episode_0437

“Don’t take it too seriously, it might be lighter than you think. It could be nostalgia sickness.”

Nostalgia sickness?

Then things got a bit serious.

One should not take nostalgia sickness lightly.

There is no way to fix nostalgia sickness no matter who you are.

“I should look into it, right?”

I decided to find out if Princess Haehwa attended the coronation ceremony and returned to the academy.

The person I met to inquire about Princess Haehwa’s situation was Yul.

“How’s academy life these days? Are you adapting well?”

“Yes. Everyone has been kind to me, so I’m adapting well. It wasn’t easy to adapt because the non-combat side is quite different culturally, but they noticed my awkwardness and helped me a lot.”

“What about Princess Haehwa? Is she adapting well?”

“Haehwa…”

When asked about Princess Haehwa’s situation, Yul hesitated in his speech.

It was similar to how Erintina was.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Haehwa has been hurt several times.”

“Can you tell me more specifically?”

Yul’s story about Princess Haehwa was like this.

There was no crazy person who directly touched Princess Haehwa during the situation where Mona Princess became the Empress.

Everyone knows that Mona Princess was in charge of the affairs in the North, so how could they touch Princess Haehwa?

“Even without touching Haehwa, they can still affect the North.”

“Ah.”

“Haehwa has heard a lot of negative things about the North while traveling around the empire. That’s why she seems more depressed these days. Especially after attending the coronation ceremony, she seemed even more depressed.”

If Princess Haehwa, who came to the empire to strengthen the positive relationship between the empire and the North, becomes disappointed in the empire, it will be troublesome.

If Mona Princess wasn’t busy, she would have paid attention to Princess Haehwa, and this wouldn’t have happened.

“Improving relations with the North requires effort from both sides.”

Princess Haehwa seems to be feeling depressed because she knows that it will take a lot of time and effort to mend the cold relationship between the empire and the North.

Still, seeing Yul calling Princess Haehwa ‘Haehwa’ only, it seemed like she was getting along well with other students at the academy.

“Could you please take care of Princess Haehwa for a while? I’ll talk to her separately, but it’s not something that can be resolved immediately, so I’m a bit worried.”

“Yes! Of course. I’ve been worried about Haehwa being depressed these days too.”

“Thank you.”

“But isn’t it something that will be resolved with time?”

The discrimination shown by the empire’s people towards the minority races, showing disdain and rejection, is blatant discrimination.

What’s absurd is that the empire is not a place made up of one race.

People who survived the land being gradually invaded by the contamination zone all entered the empire.

So, there wasn’t much discrimination based on race.

Of course, there were many conflicts due to different cultures.

The only place where the empire’s people showed rejection and discrimination based on different races was the North.

The reason they became the target of discrimination was one.

“They preserved their dignity.”

Would the refugees who had to flee their country and seek refuge in the empire want to go under the empire?

If conditions allowed, they would have wanted to settle in the North like the minority races who had established themselves there.

But it was impossible with their own strength, so they had no choice but to enter under the empire.

When the minority races established themselves in the North, they were ridiculed for failing.

But surprisingly, they succeeded in establishing themselves in the North without the help of the empire.

“Envy breeds jealousy and resentment.”

In such a situation with this history, restoring the relationship between the North and the empire was truly a difficult task.

In the game, when the North was almost in ruins and couldn’t hold on any longer, the empire eventually helped and joined hands.

“It’s said that the North should reach that level of urgency to join hands with the Empire…”

I was worried that Princess Haehwa might lose her enthusiasm due to the overwhelming situation.

To comfort the underage Princess Haehwa, it seemed necessary to take special measures.

※ ※ ※

This semester, there are a total of 16 SSR characters in the academy, and 3 of them have joined the adult world.

The 19 SSR characters each displayed their unique talents and personalities.

In particular, the SSR characters excelled in the punitive force, receiving unique equipment through the upper ranks.

“What are you doing?”

“Huh?”

“What’s that you have there?”

“It’s my equipment, why?”

“Why do I remember your equipment so clearly? You didn’t used to be like this before.”

They were friends and trusted colleagues, but also rivals.

Friendship is one thing, but monopolizing good things alone is unacceptable.

It was clear to anyone that something unknown and good had been added to the equipment.

“So what?”

“Why is this sparkling thing?”

“It’s just the appearance.”

“Don’t lie. Did you not know your training record improved today?”

“You stalker! Were you watching that too?!”

“Why do you know good things on your own?”

“I, I…”

“Spit it out. What did you do to make this happen?”

It must have been because of the strange light emitting from the equipment due to the improved record today.

“It wasn’t me. It just happened because of the sponsorship I received!”

“Sponsorship? What kind of sponsorship are you getting? Is your family having financial difficulties these days?”

“You crazy bastard! Speak without grabbing my collar!”

With determination to squeeze out the truth, he confessed surprisingly easily.

“It’s not about money! It’s one of the sponsorships provided by the upper ranks associated with Princess Hwangtae! I received it as one of the sponsorships.”

“If it’s that sponsorship…”

I also received the sponsorship.

It was a strange sponsorship that required no action on my part.

The family positively accepted it as it could establish a connection with Princess Hwangtae, and a sponsorship contract was signed.

However, despite signing the sponsorship contract, there was no support received, and it was slowly fading from memory.

“Why are they only helping you?”

“I included all the contacts, but there was no response. They told me to go to the family to inquire! You missed the opportunity, not me.”

“…Is that so?”

If that’s the case, then he’s innocent.

Even if the family asked him to do such a thing, he didn’t want to go, which made sense.

“Where do we go?”

“Why should I teach you that?”

“I’ll help you with the group project this time. You know? My grades.”

“Fine. Follow me after it’s done. I’ll guide you.”

The equipment provided through the upper ranks for their performance in the punitive force still pleased him, but if it could be even more impressive, there was no reason not to strive for it.

“But I got lucky to get here so quickly, they said it’s usually very difficult to get in. You have to be prepared.”

“Difficult to get in? What do you mean?”

“Hehe, it’s hard to talk to someone who doesn’t know anything. Let’s go for now. Once you hear the explanation there, you’ll understand what I mean. Hehe.”

I frowned at the friend’s ominous laughter, feeling uncomfortable.

I didn’t know what it was, but seeing him laugh like that, it was undoubtedly not an easy task to achieve that sparkling light.

“But it’s okay. How difficult could it be anyway?”

From what I heard, it seemed to require luck, but there was no way he could do something that I couldn’t.

I vowed to outdo him and boast about it.

That way, he wouldn’t get too cocky with me.

※※※

Thud!

“Do not lie!!! Why am I inferior to that guy! I can’t accept it!”

“Even if you can’t accept it, what can you do about this reality? The results have already turned out like this.”

“Hehehe!! Hahaha! Hahaha!”

“Stop laughing, you brat! Phew~ Give me one more chance.”

“No. Your chances for today are over.”

“How much do you need? How much do you want?”

“No. Impossible.”

“Where is it impossible! If you’re short on money, I’ll give you an unimaginable amount of money.”

“Am I doing this to make money? If you’re going to act so arrogantly, then get out.”

“Grr!”

“Hahaha!! That’s what I said. This requires an incredible amount of luck. Let’s stop doing bad things to our kind boss and leave. Let’s come back tomorrow.”

“This is ridiculous!”

I thought that if one person broke the ice, other students would also bring one person each to the store, and sure enough, a student brought another student to the store.

“If you really want another chance, bring a friend.”

“A friend?”

“Yeah. You have friends who receive support from the upper ranks, right? If you bring that friend, you get one more chance.”

“!!!”

“To make it to level 12… you have to, right?”

The guy who seemed serious about teasing his friend pulled out the level 12 equipment and failed to enhance it in front of the kid.

In response to this provocation, the kid’s face turned red with anger, and he immediately stormed out of the store, saying he would bring his friend.

“That guy didn’t even say hello! Ugh~ He’s so rude.”

“It’s okay. I understand his feelings.”

“Hehe, he’ll be back.”

“You don’t need to come back after enhancing to level 12, do you?”

“Ah~ How can I miss such an entertaining scene? I’ll definitely come back with you. Don’t do it when he comes alone. We’ll come together to tease him.”

“Got it.”

Before enhancing the unique equipment of the SSR characters, I made several rules.

Haven’t the first-year students already experienced what happens with the enhancement of unique equipment?

I remember vividly the times when the kids couldn’t get enough of the addictive taste of enhancement and kept shouting for more.

With those memories fresh in my mind, I couldn’t help but make rules.

“Thanks to those rules, things are going well.”

I didn’t make complicated rules.

So, I simply made two rules and firmly nailed them down for the kids to follow.

The rule I mentioned earlier about the enhancement opportunity being over was one of the new rules I created.