical beasts there were."
"It was healing practice. Treating injured dogs. There seemed to be about 216, no, 200 magical beasts."
"Right, I understand."
So Do-jin took out his treasured possession that he had carefully kept beside his desk. It was the sword he used when doing holy knight activities.
So Do-jin had slashed thousands of magical beasts and defeated hundreds of demon races with that one sword.
Shing.
When he drew the sword from its sheath, an eerie sound echoed through the faculty office. The blade was sharply honed. The tip of the blade glinted as it caught the light.
"Gu Jun-hyeok, you go to the infirmary right now and treat that leg injury."
"Yes? Ah, yes!"
So Do-jin pointed to the wound on Gu Jun-hyeok's thigh. Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep, but the bleeding was considerable.
Gu Jun-hyeok limped toward the infirmary. So Do-jin immediately left the faculty office and ran toward the livestock barn.
'If it's healing practice, it must be the second livestock barn.'
The first livestock barn housed healthy livestock, while the second livestock barn housed livestock needing treatment. Healing practice was usually conducted at the second livestock barn.
So Do-jin headed toward the second livestock barn at the fork where the first and second livestock barns split.
'Healing priests are useless in combat. The students are still first-years, so they're equally useless.'
The closer he got to the second livestock barn, the thicker the smell of blood became and the louder the screams grew.
'Casualties may have already occurred.'
So Do-jin's pace quickened. Finally, he reached the second livestock barn.
Students were fleeing from the barn with ashen faces. So Do-jin thought it was fortunate while simultaneously feeling puzzled.
They were all seriously injured. However, no student had injuries serious enough to be life-threatening. For 200 magical beasts appearing simultaneously, the damage was minimal.
Only after entering the interior of the barn did So Do-jin understand the reason.
"Huff, ha. Haah...!"
Kim Jin-seo was breathing heavily while fighting magical beasts. She alone was bearing the injuries that other students should have suffered.
Her left middle finger was torn and dangling, her right forearm was broken, and there was a deep wound on her left leg. There wasn't a spot on her body without injuries.
However, even that was nothing compared to Do Seon-woo.
Blood was splattered around Do Seon-woo. It wasn't anyone else's blood. All that blood belonged to Do Seon-woo. So Do-jin was amazed that he could maintain consciousness after losing so much blood.
Most surprising of all was that Do Seon-woo was controlling plants.
He was controlling the weeds, flowers, and tree roots in the barn to bind the movements of the magical beasts. The blood loss seemed to be the backlash from that.
'...Miracle reproduction?'
It wasn't a level that a student could handle. However, humans sometimes display superhuman strength when cornered.
Cornered Do Seon-woo had used a 'miracle' beyond his level.
So Do-jin thought this way. It was easier to think this way.
"You worked hard."
Finally, So Do-jin caught Do Seon-woo's back as he collapsed after exhausting his strength.
When Do Seon-woo lost consciousness, the plants that had bound the magical beasts also lost their strength one by one. The remaining students screamed and showed fear upon seeing the magical beasts.
The freed magical beasts looked around and growled, then charged at So Do-jin. There were three of them.
So Do-jin drew his sword from his waist.
Slash.
Just with that, the magical beast's body was cut in two. It was a slash that perfectly suited the phrase "one sword, two pieces."
Immediately after, So Do-jin bent his body so his head nearly touched the ground. It was preparation for the next leap. Soon, a bright light enveloped his body.
It was the light of blessing.
So Do-jin could activate blessings without drawing blessing circles, limited to blessings related to physical ability enhancement.
It was So Do-jin's talent and the secret to becoming a first-class holy knight.
Slash. Slash!
Eerie sounds continuously echoed through the barn. The magical beasts' bodies were cut and torn, spilling blood and organs. Among the flying flesh and blood, So Do-jin was swinging his sword as if dancing.
Do Seon-woo watched So Do-jin's movements with half-closed eyes, then lost consciousness and fainted.
* * *
"Shall we set the school closure period to one week for now?"
From the head seat of the conference table, the vice-principal spoke.
The day immediately after the incident, an emergency faculty meeting was held. There were three agenda items.
The first was determining the school closure period, the second was about awarding commendations, and the third was about the Satan worshipper who had infiltrated Florence.
"Will one week be enough?"
"One week should be sufficient. Except for two students, everyone had minor injuries."
"Let's set it to one week for now, and extend it if needed. Let's decide on the school closure period this way."
The vice-principal shuffled through documents. Since the board chairman and principal were absent due to personal matters, the meeting was entirely conducted by the two vice-principals.
"Next is the matter of awarding commendations. We can probably give about two to three. Teacher So Do-jin?"
"Yes."
So Do-jin answered crookedly to the vice-principal's call. So Do-jin had a bad expression throughout.
"As the only person who was at the scene, do you have any opinions on this matter?"
"Wasn't it roughly decided already? Kim Jin-seo from Patience class, Do Seon-woo from Charity class."
Kim Jin-seo.
She gathered panicked students in one place to minimize injuries. She defeated 13 magical beasts through combat and calmly helped students evacuate at the end.
She, who received the holy name of 'Patience' among the seven freshman representatives, was also bestowed with the 'Blessing of the Iron Will.' A blessing that takes away others' pain through left-hand contact and transfers one's own pain to others through right-hand contact.
Befitting the name 'Patience,' it was a blessing related to pain.
Through that blessing, Kim Jin-seo took away the pain of 30 people around her and made it her own. This meant that Kim Jin-seo alone endured the pain of 30 people.
Everyone expressed admiration for her spirit of sacrifice and courage, and no one objected to her receiving a commendation.
"I understand about Kim Jin-seo, but is it necessary to give one to Do Seon-woo as well? That student's contribution is relatively..."
However, there was also the opinion that Do Seon-woo was insufficient to receive a commendation.
Do Seon-woo controlling plants to block the movements of magical beasts. The teachers concluded that incomprehensible phenomenon as a 'divine miracle.'
They viewed it not as partially reproducing a miracle, but as God's miracle itself manifesting through Do Seon-woo.
Therefore, the opinion was that Do Seon-woo didn't 'handle' the miracle but merely 'accepted' it, and blocking the magical beasts' movements wasn't Do Seon-woo's achievement but God Adonai's achievement.
Above all, they feared the repercussions that would arise from the combination of Do Seon-woo 'handling' a 'miracle' and the faculty's inadequate response.
"Haha... that's an interesting thing to say."
So Do-jin, who heard the discussion, laughed emptily and continued.
"Just accepting a miracle is amazing. There was blood pooled around Do Seon-woo. No, not just pooled but blood was forming puddles. He made such a sacrifice to protect the kids, and you're saying he was just lucky?"
Anger appeared on So Do-jin's face. It was the first time he, who always showed only tired and lethargic appearances, showed anger.
"Well, no matter what, compared to student Kim Jin-seo's contribution..."
One teacher muttered disapprovingly.
"Did you go on dispatch duty yesterday? What did you do there?"
So Do-jin looked at him with sharp eyes.
"I stood guard."
"You mean you played around? How does someone who wasn't even there when it mattered know whether Do Seon-woo did well or poorly?"
"Played around? What do you mean by that?"
A cold current flowed between the teacher and So Do-jin. If things went wrong, it might not end with just an argument but escalate to a physical fight.
The teacher who was having a nerve war with So Do-jin was also a former holy knight with a very belligerent personality.
"That's enough. What are you doing?"
The vice-principal mediated the conflict.
"Besides Teacher So Do-jin, are there any other opinions? Even very simple ones are fine. For instance, what Kim Jin-seo and Do Seon-woo's usual conduct is like."
"I'll speak."
When the vice-principal asked, one teacher who had been quietly in the corner raised his hand. He was a person with a low, heavy voice and a very large build.
It was Kim Bok-dong, practical physical education teacher and professor of the Holy Knight Department.
"Among those here, is there anyone who has experienced accepting God's miracle?"
At Kim Bok-dong's words, everyone cast their eyes to the floor.
"As far as I know, God's miracle puts a great burden on the body just by accepting it. One could die if not careful. But Do Seon-woo accepted the miracle, saved the kids with the miracle, and didn't even die."
"So you're saying that's Do Seon-woo's achievement?"
When the vice-principal asked, Kim Bok-dong nodded.
"Enduring the miracle itself is Do Seon-woo's achievement. Having a body capable of withstanding a miracle can also be seen as Do Seon-woo's talent. Therefore, it's right to award a commendation."
Several faculty members nodded.
The statements of So Do-jin, professor of the Holy Knight Department, and Kim Bok-dong, professor of the Holy Knight Department, carried more influence than other faculty members.
"Teacher Ha Ye-jin, don't you have an opinion?"
The vice-principal finally asked Ha Ye-jin, professor of the Priest Department, for her opinion.
"Me? I'd be happy if Do Seon-woo receives it. He's a student in my class after all."
Ha Ye-jin smiled brightly and spoke as if it were obvious. Then she looked over the faces of several teachers with cold eyes and continued.
"And... emphasizing Do Seon-woo's contribution would be better for covering up the faculty's incompetence, don't you think?"
A cold sneer hung on her lips. It was a meaningful statement, but everyone in the meeting room could immediately grasp the intent behind her words.
An uncomfortable, suffocating silence descended.
The vice-principal broke the silence.
"Then commendations will be awarded to Kim Jin-seo from Patience class and Do Seon-woo from Charity class. Now let's move on to the matter concerning the Satan worshipper."
The vice-principal examined the documents, then tilted his head slightly as if pondering before continuing.
"If teachers conduct the search, there's a possibility it could create an atmosphere of distrust. So we're thinking of passing this matter to the student council."
Several teachers frowned at the vice-principal's words. Their faces showed they didn't understand.
"Are you saying we should entrust such an important matter to students?"
"No matter how much it's the student council, they're still students in the end..."
"Having students conduct the search would create even more distrust."
The teachers unanimously opposed. The vice-principal just smiled and spoke.
"We're thinking of passing it to the first-year student council."
That stopped the opposition.
At Florence, the seven freshman representatives automatically become student council officers and continue as officers for three years.
There are seven officers per grade. A total of 21 exist across grades 1-3.
"Especially since 'that student' is there too."
Among them, there was particularly one student among the first-year officers who had a 'unique' background. The teachers' opposition stopped entirely because of that student.
"Then, let's pass the matter to the first-year student council."
The vice-principal smiled.