Chapter 33
Translator - Zofu
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Belluna's expression revealed all her emotions without a single word necessary.
The woman beside her, who had been nudging her with her elbow, openly displayed her envy.
"Mine were all duds...."
She was the inspector who had examined another hero candidate from the Palania Kingdom in the room next to Belluna's.
After mocking Geum Tae-yang's results from the first physical examination, as if it were punishment, all four candidates she examined afterward were duds in succession.
Physical examinations were assigned randomly under the Training Center's strict process, leaving no room to suspect manipulation.
The number of male hero candidates was forty-two.
Even considering that Belluna had given up after examining Si-woo, she was among the half who examined one more person than the others, yet those were her results.
"This is really unfair."
"It's just luck, I guess."
A woman on the opposite side muttered regretfully.
"Hey, Belluna. So are you joining that hero's party?"
"Ah, no, I'm not."
"Huh? Then what?"
"I plan to stay with my existing party."
"So that's why you passed on it? But is that hero okay?"
Belluna could easily understand what she was getting at.
The male hero candidates summoned from another world were quite obsessed with women.
That obsession was by their standards, but it was natural by their common sense. No matter how much it was for buffs, who would like it if their woman drank a potion made from another man's semen?
"I was a bit suspicious too, but seeing them both smile, they seem to be on good terms."
"Well...."
Belluna rolled her eyes as she spoke.
'Huh? Can I say this?'
She thought for a moment, but it didn't seem like it would be a problem.
"Why? Is it a secret?"
"No, it's not that...."
Her trailing off and making people curious had not just the inspectors on both sides, but other inspectors and people around them pricking up their ears.
Anything about Si-woo was becoming a topic of conversation. Even though the physical examination results and rankings would be announced today, rumors had already spread far and wide—he was the rookie of the century, so it couldn't be helped.
"He said he'd make it."
"Make what?"
"...Ah, surely not...."
"...Yes. Manjus. He said he'd make it himself."
"...Wow, crazy."
At Belluna's shy words, they all exclaimed in admiration.
The reason Manjus was created.
It was for the preservation and quantity of semen. Though slightly less efficient than raw semen, its effects differed depending on whose it was made from and how diluted it was. Manjus grades existed for that purpose.
Even going by the rumors alone, the Manjus made from Si-woo's semen would be extraordinary. Though it was uncertain to what level Si-woo would make and distribute the Manjus, this alone was certainly surprising news.
"Belluna. Be careful."
"Huh? Why suddenly?"
"People will come looking for you later. To buy Manjus."
"Ah, no way."
"You. 'No way' kills people."
"......."
Those words somehow struck a chord, and Belluna shifted her gaze toward Si-woo.
Though thirty minutes had passed since the orientation began, unlike other heroes who couldn't concentrate, Si-woo was looking at the director with a serious expression. Though he seemed to look elsewhere occasionally, he was still the best among them.
'As expected, our Si-woo....'
Belluna stared at Si-woo with dreamy eyes.
"Wow, look at this kid."
"Why?"
"She's lost her mind?"
"They say a late first love is frightening...."
"But if I had that face and that big dick... wow."
"Ah, shit. I want to do it with a guy like that too."
Belluna didn't pay attention to the lewd gossip around her, only looking at Si-woo.
'Hmm, I'm sure she saw it too.... Ah, I remember. Those guys. The girl who had an affair with a handsome noble. Then she's not needed....'
Meanwhile, Si-woo was scanning the women around him, accumulating information about them in his mind and recalling his knowledge from the first round.
Though the Training Center director had an old-fashioned personality, he knew she had good insight, so he only pretended to concentrate. Though there were occasionally interesting stories, overall it was boring.
'It would be good if I could confirm while looking at what I wrote down. It's more confusing than I thought.'
Si-woo clicked his tongue inwardly in regret.
The matters of the first round and regression were secrets even from Hildear and Elaine.
He had secretly written down what he remembered in the notebook artifact saved from the Palania Kingdom when he had time, but time was insufficient and the organization was poor. Moreover, he couldn't draw faces, and there were many cases where his memory differed by several years.
Still, he was satisfied to see several people worth noting.
Because hero candidates were assigned to the front seats and companion candidates to the back seats, he couldn't properly observe the companion candidate side, but it wasn't bad. Anyway, the orientation wasn't long, and time was insufficient even to observe the hero candidates, VIPs, and instructors.
'What interests me most is definitely that woman.'
Si-woo's eyes turned to the woman sitting two rows ahead of him.
A black-haired woman with a ponytail that looked serious.
She was concentrating on the director's speech even more than Si-woo.
That disciplined, angular posture represented her personality.
Of course, Si-woo's interest in her wasn't because of such attitude or personality.
She was the genius swordsman who had been strongest among the 98th heroes in the first round, never once letting go of first place from enrollment to graduation six months later. And the all-white sage who would be brainwashed somewhere under the Palania royal palace, whose name he couldn't even remember now, was the eternal second place.
'In ten years, she'll naturally be S-rank... Ah, they're announcing results.'
While thinking this and that and focusing on observation, before he knew it, the final part of the orientation—the announcement of physical examination results for male hero candidates—had begun.
Without a doubt, first place was Si-woo. The details of the physical examination would be announced separately, and here only the total score and potential grade would be announced.
As his score and grade appeared on the screen behind the director, exclamations and sighs flowed throughout the auditorium. A total score several times that of second place and the words "Potential Measurement Impossible" announced his presence.
"This is kind of embarrassing."
Though he thought he'd gotten used to the attention from people gathered around the Palania royal palace and hotel lodging, it seemed he was mistaken.
Several male candidates in the lower ranks approached him in a friendly manner, but Si-woo ignored them all. Even after consistent ignoring, even when they muttered complaints about him being rude, he didn't care.
'Where do these guys get off.'
Si-woo snorted.
They were men he wasn't close with in the first round, humans not worth paying attention to. Some clearly wanted to get crumbs from him, and some were obviously trying to recruit him on their nation's orders. He didn't want to waste even a word on those guys.
Soon, all forty-two announcements were finished. Last place was Geum Tae-yang, whose name he had also forgotten like the all-white sage. The Palania Kingdom simultaneously had the first and forty-second hero candidates.
'This country really has no hope but me....'
He felt sorry for Sharperia.
But he was also pleased.
He felt he could handle the small, weak Palania Kingdom as he pleased. The sight of the entire nation clinging to him was pitiful but also a suitable stage for doing whatever he wanted.
'To do that, of course....'
It's hard with just one hero.
That was why Si-woo was eyeing the first-place woman and other female heroes.
A clan with only himself as the man.
A clan with only female heroes and female members.
It didn't look bad.
"Then we will have a simple test for the female hero candidates."
Count Elverton, the Training Center director, turned off the microphone with those final words.
The orientation was essentially over.
Unlike male heroes whose main role was semen provision, female heroes fought directly alongside members.
The women summoned by the goddess all had decent talents, and to maximize them, the Training Center conducted a talent aptitude test.
"Male candidates, please come this way and we will guide you to the dormitories!"
Si-woo waved goodbye to Hildear and Elaine, whom he would see again in a month, and promised Belluna they'd meet later with an eye smile. Though it was just a brief meeting before leaving using the inspector's privilege.
"This way please."
Following the Training Center staff's words, the forty-two men walked leisurely toward the dormitory they would use for six months.
The rooms assigned to individuals weren't bad, but for those who had stayed in luxurious places like the royal palace and previous hotel, it was unsatisfactory. Still, since no one had lived a glamorous life from the start, the general atmosphere was one of satisfaction.
Si-woo didn't care about the room. Six months wasn't a short time, but he thought he might end up sleeping elsewhere depending on the situation. And what was more important to him now than the room was women.
"We meet again."
"Excuse me? Are you talking to me?"
"You don't remember me?"
"...Ah! The person I stopped...."
"Yes, that's right."
He thought he was lucky.
Among the staff guiding them to the dormitory was the red-haired female knight he had met on the first day at the Training Center.
She was someone who had been pursuing a deserter from the previous class who was fleeing after receiving punishment.
Thanks to that, it was easy to start a conversation.
"I'm really sorry about what happened then."
"Ah, it's fine. But what happened?"
"What... are you referring to the deserter candidate? We caught them afterward."
"That's a relief."
Si-woo spoke friendly to the stiff female knight.
The knight, seemingly nervous, responded to his words with a slightly flushed face. Thanks to Si-woo's kindness and behavior, she quickly relaxed and began to show small smiles. She even complained slightly about how difficult the job was.
"I really don't know why they keep deserting...."
"If they didn't do things that warrant punishment, they wouldn't have to."
"That's right! They do wrong and then run away, commit crimes...."
The atmosphere was quite good throughout the conversation.
However, after arriving at the dormitory and being shown his room, the female knight headed elsewhere.
At first she had only been nervous, but now she looked at Si-woo with regretful eyes as she still had work to finish. To female knights who mainly dealt with troublesome hero candidates, the diligent and kind Si-woo was a kind of healing.
"Then I will take my leave, Candidate."
"Take care. Let's talk again later."
"...Yes!"
Her head that had been lowering in disappointment suddenly lifted.
The female knight answering with a bright face.
Si-woo asked for her name and learned her break time.
'One month. Won't be boring.'
It might have been a trashy thought, but even if she knew what was in his head, the female knight would have liked it.
Work at the Training Center was often harder than expected. The only hope for most women working there was a hot night with handsome, well-endowed male hero candidates. But for those mainly dealing with discipline and military order, even that could be painful.
Still, a passionate night with male candidates was the dream of most women working at the Training Center.
"Finally alone. Then let's organize my notes."
Thus began Han Si-woo's hero training center life.
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