Ch 163
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 163
There's a saying that even if you're caught by a tiger, you can survive if you keep your wits about you.
In reality, you'd probably die if caught by a tiger, but well, it means to respond calmly even when crisis strikes.
As the intense light faded, a blonde beauty with six wings appeared.
Though her hair color and number of wings are different, her outfit and overall feeling are somewhat similar to Luciel.
Is it because they're both angels?
Anyway, there's no feeling of movement and the surroundings haven't changed, so it seems like she won't just start the trial out of nowhere.
"You won't take the challenge?"
She asks with a frowning expression, and she really resembles Luciel a lot.
"That's right. I have no idea why you think of it as a challenge, but I have no intention of taking on the Trial of Origin."
Honestly, I think I could overcome what the protagonist guys overcame too, but I don't know how long it would take.
I told Master and Luciel that I'd return in a week, and right now Se-jin is waiting outside for me to contact her.
"Didn't you infuse magic into the Gate of Origin?"
It seems creating that orb of light was indeed the problem.
"I wasn't challenging it, I was taking a photo... No, you probably won't understand if I put it that way. What happened earlier was a mistake."
"Even if it was a mistake, once the Gate of Origin has opened, it cannot be undone."
No... This is really too unfair.
I didn't even infuse magic into it - when I used magic, that gate just sucked it in on its own...
Why is she being so rigid about this?
I'm completely screwed... Ah!
"If you keep dawdling like that, I'll force you to..."
"W-wait a minute. Do you happen to know someone called Luciel?"
Luciel asked me to give her regards, so she must know her.
Even though she's currently the Guardian of the Demon Realm Tree, she was formerly an Archangel, so there's no way she wouldn't know.
"Lu, Luciel? How do you know that name..."
As expected.
"I'm really close with Luciel, you know? Hey! I, man! Your Luciel and I, man! Until just a week ago we were eating together! Hey?! We even trained martial arts together, hey?! You little, we did everything, man!"
They say even when the sky falls, there's a hole to escape through.
"I don't know why you're suddenly using that strange way of speaking, but if you know Luciel, then you must be a demon."
"Huh? No, how do I look like a demon? Anyone can see I'm human."
"It's common knowledge that high-ranking demons can change their appearance to human form."
No, that is true in the setting but... This is frustrating.
"You call yourself an angel but can't tell just by looking? No, would Luciel eat with demons and train martial arts?"
"That... That's true, but it's also unbelievable that she'd get close to a lowly human."
Lowly human - it's been a really long time since I heard that.
Luciel was like that when we first met too. Is looking down on humans a passive skill for angels?
"And Luciel is..."
"Wait, let me speak first. Honestly, I didn't want to say this because it makes me look pathetic, but Luciel likes me, you know?"
I said it to drive the point home, but somehow the feeling is off.
"That's ridiculous. As expected, you're a demon."
"No..."
"Shut up! Do you know how serious our sister's face preferences are?! You don't look too bad for a human, but you're not our sister's type. No matter how much our sister has fallen, that face won't do at all!"
Luciel was like that at first too... No, wait a minute. Sister?
I thought she seemed to know Luciel well, but she's her younger sister.
That Luciel didn't talk much about her family relationships, so I had no idea.
"If you're Luciel's sister, then you're my sister-in-law?"
"Who... Who's your sister-in-law?! This lowly human is trying to deceive me with lies to the very end!"
Releasing terrifying killing intent, I can see now that being hot-tempered seems to be a family trait of Luciel's family.
"Calm down. I haven't spoken any lies."
"How am I supposed to believe that?"
"I can prove it."
I immediately took out the leaf that transports to Luciel's world from the wallet in my pocket.
"Get that thing away from me?! What kind of proof is a leaf reeking with filthy demonic energy!"
No, your sister is the Guardian of the Demon Realm Tree.
I thought she'd naturally believe me if I showed this... But she's completely horrified.
Still, fortunately, when I talked about the stories Luciel had told me about Heaven and described Luciel's physical characteristics, she withdrew her killing intent and her attitude softened considerably.
"It does seem like you really met my sister..."
"Have you been living being deceived? I've told you this much and you still can't believe it?"
"What you've said isn't definitive. If you were a demon spy, you could easily know such things."
If Luciel were with me like before, I could have proven it immediately. What a pity.
She calls herself Luciel's sister, but not easily trusting people is exactly like Luciel too.
Now there's nothing more to talk about... Is there no choice but to have a big fight like with Luciel?
But since she's Luciel's sister, beating her up seems a bit...
"Don't you have any other stories? About me, for instance."
"I didn't know you existed since she never talked about you..."
"What?"
Somehow I seem to have said the wrong thing.
"No, I really don't have anything more to talk about... Ah! Luciel also said that in Heaven, when making promises, they kiss on the forehead."
"Uh... Huh?"
"What's wrong? Isn't that right?"
That Luciel... Was that also a lie?
I thought I'd create a reverse effect by mentioning it unnecessarily, but the angel in front of me looks very surprised.
"You... Then have you made a promise with my sister?"
"I must know it since I've done it. But is that real?"
"..."
There's no answer.
What exactly is she trying to do...
"That can't be..."
Now she's muttering to herself, but suddenly she approaches me quickly and starts examining my face closely here and there.
"What... What are you doing?"
"No matter how I look, you're not our sister's type... Did she really fall so much that her tastes changed? But if she hadn't lost her reason, this kind of face..."
Even if she's Luciel's sister, it's a bit annoying to say such things openly in front of someone.
"Hey, that's enough."
"Ah, right. I'll believe you."
"Oh, really?"
That Luciel, it wasn't a lie after all.
I blamed her inwardly, but I feel a little sorry.
"You're an idiot too. There's no such rule in Heaven. It's a complete lie."
"Huh? Then why did you say you'd believe me..."
"Because she told me that same lie too. When my sister was young, she said angels have to do this when making promises, so I believed it completely and went to kindergarten and kissed the teacher's forehead... No, why am I telling you this...! Anyway, I believe you!"
I'm glad she believes me, but she really did deceive me.
I take back feeling sorry.
"Right... Right. Thanks for believing me. Should we introduce ourselves now?"
Come to think of it, I haven't even asked for her name.
"I'm Kang Shin-hyeok."
"Lumiel. How is my sister? Is she still okay?"
Since Luciel has been the Guardian of the Demon Realm Tree for over 2,000 years, she must not have seen her for a very long time.
"Of course. She'll never completely fall in the future."
"How..."
I told her everything from the stories of meeting Luciel, to treating the wounds she received from the Demon King, to solving the invasion of demonic energy with Master's help.
"I'm relieved. Thank you."
Since she's her sister, she's even getting teary-eyed while talking, and her attitude is completely different from before.
"Well, I also received a lot of help from her. Most importantly, I couldn't just stand by knowing that someone who likes me would go wrong, right?"
"Even though your face is a bit ugly, you're a good guy."
Who would say they're not sisters, really...
I wanted to say something, but hah... Let me hold back.
I'm the one who needs something right now.
I held back and instead pulled out a box of chocolate bars with spatial magic, planning to launch a bribery offensive - the chocolate bars that Luciel loved.
"What's this?"
"It's your sister's absolute favorite."
"Angels don't need to eat things like this..."
"Your sister said the same thing and then became completely addicted. Just try one first."
I peeled the wrapper and handed it to her, and she accepted it with a suspicious expression.
"The color is black and strange? Is there demonic energy in this by any chance?"
"That's because of the chocolate coating. It has nothing to do with demonic energy or demons, so hurry up and take a bite."
Her face was still full of suspicion, but when I urged her again, she took a very small bite.
"How is it?"
"It's delicious!"
She exclaims and gulps it down in one bite, then like her sister, puts the chocolate bar in her mouth and chews without even opening the package.
"It's delicious, but this time it tastes a bit strange compared to before..."
"You have to peel off the wrapper before eating."
When I opened the package for her, she smiled brightly, saying the taste came back.
It seems bringing out the chocolate bars was indeed the right answer.
She devours a whole box in the blink of an eye and looks at me.
"Don't you have more?"
"Unfortunately, that's all the chocolate bars I have... I'll bring more next time if I get the chance. But more importantly... Hey, so you'll cancel this trial challenge, right?"
"Ah, right. You challenged the Trial of Origin."
"I told Luciel I'd return in a week. Tomorrow will be a week. I'll also tell her about you. When you can come out, I'll come to see you together too. So please consider my situation. You're the administrator, right?"
"That, well, I am the administrator, but..."
But? Somehow I have an uneasy feeling.
"Cancellation isn't possible."
My goodness, cancellation isn't possible...
"No... I'll bring lots of chocolate bars next time."
"Even so, what's not allowed is not allowed."
"It's not really that I'm not confident about the trial... Then can't I come back to challenge the trial later? Yeah, if I'm late and don't bring food, our Master might harass your sister and such."
"I want to help too, but even as an administrator, once the gate has opened, cancellation is impossible."
I feel like demanding she return the chocolate bars she ate... No, that's useless now.
Hah... They say even if an unlucky person falls backward, their nose breaks...
"Instead, I can adjust the difficulty of the trial."
"Really? No, why are you only saying this now? If you lower the difficulty to the minimum, I can finish it quickly."
Maybe the reason Lee Ji-sung in the original story came out much earlier than Kim Do-hyun when he challenged it later was because he challenged it with the difficulty lowered like this.
The wish he wanted wasn't to save the world, but for the heroines to get along well without fighting.
"Instead, the effect of the Origin Orb you receive as a reward will also be reduced from the original."
It's a bit disappointing, but it doesn't matter much.
I had no intention of challenging it in the first place, but I'm forced to do it.
"That doesn't matter, so please set it to the minimum. Then I can finish it quickly."
Of course, even Lee Ji-sung, who chose the lower difficulty, took several months.
A day or two... No, up to a week would be fine, but if it goes over a month, it would disrupt the plans I had in mind.
I can only hope that what Lee Ji-sung challenged wasn't the minimum.
When Lumiel nods and starts chanting a spell, my vision changes instantly.
***
I keep waiting, but even when night comes, there's no contact from the teacher.
The portal still says entry is not allowed.
The fact that there's still no contact means something must have gone wrong inside...
I returned to the lodging, checked that the door was properly locked, and used warp magic.
Master and Sister Luciel must be very worried too.
When I enter the portal, I see Sister Luciel.
"What? You said you'd come in a week. It's one day over. And why are you alone? Where's Shin-hyeok?"
"The teacher hasn't come out yet."
"He still hasn't come out?"
"Yes. The portal still won't allow entry. It seems like some problem occurred inside... what should I do?"
"...That idiot didn't accidentally challenge it, did he?"
"From the fact that he still hasn't come out, it seems like that... Will he be okay? I know the teacher's skills, but..."
"The Trial of Origin has nothing to do with force."
"What? Then isn't this a big problem?"
"Don't worry too much. The Trial of Origin isn't that difficult for those without trauma."
"What?"
"I've only been an administrator and never experienced it directly, but I heard that you overcome and conquer the trauma you've lived with. Someone like Shin-hyeok is good-looking among humans, has money, and no problems. What trauma could he have? Being an orphan is a bit concerning, but since he doesn't seem to particularly care about it himself, he'll come out soon."
"That's right, isn't it?"
"Yeah. If it's Shin-hyeok, he'll be fine."