The Academy’s Time Stop Player

TL/Editor: looloo

Schedule: 5/Week Mon-Fri

Illustrations: Here

"Seriously…"

An incredulous laugh escaped Hajoon's lips.

First, he brought Emma and Lain back into the house.

After a few seconds of stunned silence upon seeing Hajoon, Lain suddenly raised her hands, indicating her surrender.

Nevertheless, Hajoon thought it was necessary to hear her out, so he let only Lain inside, leaving the other four outside. Emma, however, still kept her gun trained on Lain, remaining on guard.

Lain, with a calm demeanor, raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. Was it a sign of confidence? After all, it was obvious that bullets wouldn't be enough to restrain her.

"So, why did you escape?"

Hajoon asked, looking at her.

She lowered her hands and, holding the hotdog she had been eating, replied.

"I'll talk when the President of the Association is here."

"?!"

Emma was shocked at her words.

Emma and Hajoon exchanged glances.

Emma shook her head at Hajoon, but he said to her.

"Let's call the President then."

"But, Irregular..."

"I'll be right here, so it's okay."

"……"

Emma didn’t respond but seemed to agree.

After all, what was there to worry about with the Irregular right there?

Reflecting on her own actions, Emma felt foolish for trying to keep Lain at bay with just a handgun. She holstered her gun and called the President of the Association.

"Yes, Mr. President. The thing is…"

A few minutes after the call ended, a gate opened in front of Hajoon's house, and a tense President Andre appeared. He knocked at Hajoon's door, and Hajoon let him inside.

"She really is here…"

Upon seeing Lain, a look of indescribable disquiet spread across Andre's face.

Now, the preparations were complete.

The four of them sat around the table, looking at Lain.

"Alright, speak."

Why go through the trouble of escaping and causing him such inconvenience?

Hajoon glared at Lain with a cold look, pressing her for answers.

Responding to his question, Lain looked calmly at Hajoon and slowly began to speak.

"Irregular."

"Yes?"

"One of the kings has revealed itself."

At her words, Emma and President Andre wore puzzled expressions, not understanding the meaning, while only Hajoon furrowed his brows, showing a serious look.

Hajoon asked her back.

"A king has appeared?"

"Leanon told me. A king is coming for me."

Upon hearing this, Hajoon maintained a grave expression, but President Andre, still not understanding, looked confused.

He cautiously asked Hajoon.

"What does this mean…?"

"A creature on par with that sea monster is targeting Lain."

At this, Andre reacted with shock and alarm.

"Is that true?"

Of course, Hajoon couldn't easily answer such a question.

How could he know whether her words were true or not?

As these doubts surfaced, her eyes suddenly transformed into those of a dragon.

The Dragon King Leanon.

Suddenly, Leanon, having taken over Lain's body, looked at Hajoon and spoke.

-It's true, otherwise there would be no reason for her to escape.

Hajoon thought deeply for a moment before asking.

"Which king is it?"

-Leanon replied, -It's the Elf King Hermorus. He has discovered Lain's location and is coming for her.

"What does he want with Lain?"

Hajoon asked, looking at Leanon.

Leanon readily answered.

-The Dragon Orb.

“…?”

-The Elf King Hermorus is after the Dragon Orb.

Before Hajoon could ask what that was, Philaten explained to him.

-The Dragon Orb is like the heart of dragons, the source of their magical power. The Elf King Hermorus belongs to a race that deals with the origins of magic alongside dragons.

Hajoon nodded as he listened to Philaten's explanation.

Now he understood why she had urgently escaped from prison.

In a sense, her decision was the right one, considering the power of the kings Hajoon had seen so far. Humanity would stand no chance against them. This would apply even to Leanon, who was currently sealed.

“So, why did you come here?”

Setting that aside, Hajoon asked why she had bothered coming to his house.

As he asked this question, Leanon's dragon eyes disappeared, and Lain, looking disgruntled at Leanon for taking over her body without permission, answered Hajoon's question.

“Leanon told me to seek you out.”

“…?”

“The kings wouldn't dare to mess with you carelessly.”

Hajoon wore an exasperated expression, as if he had been handed an unwanted burden.

No, it wasn't just a feeling. It was indeed the case.

“So, you'll be okay with that promise then?”

Despite this, Lain maintained a calm face as if she had just asserted something obvious.

In other words, she meant to impose on his hospitality.

Knowing this, Hajoon maintained his exasperated expression and retorted.

“And what about it?”

“I'll be in your care."

He had suspected as much, but hearing it from her made it difficult for him to keep his composure.

Hajoon's face twisted in annoyance, clearly vexed.

However, Hajoon himself knew there wasn’t much of a choice.

Leaving her alone would be too dangerous, given the power of the kings.

"Ugh-"

Thinking this, Hajoon clicked his tongue in frustration.

Ultimately, he had no other option.

Of course, he still needed to obtain approval.

Hajoon looked at President Andre.

President Andre, who had been listening to the conversation, appeared deep in thought.

He would understand most of the situation, except for a few unfamiliar terms.

“It seems the intelligence of these creatures is higher than expected. I understand what you're saying.”

President Andre had grasped most of the conversation.

Honestly, it was hard to imagine, even after hearing it.

Of course, like that sea monster who could speak and possessed a certain level of high intelligence, possessing knowledge unknown to humanity, it was clear they had specific intentions and goals.

And in that process, it was evident that Lain's life was being threatened.

‘We need to heighten our vigilance…’

Originally, the alert level for these creatures or sea monsters was extremely high, but if they possessed intelligence and intentions harmful to humanity, the Association would have to elevate the danger level in a different direction.

It went beyond simply being wary of their power.

Until now, the focus was on subjugating these creatures or sea monsters for the safety of the citizens, similar to other monsters. However, now the threat level had to be redefined and heightened, like dealing with villains.

Therefore, President Andre, despite it being somewhat impolite, had no choice but to request something of Hajoon.

“I'm sorry, Irregular.”

“…?”

“May I ask for your help?”

“Mr. President!”

Emma called out in astonishment.

However, Andre shook his head at Emma and said,

“Whether Lain’s words are true or not, there is no better option than this.”

“But…”

Andre wasn’t wrong.

Whether Lain's words were true or not, her choosing to stay by Hajoon's side was in some sense the most reassuring aspect.

Of course, it could be seen as passing the burden to the Irregular, potentially straining their relationship, but Andre couldn't think of a better solution.

“Whatever compensation you need, I'll provide it. Could you please monitor Lain for a while?”

Although he termed it as 'monitoring', it was essentially a request to protect Lain.

President Andre was even prepared to offer one of America's national treasures as compensation if necessary.

To an outsider, it might seem odd to request such a favor for merely monitoring a criminal, but considering the relationship between Lain and President Andre, it wasn't that strange.

“Ha…, okay, I understand.”

Of course, Hajoon would have agreed even without Andre's request.

There was the contract he had made with Lain and, after all, Hajoon's goal was to kill all the kings.

While Lain’s help wasn’t absolutely necessary, Hajoon still didn’t fully understand the extent of the kings' power. In that context, her assistance, or more accurately, Leanon's help, was needed.

After obtaining Hajoon's permission, President Andre stepped outside the house with Lain to have a separate conversation.

President Andre looked at Lain for a moment before speaking.

“…Thank you.”

Lain’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden gratitude, then narrowed slightly.

“What do you mean?”

“Lain, thanks to you, many lives were saved.”

Lain's eyes narrowed further at his words.

However, President Andre was aware of the reason behind her escape.

"Lain, if you hadn't escaped, many people there would have perished."

Whether her words were true remained unknown.

But if they were, a massive disaster would have certainly struck the place where Lain had been, undoubtedly causing numerous casualties.

“Regardless, there were no casualties because of it.”

“……”

“Thank you…”

Hearing this, Lain slowly sank into deep thought.

Truthfully, Andre was right. Before escaping, Lain had faintly considered this. The ‘king’ targeting her would inevitably attack the place, leading to many deaths.

While this wasn't her primary reason for escaping, the situation had led to it.

Ultimately, her escape had saved the lives of those who had been there.

At that time, she couldn't understand why she had thought that way in a split second, so she simply responded to Andre.

“I escaped… to save my own life.”

To this, Andre smiled faintly and replied.

“Whether you intended it or not, many people were saved without harm. I am grateful for that, Lain.”

“……”

This response stirred some emotion in Lain.

It was a sensation oddly tickling her conscience, very unlike her.

She couldn't help but scowl, feeling disgusted by her own feelings.

Observing Lain's expression quietly for a moment, Andre then spoke.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

As he said this, Emma, who had just come out, stood beside President Andre.

President Andre looked at Emma and said,

“Emma.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Keep this situation confidential. Only you and I should know about it.”

“Understood.”

And then, Hajoon, who had come out to see them off along with Emma, watched as President Andre turned to him, bowing respectfully.

“I entrust Lain to your care.”

“Yes.”

It was a farewell filled with a sense of formality, as if entrusting a child to someone's care.

Though still visibly annoyed, Hajoon nodded in response to the president's words.

“We’ll be going then.”

With that, President Andre prepared to step through the gate.

Before leaving, Emma cautiously scanned the surroundings.

She was probably looking for those four who had arrived with Lain.

However, they had hidden themselves and hadn't been seen since President Andre arrived.

Emma sighed and followed President Andre, bowing her head before stepping through the gate.

As they disappeared,

“Are they gone?”

The four reappeared at the gate.

They peeked their heads around the gate, surveying the area, and upon confirming that President Andre had left, they sighed in relief.

Soon, one of the four, Millie, turned to Lain and spoke.

“Ha…, everything's settled for now, right, leader?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll take our leave. Call us if anything comes up.”

“Got it.”

Hajoon wondered whether it was really okay to just let them go like that.

After all, they were all criminals, no matter how they appeared.

Eventually, he decided to leave them alone, not wanting to complicate his current relationship with Lain.

After all, he needed her assistance.

Just then, one of the youngsters, who had been peeking from beyond the gate, stepped out and approached Hajoon.

The other three were shocked, but Elly, who walked up to Hajoon, simply bowed her head and said,

“Please take good care of Lain.”

“……”

Hajoon didn't respond, but Elly didn't wait for an answer and quickly disappeared back through the gate.

“Uh, okay? Then, we’ll be off. Take care!”

With those words, the four vanished, their faces disappearing behind the gate.

After Hajoon and Lain were left alone, a quiet silence filled the air.

Without engaging in conversation, they both entered the house. After entering, Hajoon paused for a moment, glanced at the kitchen, then turned to Lain and spoke.

“For now…”

“…?”

“Help out with the housework.”