episode_0142

“So, Hyunjin. Did you fully enjoy your long-awaited vacation?”

“……You’re asking when you already know?”

I replied listlessly, and Yang Chan-ho-ssi chuckled, finding something amusing, as he lifted the stack of documents on his desk.

Glancing at it, sure enough, it was about ‘that incident’ in Busan.

“Let’s see, it says the artificial island has practically lost all its functions. Apparently, too much seawater flowed into the lower systems?”

Yang Chan-ho-ssi sent me a gaze with his eyes curved like half-moons. I felt inexplicably choked up and timidly spoke.

“It was to protect their academy. What else was an ice mage supposed to do but use the optimal environment that happened to be abundant everywhere?”

“The restoration cost is going to be close to billions of won.”

“……”

Damn, that much? I couldn’t help my eyes widening in shock as I stared at Yang Chan-ho-ssi.

……If I’d known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have drawn in the seawater.

Of course, there would have been no other way to stop Haru. Since I saved two students who were about to be kidnapped, wouldn’t they consider that?

It was around the time I was seriously contemplating my family’s assets.

“Well, of course, I won’t make you bear that amount.”

Yang Chan-ho-ssi said, setting down the documents he held in his hand.

“No matter what, you’re an outsider who helped them. Even the Red Tiger Director probably wouldn’t want to cause unnecessary gossip over such pocket change.”

“……Excuse me? Pocket change?”

I flinched and lifted my head. Do people just call billions of won pocket change these days?

‘Now that I think about it, wasn’t the Red Tiger Academy Director the chairman of some large corporation?’

Then I suppose that could be the case. Still, billions of won isn’t a small amount, but perhaps they won’t charge me.

After all, once the situation was resolved, I even took a photo shaking hands with the Busan mayor.

I let out a sigh of relief and looked up out the window.

Looking at the sky, I felt like I was thinking of a girl with hair of exactly that color.

Despite the unprecedented incident where Red Tiger Academy’s artificial island was exposed to terrorism… fortunately, the damage wasn’t that significant.

There were quite a few injured professors, including Sword Demon Lee Cheonsang, but zero fatalities.

The only damage incurred, if anything, was purely material.

What more is there to say? Strictly speaking, all of it could be attributed to my efforts.

‘……Hmm.’

It might sound a bit conceited, but it’s true. At the very least, if it weren’t for me, two students would have inevitably been kidnapped, right?

Putting aside the fact that I broke the artificial island’s system, I should just think of it as a good outcome.

“Anyway, good job, Hyunjin. It couldn’t have been easy facing the Moonlight Cult Leader.”

Since even Yang Chan-ho-ssi is saying this, it seemed okay to erase the billions of won from my mind.

I said to Yang Chan-ho-ssi, who had stood up and was patting my shoulder.

“About that Moonlight Cult Leader.”

“Hm?”

“From what I saw, they seemed even stronger than the Director-nim.”

“……”

Bluntly, it was about Haru’s strength. Perhaps this might be a remark that wounds the Hero’s pride, but…….

Still, I believe it’s something that needed to be said. Aren’t they an enemy we’ll have to face in the future?

Now that I’ve heard about that woman’s plans and objectives, even if I can’t entirely consider her an ‘enemy’ yet-.

At the very least, it seemed right to convey information about ‘Moonlight Cult Leader Haru”s abilities.

I slowly began to elaborate. The skirmishes that occurred during the confrontation, and even a detailed explanation of the unknown power that manipulates space.

“Space magic, you say……?”

Having heard everything, Yang Chan-ho-ssi placed a hand on his chin and let out a short murmur.

I quietly added a word.

“Or perhaps, it’s not magic, but an ability related to space.”

This was a part I wasn’t certain about myself. Mana clearly seemed to be moving, but if it was magic, well, I don’t know?

I, too, was a pure-blood mage, after all… I’d thought I was fairly good at making such judgments.

Haru’s spatial ability was simply too difficult to discern its origin.

After hearing my explanation, Yang Chan-ho-ssi’s expression also became more complex.

“Shall I tell you my honest feelings, Hyunjin?”

“What is it?”

“I thought there wouldn’t be an Awakened stronger than me in this world.”

I looked at Yang Chan-ho-ssi with a subtle expression. How could he say such a thing with such a serious face?

Well, it wasn’t a wrong statement, I suppose. I also thought that way until I saw Haru.

I also thought that the realm I would someday reach would, strictly speaking, be at the same level as this man.

“……Well, I haven’t actually seen Director-nim’s full power. So it might just be my simple misunderstanding.”

I added that out of politeness. It was true that I hadn’t seen Yang Chan-ho-ssi’s full power, so it was a bit much to discuss the superiority of two monsters based solely on a feeling.

Only my opinion that Haru’s threat level should be considered higher remained unchanged.

“Well, that’s that for now, I suppose.”

Yang Chan-ho-ssi seemed to understand that part.

He met my gaze and continued.

“If you say so, then it’s clear that the Moonlight Cult Leader is no ordinary opponent.”

“……They were incredibly strong.”

I gave a reluctant nod. Even now, thinking about it, if there hadn’t been seawater, it would have been difficult to even tie their feet.

Yang Chan-ho-ssi clapped his hands once and nodded.

“Alright then. We’ll need to bolster the raid personnel a bit more. Ideally, we should add a few Special S-rank Awakened individuals.”

“Raid personnel?”

And at those words, I had to tilt my head in confusion.

Raid, you say, what kind?

“Ah, did I not tell you?”

Yang Chan-ho-ssi scratched his cheek as if he’d just remembered, and handed me a document.

I took the document without much thought, then immediately stiffened my expression.

[Moonlight Cult Headquarters Strike Plan]

“We found it, those cultists’ headquarters. Thanks to that woman, Violet. Villains can be helpful sometimes, you know.”

“……”

“First, just to confirm……”

Yang Chan-ho-ssi fiddled with a mop as he turned back to me.

And asked simply.

“You’re participating too, right? In the raid.”

I had to keep my mouth shut, my complexion slightly darkened.

*****

It was when I was lying sprawled on a campus bench, staring blankly up at the sky, that morning.

“Why are you acting so miserable again?”

At the sudden voice from behind, I, still sprawled, tilted my head slightly to look in the direction the sound came from.

Cheon Soyul, with casts on her arms and legs, stood right behind me, leaning on crutches.

I replied briefly.

“I have a few things to think about.”

“What is there to think about?”

“……”

To her immediate follow-up question, I gave no particular answer.

This time, I couldn’t.

‘How could I say it?’

To bring up the story related to me and the Moonlight Cult Leader, I would inevitably have to reveal my origins.

How could I tell her that I’m actually someone who came from another world, and that this world was a book in my world?

This was something I couldn’t bring myself to say, even if I considered Cheon Soyul my life partner.

No, perhaps it’s even more impossible to say precisely because I have feelings for her.

Unable to do anything else, I sighed and pushed myself up to perch roughly on the bench.

“It’s nothing.”

“……It doesn’t seem like nothing?”

Then Cheon Soyul frowned, grabbed my cheek firmly with her relatively uninjured right hand, and stretched it like cheese.

“Why aren’t you talking? What else are you hiding? Did you do it with another girl? If you didn’t get her pregnant, I’ll forgive you just this once.”

“It’s not like that……”

I let out a hollow laugh and pulled her hand away. My cheek hurt.

At that, Cheon Soyul crossed her arms and looked at me askance, as if displeased.

I looked alternately at her arms and legs and spoke.

“Your condition is worse than I thought.”

“Hmph……”

“How many weeks do they say it’ll take?”

“Well, they said I need to be monitored for two weeks.”

“I told you not to overdo it.”

I clicked my tongue and scolded her. Did she think a Bishop-level opponent was that laughable?

She only needed to buy some time.

But instead, Miss Cheon Soyul here had to deliberately try to force a takedown, only to end up with broken arm and leg bones herself.

As I let out a soft laugh and lightly slapped her shoulder, Cheon Soyul recoiled.

“Ow!”

“Such a drama queen.”

Snap! My collar was seized instantly. Cheon Soyul thrust her right hand, crackling with lightning, up to my chin and muttered coldly.

“Shall I make your arm exactly like mine, my dear husband?”

“No……”

I immediately raised the white flag, and soon Cheon Soyul also dropped her menacing expression. She let me go, glancing at me sideways.

“You’re a bit strange today.”

“Am I?”

“Are you perhaps pent up? Is it because I haven’t relieved you?”

Who does she take me for, a sex-crazed monkey? I stared at Cheon Soyul, dumbfounded, but she stroked her chin as if serious.

“That’s troublesome. With my arms and legs like this, I don’t think I can sleep with you for a while.”

“……That’s not it, though?”

“Can’t be helped then. I’ll allow it for a few days, so call other girls. Ayun or Kanzaki, or even your top junior……”

“I told you it’s not like that??”

“Oh, there she is.”

“Just listen to what I’m…… Huh, what?”

I stopped my rant and turned my head following her gesture. At the tip of Cheon Soyul’s index finger, teal hair was spotted.

“……Gah!”

Ryu Seeun, whose eyes met mine directly, trembled and hid behind the building.

What is she doing there?