What Are the Ability Users Thinking?
The girl with the glasses was suffering because of her superior.
“Uuu… to lose to a commoner. It’s a disgrace to the family….”
“…Hey, calm down. Anyone can lose. You’re not a disgrace to your family.”
“R-really? Chae-a…!”
“You’re not just a disgrace to your family. You’re a disgrace to the lady and to all of Daehan. You should commit seppuku to atone for your crimes.”
“…Do you want to die?”
It was lunchtime after the morning classes had ended. No Chae-a walked behind her lady, savoring what little peace she could find. Most of that peace, however, was spent mercilessly teasing the blonde noble daughter who had suffered a pathetic defeat against the princess’s guard in Ether Combat Arts.
“Ah, I unconsciously used crude language….”
“A-yoon…. You’re not crude.”
“You’re about to say something weird again—”
“The crude one is your Jeongmu Fist skills…. I knew it the moment you started strutting around, trusting in that so-called invincible shield of yours. Ah, sorry. Ah, wait. Ah. Ah. Ah. I’m dead. Ack.”
“Just die. Die already.”
After the short commotion passed, the pair straightened their clothes as if nothing had happened and glanced ahead. Their lady continued walking with the same elegant stride, completely unaffected by the noise behind her.
“…Lady.”
No Chae-a spoke carefully.
“Well, I didn’t expect the princess’s guard to be that skilled…. What should we do now?”
Wi Ha-yeon paused for a moment, tilting her head slightly as the corners of her lips curved upward in a faint smile.
“What should we do…. What do you mean by that?”
Here we go again. No Chae-a looked at her master—both figuratively and literally—who wore that inscrutable smile and muttered inwardly. That mysterious way she had of making her subordinates guess her intentions before revealing them always made their lives difficult. Especially for someone like her, who had to flail around like a live fish trying to read her mood. Hwang A-yoon must have it easy, having no thoughts whatsoever….
Quickly organizing her thoughts, No Chae-a continued.
“The class president election is tomorrow. Unfortunately, the performance we prepared to show the students ended in failure…. I imagine the princess has taken a few votes because of it?”
“Cough, cough.”
The sound of Hwang A-yoon choking reached them, but No Chae-a paid it no mind. Who told you to lose?
“Hmm. Class president. Class president.”
Wi Ha-yeon murmured the words like a little song, then narrowed her eyes and gave a small laugh.
“Then let the princess have it. What of it?”
“…Are you serious?”
Although the homeroom teacher had casually brushed off the topic of the class president election, the position at Baekhwa Academy was not one to be taken lightly. As the conflict between the royal family that owned the academy and the steadily expanding Daeseong Group grew, the academy had greatly increased the student council’s autonomous authority as a compromise. The idea was to let a democratically elected representative chosen through fair voting handle a large part of operations instead of messy behind-the-scenes fighting.
…It hadn’t been particularly effective and had only intensified the proxy war between the royal family and Daeseong through the students.
‘Well, whether that worked or not is beside the point.’
In any case, under the current system, each class president had the right to attend the monthly student council meetings and could cast one equal vote regardless of grade. Of course the student council president’s opinion carried the most weight, but… the position of class president was not something that could be handed over to the princess so easily.
“Of course. The princess seems quite eager to take the role. As a loyal citizen of Daehan, shouldn’t we graciously yield it to her?”
With that, Wi Ha-yeon closed her mouth as if the subject were now closed.
“…I see.”
No Chae-a, who had been mentally running through countless plans that could influence the election, neatly discarded every last one of them. If that was what the lady wanted, she would simply follow. If she wished to do things this way, there was nothing to be done about it. She wasn’t the type to act without reason.
Tap, tap. The sound of Wi Ha-yeon’s resumed footsteps echoed down the hallway where only the three of them walked.
“More importantly, about Miss Baek Seol yesterday….”
The words slipped from Wi Ha-yeon’s lips in a passing tone.
“Ah, of course. I delivered the proposal.”
No Chae-a, who had been watching her lady’s every move, answered while recalling the small girl her lady had taken an interest in for some reason.
“I see. How did she react?”
“…There wasn’t much of a reaction. If anything, she looked rather reluctant.”
“Hmm.”
As always, she let out that mysterious hum and added in a whisper.
“Then let’s observe her for the time being.”
“Yeah. She doesn’t seem the type who likes sudden friendliness.”
After giving that obvious reply, No Chae-a asked a question to test the waters.
“…More than that, is there a particular reason you’re paying so much attention to her? Being able to heal Ether Runaway is certainly useful…. But it doesn’t seem like an ability you need, Lady.”
Having spoken, No Chae-a glanced at her lady’s face, reading her expression. She thought this much was within bounds, but… just in case the lady considered it presumptuous. Knowing what happened to people who upset her mood, it was always better to be cautious.
Fortunately it didn’t seem to have displeased her. Wi Ha-yeon answered with a soft smile.
“Hmm…. As you said, it’s not an ability I need, but….”
“…”
“It feels like it might come in handy if I keep her around. So please keep a close eye on her, Chae-a. Understood?”
“…Yes.”
With No Chae-a’s reply, the conversation ended there.
“…Then shall we head to the cafeteria before lunch ends!”
Watching Hwang A-yoon, who had been quietly observing the mood, slyly follow after the lady, No Chae-a turned the matter over in her mind. Although she had been chosen for the strategist position, the lady was far superior when it came to scheming. The fact that she hadn’t explained her reasons meant there was no need for her to know. She should stop worrying about it. Her job was to carry out the missions the lady had given her.
‘In other words, coaxing Baek Seol into the Wi Ha-yeon faction.’
No Chae-a recalled that seemingly vacant face once more. There was one truth she had learned through living: ‘All people like to demonstrate their superiority.’ If there was something they were better at than others, humans would feel a small sense of satisfaction by confirming their superiority through internal comparison, even if they didn’t show it outwardly.
‘Fewer than a hundred new students per school each year. Even combining all four schools, it’s less than four hundred. The proportion of ability users in the population is less than 0.05 percent.’
And… especially for those with rare abilities. They couldn’t help but feel a sense of superiority when looking at ordinary people.
No Chae-a recalled the emotion she had felt when she first used her own ability. The thrill of becoming one of the chosen, freed from the wretched poverty, misfortune, and pain that had bound her since birth.
…It really had been exhilarating.
Even if not to her degree, it was undeniable that many ability users harbored a sense of elitism, whether they realized it or not.
But Baek Seol didn’t have that. When told she could become a Daeseong scholarship student, instead of the joy and pride typical students would feel—despite possessing a healing ability far rarer than most, one capable of curing even Ether Runaway—what No Chae-a, who was talented at reading people’s hearts, had seen in her eyes was not pride, superiority, or duty, but rather… weariness and hatred.
She recalled the documents her lady had shown her. It had only been about a year since Baek Seol gained her ability. And the accident that had triggered it. That event must have left a deep scar on her mind.
How should she approach her? She might look naïve and gentle on the surface, but No Chae-a knew that once such people took a dislike to you, it became very difficult to get close again.
As various strategies ran through her head, the image of Yu Na-rae sticking close to Baek Seol also flashed by. She was cute, sure, but what did she see in her to keep her around? Was that her type?
No Chae-a briefly checked her own reflection in the window, then turned away with a deep sigh.
…Let’s put the beauty trap on hold. She didn’t have the looks to win favor, nor the confidence to act charming. Besides, she hadn’t been chosen for this position to seduce girls in the first place….
‘Sigh….’
Suddenly craving a cigarette despite never having smoked one, No Chae-a let out another sigh and followed after her lady.
There was only one thing on her mind right now.
‘What could Baek Seol be thinking?’
“What are the ability users thinking about?”
Dressed in a researcher-like white lab coat over a red shirt and black skirt, the teacher pushed her glasses up with a finger and spoke in a calm tone.
“The topic we should pay the most attention to is exactly that.”