Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Villain Response Training (1)
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"Hey, Asuka."
I whispered into her ear, and Asuka leaned in close to me, whispering back quietly.
"What is it, top rank?"
"Is it really okay for us to eat together like this?"
"Yep, it's fine."
"Even though it's not just the two of us? We were supposed to eat together alone, right?"
"It's a little disappointing, sure. But I like eating with everyone like this too, so it's okay."
"I see. Asuka, you're such a good girl."
"Hehe."
Asuka giggled happily at my praise and pulled away from me.
Then she stabbed a fork into the Rosé tteokbokki she'd brought and popped it into her mouth with an "Ahh."
She chewed it up with little "Om nom nom" sounds from her small mouth.
I watched her with a warm smile.
But that didn't last long.
Murmur murmur.
"Look over there—the top rank and the top five kids."
"Birds of a feather flock together, huh? The strong ones only hang out with other strong ones."
"I'm jealous. I wanna join them too."
"Dream on. It's impossible with your skills."
The stares and murmurs coming from all directions made it impossible for me to keep smiling.
And it wasn't hard to see why...
"Top rank, aren't you gonna eat? Om nom nom."
"Yoo-jin, you not eating?"
"Hm... no appetite?"
"Is your stomach upset? If so, I could pray for you..."
To my right sat Asuka.
To my left sat Lee Seo-yeon.
In front of me sat Arthur.
And next to Arthur sat Noah.
Right now, all these main character types were gathered at my table.
Maybe because I was eating at the same table as all these stars...
The other cadets down in the cafeteria kept glancing our way and murmuring.
'...Are they just used to the attention? They don't seem fazed at all.'
Even with all those eyes on us.
They kept eating casually, completely unfazed.
Me? The stares were so overwhelming I couldn't even pick up my spoon.
"I'm jealous... Top rank has it so good..."
"Me too. I wanna eat sandwiched between Asuka and Seo-yeon."
"I wanna pat Asuka's head like the top rank. That small, cute head..."
"You too? Me too."
"Hey, me too."
No, why were all the looks aimed at me filled with envy and jealousy!
Sure, I had the peerless beauty Lee Seo-yeon on my left and the cute, pretty Asuka on my right.
But was it natural for only me to get those looks...?
'Yeah... If I put myself in their shoes, I'd be jealous too.'
The academy's most beautiful girls were eating on either side of me. How could anyone not be envious?
I'd be super jealous too.
But the object of that envy was me?
Nothing I could do about it then.
I'd just have to endure it.
Once I thought that way...
'Huh? This isn't so bad.'
The discomfort in my stomach eased like I'd taken some medicine.
The moment I picked up my spoon to scoop some rice...
"Top rank, try some of this."
"Yoo-jin, have a bite of this."
"H-Here, try mine too."
"It's so nice seeing you all share what you like. Then let me..."
They all started piling their food onto my spoon like they'd been waiting.
Food stacked up on my pristine white rice.
Asuka's Rosé tteokbokki went on first.
Then Lee Seo-yeon's steak on top.
Then Arthur's mint pasta on that... Wait, hold on.
'Arthur, I get that you like mint, but this is a bit much...'
And finally, Noah's tteokgalbi on top.
They all had such good balance.
It was stacked perfectly.
Sorry, guys, but...
I had no intention of shoving that straight into my mouth.
Clink.
I set the spoon back down on my rice bowl.
And used my chopsticks to pick off the side dishes on top of the rice.
Everything except Arthur's mint pasta.
"Hey, why won't you eat my pasta?"
Arthur shot me a pouty look, like he was the only one being left out.
I gave him a gentle smile and said,
"Sorry, I don't like pasta."
"Ah... I see."
Arthur nodded like he understood.
No, I actually love pasta.
Oil pasta, vongole pasta, tomato pasta.
I like it as much as pork rice bowls.
'I'd get mint chocolate ice cream. I eat that occasionally too.'
But did pasta really need toothpaste flavor added to it?
Oblivious to my thoughts, Arthur twirled up some of the green pasta on his fork and popped it into his mouth.
He looked genuinely delighted, smiling with his eyes and radiating happiness.
I just shook my head at the sight.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After breakfast...
We all went our separate ways.
Asuka and Arthur headed to the training grounds.
I headed to the workshop for special ammo production, with Lee Seo-yeon and Noah tagging along.
"...Seo-yeon, you're going to the workshop for live ammo, right?"
"Yeah. We can't keep using rubber bullets forever."
Maybe because Noah was there...
Lee Seo-yeon answered my question with her usual 'Ice Princess' blank expression.
"Noah, why are you going to the workshop?"
I got why Seo-yeon was going, since she used guns like me.
She needed live rounds from the workshop.
But Noah? I couldn't figure it out.
If he used weapons like other inquisitors, sure.
But Noah didn't use weapons.
There was literally no reason for him to go to the workshop.
His answer was completely unexpected.
"I wanted to try using a gun for once."
"......What?"
No, Noah.
What are you talking about?
Try using a gun?
"No, you can't!"
"Yeah, no way."
I immediately objected.
And Lee Seo-yeon next to me tried to stop him from using a gun too.
"Absolutely not."
With an icy chill radiating off her.
...Out of worry, right?
As I was thinking that...
"Hahaha!"
Noah suddenly burst out laughing.
"...Why are you laughing?"
"Funny?"
I gave Noah a puzzled look.
Lee Seo-yeon... went from chilly to radiating sharp killing intent.
In that tense atmosphere, Noah smiled softly and said,
"It was a joke. I don't have the talent to handle guns like you two, so even if I wanted to try, I couldn't."
Her atmosphere softened a bit at the admission it was a joke.
But she was still cold to anyone but me and Asuka.
"So why'd you laugh?"
I asked why she'd laughed at me and herself.
Still radiating sharp intent.
But Noah was just as skilled as Arthur or Seo-yeon.
He wasn't fazed at all.
"How could I not laugh?"
And then Noah said,
"When there's such a perfect pair right here."
He was quick on the uptake, chit-chat aside.
"...Yeah?"
Lee Seo-yeon's pale face flushed slightly at Noah's words.
At the same time, the sharp intent vanished in an instant.
"It's truly a blessing. A strong, handsome man and a strong, beautiful woman having feelings for each other."
...Hey, Noah?
I don't have those feelings yet?
But I couldn't voice that thought.
"Hmph..."
Lee Seo-yeon was smiling—not her blank expression, but a genuinely pleased one.
Slide.
Her body pressed slightly against mine.
And her hand gently took hold of mine.
Not interlocking fingers like last time... but close enough that anyone might mistake us for lovers.
I shook my head at Noah.
We're not like that.
But Noah...
Wink.
He winked like she knew exactly how I felt.
...No, whose feelings do you think you know?
I let out a deep sigh.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Oh, Yoo-jin."
Luckily, even though it was Sunday, the production instructor was in.
"Hello, Instructor. Working even on a Sunday?"
"Yeah, staying home made me antsy. Figured I'd come in."
...Came in because she was antsy?
This production instructor wasn't all there either.
"Saw your article. Killed a high-grade Fallen by yourself?"
The instructor patted my shoulder with admiration, puffing on her pipe.
"Used holy ammo, right?"
I nodded at her question.
She puffed smoke from his pipe.
"Weapon must've shattered."
"Yes, just like you said. After three shots, it crumbled to dust."
"Got a spare?"
"Not a spare—got something even better as my main now."
"Even better?"
Her eyes lit up at the mention of a better weapon, and she stepped closer.
The moment she went to throw an arm around me...
"What do you think you're doing?"
Lee Seo-yeon, who'd been quietly standing behind with Noah, glared at her coldly.
The instructor glanced between me and her, then held up her pinky.
"Her, huh?"
"...No."
"Then why the fuss... Oh."
She grinned slyly, like she'd figured something out.
Ignoring her icy glare, she slung her arm around me anyway.
Then she pressed that ferocious production pouch right up against me and whispered in my ear.
"Heh... Our gunslinger’s popular, huh?"
"I... uh..."
Could you back off a bit...?
I was about to be overwhelmed by that overly voluptuous pouch...
As I mentally sang the national anthem to stay focused...
Shing.
Lee Seo-yeon was drawing her sword, her eyes darkening ominously.
At the sight, the instructor muttered, "Whoa, she's too scary to tease," and let go.
Only then did a faint light return to her eyes, and she stopped drawing her sword.
But her killing intent toward the instructor lingered.
I sighed at her and said,
"Seo-yeon, the instructor was just joking. Put away the killing intent."
No matter how much she disliked her, she was still an instructor.
It wasn't good for a student to direct killing intent at one.
"Indeed, Seo-yeon. As Yoo-jin said, it was just a bit of mischief from the instructor. Please calm down."
"......"
Her killing intent faded at our words.
But her glare at her was still fierce.
Nothing to be done about that, so I turned from her to the instructor.
"Instructor, you know your joke went too far, right?"
"...Yeah, guess so."
She scratched her head with an awkward laugh.
Then she approached her, bowed her head slightly, and said,
"Sorry about that."
With the instructor apologizing like that...
"...Yes. Sorry for the killing intent."
She eased up a bit and apologized too.
Noah nodded proudly at the heartwarming scene.
...Yeah, she's not all there either.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After the brief hiccup...
Lee Seo-yeon, Noah, and I explained why we were there.
I requested special ammo and a special item to counter 'Allure.'
Seo-yeon requested live ammo.
Noah... requested grenades.
"Grenades?"
"I want to make holy grenades."
When the instructor asked, Noah answered like a kid asking for a toy.
"Holy grenades... That sounds fun."
Her eyes sparkled like she'd found something interesting.
But then...
She looked troubled.
"Problem is, making those requires at least cardinal-level holy power... And the cardinal I know is at the cathedral right now."
Noah smiled softly.
"No need to worry about that."
"Huh? Why?"
"It might sound like I'm tooting my own horn, but I have more holy power than the cardinal."
"...Ah, you're Noah? Grand Saintess Gloria's son."
"Yes, that's right."
"No problem then."
The instructor nodded, one issue resolved.
Then she turned to me.
"Special ammo, right? Got the materials?"
"Yes, here."
I turned off Infinite Inventory and placed alchemy materials on the workbench.
"Varied stuff—sticky grass, flame herbs, ice flowers, electric fruit... Elemental special ammo, huh?"
I nodded at her quick guess.
Her eyes sparkled again.
"Fun. You'll need an alchemist then. You know alchemy?"
I nodded again.
"Yes, I do."
"Nice. Stick around with Noah then. We'll make special ammo and holy grenades today."
She looked at Seo-yeon last.
"You need live ammo, right? How much?"
She stared silently for a moment.
Then pointed at me.
"As much as Yoo-jin has."
"...As much as him?"
She didn't have an inventory like mine; she couldn't carry that much.
I wasn't the only one thinking that.
"...As much as Yoo-jin? Think you can manage?"
The instructor tilted her head.
Seo-yeon revealed her sub-space ring's capacity.
We both understood immediately.
Her A+ sub-space ring rivaled my inventory.
"Alright, come back tomorrow or the day after. Gotta make these two's stuff first."
She stood from her chair.
But Seo-yeon didn't leave.
She gave her a puzzled look.
"Not leaving?"
"...I'll stay here."
She glanced at me and grinned slyly, tapping my shoulder with her pipe.
"Yoo-jin, lucky you? Pretty girl waiting for you."
"......"
I didn't respond.
Answering would just invite more teasing.
She puffed her pipe boredly and exhaled.
But soon, excitement for special ammo and holy grenades returned, and she grinned.
"Alright, let's make 'em."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The next morning.
"Today we're doing villain response training."
Instructor Kang Cheol-su announced an outdoor class right after entering the classroom.
One cadet raised a hand.
"Villain response training—do we pick villains and heroes?"
"Yes."
"Who's villain?"
"Random draw again?"
More hands went up with questions.
He clapped to quiet them.
Clap clap.
"Not random this time."
He looked at me as he said it.
Why me?
I gave him a puzzled look, and he grinned.
"Villain role's already decided."
Oh no.
"Yoo-jin."
He pointed at me.
"You're the villain."
"......"
The classroom went silent.
I looked around.
Everyone stared at me in shock.
I chuckled and said,
"Yes, I'm the villain."
Didn't expect the chance to test special ammo to come so soon.
'Oh, this'll be fun.'