episode_0134

It has been hundreds of years since the last king passed away. It was said that the monarchy was a system that had already fallen before the old civilization was even established.

The throne is probably a metaphor. If Haewolhwa had wanted to, wouldn’t she also have been able to obtain great power like Paecheon or Heukryeon?

It sounds like his military power is so great that he can rival other people who have built up their power through family units.

“Well, wouldn’t it be obvious just by looking at his appearance? As far as I know, Haewolhwa is the only person who has gone beyond slowing down aging to rewinding it. At least in the current generation.”

Woojin Choi let out a voice filled with admiration.

It is known that as wizards age, their sensitivity to particles weakens.

The slow aging of some powerful wizards is evidence that they are retaining some of their power.

If you go beyond that limit and reach rewind… It definitely feels amazing.

Woojin Choi looked around and spoke in a lower, somewhat sinister voice.

“Do you know that? There are dozens of ghost stories in the cradle. Among them are these:”

“What is it?”

Even in our small village, ghost stories and rumors were common.

Moreover, Yoram is a prestigious academy with a long history that has been established for over 100 years. In a way, it is more natural that there are dozens of ghost stories.

“They say that if you go to the pond behind the campus at 3 a.m. on a Friday, you can sometimes see female students wearing school uniforms without name tags playing water sujebi.”

“… Is that just a ghost story?”

Although he was a little lost, Woojin Choi continued speaking in a calm voice.

“Okay. Sometimes they can be seen even in the deserted back alleys of the capital. I enjoy blowing up the heads of mutants and warlocks who come and go through the sewers while humming a tune.”

“So how can that be a ghost story…? ”

“Listen. And the girl’s eyes sparkle with blue light. It always leaves a fresh, grass-like scent wherever it passes. Don’t you understand this?”

It was only later that I was able to understand how a female student’s eyewitness account was treated as a ghost story.

Eyes sparkling with blue light, a lingering scent as fresh as grass.

No matter how much I think about it, there is only one person that comes to mind.

And if it’s who I think it is… It definitely can’t be a ghost story.

“Well, who knows if it’s true or not. There will be no one to ask directly. It’s wiser to pretend it’s just a noble hobby and pretend not to notice.”

The large male student grinned as he looked at me, who was in shock and unable to speak.

“The story went somewhere else for a moment. Anyway, there are many people who are suspicious of his expedition this time. Everyone who knows Haewolhwa’s tendencies finds it surprising. He is a person who never leaves the vicinity of the capital, to the point where he is even nicknamed sloth. He was someone who didn’t even move in the capital during the Witch Incident, so it’s not like he coveted his major out of anger later on… ”

Come to think of it, the leader’s father once mentioned the nickname ‘Sloth’s Haewolhwa’.

When I first met the principal, he said that he was not the type of person to step forward. The only place she had complete control over was that shabby glass greenhouse in the capital.

Hearing that, I suddenly become curious too. What is the reason why Haewolhwa accompanied the expedition to No Man’s Land?

“… ?”

Suddenly, I felt an unpleasant gaze and turned my head to see Woojin Choi staring at me with his arms crossed as if he had some business to attend to. Just like a person with business.

Only then did I remember that he had deliberately come to see me sitting in a corner of the library. It’s not like we just wanted to chat.

“What is it?”

“Duel with me again… ”

“I don’t like it.”

I responded immediately before he finished speaking.

***

A female student wearing a hood was climbing the stairs toward the cradle library.

The few strands of golden hair sticking out of the gap sparkled brightly in the afternoon sunlight.

As soon as I heard that the male student was appearing in the library every hour, I started walking recklessly.

Jin Ye-seo has been in deep agony for the past few days.

But the conclusion was always the same. Even though it may be a thorny path, there is only one way left for her.

Jin Ye-seo arrived at the library and looked around.

I couldn’t see anyone near the main table, so I looked around the edge.

Jin Ye-seo frowned slightly after discovering something.

“… What is it?”

Without realizing it, she hid behind a tall bookshelf in the library.

Then he stuck his head out and looked ahead.

The backs of the two male students filled the otherwise cramped corner space. Jin Ye-seo was able to find out their identities right away.

The one with the clasp behind his head was the one she was looking for.

Choi Woo-jin is as big and ignorant as a monkey.

“… ”

Jin Ye-seo, seeing the unexpected guest, bit her dry lip slightly.

While not hiding his displeasure, he hid himself even more.

Due to Jin Ye-seo’s recent disastrous failures, Choi Woo-jin was desperate to ridicule her.

Not long ago, she would have confronted him and reprimanded him, but unfortunately, Jin Ye-seo now had no emotional space to waste on such trivial matters.

It was to the point where I was barely able to hold on to what was left of me.

And the only one who can help revive the spark… It was a male student wearing a mask in front of him.

“… Uh.”

“Ugh… Okay… Then tomorrow… ”

“I don’t like it… Shut it off… ”

The two were talking about something for a while.

That strangely friendly appearance somehow upset Jin Ye-seo even more. Also, I feel like Woojin Choi is interfering with my future path.

And when Choi Woo-jin tries to ask for something, the masked male student cuts him off with a single sword.

Choi Woo-jin smiled brightly but could not hide his disappointment.

He immediately got up and left the library. The masked male student, who was left alone, turned back to the desk facing the wall.

Jin Ye-seo quickly turned her head and checked her surroundings. Because it was such a corner, there were no other popular people other than her.

This was my only chance to approach him without being seen.

After gulping down her saliva once, Jin Ye-seo slowly approached him with cat-like steps.

Soon, Jin Ye-seo’s ears began to hear his voice as he was absorbed in the task.

“Apply the following formula to calculate the loss rate when Bessel particles in the neutral state enter the body… And with reference to the diagram that visually represents the internalization process… ?”

Just by listening to Jin Ye-seo, I could immediately tell what kind of problem he was solving.

It was one of the basic formulas that aspirants to prepare for from the preparatory class.

However, even though he was already a full-fledged student at Cradle School, he was complaining about such a problem as if it were the difficult problem of the century.

Although Jin Ye-seo thought it was unexpected, she did not consider it to be much ridicule or cavil. After all, she didn’t have any emotional space to waste on anything else right now.

“When a wizard with an internal Rubin value of less than 3000R reaches exhaustion, the time to recovery is calculated using the cubic formula… Phew… ”

Jin Ye-seo further narrowed the distance between him and him.

He was still focused on solving the problem, so he was hesitating whether he should speak first.

The male student who was solving the problem said without looking back.

“Hey. I told you to go. I won’t duel with you.”

“… ”

He was mistaking himself and Choi Woo-jin.

That fact alone gave me an eerie feeling of discomfort… As expected, it was a minor problem now.

There was no way back now.

Jin Ye-seo took a deep breath.

And then he opened his mouth.

“Hey. Can’t you hear? I told you to go without bothering me… ”

“… I am not Choi Woojin.”

Jin Ye-seo let out a weak voice with dry lips.

Then he stops moving.

Then he slowly turned around and looked at Jin Ye-seo.

What came out of that mouth was not words, but a deep sigh.

“Ha… ”

A sigh that clearly treats oneself as a nuisance. Although the treatment was extremely humiliating, it is no problem now.

She was in a situation where she had to prepare for even more.

“… okay. Things are a little different between you and Choi Woojin. Here’s what I said… ”

The masked male student let out a voice full of worry. The tired and tired look even diluted the hostility.

“What… Should I challenge you to a duel? Not this week. I’m busy with overdue assignments.”

“No, no.”

“… What?”

“I came here to challenge you to a duel… No.”

“… Then what is it?”

“… ”

It was a question I didn’t understand, but Jin Ye-seo was silent again. My already dry lips were getting even tighter.

Finally, after finishing her final inner thoughts, Jin Ye-seo closed her eyes tightly and slightly lowered her head.

And, barely able to open his mouth, he squeezed his voice out of proportion.

“Help… Give it.”

“… ”

A long silence passed between them.

The masked male student was dazed, as if he had not expected her actions at all.

A male student who barely came to his senses asked Jin Ye-seo.

“Did I not hear correctly?”

There was even a hint of absurdity in his voice now.

Jin Ye-seo slightly shook her head left and right.

“… You didn’t hear me right. Ask for help… I did it.”

Jin Ye-seo’s face turned red from the shame she experienced for the first time in her life.

A very prestigious family. As the heir of the five families of Baekgwang, he has never bowed down to anyone except his mother, the head of the family.

“… What you said last time. I thought about it.”

“What are you saying?”

“The important thing is absolute strength. They say that only that can grant everything you wish for. and… It means that the means and method are not important as long as you can get it in your hand.”

“… ”

“And… Even though I have the ability, I am just wasting my time.”

She held back the sadness rising up and barely managed to keep her trembling voice going.

“… So?”

“So… I decided to give it a try. What I can do well.”

After another long pause, Jin Ye-seo stuttered and opened her mouth again.

“So, so… If you could help me with that… ”

“I don’t like it.”

“Uh… ?”

“I don’t like it.”

However, at the sudden rejection, Jin Ye-seo raised her head with devastated eyes.

The male student, who had regained his composure, was observing her in a dry manner.

He spoke in a low, subdued voice as if it were completely natural.

“Why me.”