Eden Academy, Teachers' Hall.
"Karen Nocturne is utterly unfit to teach at Eden Academy! Our school has a long and distinguished history, and we strive to educate every student into a member of society's elite!"
"As for this ill-mannered lout, I, Murdoch Swan, propose that we strip him of his teaching credentials and expel him from Eden Academy!"
The fat bastard had seized the opportunity to deliver a fiery speech onstage during today's meeting. Thanks to him, what should have been an hour-long meeting had dragged on for nearly an hour and a half.
Many of the teachers were already impatient. With the new term approaching, they had plenty of work on their hands.
But given his connections, they could only put up with it.
Karen, on the other hand, didn't mind. Listening had nearly put him to sleep, and his eyelids were struggling to stay open.
Seeing the drowsy Karen made Murdoch Swan even angrier as he spoke onstage.
He had spent half an hour railing at Karen, only for the man he was berating to nearly fall asleep in the audience.
He was so frustrated he could have coughed up blood.
Although he now knew Karen was an assassin, he still didn't take him seriously.
Once he drove Karen out, he would immediately hire someone to kill him and vent his resentment.
Even the world's second-best assassin can't take on ten people at once. Once I've driven you out, I'll hire ten-no, twenty assassins.
At that thought, his anger subsided a little, and he even felt a flicker of secret delight.
Once he drove Karen out, the remaining teachers without connections would surely fear him even more.
He leaned toward the microphone. "All teachers who support me, please raise your hands."
"..."
"..."
Not a single person raised a hand. Every teacher remained silent, turning their eyes toward the front row, where Eden Academy's three directors sat.
When the headmaster wasn't present, those three were the school's highest authorities.
The Head of Education, the Economic Director, and the Security Director.
Murdoch Swan's backer was the Head of Education, who was far from calm.
That idiot Murdoch had actually brought this up in front of so many teachers. Did he have no sense of shame?
It only took a little asking around to learn what had happened.
He had asked a girl who had lost her mother whether her current mother or her former mother was better.
When the Head of Education heard that question, he wanted to march up and give Murdoch two good punches.
...What a vile bastard. He was going to drag all of Eden Academy's honor through the mud.
If that idiot's father hadn't done him a favor, he would have kicked the reckless fat man out long ago.
He even dared provoke the world's second-best assassin. Did he have a death wish?
Even he didn't want to speak up for the idiot, let alone the other two directors, who barely knew Murdoch.
On the contrary, they would much rather Karen stayed.
The Security Director knew exactly how terrifying the "Nightmare of the Night" was. Apart from the incredibly mysterious, legendary "Thorn Princess," no one could do anything about him.
True to Karen's nickname, even the Thorn Princess probably couldn't defeat him in the dark.
With him around, the school's safety improved dramatically.
The Economic Director's reason was even more straightforward: he had paid.
He had already transferred the money for Karen's two-year contract to the Phoenix organization's account: 500,000 dalk a year, totaling 1,000,000 dalk for two years. Karen's salary was on the same level as a housemaster's, at 20,000 dalk a month.
"Have you all gone mute?" Murdoch flew into a rage as he looked at the teachers, none of whom had moved.
The housemasters all knew who Karen was and refused to raise their hands.
The other teachers didn't know his identity, but with none of the housemasters raising their hands, how could they dare?
Karen rubbed his nose, looking quite pleased.
There are too many people who didn't raise their hands for me to remember them, but I'll remember anyone who does.
"He's just a..."
"Enough! You've gone far enough." Seeing that Murdoch intended to expose Karen's identity, the Head of Education stopped him with an angry shout.
He addressed the teachers behind him. "Everyone except the housemasters, please leave for now."
The main concern was that if Karen's identity as an assassin became public, Eden Academy's reputation really would be ruined. He could only have the teachers who didn't know leave first.
His head truly hurt.
If he spoke up for Murdoch, what if Karen held a grudge against him?
He had thoroughly investigated every last one of Karen's accomplishments. If Karen set his sights on him, wouldn't he be done for?
No one could stay on guard forever.
"All right, Murdoch. Let this matter end here. Stop making trouble for Mr. Karen."
"No! What about my dignity?" Murdoch's eyes were full of malice. If looks could kill, Karen would already have been sliced into a thousand pieces.
"I've humiliated myself in front of every teacher in the year group! If I don't kick this brat out, how am I supposed to show my face at school again?"
The other teachers watched their exchange coldly.
The vast majority of Eden Academy's teachers had no issues with their character, so naturally they disliked Murdoch, an incompetent man who had gotten his position through connections.
"Show your face at school? Heh..." Karen chuckled softly at Murdoch's words.
"You still think you can stay at this school? Scum who do nothing but take their own misery out on children and everyone around them have no place in this sacred Eden Academy."
Karen's words drew repeated nods from the other teachers. This man truly had no place in their sacred Eden Academy.
"You..." Murdoch's face turned purple with rage.
"You what? Look at you, eating yourself as fat as a pig. I've spent years as an assassin, traveling far and wide, and I've hardly ever seen anyone fatter than you."
"Honestly, if we sent you to a slaughterhouse, I doubt the people there could tell the difference between you and a pig."
"I really don't know how someone as greedy, arrogant, gluttonous, and useless as you has the nerve to live in this world. Every breath you take is a waste of air."
Karen spoke at lightning speed, but everyone heard him perfectly clearly and struggled to hold back their laughter.
Even Henry, who always valued elegance, couldn't help himself. Karen was telling the truth, but his description was simply too apt.
Murdoch really did look like a pig.
"Y-you... Do you really think I'm that easy to push around? Believe me, I'll hire someone to kill you!" Murdoch was about to explode with anger. He actually dared talk about hiring a killer in front of so many people.
"Pfft-hahahaha! That's hilarious! Hire someone to kill who?" Hearing the fat man's words, Karen laughed so hard he nearly cried.
Hire someone to kill him?
That was the funniest joke he had heard in the past five years.
"What are you laughing at? You think I wouldn't dare? When I get angry, I really do kill people!" Seeing Karen roar with laughter, Murdoch exploded, practically shouting every word.
Shing-
Bang, bang, bang!
With a sharp metallic sound, twelve knives appeared along the outline of Murdoch's bloated body.
Karen spun a throwing knife in one hand and stared at him coldly. "You kill when you're angry? Then let me tell you, when I don't kill-I-get-angry!"
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