Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: The Reality I Faced
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***
The warm morning sun slowly began to embrace the land, once held captive by darkness.
As dawn's dim light gave way to day, a gentle warmth settled across the land. The sunlight extended its warmth even to the luxurious, crimson-hued mansion.
And that warmth soon brought about a change.
A soft, steady breathing...
The gentle sound lasted only a moment before Han Cheon-seong's eyes slowly fluttered open.
“……”
The first thing he felt upon regaining consciousness was an extreme heaviness that weighed down his entire body.
His body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton. A grimace creased the corners of his eyes as he tried to speak.
"...Ah."
Blinking dazedly at the sound of his own hoarse voice, he took in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Where am I?
The space was starkly white.
With so little furniture it could be described as minimalist, the room felt entirely different from my dorm. Even the light pink blanket covering me felt incredibly foreign.
It was enough to remind me of the first time I’d ever stepped into a girlfriend’s room…
‘A woman’s room?’
For a moment, I blinked for an entirely different reason. Come to think of it, this space really did look like a woman's room.
Then I let out a hollow laugh and slowly shook my head.
“What a ridiculous thought...”
I figured I must still be half-asleep.
There was no way I'd be in a woman's room. Why was I having such a ridiculous thought?
*Rustle.*
I slowly pushed the blanket aside and lightly stretched my arms upward.
“...Wow. Unbelievable.”
The moment I stretched, an exclamation I couldn’t even comprehend escaped my lips.
I had stretched to relieve the stiffness in my heavy body, but it felt as if every nerve in my arms instantly screamed in protest.
*Go on, try it again.*
It was as if my body was speaking to me through pain, daring me to move more, to see just how much greater the agony could become.
Heeding that fierce warning, I carefully drew back my outstretched arms.
“This is seriously... insane, isn't it?”
As I said it, I realized it wasn't just my arms.
Soon after, a truly uncontrollable groan escaped me.
It wasn't just my arms that hurt.
Feet, legs, shoulders, back, chest, head… As one part sent a signal of pain, it was as if a chain reaction started, and every part of my body cried out to me in agony.
It was as if they were daring me to move more if I was willing to endure the pain. Still, I had to get up. I needed to figure out what was going on.
*Thud.*
As I carefully took a step, enduring the excruciating pain, I belatedly took stock of my appearance.
The wrinkled dress shirt and black cadet pants were definitely what I had worn last night. Only the cadet jacket had been removed.
“Yesterday…?”
As I mumbled, a realization dawned on me.
Right, I met Karite yesterday, and after that, I met with Kalli and continued my training.
At the end, I had further solidified the concept of my skill. I had started to imbue my spear with that concept.
Then, it felt like everything was falling into place.
“Did I lose consciousness?”
I clearly remembered gripping the spear that held the spiral and taking a strong step forward.
But I couldn't recall anything after that, as if someone had erased it from my mind.
And the person who would take care of me when I lost consciousness.
The only person who would think of me like that was Kalli.
“...Then this room, too.”
Muttering to myself, I slowly began to understand the situation.
This room, with its strangely feminine atmosphere, must be where Kalli stays.
*Click.*
Just then, the door opened, and I froze without realizing it.
“...Cadet Han Cheon-seong. You're already awake?”
“Ah, yes. Instructor Kalli.”
As I answered, I couldn't help but be surprised by Kalli's appearance.
There stood Kalli, not in her uniform, but in a completely different outfit, a sight I couldn't even adjust to.
To put it simply... she was wearing flowing red robes, so casual that the sight was a stark contrast to her usual stiff, formal uniform.
“Don't force yourself to get up right now.”
She spoke, placing a tray with a steaming stew on the table. I naturally sat back down on the bed.
...Honestly, I didn't have the courage to take another step in this condition.
“Instructor. Did I lose consciousness?”
“That's right. The moment you manifested the concept last night, Cadet Han Cheon-seong, you lost consciousness.”
“I'm so sorry.”
“It's... not something you need to apologize for. It's just that your will was too strong.”
As I looked at Kalli, who spoke with a small smile, my gaze soon shifted to her red hair, tied up high.
Unlike her usual style of letting it flow naturally, it was in a ponytail, subtly revealing the pale line of her neck. Even that was so different from her usual image that it felt like I was looking at a completely different person.
*Creak.* Kalli sat down in a nearby chair and looked at me intently.
“Cadet Han Cheon-seong.”
“Yes, Instructor.”
“Where do you think you are right now?”
She asked with a grin. I stared blankly at the interior for a moment before speaking.
“Isn't this your dormitory, Instructor Kalli?”
Just as the academy had dormitories for cadets, I naturally assumed there were ones for instructors as well.
“It's not a dormitory.”
“...Pardon?”
I was involuntarily surprised by the unexpected answer.
If not a dormitory, then where? Just then, Kalli's lips curled into a smirk.
“This is my house.”
*Tap.*
She spoke, tapping the table lightly, and for a moment, I couldn't understand her words.
‘My house?’
The words brought to mind the common dream of owning one's own home, but that wasn't the sense I got from her.
Kalli had said ‘house’ so naturally, as if it were a matter of course.
So, could it mean exactly what it sounded like?
“When you say house….”
“Should I say it's a mansion I purchased?”
As Kalli added a detailed explanation, I could finally understand properly.
And yet, I understood even less.
I may have lost consciousness, but to think I was staying in her mansion…
“Don't tell me we're outside the academy?”
“That's right. We're outside the academy. I thought it would be strange to take you somewhere else after you collapsed yesterday, so I brought you to my house.”
I was a little surprised, even as I watched her speak so calmly.
‘Well, it makes sense.'
With Kalli's fame, it was impossible for her not to have that much wealth. It was only natural, since the family she belonged to, the Ishtar family, was also known as a prestigious house.
As I thought that, a feeling of guilt arose in a corner of my heart.
...Lately, I've felt like I'm constantly being a burden to others.
“I'm sorry.”
“...Hm?”
“Instructor Kalli, you explained so much about controlling my power yesterday, but I selfishly pushed myself too hard... and lost consciousness like this.”
Thinking back now, that feeling before I lost consciousness, the sensation of my body feeling better and lighter, was a complete illusion.
The moment I gripped the spear shimmering with brilliant blue light and stepped onto the ground. For a fleeting moment, I had felt a great sense of dissonance.
A deeply alien sensation, as if my body wasn't my own. Looking back now, it was nothing more than a moment when my senses had gone awry.
And yet, I ignored that dissonance and tried to face the colossal wall that was Kalli.
Because in that moment... I believed my spear could reach that wall.
I just couldn't give up on that.
“……”
Looking at Kalli, who was watching me with a strange expression, I felt a surge of apology.
It wasn't enough that she took the time to train with me at night on a weekend; she was even taking care of me like this afterward.
How much of a nuisance must I have seemed to Kalli, who had to bring me to her own private space?
“Cadet Han Cheon-seong?”
“Yes, Instructor.”
“...Do you know that you give off a different impression every time I see you?”
“A different impression?”
“Yes. I'm not trying to compare you to other cadets, but you're definitely different from them in many ways. Whether it's the power you possess, your will, or even your unique personality, like right now.”
As she kept telling me I was different, I could only manage an awkward smile.
It didn't seem like she was praising me, but it didn't feel like a rebuke either, so I was unsure how to take it.
“And don't be so sorry. I could have taken you to the infirmary, but I brought you to my personal space because I wanted to.”
“Is... that so.”
Even as I replied, I could sense her consideration for my feelings.
I could tell from her expression and her gentle voice that she was saying that so I wouldn't feel burdened.
‘She’s a really kind person.’
How many instructors out there are this considerate and thoughtful of their students?
“And Cadet Han Cheon-seong. I know you just woke up, but would you listen to me for a moment while you eat?”
As she offered me the still-steaming stew, I naturally accepted her request.
“Yes. I'll take any words you have to heart.”
As I picked up my spoon to eat the stew, my gaze remained fixed on Kalli.
There was a clear difference between training for a skill on my own and doing it with her advice.
A single word from Kalli right now was an invaluable help to me.
And.
‘Just a little more.’
I could instinctively feel that I was just a little bit away from reaching the skill.
I was already certain I could obtain the skill.
I could complete the skill as early as today, or at least within two days.
“For the time being, Cadet Han Cheon-seong, you need to focus on recuperating. It's truly a shame, but you'll have to stop training for a while.”
However.
...The words that came from Kalli were completely outside my expectations.
I stopped spooning my stew and blinked blankly.
“I have to recuperate?”
“Yes. You need to get complete rest for at least today. If you do, you should recover enough to hold a spear again tomorrow. But Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Don't you feel for yourself how unstable your body is right now?”
“But... it's just a little more. I'm sure I can awaken the skill. I'm certain. So if I just push a little more…”
I couldn't stop now.
It was really... just a little bit.
If I just went a little further, I could completely obtain the concept of the skill as a perfected power.
Then, I would finally be able to protect Karite from the crisis next week.
So…
“Sigh.”
The sight of Kalli letting out a deep sigh momentarily cut off my train of thought.
She hadn't said anything to me just now.
But.
Just from that sight alone, I felt so much.
“Cadet Han Cheon-seong.”
“...Yes, Instructor.”
“Awakening a skill is certainly a very important thing. It's even more significant than evolving a trait. Awakening a skill at Trait Level 4 is probably an unprecedented event in the entire history of the academy. I know you're at a major crossroads, enough to make your mark on the history of this empire. I know that very well... But even so, it's not more important than your own body, is it?”
...Meeting her worried gaze, I couldn't bring myself to speak.
That my body had been continuously breaking down lately.
I definitely knew.
And yet, I still tried to force myself forward…
”......“
Nevertheless, I couldn't give up so easily.
I hesitated, my lips trembling, but the reality I had to face... was already looming large before me.