Let's Train Heroine

Chapter 176: Heroine's Academy Closed

The second of the Seven Horrors had been resolved.

The girl who was attacked had a terrifying experience but was not seriously injured. After receiving treatment from Lucan, she regained consciousness and should be fine after a thorough check-up at the temple.

"This… We might need to consider closing the academy." Explore new worlds at m,v l'-NovelBin.net

The scene shifted to the staff room. Head teacher Calus sighed and shook his head after hearing Lucan's report.

"I'll recommend to the principal that we cancel the midterm exams as well. It's too late once an irreversible situation occurs."

"That said… there will be other problems."

"Indeed. There will be dissatisfaction from both students and parents."

Closing the academy and canceling the midterm exams would be significant issues for the students. The royal academy is a crucial institution for training future knights, officials, and priests.

A single test score can be a critical determinant of future job prospects. For students aiming to work in the palace, it represents a key opportunity. In fact, there have been cases where students with the highest scores in midterm or final exams were recruited by the palace before graduation, allowing them to skip ahead in their studies.

Students who have already decided to take over their family business might be relieved by the academy's closure. However, for those aiming higher, losing such opportunities would be unbearable.

"The martial arts tournament is also approaching… If the academy closes, it would be a problem for many… I hope we can manage without closing the academy…"

Lydia expressed her concerns. Despite her fear of patrolling after school, she clearly valued the students' futures.

Nevertheless, continuing classes as they are would endanger the students. It's a case of choosing between two equally challenging options.

"A compromise might be… shortening the class hours?" Lucan pondered briefly before speaking.

"How about holding shortened classes in the morning and having students leave early? If it's still daytime, ghost activities should slow down."

This was only a preliminary suggestion, but the Seven Horrors generally occurred after school. By sending students home before the phenomena become active, significant damage should be avoided.

"Of course, there may be concerns from students and parents about the current situation. Therefore, attendance should be voluntary for those who wish to come. For students who do not attend, we should provide assignments for home study."

"Right… I'll relay Mr. Lucan's proposal to the principal," Calus agreed with Lucan's suggestion. The meeting then adjourned, and Lucan returned to the staff dormitory after escorting Lydia to her room.

The next day, after an early morning staff meeting, Lucan's suggestion was adopted. The academy shortened class hours and implemented voluntary attendance.

Although the midterm exams were postponed for the time being, creating assignments for home study increased the workload for Lucan and the other teachers.

Lucan cursed himself for being so shortsighted. He hadn't considered the additional burden that implementing his suggestion would place on him. If he had known it would increase his workload, he would have kept his mouth shut.

Now, the academy had shortened classes, with free attendance only in the morning, and the midterm exams had been postponed. Knights and priests had entered the academy, and investigations were underway to resolve the incidents.

It was hoped that these measures would eliminate the damage caused by the Seven Horrors, but unfortunately, that was not the case.

"We will protect this academy! We will surely defeat the evil ghosts!"

"Oooh!"

In the middle of the schoolyard, boys and girls were speaking passionately. These students were all still attending the academy.

"Those kids… they're at it again."

"I told them to go home… but, well, what can you do?"

From the staff room window, several teachers sighed as they looked down at the schoolyard. Due to the shortened classes and the introduction of home study, many students had already gone home by the afternoon. Despite this, some enthusiastic students had started their own investigations into the incidents.

They ignored the teachers' advice to go home early and were conducting patrols around the school after hours.

"Because they keep staying behind, we have to be extra vigilant… it's quite a hassle."

"Haha…"

A male teacher complained in a frustrated tone. Lucan also agreed. Because of these brats, he had to be extra careful.

There were several reasons why the students had started their own investigations. First, some students had personally suffered from the Seven Horrors. Friends, lovers, and classmates who had been affected were driven by righteous anger.

Second, some students had realized that this situation could be an opportunity to stand out for their future. The ghost incidents at the academy were being watched by people from the palace. If a student could solve these problems, it could be a significant achievement for their future employment.

Lucan understood why going against the academy's orders and conducting independent investigations could be seen as a positive. The sports-oriented students, such as those aspiring to be knights, did not share this view. In fact, some in the upper echelons of the palace knights were supporting their actions, believing that not confronting the academy's crisis would be unworthy of a knight.

"After all, the royal academy is a facility for training personnel to protect the country. Especially for aspiring knights and mages, accepting the closure of the academy without objection could be seen as 'fleeing from a crisis.'"

At the royal academy, battling monsters is part of the curriculum, and even if a student were to die in such battles, it would be attributed to their lack of skill. This academy is not just for the students; it is for the country. The safety of students was not always a priority.

"Well… Prince Kai being here is also a big factor, isn't it?"

"Well…"

"If the prince weren't here, I think fewer students would have joined the patrol…"

"..."

Lydia's observation made the other teachers exchange glances and nod in agreement. The central figures in the volunteer investigation teams were Kai Tempest and other student council members. Seeing the royal prince putting himself in danger, many felt they could not just run away and participated in the investigation.

"Anyway, an early resolution is needed… Once it's resolved, there won't be any more problems."

"Indeed… What are the knights and priests doing…"

Another teacher spoke in frustration. Although the knight order and the temple were involved in resolving the situation, their investigations were not progressing. The points where anomalies had been previously observed—such as the 'Death Note at Library'—were being investigated, but no relevant abnormalities had appeared.

Meanwhile, the student investigation teams had already encountered supernatural phenomena and sustained damage.

"Perhaps… the Seven Horrors only appear when students are nearby," Lucan said. The focus of school ghost stories is always the students. The Seven Horrors might not appear in front of unrelated outsiders.

"Indeed, the patrolling teachers, except for Lucan who encountered the phenomena while students were attacked, have not come across any anomalies. That possibility does exist."

Lydia agreed with Lucan's thoughts. While students had suffered damage, there had been no harm reported from the teachers or knight investigation teams. It seemed that the Seven Horrors targeted students.

"So… it means that resolving the situation also depends on the students… Prince Kai's actions might not be off the mark after all…"

"..."

Lydia's words were met with heavy silence in the staff room. Kai's actions were not wrong. It was correct for the student council president to take action to protect the students, and it was also the right thing to do as a character in a game. The problem was… that the cleanup of the actions taken by Kai and the other students fell to the teachers. Lucan hated that.

However, it wasn't entirely true that these horrors just targeted students, because Lucan, who wasn't a student, had also encountered the Music of Shadows.