Ch.193End, Beginning Again – 3

After the vacation ended, a new semester began.

And there were several students who hadn’t been seen in the first semester.

Due to personal circumstances, or because they were late-discovered talents.

For such reasons, transfers in the second semester happen occasionally.

The one who should have been on my team was supposed to come that way too.

‘Forget the unavoidable past. Focus on the present now.’

After shaking my head, I immediately looked at those transfer students.

As soon as they entered, without being told, they all rushed toward me.

This was a grade evaluation determined by an S-rank, but perhaps they didn’t feel any reason to refuse.

Thanks to that, I was spared the trouble of having to find them myself, so it’s not a bad thing.

“We look forward to working with you, Arbiter!”

The transfer students, led by a female student who greeted me as their representative.

Looking over their abilities, most of them aren’t bad.

They say transfers are more difficult than regular admissions, so they must have good reasons to be here.

The disappointing part is that they’re merely “not bad.”

There wasn’t a single exceptional existence like Soohyun or Hyunwoo Lee.

Actually, I wonder if I expected too much from them.

While the worldview itself is generous to Korea, Hyunwoo is the protagonist after all.

And Soohyun is the character who puts that protagonist in difficult situations.

Comparing others to those two would be no different from what Rina is doing now.

“You all expressed your wish to start as Bronze, correct?”

“Yes! That’s right!”

“Then from today, we’ll begin your Silver rank evaluation.”

A repetitive daily routine, and students who are no longer very pleasant.

Amidst all this, these newly recruited Bronze students will play a good role.

Believing that, I slammed the first female student who stood up straight into the ground.

“Next… oh, is that everyone?”

I thought it would end within an hour, but it still took an hour and a half more.

A good result. It means the transfer students’ skills weren’t bad.

Of course, good results are good results, but no one got promoted to Silver.

I can’t let them have Silver from the start. It’s okay for everyone to work a little harder, right?

Think of it as a momentary crouch to grow, and sweat a little in Bronze.

Don’t worry. From what I can see, everyone will move up within three months at the latest.

I’m slightly concerned about two of them, but they’re still better than the remaining Bronze students.

‘I don’t even know what to do with those anymore.’

They’re clearly working hard, but there’s absolutely no sign of growth potential.

It’s heartbreaking to watch. It would have been better if they never awakened their abilities.

At this point, I almost want to grant them Silver rank just because I feel sorry for their efforts.

But I realized that would be belittling their hard work.

Plus, it wouldn’t be beneficial for me either, so I decided against it.

The only right path left for me is to continue being strict with them as I’ve been doing.

“Th-thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you for your hard work…”

They were all so energetic until just now, but now they look like they’re about to die.

But what can you do? It’s not over yet, kids. Not yet. You need to work harder.

To suffer less pain, get less injured, and see less hardship later, put in more effort now.

“Arbiter!”

Just as I was enjoying a moment of peace after sending off the transfer students.

I saw Soohyun running toward me from a distance with a bright face.

Why is she smiling like that? Did something happen?

“Welcome, Soohyun. Your expression is particularly bright today. Did something good happen?”

“Huh? Ah, yes! Something did!”

“Really? What is it?”

Maybe Minseong Kang taught her some more advanced swordsmanship?

Did she break through another wall that was blocking her progress?

Or perhaps her relationship with her father, which had been awkward, made some progress—

“Seeing you like this, Arbiter!”

“…Hmm? Soohyun, we see each other every day, don’t we?”

“That’s why it’s even better. Seeing you every day makes me happier every day.”

Suddenly sitting next to me with a happy expression, Soohyun laughs, “Hehe.”

I wonder why she’s suddenly acting like this, but I didn’t pry.

Isn’t it good if it’s good? If Soohyun is happy, it must be good for me too.

After accepting Soohyun’s somewhat sudden display of aegyo for a few minutes.

“…Ugh. It’s seriously disgusting.”

A voice filled with disgust came from the opposite side.

“What are you doing? It’s so embarrassing.”

“What’s embarrassing about this? What’s wrong with it?”

“That’s right, Rina. This is what ‘lovers’ can do.”

“Could you not emphasize that word ‘lovers’?”

With her arms crossed, she keeps shaking her head as if it’s pathetic.

But that doesn’t last long; as time passes, Rina’s expression gradually hardens.

Of course she would. She probably thought I would push Soohyun away because I was conscious of her.

Unfortunately, I’ve also switched to a “whatever happens, happens!” mindset.

If someone clings to you, you gain more, and if you push them away, you lose that much—isn’t that natural?

Tap tap—

Meanwhile, Soohyun subtly taps the seat on her opposite side.

It seems like she’s telling Rina, “There’s a seat for you here. Are you going to keep standing there?”

It feels like a legitimate wife making a big concession to a concubine.

“…”

Rina seems to have sensed that part too, as her face shows great wounded pride.

But what can she do? It’s not like anything will come back to her by just standing still like this.

And isn’t she watching because she envies what Soohyun is doing?

“I-I don’t usually do this kind of embarrassing thing! I’m only sitting because Kim Soohyun keeps giving me looks. Got it?”

Is that how someone who claims to be embarrassed by such things acted before?

She’s truly an unpredictable woman. No wonder her parents have a hard time with her.

“How’s the instructor job going?”

“Why even ask? It’s frustrating.”

“That’s probably just from your perspective.”

“It’s the same even beyond my perspective. With gates and monsters getting ridiculously strong now, what can they do out there with what they have? If they try to do things properly, they’ll all end up crossing the river to the afterlife.”

That part worries me a bit too.

Everyone is growing to some extent, but it’s slow compared to the great change.

However, they can’t stay as students at the Academy forever.

Someday they’ll leave here and work in the field, and when that happens, there will naturally be casualties.

“It’s embarrassing, you know. These are kids that you evaluated and I taught. How shameful would it be if they die without being able to do anything properly? They should all become exceptional superpower users, and even that wouldn’t be enough.”

“Heh. Rina. Couldn’t you just say you’re worried about your juniors?”

“Sh-shut up. Kim Soohyun, keep your mouth closed. What do you know!”

No, it seems like Soohyun is saying that because she already knows well?

Even from my perspective, Rina seems to be subtly worried about her juniors.

If she had chosen the instructor position simply to be with me, she wouldn’t be acting like this.

Didn’t she sincerely lament about the students’ level from day one?

Worried that they might be annihilated as soon as they go into the field.

“Well. It turns out you, Rina, might become a pretty good instructor?”

“Say that in front of Jiyoon unnie, oppa. She’ll immediately have a fit.”

Then there’s nothing to be done.

“Oh, by the way! Arbiter. I have something to tell you!”

“What is it, Soohyun?”

“About Dasom Yoo sunbae. She said she’s finally going to confess today.”

…What?

*

“Looks like they’re here again today.”

At Dasom Yoo’s murmur, Hyunwoo Lee, who had been swinging his sword, turned his head.

In the direction she pointed, a group of men and women were gathered.

They’re not Academy students. They don’t even look Korean.

They were none other than prospective students from the United Academy who had recently arrived from England.

“I heard they’re practicing living in Korea before entering the United Academy?”

“That’s what I heard, sunbae.”

“They could just take a portal and go straight home, so I don’t understand what kind of adaptation this is.”

“From what I hear, the situation isn’t good enough to bear the financial hemorrhage of that much portal use.”

Dasom Yoo let out an “Ah” of lamentation at Hyunwoo’s words.

Indeed, England’s current situation is reportedly not very pleasant.

In the midst of that, recklessly using portals would drain their finances.

It means they’re being cautious because a national backlash could cause big trouble.

‘Portals are convenient but they’re money-eating ghosts.’

What moves portals is mana and a kind of operating mechanism that uses that mana as fuel.

And the main material for that operating mechanism comes from A-rank monsters.

Not all A-ranks produce it; there are specific monsters that do.

So if you can’t obtain the byproducts of those monsters, you have to buy them.

These days, catching those A-ranks is incredibly difficult, so the price has skyrocketed.

No matter how you look at it, it results in national power being consumed, so now they have to be prudent.

“Anyway, they came early for that reason and have nothing to do. With the principal’s permission, they’re looking around the Academy here and there as a kind of guest.”

“Would it be correct to see them as observing students?”

“Probably so.”

After answering, Hyunwoo began swinging his sword again.

For an hour already, he’s been standing in the same spot repeating the same motion.

Apparently not a single satisfactory swing has come out yet.

Despite sweating profusely, he continues without stopping.

“…”

Dasom Yoo, who had been staring at him, took a deep breath.

She wonders if this is really what she should do, if she should think about it more.

But in the end, the conclusion will narrow down to one thing: that she likes him.

He’s a bit quirky, and sometimes completely incomprehensible junior.

Sometimes it’s scary to see him smile even when he’s getting hit.

But watching him always trying hard makes him look very cool.

That appearance that only those who know him can see. The back view of a man focused on his work.

Dasom Yoo could finally understand why some find charm in that.

The feeling of “I wish he would like me with that kind of attitude.”

‘There’s no point in hesitating more. It’ll just cause me heartache. I’d rather end it now.’

After clearing her throat once, she quietly approached Hyunwoo.

“Junior. Let’s talk for a moment.”

“I’m listening.”

“No, not like this. I want to have a more serious conversation.”

“Is that so? You’ll have to wait a little. I still haven’t produced anything satisfactory yet.”

“…”

A thought suddenly crossed Dasom Yoo’s mind.

If they really became a couple, wouldn’t her rival be not another woman, but his sword?