A Mother's Scheme
Immediately after Scarlet left, Leon Lionil fell into deep thought. He was pondering how best to make the girl who had just departed—Scarlet—stronger. At first, he had simply thought of meeting up like today to give her private lessons, but upon reflection, several obstacles stood in the way. First, as a member of Astrape, he was a busy man with only about one free day a week. Furthermore, the academy, which had been temporarily closed, was scheduled to resume normal classes soon, making it difficult for Scarlet to find the time as well. His own boastful promise to help her grow stronger also weighed on him. Combined with his personal desire to provide top-tier instruction to a rare, promising talent he hadn't seen in ages, his contemplation dragged on.
Suddenly, an incident from not too long ago in his own 1st Division flashed through Leon's mind. Due to the recent catastrophe that had devastated the city, many of his squad members, worried for their families' safety, had requested transfers from guarding the borderlands to inner-city patrol. However, someone had to protect the borders, and persuading his subordinates to stay had given him quite a headache. Among the current generation of Heroes, there simply weren't enough outstanding talents capable of thriving in Astrape. He had even felt a twinge of jealousy toward the 4th Division upon seeing their new recruit, Yoon Siwoo, thinking they had secured a future Division Commander.
That was why the phrase "nurturing the next generation" surfaced in Leon's mind. During his conversation with Scarlet, she—who clearly possessed remarkable talent—had claimed she wouldn't even rank in the top five among the first-years. If that were true, it meant the current first-year class was teeming with students far more gifted than those of his own student days, which had been hailed as a golden generation.
Having reached this conclusion, Leon made up his mind. Scarlet lacked the time because she had to attend the academy. In that case, wouldn't it be far more efficient if he went to the academy to teach her whenever he had free time? And while he was at it, mentoring other talented students alongside her would kill two birds with one stone. Of course, such a plan was too much for him to handle alone. Deciding he might as well dream bigger, Leon picked up his phone. On his screen, the contact information of the other Division Commanders was displayed.
Meanwhile, Martina Ivanova, the Captain of Astrape's 4th Division, was sipping coffee in the breakroom after finishing her shift in the borderlands. However, she was currently unable to enjoy the taste of her brew in peace.
"...Why the hell are you here?"
"Fufu, don't get so worked up, Martina. It's not like I'm somewhere I shouldn't be, is it?"
The source of her irritation was none other than Natalia Eloise, the Captain of the 3rd Division, who was staring at her with a sly, beaming smile. To Martina, Natalia was a sworn enemy who had stolen her first love. Just looking at her face made Martina's blood boil, so that smug grin was practically an invitation to a fight. Suppressing the urge to curse, Martina snapped at her.
"This is somewhere you shouldn't be. This is the 4th Division's jurisdiction. Don't you know that deserting your post during duty hours is a serious offense?"
"Hmph, sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm on leave today, so I'm not on duty. Where I go is entirely my business."
"You crazy bitch. You have a kid, so why the hell are you crawling all the way here to cause trouble instead of going home on your day off?"
Unable to tolerate Natalia's nonchalant, teasing tone any longer, Martina finally let loose the curses she had been holding back. Unlike some people, Natalia actually had a family to take care of, so why on earth was she coming here on her day off just to piss her off! As Martina fumed, Natalia pretended to wipe a tear from her eye with the back of her hand.
"Sob, sob... How can you be so mean? I only came here on my day off because I wanted to see my friend's face..."
"If you're going to lie, at least wipe that smirk off your face, you wench! And I've never had a friend like you!"
"Uhuhu, you caught me. You're right. Actually, I didn't come to see you today. I have some other business to attend to here."
Martina scowled at Natalia's bright smile. She had no idea what this "other business" was, but since Natalia always took pleasure in provoking her, there was no telling what kind of scheme she was cooking up this time. Just as Martina was resolving not to let her get away with any nonsense, someone opened the breakroom door and walked in.
The new recruit, Yoon Siwoo, who looked as though he had just finished his shift and come in for a brief rest, scanned the breakroom and spoke in a slightly flustered voice.
"...Are you two in the middle of an important conversation?"
"No, no. It's nothing like that, so just come on in. You look like you just finished your shift—have a cup of coffee. I'll brew it for you."
"Ah... thank you, Captain Martina."
Just seeing Yoon Siwoo's face instantly lifted Martina's foul mood. She sprang up and began brewing a fresh cup for him. Lately, her sole source of joy was this new recruit. Having proven his capabilities in such a short time, he was already being hailed as the next Division Commander of the 4th Division. Though she had initially been forced to take him in after losing a lottery draw, she now felt as if she had won the jackpot. He was an outstanding talent with absolutely no flaws.
Since Natalia was right here, Martina decided to show off a little. But as she handed the coffee to Yoon Siwoo and stole a glance at Natalia, a sudden wave of anxiety washed over her. Natalia was staring at Yoon Siwoo with a beaming smile, her eyes resembling those of a predator locking onto a delectable prey. Don't tell me... her business is...
At that moment, Martina saw Natalia open her mouth to speak to Yoon Siwoo.
"Excuse me..."
But before Natalia could say another word, a warning echoed directly inside her mind, cutting her off.
[Hey, freeze right there. What do you think you're trying to do to our rookie?]
Telepathy via magic. At the chilling voice transmitted through mana, Natalia stole a glance at Martina and replied in kind.
[I told you earlier. I came here because I have business. I have something to say to young Siwoo here.]
Martina glared daggers at Natalia.
[Don't tell me you're trying to poach our rookie to your division. If you're planning some underhanded trick like that, I won't let you off easy.]
[Don't worry. I would never do something so devoid of professional ethics.]
[Then spit out what your business is.]
[Mmm, that's a secret. It's a bit of a personal matter.]
A personal matter? To Martina, those words carried an incredibly ominous ring. Just as she was about to press further and demand to know what on earth she meant, both of their phones suddenly rang at the exact same time.
Breaking off the telepathy, Martina looked down at her phone. Upon reading the newly arrived text message, she muttered under her breath.
"...What is this? He wants me to give a special lecture at the academy?"
The text message sent by Leon Lionil, Captain of the 1st Division, could be summarized as follows: for the sake of nurturing the next generation, why don't the Division Commanders take some time to teach the academy students? It was a noble intention, but there was one problem.
"But still, asking us to spend our one day off a week teaching kids is a bit much..."
Judging by her expression, Natalia wasn't thrilled either. Teaching students on their days off meant working practically year-round without a break, so her reluctance was understandable. Martina was also opposed to the idea. Her personal philosophy was that since their profession was so mentally exhausting, they absolutely needed to recharge during their downtime. Of course, her stance was also slightly influenced by a selfish desire to avoid the academy, where she knew she would be vividly reminded of the sheer rage she felt when Natalia stole her first love.
Just then, Yoon Siwoo, who had been quietly observing them, spoke up hesitantly, seemingly intrigued by the topic.
"Um, if you go to teach, Captain, would it be alright if I tagged along?"
"You want to use your day off just to watch me teach? Well, it would be possible, but I'm not going to do it in the first place. And it looks like Natalia has no intention of doing it either."
"...I see."
When Natalia nodded in agreement with Martina, Yoon Siwoo replied with a trace of disappointment in his voice. Wondering if he missed school because he had graduated so early, Martina checked the time, realized her shift change was approaching, and stood up.
"Anyway, I'm off to my shift. Rookie, if that woman says anything weird to you, make sure to tell me later, okay?"
After leaving Yoon Siwoo with that warning, Martina stepped out of the breakroom.
"So, Siwoo? You know who I am, right?"
Left alone with Natalia in a somewhat awkward silence after Martina's departure, Yoon Siwoo replied to the smiling woman.
"Yes. You are Captain Natalia Eloise of the 3rd Division."
"Fufu, indeed. I've heard you're quite highly regarded lately. It's such a shame I didn't notice you sooner. You're capable, and handsome to boot. If you had joined my division, I would have absolutely doted on you."
Although he returned her smile as she leaned in slightly with a playful eye-smile, Yoon Siwoo felt a strange chill. He felt, for some reason, like he was being targeted.
Suddenly, a sensation on his hand made him flinch. Natalia was gently stroking his palm with her pale, slender fingers, as if exploring it.
As he froze, unsure of how to react, Natalia exhaled softly and whispered in a low voice.
"Ah, what a wonderful hand. I like capable people and handsome people, but I love hard-working people the most. That's why I really like you, Siwoo—you fit all three. You remind me of my husband."
Yoon Siwoo felt his body stiffen in sheer bewilderment. His brain couldn't keep up with what was happening. Could this be... the sexual harassment I've only heard about? He had been taught as a child to shout, "No, stop, don't do this!" and seek help from bystanders, but what was he supposed to do when the perpetrator was a superior officer at work?
Just as those frantic thoughts raced through his mind, Natalia let go of his hand and spoke.
"I really like you, Siwoo, so I'd like to make a proposal. Would you be interested in meeting my daughter?"
"...Pardon?"
At the sudden proposal, Yoon Siwoo blurted out in a dazed voice. Natalia chuckled softly.
"You've probably seen her around the academy, right? Her name is Marin."
"...Yes. The president of Class B."
"What was your impression of her? She's pretty, isn't she?"
Recalling the blue-haired girl, Yoon Siwoo nodded slightly. From a purely objective standpoint, she was undoubtedly beautiful. Seeing his nod, Natalia smiled with motherly pride and continued.
"I want my daughter to meet a good man early and be happy, just like I did. And you seem like a truly wonderful man, Siwoo. That's why I'd love to see the two of you together."
Yoon Siwoo's expression turned serious. To be completely honest, he had absolutely no desire to date anyone right now. Except for one specific person. But just as he was about to firmly decline, Natalia spoke up.
"Well, I'm not forcing you to date her. Just meeting up once or twice is fine. If sparks fly, great. If not, then so be it. And since it's a bit unfair of me to make a one-sided request, I'll grant you one wish in return."
"...Is it really fine if we just meet? Regardless of the outcome?"
"Of course. I'm not that strict. If there's something you want, just say the word."
Yoon Siwoo stopped himself from declining. Recalling their earlier conversation, he spoke.
"Then... could you convince Captain Martina to lecture at the academy?"
"Is that all? That's easy enough for me. I'll contact you later with the time and place, okay?"
Shaking Natalia's outstretched hand, Yoon Siwoo thought quietly to himself.
...It's not cheating since we're just meeting up and nothing is going to happen anyway. This is strictly to increase the time I can naturally spend with Scarlet...
Some time later, Martina was back from her shift, enjoying one of her few pleasures in life: a cup of coffee. Indeed, coffee has to be strong to taste right. Humming to herself, she recalled the events of earlier and dialed Natalia's number to ask.
"Hey, I'm seriously curious. What did you talk about with our rookie earlier? Can't you tell me?"
A voice dripping with amusement answered from the other end of the line.
"Curious? It's nothing major. I just asked him to go on a blind date with my daughter, and he readily agreed. You'll officiate their wedding if things go well, right?"
...Wait, wasn't his type older women?
In her utter shock, the cup slipped from Martina's hand and shattered on the floor. Much like her mood, the coffee spilling across the tiles was as black as it was bitter.