Chapter 418: The Chaotic Daily Life of Leilan Academy. (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 418: The Chaotic Daily Life of Leilan Academy. (1)
And so, the Cold War between the Jeju Island faction and the Gyeongju faction began.
Unless their class schedules kept them apart, these were kids who usually gathered to eat together and swarmed our classroom to chatter whenever they were bored. Now, even if they happened to cross paths in the hallway, they merely exchanged sharp glares and passed by without so much as a greeting.
Has there ever been a time since the regression where the kids fought this seriously…?
I mean, sure. People fight. I understand that they might have occasional clashes due to differences in opinion, but is this really right?
Is this pathetic excuse for a conflict really the first “rift” the protagonist and his friends are supposed to face?
How is the reason for this division a school trip?
These were people who had overcome a Demon King’s invasion and survived Hell together. It was beyond my common sense to understand why they were feuding over a mere travel destination.
— Well, it’s not like they’re throwing punches in the open. A little spat like that is bound to happen.
“No, I know that.”
Sun Wukong acted as if I was worrying over nothing, figuring they’d get over it eventually. But perhaps because I hadn’t seen them fight much since the regression, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
To put it bluntly, it wasn’t like this would cause them to fall into depravity or try to kill each other, but the fact that they were fighting at all just felt… wrong.
— If you really want to stop the fight, well, you could always chug some Hero Drink, get drunk, and sob your eyes out while begging them to stop. They’d probably quit right then and there.
“Hey, don’t joke around.”
— …Do I look like I’m joking? That would probably settle almost every dispute among those kids.
…The fact that it sounded genuinely plausible was a bit terrifying.
“Anyway, I’ll leave that as a last resort and try to mediate between them somehow.”
— Hmph. So you are considering it as a last resort…?
“I might hate the idea, but I can’t just let them keep fighting.”
I’d have to try persuading them with words first, though.
They were just heated in the moment. They’d probably calm down after a little while. Once they cooled off and we could have a proper conversation, we’d be able to resolve this.
* * *
“I always knew I would have to settle things with you one day. Step outside, Lilac. If you refuse to back down, then try to break me with your strength and prove your conviction.”
Cheon Yu-hak’s Silver Arm flashed, emitting a brilliant radiance.
“Indeed, even friends can quarrel. We can’t always be of one mind. Clashes of opinion are inevitable. If this is the only way to persuade you, I will not hesitate.”
The Holy Sword, shrouded in demonic energy, appeared in Lilac’s hand.
“What do you mean ‘prove your conviction,’ and what the hell are you ‘not hesitating’ for, you crazy bastards?”
I thought they’d calm down if I just left them alone, but they were taking it to the absolute limit.
Are they actually insane?
They usually get along so well; why are they fighting over this?
If it were just Lilac and Cheon Yu-hak acting up, I’d ignore them whether they died or not, but the problem was that the others were in a similar state.
“Gyeongju.”
“Jeju Island!”
“Gyeongju.”
“Jeju Island!”
Some were stuck in an infinite loop, while others had gone as far as researching which destination was more suitable and were now debating their findings.
“Uh, um. Is this really something worth fighting over? Isn’t it fine as long as it’s fun, regardless of where we go?”
…Good heavens.
I never thought the day would come when I’d actually agree with Aisha. Why on earth were they staking their lives on such a trivial matter?
“Sometimes, there are things one simply cannot concede.”
“Exactly. When neither side can yield, a collision is the only outcome.”
…Yeah, I get that.
But for fuck’s sake, is the destination of a school trip really something you can’t concede, even to the point of drawing weapons?
“…Now that I think about it, So-hyun, where do you want to go?”
Just as I was about to give up out of sheer absurdity, Lilac caught me off guard.
“…Huh?”
In an instant, the kids’ focus shifted from their preferred destinations to where I wanted to go. I was impressed by the tactical brilliance of shifting the focus, but this was not a positive development for me.
…I honestly didn’t care either way.
But knowing these kids, they would never believe me if I said I had no preference.
However, the poison Lilac had sown had already spread deep among them.
“That’s right. So-hyun can just pick. None of you will have any complaints if So-hyun decides, right?”
…Ha-ni. What on earth are you talking about? This is one of the few democratic nations left in the world; why are you trying to turn an individual’s opinion into the collective will?
“So-hyun likes girls, so he’ll probably want to go to Jeju Island over Gyeongju! They say Jeju is famous for having lots of stones, wind, and women!”
Ga-eul. What are you talking about now…?
My friends were all looking at me with expectant eyes, clearly wanting an answer. Even though I knew they wouldn’t believe me, I started to speak…
“Saying ‘either way is fine’ is cheating.”
“Right. Surely there’s one place you’d prefer, even if only by a little?”
…Well, as much as I know them, they’ve come to know me just as well.
But I really don’t have one.
Even after thinking about it as seriously as possible, I had no personal connection to either place, nor was there anywhere I absolutely had to visit.
It’s true that Gyeongju has many artifacts, but considering the kids’ current levels, they’d need at least a Hero-grade artifact for it to be of any help. I don’t recall seeing any dungeons in Gyeongju that drop such items, neither in the Setting Book nor in the 1st Timeline.
Jeju Island is a resort, so it’s good for resting, but the people who manage the casinos and coliseums are a bit dangerous, so I felt like an incident would inevitably occur.
…Ah, I said that quite naturally, but Jeju Island in this world is a place of pleasure that goes beyond a simple resort; it has coliseums and gambling dens.
According to the setting, they’re operated legally, but the people running them are a shade of gray that’s almost pitch black. I couldn’t help but think they’d end up picking a fight with my friends.
Then again, was Gyeongju any safer? That place was crawling with illegal scavengers, so it was just as dangerous.
Hmm, this won’t do.
No matter how much I think about it, there’s no end to these hypothetical scenarios.
“…Would it be okay if we decided with something like a coin toss?”
I suggested what I thought was a fairly rational solution, but everyone looked at me with faces of utter despair, as if they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
“That’s impossible…”
“He’s not human… A coin toss for something this important…?”
“Is his heart made of Adamantium or something…?”
“Maybe he has aura flowing through his veins instead of blood.”
…Is it really that weird of a suggestion? You guys are hurting my feelings.
“No, I mean, it’s not like this is our only chance to travel. We can just all go together to the place we didn’t pick this time later on.”
It might be a bit different from the specific experience of a school trip, but I figured we’d still have fun if we all went together eventually.
I was just being honest about my thoughts, but this time, everyone had surprised expressions for a different reason.
“What? Why?”
“No, it’s just… hearing those words come out of your mouth is a bit surprising.”
Seeing Ha-ni’s bewildered expression, I realized it probably wasn’t something I’d usually say. I wasn’t exactly the type of person to naturally use words like “next time” or “all together.”
“…True. Come to think of it, it’s not like we can decide on our own anyway. It’ll be decided by a vote.”
“Yeah, So-hyun is right. We can just go together again later, can’t we?”
Oh, I didn’t say it with this intention, but it seems the kids have calmed down.
Everyone started talking about how they hoped they could have fun regardless of where they went, rather than insisting on one specific destination.
Exactly. Why fight?
If we’re going, we should have a good time. What’s the point of fighting before we even leave?
“Hey, don’t just stand back there with that ‘proud dad’ smile. Get over here.”
“Ah, alright.”
Even as I was dragged in by the kids for trying to stay on the sidelines and we chatted happily about the trip, I thought this would be the end of the school trip incident.
* * *
Right.
I never imagined that just as my kids were calming down, the adults would start making a fuss.
Specifically…
“Hmm, I’m very disappointed. I expect it from my son, but I can’t believe even you kept this a secret from me.”
Information about the school trip had eventually reached the ears of Cheon Yu-hak’s father.
“I don’t know why you ‘expect it’ from Yu-hak keeping secrets, but did you really fly all the way here at this hour just to say that?”
“Of course not. I’m not a man with much free time, so I can’t afford to make time just to complain.”
Ah, when I said he “flew here,” I didn’t mean it metaphorically. I meant he literally flew here using his own wings.
…I’m pretty sure he does have a lot of free time.
What kind of person transforms into combat mode and sprouts wings to fly all the way here just because of news about a school trip?
Since it looked like the light would wake Ha-ni and Luna, I tried to block it with Black Shadow first. Fortunately, while he might not follow common sense, he wasn’t entirely devoid of it, and he dimmed the light himself.
“Hmm, ah. My apologies. It’s been quite a while since I’ve pushed myself to top speed.”
…Seriously, every time I deal with Yu-hak’s father, I realize my own father is a saint by comparison.
“Your father will probably be here soon as well.”
“…Pardon? Why?”
And not long after, a black motorcycle came to a halt in front of the dormitory, scattering trails of red light.
…Oh, I really hoped that figure in the black rider suit wasn’t my father.
But they say expectations are always betrayed. Regrettably, the moment the helmet was removed, the face revealed was a handsome man with black hair and red eyes, just like mine.
“…What are you doing at an hour when the children are all asleep?”
My father rebuked Cheon Mu-jin, but honestly, Father, engaging in a high-speed chase with a Pegasus on a motorcycle—even if it is a low-noise model—isn’t exactly normal either.
“What? I just wanted to express a bit of disappointment since it seemed like you and your son were planning something behind my back.”
He said that, but seeing the smirk on his face, he didn’t look particularly disappointed.
“Look at this!”
With those words, Cheon Mu-jin tossed a pamphlet to both me and my father. It detailed a travel course where facilities operated by the Cheonhwa Group on Jeju Island could be used for free.
“…What is this?”
“What does it look like? Honestly, it’s a fact that the Cheonhwa Group is ahead of Yuseong when it comes to the travel industry, isn’t it?”
“…Is that so?”
“So, back off. To give the children the best memories, the best service must be provided!”
…Ah, um. Looking at it this way, it certainly was superior to any service the Yuseong Group could offer.
Just looking at the restaurants, it included unlimited access to meals that would normally be quite a burden to pay for, and the quality of the hotel accommodations was slightly ahead of Yuseong’s.
“And to ensure the price isn’t a burden, the Cheonhwa Group will cover more than half of the costs as a donation.”
If the price burden was lowered as well, it seemed there was no way for the Yuseong Group—which currently didn’t have much investment in Jeju Island—to win.
In the first place, this kind of service wasn’t Yuseong’s specialty. Perhaps because my father had turned his attention elsewhere rather than competing with Cheon Mu-jin, there weren’t many Yuseong affiliates on Jeju Island.
“Now, if you understand…”
I thought my father would have no choice but to concede, but he was looking at Cheon Mu-jin with eyes filled with a fighting spirit I had never seen before in my life.
“Ho. I don’t think I’ve seen that fire in your eyes since our cadet days.”
“It’s been a long time since my son trusted and relied on me.”
…Hmm?
“I won’t be backing down easily this time, Cheon.”
“Then what will you do?”
“Our Yuseong Group certainly can’t win on Jeju Island.”
No, I think it’s fine if you just concede. Travel isn’t even our main business…
“But what about Gyeongju?”
“…Hmm.”
Since Gyeongju was a place where many artifacts were found, there were plenty of affiliates of the Yuseong Group, which led the way in military business and artificial artifact production. Consequently, they had also invested heavily in accommodations and restaurants there.
“You brought a pamphlet for Jeju Island because it’s advantageous for you, knowing you’d have a hard time beating our group in Gyeongju, didn’t you?”
“…You’ve been living quietly as if you were dead for a while, and now you want to go at it?”
“What are you talking about? You lost to me in the final match we had during our cadet days.”
At my father’s “You’re trash” declaration, Cheon Mu-jin was visibly incensed.
“Hey! That was a draw!”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“Fine, let’s do this. We’ll promote our sides fairly and see which one the cadets choose!”
“You think I’d run?”
No, Father, please run.
Wait, why are you being so serious?
I finally got the kids to stop, so why are the adults fighting now?
And then, the two adults, acting anything but adult-like, immediately began making calls on their smartphones.
“That artificial hot spring being developed in Gyeongju, what’s the status? A week? That’s too long…! Tell them I’m sending additional hazard pay for the workers and more development funds.”
“What’s the progress on the transparent underwater tunnel being built beneath the sea?! A shortage of materials?! Handle it even if you have to double the budget!”
…Seriously, what are you both doing in the middle of the night?