Chapter 181
Chapter 181
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 181
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Visitor
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***
The sun was setting, casting long shadows as darkness slowly settled over the grounds.
And just like that, I had left the Class A training grounds and arrived at the cadet cafeteria.
I was just there to grab a simple dinner.
“……”
*Clink.*
Even as I picked up the tray of food, a quiet joy still lingered in my heart.
What I had gained today, my sense of accomplishment, hadn't faded with time and was leaving a deep, lasting impression.
*Nice.*
While I was feeling this pure joy, the cadet cafeteria was rather quiet.
It being the weekend, it seemed many cadets chose to eat elsewhere. I collected my thoughts as I headed for a window seat.
*First, I've solved the biggest problem.*
Trait Level 5. I had achieved the best possible result.
*Clack.*
As I set my tray down by the window, thoughts of the future came to mind.
I had about four days left. While I had to prepare for the coming Apostle, I honestly didn't feel the slightest bit of pressure. In truth, ever since I had received Anastasia's promise a few days ago, I hadn't felt much tension at all.
A sense of security that, no matter which Apostle appeared, I could overcome the crisis as long as Anastasia was there—I couldn't deny that such a belief existed in a corner of my heart.
Trait Level 10. She was an overwhelming presence, called not just a pillar of the empire, but its very ‘cornerstone’…
The emotion I felt now was completely different from the pressure and suffocating sense of crisis I'd felt a few weeks ago when I had to save Karite all by myself.
I now had someone I could lean on. She was completely trustworthy, without a shadow of a doubt.
“Hoo.”
As I blew on the steaming soup to cool it down, I decided to lighten my heart a little more.
*There’s no need to feel pressured.*
Over the past few days, my mind hadn't been completely at ease, but now I felt I could finally relax.
The solid safety net of Anastasia's support, combined with the confidence in my own strength upon reaching Trait Level 5, filled my entire being with self-assurance. It was as if a sense of stability, a belief that I could overcome any crisis, was holding me firm.
*Gulp.*
As I took a spoonful of the rather decent vegetable soup, I felt the gazes of others around me.
A few cadets in the cafeteria were looking at me with interest, but I was getting used to such stares by now.
*In the training grounds, dozens of people were staring at me openly.*
Compared to that, the few glances in the cafeteria felt incredibly minor.
*Thump.*
Then, I brought a sandwich, which had a little bit of meat in it, to my mouth and enjoyed a simple dinner.
I didn't have much money on hand after placing a custom order for a spear, but eating a meal with such a peaceful mind felt like happiness in itself.
*Clink.*
Just then, a tray was placed on the table directly opposite me, and I looked up in surprise.
“…?”
I hadn't expected anyone to sit in front of me. At that moment, I saw a woman with a very mystical appearance.
“I hear Cadet Han Cheon-seong is quite popular. Why are you eating dinner alone?”
“…Are you an instructor, by any chance?”
Looking at her, I didn't know how to react.
The woman now seated before me was not a fellow cadet. She wore a pure white dress, but she had the air of an instructor.
I could immediately sense a maturity and a well-refined presence that one couldn't feel from a cadet.
“That's right. It doesn't look like you have anyone to eat with, so is it okay if I sit here?”
“It’s fine, but… may I know your name, Instructor?”
“Oh, my… I must be out of it. I should have introduced myself properly first. I’m Esia, the instructor for Class A4. You could say I’m quite close with Instructor Kalli, who is in charge of you, Cadet Han Cheon-seong.”
She introduced herself calmly with a bright smile, and though I was flustered, I nodded.
“…So you’re Instructor Esia.”
I realized she was one of the instructors mentioned in the story.
And since she was already sitting across from me, I couldn't possibly turn her away.
“Actually, Cadet Han Cheon-seong, I came to find you because I was curious about the various rumors. I figured if not now, there wouldn't be another good time to talk.”
At her frank admission, I found myself looking at her inadvertently.
The first thing I noticed was her pure white, silver hair that cascaded down to her waist, and then her fresh, green eyes came into view.
She was a beauty with a bright impression that contrasted with her mystical appearance. Moreover, her personality seemed to show through in just a few words. The way she approached me so boldly was enough to tell me she had a personality that got along well with others.
“First, you should eat some meat too, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. You’re at a growing age; this isn't nearly enough for dinner, is it?”
*Plop.*
She then swiftly moved a piece of steak from her tray onto mine. I accepted it, a bit dazed, and blinked.
“Um… thank you.”
I had to accept it since it was already on my tray, but it felt very sudden.
“There's no need to thank me. Think of it as payment for having dinner with me. So, you’ll be my conversation partner for a bit, right?”
…Her cheerful voice was so bold that I felt like I was being swept along by her.
She threw out a peculiar remark, as if to preemptively block any refusal, and hearing it, I found I couldn't turn her down. It was almost as if she had deliberately made it impossible for me to refuse.
But despite that thought, I found myself smiling faintly.
“I’m just grateful that you would spend your time with me like this, Instructor.”
“What’s this, you speak so pleasantly too? I guess this is why everyone has so many good things to say about you, Cadet Han Cheon-seong.”
She let out a laugh, as if my words were quite pleasing to her, and began to leisurely slice her steak. Watching her, I composed myself.
*I can’t let my guard down and make a slip of the tongue.*
She was a Class A instructor and claimed to be close with Kalli, so I needed to make a good impression. Moreover, with the woman who introduced herself as Esia, there was a particular reason I needed to.
*Her trait is a special enhancement type.*
I might need her help someday.
*Chomp.*
As Esia began to eat with a look of bliss, I awkwardly started to cut my own meat.
*Scrape. Scrape.*
As the knife cut through the steak, I swallowed hard.
“……”
My stamina was already drained from the afternoon's sparring. The idea of eating a very high-grade steak for free was an offer my heart couldn't refuse.
At the same time, I thought that today was a particularly lucky day.
The evolution of my trait was deeply meaningful, I'd had steak for lunch courtesy of Glacia, and now, for dinner, I was unexpectedly being treated to steak by a female instructor I had never met before.
*It’s certainly a luxury, but…*
Thinking about it, it still felt strange. As I ate the steak, I waited for her to speak first.
“First of all, I heard a little while ago that you reached Trait Level 5. Congratulations, Cadet Han Cheon-seong.”
“…Thank you, Instructor Esia.”
I gave an awkward smile, wondering if the news about me had already spread.
*Clink.*
Suddenly, she put down her utensils and stared at me intently. I, too, slowed my eating and cautiously met her gaze.
At my reaction, Esia smiled gently and shook her head.
“You really don’t have to be so tense. Just eat comfortably and listen to what I have to say, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. That’s all you need to do. I don’t treat my cadets harshly.”
It seemed she was trying to ease my tension, but no matter what she said, I couldn't.
How could a cadet possibly eat comfortably in front of an instructor? The very idea was absurd.
“……”
When I just smiled awkwardly, she casually popped a piece of steak into her mouth, chewing while keeping her eyes fixed on me.
As her uniquely mystical eyes gazed at me, I was overcome by a truly strange feeling.
Her gaze seemed to be testing me, yet it also felt like she had sought me out of pure interest. In short, it was a gaze whose intention was difficult to pinpoint.
…And yet, her demeanor was incredibly relaxed, just like an instructor's should be.
I remained a little tense under her gaze, but I wasn't intimidated.
*This person approached me with goodwill, that much is true.*
She didn't seem to have come to me with malice or any other ulterior motive. I was sure of that, at least, as I met her eyes.
“As expected of a talented cadet that Kalli has her eye on… To reach Trait Level 5 after only two months, you might even be able to aim for the youngest academy graduation.”
“That’s too much praise… I still have a long way to go.”
I replied to her unexpected words, though I hadn't given the slightest thought to graduating early.
I was already swamped just trying to handle my own affairs; I had no desire to leave the academy anytime soon.
“Is that so? If I were you, Cadet Han Cheon-seong, I would have been excited all day just from reaching Level 5, my head filled with all sorts of thoughts. You’re more humble than I expected, aren't you?”
…She peppered her speech with informalities, creating a strange sense of friendliness. It was peculiar.
Her bright personality wasn't bad, but it felt like she was trying to get closer.
“…I am in a rather excited state right now.”
So I answered honestly.
Rather than overthinking it, I decided to just show her who I was.
“What? So you’re excited, yet you’re answering so humbly?”
“It’s not that I’m being humble… It’s just that cadets should naturally show respect to instructors.”
As I answered, a question rose in my own mind.
—Esia Letellin.
Her full name from the story now came to me clearly.
Was she testing me, or was there something specific she wanted to hear? I continued to meet her eyes steadily as I gave my textbook answer.
“Hmm…”
She met my gaze with a peculiar expression. It was still hard to read her.
"So that's why she likes him."
At her incomprehensible words, I momentarily faltered while eating my steak.
“…Pardon?”
“Ah, no. I was just talking to myself. Don’t worry about it.”
She shook her head slightly, but even that felt incredibly strange.
*What on earth is Esia’s purpose for coming here?*
For an instructor, the weekend had to be a precious time. There was no way she would have come to see me like this for no reason at all.