episode_0178

CRASH!

From the sky, chunks of icicles began to fall like blades. As if to allow no space for evasion, cold air filled the training hall.

I calmly moved the Icewood I had set up, creating a wide umbrella above me. Each time I blocked an icicle, chunks of my mana were depleted, but…

‘This is manageable?’

Having memories of a time when I had spent five years being utterly helpless against Seol Hayeon, I felt that I was quite decent now.

Riding on that very confidence, I, in turn, fired frozen branches.

Thwack thwack thwack!

The stems struck the training hall floor fiercely like tentacles. My Teacher-nim, moving her small body deftly, displayed excellent evasive maneuvers. It was just like her, the person who had consistently pushed me during my minor years, saying that even a mage needed basic physical strength; her adaptability was outstanding.

A sharp intake of breath.

But I was no longer my old self. I was truly a strong candidate for the next Archmage, someone who might soon receive the S-rank title. Whenever I thought, ‘Who am I?’, an inexplicable confidence surged within me.

Lightning in one hand. Cold in the other. And overlaying them was Yeonhwa’s intensely hot flames.

The unidentified orb, completed in an instant, was a hybrid of all sorts of energies, its colors indistinguishable, but…

“Wh-what is that power?”

It contained powerful potential, enough to make even my Teacher-nim flinch. The strongest, single magic attack I could currently create. Having combined three of the most powerful elemental magic types among many, how could it not be potent?

“Here I go, Teacher-nim.”

I twisted my mouth towards Teacher-nim, who was hesitating and adjusting her stance, and stomped the ground. Thump! Spreading the orb widely within my palm, I pulled my arm back, forming a throwing posture.

—Hoo.

Then, I threw it forcefully in a straight line.

ROOOOAR—!!!

The white, gold, and red orb, tearing through space as it flew, created a tremendous roar and vibration that greatly shook the training hall. It was an excessively powerful attack, to the point where even I, who threw it, momentarily thought, ‘Oh no!’ Even if it was Teacher-nim, wouldn’t it be difficult for her to block this without harm? While I hesitated, wondering if I should retract the energy now…

“…This foolish disciple.”

Seol Hayeon clicked her tongue briefly. With a greatly distorted expression, she drew up her mana.

Crack, sizzzzzzzzzz—!

Her mana circuits began to overload, visibly clear even to the naked eye. Overload. A ‘means to exert full power’ commonly used by those of Special S-rank.

Swoooosh!!

Seol Hayeon’s full power, which had never been used even once in a spar with me, bloomed at this very moment in the form of a frozen lotus. The lotus, filling one side of the training hall with its hue, unfurled, exuding sharp, chilling cold. Then, collision. CRAAAASH—! The Trinity Magic Orb I had fired was, surprisingly, swallowed by the petals she created. There was an aftermath of the explosion, but… considering the power contained within it, the orb scattered lightly, to the point where one might exclaim, ‘That’s it?’

“…Whoa.”

I couldn’t suppress my admiration and let out an exclamation. That level of power should have been enough to annihilate at least two average S-rank magic beasts. She blocked it that cleanly? It might have been possible because she was a genius of ice magic specialized in stability, but… Even taking that into account, it was truly astonishing. Even the three siblings, who were up there on the second floor of the training hall, picking up snacks and watching, couldn’t hide their astonishment. Especially Cheon Woohyuk’s trembling eyes were a work of art. I didn’t know that Hyung-nim could make such an expression.

At any rate, I roused my dazed mind and hastily clapped my hands.

“…As expected, you’re amazing, Teacher-nim. I thought this unworthy disciple had grown a lot, but I still have a long way to go to catch up.”

…

“Answer me!?”

“A-a spar, it was.”

As I reluctantly replied, subtly averting my gaze, Teacher-nim sighed deeply, then raised her arm and began to pull my cheek, stretching it.

“Do you know or not that you nearly blew this entire mansion away? Huh?”

“…It h-hurts, please don’t stretch it.”

“It’s obvious what you were thinking without even looking! You threw that, filled with your full power, with a mindset like, ‘Look how strong I’ve become, isn’t it awesome?’ wasn’t it?”

Gah, how did she know.

At Teacher-nim’s words, which were accurate as if she had peered into my mind, I sealed my lips and rolled my eyes. Even after growing this much, was I still in Seol Hayeon’s palm…! At the moment I debated whether I should take her to bed tonight due to my unbearable competitiveness, Teacher-nim released my cheek and shook her head.

“Haa, you’re truly an incorrigible disciple.”

“…Haha.”

“Don’t laugh. I’ll just…”

As I awkwardly scratched my cheek, Teacher-nim gave me a fierce look, and I flinched, hastily needing to change the subject.

“Th-that reminds me, Teacher-nim, you’ll be participating too, won’t you? The Moonlight Cult Suppression Operation.”

“Excuse me?”

Anyway, after visiting the Cheon family and asking my mother-in-law’s intentions, it would be Seol Hayeon’s turn. Because that was what I had promised Yang Chan-ho when I left Cheongsong Academy with Cheon Soyul and Ryu Seeun.

“This unworthy disciple might be heading into a dangerous area, so I firmly believe that Teacher-nim will naturally follow along. Right?”

I quickly moved behind Teacher-nim and placed my hands on her shoulders. I continued the conversation while gently massaging her tense muscles.

Mmm…

Perhaps the massage wasn’t unpleasant? Teacher-nim let out a subtle nasal sound, and, pretending not to, subtly curled the corners of her lips upwards.

“W-well. Even without that, I was considering it after hearing about it in the meeting. I, too, have a not-insignificant ill-fated relationship with the Moonlight Cult.”

“Oh, really? An ill-fated relationship…?”

But her next words were something I had never heard before. Teacher-nim had an ill-fated relationship with the Moonlight Cult?

“Yes, an ill-fated relationship.”

At first, I thought it was because I had been attacked by them during my first year, but the nuance suggested it was slightly different from that. Teacher-nim’s blue eyes deepened for a moment, and a subtle coldness emanated from them.

“Disciple, that girl with sky-blue hair you said you encountered in Busan.”

“…You mean the Moonlight Cult Leader?”

“Yes, Moonlight Cult Leader Haru.”

She subtly brushed my hand away and turned her body around. The expression she then wore was one I had never seen before. What would be the right word to describe that emotion? Anger, resentment, or perhaps bitterness… No, perhaps longing?

Seol Hayeon quietly uttered.

“She is my Senior Disciple Sister.”

?

What.

*****

Ice Lotus. A frozen lotus. Ice Empress Seol Hayeon’s ultimate technique.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that.’

Cheon Sehee looked down from the VIP seats on the second floor of the training hall at Seol Hayeon’s unique magic, which had annihilated Lee Hyunjin’s blow in an instant. Blocking an attack of that caliber so easily would have been impossible even for her, yet Seol Hayeon did it as if it were nothing. But Cheon Sehee wasn’t greatly surprised. She felt no particular envy as a mage. That was only natural, as it was Seol Hayeon.

Indeed, though it wasn’t widely known to the public… that silver-haired girl was undeniably one of the pinnacles of this country. She wasn’t talking about the Archmage title. She was talking about Special S-rank, beyond S-rank, and among those, the few strongest individuals possessing extraordinary greatness. For example, she was talking about an out-of-spec monster like Hero Yang Chan-ho. Seol Hayeon was one of the Awakeners occasionally mentioned as ‘the strongest’ alongside such a Yang Chan-ho. It was a rumor circulating only among S-ranks, but precisely because of that, it held credibility. Generally, the prevailing assessment was that she was still about half a step below Yang Chan-ho, but… Considering her age was merely twenty-five, it was truly remarkable.

Cheon Sehee gently closed her eyes and fell into thought. Because of that, another figure came to mind. It was a rather old memory now, but she could still recall it vividly. Because it was such an intense past.

Before the appearance of Yang Chan-ho, who defeated Jörmungandr, there was the Archmage who was truly recognized as the world’s greatest Awakener—Allen Greyer. That man had two disciples, and Seol Hayeon, around ten years old, was one of them. This, too, was not a widely known fact. Among the current S-ranks, only Cheon Sehee and Hong Myeongseon might know it.

Cheon Sehee recalled a photograph she had seen on a screen during an Association meeting a few days ago. Moonlight Cult Leader Haru That girl who had once killed the strongest mage and vanished without a trace… When she realized that girl had reappeared as the leader of one of the world’s top villain organizations, even Cheon Sehee couldn’t help but be disturbed. What about Seol Hayeon? Considering her lack of great surprise at the time, it seemed she might have known from the beginning.

Cheon Sehee recalled the fact that her youngest daughter had asked about participating in the Moonlight Cult Suppression Operation, and sighed. Somehow, she had a premonition that great chaos would soon arrive.