Chapter 172: The Anti-Columnist (Part 1)  

Vikir looked at the article that Figgy handed to him.

[Exclusive] ‘Night Hound,’ an Unprecedented Villain Wielding Terror in Venetior!

The ‘Night Hound’ has reappeared, causing unprecedented terror throughout Venetior. Despite ongoing fear of terrorism, the true identity of this threat remains a mystery. Is ‘Night Hound’ an individual or an organization? What are their motives? No one, not even the noblest families, including the royal family, has been able to uncover the truth. As a result, the race to reveal this heinous villain’s identity and apprehend them has intensified.

The seven great noble clans of the Empire, including the Baskerville clan, Morg Clan, DonQuixote Clan, Usher House, the Ruthless Reviadon clan, Industrial clan Bourgeois, and the Holy Quovadis Clan, have expressed their strong determination to capture the terrorist and have formed pursuit squads. A bounty of 100 billion gold coins has been placed on the ‘Night Hound’ within Venetior…

Below the article, there were a few magical photos that moved.

The newspaper appeared to be from an external major publishing company. The photos depicted the scenes of the attacks on the branches of the Quovadis clan which belonged to the Old Testament faction, and Vikir was also captured in one of the photos.

Of course, Vikir’s image was small and inconspicuous, and next to him were Tudor, Sancho. Figgy, Bianca, Sinclaire, and other kids, so there was no need to be concerned.

“Look, Vikir! We’re in the newspaper! I never thought I’d see the day when I’d be in the media!”

Figgy was amazed by his role in a small corner of the photo.

But soon, his excitement faded.

“Oh, right. This is a photo of a terrible disaster. It’s not something to be happy about. I’m trash…”

“Settle down. The one who caused the disaster is a bad guy, not you.”

Vikir patted Figgy’s shoulder and continued reading the newspaper.

“Hmm. There’s no mention of the Saint declaring a Holy War.”

“That part is strangely missing from the newspaper. The story about the ‘Night Hound’ attacking the Old Testament faction is also missing. Details about the sins they confessed to the social elite, as well as the pardons they received, are also missing. How come it wasn’t included?”

Figgy’s question elicited a dry smile from Vikir.

The media is like that by nature.

It caters to the powerful and attacks the weak.

A dog barking for a tastier piece of meat.

The law of the jungle states that it can only bite as much as it can chew.

‘Humbert’s influence seems way too strong.’

No matter how hard he searched the newspaper, there was no content criticizing the Old Testament faction.

It seemed that the ‘Night Hound’ was being vilified as a public enemy to cover up the situation.

Figgy’s next words made Vikir nod in agreement.

“Oh, by the way, Vikir! Did you pick up this week’s club assignment? Professor Banshee told us to write a column condemning the ‘Night Hound.’ It can be a simple editorial format. If the writing is good, it might even get published in the Academy Newspaper, even if you’re just a first-year…”

It seemed that the Academy had also decided to align with the ‘Night Hound’ hunt.

“First, it’s a good idea to go along with this trend to avoid suspicion.”

Vikir was better equipped than anyone else to criticize ‘Night Hound.’

Because he knew the villain’s misdeeds better than anyone.

“A column, huh… Should I write words that would make no sense when I hear them myself?”

Vikir took out a pen and began his struggle, or rather, his battle with himself.

* * *

The Academy Newspaper Department resonated with anger.

“Why was my column removed?” Dolores, the Student Council President of the Colosseo academy and the head of the newspaper department, calmly voiced her complaint to Professor Banshee Morg, the newspaper department’s advisor.

“…Do you need to ask why?” Professor Banshee’s black hair framed his sinister gaze, and a single monocle dangled perilously on the tip of his hawkish nose. With a disinterested tone, he sent the column Dolores had written flying onto his desk.Where is the true antithesis of ‘Night Hound’?

‘Night Hound’ attacked over six of Quovadis’ branches, all of which belonged to the ‘Old Testament faction.’ According to data provided by the New Testament faction, there were covert dealings between the Old Testament faction and certain prominent figures involved in this recent attack… Furthermore, there is still no evidence of any ‘murder’ left behind by ‘Night Hound’ at any of the scenes of these calamities…

Professor Banshee spoke with a brusque tone, “The Academy adheres to political neutrality. We cannot publish such biased commentary.”

“Biased? I merely reported the facts!”

“Facts, you say? Did not Cardinal Humbert of the Old Testament faction deny all of this? And didn’t the members of the social elite listed on the ‘pardon list’ also claim that this was untrue?”

“That’s just plain lies!”

“Is it, though? What if the truth lies on that side? Even if we miss one thief, we shouldn’t falsely accuse ten innocent people. Isn’t that your usual belief?”

Dolores clenched her jaw tightly. Her bite was so hard that her neck seemed to throb with veins.

Professor Banshee continued, “Furthermore, as the Academy’s Student Council President and the head of the newspaper department, everyone knows that you are the Saintess of Quovadis, affiliated mainly with the New Testament faction.”

Dolores remained silent.

“What message do you think your column portrays?”

Dolores had nothing to say.

“Do you think it’s a good idea for you to personally promote such a biased article? Or not?”

At that moment, veins appeared on Dolores’s forehead.

She opened her mouth to respond to Professor Banshee, “According to the Academy’s rules, ‘Students admitted to the University are all equal’ and ‘not influenced by external status.'”

“…”

“Although I am affiliated with Quovadis and belong to the New Testament faction, that’s merely my external status. While I am a student at the Academy, I am just Dolores, an ordinary student. I have the freedom to express my opinions on Quovadis or anything else.”

This time, Professor Banshee tightly sealed his lips.

Dolores and Professor Banshee’s eyes locked.

Eventually, Professor Banshee sighed.

“Fine, I acknowledge that.”

“?”

Dolores raised an eyebrow, perplexed, and Professor Banshee furrowed his brow.

“Quovadis sent a letter to the Academy.”

“A letter?”

“Yes. It’s the reporting guideline for these articles.”

“!”

A reporting guideline—it predefines the direction of reporting.

Professor Banshee shook his head slightly.

“For these articles, they have mostly advised us to focus on the heinous terrorist acts committed by the ‘Night Hound’ and the interviews with the victims. They have asked to exclude or minimize keywords like ‘Quovadis,’ ‘Old Testament,’ and ‘New Testament.'”

“That’s absurd! This is clearly an attempt to control the Academy’s neutrality!”

“In any case, that’s what it is. The Headmaster is also in quite a dilemma.”

“Is Cardinal Humbert so influential? To the extent that he can even trouble the Headmaster of the Academy?”

“If it was just Cardinal Humbert, do you think I’d even talk with you about this?”

Dolores’s expression hardened at his words.

Above Cardinal Humbert, there was only one person within Quovadis who held such a position.The Pope. Nabokov I Quovadis, he held the highest age and the purest sanctity.

“…How could this be?” She thought. Even if everyone else had fallen, this person would not lose his purity. But how could such things be happening?

“Has Cardinal Humbert taken advantage of the Pope’s old age and clouded his judgment? Could that be it?”

Dolores now had a new source of concern. She realized that even the Pope could be affected by this.

When she became silent, Professor Banshee tapped the article on his desk with his fingers.

“Furthermore, leaving all these circumstances aside, your column was simply not suitable for the newspaper. It’s too politically biased. Reading it, one cannot help but feel that you subtly favor the Night Hound.”

“Then, what do you intend to publish in its place? A promotion for the newly opened play club? A highlight from the sports club? The breathtaking rear view of the Academy magazine’s cover model?”

“Don’t be sarcastic, Dolores. I am a professor, and you are a student.”

Finally, Professor Banshee opened a drawer and pulled out a piece of paper.

It was another column.

“…So, you plan to publish this in place of my column.”

Dolores raised an eyebrow, curious.

“…This one is much worse,” she commented, a rare comment from her. This would likely be the harshest expression she could muster. But Professor Banshee, wearing a sly smile, nodded slightly.

“I don’t consider this one a well-written piece either. However, it appropriately criticizes and appeals to emotions, inciting in a suitable way. In these times, it’s perhaps the most fitting, considering the circumstances. Besides, it has firsthand accounts, so it has its credibility.”

“…”

“In any case, that’s how it is. The midterm practical exams are coming up. Focus on those, Dolores. A student’s primary responsibility is to study, isn’t it?”

Professor Banshee got up and walked past Dolores, leaving the room. Dolores bit her lip.

On that fateful night, she had witnessed the disaster at the Indulgentia Orphanage. Night Hound was not evil in her eyes. The true evil, however, lay within Quovadis and the demons it housed.

How many more demons could there possibly be in the world? How many more battles must Night Hound fight and endure?

“To think they won’t even help but hinder and oppress…”

But there was no way to reveal the truth about the demons and their collaborators, let alone do it all at once. Even if such evidence existed, it would take far too long to uncover.

She remembered what Night Hound told her before ‘there was not much time left’. Today, after her frustrating conversation with Professor Banshee, she understood.

She understood why he had become an executioner and why he was willing to kill the demons one by one, even if it meant risking his own life.

“It won’t do. I need to help him myself.”

Writing columns supporting the Night Hound might not be of practical help. If her home had issued instructions on the matter, it was time to pick up a sword, not a pen, to assist him.

“I’d rather find Night Hound myself. I need to see him in person, to be able to help. I should know his face and his name.”

Saint Dolores was determined. She decided to meet Night Hound herself, and for that, she needed as much information as possible about him, particularly regarding his identity.

Dolores’ gaze was drawn to the paper on the desk. It was Professor Banshee’s column that had taken her place. A scathing article that harshly condemns the Night Hound.

Dolores frowned as she read it. It was a distasteful and inferior article, but one passage caught her eye.

“Transcending sin: Night Hound

-Night Hound has gone too far. He has wronged many innocent people with crimes that have reached the heavens. Soon, the instruments of justice, such as spears, swords, arrows, and magic, will be transformed into retributive tools to bring him to the judgment seat… I, who witnessed Night Hound’s rampage at the Indulgentia Orphanage that night, can confidently assert that now is your last chance to make peace by going to the prison yourself and die peacefully!”

“Direct eyewitness?” Dolores mused aloud.

From the context, it was clear that the author of this column had seen Night Hound when all the events had concluded. This meant that they had seen the Night Hound more recently than Dolores had.

“Perhaps, the author has even seen Night hound’s face?”

Dolores grew anxious. She knew that when this column would be published, many journalists would flock to interview the author. Fortunately, Professor Banshee had protected the author’s anonymity in this case, but Dolores was determined to find out who the author was.

“It may be an abuse of power, but I have no other choice!”

It was a necessary step for the cause of justice. Dolores turned the column over and discovered the author’s name.

She saw a familiar name.

“Cold Department, Class B – Vikir.”