episode_0183

The day the Moonlight Church subjugation operation, which Yang Chan-ho had previously mentioned, was to be carried out was early next month.

Since there was still a week left, I arrived at Cheongsong Academy, thinking I should rest comfortably in the dormitory.

“……What is that?”

The moment I passed through the campus entrance, I couldn’t help but be startled by the sight before me.

Far in the distance, a dark blue gigantic tree soared high into the sky, and students were gathered closely together around it.

What was it? No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like the Black Ice Tree that Seeun and I had set up before leaving, but why was it so bustling?

Cheon Soyul looked just as bewildered as I did, and she turned to me and asked.

“Why are they…… gathered?”

“……I wonder?”

Don’t ask me. I just got here too.

Did something go wrong with the magic? As I approached, slightly worried, familiar teal hair came into view.

“Seeun.”

When I tapped her shoulder and spoke, she flinched and turned to me.

“……Ah, Senior. You’re here?”

“I just arrived.”

I replied, then turned my gaze back to the Ice Tree. Students with various name tags, from first to fourth years, were taking pictures.

As if it were some famous tourist spot… A tourist spot?

“Oh, um.”

The ominous imagination that had inexplicably surfaced felt like it was about to come true.

With a thoroughly displeased expression on my face, I looked up at the branches of the Ice Tree.

Well… even so, since it was a unique magic I had put a lot of effort into since childhood, its appearance was undeniably splendid and beautiful.

Furthermore, since Ryu Seeun, who was skilled in plant manipulation, also helped form the Ice Tree, it was naturally of extraordinary quality.

Still, wasn’t this a bit much? Since it was magic that I had suddenly set up during some playful mischief with Ryu Seeun, an inexplicable embarrassment was slowly starting to rise.

“……Should we go around and enter, Senior?”

It seemed Ryu Seeun shared the same feeling. She touched her reddened face and tugged lightly on my sleeve.

I already felt like there were more intermittent glances directed our way from a moment ago.

Since I didn’t want to become famous in this way, I decided to quickly leave the area.

Now that we were back, shouldn’t we report to our esteemed dean?

With a very natural stealth, we returned to the main building and went straight to the dean’s office.

It seemed he had heard the news in advance, as a reply from inside immediately told us to come in…

“Come on in, everyone. You all worked hard.”

When we opened the door and entered, Yang Chan-ho and another person were standing there. He was none other than our homeroom teacher.

Teacher-nim Kim Kyunghun, a former Special A-rank retired Awakener whom I hadn’t seen in quite a while.

Scratching the corner of his eye, where a long scar was etched, he turned to Yang Chan-ho.

And then he spoke.

“……As expected, I am against it, Dean-nim.”

The reason was unknown, but his voice contained a considerable amount of concern.

It also seemed to imply a certain degree of dissatisfaction toward Yang Chan-ho.

Against it? What could he suddenly be talking about?

“Hmm…”

As I looked at Yang Chan-ho, showing my bewilderment, he also made a gesture towards us, revealing a troubled expression.

He scratched his cheek, then forced a smile at Teacher-nim Kim Kyunghun.

“Please don’t be like that, Teacher-nim Kim. Even if he looks like that, isn’t he officially an S-rank Awakener, a student recognized as Grand Mage class?”

“?”

Was he talking about me? As a question mark instantly appeared in my mind, I turned my gaze to Teacher-nim Kim Kyunghun, who also shot a sharp look back at me.

“Lee Hyunjin. You tell me.”

Tell you what…?

“Is it true that you’ll be moving together in a secret operation where many S-ranks are mobilized?”

“……Ah.”

It seemed they had been talking about the Moonlight Church subjugation operation just before.

And from the nuance, was he against my participation in the operation?

For now, I nodded, giving an affirmative answer.

“Hmm…”

Teacher-nim Kim Kyunghun frowned and let out a sigh. His expression was so intimidating that whenever he made such a face, I involuntarily flinched.

I wondered if he was trying to stop me from going.

“……Why don’t you reconsider, Lee Hyunjin? An operation that mobilizes so many S-ranks must, without a doubt, involve a significant amount of risk.”

Slightly different from my expectation, he merely tried to persuade me in a chiding tone.

Even with his stern expression, I clearly felt that he was worried about my safety, which caused me to fall silent, unable to say anything.

“No, really. Teacher-nim Kim? That guy is officially an S-rank Awakener too. Although the administrative processing isn’t fully completed yet… *Ahem*, I’m telling you, there’s no need to worry excessively.”

Meanwhile, Yang Chan-ho uttered a few words as if defending me, but Teacher-nim Kim Kyunghun adamantly shook his head.

“Whether he’s S-rank or Special S-rank, he’s still a student, isn’t he? You’re taking a kid who’s barely twenty years old to a battlefield?”

“……*Ahem*.”

“I’d like to ask you, Dean-nim. Is this truly an appropriate selection?”

He didn’t exude an overpowering aura, but he spat out his words as if chewing on a quite sharp voice.

I couldn’t help but feel strangely touched by Teacher-nim Kim Kyunghun’s attitude.

“Teacher-nim…”

I, who would often doze off in class, often cause a ruckus with Cheon Soyul, and often get caught by the disciplinary committee senior and dragged away.

To worry about my safety to this extent, is this what a true teacher is…!

“……Hey, hey. Hyunjin? You tell him. I don’t think I can convince your homeroom teacher.”

That’s when Yang Chan-ho passed the baton to me. Since he looked quite fatigued, I had to awkwardly nod.

And turning back to Teacher-nim Kim Kyunghun, I found myself at a loss for words no matter how much I thought about it.

‘Hmm.’

How should I persuade this teacher?

What should I say to get him to agree?

After pondering for a moment with such thoughts… I came up with an ingenious idea.

Having gained a flash of insight inwardly, I immediately blurted it out.

“Teacher-nim.”

“……What is it?”

Teacher-nim Kim Kyunghun replied to my call with a displeased expression.

I threw a direct challenge with a confident expression.

“I am stronger than you, Teacher-nim.”

“?”

“So please overlook it. I promise I will return without getting hurt at all—”

While I was still speaking, Teacher-nim Kim Kyunghun subtly drew the sword from his waist.

I gasped and had to wave my hands.

“Whoa, whoa, don’t do this. Teacher-nim? No matter what, shouldn’t a teacher avoid trying to fight a student?”

“……If you say that much, then prove it. If you can handle my sword without difficulty, then naturally I’ll be proven wrong.”

“T-Teacher-nim Kim! Calm down!”

Yang Chan-ho, uncharacteristically flustered, rose to stop Teacher-nim Kim Kyunghun.

Come to think of it, I had forgotten. This teacher had quite a violent personality.

“Senior, you really need to… control your mouth.”

“Ugh, you idiot.”

Ryu Seeun and Cheon Soyul each added a word, and I finally managed to receive Teacher-nim Kim Kyunghun’s forgiveness only after bowing my head so deeply that it almost touched the ground.

In any case, my participation in the operation was already decided, so it was too late to back out now.

With Yang Chan-ho’s active defense and support, the matter was concluded for the time being.

*****

“Did you hear the news, Ayun? Hyunjin has returned to the academy. Shouldn’t we go out to meet him?”

“……”

The girl with long navy hair, Kanzaki Rie, chattered with an excited expression.

Lee Hyunjin, who had been away from the academy for a long time under the pretext of carrying out a mission personally assigned by the dean, had finally returned.

For her part, she had sought out someone among those remaining at the academy with whom she could at least talk about her feelings for Lee Hyunjin, but…

“……Ayun?”

Baek Ayun, who was supposed to respond to her words, remained terrifyingly silent.

Kanzaki, who wondered if she had gotten excited for nothing, was about to become disheartened by Baek Ayun’s cold response, when suddenly.

“……Wait, that article…”

Kanzaki’s face stiffened as she saw an internet article pop up on Baek Ayun’s smartphone screen, which Baek Ayun was staring intently at.

Hurriedly checking Baek Ayun’s expression, she involuntarily swallowed dry.

The headline of the article that had appeared on the gleaming screen was that shocking.

And, it was something that could only have a great impact on Baek Ayun.

[「Breaking News」S-rank Awakener Gwon Hwang Baek Muyeom, missing in Istanbul, fate unknown…]

*CRUNCH.*

Baek Ayun, who had reflexively crushed her smartphone, mumbled with eyes that had lost their light.

“……Grandfather-nim.”

Then Baek Ayun spun around abruptly. She took large strides with a chilling expression, and Kanzaki, startled by her extremely unsteady gait, hurried to follow behind her.

“W-where are you going, Ayun…?!”

“……”

“Please answer me! If you’re going to do something dangerous, I’ll tell Hyunjin right now! I-I’ll really tell him!”

Kanzaki struggled to grab Baek Ayun’s arm and cling to her, but unfortunately, she couldn’t stop the girl, who was half a span shorter than herself, even for a single step. It was a fundamental difference in physical strength.