episode_0243

Slamming the door hard enough to break it, I quickly rushed inside and hid myself.

If I didn’t, I felt like I would truly get a neurosis.

“Hmph, hmph…”

I let out a long breath and calmed my startled heart. I had used spatial leaps several times, but how on earth were they still chasing me?

The people whose abilities I dared not even guess were the Awakened Department reporters.

The aura I felt was extremely faint, so they didn’t seem to be Awakened individuals.

It was only after truly folding space dozens more times that I was able to escape from them.

“I seriously thought I was going crazy. Why on earth were they allowed to come all the way into the academy?”

“…”

“Oh, come on, some even went so far as to ask what my relationship with Lucretia was!”

How they even knew that, I wonder.

Grumbling openly, I stepped into the center of the room and flopped onto the sofa.

The identity of this place, where I was acting truly as if it were my own home, was, of course…

“…Yes, I understand all that, Hyunjin.”

“Yes, Chancellor-nim.”

“Why on earth are you doing this in *my* office, though…?”

Cheongsong Academy Main Building, its topmost floor.

It was the private room of the Hero, Yang Chan-ho.

I awkwardly scratched the back of my head and chuckled.

“Well, even those reporters couldn’t imagine coming all the way here. They seemed to hesitate, so I just barged right in, you know?”

“Then would you please leave right now…?”

“No, I won’t.”

I replied decisively and immediately, and Yang Chan-ho-ssi turned his head with a steady gaze.

It bothered me that he was looking specifically at the mops.

Surely, that great and outstanding Double Score Hero-nim, who had saved this world twice, wouldn’t attack his own student.

Believing that without a shred of doubt, I flashed a bright smile across my face.

“Anyway, I’ll be imposing on you for a bit, Chancellor-nim. I am your student, aren’t I? You should protect me.”

“Huuuu…”

Our Chancellor-nim, despite how he appears, is actually a soft-hearted person. He stopped glaring at the mops and let out a long sigh.

I chuckled for a moment, then gradually wiped the smile from my face and looked at him.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…Why, what?”

Yang Chan-ho-ssi probably knew which part of him my gaze was directed at.

Even so, from my perspective, I couldn’t help but be concerned.

…After fighting a grand war with the otherworld, there were so many things to clean up that his haggard complexion was understandable, but…

“Can’t… it regenerate?”

“…”

Unlike his complexion, which would return with rest, his lost limb could not.

At my low, somber question, Yang Chan-ho-ssi bitterly rubbed his right shoulder.

Below his shoulder, where something should have been, only the lonely, fluttering sleeve of his top remained.

I furrowed my brow slightly and continued.

“If it’s alright, I could even invite Lucretia to Korea and-”

“That’s enough, no need. You punk.”

However, Yang Chan-ho-ssi was even more resolute than I had been just now, and he showed a nonchalant reaction.

A lost arm, and his right arm at that, which he had mainly used for swordsmanship.

But as if he didn’t care much, he merely clicked his tongue.

“It was a fight where it was difficult to come out with all limbs intact anyway. You weren’t there, so you wouldn’t know, but that guy, the ‘Master’. He was a total monster.”

“…”

“And well, I’m well aware of the Saint’s divine power… but limb damage isn’t something that just happens as you wish. Especially not when the severed area has been eroded by the magic of the otherworld.”

*’I don’t mind much, I have no regrets.’* As if to convey just that, Yang Chan-ho-ssi shrugged his shoulders with an exaggerated gesture.

My expression didn’t improve, though. I wouldn’t know if he truly meant it.

“…I’m sorry, Chancellor-nim.”

In the end, I could find no other way but to bow my head.

At my apology, mixed with gloom, Yang Chan-ho-ssi let out a hollow laugh.

“Why are *you* apologizing? Did you cut off my arm?”

“It’s not that, but…”

I trailed off, hesitant to continue. And Yang Chan-ho-ssi caught that exact point, his lips curving up.

“Then, the reason I lost this arm… that’s what’s bothering you so much?”

“…”

I closed my lips, and Yang Chan-ho-ssi chuckled, as if saying, ‘Am I right?’

Soon, Yang Chan-ho-ssi stood up from his desk, turned around, and looked out the window.

“I’ll say it again, don’t worry about it. This level of injury was within my expectations, and isn’t it enough that I saved someone?”

And when he tilted his head slightly to look back at me, his expression was truly exasperating.

“What’s more, I saved the life of ‘that’ Ice Empress, you know. Wow, just how great of a debt did I incur?”

“…Hm.”

“I understand how you feel. Hey, Hyunjin-ah. Let’s talk openly, man to man.”

Yang Chan-ho-ssi soon walked over with heavy steps and rested his arm on the back of the sofa where I was sitting.

He spoke into my ear in a tone that couldn’t help but feel exceedingly mischievous.

“You’re very grateful that I saved Seol Hayeon, and there’s no lie in that feeling, but, right?”

“…”

“To the extent that you think of Seol Hayeon as your woman… you probably don’t like the idea of her owing a debt to another man for no reason.”

“…”

“And since she can’t not repay the favor, you seem to have thought of a way to regenerate my arm, somehow…”

*’Am I right?’* As if asking that, Yang Chan-ho-ssi slyly tapped my cheek.

Yet, it was a sad thing that I couldn’t refute him…

“First of all, um. You saved my Master-nim, and I’m truly ashamed to be a student who has such calculating thoughts.”

I had no choice but to turn back to Yang Chan-ho-ssi with a deep sigh.

And with an utterly serious expression and voice.

“That’s why I especially want to tell you this: I will somehow repay that debt of life, nearly ten times over.”

At that, Yang Chan-ho-ssi wore a mischievous, boyish smile.

“So you want me not to say anything to Seol Hayeon…? Is that what you’re saying now?”

“…Y-yes…”

I answered with a hollow expression, then immediately lowered my head without much thought.

Because even I thought I was too petty, despicable, and truly narrow-minded.

“No, but Chancellor-nim, rather than trying to get something from her for no reason, how about you try to meet the Saint through my help…? Of course, someone in your position could meet her on your own, I suppose. Yes.”

“…Mutter mutter, what on earth are you mumbling about? You punk.”

*Thwack!*

“Ugh.”

As if he couldn’t even stand to listen, Yang Chan-ho-ssi sharply whacked the back of my head.

And then he returned to his seat.

I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly and watched him, and Yang Chan-ho-ssi spoke as he tidied the stacks of documents on his desk.

“I get your point, but you already know, don’t you? That I wouldn’t ask Seol Hayeon for anything.”

“Y-yes…”

“Do I look like such a terrible man? As if I’d lay a hand on a student’s woman. Tsk.”

“No, it’s not exactly that, but…”

“Don’t make pathetic excuses, Hyunjin-ah.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

I immediately bowed my head, and Yang Chan-ho-ssi chuckled, tapping the desk.

“…Well, but you’re saying it so earnestly that I do have one request, kid.”

That’s when he got to the main point.

I blinked my eyes.

“Huh?”

“You.”

And Yang Chan-ho-ssi pointed directly at me with his fingertip and declared just one thing.

“You’re my successor.”

“…”

“You said you wanted to repay your debt to me, didn’t you?”

“Y-yes, yes?”

“Then be the Hero. That’s all.”

I instantly wore a dazed expression. Well, since I didn’t have a mirror, I couldn’t know exactly what face I was making.

But what was certain was that I felt an instinctive repulsion towards Yang Chan-ho-ssi’s words.

I genuinely distorted my expression and replied.

“Can’t it be something else? I really don’t want to have a title like yours, Chancellor-nim.”

“…This punk?”

There was no separate question or curiosity about the epithet ‘Hero’.

Because I had somewhat guessed about this matter.

As it was, there were many discussions about Yang Chan-ho-ssi’s severe injury, and wasn’t it I who popped up in such a chaotic situation?

A situation where my face was completely exposed because some broadcasting station in Europe risked their lives to film my struggle with the giant from a helicopter.

Thus, discussions about the 2nd Hero were in full swing.

At least on the internet, as far as I knew.

“…So, seeing you say this, Chancellor-nim, it seems there was more reality to it than I thought?”

“Well, that’s right.”

Yang Chan-ho-ssi lightly nodded his head and continued.

“As for me and the other S-ranks, we were busy fighting the Master in the other dimension, so even if there’s talk, it’s not that impressive. It can’t be helped. The public only judges what they see.”

“…Indeed. That’s not very good news for me.”

“Nah, doesn’t matter. You’re fated to be the Hero anyway.”

“What?”

I couldn’t help but show a truly dumbfounded reaction.

Why was he suddenly spouting nonsense about fate?

I had no such intention. Hero, my foot. Wasn’t my original thought when I first fell into this world just to live a peaceful life?

Things hadn’t gone as I wished while living, but at least from now on, I would live that way.

It was just as I was about to speak decisively, determined to vehemently refuse.

“You know what, Hyunjin-ah?”

Yang Chan-ho-ssi mischievously smiled, as if he had already expected my resistance.

“If you become the Hero, the International Awakened Council grants you one special privilege, you know.”

“…”

“Of course, there are countless other minor benefits… But I’ll tell you one privilege that you’ll probably be most tempted by right now.”

“…What are you suddenly talking about?”

I furrowed my brow, not taking Yang Chan-ho-ssi’s words kindly.

Because no matter what privilege there was, I had no intention of becoming the world’s Hero.

“Shall we see if you can still make that face after hearing this?”

“No matter what you say, my mind probably won’t change…”

“You can revise laws. As you wish.”

“…”

“It doesn’t matter which country. If you want, that is. The laws of Japan, where Kanzaki is, the laws of France, where Lucretia is, and of course, all the laws of South Korea as well.”

“…”

“Lee Hyunjin, you…”

“…Yes?”

“Polygamy, interested?”

…

…

…

No matter what privilege there was…

I had no intention of becoming… the world’s Hero…

…no… no…

“…”

I looked directly back at Yang Chan-ho-ssi, my eyes shining with seriousness.

“When can I start? Being that 2nd Hero.”

Our Chancellor-nim burst into roaring laughter.