The Enemy's Tongue

『“National language,” she says.』 Lee Yuha spoke. 『No matter how much we have lost our country, how can we call the enemy’s tongue our national language?』 Her Japanese was clumsy and awkward, yet the look in her eyes was colder than ice.

Yang Bok-ja, sensing something off in Lee Yuha’s demeanor, frowned and said sharply, 『……You do realize this is a school, right? Watch what you say.』

Lee Yuha shot back, 『You are the one who should watch yourself! How can you forget that you are Korean and even try to discard your own name—』

『What? ……Kyahaha!』 Yang Bok-ja burst into laughter, cutting her off. She folded her arms and sneered, 『I was wondering what you were going on about. Korea’s long gone. I’m just keeping up with the times. What’s so wrong with that?』

『You…… You are Korean too, yet how can you say such things……!』

As the argument between Yang Bok-ja and Lee Yuha grew more heated, Murasaki, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, sneered from a distance. 『Hah! As expected, Korean women only know how to fight without shame…… Whether they’re modern or old-fashioned, it’s all the same.』

Paying no heed to Murasaki’s mockery, the two girls continued their verbal sparring. Yang Bok-ja, arms still folded, snapped, 『Did I say anything wrong? Korea went extinct because it kept chanting “Confucius says this, Mencius says that” and couldn’t adapt to the changing era. I don’t want to end up like that.』

When Yang Bok-ja blamed Korea’s fall on Confucian rhetoric, Lee Yuha finally shouted in Korean, “Do you truly believe that!”

Even so, Yang Bok-ja calmly retorted in Japanese. 『Did you just speak Korean? Didn’t they teach you at school to only use the “national language”? Ahh, were you attending a seodang while everyone else went to proper schools?』

“You……!” Lee Yuha couldn’t continue. The remark had struck a nerve.

『……It’s freezing.』 While the two argued, the surrounding temperature seemed to have dropped by at least ten degrees. No, it wasn’t just a feeling. In the middle of an April afternoon, white breath was visible, and frost began to settle on the leaves.

『Lee Yuha’s frost emission ability.』 Her emotions had flared, and she had unconsciously released her power.

If left unchecked, things could spiral out of control. Aikawa, the timid Japanese girl who had been watching the fight, fidgeted anxiously and asked me, 『Um…… What should we do? Should I go down and call a professor……?』

Though no official leader had been assigned to our squad, I had naturally taken command so far, while Murasaki only watched and mocked from the sidelines. That was why she turned to me.

But I answered firmly. 『No.』

If a professor came, Lee Yuha and Yang Bok-ja would only be punished for breaking the no-fighting rule, and in the worst case, the entire squad could lose points.

『At this point, I have no choice but to step in.』

I was a veteran hunter with nearly ten years of experience. Even during raids in the 21st century, party members whose emotions ran high would sometimes start internal conflicts, and I had dealt with such situations countless times. Though a school was different from a raid site, stopping a childish squabble like this was nothing.

So, what was the best way to stop their fight right now?

① Calm Lee Yuha down gently.

② Grab Yang Bok-ja by the hair and drag her away.

③ Hold out a hand and shout “Stop!”

④ ……Attack the idle Murasaki standing nearby.

I strode straight up to Murasaki and slapped him hard across the cheek.

Smack—!

『……?』

The crisp sound of the slap echoed, and every member of the squad stared at me in stunned silence. From the corner of my eye, I saw even Lee Yuha and Yang Bok-ja, who had been arguing moments ago, now gawking blankly in my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠direction.

『Good.』

I turned to Murasaki, who was still standing there dumbfounded, and said bluntly, 『Let’s fight.』

『……What? What did you say? Fight? You want to fight?』

Murasaki muttered in a daze for a moment before roaring like thunder, 『That’s exactly what I wanted! You insolent Korean—!』

He tried to draw his sword, but I raised my voice. 『Wait!』

I stopped him and held up a single finger. 『I don’t mean right here and now. If students fight among themselves, we’ll both be penalized for violating school rules. You don’t want that either, do you?』

Though I was speaking to Murasaki, the real ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠audience was Lee Yuha and Yang Bok-ja.

『They heard that loud and clear.』

Murasaki shouted, 『Then…… Then what do you want!』

『There’s a way.』 I glanced at the Japanese sword he had half-drawn. 『You’ll be taking swordsmanship classes once the semester starts, right?』

『Of course! Why even ask?』

『Same for me. And in swordsmanship class, there will naturally be practice matches between students…… At that time, the two of us will spar. We’ll settle this fairly in front of the professors and students.』

Private fights between students were forbidden, but a supervised practice match under a professor’s watch? That would leave no loose ends, and he would have no choice but to accept the outcome.

Of course, my proposal wasn’t only to stop Lee Yuha and Yang Bok-ja’s argument. There was another reason—I needed to put this guy in his place. I had held back in the morning, thinking it best not to get involved with a delinquent like him, but I couldn’t just let it slide. If I left someone who casually looked down on Koreans like it was breathing, it would cause endless trouble for my school life.

But wouldn’t slapping him invite retaliation? Especially since he was the son of the Jongno police chief?

However, I was no longer the same person I had been that morning.

『I am a noble……!』

Now that I knew I was the son of a noble family, things were different. I had been intimidated by the police chief’s son earlier, but not anymore.

『Even the Japanese police can’t freely touch a Korean noble.』

No matter how much Korean nobility was a mere imitation under colonial rule, they were legally granted rights equal to Japanese peerage. Even the lowest-ranking baron enjoyed that protection. So he couldn’t just tattle to his father and get me expelled or punished over a single slap.

Moreover, by immediately proposing a fair “match” right after the slap, the focus had shifted to the upcoming duel, rendering the slap itself insignificant.

Hearing my proposal, Murasaki shouted, 『Fine! Korean bastard…… Don’t you dare run away! We’ll settle this then!』

He roughly shoved his half-drawn sword back into its sheath.

『Easier to handle than I thought.』

Anyway, that was settled. I turned back to Lee Yuha and Yang Bok-ja. I called out to Yang Bok-ja, who was still staring at me, having forgotten her argument with Lee Yuha.

“Yang Bok-ja.”

“……!?”

Not “Tomiko,” not the Japanese reading “Ryo Fukushi,” but her real Korean name spoken plainly—she looked utterly flustered. “Wh-what?” she stammered, forgetting to speak Japanese and replying in Korean.

I looked her straight in the eye. “You stop too, Yang Bok-ja.”

『Sh-Shirabayashi-kun, even you…… But she started it first—』

She wasn’t a child, yet “She started it!” came out anyway. Well, at seventeen, maybe she was.

I repeated myself. “I said stop.”

『Ugh…….』

“You were wrong. Apologize to Yuha. And Lee Yuha, accept the apology.”

The tension between them had already cooled completely the moment I suddenly challenged Murasaki. Since the fight had already been interrupted once, it would probably fizzle out on its own if left alone. But since I was stepping in anyway, I might as well resolve it properly. If they kept fighting like this from the start of the semester, it would only get worse later. Worse still, it could foster the perception that “Koreans only cause trouble.”

Earlier, Murasaki had sneered that Korean girls fought at the drop of a hat, as if it were entertaining. If that image spread among the students, every Korean student—including me—could be ignored or targeted by the Japanese students. As the saying went, when ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠whales fight, the shrimp’s back breaks. Even I, who had been minding my own business, could get caught in the crossfire.

Urged to apologize, Yang Bok-ja reluctantly said to Lee Yuha, 『Sorry…….』

“Lee Yuha, you too. Accept it quickly.”

However, Lee Yuha seemed shocked by my sudden intervention. She looked more surprised than angry. Hmm. Probably because a son of a pro-Japanese collaborator was ordering her around. Still, she didn’t want to escalate the fight any further either, so she soon replied in a subdued tone, “……I apologize for raising my voice.”

With my mediation, the conflict between the two was somehow resolved. I let out a sigh and called out to the entire squad.

『Alright! Everyone calm down. Let’s eat lunch here and resume hunting in the afternoon.』

We had originally planned to hunt a bit more before eating, but the argument and my intervention had already brought us close to noon. Besides, I had already pushed everyone hard all morning, so they were probably hungry. Hunger made people irritable—that much was obvious.

I sat in a corner and took out the lunchbox I had brought that morning. Everyone else sat at a slight distance from one another and unpacked their own lunches. Even in that awkward atmosphere, Yang Bok-ja, as if she had already forgotten her fight with Lee Yuha, approached Aikawa and sat down, asking cheerfully, 『Aikawa-chan! What’s in the dorm bento today?』

『U-uh, rice curry—』

『Dorm food isn’t bad either.』

Students like me who commuted brought their own lunches, but those living in the dorms were provided with bento from the dormitory cafeteria. Today’s dorm lunch on the first day of school was curry.

『Looks delicious.』

My lunchbox contained a few slices of grilled meat that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠resembled sanjeok and a boiled egg, but it was mostly plain rice and seasoned vegetables. I had eaten something similar last night too. It was light, to put it nicely—or, to be honest, “the kind of taste that makes you crave ramen……”

For someone whose palate was accustomed to 21st-century flavors, it was far too bland. Why hadn’t the Baek Chulyeon whose body I possessed stayed in the dorms? Even if he hadn’t, as the son of a baron, he should have had plenty of money. Why had he chosen to live alone in a rundown boarding house?

While pondering this, I remembered the boarding house daughter who had woken up early to pack this lunch for me and decided to eat it gratefully. Then, in the distance, I spotted Lee Yuha sitting alone without touching her lunch.

『She’s in the dorms too.』

Since Lee Yuha had moved into the dorms today, she should have received a curry lunchbox, yet she wasn’t even trying to eat it. I picked up my own lunchbox, walked over, and sat beside her.

“Lee Yuha.”

“……”

No answer. Still, I gently suggested she eat since she must be hungry, but she turned her head and said, “I simply have no appetite.”

“Here.” I held out my lunchbox.

Lee Yuha alternated her gaze between the lunchbox suddenly thrust in front of her and my face. “……What is this?”

“I haven’t touched it yet. Let’s trade. You don’t like curry, right? I like curry, so I’ll eat yours.”

Lee Yuha’s pupils trembled. Her eyes then landed on the lunchbox I offered.

“……”

As expected, someone like her would prefer mild home-cooked food over Western-style curry. Even if it was plain, it had more care put into it than curry. This was absolutely not me trying to trick Lee Yuha for selfish gain.

“Come on, quickly.”

“……”

Lee Yuha eventually accepted my lunchbox. Without a word, I picked up her dorm lunchbox and began eating the curry rice while sitting beside her.

『Home cooking is nice, and gukbap is nice too, but sometimes you need to eat something like this.』

It couldn’t compare to 21st-century Korean curry, but still, that stimulating spice……!

Lee Yuha stared at my lunchbox for a moment before carefully scooping up the first bite. Soon she was chewing away contentedly. She had claimed to have no appetite, but it was only the curry she disliked. Watching her, I thought to myself:

『Explaining myself now would be the worst move.』

After all, serious conversations weren’t meant to happen during meals. Besides, bringing up “I’m not actually a pro-Japanese collaborator” at this timing would only make it seem like I was trying to win her over with food.

……Not that I could deny it entirely.

After everyone had eaten their fill, our group of six climbed back up the forested mountain path. I glanced at Lee Yuha; she still avoided my gaze, but the hostility from earlier had faded considerably.

『Food really is the best.』

Once your stomach was full, your heart naturally softened! Of course, since I hadn’t explained myself yet, she probably didn’t view me favorably. She was likely still confused by my actions……

Meanwhile, a heavy atmosphere still lingered between Lee Yuha and Yang Bok-ja. They cooperated only because they were in the same squad, but at least they followed my instructions without issue.

『Let’s try going that way this time.』 As I moved ahead, Song Byeong-o asked from beside me, 『Wait, Baek Chulyeon. Isn’t this enough?』

『Huh?』

『We’ve already caught quite a lot. Are you planning to keep hunting?』

As he spoke, Song Byeong-o showed me his iron case. It was the container we had each been given along with our weapons at the start of this practical training, meant for collecting hunted magical beasts. It was now nearly full of beast corpses. The same went for the other squad members’ cases.

『Um…… I think he’s right too. It’s getting heavy now…….』 Aikawa chimed in, supporting Song Byeong-o.

Well, most of the beasts were small, low-grade ones the size of a fist. If the cases were this full, we had probably hunted well over a hundred beasts already.

『Yeah, yeah! Even if this counts toward our grades, the other squads couldn’t have done as well as us, right? We’d still be first even if we head back now!』 Yang Bok-ja added.

But regardless of grades, there was an important reason I needed to continue hunting.

『Status Window!』

Flash—!

『The magical power from the freshly extracted magic stones I had absorbed so far was still far from enough, since the beasts had all been small and low-grade. Given that I didn’t know how often these practical training sessions would occur, I had to gather as much as possible right now.』

I said, 『We have until 3 PM anyway. Let’s hunt a little more. If it’s too heavy, you can dump some from the case.』

『Ugh……. It’s a shame to throw away what we worked so hard to catch…….』 Yang Bok-ja groaned.

……At this point, I did feel a bit sorry for the squad members. But still, this wasn’t just for my benefit—it was good for everyone. Even if it didn’t count toward grades, learning from a former veteran pro hunter like me was valuable. They had nothing to complain about……!

After brushing off their protests, I pressed forward. Contrary to my desire to hunt more, magical beasts were nowhere to be seen.

『Strange……』

In the morning, they had seemed to be everywhere. Was there simply none in this area? But even as we went further, it was the same.

『They’re getting even harder to find.』

Moreover, we hadn’t encountered any other squads on the way here either. Had the other squads already hunted a lot and gone back down?

As we ventured deeper into the mountains, we reached a damp valley where sunlight barely reached. There, I discovered something lined up on the ground.

Embedded firmly in the earth were long, thick objects made of metal……

『……Iron stakes?』