Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Han Cheon-seong's Absence
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***
—How deeply can one person's absence be felt?
Opinions on that matter would surely vary.
Everyone would feel it differently, depending on how close they were to the person who disappeared, whether that person had a significant presence, or if they were someone who was ignored even when nearby.
And now, as the fourth week of the academy began.
Most of the people in the Class C lecture hall were, in their own ways, feeling the void left by one person.
“That concludes the theoretical explanation. From now on, I want you all to try manipulating your mana directly.”
At Kalli’s instruction, who was lecturing on mana theory, the cadets in the hall each brought their hands together and began to channel their own mana.
*Fwoosh!*
*Fwoooosh!*
Cadets with large reserves of mana emitted a vivid blue light, while those with less mana produced a fainter glow.
Following the theory they had just learned, they maintained the manifested mana in their hands.
The training continued, not just maintaining the mana but also increasing and decreasing its volume to practice control.
As nearly fifty cadets focused, those who showed particular talent immediately stood out.
-Luna Vermont.
-Jerad Readri.
Both were from esteemed noble families.
Kalli’s gaze lingered on them, the result being as expected as it was.
‘As I thought, one can’t ignore family background.’
Unlike Traits, mana was an area that could be honed in advance, which created a clear distinction.
As Kalli mused, her eyes drifted to an empty seat.
The cadet who would normally have been listening to the lecture with the most fervor was not there today.
“...”
Kalli stared at Cheon-seong’s empty desk for a moment before shaking her head.
*Huu.* She let out a faint breath, clearing her mind of the rising thoughts.
She had to focus solely on the lecture during class. Even if she had a favorite, she couldn’t allow herself to think about an absent cadet. Kalli spoke again.
“Cadet Luna and Cadet Jerad are demonstrating very ideal mana control. If any other cadets are struggling, try observing these two and see what you can learn.”
With those light words, Kalli began to slowly walk around the classroom.
*Click.*
*Clack….*
As she roamed the hall, taking in each cadet’s manifested mana, Kalli inadvertently glanced out the window.
The afternoon sun felt warm, and a thought suddenly struck her.
‘Come to think of it, today is a training day with Cadet Han Cheon-seong.’
Twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, she had promised to help him in her training room.
But as the realization hit that, just like last Friday, there would be no training today either…
“...Huu.”
Kalli let out a sigh she hadn't even been conscious of.
Disappointment, a lingering attachment, an undeniable sense of loss even though she knew it couldn't be helped.
*Flinch!*
However, the cadets near Kalli interpreted her sigh in a completely different way.
Feeling that it was a reaction to their own inadequate mana control, a sign of her dissatisfaction, several cadets broke into a cold sweat and focused with extreme intensity.
*Click.*
Passing by those cadets, Kalli’s eyes eventually landed on Luna.
*FWOOOSH!!*
The blue mana cupped in her hands was so brilliant it completely enveloped her arms.
It was an amount of mana that anyone could see was extraordinary.
“...Wow.”
“How can she… have so much?”
As the surrounding cadets naturally voiced their admiration for Luna, Kalli understood.
To her eyes, it looked like Luna had at least three times the mana of the other students. On top of that, her control was overwhelmingly more proficient. Kalli, too, felt a small sense of satisfaction.
“Cadet Luna. You’re doing very well.”
“...Thank you, Instructor Kalli.”
As Kalli gave rare praise to a cadet, Luna smiled brightly and nodded.
Kalli offered a small smile in return before walking past her.
*Click.*
The moment she passed, Luna let out a soft breath and slowly began to regulate her mana.
In truth, Luna still had plenty of leeway in her mana manipulation.
*Glance.*
Even so, Luna consciously controlled her mana to a moderate level and turned her head.
Just as Kalli had done, her eyes fell on an empty seat in the classroom.
The seat where Han Cheon-seong should have been.
“……”
Gazing intently at the spot, Luna’s smile gradually faded.
The joy she felt from the praise quickly subsided.
Her last encounter with him in the infirmary kept weighing on her mind.
‘Can he really say that nothing happened?’
Once planted, the seed of doubt refused to disappear.
The scene she had witnessed through Divination was still too vivid in her memory.
Adelia’s form, seemingly molesting Han Cheon-seong. And later, when she saw him herself, how much he had been struggling…
Even though Erpe had later told her it was a misunderstanding, she couldn't bring herself to believe it so easily.
“Ah.”
The mana focused in her hands wavered greatly for a moment. Luna immediately corrected her posture and nodded to herself.
‘If he was being harassed by an instructor, it would be difficult for him to speak up.’
Besides, she and Han Cheon-seong weren't even close. She figured it would be even harder for him to confide in her.
Ironically, Luna found herself deeply concerned about Han Cheon-seong.
If the boy her close friend liked was being subjected to unjust treatment, she couldn't just turn a blind eye.
A strange thought even crossed her mind that she had to help him somehow.
“...”
As Luna, lost in turmoil, stared at the empty seat with a complex expression…
Not far away, another cadet was watching her, his face twisting into a scowl.
Beneath his light blond hair, his eyes were contorted. The mana gathered in his hands was trembling like never before.
Jerad Readri.
He had been utterly humiliated after his crushing defeat to Han Cheon-seong in the practical training class.
“Damn it…”
The cadets around him flinched at the sound of him muttering and biting his lip.
But Jerad paid them no mind, his eyes fixed only on Luna.
And he had seen it.
He saw where Luna’s gaze was directed.
He saw her eyes waver as she looked at Han Cheon-seong’s empty seat, and he saw the mana in her hands falter. He had seen it all.
So, he couldn't help but think…
‘Could it be that Luna…’
…has feelings for Han Cheon-seong? That was something Jerad could not accept.
The Readri and Vermont families had maintained ties for generations.
They had met several times in their childhood, and after they were miraculously assigned to the same class, Jerad had begun to feel a sense of destiny with Luna.
He believed his partner would be Luna.
And in his eyes, Luna was worthy in every respect.
Her beautiful appearance, her unique yet unyielding personality, the grace and pride befitting her family's status…
But for her to show interest in Han Cheon-seong, the very person who had brought him such great humiliation, was something Jerad could absolutely not tolerate.
*Grit….*
A chilling sound of grinding teeth echoed, and the cadets nearby now watched him with outright caution.
“Jerad?”
Melden, one of his usual companions, called out cautiously. Jerad finally calmed himself and met his eyes.
“Melden. What is it?”
“Ah, n-no… It’s nothing.”
Startled by his cold gaze, Melden stammered awkwardly. An idea then struck Jerad.
Looking at Han Cheon-seong’s empty seat, he suddenly thought.
'Perhaps this is a great opportunity.'
While that bastard was gone, he had to get further ahead.
More importantly, Jerad felt a strong need to approach Luna.
***
…
While others were thinking of Han Cheon-seong in different ways during his absence…
At that very moment.
Han Cheon-seong was not in the infirmary.
***
Han Cheon-seong was not lying in a hospital bed.
While the other cadets were in class…
*Heave!*
Cheon-seong, moving a box filled with various potions, was working silently, sweat trickling down his face.
Anyone who saw him would have found it hard to believe he was a patient staying in the infirmary.
“Instructor Adelia. Is it really… alright for Cadet Han Cheon-seong to be doing that?”
Erpe, who was watching Cheon-seong intently from a corner of the storage room, couldn't help but ask. Adelia, standing beside her, gave a small, indulgent smile.
“He’s showing so much willingness himself. How could I possibly stop him?”
“But for Cadet Han Cheon-seong, it might be better to focus more on resting…”
“Physically, he’s almost fully recovered. All that’s left is rehabilitation to regain his senses. Being active and moving his body like this now will actually help him regain them.”
“...In that case.”
Erpe paused, about to continue.
She had been about to ask—is there really a need for Cadet Han Cheon-seong to stay in the infirmary?
“...”
But Adelia was looking her straight in the eye.
Having spent years with Adelia, Erpe understood her meaning from her gaze alone.
“Erpe.”
“...Yes, Instructor Adelia.”
“You know you shouldn’t say what you’re thinking out loud… right?”
“I understand.”
As Erpe nodded awkwardly in response, a strange feeling washed over her.
The Adelia she knew was not one to give excessive treatment or allow cadets such leeway.
She was an instructor who disliked malingerers or those simply trying to get out of work.
But now, unlike before, it seemed as if she was trying to make Han Cheon-seong rest, no matter what.
As Erpe was lost in these peculiar thoughts…
*Thud.*
Cheon-seong finished his work and approached them.
“The storage room is all organized. Is there anything else you need me to do?”
Erpe couldn't help but glance at Adelia as Cheon-seong asked with such enthusiasm, even while sweating…
“There’s nothing more for now. You’ve worked hard, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Pushing yourself any further could strain your body, so let’s stop here for today. Alright?”
As she spoke, she reached out her hand. There was no hesitation in Adelia’s gesture.
*Stroke.*
Watching her gently caress Han Cheon-seong’s hair, Erpe felt a pang of envy.
‘When it comes to Cadet Han Cheon-seong, she praises him so effortlessly.’
As her assistant of many years, she felt a little hurt.
Adelia had rarely treated her with such tenderness.
Lost in thought, Erpe narrowed her eyes.
"..."
Adelia's hand, stroking Cadet Han Cheon-seong's hair…
Something about it felt strange.
She had assumed Adelia reached out to transfer vitality, but she couldn't sense any such energy from her hand at all.
It was as if…
“Ah, in that case, Erpe.”
“...Yes, Instructor Adelia.”
“Could you go to my office for a moment and bring this week’s schedule? And while you’re there, please take care of the office cleaning I’ve been putting off.”
“Understood.”
Even as she accepted the reasonable request, Erpe couldn't shake the odd feeling.
Somehow… it felt as if Instructor Adelia was constantly trying to send her away.
‘It must be my imagination, but…’
It was almost as if she wanted to be alone with Cadet Han Cheon-seong.
*Click.*
As she slowly made her way to the office, Erpe unknowingly shook her head.
'What kind of ridiculous thought am I having…'
The Instructor Adelia she knew wasn't that kind of person.
She was an incredibly pure and good person.
Right, I'm the one having ridiculous thoughts right now.
*Glance.*
Even so, Erpe couldn’t help but look back.
The sight of her instructor walking with Cadet Han Cheon-seong, a bright smile on her face…
Somehow, she looked different from usual.