Episode 484. Deduction (2)

Victoria Academy’s dormitory.

Inside a feminine room adorned with cute bunny dolls.

Lucy and Lumi put their heads together in the room, checking the sparring video of Lee Hoyeon and Im Sol.

“Look, Lumi. This just doesn’t make sense. Professor couldn’t even resist Lee Hoyeon’s magic and got taken down.”

“Eung?”

The sparring match between Lee Hoyeon and Im Sol had become a huge issue online.

The shocking defeat of Im Sol, the genius mage, was still hotly debated on the internet, and people’s interest in Lee Hoyeon’s abilities hadn’t cooled down even after the match ended.

Lucy repeatedly played the video, shoving it towards Lumi.

Hugging the bunny doll Ruby, Lumi blinked and replied as she listened to Lucy.

“Uh, uhm. Is that so? Maybe Professor Im Sol collapsed from exhaustion due to the long match….”

“Professor Im Sol, who’s called the genius mage? Does that sound reasonable to you?”

“Well, that’s true, but don’t get angry, Lucy….”

“I’m not angry. Sorry.”

Lumi pondered while held in Lucy’s arms.

She had her doubts.

She knew how strong Professor Im Sol was.

She thought Lee Hoyeon was strong, but she never expected him to beat Professor Im Sol.

“Lumi, we know Lee Hoyeon’s mana, right?”

“Eung. That’s right….”

It was only natural to be suspicious.

Lucy and Lumi, who learned magic directly from Lee Hoyeon, could feel it.

His mana had changed 180 degrees.

However, no matter how talented a mage, one couldn’t change their mana drastically in an instant.

Lucy was suspicious about that very point.

“It’s strange that Professor Im Sol was pushed back like that. Especially that mana… it feels like I’ve felt it somewhere before.”

“Uh, I think so too…. It was mana I’ve felt somewhere before.”

“People who only saw the video won’t know. We have no choice but to meet him and find out!”

“In person…? But Hoyeon-ssi is still a patient.”

“Ah, right. He is….”

Lucy dropped her head to the floor.

She thought that abnormal strength might be related to Lee Hoyeon’s troubles… but there was no way to find out right now.

Ttirring- Ttirring-

Just then.

Lucy and Lumi’s smartwatches rang with a slight time difference.

Checking their smartwatches, Lucy and Lumi immediately made eye contact.

“Lee Hoyeon’s discharged. Let’s go see him, Lumi.”

“Uh, uh-huh. Okay, Lucy. But will it be okay?”

“Of course. The Student Council President said she had lingering concerns, even though she didn’t know anything.”

“I wish we could have met Daeun-yang yesterday….”

On the day of the sparring match.

Lucy and Lumi had an in-depth conversation with Moon Surin.

It was the first time they talked about Lee Hoyeon with someone other than Nam Daeun, and it was quite a good experience.

They even thought they might be able to build a good relationship with the Student Council President.

“Let’s ask Daeun tomorrow. For now, we need to ask Lee Hoyeon to meet us.”

“Hoyeon-ssi… Okay. Let’s do that.”

Lucy and Lumi sent Lee Hoyeon messages simultaneously.

“How should we talk to him when we see him?”

“Uhm. Wouldn’t it be best to be honest?”

“But the Student Council President also said she wouldn’t approach him first….”

“…Let’s just meet him and figure it out then, Lumi. Life is practical experience, they say.”

Lucy and Lumi swallowed nervously, looking at their smartwatches.

To solve the problem at hand, the two joined forces.

“Lumi. Let’s uncover Lee Hoyeon’s troubles and win him over.”

“Eung. Lucy. Sounds good….”

Tensely, they tightly clasped each other’s hands.

In this moment, Lucy and Lumi were more serious than anyone.

It was a chance to surpass all of Lee Hoyeon’s rivals.

Ttirring. Ttirring.

A moment later.

Seeing their smartwatches ring simultaneously, Lucy and Lumi pouted.

• Sorry. I’m sick today. I haven’t fully recovered yet.

“Ah.”

“Ah….”

The tension released, Lucy and Lumi let out sighs of disappointment.

*

The next morning.

Lee Hoyeon woke up to the morning sunlight streaming through the window.

The sun was high in the sky, and it was nearly noon.

“…Home is definitely comfortable.”

Chwaryureuk-

Squinting, Lee Hoyeon closed the curtains and lay back down on the bed.

He had received a full week’s rest from the academy.

He thought a few days would be enough to recover, so he hadn’t planned on resting for long, but Baek Ahyoung probably helped.

He was grateful, as resting properly to recover his condition was also important.

Ttirring. Ttirring.

“I should start getting ready to go out…. But don’t these kids have afternoon classes too? How are they asking to meet up?”

Yesterday, Lucy and Lumi had suddenly contacted him asking to meet.

Although he was discharged, meeting them right away seemed difficult, so he cleared his schedule for today instead.

Since he had to go to Victoria Park where the black pillar was anyway, he figured he could meet Lucy and Lumi while he was out.

The fake dungeon magic circle in the park needed daily maintenance.

• Me: I’ll stop by the academy briefly before heading over. Wait for me at the cafe.

Lee Hoyeon sent the message and then left his house.

Since Lucy and Lumi were supposed to meet him at the academy’s commercial district, he planned to go to Victoria Park first.

‘At least a few days. At most, a week should do.’

The black pillar had already risen significantly.

If Lee Hoyeon’s magic circle was set up, he could execute his plan immediately.

Lee Hoyeon manipulated his smartwatch and headed towards the academy.

‘When will Professor Im Sol be okay?’

Actually, he had planned to call out ‘Sol-ah’ and approach her right after winning the match… but it wasn’t as easy as he thought.

The path of a true man is long and arduous.

He was content with just winning the match and planned to talk slowly, but then he was asked how many times she was his favorite, which completely flustered him.

‘Hearing things like that makes me feel rushed.’

As the pressure from the heroines intensified, Lee Hoyeon had to accelerate his fake dungeon plan.

Catching the Demon King was a secondary issue. He had to take all the heroines with him before killing the Demon King.

“… Hmm?”

While walking towards the academy, lost in thought, Lee Hoyeon sensed a presence on the street.

‘What’s that.’

An advertisement billboard between the alleys. Parts of two people hiding behind it were visible.

Slender shoulders and short hair.

It looked familiar.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Lucy]

• [ Affection: 100 ] (+ 1.4 )

• [ Lust: 80 ]

• [ Appetite: 40 ]

• [ Fatigue: 45 ]

Current Status: Lumi’s body seems to be sticking out a bit. Ugh, hide properly.

[Upon reaching 100 Affection, Lust increases significantly when Lee Hoyeon is with Lumi.]

★ Heroine Status Window

[Lumi]

• [ Affection: 100 ] (+ 1.7 )

• [ Lust: 87 ]

• [ Appetite: 30 ]

• [ Fatigue: 10 ]

Current Status: Hiding here doesn’t feel right….

[Upon reaching 100 Affection, becomes proactive towards Lee Hoyeon when with Lucy.]

‘…What are they doing hiding there?’

Lee Hoyeon tilted his head, not hiding his confusion.

We were supposed to meet at the commercial district. Why are they hiding there?

He considered approaching them behind the billboard and acting like he knew them, but figured there must be a reason Lucy and Lumi were hiding.

‘A surprise party?’

Otherwise, there’s no reason for them to be there.

Maybe they’re trying to cheer me up since I was discharged yesterday. They really are cute.

Lee Hoyeon smiled warmly and walked past them, pretending not to see Lucy and Lumi.

‘But why aren’t they acknowledging me?’

…He thought they’d jump out and surprise him as he passed, but Lucy and Lumi remained hidden.

Wasn’t it a surprise party?

It was too late to pretend he knew now, so Lee Hoyeon just kept walking.

*

Something still felt off.

Victoria Park.

Here, where the black pillar stood, an ominous energy emanated, restricting human mana.

Irene gazed at the black pillar, retracing her memories.

‘It’s definitely similar to the mana I felt back then.’

The mana Lee Hoyeon used at the end of the sparring match with Im Sol.

The magic was brilliant, but a powerful individual like Irene could naturally notice something strange.

It was even easier for Irene, who had encountered it frequently. The mana Lee Hoyeon used was strikingly similar to the ominous energy felt from the black pillar.

“Right… so he’s been coming here every day, even when I wasn’t around.”

“Yes. Here is the entry log.”

Irene nodded as she looked at Lee Hoyeon’s entry log handed over by a guild member.

Coming here every day and spending time in an empty place.

It was a suspicious situation by any measure.

‘This is the extent of his suspicious behavior….’

Irene might not have paid much attention if she were alone, but she had asked the women living with Lee Hoyeon to report any suspicious behavior immediately.

This information should be passed on.

“Irene-nim. Student Lee Hoyeon has passed through the gate.”

“He came again today?”

“Yes. I’ll return to my research now.”

“Okay. Good work.”

After sending the guild member away, Irene thought about what she would say when she met Lee Hoyeon.

As naturally as possible.

What should I say to make it seem like we ran into each other while working?

I haven’t been working much lately, so my thoughts are….

Just then. A familiar voice came from behind.

“Irene-ssi.”

“Eut?”

“…? What are you doing here? I haven’t seen you around for a while.”

Startled, Irene turned around and held her breath upon seeing Lee Hoyeon.

“Ah, yes. I came looking because I remembered the mana you showed during the sparring match. It seemed similar to the mana coming from the pillar.”

Irene continued speaking, hiding the entry log behind her back.

‘I didn’t intend to say this….’

Irene, the captain of Team 1 at the Iris Guild, was usually good at controlling her emotions, but she inexplicably became flustered whenever she saw Lee Hoyeon.

Irene tried to manage her expression, albeit belatedly.

‘I can’t let him know I came looking for him. Poker face. Maintain poker face….’

Lee Hoyeon looked Irene up and down and continued speaking.

“As expected, you noticed. Honestly, it would be strange if someone like you, Irene-ssi, didn’t notice.”

“Oh. So the reason you come here often is really for research?”

“Yes. I was half-doubting it myself whether it would work.”

Lee Hoyeon presented his prepared excuse and looked at Irene.

Why is this person acting like this again? Everyone I meet today is acting strange.

‘…This is too suspicious.’

Her face twitching uncontrollably, it looked suspicious no matter how you looked at it.

And what is she hiding behind her back?

★ Heroine Status Window

[Irene]

• [ Affection: 94 ] (+ 1.2)

• [ Lust: 76 ]

• [ Appetite: 50 ]

• [ Fatigue: 40 ]

Current Status: Poker face. The most essential skill for an assassin is a poker face.

‘What’s the point of maintaining a poker face now.’

Lee Hoyeon chuckled and said to Irene.

She was maintaining a poker face now, but it was too late.

“What’s that behind your back?”

“Huh? Ah… this is top-secret material, so it’s a secret. Uhm, I’m a bit busy right now… I have to go. See you next time.”

Irene clutched the entry log tightly and turned away.

She didn’t forget to maintain her poker face until the very end, maintaining her professional composure.

Ttok-ttok.

“…Is she feeling unwell?”

Lee Hoyeon scratched the back of his head, watching Irene’s retreating figure.

He hadn’t intended to pry, but seeing her rush off without waiting for an answer, she must have had her reasons.

“It is more comfortable when no one is around.”

After confirming no one was around, Lee Hoyeon headed towards the fake dungeon magic circle.