Ch.87Sorry, I’m Not S-Rank – 1

Finally, that day, the day of the new rank assessment, had arrived.

“Arbiter Seojin Baek.”

Another group of men and women in suits had been sent to my house.

This showed just how much the higher-ups were anticipating my power assessment.

If that had been the end of it, it might have been an unpleasant affair.

“You don’t need to go to work today.”

“Pardon?”

“We’ve arranged paid leave for you, so you can just focus on the assessment without worry.”

I wondered if I’d heard wrong. Good heavens, paid leave.

I wasn’t some regular company employee but a tax-funded civil servant.

They’re giving paid leave to a low-ranking employee they usually squeeze dry?

‘The higher-ups must be quite desperate.’

Paid leave on a weekday, and by order from above!

If my boss heard this news, he’d probably be seething with jealousy.

I recalled his face, always giving me dirty looks whenever I tried to use my annual leave.

Yet he himself used his leave quite diligently.

The Third Eye was right again.

A typical old-fashioned boss. With the mindset of “I can, but you can’t.”

I hear there are many bosses these days who aren’t like that, so why is mine?

‘But this time, even that bastard can’t say anything.’

The higher-ups must be eagerly waiting.

They must be extremely anxious after losing two S-rank abilities in the past few years.

Especially since those two didn’t die but became Elders, which makes it even worse.

In this world, S-rank abilities are treated as national assets and recognized as a country’s definitive military power.

Though there are still several S-rank ability users, it must be quite frustrating.

In the midst of this, a promising S-rank candidate appears—they’d be all over it…

‘I’m sorry. I’m not S-rank.’

Surrounded by the suited group heading to the assessment location.

I mentally apologized to those sitting beside me and others who might be expecting too much.

If I were doing the assessment, it might be different, but being assessed?

This would significantly lower the probability of my trait manifesting.

Even in my match with Minseong Kang, it barely manifested.

“I wonder if today will see the birth of a new S-rank.”

The team leader from the suit group I’d met before laughed and casually brought it up.

I couldn’t exactly say, “No. I’m not. Give up.” in that situation.

So I just laughed along and said nothing, staring out the window.

Ding!

I checked my phone notification.

[Soohyun Kim: Arbiter! Good luck with your assessment! Fighting!]

A short message, but I could tell she had put a lot of thought into it.

She probably woke up early, struggled with what to write, and finally sent it before going to school.

Imagining Soohyun like that made me smile without realizing it.

‘She tried so hard to get my number.’

I remembered Soohyun hovering around me for days.

She seemed like she wanted to say something, needed to say something, but was too shy.

It was so obvious that I gently asked her what was wrong, if she had something to tell me.

“W-well. I! Ah! F-first, congratulations on your Silver promotion. My grandfather congratulated you! Me too, and Arbiter too! He said you worked hard and… he wants to invite you to dinner again… so…”

“And?”

“S-so! To tell you the exact time, I need to contact you…!”

“You want my number?”

“No! I-I mean… I just…”

“You’re asking for my number, right?”

“Yes! Yes! That’s right! That’s what I mean…”

What contact? She could just come to the Academy and tell me directly.

And if there’s a celebration, having just you there would be enough, Soohyun.

The chairman has no reason to suddenly call me, right?

You’re using your grandfather as an excuse!

It was ridiculous but also cute and amusing.

So I played along and gave her my number. She smiled so brightly at my response that it almost caused cognitive dissonance.

How did someone like this become the Crimson Witch?

How did even the ultra-positive Hyunwoo Lee become the worst villain that makes people grind their teeth?

Thinking about it again, villains, Elders—they were all bastards.

[Thanks, Soohyun. I’ll do well on the assessment. Oh, and I got vacation time too.]

Come to think of it, I’ve been comfortably thinking of Kim Soohyun as “Soohyun” for a while now.

At first, I spoke more casually because of Minseong Kang’s request.

Now it feels awkward to address her formally, and I want to treat her comfortably.

Not bad. Rather good. Having someone depend on me.

I wonder if this is why those perverts sometimes appear.

Those who completely isolate their targets to make them depend only on themselves!

‘Those are the real bastards.’

Ding!

[Are you not coming to the Academy today?]

Huh?

[Arbiter, aren’t you coming today?]

For a moment, I felt a cold drop of sweat run down my spine.

I quickly replied to Soohyun before it was too late.

[No, Soohyun. I have to go. I went straight back to work after being discharged from the hospital.]

The paid leave is a bit of a waste, but that’s it.

If I had wanted to rest, I would have taken a few more days off after being discharged.

Besides, lately it’s been very enjoyable and rewarding even without the Gatekeeper trait.

Students who were already hardworking have started putting in even more effort.

The moment Soohyun finally escaped Bronze and settled into Silver.

It seems the other students also felt something significant.

The possibility I presented and Soohyun proved through hard work:

“Hey! I did it! So you can do it too!”

Even if they’re weak now, they can improve someday.

If I can just properly show them the potential they possess.

Then they too can proudly enter beyond the gates of Silver!

‘There are still some students who are struggling… but there’s not much I can do about that.’

I can’t grab them by the collar, slam them down, and say, “Shut up and just do as you’re told.”

I’m a civil servant with manners, a civil servant who doesn’t frown at citizens.

I’m not some demon instructor from a novel—why would I do such a thing?

I don’t force those who don’t want to do it.

Instead, I let them be and show them how those who want to improve are growing.

If that can provoke jealousy, that’s even better.

[So you’re coming today, right? Right?]

She seems to have calmed down as the typos are fixed and the spacing is back.

Sometimes I feel like she depends on me too much, which concerns me.

But so far, The Third Eye hasn’t shown any obsessive traits.

Making sure it doesn’t go that far will be the next task for Soohyun after preventing brainwashing.

I’m not into regret, misery, or obsession either.

“Arbiter Seojin Baek. We’ll be arriving soon.”

“Yes, understood.”

[Soohyun. They say we’re arriving soon. I’ll contact you again in a bit.]

[Okay! I’ll contact you later then!]

The number 1 next to her message disappears as soon as I send my reply.

It must be lecture time now—is it okay for her to be on her phone like this?

“We’ve arrived, Arbiter. You can get out now.”

At the suited man’s words, I glanced out the window.

Originally, I should be waiting in that place for those coming to be assessed.

Now I’m in the opposite situation, going to be assessed myself.

Moreover, the original owner of this body had already been assessed once.

At that time, Seojin Baek received a D-rank. In other words, dead last.

I remember that he could have received an E-rank without any issues.

But since he was in the measurement and detection category, he got that much.

“Welcome, Arbiter Seojin Baek.”

As I got out of the car, a middle-aged man in uniform extended his hand.

He wasn’t military. If he were, he’d naturally be wearing a military uniform.

But he didn’t seem like a regular civil servant either—there was something different about him.

‘…Ah.’

Checking with The Third Eye, I could identify him.

He seemed like a civil servant but was actually an old-generation ability user with rich combat experience.

Probably from the generation after Minseong Kang and Hakjun Ma.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Jaewoo Lim, in charge of your assessment today.”

“Ah, yes. I look forward to working with you.”

“The pleasure is mine. Everyone has high expectations.”

To casually drop such a burdensome statement right off the bat.

It seems he’s not just predicting but is convinced that I’m S-rank…

‘I’m not, I’m not, you fools. Why do you keep counting your chickens before they hatch?’

They must be quite desperate for the appearance of an S-rank ability user.

Well, I understand—they lost two precious S-ranks.

“These days, stories about Arbiter Seojin Baek are the hottest topic.”

Is that so? I haven’t really noticed.

“Your expression suggests you think I’m just being polite, but I’m serious.”

After that, the middle-aged man who introduced himself as Jaewoo Lim continued enthusiastically.

All the S-ranks that have appeared so far either showed absolute prominence early on.

Or even if their abilities manifested late, they were the strongest from that point on.

There has never been a case like mine, starting at the very bottom and growing.

Because of this, a theory was even established:

While A-rank can be achieved through acquired effort, S-rank cannot.

Whether early or late, innate factors must come into play.

“Now that theory will have to change.”

No. In my opinion, that theory seems correct?

This side isn’t due to acquired effort either, but because of a suddenly gained talent.

Whether Jaewoo Lim knew my inner thoughts or not, he smiled and guided me to the assessment location.

His face was full of smiles, which already made me feel sorry.

“Then, we’ll begin the assessment.”

“…Yes. I look forward to it.”

The assessment method is simpler than I thought.

The Academy’s rank evaluation might actually be more difficult.

The total amount of magical power that the current ability can produce.

And the physical limit that the body can handle.

Now they calculate the part where magic power and the body can endure.

‘Hmm.’

Having experience in the ability assessment department, I could roughly gauge it.

At best, this would be B-rank. Even with a miracle, A-rank would be the limit.

*

“Hmm…”

Jaewoo Lim rubs his chin as he looks at the assessment results.

Don’t rub it too much. You’ll wear your chin away at this rate.

“Um, Arbiter. Just one more time…”

While trying hard to hide his extremely confused emotions.

He looked quite pitiful as he requested a reassessment.

I agreed. I headed back to the assessment location.

But, I’m sorry. It’s still B-rank this time.