Chapter 334: The Calm Before the Storm (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 334: The Calm Before the Storm (2)
“Have I kept you waiting long?”
I shook my head.
“I just got here myself.”
“That’s a relief.”
Han Lael’s face lit up as she sat down next to me.
I briefly wondered if it wasn't more natural to sit facing each other, but the smile spreading across her lips quickly erased that thought.
Han Lael wrapped her arms around mine and leaned her head on my shoulder.
“Thank you.”
“Hm?”
“I mean, for Seoah.”
“Ah.”
Crunch.
I took the cookie she offered and ate it.
“Have you ever considered working as a visiting professor at the Magic Tower after you graduate? I never knew you were such a talented educator, Hyun-woo.”
“You’re flattering me. All I did was offer a few words of advice.”
“Oh my, then we have even more reason to recruit you, don’t we? You’re saying you brought Seoah up to the 2nd Circle with just a few words of advice? And in just half a day, no less.”
“...?”
Excuse me?
“You have no idea how surprised I was at the Sunday banquet when I saw Seoah had reached the 2nd Circle. At this rate, she could even aim for the 3rd Circle within the year. No, if she finds the right trigger, it could be even sooner.”
“...Is that even possible?”
“Of course. Though, this growth spurt is temporary. It’s like a dam that’s been blocked for a long time finally burst.”
Her explanation finally made sense to me.
Han Seoah’s realm itself was 1st Circle, but her body’s condition was close to that of a 3rd Circle mage.
Now that she had let go of her obsession with Conceptual Magic and started to acknowledge her own talent, she would probably reach the 3rd Circle in no time.
“By the way, Hyun-woo, can I ask you something?”
“Yes?”
Slide.
Han Lael’s hand came to rest on my thigh.
She skillfully caressed it.
“What on earth did you two talk about for her to change so much overnight?”
Her gray eyes were sparkling.
Her gaze was filled with intense curiosity.
“Do you know how shocked I was when Seoah returned my morning greeting? The head maid next to me was so stunned she even dropped a vase.”
“...Well, I just told her to stop being stubborn, gave her a flick on the forehead, and left.”
“A flick on the forehead?”
Of course, it was probably much more painful than a normal flick, but it wasn't meant as corporal punishment.
I just imbued it with Indestructible Vajra Qi to clear the distracting thoughts from her head, a way of telling her to get a grip.
“As for the details, I’ll have to say ‘no comment’ to protect the student’s privacy.”
“Even though I’m her guardian?”
“She’s an adult, too.”
In truth, protecting her privacy was just an excuse. I couldn't say much because, other than using Acupoint Manipulation to draw out her impure energy, I really hadn't done anything.
It was the same principle as a private tutor not being able to tell a parent that the job was a total cakewalk.
“Hmm...”
Han Lael stared at me with a knowing look.
I deliberately tilted my teacup and avoided her gaze.
“Oh, right. Seoah came to see me last night and suddenly said she wants to move out and live on her own.”
“...?”
What?
“I’m really getting curious about what you said to make Seoah, who commuted from home even after enrolling in the Magic Tower, suddenly bring up moving out.”
“...”
I had certainly told her to just move out if she hated living at home, but I didn't expect her to act on it so quickly.
“Well... she said her house felt a bit suffocating, so I told her to move out if it was really that hard.”
“Is that really all?”
As Han Lael seemed to be testing me, I nodded vigorously.
Anyone watching would think I was some scoundrel corrupting an innocent young lady who didn't know the ways of the world.
“Hmm... To be honest, I thought you had seduced Seoah and made her fall for you.”
“...What do you mean, ‘made her fall’? She’s not a bowling pin.”
“You made me fall, though.”
Squeeze.
Pressing her body tightly against mine, Han Lael whispered in my ear.
“Right here in this very spot.”
“...That wasn’t me making you fall. That was you seducing me.”
“A man who shifts the blame isn't very attractive.”
I decided to just keep my mouth shut.
Arguing with a 7th Circle mage would get me nowhere; I’d just get tangled up in her words instead of breaking even.
“Hehe, since you’ve been such a diligent tutor, I suppose I should keep my promise, right?”
Swoosh.
“...?”
Han Lael reached a hand into her cleavage and pulled something out.
It was a medal engraved with an intricate pattern.
“This is...”
“As the Acting Head of the Family, this is a special token I can only gift to one person each year.”
As I examined the medal closely, I couldn't help but be astonished.
An incredibly elaborate magic circuit was engraved within it, so complex that one wouldn't even dare to think of forging it.
If I were to try and replicate this with my own power, it would probably take me years.
“You said you were going to see an artisan in England, right? Who are you planning to commission?”
“Baronet Sheffield. Grandma Choi Young-ok said his craftsmanship is the best.”
Baronet Jack Osborne Sheffield.
He was one of only five Master Smiths in England, the so-called nation of mages.
“An excellent choice. He’s the one who made my Tenemora.”
“...He made Tenemora?”
I’d heard he was a great artisan, but I never imagined he had crafted Han Lael’s personal artifact.
Remembering the brilliant radiance of Tenemora from the last time I saw it, I couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation.
“If you give him that medal, he’ll bill our family for the payment.”
“...But isn't this too much to spend for a single lesson?”
She had said the material costs alone for Tenemora were 120 billion won.
Factoring in the labor cost for a Master Smith like Baronet Sheffield, the total would easily be more than double that.
I felt a pang of guilt accepting something so valuable for just one tutoring session.
“Hmm... Hyun-woo, do you happen to know what our family’s annual income is?”
“Your income?”
I shook my head.
Unlike other large corporations, the revenue structures of the Three Great Families weren't clearly disclosed, so the internet was filled with nothing but speculative articles.
Han Lael looked at me with a meaningful smile and beckoned me closer.
Then, she whispered in my ear.
“The Jinryu Han family’s total annual income is...”
“...”
“Oh, and as the Tower Lord, I get to take a certain portion of the tower’s profits. Last year alone, it was roughly...”
“......”
My mind went blank at the barrage of numbers I had never even heard of before.
I thought I finally understood why people said the Three Great Families stood above the corporations, and even above the president.
“For your reference, if you marry me, I can give you this much as a dowry...”
Han Lael showed me her phone screen.
An endless string of zeros stretched across it. For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
But in the end, I shook my head and refused.
No matter how large the sum, I couldn't be swayed by mere money.
“...I’m sorry, but I have no intention of living as a kept man.”
“What a shame.”
Perhaps she had been half-joking all along, as Han Lael simply smiled playfully and backed down gracefully.
“But if you ever change your mind, you have to let me know, okay?”
...Was she really joking?
I decided to change the subject.
“Can I ask you for a favor?”
“A favor?”
“To be precise, it’s an administrative request. Please increase the budget for the research club I’m in. Nothing more, just bring it up to a similar level as the other clubs.”
As far as I knew, the Diabology Research Club’s budget was less than a tenth of the average for other clubs.
Which was probably why its president was working a part-time job.
“Hmm... The club’s name was Diabology, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
I decided not to ask how she knew the name of my club.
Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.
Han Lael seemed to ponder for a moment before taking out her phone and quietly tapping the screen.
Ting-
With the sound of a message being sent, a smile curved on her lips.
“All done. The additional budget should be deposited by tomorrow morning at the earliest.”
“Thank you.”
I could already imagine Ryu Gaeun making a huge fuss.
“Don’t thank me for something like this. Compared to the other mages who do nothing but scream for research funds all day, you’re a gentleman, Hyun-woo. I don’t know if they’re just throwing old-maid hysterics because they’re getting on in years or what... Tsk.”
As stress from her work seemed to bubble up, Han Lael began to sharply criticize the other mages.
Calling them money-guzzling hippos, condescending old blowhards with big egos but no results or skills, and saying she wanted to kick them out of the Magic Tower if she could just find a reason.
I stroked her hair and listened silently.
Since I was getting a staff made by a Master Smith for free, this was the least I could do.
“Oh, right. I’m going to the US on a business trip tomorrow.”
“A business trip?”
“Yes, there’s an academic conference at the Black Magic Tower in New York. The tower will probably be quiet tomorrow. The other professors are going too, and the first-years have Gate practical training scheduled.”
Han Lael continued, her tone a little brighter.
I was glad she seemed to be in a better mood.
“I probably won’t be back until next week.”
“You’ll be gone for longer than I thought.”
“Yes, it turned out that way since I have someone to meet in the States.”
“Someone to meet? A friend?”
“Hm?”
My simple, curious question made Han Lael’s eyes widen. Then, the corners of her eyes curved devilishly.
“Are you jealous, thinking I’m going to meet a man?”
“...?”
What?
“I heard that women my age hate it when their boyfriends get obsessive or ask about every single person they meet...”
A strange light gleamed in Han Lael’s gray eyes.
Thump.
Then, she gently pushed me down onto the sofa and, before I could stop her, climbed on top of me.
“But for some reason, the thought of you being anxious and obsessive about my relationships is starting to make me feel good.”
Rustle.
The thin fabric slid off powerlessly.
Her pristine white skin, now completely exposed, filled my vision.
“If you don’t want me to get distracted while I’m in America, I think you’re going to have to help me...”
Her necklace and earrings.
Her underwear and gloves.
And finally, even letting her hair down, Han Lael was completely naked as she looked down at me.
“What are you going to do?”
“...If you can’t make your business trip tomorrow, don’t blame me.”
Flump.
I sat up and flipped her over, pinning her beneath me.
“Kyaa♡”
It was late into the night by the time I left the Magic Tower.
*
After a pleasant time with Han Lael, I returned home, lay down on the sofa, and opened my profile.
[Kang Hyun-woo
Age: 21
Title: Virgin Killer
Race: Human
Affiliation: Earth
Class: Mage (5th Circle)
Sub-class: Martial Artist (???)
Skills: Thought Transcendence, Weakness Insight, Sex Expert, Extreme Blood…
Owned Coins: 29,300 Coins]
Normally, I would have browsed the shop, but that wasn't what was important right now.
I tapped on the Sub-class section.
Ting-
[3rd Class Advancement Condition]
[Achieve Flower Realm]
“Haa...”
A sigh escaped me as I stared at the unchanging screen.
“Hm? Master, what’s wrong?”
“There’s just something that’s not working out.”
I stroked the head of Noel, who was lying on top of me, trying to soothe my troubled mind.
For the record, she and Jeon Seoha were taking turns in 10-minute shifts.
‘I was so sure I’d reached the Flower Realm, but was I mistaken?’
From the question marks on my profile to the unfulfilled advancement condition.
Everything was telling me that I had not yet reached the Flower Realm.
I swiped the screen away and stared blankly at the ceiling.
‘...What am I missing?’
As far as I knew, the Flower Realm was a state where one’s inner image was projected onto the external world, changing reality.
A prime example was Old Monster Mangong.
The sight of the poisonous energy flowing from his body, seemingly contaminating space itself as it overwrote the world with his inner image, was still vivid in my mind.
But unlike him, I couldn't even begin to grasp how to manifest my inner image, let alone actually do it.
‘It would be nice if I could ask for advice... but Master said it’s better not to.’
He had warned me to be wary, saying that just as too many cooks spoil the broth, the advice of others might be helpful in the short term, but could later become a shackle that defines one’s limits.
“...Cranky old man. Then you could at least give me a hint-”
“Hyun-woo...?”
“Hm?”
At that moment, a pair of white ears twitched into my view of the ceiling.
It was Jeon Seoha.
Lowering my gaze slightly, I saw that Jeon Seoha was lying on my stomach instead of Noel.
It seemed they had switched while I was lost in thought.
“What’s wrong?”
“...Can you... pat my head like you did for Noel?”
“...”
A wry laugh escaped me as I watched Jeon Seoha fidget with her fingers, nervously glancing at me.
Right. There are some things in this world that you just can't solve no matter how much you worry.
At times like these, it was better to look away for a moment and clear your head than to stubbornly agonize over it.
I thoroughly ruffled her hair, stroking it, then gathered her preciously in my arms and stood up in one motion.
As I headed straight for the bedroom, Jeon Seoha, seeming to anticipate what was about to happen, began to kick her legs wildly.
“H-Hyun-woo?? I haven’t washed yet...”
“I like it better when you haven’t washed. You know that savory scent?”
“I don’t want to know...!!”
Of course, I had no intention of letting her go.
Noel, who had been watching from the side, grinned and followed me into the bedroom.
Click.
With the sound of the door locking, Jeon Seoha’s moans soon filled the room.
˙
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-This is a breaking news report. Some low-rank gates distributed throughout the metropolitan area have, for unknown reasons, turned into A-rank gates. I repeat. Some low-rank gates located in the metropolitan area have suddenly been upgraded to A-rank, and accordingly, the authorities have declared a state of emergency. Citizens are advised to evacuate to a safe location according to broadcasts and text alerts. This is not a drill, this is a real situation. Those residing in hazardous areas should immediately...
Trrrr, trrrr-
[Caller: Marna Hircus]