Episode 49: What Are You Doing Here? [1]

-Look, it’s Thomas Andrea….!

-Why would America’s strategic weapon come here..?

-Probably came to scout some good talent.

-Guild Master, Thomas Andrea is…….

No matter what people whispered around her, the woman chugging beer in the spectator seats indifferently grabbed a fistful of chicken from her plate and shoved it into her mouth.

“Mmm…..Korean-style fried chicken really is the best.”

As a female attendant wiped sauce from her mouth, Thomas Andrea watched Yun Se-ah appear on the empty stadium field, filling the void with light, and sighed in admiration.

“She seems much stronger than last time I saw her.”

“Master, are you talking about Miss Yun Se-ah?”

“Yes. Look at that mana – the quality is overwhelmingly different from before! It’s like night and day compared to when we last met!”

“The quantity has decreased since last time…….but you’re right.”

Thomas Andrea and Louis, vice-leader of the Vultures Guild, stared at the girl currently giving a speech while emitting intense fighting spirit that could reduce the surrounding heroes and students to “insignificant nothings.”

Yun Se-ah, with her lavender hair reaching her waist and sculpturally perfect beauty, began explaining the tournament rules while holding the microphone and commanding everyone’s attention with her genius-level looks.

[“The tournament rules are simple. Raon Academy’s latest combat system combined with YS Technology will use simulation devices and barriers that automatically disconnect when receiving fatal attacks…”]

“So what was that system again?”

“Hmm……..it’s easier to understand if you think of it as a VR game. Even if your arm gets cut off there, the student’s actual arm remains fine. But the pain feedback remains real, I hear.”

“Hmm…..American academies haven’t adopted such technology yet. Look up information about the company that developed this system.”

“Yes.”

While marveling at Korea’s technological prowess, Louis tried searching for information about YS Technology, the company that developed the system.

“I had some suspicions when I heard ‘YS’……”

“………So it was that company…Yuseong Group after all?”

“….Yes, it was recently acquired through a merger. It says Chairman Kim Deokbae led it but……”

“Ha…I knew since he randomly showed up with potions last time…but he really is like a god of business.”

Andrea thought that if Kim Deokbae weren’t aspiring to be a hero, he’d hire him as Vultures’ asset manager immediately.

[“Since you’re not here to listen to my speech, I’ll keep explanations brief. Seeing it yourself will be faster anyway.”]

Watching Yun Se-ah effortlessly conduct proceedings while joking with the numerous heroes present, a smile spread across Thomas Andrea’s face.

With the eyes of someone who’d found a gemstone – much like his younger self who displayed overwhelming talent at a young age.

“Every time I see her, I want her in my guild…….”

As if hearing his muttering, Louis quickly manipulated his tablet to investigate something.

The tablet screen showed Yun Se-ah’s image alongside calculations measuring her mana quality to determine her rank.

“Despite still being a student…she’s showing magical wavelengths stronger than B-rank magicians.”

“That bracelet on her wrist is a mana restraint. Recalculate assuming it’s removed.”

“If we assume it’s dismantled….she’d already be at the top of A-rank. Should I contact her?”

Currently, Yun Se-ah wasn’t heir to any guild nor receiving sponsorship. Naturally, if asked to name Raon Academy’s most outstanding talent, everyone would unanimously say Yun Se-ah – making her extremely attractive to Thomas Andrea who wanted to build his guild into a top-tier organization.

Andrea wanted to immediately establish a Korean branch of Vultures Guild and appoint Yun Se-ah as its leader, but……

“Well, still…if I take that kid…I wonder what that academy hag would say.”

He soon gave up.

“Frankly, if Master seriously pursued recruiting Miss Se-ah…it would instantly destroy our friendly relations with Korea.”

“I know, I know.”

Her position was Raon Academy’s Student Council President. Many knew one of the president’s privileges was free-pass meetings with the chairman, and historically over half of past presidents joined the Golden Guild – so most assumed Yun Se-ah would go there too.

Naturally, Andrea and Louis thought the same. Thomas Andrea knew well enough not to touch what you can’t have.

“Well, just maintaining friendly relations benefits us anyway. We’ll do joint gate raids later or something.”

“You’re finally letting go of greed for once.”

“Shut up.”

“Yes yes.”

[“Now I’ll introduce today’s matchups. There will be 100 matches featuring 200 students……”]

As Yun Se-ah finished the opening ceremony and the first day’s schedule appeared, Thomas Andrea pushed off his chair to stand.

“Are you returning to America now?”

“No? If I go back now, those damn board members and underground bastards will swarm me again. I’ll have some bourbon and buffalo wings here first!”

“………I doubt they’ve prepared bourbon to Master’s standards.”

“Well, beer’s fine too!”

That day, the academy store’s sales reportedly hit record highs.

…

…

…

‘My match is tomorrow.’

Still, this is pretty nerve-wracking. A normal person would’ve been overwhelmed by the atmosphere.

Someone with a weak mentality like Baek Si-ah who doesn’t joke about machines would probably get crushed by the S-rank heroes’ fighting spirit and slip up……

‘Who knew my college presentation experience would help like this.’

Thanks, you bastards who ran away from group assignments.

Though Thomas Andrea’s presence was unexpected, it seemed all expected attendees had arrived.

From Ryu Sinwoo’s older brother Ryu Seong-ho to Choi Won-ho (known as “Volcanic Dragon” and Seong Arin’s teacher), Lee Jin-ah (Eve’s disciple now leading a major guild), and even Lee Cheonma and Kang Jinmyeong – everyone was here.

As I reminisced, tremendous cheers began erupting from the stadium.

-Wooaaaaah!!

‘First match already over?’

The first match was…Kang A-yul versus who again? Anyway, a first-year matchup.

Roughly predicting the outcome…Kang Jinmyeong values fundamentals. If Kang A-yul relied too much on skills, he’d definitely summon her to the main house for harsh training this summer.

Kang A-yul needed to prove her growth through pure swordsmanship to her grandfather.

Since her skills give tremendous bonuses to all sword actions anyway, she should handle first-years easily…and judging by the cheers, she won overwhelmingly.

Checking the live broadcast on my phone confirmed Kang A-yul’s dominant victory.

The cheers made sense – turns out Choi Si-ra, who I thought was a first-year, was actually the third-year top student.

‘Worthy of cheers.’

Listening to commentators, she was already confirmed for Myeonggeom Guild…but no one expected her to get crushed like that.

“Well then….since I’ve got nothing to do, maybe I’ll go watch.”

I considered just lazing around in the dorm, but……

[Yu Eun-ha]

[Unnie, if you have time…could you watch the match with me?]

When you get a text like this, you have to go.

“Are you going to meet that cowardly woman?”

“Shut up, I’ll really kill you if you act up.”

“Understood!”

To avoid standing out, I threw a dark hoodie over my uniform. The uniform pants resembled regular suit pants anyway – to others I’d just look like “random spectator in hoodie #1”.

As Azathos disappeared, a crystal orb appeared in my hand.

‘At least this stops sudden appearances.’

Frustrated by Azathos’ frequent outbursts, I devised this solution:

[Can’t use Crystal Maker when Azathos is out] → [Using this ability means Azathos can’t emerge] → [Creating crystal orbs with Crystal Maker counts as using the ability] → [Therefore Azathos can’t come out] – the perfect Azathos containment strategy.

Couldn’t stop Azathos’ muttering from inside my pocket, but stuffing it deep in my bag muffled the sound anyway.

Meeting Yu Eun-ha came later.

“Eunha! Over here!”

“…….Weren’t we supposed to watch just us two?”

“Um…I thought so too. But she suddenly appeared beside me and insisted on joining…sorry.”

“No problem, they’re Eunha-yang’s friends.”

Didn’t expect the protagonist’s group to be here.