029. A Single Remark
029. A Single Remark
"Party Creation Authority...?"
Baek Seol-hee's eyebrow twitched, as if my request was unexpected.
"Yes, I want to form a party immediately after enrolling."
As I said that, I glanced back at Kang Do-hee. She flinched.
In the original Velvetsra, before the character I pulled obtained party creation authority—
meaning, up until the midterms—you were forced to watch the story and run auto-battles.
It was the game's way of saying, 'This is how our game works.'
In other words, a tutorial.
So what I was asking for was a tutorial skip!
'The sooner I get this, the better. Having party authority lets me run dungeon clearings and stuff early on.'
And now, without a character gacha pull system, its importance had skyrocketed even more.
If I stamped Lee Yu-ri or Kang Do-hee as part of my party in advance, no one else could poach them, right?
"...Hmm, you're making a more unexpected request than I thought."
"Is it not possible?"
"No. I will resolve that matter for you, one way or another."
After a moment of consideration, Baek Seol-hee nodded without hesitation.
'It worked!'
I cheered inwardly.
Snap─!
Baek Seol-hee snapped her fingers and shifted the mood.
"There was a brief, unsavory matter... but I must finish what needs to be done. I will now evaluate today's joint training."
At that, everyone's faces stiffened.
"Special admission cadets. Kang Do-hee, Shin Se-hee."
"...Yes."
"...Yes."
"Do you know what the cadets' problem was?"
Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee bit their lips.
"You must have thought you could handle anything alone. That a party was unnecessary. Or perhaps, that if things weren't under your control, you only needed to do just enough."
She spoke while looking back and forth between Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee.
"Of course, you could make excuses. The cadets today were wearing Mana-Restriction Magic Tools. One might say, if I just take this thing off, that's the end of it."
Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee fiddled with the magic tools bound to their arms.
"We restricted the cadets' power for convenience, but in truth, this training simulated a situation where you face an enemy far stronger than yourselves. So, would Cadet Kang Do-hee, as party leader, still charge ahead alone without giving any orders? Would Cadet Shin Se-hee still act as if she only needs to do her own job, pretending cooperation is unnecessary?"
"...."
"...."
"I will deduct 10 points from both of your evaluations."
Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee hung their heads low.
"Cadet Jin Yu-ha."
"Yes."
Baek Seol-hee turned her head toward me.
Her stern eyes seemed slightly softer, somehow.
"Directives that considered all party members' strength and synthesized enemy information. Judgment, decisiveness, sense, instinct. All are passing marks. You have exceptional observation skills. I will award you plus 30 points."
The Instructor was tearing down the special admission cadets while talking me up.
It was even more than the Demonized Human Detector's high praise.
I felt awkward for no reason and scratched my cheek.
"Thank you."
However, Baek Seol-hee soon hardened her expression and added,
"However, seizing the party leader's command authority without any warning midway was a violation of discipline and structure. That is a significant demerit factor. Therefore, minus 30 points...."
"W-wait a moment!"
At that moment, Kang Do-hee suddenly interrupted.
"Hm?"
"C-Cadet Jin Yu-ha did not seize command authority!"
Kang Do-hee's sudden defense.
'Even if she was frustrated, I thought I'd get chewed out for taking command without a word...'
I looked at Kang Do-hee with puzzled eyes.
"...Then?"
"I-I, from the very start...! I had decided to hand it over to Cadet Jin Yu-ha...."
At that, Baek Seol-hee chuckled.
She had already heard all the orders given during the joint training.
Kang Do-hee's lie was way too obvious.
But she didn't point out that part separately.
Instead, she wore a satisfied smile.
"I see. In that case, I will cancel Cadet Jin Yu-ha's penalty points. Then, Cadet Kang Do-hee. The party leader authority you hold...."
"I will hand it over to Cadet Jin Yu-ha as of today."
Kang Do-hee said this while looking my way.
'She was staring daggers at me just a moment ago, what's up with her...?'
Her face was pitiful, like a dog left out in the rain.
Having no clue why, I tilted my head.
"Do any other cadets have an objection to raise?"
"I'm, fine with it...."
"I have none!"
"I have none!!"
Shin Se-hee's eyes seemed to have grown a bit more dangerous, somehow.
The two quota students sent me creepy looks and clapped.
Clap, clap, clap, clap─!!!
And so, the joint training came to an end.
* * *
Kang Do-hee returned home after finishing training.
She trudged into her room, her face completely drained of spirit.
"...He wasn't a Demonized Human."
She had thought the request had come to her alone, but that wasn't the case.
Come to think of it, it was natural.
The role of catching a Demonized Human would more naturally be requested of an Instructor first, rather than a prospective cadet.
And indeed, the request assigned to her was merely to keep away and observe, wasn't it?
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Feeling utterly foolish, she banged her head against the wall.
Ding─♬
A phone notification rang from her pocket.
She pulled out her phone to check.
[ Nomination Request Cancelled. ]
[ Cancellation penalty fee of 5,000,000 won has been deposited. ]
A text message informing her of the request cancellation had arrived.
One-tenth of the request completion fee she was originally supposed to receive.
5 million won had landed in her hands for doing absolutely nothing.
But even looking at the amount displayed on the screen, Kang Do-hee couldn't feel any joy whatsoever.
Rather,
Guilt filled her chest.
'I, knew...'
People who suspect, point fingers, and turn their backs for a wrong not committed.
People who won't believe you, no matter how much you cry out that it's not true.
A person who becomes exhausted and broken within that.
Kang Do-hee knew one such person.
And she knew how that person had ended up.
The now-retired Parandis Guild Master.
Choi Hye-seo.
And yet, she herself, who had watched that entire process from right beside her,
had nearly caused a disaster by branding someone who wasn't a Demonized Human as one.
Just because the circumstances were suspicious.
Of course, she hadn't actually done anything yet.
But what if, today, it hadn't come to light that Jin Yu-ha wasn't a Demonized Human?
Clearly, as the Instructor said, she would have committed an irreversible act.
And then she'd have regretted it for life, never forgiving herself.
Thump— Kang Do-hee's heart sank.
It was then.
Ding─♬
The phone notification rang once more.
Sender ─ Black Snake.
《 Jin Yu-ha Video VER. 2 》
'What's this...?'
The Hunter Management Bureau had sent another video of Jin Yu-ha by email.
'Why is there an email even though it's been confirmed Jin Yu-ha isn't a Demonized Human...? Ah, maybe the news hasn't reached them yet?'
The higher-ups had heard the news that Jin Yu-ha wasn't a Demonized Human, but it seemed it hadn't been relayed further down yet.
Kang Do-hee hesitated, her finger pausing on the delete button.
'First, before I delete it... should I, watch it once...?'
Gulping, Kang Do-hee downloaded the video and played it.
And then her eyes widened.
The video delivered yesterday had only shown Jin Yu-ha seemingly harassing the other students.
Because it only featured scenes of him displaying overwhelming skill, cutting down other students with a wooden sword.
But the Jin Yu-ha in the video sent today was different.
Though the scenery was unchanged,
he was reaching out his hand to the quota students who looked like they'd been mistreated.
And Jin Yu-ha spoke from the screen.
— It's only natural to save a party member when they're in danger.
'Ah, so that fight yesterday was to save them...!'
Zing─
A shiver ran down her spine with the realization.
Kang Do-hee bit her lip hard at the surge of emotion.
Now that her head was clear, she could see it.
When they were in such a dangerous situation.
The person who casually reached out his hand.
"Guild Master...."
The Guild Master's face distinctly overlapped with Jin Yu-ha's.
'I have to, apologize....'
But, under what pretense...?
What face could she possibly have to do that...?
Actually, you were so suspicious I thought you were a Demonized Human...?
So I was planning to hand you over to the Management Bureau?
Kang Do-hee's face contorted.
Then, one word Jin Yu-ha said came to mind.
─ From today on, I won't ever speak to you first. So just listen carefully to this one thing I'm saying now.
─ Later, whatever question you come to me and ask, I will answer honestly. No matter what.
Ah.
Maybe Jin Yu-ha had known from the very start that he would be suspected like this.
With such absurd strength in a man's body, he must have gone through all kinds of things like this before.
Come to think of it, even when he was suspected of being a Demonized Human, Jin Yu-ha had asked whether he should just go to the Hunter Management Bureau, as if this were something he was used to.
'So, he was hiding his strength all this time... and then got caught right before coming to the Academy.'
─ And the thing I said about wanting to be your friend. That will never change either. So keep that in mind too.
What had she said back then?
─ What kind of dumbass talk is that? Me, come find you? You really think that'll happen?
Jin Yu-ha had shrugged.
─ Who knows.
That one nonchalant word felt like salvation to her now.
"...Ha. Fuck."
Kang Do-hee covered her face with her hands and let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"Guess I really did have something like that happen...."
Jin Yu-ha had said to come find him and speak whenever,
but honestly, she didn't have the courage yet.
For now, yeah.
First, she would stay close to Jin Yu-ha and get to know him.
And she would carry out his orders properly.
The apology,
would come after that.
Anyway, he was the party leader from now on.
Kang Do-hee nodded with a stiff face.
Then she replayed the video on her phone.
Click.
— It's only natural to save a party member when they're in danger.
"...Fuck. That's romantic as hell."
Leaning against the bed, she watched the video of Jin Yu-ha all night long.