episode_0015

*****

Cheonmyeong High School’s classes are largely divided into two parts. One is a general subjects class taken in the morning. It is literally a time to learn subjects normally taught in high school. Although there are some otherworldly theories mixed in as well.

According to the kids, it’s roughly somewhere between a prestigious high school and a general humanities school. Famous companies and associations also look at these results, so it seems like there are quite a few people working hard.

And the other side receives practical training in the afternoon. This is what is usually important to aspiring heroes.

To put it bluntly, general subject classes don’t have to be at a very serious level, but the scores in practical training have a huge impact on one’s future as a hero.

Would you rather be a public servant in charge of only a small area or a famous hero who appears on TV? Hero School’s practical training scores are the first step.

… This is what Raon explained to me during lunch.

“Somehow, I felt that the life had returned to the children’s eyes.”

“Ahaha… . Because general subjects are difficult.”

I think 1/3 of the students were dozing off in the morning class. It felt like the teacher had given up halfway. Of course, I am also included in that 1/3. I believe that my future self will be able to handle the test somehow.

Regardless of how worn out I am, is this really okay for the dream trees of this country? I just hope that articles like ‘The Reality of Heroes’ Education’ will not appear in newspapers in the near future.

“But there are exceptions, like Eonryeongsa.”

“That’s right, that girl. They make me wonder if I’m some kind of cartoon character because I get an all-white score on every exam.”

From my perspective, you guys are similar to cartoon characters!

It seems that today’s practical class is a personal sparring that has nothing to do with the team. Thanks to this, I was able to see Eonryeongsa among the kids gathered at the training site.

She is a girl who would be better described as beautiful rather than cute, with her long flowing silver hair and calm gaze giving an impression that is hard to ignore.

The original work was so popular that illustrations were also released. Quite honestly, the actual appearance seems to be much higher quality than the illustrations. There actually exists a Korean who looks good with silver hair.

Of course, it would be best not to assume that the girl is the same as I know. In the original work, Eonryeongsa was from a poor common people with only good origins.

Revenge for the death of his twin brother due to Genesis’ terrorism. Livelihoods suffering from the light that has been passed on to them. He was an attractive character as he wavered between the two but did not lose his integrity.

However, in reality, she is said to be the eldest daughter of the chairman of one of the three largest corporations in Korea and the heir to the company. I don’t know what happened to my twin brother, but as his position changed, there’s a good chance his personality changed as well.

In fact, in the original work, all kinds of followers gathered around Eonyeongsa Temple, which was almost alone, forming a crowd. I don’t think more than half of them are even in our class, but they’re having a hard time.

“Aren’t you staring too intently? Of course, Eonyeongsa Temple is pretty.”

“Oh, you are a painter. Do you like that type of kid?”

“What!? What are you talking about, no! Never!”

… No, I just asked as a light joke. I had no idea Hwa-in would deny it with such a straight face. Still, she’s a heroine in her own way.

Well, if I remember correctly, Eonryeongsa became a heroine after she moved up to second grade. Even this kind of assessment can’t be helped now that we don’t have much contact.

“Now, today’s training is personal sparring! Each person has until 10 minutes to form a pair! Those whose auxiliary barrier is not turned on after 10 minutes will be deducted points for cooperation!”

When the time came, instructions for training came from the teacher. A bald, muscular hero, whom I also knew, led the students and moved them to their seats.

It’s an instant death spell from the start, so the level of difficulty is high. It’s a hellish time for those who can’t find a mate. Perhaps that aspect is also evaluated as an item.

So, who am I dating?

“… … .”

Today is the first day, so it looks like kkakdugi. I’m bored.

Of course, sitting still isn’t my thing. Even at this moment, the muscles are shrinking… , but not. Loss of mental strength occurs.

“Teacher~. I want to train too, but is it not possible?”

“Well, I understand. Let’s go on a field trip with other students today. The students here already know each other’s level, but it’s my first time with you.”

But if you are rejected with such sensible words, you can’t force your way in, right?

So now I’m just quietly standing against the wall and watching the other kids. Sometimes I wave to Raon who waves to me.

“… But, what? Isn’t there only one person left?”

Two, four, six… . No matter how many times you count, there is only 1 person left. While the other children entered the training barrier in pairs, the petite girl was left alone.

Of course, when it comes to in-person training, there is a difference in whether it is right or not. Depending on the girl’s potential, if the number of people is odd, it is inevitable that she will stay.

But anyway, if there’s only one person left, wouldn’t it be okay for me to go in? With that in mind, it was the moment I tried to talk to the teacher again.

“Sorry, I’m late~.”

Suddenly, the entrance to the training ground opened roughly. Training has already started a long time ago. What on earth is such an outspoken attitude towards latecomers?

Even the latecomer’s clothes were a mess. Blonde hair, ear piercings, and strangely modified school uniform. This guy, who anyone would call a gangster, is running late at a slow pace, so I can even feel the taste of his style by making a half-turn.

Of course, black hair is rather rare among Cheonmyeong High School students. However, if you look closely, the roots of that gangster’s head were black. So, that guy dyed his originally black hair yellow.

At this point, I wonder if they are mocking the school rules. Sure enough, as soon as he saw that gangster, the muscle teacher shouted loudly.

“Trainer! You guys are still like that!”

“Ah, what should I do if this is needed to activate the potential? I already talked to the academy director~.”

“That’s not the only problem! How many minutes do you think it’s been since class started?”

“Oops, sorry. It’s a little late. The road was blocked, haha.”

“How could there be traffic in the afternoon class, you idiot!!”

Despite the teacher’s continued scolding, the bully did not listen. Look at that, look at his attitude. This is why young people are like this these days… . No, it’s not this.

That muscular teacher is a veteran A-level hero I know. He is the type of person who boasts tremendous strength just as he appears, and if he swings his fist with all his might, it would not be surprising if a landslide occurs.

How can you treat such a human weapon like that? Politeness is politeness, but it is an impossible behavior unless something is really there. Be it skill or background.

Still, perhaps considering his position as a teacher and a student, he bowed his head and apologized to other teachers, including Mr. Muscle. The teachers—except for Shia—all accepted the apology with a sour expression.

“It looks like today’s class is sparring. Who’s left? Oh, is that you with one eye? You’re not having fun… . huh? What is this again.”

The gangster, who was talking about something with the female student who was left alone, came towards me instead of trying to enter the barrier.

Of course, I didn’t have a good impression of this guy, so I greeted him with a frown.

“What are you? It’s a face I’ve never seen before.”

“I’m a transfer student, why? Is there any reason why I should stamp my face on you?”

“Oh, he’s small, but he’s got a temper. I don’t hate that. Let’s do well in the future.”

The gangster said that and shook my hand. I feel a little bad that even though I provoked him, he actually got angry.

But even the annoying guy said hello first. There is no need to ignore him and be treated like a rude person. I tried to extend my hand for a handshake──

──I hurriedly withdrew my hand as a feeling of discomfort ran down my spine.

“Hmm─. That’s fun, you.”

When he saw my reaction, he smiled crookedly like an old moon, wondering what was so funny about it. Somehow, I feel like this is this guy’s real expression.

“Trainer! Don’t worry about your new student, go to your seat quickly! The other person is waiting!”

“Yes, yes~. Sorry~.”

As if he didn’t care that he withdrew his hand, Yangachi turned around and left. I, too, suppressed the tingling sensation and glared at his back.

What amazes me now are two factors. One is that the ominous sensation I felt now was felt through the horn. And another thing is that this ominous feeling is similar to a force I know.

Why on earth do I feel demon energy in humans?

Unfortunately, I don’t think thinking about horns will provide any meaningful clues. We’ll ask the doctor about the horns later, but for now, let’s just conclude that we should be wary of that bastard.

I can’t waste the long-awaited opportunity to understand the current strength of the main character’s team because of a guy like that.

“[Wind Cutter]! [Freeze]!”

“Wow!? Tea!”

Raon was sparring with a girl named Hyeran whom he had seen in the morning. The overall flow was a repetition of Raon scattering magic to block the approach of Hyeran──Brünnhild, who appeared to be in the melee world.

If you avoid one magic, another magic will be completed in the meantime. The orange-haired girl was chanting incantations endlessly, without even giving herself a moment to rest.

If it was a one-pattern magic, you might be able to come up with a countermeasure and escape. However, the magic Raon chants is all magic with different properties and forms. If you want to respond after seeing magic, you have no choice but to be overwhelmed by numbers.

The highest potential in the magic world, capable of handling all the magic in the world. The ‘magical talent that can be used by all demons’ was clearly showing its side even now.

“It’s a gap!”

“Uh, huh? Wow!”

However, the top level talent of the main heroine has not yet blossomed. Rather, as there were many things that could be done clumsily, the use of each one was quite subtle.

As the opponent took the damage and charged, Raon’s judgment was momentarily impaired and her chanting was delayed, and in that moment, Hyeran hit Raon’s empty head with her sword.

Beep──this. At the training barrier, where it was determined that the combat-incapable damage had been absorbed, a buzzer sounded to announce victory or defeat.

“You shouldn’t reduce the power of the binding magic there. If you don’t prepare to crush your opponent to the bone, you will be stabbed like you are now.”

“Ugh… . But it just seems like it would hurt. Hye-ran, you are not even a villain.”

In addition, Raon at this point was mentally weak. If we had pressed harder just now, we could have had a pretty good match.

Well, as it is an advantage as the main heroine, it can be seen as having both pros and cons.

Chae Chang, Chae Chang!

“Pfft!”

──Dismissal!

Jeongyoung was also like Raon in that the fight was centered on checks. The shadows spread around, and the black blades protruding from them pressured the opponent from all directions.

Of course, although the shadow blade has decent power, its durability is weak. Defense itself isn’t that difficult if you can swing it before you get hit… . Unlike Raon, Jeongyoung was using thoroughly efficient tactics.

Consumes the opponent’s stamina with a shadow blade from a distance, and when the opponent approaches, hide in the shadows and move to widen the distance again. Jeong Young repeated endlessly what would have been a real fight in a fighting game without changing his expression.

“Oh, really! Let’s do it fairly, please!”

Did they realize that if things continued like this, they would slowly be driven to defeat? The opponent became nervous and rushed towards him in a feverish state. Judging from the fact that its entire body is surrounded by magical energy, it looks like it is trying to withstand the shadow’s blade with self-defense skills.

But against the Jabberwock, that’s a handshake of all handshakes. Phew. Jabberwock’s dagger appeared from behind in the shadows and mercilessly cut through the magical barrier.

Beep──this. Immediately after, the buzzer rang announcing victory or defeat on this side as well.

… The typical type is strong in actual combat, but not popular. Personal relationships aren’t bad, so it’s not something to worry about.

First of all, the two people up to this point looked pretty good. Raon lacks fighting sense, but his talent as a wizard has been revealed, and Jeongyoung’s style is half-complete, so he is quite strong at this point.

So what does the important protagonist look like?

“What, is it just this? Try your best!”

“Tch!”

He was being robbed by an extra whose name was not even mentioned in the original work.

Actually, I knew it would happen like this. Hwain’s special move is a picky technique that is difficult to use against villains, let alone practice. And at this point, Hwain is nothing but chaff, minus his special moves.

He can’t use magic, and his physical abilities are at the lowest level in the melee category. As we saw yesterday, the talent for swordsmanship is not bad, but this is Cheonmyeong High School. In this place where only the elite gather, it is not a level that will stand out with only half a year of training.

So, even if I get pushed aside by a student in the same class, it’s not really surprising or anything… .

“Now, this time, let’s go from the side!”

“Qu… !”

… Watching them continue to be treated like that makes me feel like something is bubbling up inside me.

Okay, I’ve decided. I was wondering whether to have it grow at a pace similar to the original, or to use my own knowledge from the original to quickly become stronger. This is definitely the latter.

But I’m not a good practice partner. Umm. What should I do with this? .

“Who is this? Aren’t you a good parachute transfer student?”

While I was thinking about how to raise Hwain, I heard a voice like a theater person next to me. It turned out that someone was a nerdy guy who tried to argue during self-introductions.

Um, what was his name? I heard it clearly. therefore… , ah!

” That’s right, you were Cheol-gu.”

“It’s a steel ball! Can’t you remember a single person’s name properly!?”

If you translate it, it’s roughly correct. Honestly, I think Cheolgu is a good name because it is more affectionate.

The hero name Cheolgu is something you will never forget once you hear it.

“Anyway, Cheolgu, what’s going on?”

“So, still! … Huh, no. Okay, call me whatever you want. It’s impossible to expect too much from ‘Parachute’ anyway.”

Cheol-gu grinned as if he had taken a hit by applying force to the parachute, but unfortunately, I was not impressed.

It’s a real parachute in the first place. I don’t remember taking an entrance exam or anything like that. Whether he calls it a parachute or not doesn’t change my skills.

“The reason I came here is to compete. Oh, don’t worry about the teachers. Because I already got permission.”

“Eek, I don’t like it. It’s annoying.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter. I challenged you to a mock battle. And you said no. If you just spread this fact around in class, the rest will take care of itself.”

You speak well. He said he was going to spread rumors tailored to his taste.

hmm. What is it? Perhaps, if I lose the fight or refuse the mock battle, the snowball will gradually roll from there. If transfer students are like this, is it worth it to come in without taking the entrance exam or something like that?

It was the president of the association or Changhyuk who pushed me into school. In that case, the association’s image on campus will be tarnished… .

The problem that isn’t a problem is that it doesn’t really matter if you let it happen. Since Sia’s blatant declaration of favoritism is widely accepted, what’s the big deal about one or two trivial rumors?

However, the burden on the association will increase accordingly. I have been indebted to you so far and will be indebted to you in the future, and I am sorry for increasing the workload through my own fault.

Still, it’s a bit cumbersome to ask for a mock battle. Something that could be beneficial… . ah!

“Okay. But I also have a condition.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Let’s let the losing side do one favor from the winning side.”

As soon as he heard those words, Cheol-gu’s mouth curled awkwardly. Hey, hey, what if I show my face that I made a fortune like that? Breaking news, testimony.

Of course, it’s good that you can’t hide your true feelings. It’s not like I’m talking about information or anything like that, but I’m just saying that the dejected expression is shown on my face after I give him the silent treatment, right? In fact, only if the response is good, it is worth teasing.

“Are you sure it’s okay? No matter what, the conditions for a woman to be like that are… . Oh, that’s right. You said you were a man.”

“First of all, since I said it was a request and not a wish, I will be asking within common sense. Well, do whatever you want. Because I’m going to win anyway.”

“Ha! Ip Man is a class A hero. Okay, wait. If you win, I will take you out of the weakest team and use you for your advantage.”

After saying that, Cheol-gu went to his block as if he was done talking.

I think it would be fun if the teachers here said, ‘Let’s just do the final mock battle within the team.’ I guess that won’t happen.

“Did you decide to have a fight with Cheolgu?”

“Ah, were you watching? What about the match?”

“I lost. … It’s not much different from when you saw it.”

As Cheol-gu went, Hwa-in came as if taking a shift. As expected, it looks like they lost the sparring match.

As I said before, that in itself is natural and I don’t worry about it. Because I know Hwain’s potential better than anyone else. If I help you just a little bit, you won’t even have to consider most students as opponents.

But maybe I was the only one who felt calm. When I saw Hwain up close, his expression was quite stiff.

“… Sorry.”

“Huh? What?”

“What I taught you last time. It’s been a long time since I told you. I couldn’t even use it properly… .”

“Don’t worry. If you become stronger just because you taught me one or two things in the first place, who would go through the trouble of training?”

“As you can see today, I am quite weak… . It’s my fault for not telling you in advance. If you want, I’ll go to the teacher and talk to him about moving him to another team.”

No no no, why does it happen like that?

I thought you were just sullen because you lost in sparring. Before I knew it, I was leaving the team and there was a lot of talk. Of course, I think the painter said those words because he was thinking of me.

This is not good. Because a decrease in confidence leads to a decrease in spiritual reputation. It’s been a long time since I’ve found a stepping stone for Hwain’s growth, but I’m the only one who is like this.

… ha. I can’t help it. I don’t think this kind of talk suits me, but let’s try sometimes.

“I like mint chocolate.”

“Uh, huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Listen quietly. Of course, I know that mint chocolate is a very divisive taste. Some guy who doesn’t even know about taste said that I like mint chocolate. Ugh, mint chocolate! He said this and ran away. There are many people in the world who hate mint chocolate.

So, when I meet someone, I don’t necessarily introduce myself as someone who likes mint chocolate. When people introduce themselves to me, I don’t want them to say whether they like mint chocolate or not. If I had asked, wouldn’t you have known? It’s not like that, right?

Look, are you mad at me for hiding the fact that I like mint chocolate?”

“… Well, it’s not like that.”

Of course so. It was the teacher, not Hwain, who brought me to this team in the first place. Even though he’s the team leader, it’s not his job to do anything like Hwa-in says.

Still, the reason I brought this up… , Maybe it’s because of what I said yesterday. For the first time in a while, I showed a terrible performance in front of someone who said my talent wasn’t bad. It’s not strange to feel that I may have let you down.

“Right? So, don’t do something stupid like apologize for not mentioning one or two of your shortcomings in advance.

… Oh, of course, that’s what I’m saying. I’m not saying that liking mint chocolate is a disadvantage. How delicious is this.”

“Phew,” Hwa-in’s face straightened slightly. Yes, it’s good that the face is straightened, but why is it stretched in the part where mint chocolate is delicious? I’ll have to look into this in more detail later.

Of course, there are still things to say other than questioning. Paang! I hit Hwa-in’s back, whose expression had improved, with my palm.

“Ma! And by becoming a man. If you are weak now, you should ask to be on the team because you will become stronger. Are you asking to be on the same team because you are weak? Huh?”

“Still… , I’m sorry if I grabbed your ankle for no reason.”

“It’s me who decides that, not you. So, don’t worry about unnecessary things and just relax.”

Even in the original work, when he had no power, he had a tendency to dig a little, but not to this extent. It seemed like there was something more deeply rooted in the current Hwain.

However, here I deliberately decided to take a step back. To talk about the deeper circumstances, I still don’t know much about Hwa-in, Ra-on, or Jeong-young.

Although the main character in the novel and the person in front of us are similar, they are clearly separate people.

“The point is, don’t be too scared. If I beat that guy down, we won’t even be the weakest team.”

“… Who was scared? If you were to let your guard down, you would get seriously hurt, right? Iron ball—hmm. Steel Ball is a major member of the corporate faction no matter what he looks like.”

“Ah, after all, everyone is calling him Cheol-gu, right?”

As the topic turned to hero names, the slightly heavy atmosphere quickly eased. Hwain also returned to his usual expression, at least on the outside. There is a reward in being jokey.

How many minutes did they talk like that? After a while, I received a message from the teachers acknowledging my participation in the training.

Okay, let’s go find a scaffold!

*****