Chapter 235
Chapter 235
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 235
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Coincidence
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***
They say joy doubles when shared.
Though she'd only heard it somewhere, Glacia was now practically trembling with the desire to put that saying into practice.
*I found a clue.*
She had desperately hoped for it, yet never truly expected it.
But now, as if by a miracle, she had it in her grasp.
A clue to the skill.
She had succeeded in obtaining a clue to the absolute power Han Cheon-seong had manifested.
*Click! Clack!*
Even as she hurried down the academy's main thoroughfare, she could hardly contain her surging excitement.
The excitement had kept her from sleeping a wink all night, and time had flown by until, before she knew it, dawn had broken.
"Hah..."
Breathing heavily, she soon arrived at the entrance to the men's dormitory.
Unable to enter the men's dormitory, she relayed a message to the academy staff member at the entrance and waited. A moment later, the staffer returned, shaking his head.
"Cadet Glacia, it doesn't seem Cadet Han Cheon-seong is in his room right now."
"...He's not inside?"
"That's right. I knocked, but there was no answer. He must be out."
"Ah, I see."
As the staff member delivered the unexpected news, Glacia turned away numbly, though she had a good idea where Han Cheon-seong might be.
*He's in the training hall, obviously.*
Knowing his personality, she was sure of it.
Despite being miles ahead of everyone else, he never showed a hint of complacency. Han Cheon-seong was the type of person who strived to push further ahead every single day.
And so, she headed straight for the C-Class cadets' exclusive training hall.
And after that.
I checked the training hall and every other place I could think of, but I couldn't find him.
I just wanted to share this joy I was feeling, but the one person I wanted to share it with most was nowhere to be found.
*Click.*
As a last resort, I checked the park, but eventually, I just sank onto a nearby bench, feeling dazed.
I had rushed all over the place since morning, high on excitement, but it had all been for nothing.
"Where in the world did you go...?"
I sighed, my brow furrowing on its own.
I couldn't even guess where he might be. I wanted to share my joy, but not being able to find him was becoming frustrating.
*Whoosh.*
Just then, a cool breeze swept by, making my hair sway gently.
"..."
Feeling the wind, as if it were soothing my frustration, I couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
Still, just feeling the wind like this filled my heart with a natural sense of joy.
*Sshhk.*
As I gently clenched my fist, I felt the faint breeze brush against my entire body. And now, I understood the profound principle hidden within it.
A naturalness that is neither forced nor intended.
And that bore a striking resemblance to the clue for the skill I was meant to pursue.
I don't just let the wind that brushes past me now simply pass by.
I draw the passing wind back to myself.
As I gently infused it with my will, the passing wind responded, returning to me.
It was my power, yet not my power—it was a 'special wind.'
Most importantly, there was no limit to the total amount of power I could wield.
An endless wind that would fiercely embrace me, just as I wished, just as I desired...
*Whoooosh—!*
Before I knew it, the wind that embraced and swirled around my entire body was circling me, as if bound to my will.
And that wind moved according to my will.
As I gently clenched my fist, the wind enveloping my body converged in my hand.
"Yes..."
I muttered blankly, the pleasure filling my chest beyond description.
I wasn't manifesting a trait right now.
The surrounding wind was simply responding to my natural will.
Then, I remembered it again.
The spiral current that had completely enveloped Han Cheon-seong's spear, swirling menacingly. And the image of him spreading that current through his own body, using it to surge forward at an overwhelming speed.
This wind was similar, yet completely different.
The core of Han Cheon-seong's spiraling current was 'circulation.' I could vaguely sense that now.
A spiral current that endlessly circulates and surges could contain even more intense, destructive power.
But I...
*I can amplify my power to a much greater degree.*
It wasn't about circulating and surging like Han Cheon-seong's spiral.
I could gather the infinite wind from the atmosphere with my will. And that wind would naturally condense into a mighty force, residing in my body and responding to my command.
And that...
"Ah."
My train of thought came to an abrupt halt.
This immense wind gathering around me... whether it would manifest into something tangible at the end was still unclear.
My epiphany stopped there. It was such a vast principle, a grand concept... yet the final, crucial 'something' needed to complete it eluded me.
"I can just complete it bit by bit."
As I released my hold, letting the wind settled around me slowly dissipate, my heart was calm.
As I took in my surroundings with a clear mind...
something unintentionally caught my eye.
"...?"
I saw Han Cheon-seong, the very person I'd been searching for.
And seeing Instructor Kalli beside him, I was at a complete loss.
*But it's the weekend.*
The weekend wasn't a time for instructors and cadets to spend time together. It was a time when they were meant to strictly separate their professional and private lives and not meet.
That rule was in place for both their sakes.
Yet here they were, spending time together—even smiling—though I had no idea what they were talking about.
And so, the sight of them seemed... incredibly bizarre to me.
*And just yesterday, she was berating Han Cheon-seong so harshly.*
When I saw Instructor Kalli yesterday, she was just as intimidating as the rumors claimed.
She had been cold and sharp, criticizing his actions and judgment. Even when I stepped in to defend him, Instructor Kalli's anger showed no sign of abating.
But now...
the two of them looked completely different.
There was a softness to her that made it hard to believe she was the same instructor I'd seen yesterday.
"...!"
As I watched, my eyes flew wide open.
Han Cheon-seong suddenly did something unthinkable. He casually reached out and touched Instructor Kalli's face.
*Ssh.*
The reason for the gesture was obvious. A flower petal, carried on the gentle breeze, had landed on her face, and he was simply brushing it away.
Indeed, Han Cheon-seong plucked the petal away and brushed it off his fingers toward a nearby bush.
*...She should be furious about that.*
To so casually touch an instructor's face was simply unthinkable.
And given how cold Instructor Kalli was, I expected her to be even more enraged, but...
"Why...?"
The word escaped my lips before I even realized it.
We were quite a distance apart, but from where I sat, it wouldn't have been the least bit strange for Instructor Kalli to fly into a rage.
But her reaction was not what I had expected at all.
*Sshhk.*
Gently touching the cheek where Han Cheon-seong's hand had been, the instructor narrowed her eyes. It looked like a glare, yet it felt like something else entirely.
*...It's different.*
I didn't know why, but I could feel it clearly.
*Flicker.*
Then, Instructor Kalli's gaze met mine, and I froze.
***
*Sshhk.*
My gaze naturally fell upon Kalli as she gently touched the cheek where my hand had been.
The way she then narrowed her eyes, her gaze lingering on me, seemed almost flirtatious.
She wasn't dressed revealingly, nor had she made any enticing gestures or remarks.
Yet, a strange feeling was palpable in that one small gesture.
"Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Do you realize how familiar you were just now?"
"It was... an unconscious act."
I replied, an awkward laugh escaping my lips.
After she'd promised to help me, my feelings for her seemed to have grown even stronger.
I shouldn't act like this out in the open, only when we're alone, but I'd done it without thinking.
"I don't... dislike it, but what's forbidden is forbidden. Try to be more mindful."
I nodded at her whispered words, fiddling with my hands for no reason.
*This could be dangerous.*
I had tried to maintain a boundary to keep her from becoming too obsessed with me, but now it seemed I was the one who needed to get a grip on my own feelings.
"And, Cadet Han Cheon-seong."
"Yes, Instructor Kalli."
"You and Cadet Glacia are close, aren't you?"
"...You could say we're quite close. Why do you ask?"
I was wondering why Glacia's name had suddenly come up.
I saw Kalli's gaze fixed on a single spot. Following her line of sight, I turned my head and saw Glacia sitting on a bench some distance away, watching us.
"It's just that I think Cadet Glacia saw us just now... I don't imagine any strange rumors will start, but I felt we should be careful nonetheless."
Her gentle reminder made me realize I needed to be more careful, and I turned my eyes to Glacia.
Glacia's gaze, shifting between Kalli and me, felt... incredibly ambiguous.
A strange look, tinged with puzzlement and disbelief.
"...I'll explain things to Glacia so there's no misunderstanding."
"Then I'll trust you to handle it, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. I should be going for today... Let's meet again next week."
"Yes. Thank you for your time today."
As I watched Kalli slowly depart, I wasn't too worried.
*After all, Glacia and I are...*
just friends.
I wasn't the one who defined our relationship. If anything, Glacia was the one who had drawn that line.
*Thump.*
After parting ways with Kalli, I started walking toward Glacia, her expression still striking me as odd.
It was as if her eyes were filled with... some other emotion.