Banner of Courage
Seol Romi's impression of you has changed to 'Unexpected Sage'.
Relationship Rank: 1 → 2
If you and Mun Hee-jeong recommend the same thing, the probability that Seol Romi will listen increases dramatically.
“Huh? You're already here?”
At 7 a.m., Mun Hee-jeong rubbed her sleepy eyes after getting the delivery notification and picked up the box from the dorm security office.
“Ugh, it's heavy...”
With no other choice, she activated Spirit Descent to haul it back to her room. When she opened it, a professional-grade computer-controlled sewing machine revealed itself.
She'd thought that after getting caught with her 19+ doujinshi last time, her parents might not send any of her actual sewing stuff—but luckily, they'd sent the machine.
She blew hard on it—whoosh—and the dust piled up on the sewing machine flew off into the distance.
“How many years has it been since I used this thing?”
Even before she got hooked on those smutty comics, Mun Hee-jeong had enjoyed tinkering with it in her spare time, making all sorts of accessories. At first, she'd just downloaded sewing patterns and input them, but eventually, she leveled up to making full clothes on her own.
By her second year of middle school, when she stopped going outside, she'd even made manga character costumes to earn pocket money. She never wore them herself, and now she treated that phase as black history—but with her allowance cut off as punishment, she had no choice but to sit down at the sewing machine again.
“For starters, something light as practice... a gift for someone...”
The word gift made Kim Taeyang's face flash through her mind.
“It's just to loosen up my hands, that's all.”
Feeling like the room temperature had suddenly spiked, Mun Hee-jeong flung open the window and flapped her baggy T-shirt to cool off.
-Riiiing ring ring!
The alarm jolted my eyelids open.
“...Bruaah.”
I wasn't lying on the bed—I was on the floor.
“Look at this mess.”
When I sat up, Gemma was sprawled on the bed in a 卍 pose, grinning happily in her sleep. To a stranger, it might look like something out of a Nazi meme. Maybe she stayed up late yesterday—she was drooling ectoplasm from her mouth.
“...”
And she'd shoved me off the bed in her sleep. Her sleeping habits must be terrible.
She could rest in the Soul Thread Bracelet like my other ancestor spirits, but since she hadn't been dead long, maybe she preferred the soft bed.
-Gulp.
Her pajama top had ridden up, exposing her smooth, pale navel. The sight reminded me of what I'd seen 29 hours ago, and I felt embarrassed as I pulled the blanket over her sleeping form.
“Should I buy a new bed?”
I'd gotten money from those Bastards guys, so I could grab an extra single for her. Or...
“...Maybe just upgrade to a king-size.”
-Slap!
I gave myself a double self-slap to shake off the king-sized temptation and started getting ready for school.
8 a.m. Twenty minutes before class, and U Hyo-chung still hadn't replied.
The birdbrain's late.
“Yeah.”
Bet he gets poltergeist water ink blob to the forehead for being tardy.
“He's gotten better—maybe he'll dodge this time.”
I'm betting he eats it. Call?
“What's the wager?”
If I win, double the Grand Offering budget we set yesterday.
“And if you lose?”
I'll spill one secret.
“Eh, nothing I'm dying to know.”
Aw, c'mon.
I wasn't really curious, but I nodded anyway. We waited, but U Hyo-chung was still a no-show.
Instead, Mun Hee-jeong entered the classroom first. Not her usual bundled-up hoodie look, but a normal blouse and uniform skirt. She seemed oddly upbeat.
Ooh la la.
“What's with you? She looks good—more confident.”
No one's saying otherwise. Just got that shut-in pride vibe.
“Wasn't talking about that.”
Hee hee. Look at you getting all serious. Cute.
She didn't seem malicious—just amused. I felt bad for assuming the worst about Gemma's personality.
“Good morning. Get home okay yesterday?”
“Yeah. Felt stuffed, so I just walked it off and crashed early. You, Taeyang?”
“Went straight to bed too. Stressed from Shin Sua's mind games with Seol Romi.”
Shin Sua, sitting up front, must've overheard—she turned and glared.
“Hee hee.”
Mun Hee-jeong covered her mouth and giggled softly. No illusion about it. She was brightening up way faster than in the original game. The total shut-in was still awkward, but who'd have thought she'd be greeting people and chatting like a normal first-semester freshman?
“Oh, right—thanks for backing Romi yesterday.”
She fidgeted shyly as she continued.
“Wasn't much. You grabbed her when she tried to leave.”
“W-well, she's my friend.”
“Heard at dinner you two go way back?”
“Yeah... since we were kids...”
They'd been close. Her voice trailed off. That closeness was history. They'd talked for the first time in years yesterday, but she wasn't confident about their current bond.
Her face fell back into gloom as she clutched the hedgehog plush on her phone. Unconscious habit.
That plush was definitely—
“Cute.”
“Uh, y-yeah?!”
“Hedgehog doll.”
“Oh... this.”
“Where'd you get it?”
Pretending casual, I steered the convo as planned.
“Didn't buy it. Made it with Romi ages ago. Cut the felt, stuffed it with cotton from our field...”
“You do crafting too?”
“Hee hee. Not much else to do in the village. It's my only talent.”
“That's impressive and practical. Hey, ever make Mourning Clothes or—?”
“Oh, duh!”
Her eyes widened like she'd remembered something crucial, and she clapped.
“Hold still a sec.”
“Why my hand?”
“No time—hurry.”
She whipped out a measuring tape from her bag and measured my fingers, jotting notes on her phone.
Liking the service?
What?
Her measuring you up—enjoying it?
I wanted to snap at Gemma, but Mun Hee-jeong might hear.
“Done.”
She nodded, satisfied, after measuring both hands fully.
“Why my hand measurements...?”
“Secret.”
Obvious what she was planning, but her shy smile and pretty eyes stopped me from prying. She'd make gloves before I even asked. I felt guilty for treating her more like a story pawn than a friend.
“Everyone, sit.”
Luckily, Jang Han-nam arrived just in time, letting me dodge showing my guilt on my face.
“Super save!”
And at 8:19:30—30 seconds before class—a water ink blob flew at U Hyo-chung's forehead as he burst in.
-Whoosh!
-Thwack!
He dodged nimbly, but the blob snaked mid-air and nailed his noggin.
“Told you to be seated five minutes early.”
I win. Mark the calendar—shopping for Grand Offering eve.
“Sigh...”
Whatever Gemma wanted, my wallet was gonna hurt. But maybe not the time to worry.
After school. Training Ground 4—no cover or obstacles for hiding.
Shin Sua and I faced Jang Han-nam's Spirit Lord Transformation: Captain PODO.
-Ora ora ora ora!
Chest armor and forearms opened, firing thick red ropes in barrages. We dashed around dodging.
-Boom!
Ropes rained from above, front, sides. Shin Sua's screen blocked a few, but it fizzled under sustained fire—stamina issue unsolved.
“Landscape Painting—Bamboo Grove!”
-Rustle rustle rustle!
Ink bamboo forest to block mass, but Captain PODO's rope rush snapped them like twigs.
“Too slow! Almira and Seo Jeon-jeom's fire nets are fiercer—how you gonna handle?”
“If I can't block, dodge or break through! Aim for the Shangju!”
Jang Han-nam and Jeong Da-un's critiques echoed. With their honor on the line for the first-years, they were all-in.
Our opponents: last year's top girl enrollee Almira Murad. Jang mimicked her firepower focus, simulating the prelim duel. We'd have died eight times already without Jeong's safety mirrors. Only Passepartout pierced the net.
“Seo Jeon-jeom and Almira don't know about Passepartout.”
“Means save it for the killing blow—one shot!”
How long you gonna drag this? Ancestor power's running low!
“Hang on. Can't deploy yet, but I got a survival plan.”
-Whirr!
-Whiiiir!
Harsh machine whines drowned Shin Sua's shouts nearby. Probably “do something!”
“Tough...”
New 'Breakthrough Siege' trait from Gemma's rank-up boosted spatial sense—I dodged most ropes, but limits hit. Bayonet slices or shotgun bursts bought time.
Teachers' strategy: simple. Both foes were ranged firepower Shangju. Data showed low close-range win rates. Survive initial barrage, Passepartout through, close in—Jeong's calc.
Shin Sua: mid/close-range expert with ink, brushes, twin swords. Me: shotgun/bayonet close-combat. If we stick, we win.
But.
“Easier said than done.”
-Klang!
Deployed Passepartout. Swordstick to key form, unlocked invisible lock ahead.
-Click!
Dozens, hundreds of ropes halted, bouncing off the narrow straight path before me.
“Now!”
We sprinted for distant Jang Han-nam. Full buffs: Shin Sua's courtesan agility + my thief moves—max speed.
But—
“3... 2... 1.”
Jeong's countdown ended; key vanished, Passepartout dropped.
-Bam bam bam bam!!!
Man-sized ropes pummeled us mercilessly.
“Gaaaaah!!!”
-Clink!
-Clank clank!
Wrist mirrors shattered three in seconds; we flew back far from start.
“Can't close in 3-second window? That's what happens. And you'll need power left to subdue post-contact—so 2 seconds.”
“Why let them create distance from the start?”
Jeong shook his head at my sprawled whine.
“If easy, they wouldn't hold 2nd-year vice-top spots.”
Ground 4 matched prelim arena size. Fail here in 2 sec? Fail real deal.
Ugh. Headache. Go blond—doubles ancestor power, right? 6 sec should work.
“No. Interferes with open/close concepts—fixed cost? No, variable drain. Max 3 sec same as always.”
Soul Overlap bursts power, not duration. Unless trait levels or Gemma hits Immortal Position.
3-sec limit gripped me.
“Hah. Useless punk.”
“If I'm useless, what’s that make you—loser to me?”
“That was bad luck!”
“Goryeo Group heiress saying that?”
“Ugh... shut up.”
Mentioning her background shut her up—small mercy.
Game's special Spirit Lord Transformations had tricky costs: OP ones ate fixed % regardless of pool. Reality matched.
Still, not hopeless.
“Use Passepartout 2 sec, dash rest—save power, tank hits somehow.”
Miss Shin Sua's screen shatter?
“Test after teachers leave.”
Training ended 10 min early. Jang and Jeong stayed for Gong In-myeong/Seol Romi next. Confirmed Shin Sua stretchered off by Goryeo secretaries, then I slipped to private training ground.
“No eyes here—good for tests.”
Slipped Yoanna Arkenis's ring onto Gemma's ring finger.
Why here...?
“You wore it there last time.”
-Flash!
Before I finished, ring glowed. Yoanna's soul dormant, but her subconscious blessed her saviors.
Knight's ring boon: Spirit Lord Transformation amp via ring medium.
“Tonnerre.”
Instant overlay: shotgun on wand.
-Hummmm.
Barrel bore blue triangular flag, embroidered unfamiliar pattern, heavy bell-end.
Yoanna's boon add-on: Banner of Courage.
Whoa, awesome. So~ fancy.
Gemma rubbed her face on the soft flag, savoring it.
“...Face off.”
Already straining ancestor power to hold, and this—damn it.