Yoo Hanbeom Faces Lee Hyunseung
-BOOM-!
A man stepped out of a luxurious limousine, gripping a staff that looked exorbitantly expensive at a glance. "Hmm..."
The man strode into Broad Academy with measured steps. He performed no flashy actions and was accompanied by no attendants. Yet every eye turned toward him, and whispers rippled through the crowd.
"I-isn't that the Artemis Guild Leader?"
"No way. Why would he come here on an ordinary day?"
"I'm telling you, look! Even the magic staff and his appearance match exactly what we saw on the news!"
When one student pulled out his phone and compared the man to a news photo of the Artemis Guild Leader, people began to gather, and the commotion grew.
"Wow... I've never seen him in person before..."
"I-I hope he leaves quickly. He's terrifying..."
Some students gazed at Yoo Hanbeom with reverence, while others shrank back in fear. A Unique-grade mage. A man said to be the strongest in the country, standing on the threshold of Legendary. Wherever he walked, it felt as though a vortex of mana churned around him.
Students watching his imposing figure shared a single question: Why? Why had Yoo Hanbeom come to Broad Academy in person? The Artemis Guild Leader had visited the academy fewer times than could be counted on one hand. That rarity alone made people wonder what grave matter could have drawn the head of the nation's largest guild here.
-Swish-
Yoo Hanbeom glanced at the murmuring students and thought to himself, Pathetic fools.
Mages could normally enhance their hearing or use spells to eavesdrop on distant conversations. Yet most of the students here spoke as though they believed he couldn't hear them, chattering freely among themselves. It was proof of their shallow understanding of mages. Had they known he could hear every word, they wouldn't have dared utter his name.
Do they really think I can't hear them? No, it's obvious. If they believed their words reached me, they wouldn't speak so carelessly.
-Step- -Step- -Step-
Yoo Hanbeom entered the academy in silence. The moment he did, Academy President Choi Yi-seul hurried to the main gate to greet him.
"Guild Leader of Artemis. It's good to see you after so long. May I ask what brings you here today? If you require anything, I'll have it prepared at once."
"I require nothing. I didn't come here today in my capacity as guild leader."
Choi Yi-seul's eyes narrowed with curiosity. "Then what matter has brought you...?"
"There's a student I'm curious about. I came to see him with my own eyes. May I enter?"
Academy President Choi Yi-seul was herself a woman of formidable strength—far beyond what ordinary people could hope to approach. Her youth in her twenties and striking beauty made her an object of admiration for many, yet even she was merely another person in Yoo Hanbeom's eyes.
"Normally, outsiders require a complicated procedure to meet with students... but since your identity is publicly known and verified, I'll use my authority to waive the formalities. There's a private meeting room. If you wait there, I'll send the student to you."
The meeting room was reserved for external visitors such as scouts who wished to speak with academy students. Scouts often discussed sensitive matters like salaries and contract terms, so they preferred the soundproofed privacy the room provided. Choi Yi-seul offered it proactively, even without being asked.
When Yoo Hanbeom nodded in satisfaction, she asked, "Which student should I bring? Is it more than one?"
"No. There's only one student I wish to see. Please bring Lee Hyunseung."
After a moment, Yoo Hanbeom shook his head and added, "Have him come with me. I'm curious how he behaves within F-class. I'll observe from a distance."
Inside Broad Academy's F-class.
Ryu Namgi expressed his gratitude to Lee Hyunseung. "Hyunseung... I was so out of it yesterday that I couldn't say it properly. Thank you. Really. If you hadn't stopped them, I might have been seriously hurt."
Ryu Namgi was the man who had tried to hide Lee Hyunseung from Im Takju—the same Im Takju who had arrived with Han Seonggil—and had been beaten mercilessly for it.
Why... why are you doing this all of a sudden... H-Hyunseung went to the bathroom, so next time...
Ryu Namgi had accepted a weapon from Lee Hyunseung and felt obligated to repay its value by helping him. But the moment the beating began, he had regretted his decision.
I shouldn't have... stuck my nose in...
Watching his own classmates do nothing while he was struck by a B-class student had been more painful than the blows themselves. Even as he was beaten, his eyes had kept drifting toward the seated students, hoping—praying—that someone, anyone, would intervene. Expecting an F-class student to stand against a B-class student was foolish. Yet that foolish thing had actually happened.
Stop it.
Stop it? Have you lost your mind? You want to get beaten like this bastard too?
I'm Lee Hyunseung. Talk to me. And ease up—before I kill you. Take your foot off him.
In truth, Ryu Namgi had no real connection to Lee Hyunseung. He had only received a weapon and tried to show basic courtesy, only to be assaulted for it. There had been no reason for Lee Hyunseung to step in. His opponent had been B-class, after all.
But Lee Hyunseung had intervened without hesitation. He had spoken firmly on Ryu Namgi's behalf, protested, and even used force to retaliate.
-Thump- -Thump-
Ryu Namgi's heart began to race. It wasn't romantic excitement. He was an ordinary man who had been in love with his childhood friend for ten years. What stirred him now was anticipation.
The sight of Lee Hyunseung raising his gun without hesitation to protect an ally. A true leader, the kind seen only in movies or dramas. He had never imagined witnessing such a figure with his own eyes. That was why his heart pounded with expectation.
Maybe... maybe F-class can change after all.
F-class, looked down upon and dismissed as inferior. But from now on, Lee Hyunseung was its representative. That change was bound to bring a storm.
It can change. Even my wretched life...
The man who had been scorned for being F-class. The man who had been despised for being non-awakened and useless. Watching Lee Hyunseung, he wondered if he too could become like that. Admiration soon became motivation. Lee Hyunseung had also been non-awakened until recently. If he could do it, so could Ryu Namgi. No—he would.
Yet Lee Hyunseung reacted as though it were nothing. "Don't worry about it. I made it clear when I handed out the weapons, didn't I? Anyone who accepts one becomes my ally. And I take care of my allies."
Lee Hyunseung understood how to handle people. Where Yoo Heeyeon tried to buy loyalty with money, he offered reasonable compensation paired with trust. After all, he couldn't compete with her on capital alone. Tak Woohyun's weapons were rare and valuable, but Yoo Heeyeon could easily provide things far more expensive. So Lee Hyunseung needed to add something extra—something that would keep people from being swayed by her whispers and ensure they remained genuinely on his side.
Knowing this was an opportunity, he deliberately spoke loud enough for others to hear. "It's not just you. Anyone I gave a weapon to—if they ever find themselves in trouble, I'll look after them properly."
He didn't say it outright, but the message was clear: don't fall for Yoo Heeyeon's temptations. The forty or so people who had received weapons from him all possessed exceptional potential and would grow into formidable forces. To Lee Hyunseung, who already knew their future growth, this level of investment was a bargain. Outsiders might have called him insane for giving Tak Woohyun's weapons to mere F-class students, but he knew better.
"In return, all I want is trust. That's it. Don't betray me. If you do, I'll take responsibility as your leader."
At his words, every gaze in the room focused on him. And from a distance, watching and listening, Yoo Hanbeom tilted his head in admiration.
"I thought he was just a half-grown wolf cub... but he's a tiger cub."
Then, inwardly, he thought, But a guy like that... committed stalking...?
Gradually, his doubts about Yoo Heeyeon grew larger.