Chapter 101

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 101

Chapter Title: Erina Esnatia's Wedding

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I expected it, but the academy I returned to after just a week was a total mess.

Rumors about several high-ranking instructors who'd been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠replaced. Chaos from the week-long closure.

And among them, the biggest buzz was the rumors about me.

-Isn't that Kim Si-woo over there?

-The first-year from the news? Let me get a look.

-Why's everyone so fixated on a first-year?

-He cleared an S-rank dungeon—of course they're curious. If you're not interested, step aside and let me talk to him.

-Dude, it wasn't some subjugation. Didn't you see the club members? He was just tagging along.

-That's why you'll never get it. Did you even watch the live broadcast?

The hallway was packed with people from every grade, all crowding around to see me.

Opinions on me were all over the place, and the noise level was insane.

There were even a ton of upperclassmen mixed in.

They must've been dying to see my face.

And among the crowd, a few standouts caught my eye.

Some conspiracy nuts were spreading wild bullshit like it was their life's work.

-I knew something was off from the start... Rumors don't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just smoke out of thin air, right?

A guy was earnestly explaining to a girl.

She was definitely Geum Jo-ah, granddaughter of the foreign clan Goldbench.

I didn't remember the details, but Goldbench was the clan that connected headhunted hunters to clans looking for specific talent. Word was they were tops in the industry for that.

'Even a girl from a family like that finds this crap intriguing.'

Geum Jo-ah looked hooked, her face lit up with interest.

-What're you talking about? What rumor?

-You know Kwak Du-pal from first-year, right?

-Yeah, one of the hot prospects. Though the word is his personality sucks.

Seemed like Kwak Du-pal's rep wasn't great with the girls.

He probably thought they were all obsessed with him. Tough break.

The guy chuckled at Geum Jo-ah's words and replied.

-Right, that Kwak Du-pal. On day one, he was picking fights with A-class students, and this Kim Si-woo shut him down with just a look.

-No way.

-Don't believe me then. But this one's straight from Kim Si-woo's classmates. Plenty of eyewitnesses.

-For real...?

-Just think about it. Oh, and get this—he soloed the B-rank monster Stone Dragon Panpagia early in the semester.

The girl, now half-convinced by his passionate pitch, asked cautiously.

-Hang on, that Kim Si-woo guy only has one skillbook, right? How's that even possible?

-Exactly! That's the core of the rumor. How do you pull that off? He's no student, I tell ya.

-If he's not a student, then what?

-Beats me. But the whispers say he's a government secret agent keeping tabs on the academy. Or a hunter from some foreign mega-clan. Or maybe even tied to the Black—!

The girl shot him a "quit bullshitting" look before muttering to herself.

-Still kinda interesting.

This is driving me nuts. Stop paying attention to me.

First day back, and I'm drowning in unprecedented scrutiny. Super uncomfortable.

On top of that, even my fellow A-class kids seemed to be giving me the cold shoulder.

-Hey, stay away from Kim Si-woo.

-Why?

-How'd he ignore us before? You wanna end up like that?

Overheard some classmates chatting.

Had no idea I'd been getting the ignore treatment. Now I knew more than I wanted.

I started walking, lost in those thoughts, when students lining the hall rushed up to talk to me.

-You're Kim Si-woo, right? Nice to meet ya! Lunch together or—

-Wanna swing by our clan? My dad's super interested in you.

-Lee Se-hee, reporter! Please, just one interview. We're not strangers!

One weirdo in the mix.

The reporter who'd shoved a mic in my face right after I exited "Night of Amaris."

Anything else I could've handled, but how the hell did she get in here?

I approached her.

"Reporter Lee Se-hee. I'll hit you up next time."

She beamed at me.

"That's a promise. No vanishing like last time, okay?"

"So scram already. Outsiders on academy grounds is a huge no-no."

She flashed her camera like it was a badge of honor.

"Outsider? I was invited today—came right ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠through the front."

"Invited?"

No freaking way. The academy had warned off reporters shoving cameras before.

To my skeptical reply, Lee Se-hee grinned.

"Yeah, they told me to come if I had questions?"

...That wasn't an invitation. That was a summons for questioning.

"Get. Out."

"Student Kim Si-woo! You better call!"

My head throbbed from the intensity of it all—attention I'd never dealt with before. The crowd was so thick I could barely move.

Guess my news had hit like a bombshell.

'Still, gotta get to class somehow.'

I was mulling over options when someone approached and spoke up.

Our heights matched, and he had a decently burly build.

"You Kim Si-woo?"

"Yeah."

Banmal right out the gate, so I gave it right back.

He smirked and flicked my forehead with his finger.

"Heard the cocky rumors you beat Kwak Du-pal. So, if I smash you, does that mean I beat Kwak Du-pal?"

Unbelievable. Even elementary school kids had more class than this.

From his talk, this was the guy who'd been stuck as Kwak Du-pal's number two back in hunter specialized high school.

'An extra, probably.'

Honestly, even "number two" was his own hype. Kwak Du-pal wasn't even number one to begin with.

Trouble brewing, I eyed him.

And a brilliant idea hit me.

'Perfect timing. Lend me a hand.'

Maybe he could help clear this crowd.

After getting [Pure Force], I wasn't worried about some meathead one-trick pony.

I spoke to him.

"I don't wanna fight."

He scoffed back.

"Hah, so Kwak Du-pal lost to trash like you? Guess my win over him was just luck. I was an idiot chasing dumb rumors. Fine, beating you counts the same, right?"

Unreal.

This guy must've traded brains for biceps.

Like one of those manga where the body gets strong instead of magic.

I stepped up to him as he grinned down at me.

Then whispered.

"Pathetic loser got wrecked by Kwak Du-pal, now chasing an easy win on some pushover like me. Did Kwak really fuck you up the ass?"

He took the bait beautifully. Veins popped on his neck.

"You little shit!"

Skill activation incoming.

The crowd around us backed off fast.

I yelled to halt him.

"Hold up!!"

Pointed to his opposite side.

"Yo, Kwak Du-pal and Lee Seong-hyeon are making out."

"Huh?"

He whipped his head around. Most of the students did too.

Yeah, you can't not look at that.

The second he turned, defenseless, I grabbed his arm and slung it over my shoulder.

Bang—

He ate concrete face-first.

Slammed that hard? Out cold for sure.

"You all saw him fire off that skill first, right? I didn't wanna fight. Had to self-defense him down. Just knocked him out—call an instructor to drag him off!"

I bolted to A-class in the ensuing chaos.

***

The dedicated staffer for A-Dong dorm knocked on Erina's door.

"Erina Esnatia? Class time's almost up. If you don't head out now..."

"Sorry. Not feeling well today—gonna rest."

"Understood. Call if you need anything; I'll bring it over."

Once the staffer left, Erina—still on her bed—stared holes into the message on her phone and hung her head.

"Come back? This is way too sudden. I haven't prepared a thing."

Tears pricked at her eyes, but she squeezed them shut, holding back as she thought.

'Should I pray to a god or something?'

But then she cracked a smile, balled her fist tight, and yelled.

"Just bolt? Hell yeah! Siwoo would run off with me! Elopement! Elopement!"

Erina bounced on the bed, hollering at the top of her lungs.

"You got this, Erina! Siwoo said it—relying on gods is what makes you weak!"

As Erina psyched herself up like that, her smartwatch buzzed with an incoming call.

She glanced at it.

"A call?"

Erina Esnatia checked the caller ID—and her body went rigid, face draining to a ghostly pale mask of terror, like she'd never perked up at all.