Chapter 97
Chapter 97
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: What One Hopes For
-----------------------------------------------------------------
***
—Rest.
Rest. A word most people would welcome.
A rare break from the busy routine, from the exhaustion of daily life. A time to recharge body and mind, either by doing nothing at all or by planning how to spend the downtime.
Just as a machine that runs endlessly will overheat and break down, a human being is an even more delicate existence.
That was why rest was necessary for everyone, without exception. It was an obvious, undeniable truth.
However, there were also those for whom such rest felt foreign.
They spent their days in a blur, and when night fell, signaling the end of one day, they were already preparing for the next.
When that next day arrived, they would once again do what needed to be done.
“...”
Cheon-seong reflected on his own situation, and a sudden laugh escaped him.
*I’ve lived a busy life.*
But today, since waking, he hadn’t once left his private quarters.
To be precise, he was following Kalli’s semi-forced order to rest, and in doing so, he was beginning to vaguely understand.
That Kalli’s words truly came from a place of concern for him.
And that his body now craved rest, wished to do nothing at all... he knew that better than anyone.
Yet, as he tried to rest, he felt a sense of emptiness.
“Even when I'm resting... I don't know what I'm supposed to do.”
He mumbled blankly, and that was exactly how he felt.
He was taking a break, but he had no idea how to actually rest.
Until now, 'rest' for him meant catching his breath or collapsing into sleep from exhaustion at night.
The next day would arrive in a flash.
He had taken a full day off last weekend, but even then, he had headed to the training grounds.
It felt wrong to simply do nothing.
"..."
Alone in his quarters, he slowly looked around before his gaze fell to his hands.
[Erin Geschwald]
In his hand was a book with a peculiar title.
The red-tinged, hardcover book looked expensive to anyone, but in reality, it was nothing more than an entertaining 'novel'.
Novels certainly existed in this world. They usually featured a protagonist who performed great deeds on the battlefield, saving the empire from crisis and securing peace. To him, it felt rather strange.
It was a novel Kalli, who had stepped out for a moment, had given him to read, but he couldn't get past the fortieth page.
"The more I read, the more it feels like it's telling me to get commissioned."
It depicted the urgent situations on the battlefield, the brutal reality, and the camaraderie between officers and soldiers.
Moreover, it portrayed the empire's current situation so starkly that even though he was reading a novel, it didn't feel like someone else's story.
Because in this world, that was 'reality'.
Besides, the Kalli he knew was only staying at the academy as an instructor temporarily before she was scheduled to return to the battlefield. At least, that's how it unfolded in the story of *Groa*.
He still vividly remembered the part late in the story where Leonhardt encountered Kalli again on the battlefield, re-establishing her formidable presence.
The Pillar of the Empire. The Crimson Dawn. It was then that her true worth was revealed, showing just how overwhelmingly powerful the supernatural characteristic known as Vibration was.
—*...This isn't a war. It's a massacre.*
He remembered, without a single word out of place, even the monologue uttered by a version of Leonhardt who had grown incomparably stronger than he was now.
At that time, Leonhardt's characteristic had surpassed level 7 and was nearing level 8. His martial prowess had exceeded that of most officers, a period that showed why he was considered the protagonist.
But even to Leonhardt, who possessed such absurd talent, Kalli appeared as a 'genius' with a monstrous characteristic.
It was a stark reminder of why officers were treated with such respect, and why an academy instructor held a status akin to the heavens.
"..."
As he thought blankly, he was struck once again by how absurd his current situation was.
*A person as incredible as Kalli...*
...was pouring her time into him.
She had brought him to her mansion, was trying to accommodate him, and was paying him so much attention. This was time that, originally, was barely even afforded to Leonhardt...
...and it was being given to him.
“The more I think about it, the more I feel this time is too precious to waste.”
That made it all the more regrettable.
If the future unfolded as it should, he had less than a year left to spend with Kalli like this.
And he didn't think he would ever meet someone like her again. How many instructors would be willing to dedicate their time to help him?
*Click.*
Lost in thought, his gaze drifted blankly toward the door as it opened.
“Cadet Han Cheon-seong. I'm sorry, something came up unexpectedly.”
“It's alright, Instructor.”
As Kalli approached him, he found himself looking at her anew.
A woman whose beautiful appearance belied the immense power she held, enough to hold a frontline on her own. He then noticed a reddish box in her hand and wondered what it was.
“Curious what's in this box?”
“Yes. But... does it have something to do with me?”
When he asked for confirmation, Kalli smiled brightly. She suddenly held the box out to him.
“Open it yourself.”
“...Is that alright?”
"I brought it for you, Cadet Han Cheon-seong."
At her matter-of-fact tone, he placed the book he was holding on the side of the bed and hesitantly took the box.
A pristine white ribbon was tied in a stylish knot, making it look something like a gift box.
*Rustle. Rustle.*
As he untied the knot and opened the box, he blinked at the contents.
Before his eyes was a mineral that shone like a jewel.
The first thing he noticed was a soft, translucent white light. It looked like silver, but based on his experience of seeing actual silver, he could tell this was something else.
“Instructor Kalli. This is...?”
He looked at Kalli and asked, and she curled her lips into a smirk.
“Judging by your reaction, I take it this is your first time seeing it?”
“Yes. It is.”
He hadn't had many opportunities to see minerals in the first place, but he had seen gold and silver. This was clearly neither.
“Before I answer, let me ask you something. You don't remember what happened yesterday, do you, Cadet Han Cheon-seong?”
“Not at all. Did I cause some kind of trouble?”
He wondered if he had done something wrong while he was unconscious, but Kalli just smiled slightly and shook her head.
“You didn't cause any trouble. It's just that the aftermath was a bit severe.”
“Aftermath...?”
“The spear you were holding shattered into pieces.”
At her words, his jaw dropped.
*And I paid so much for that spear.*
It was before I entered the academy, but I'd bought the most expensive spear I could find. It had cost me more than half of all the money I had.
Then, his gaze returned to the mineral Kalli had given him.
*Then the meaning of this mineral is...*
“Since you said it's your first time, I'll explain. What I've given you is a mineral called Mithril.”
“Mithril!?”
He raised his voice without thinking.
Mithril, just like that. He couldn't help but be shocked.
“Yes. Your spear broke while training with me yesterday, so I thought I should give you a gift of this caliber. And Mithril seemed like the most suitable choice.”
The word 'suitable' made his open mouth snap shut.
Mithril was a mineral he'd wondered how much money he'd have to save at the academy to ever afford.
He figured it would cost several gold coins at the very least. And yet, Kalli was handing it to him so casually.
“...But yesterday's training wasn't your fault, Instructor.”
Accepting it just like this weighed on his conscience.
It was clear that Kalli wasn't to blame for the spear breaking during last night's training. He was the one who had recklessly tried to imbue the spearhead with his energy.
Unable to properly control his power, he had simply let his ambition get the better of him.
“Cadet Han Cheon-seong. That's not something you can call a mistake.”
As Kalli continued calmly, he found himself staring blankly into her eyes.
“Yesterday, I gave you a vague concept of skills. I didn't specifically teach you how to control your power or how to imbue energy. I thought you weren't at that stage yet. But thinking back, that was my misjudgment. So, the fact that you poured too much power into it is partly my fault as well.”
“Instructor. You don't have to go that far.”
“No, it is definitely my fault too. I'm not just saying this to be considerate of you, Cadet. I truly feel that way.”
He couldn't find a response to her immediate replies.
She knew far more about this than he did; he was in no position to argue whether she was right or wrong.
However, her claim that she wasn't just being considerate of him was a lie.
*Mithril isn't something you can just give away so simply.*
Giving a rare mineral like Mithril to a mere cadet was, by any standard, excessive.
...Looking at the mineral, still emitting its soft glow, a great conflict stirred within him.
*I've done nothing for Kalli. Is it really okay for me to accept Mithril?*
If anything, he was the one receiving help with the training hall and the magitech items; he had done absolutely nothing for her.
“Is it that hard for you to accept?”
At the sound of her voice, he nodded before he could stop himself.
“Even if it's out of goodwill, accepting Mithril... I've done so little for you, Instructor.”
“Then I'll consider this Mithril a debt.”
“A debt... you say?”
As he replied, he tore his eyes away from the Mithril. Kalli was resting her chin on the table, looking at him as if he were some curious creature.
“Yes. This Mithril is a debt I'm placing on you, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. A debt I'm imposing in the hopes that you'll continue to develop and move forward as you have been. It's also a sort of gift, in the hope that you'll listen to me more carefully. So, don't refuse it anymore. Understood?”
At her repeated insistence, he finally nodded his head.
“Yes. I will consider it a great debt.”
“'A great debt,' you say. Since you put it that way, you'll have to listen to me even more carefully today, won't you?”
Her tone was peculiar, and he paused for a moment before a small laugh escaped him.
*She really is...*
The way she was so considerate of him, even while giving him a gift, was almost dazzling.
“If there is anything you wish for, Instructor, I will do it.”
“...Anything?”
“Yes. Anything.”
He replied that he would do anything within his power, but when Kalli hesitated, he blinked.
“Is there... something you want from me?”
Wondering if she had something to ask of him, he asked again.