Chapter 32 - My Parents Give Me a Gun. Should I Bring It to School?
Morra had been observing the situation from the start. With a heavy sigh, he prepared for another round of lawsuits and bureaucratic drama from the higher-ups.
This wasn't his first time dealing with angry parents. Just last month, he had wrapped up discussions with parents of the 11th and 12th-grade special class students who had been involved in similar incidents.
After clearing his throat, Morra finally made his presence known.
"Please, everyone, take a seat so we can discuss this calmly."
As a former hardened soldier, Morra's presence alone commanded respect. His striking aura was more intense than the loudest Karen or a seasoned market haggler.
The room fell silent instantly. Morra glanced at Carn and Chuck, then unveiled the special class policy.
"If you've read our handbook, it clearly states that fights among special class students are permitted to foster competition and growth. Any injuries, traumas, or damages resulting from these fights are beyond parental intervention. You, as parents, have waived your right to claim medical expenses and any compensation. Only in the case of death can any legal action be taken against an assailant."
"W-What?!" The two mothers gasped in disbelief, pointing accusingly at Wong. "But her child injured our sons! This is the U.S.! We have rights!"
"Not here, ma'am. We're on ECD property, not California or New York. If this policy is unacceptable, you're free to withdraw your children from our program. Just be informed that doing so will result in their classification as Class-E personnel, and they'll be detained within ECD facilities permanently."
In the ECD facility, personnel were organized into distinct classes based on rank and compliance. The lowest tier, Class-F personnel, consisted of death row prisoners. Their roles in the facility were classified.
Above them were Class-E personnel, aka mana users who had refused to follow national laws or ECD regulations. Effectively, Class-E personnel were also prisoners, held under strict supervision for their uncooperative behavior and high risk due to their mana abilities. Unlike Class-F personnel, they served as backups in case Class-F personnel failed to complete their assignments.
In short, being imprisoned in an ECD facility was worse than being trapped in a third-world country's jail.
Because ECD was brought up, one mother shrieked, "This is tyranny! I'm calling the cops!"
"Oh, by all means, please do," Morra was unfazed. Ordinary police held no power in the ECD's special district, where only the military police had jurisdiction.
Satisfied, Morra turned to Carn and Wong, who had been watching calmly. Grinning, he continued, "We don't condone violence, but we do favor talented students. As long as your academic performance remains exceptional, you're immune to expulsion and all punishment. What you demonstrated today was nothing less than advanced mana control and superior combat abilities. You're free to go."
Wong smirked. "You called me for this?"
Morra chuckled. "Yes. Whenever a ruling is made regarding special class students, the parents of involved parties must be present. Your son did nothing wrong. It was the others' poor judgment to pick a fight with him. You won't be paying a single hospital bill."
Wong raised an eyebrow, impressed with the dean's insight. Nodding, she led Carn out of the office.
Meanwhile, the loud mothers continued shouting into their phones, but each 911 call operator responded the same way.
"We're sorry, ma'am. You're in a special district. You'll need to contact the military police."
"WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU IGNORE MY CALL?! HELLO?!"
It was too late. They hung up the call and blocked their numbers, so their phones could no longer connect to 911 emergency hotlines.
Morra overheard the exchanges. He shook his head and smirked, satisfied. He turned to Barney and murmured,
"Next time, let Carn finish what he started before you step in."
Barney raised a brow. "Are we favoring Carn now? What about General Speedwagon's sponsorship? Those kids are his disciples."
Morra shrugged. "Speedwagon has a side job. He's a mercenary company's CEO, remember? We support those who succeed on their own merit, not connections. Also, I have already received a confirmation from ECD that Carn will work there after graduation. You can tell which one to prioritize nurturing."
Barney rubbed his chin. His curiosity grew, "So… is Carn's mana superior to theirs? What's his concentration level?"
"That's classified, Barney."
Barney inwardly clicked his tongue. He thought of Carn and the tracking device that he had planted, hesitating if he should continue targeting him.
'He has a backer and at least one family mana-user family member. I guess I can't touch him. What a bummer. I thought I could try my hands on a boy and experiment on a new spell…'
.
.
Leaving the office, Carn looked at his mother. Wong crossed her arms and stared back at her son.
"Kill them next time."
"Bet."
"Don't forget to clean up the crime scene. Make it bloodless or make it look like an accident."
Carn chuckled, "Is that a proper way for a forensic officer to teach her son?"
"I have no fuck to give. Committing crimes is fine. Just don't get caught."
"…"
"Remember, don't get caught."
"…Bet."
Wong smirked in satisfaction.
As the classes were canceled because of the incident, Wong drove Carn home. She also ordered five boxes of pizza for dinner.
…
Han came home at 2 AM, later than usual. He skipped dinner and headed straight to bed. Miraculously, he was up again at 5, looking more refreshed than people who had slept nine hours.
He rushed out of the house, heading back to work. Wong also left at 6 AM, leaving Carn to get to school on his own.
Carn got out of bed at 6:30. After washing up, he went to the kitchen for breakfast and found a bowl of sausage fried rice on prepared by Wong on the tablenderneath it, he noticed a note from his mother, written in her familiar handwriting.
[Don't go to school today. This is my approval note.]
Carn paused, surprised. His mother usually insisted he attend school even when his appendix was about to burst. Only a natural disaster could warrant a day off.
However, there were two papers today. Beneath her note was another message, left behind by his father.
[I checked that priest's house and found some nasty evidence. You were right. He's a freak. However, the arrest warrant will take days to issue because of ECD regulations. Today, stay home, lock the doors and windows, and close all the curtains. My backup .45 is in my room's drawer. The password is your birthday.]
Carn chuckled, realizing what this meant. Han and his team must have uncovered Barney's cannibalistic secrets.
Now, Carn had even more reason to go to school. He knew that once Han and the MPs started closing in on Barney, the priest would try to escape. This was the golden opportunity Carn had been waiting for, and he wasn't going to miss it.
"Sorry, Mom, Dad. Your son is a very diligent student, after all. But you know, I don't need guns to protect myself."
He finished his breakfast, packed his bag, and left for school, ready for another eventful day.