Chapter 390: Please, Just Listen to Me. (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 390: Please, Just Listen to Me. (2)
Of course, I had no intention of letting the Chairperson do as she pleased.
But what would be the point of me getting angry and picking a fight with her when she’d already made her stance clear?
Besides, to be honest, she wasn’t entirely wrong.
I don’t know about anything else, but if those pointy-eared bastards start looking down on my kids or causing trouble for no reason, I might end up killing them all… well, maybe not kill them, but the number of Elves walking around with broken bones would definitely increase.
So, yeah. Considering what they’ve done, I can understand the Chairperson’s perspective.
Which means she should understand mine, too.
“That’s why I’m going to ignore the Chairperson’s opinion and tail her once she leaves.”
After school, I gathered everyone and gave them a brief explanation. They all looked a bit hurt at first, as if they had their own thoughts on the matter, but after hearing what I had to say next, they began to nod as if they had expected nothing less from me.
“As expected of So-hyun! You have a plan!”
“But you can’t take the regular route to the Elf territory. The surveillance is too strict.”
“She’s right, Junior. Do you have a plan for that?”
Ga-eul, Ha-ni, and Baek Seol made good points in that order.
“It’s simple. We’re going to take a route that isn’t the regular one.”
“…Not the regular route? You don’t mean…”
“If we pass through the Fairy Forest, we can reach the Elf territory.”
For some reason, the moment I mentioned the Fairy Forest, everyone started looking at me like I was a madman.
I mean, okay. It’s not exactly a place you talk about like you’re going on a casual picnic, but since I know the strategy to clear it, it’s not impossible.
Honestly, given what I’ve shown them recently, I thought they’d just go along with it.
I suppose it really is one of the three great hells for superhuman criminals. Everyone seemed to have a visceral aversion to the idea.
“Listen, So-hyun. You know the Fairy Forest isn’t a place you can clear just by being strong, right…?”
Cathy Noona seemed to think I was planning to just brute-force my way through, but I wasn’t that crazy.
The Fairy Forest, much like the Elf forest, is under the protection of the World Tree, meaning the entire place is essentially encased in a massive formation.
It’s a place filled with as many hellish gimmicks as the Labyrinth of Change: Labyrinthos, albeit in a different way. No matter how strong I am, trying to break through by force would take far too long.
I remembered how much trouble I had breaking the barrier of the weakened, corrupted World Tree in the 1st Timeline; I had no intention of challenging the barrier of a perfectly healthy World Tree right now.
“I know.”
I don’t always solve everything with brute force or dark arts, you know.
Whether it’s the Fairy Forest, the Elf forest, or the World Tree’s labyrinth, I know the exact strategy for all of them.
Back when I killed the corrupted Elves and devoured the power of the World Tree, the structure of everything created by the World Tree’s Authority had been etched into my mind.
Of course, some time had passed, so I didn’t remember every single detail perfectly, but I remembered the overall framework and the major pitfalls to avoid.
“Well, So-hyun usually has a reason whenever he acts confident.”
“But Kang So-hyun, are you really going to skip classes at the Academy? If you submit a field trip report, Leilan will find out, won’t she?”
“Well, it’s not a problem for me to miss a few classes, but I can’t do that to the others.”
“Then what’s your plan? Since there are two professors here, we could authorize it under our discretion.”
“If you two pass something like that behind the Chairperson’s back, she’ll notice eventually. Don’t worry. I’ve already thought of a way.”
“…What are you planning to do?”
“I’m going to get help from someone who wouldn’t seem out of character even if they suddenly did something impulsive and strange.”
At the same time, it was someone the Chairperson would find difficult to refuse even if she suspected something.
I scrolled through the contacts on my smartphone and placed a call. Before long, the person on the other end picked up.
A voice that carried a sense of gravity beneath its cheerful tone.
“Ah, hello. It’s So-hyun. I hope you’ve been well?”
[Ah, I was actually planning to contact you. What I received this time was far too great to simply settle with a thank you.]
“Yes, well, I’m actually calling because I was hoping you could help me with something regarding that reward.”
[Oh, I see. If there’s something you want, I’d be more than happy to oblige. Yes, I’ll grant almost anything. No, I’ll even try to make the impossible possible.]
It might have sounded like a boast, but the person I was talking to was someone who truly possessed the power to make most things happen.
The Heavenly War, Cheon Mu-jin.
The owner of the Cheonhwa Group and the father of Cheon Yu-hak, who had recently recovered after receiving a myth-grade artifact from me.
Furthermore, he was a father who cherished his son dearly.
Well then, since I’ve done him a favor, I should ask him to repay it the moment I need it, right?
“Wait, hold on. Are you talking to my father right now…?”
I lowered my smartphone for a moment to muffle the sound and looked at Cheon Yu-hak, who was staring at me in disbelief.
“Yu-hak. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world…!”
“I agree with the sentiment, but why are you collecting from my father instead of me…?”
“Because your father can give me much more than you can.”
“…I want to argue, but I have no way to refute that.”
[What’s going on?]
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just someone complaining for a second.”
[Knowing my son’s personality, he wouldn’t just let things slide.]
Oh, he certainly knows his son well.
“This is related to the ‘investment’ I asked for previously, so please don’t feel too burdened.”
[Hmm? You mean the plan to create a new organization to replace the Association? Is there a problem…]
“I’m planning to go to the Elf forest without the Chairperson knowing, and I need a bit of an excuse.”
[The Elf forest? Surveillance there is strict; it’ll be hard to get in.]
“Come on, you know how I work. I’ll just clear the Fairy Forest.”
[…The Fairy Forest?]
There was a brief silence as if he were contemplating something, but he seemed to reach a conclusion quickly. Cheon Mu-jin asked in a very serious tone.
[An army of superhumans might be difficult, but I can prepare a private superhuman force supplemented by a regular army equipped with special gear.]
Wait, what on earth is he talking about?
“No, I just need you to provide an excuse. I can clear the Fairy Forest without any support…”
[And then you’ll start a war with the Elves, won’t you?]
“I’m trying my best to avoid a fight, so what are you even saying?”
[You are?]
“So-hyun…?”
“…You weren’t planning to fight?”
“Wait, really? Do you honestly, truly believe that…?”
“Junior, do you have a fever?”
“U-Um, So-hyun, if you’re feeling unwell, it’s okay to rest. You have been overworking yourself lately.”
…Huh? Why is everyone reacting like this?
Anyone would think I’ve solved every single problem so far with violence.
— A misunderstanding? Are you being serious?
Even Sun Wukong chimed in with a tone of disbelief, but I felt truly wronged.
I’ve always tried to persuade anyone who seemed like they could be reasoned with first.
It’s just that when they didn’t listen, my fists happened to fly.
Well, okay. Based on my memories from the 1st Timeline, there were cases where I preemptively crushed bastards I knew wouldn’t listen to reason, but you have to count those as unavoidable circumstances.
— Fine. If you say so, then that’s how it is.
“No, you guys are being too much. I’m not a psycho; why would I suddenly go to the Chairperson’s hometown and start a riot?”
“So-hyun. If I’m honest, you won’t get mad, right?”
“Sure, Ga-eul. That depends on what you’re about to say, doesn’t it?”
“I feel like you’re going to go there and say, ‘Chairperson Leilan is mine. So don’t even look at her, you pointy-eared bastards.’”
Ga-eul, my dear Ga-eul, what on earth are you talking about…?
“What kind of image do you have of me in your head? Why are you starting with the premise that I feel possessive over the Chairperson?”
“Eh? You don’t?”
Dumbfounded, I looked around, but for some reason, everyone was looking at me with pitying eyes.
What is this? Wait a minute. Why is the atmosphere like this?
“I knew the numbers would grow, but still.”
“Well, honestly, taking on Leilan and us at the same time is a bit…”
“I told you, that’s not it! And don’t sneakily include yourself in ‘us.’ Nothing has even happened between us yet.”
“Oh? Yet?”
“No, I just meant it as a figure of speech.”
“…Well. The Chairperson is beautiful. And you do like beautiful people, So-hyun.”
Wait, even Ha-ni is joining in? You guys are all teasing me, right? This is a joke, isn’t it…?
However, while they were certainly teasing me, my Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils told me that there was a strange amount of sincerity mixed in. They seemed to believe that even if nothing had happened between the Chairperson and me yet, this incident would change things.
I would have laughed it off if it were just pure public humiliation.
How did my image end up like this…?
— Isn’t it just karma? Honestly, given your track record, those girls have figured you out by now.
No, this is unfair.
I haven’t actively seduced anyone first!
I can’t say it out loud because of the results, but anyway, I feel very wronged.
As I projected my sense of injustice through my gaze, Cathy Noona walked over and gave me a tight hug.
“It’s okay, So-hyun. Noona believes in you.”
Cathy Noona’s embrace was warm and cozy as always, but…
‘I believe he won’t reach triple digits. At most, it won’t be a hundred people, right? Surely he won’t fill a hundred slots…? In the first place, it’s not that So-hyun seduces them, it’s just that everyone around him…’
Judging by her thoughts, she didn’t believe in me one bit, and it felt like my heart was breaking.
Let’s stop looking.
If I peered into their hearts any further, my own mind would probably shatter first.
Everyone is so mean.
The worst part was that even while thinking such things, more people were happy that there would be more openings to exploit than there were people being jealous.
…Anyway, Cheon Mu-jin managed to persuade the Chairperson and applied for the field trip.
On the surface, it was to serve as guards for Cheon Mu-jin as he went abroad for business expansion. But by some miraculous coincidence, that country happened to border the Fairy Forest. Wouldn’t it be natural for curious cadets to accidentally get caught up in the Fairy Forest?
Now that the preparations to follow the Chairperson were complete, there was about a week left until departure.
“A week doesn’t leave much room for error.”
I needed to find a temporary sword for Ha-ni and bolster the Academy’s defenses.
Well, as long as I secured the truly vital areas of the Academy, the War Demon would take care of the rest.
“So, the most urgent thing right now is finding a sword that suits Ha-ni?”
I didn’t want to give her some piece of junk, but every famous sword I knew of already had an owner.
“…Isn’t there some bastard who knows a lot about treasures?”
The face of a former subordinate flashed through my mind, but that guy was currently gnashing his teeth at me, so it was unlikely he’d be of any help.
In the past, I thought he was annoying for blathering on about things I didn’t even want to know, but now that he’s gone, I guess a moment where I need him has finally come.
“Come to think of it, I wonder what that con artist bastard is up to right now?”
I didn’t want to see him, but I was a little curious.
* * *
Meanwhile, as for what that con artist bastard—no, Licht—was doing…
“This is troublesome.”
He was watching the entrance to the Elf forest from a distance using an artifact.
“The security is too tight for infiltration, and even if I try to sneak in with a merchant guild, it seems new members aren’t allowed entry.”
Having a reason to ‘adventure’ in the Elf forest, he turned his gaze toward the Fairy Forest, which could be considered the entrance on the opposite side.
“…Ah, this isn’t it. This really isn’t it.”
For someone who had barely survived Labyrinthos to walk into the Fairy Forest of his own volition was an act so insane that no one but a true madman would even imagine it.
— Hehe, Oppa. You’re not going anywhere now, right?
However, he was prepared to be intentionally insane if it was for the person he cherished.
“…I go through so much trouble for her, and all she does is complain about me not being with her.”
The time allowed for his precious one was running out, and to fix it, he needed a Branch of the World Tree—something he had once obtained after a desperate adventure in the past.
“…I did return it, but I never said I wouldn’t take it again, right?”
Honestly, he had been beaten so badly that he didn’t remember what promises he had made, but since he had no memory of it, he decided to count it as never having said it.
“The Fairy Forest. I just have to clear it within a month.”
Recklessly, without even finishing his information gathering, he made the decision to enter the Fairy Forest.