episode_0148

The mission was to persuade the three Archmages. As soon as I heard that, I instinctively looked at the two girls nearby: Cheon Soyul and Ryu Seeun.

Come to think of it, the people related to those three Archmages were all gathered here.

The Ice Empress Seol Hayeon was my Master-nim, Manroe Cheon Sehee was Cheon Soyul’s mother, and although not blood-related, Ryu Jinseong was Ryu Seeun’s father.

‘They’re definitely the most effective resources for persuasion.’

I nodded. Technically, it was an in-school disciplinary action, so I couldn’t force Cheon Soyul, but she seemed like she would do it if asked.

As I was thinking, Yang Chan-ho-nim opened his mouth again.

“Well, it’s not like you absolutely have to succeed and come back, you know.”

“Pardon?”

“The Archmages are notoriously willful. There’s no absolute reason for them to attend, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they refused.”

He added that Ryu Jinseong, in particular, would find it difficult to move freely as he was the head of the Border Defense Unit protecting the northernmost part of South Korea. Yang Chan-ho-nim shrugged.

“Still, I hope you can persuade them well if possible. Hyunjin-goon, if the Moonlight Cult Leader is as powerful as you say… then we desperately need the Archmages’ support.”

“Hmm…”

And in this part, I couldn’t help but agree. To catch the Moonlight Cult Leader, Yang Chan-ho-nim’s presence would be essential, but…

Could he alone defeat Haru? That, I wasn’t sure.

I didn’t know how many Special S-rank Awakened would participate in this Moonlight Cult subjugation operation.

Still, if the Archmages helped, I would feel much more at ease in many ways.

‘My Master-nim will probably help, if possible.’

I stroked my chin, lost in thought. Of the three Archmages, the one I felt I could persuade best was, naturally, Seol Hayeon.

Beyond a simple teacher-student relationship, weren’t we once a couple who shared a certain tenderness (?)?

If I asked her like a proper disciple, she would probably reluctantly agree. My Master-nim, Seol Hayeon, did have a bit of a naive side.

‘I’m not sure about the other two, though.’

Cheon Sehee and Ryu Jinseong. Those two Archmages were the ones I couldn’t be certain about, but it seemed worth a try to persuade them.

After all, both of them had quite a connection with me.

The former was, in fact, my mother-in-law. The latter was someone I had fought alongside before.

Moreover, if I moved with Cheon Soyul and Ryu Seeun, the persuasion success rate would double!

“Understood, President-nim.”

Having made my decision, I said to Yang Chan-ho-nim with the most confident expression I could muster.

“I will bring the Archmage-nims.”

“Hmm…”

And Yang Chan-ho-nim, letting out a strange hum, muttered softly as he looked at me.

“When you’re that confident, it somehow makes me feel uneasy.”

“…”

That’s too much.

*****

The disciplinary action, disguised as a mission, proceeded smoothly. It meant I could neatly skip academy schedules like classes, midterm evaluations, and ranking matches.

One unique point was that Cheon Soyul would also be accompanying me.

I chuckled to myself, looking at her clinging to my side without a word.

“What, were you anxious? Because I said we’d be going far away?”

“…Shut up.”

Cheon Soyul turned her head sharply and retorted curtly, but I could see it. Her ear tips were completely flushed.

When I pressed her more persistently, she finally replied, “Allowing my body is one thing, but allowing a trip alone with you is another.”

Seriously, she was quite a peculiar one.

I let out a soft laugh and stroked Cheon Soyul.

“…Ah, stop it.”

Even as she whined and tried to push my hand away, her gestures weren’t particularly forceful.

It was a transparent display. I suppressed my laughter and patted her head gently.

“You’re not honest, are you?”

“Shut it.”

Anyway.

And so, a cheerful and vibrant journey began for the three-person party of Lee Hyunjin, Cheon Soyul, and Ryu Seeun, a journey to persuade the three Archmages.

First, we decided to head for Cheorwon.

While the other two remained in Seoul, Ryu Jinseong was a man who constantly stayed in Cheorwon due to his work with the Border Defense Unit.

To meet him, there was no choice but to directly visit that bitterly cold land.

First, we took a train to Seoul. Then we transferred to a bus and traveled to Cheorwon-gun.

The journey took a whopping three and a half hours. In the middle of it, Ryu Seeun and Cheon Soyul fell into a deep sleep.

“Hey, we’ve arrived.”

“…Oh, mm.”

I slapped each of them awake with the side of my hand. Cheon Soyul and Ryu Seeun rubbed their slightly hazy eyes and stretched languidly in their seats.

I wasn’t just saying it; they really did act identically, and I almost burst out laughing.

“…? What’s wrong, Senior?”

“…No, nothing.”

Ryu Seeun asked curiously, looking at me as I covered my mouth and lowered my head.

I dismissed her question lightly and stood up.

In any case.

Cheorwon, arrived.

Stepping off the bus and inhaling the clear air, I felt only one thing.

‘It’s peaceful.’

In other words, to me, who had lived in the city my entire life, it felt quite rural. And it was.

The fact that there was a military base in Cheorwon was the same in this world as in the other.

Of course, Ryu Jinseong’s Border Defense Unit wasn’t quite a typical military base, but…

“…It’s cold.”

“Give us fire, fire.”

As the two girls clung tightly to my sides because the air was cold, I conjured a flame for them and subtly glanced around.

I had already contacted Ryu Jinseong. That’s because Ryu Seeun was with me.

‘I think he said he’d come to meet us.’

I had already told him our arrival time, so it wouldn’t be strange to run into him around now.

It was unlikely Ryu Jinseong would come himself; he’d probably send one of his unit members.

As I was thinking that, constantly looking around for anyone noticeable.

I flinched.

“!”

Feeling a sudden murderous intent, I tensed my body and swung my arm backward.

Clang!!

The impact felt like striking a metal bat. I frowned deeply, immediately raising my mana to counterattack.

I didn’t know what it was, but if it was enough to impact my physical abilities, the opponent must be an Awakened.

Since such a person had launched a surprise attack, there would be no problem in launching a counterattack.

Just as I finished making my decision and was about to stomp the ground with my frost-covered foot.

“W-wait a minute?!”

Ryu Seeun, shouting loudly in a frantic voice, rushed to block my path. She grabbed my hand and stood in front of me as if to protect me.

At the end of her gaze stood a cold-faced beauty.

“Wait, Lee Seo-nim…! W-why are you suddenly doing this?”

‘Lee Seo-nim?’

At the somewhat familiar-sounding address, I raised an eyebrow slightly. Cheon Soyul, still in her cast, leaned her head on my shoulder.

“?”

“What, what is it?”

Just as I turned to look at Cheon Soyul, feeling a sudden strangeness, the woman called ‘Lee Seo-nim’ ground her teeth and lowered her voice.

“…My Lady. It is truly a pleasure to have you return to Cheorwon after so long. I apologize for not being able to offer a grand welcome.”

I wondered what she was suddenly talking about. From those fragmented few words, I realized that this woman regarded Ryu Seeun as ‘My Lady’ and–.

‘Ah, surely not.’

Imagining a development that had become quite familiar, in fact, unavoidable, I couldn’t help but make a sour expression.

Lee Seo-nim, who had just withdrawn her warm and gentle gaze from Ryu Seeun, then looked back at me.

And in an instant, her eyes blazed as if she were looking at her sworn enemy.

I somehow felt I could predict what she would say next.

Words like, ‘How dare you touch our Young Lady!’

“How dare you touch our Young Lady!!”

“…See?”

My prediction was spot on. Feeling a complicated mixture of emotions at the utterly cliché development, I let out a deep sigh.

However, perhaps interpreting my sigh in some way, Lee Seo-nim’s gaze grew even fiercer.

“I cannot forgive you…! Commander-nim might see you in a good light for some reason, but we, the unit members, absolutely do not!”

“?”

And I had to put up another question mark. What was this about? Commander-nim? Ryu Jinseong seeing me in a good light?

…That guy?

The only connection between him and me, as far as I could tell, was rudeness.

He’d even been punched by me once, hadn’t he?

“You, you…”

I blinked, unable to immediately accept Lee Seo-nim’s words, and she, in turn, fumed and began to shriek.

“How dare you take our Young Lady’s virginity?! How do you intend to take responsibility for that?!”

“L-Lee Seo-nim!?”

At that remark, an innocent Ryu Seeun leaped up. Her face flushed red as she quickly glanced around.

Fortunately, as it was a rural area, there weren’t many people walking the streets.

“P-please be quiet! Why are you doing this to me, seriously!”

Still, embarrassment was embarrassment. Ryu Seeun frantically rushed to cover Lee Seo-nim’s mouth, and Lee Seo-nim paused, her cheeks eventually flushing rosy.

“…My Lady’s hand on my lips…”

‘Hmm.’

And then, I immediately finished making all my judgments about Lee Seo-nim.

It seemed she was a bit of a weird one.