The Academy Entrance Train Is Always Targeted by Terrorists (1) Every genre has its own formula—what people call a cliché.
When you think about it, that’s only natural.
For a collection of stories to qualify as a distinct genre, they have to share certain common elements.
Take the classic Hero story, for example.
In Ivan’s opinion, the formula for this old-fashioned genre looked something like this: The Demon King, or another great adversary, appears.
The Hero forms a party.
The Hero sets out on a journey to defeat the Demon King.
Along the way, the Hero defeats the Demon King’s commanders one by one.
One of those commanders inevitably falls in love with the Hero.
At the end of the journey, the Demon King dies, and peace returns to the world.
Based on that structure, Ivan had concluded that this world belonged to the classic Hero genre.
But now, Ivan was desperately dredging up Kim Seonwoo’s memories from thirty years ago, compiling a list.
What was the formula for an Academy story?
*** The princess had gone on about “Winter is coming,” as though she belonged to some St*rk family.
She was wrong.
It was January.
Which meant it was already the middle of winter, and the orphanage had only recently finished celebrating its lavish New Year’s party.
In other words, there was still plenty of time before the university semester began.
“…The Academy.” Ivan fell into thought, longing for the collection of reference materials he had impulsively burned thirty years earlier.
He distinctly remembered that several Academy stories had been among them.
He couldn’t even remember their titles anymore…
Something about the Heavenly Demon enrolling in an academy, or a swordsman, or a Taoist, or a shaman…
For now, he jotted down everything he could remember.
These were, in effect, the universal rules of Academy stories.
‘Anything can enroll in an Academy.’ Literally anything.
From cowboys to Heavenly Demons.
Which naturally meant assassins lurking behind the backs of the precious sons and daughters of the Hero’s Party were included as well.
‘The Academy is always invaded.’ Sadly, academies are invaded more often than frontline strategic fortresses.
Statistically speaking, unless the protagonist drops out, the probability of the Academy being attacked converges toward 98%.
‘A demon infiltrates the Academy.’ The Demon King is dead.
All Seven Dragon Generals are either dead or missing.
The demon race has either been enslaved or driven to the ends of the world.
And yet…
Somehow…
A demon supporter—or an actual demon—will inevitably be hiding inside the Academy.
Never mind the question of how they managed to infiltrate the very heart of the Allied Kingdoms, let alone an ordinary educational institution.
Goblin- and orc-type demi-humans could be ruled out.
Those fellows weren’t exactly capable of blending into a crowd.
Succubi or demons capable of disguising themselves were much more likely.
‘Among the students and faculty, there is always a traitor.’ Find the instructor who displays an irrational hostility toward the protagonist.
There’s a high chance they’re a demon collaborator.
‘The Academy contains hidden ruins or secret relics.’ St.
Jansk University had been founded less than ten years ago.
It was a newly established national university, personally commissioned by the late king and built right in the middle of the capital.
Yet, for some reason…
You had to assume it contained a “Secret Chamber.” ‘Academy students fall into three categories: ordinary students, demon-related villains, and government agents.’ The first category didn’t refer to diligent students who simply studied hard.
These people were ticking time bombs too.
They constantly got caught in accidents.
And somehow, the protagonist always had to be the one who rescued them.
As for the students who didn’t get caught up in incidents, they fell into two groups.
The quiet students whose names were mentioned only once.
And the students who were jealous of the protagonist.
Up to this point, it could still be considered part of ordinary school life.
The real problem came next.
Students connected to demons.
Practically speaking, these were demon collaborators, demon spies, or demon insurgents.
‘If they stand out, kill them before they become a problem.’ The Orphanage director, a former officer of the Extermination Unit, narrowed his eyes and underlined the sentence.
The best way to protect your allies was to exterminate the enemy.
So far, this was practically just an ordinary hobby.
‘Next: government agents.’ When the children of internationally influential figures enrolled in large numbers, governments naturally dispatched agents to protect them.
The problem was that agents rarely embarked on missions with only a single objective.
Which meant the bodyguards protecting those children would spend their free time serving as highly capable spies for allied nations.
You couldn’t kill people like that.
They weren’t from hostile countries.
Touching them would immediately create an international diplomatic incident.
Officially, they were just students.
‘Since there’s no age limit, it wouldn’t be strange if active wartime agents enrolled.’ The former Extermination Unit officer who now ran the orphanage stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Honestly…
it’d almost be better if some familiar faces showed up.
At least we’d be able to talk.
Ivan stared absentmindedly at the hand axe hanging on the wall of the director’s office.
‘Whenever an instructor says, “It’s perfectly safe,” during Academy exams, training, or practical exercises…
disaster is guaranteed to follow.’ This alone was enough to justify companies outsourcing all safety inspections instead of conducting them themselves.
In an Academy where spies, assassins, demons, and traitors outnumbered ordinary students…
The only genuinely safe place was probably the principal’s office.
Even Dumble*ore hadn’t died in his office.
Normally, the position of principal—or university president—ought to be filled by an administrator.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, the strongest person in the entire setting always ended up running the Academy.
…
Next.
The most important point.
What was the ending condition of an Academy story?
‘The ending conditions are survival…
and world peace…
Wait.
Hold on.’ If this world really was an Academy story…
And everything that had happened so far was merely the background…
Then let’s summarize.
The Demon King appeared.
The Hero defeated him.
Peace returned to the world.
Now, only four years after the war had ended…
The Allied Kingdoms stood on the verge of falling apart.
Every nation was busy rebuilding, yet competition over resources and colonies was growing fiercer by the day.
Military governments still exploited demon slaves throughout the countless former demon territories.
So…
What could possibly serve as the main story?
‘World War…?
No…
that can’t be it.’ Academy stories revolved around protagonists who were high-school or college age.
If an actual world war broke out, there would be obvious limits to what students like them could realistically accomplish.
Then…
‘The Demon King…
resurrects?’ Ivan took a sip of coffee, his sunken eyes fixed on his notebook.
No matter how he looked at it, that seemed the most logical answer.
The descendants of the Hero’s Party confronting the resurrected Demon King and saving the world once again.
Assuming the Demon King’s resurrection was inevitable…
Assuming the students dropped out around their second year…
And assuming the Academy wouldn’t be invaded for at least another year…
Then what should he do right now?
He wrote one final sentence in his notebook before grabbing his coat and standing up.
[The Academy entrance train (or whatever transportation is used) will always be targeted by terrorists.] Ever since Harry P*tter, any world with trains always had students travel to the Academy by train.
(If there weren’t trains, they used horse-drawn carriages instead.
The common denominator was that both were vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
In truth, every form of transportation was vulnerable.
Traveling on foot wasn’t any safer.) And the Allied Kingdoms were still using the military railways built during the war as civilian transportation routes.
Naturally, military trains were just as vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
Ivan’s eighteen years of military service could personally attest to that.
The demons had also relied heavily on railways to transport supplies inland.
Ivan had stopped more train bombings than he cared to remember.
He had also carried out more than his fair share of train bombings.
That was simply the nature of the Extermination Unit’s work.
Today, once again, Ivan found himself longing for South Korea.
A peaceful world where boarding a train meant battling roasted eggs and tuna kimbap instead of terrorists and bandits.
He added roasted eggs and tuna kimbap to his ever-growing list titled: “Foods I’ll Eat When I Return to Earth.” *** “Just you wait!!
Seriously, just you wait!
All of you, watch me carefully!!
You’ll see!
You’ll all see how successful I’m going to become!!” Dragging an instrument case and a suitcase behind her, Esidisi stood on the station platform glaring tearfully at the crowd.
The crowd was seeing her off with an enormous banner.
[The eldest daughter of Great King Einar!
First-place entrant to St.
Jansk University!!] She wasn’t first.
She wasn’t even second.
But Esidisi didn’t bother correcting them.
They had written it that way on purpose because they enjoyed watching her reaction.
[We’re proud of you!
The Kingdom of Droan is the best!
Beauty!] [Following in the footsteps of the great conqueror Great King Einar—conquer the world of orchestral music!!] “What’s wrong with orchestral music?!” Esidisi shouted at the top of her lungs before turning around and boarding the train.
Behind her came a chorus of booming laughter.
Mean…
they’re so mean…
They could at least try to encourage me…!
As the train began to move, she buried her face in her sleeves and quietly sobbed as the platform drifted farther away.
Watching from beyond the train windows, the crowd slowly dispersed amid murmured conversations.
“Do you think the young lady will be all right?” “Of course she will.
Whose daughter do you think she is?” “I just can’t bring myself to trust those pale Krasilof Kingdom folk…” “Don’t worry.
His Majesty didn’t send her alone.
She’ll do just fine.” The people teasing Esidisi—the retainers of Great King Einar—left one by one, their voices filled with concern despite their jokes.
The eldest daughter of Einar Ulrikson, the “Butcher,” Berserker of the Hero’s Party.
Esidisi Einarsdottir.
Admitted to the Orchestral Music Department of the College of Music at St.
Jansk University.
*** The very train that had departed amid the grand farewell from Great King Einar’s retainers in Droan…
Overturned two days later near the border of the Kingdom of Krasilof.
Naturally, Ivan wasn’t surprised.
After all, it was common sense that the Academy entrance train would be caught in a terrorist attack.
Instead…
He picked up his pistol.
And his axe.