Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Part 12. Declarer Selection (3)
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-Tick.
The microphone at the judges' table switched off. Ha Jun-su and the selection officer seemed to be trying to persuade Gaeul, leaving her behind.
-But it doesn't seem like she's that deeply immersed.
It was Bom's voice.
-If the Gold clan's 'immersion' has stages, she's probably at stage one right now. It's just the emotions and atmosphere following along.
"Then what about saying 'all disqualified'?"
-It means there's no suitable assistant. That seems to be her honest opinion.
Gaeul wasn't perceptive. But she tried hard to read the room.
Back when she was a hatchling version, if she'd been given a chance to choose an assistant declarer? She would've panicked while reading the room and blurted out that anyone would do.
"Then what happens if she immerses even deeper than that?"
-If there were a stage two, she'd start following their thought patterns themselves. She'd begin mimicking the emotions, thoughts, and actions of the target.
This was bad.
-...Ajusshi.
Bom asked in a lower voice.
-Just to be sure, I'm asking... That friend from the story. He's not a really bad guy, right?
He was a wanted criminal.
After the second loop ended, Yoo Ji-tae in the third loop had mercilessly killed everything that caught his eye, human or demonkin alike. With extremely cruel hands.
So, it seemed like he had to prevent Gaeul from immersing any deeper.
But how?
-...I don't know either.
......
-The fact that we're close now is an unusual exception thanks to you, Ajusshi. Different clans aren't usually that friendly with each other.
The back of his neck grew stiff. Crack, Yoo Ji-tae twisted his head.
Still, maybe the PD guy would rein her in properly. After all, he was going all out for the entrance ceremony.
He perked up his ears to eavesdrop on the judges' table conversation.
'B-But if there's at least someone usable as an assistant...?'
'...There isn't.'
'G-Gaeul cadet...!'
'Their expressions are all immature. Their emotions are as shallow as paper. If you're looking for harmony between the main declarer and assistant declarer, it might be more harmonious if I just quit.'
'Ah......'
The ogre clan member spat out her words flatly, without emotion.
That's why the selection officer was dumbfounded yet sweating bullets.
This was something PD Ha Jun-su needed to step in and stop.
'Indeed, that's a valid point.'
But PD Ha Jun-su didn't seem to be in his right mind either.
'P-PD-nim!?'
'Wiping out all the assistants and just putting the main one forward could work too.'
'Wh-What?'
He went even further.
'PD-nim, do you understand what I'm saying?'
'Ah, of course I do. Having Gaeul cadet do the declarations for acts one and two wouldn't be an issue. Right? Why the long face, Jun-hyun-ssi? Got a good idea?'
'What good idea? Of course not! Why are you acting like this too, PD-nim...!'
The selection officer desperately tried to persuade Ha Jun-su. He went on at length about how it was procedurally and contractually impossible.
In the meantime, the guardians' gazes turned toward Yoo Ji-tae.
Right after Gaeul sat at the judges' table, they had protested. What kind of treatment was this? But Ha Jun-su had dismissed them with, 'If you have complaints, feel free to leave.'
Those guardians were now looking at Yoo Ji-tae with complicated thoughts, but none dared to approach him rashly.
"Yoo Ji-tae-ssi."
Except for one.
"Yes."
"What is all this? The Yoo family has hit the jackpot. Congratulations."
Wei Lian wore a friendly smile.
"Thank you."
"Ah, I sincerely congratulate you. But as fellow guardians cheering on our cadets, could I ask a small favor?"
His true intentions came out immediately. It was surely a request to at least use Gong Ju-hee as an assistant.
Though they'd met several times, seeing him up close was still astonishing. The fact that a demonkin could bow and scrape like this.
Wei Lian's disposition, as captured by the Scales Eye, was extreme malice. He hated Yoo Ji-tae enough to want him dead. Yet on the surface, he was laughing heartily and trying to push his academy-affiliated cadet forward.
His patience was top-tier even among demonkin.
"Well..."
So Yoo Ji-tae decided to test that patience once.
"I don't think we're the type to pull strings for each other."
"Ah, true. Actually, I'm hesitant to even ask. There was that unpleasant incident too."
"There was."
"But wouldn't it be better to forget the past and move on? Like I have. Couldn't the guardian show a bit of magnanimity?"
Since you'd endured the Yeoreum incident despite being upset.
Endure Gong Ju-hee's power play once too.
"...Yes. Let's do that."
"Ah, thank you. Then, for the sake of a better declaration ceremony, could you please recommend Cadet Gong Ju-hee as an assistant to Cadet Yoo Gaeul?"
Yoo Ji-tae held his tongue for a moment.
He was talking one-on-one with Wei Lian, but every guardian in the seats was listening in.
Wei Lian surely knew that too.
As the silence dragged on, their ears perked up even more.
"But there are two assistant spots, right?"
"Ah, yes. That's correct."
"When you tip off Gaeul, you could do two. ...Who would you like for the other one?"
Wei Lian's brow furrowed slightly.
"Well."
At that moment, one guardian spoke up.
"Hello. Yoo Ji-tae guardian-nim. Sorry to interrupt."
"...Ah, yes."
"I'm the guardian of applicant 'Ayase,' Hasegawa. If it's alright, when you recommend an assistant to Cadet Gaeul, could you mention our Ayase's name too?"
As he stayed silent, Hasegawa pleaded with a slightly urgent expression.
"Our cadet has prepared for this event for a full year and a half. She made it to the final audition; she can't go home empty-handed."
"Ah, hold on."
Then another guardian cut in.
He was white.
"Guardian-nim, our cadet Jefferson has prepared the entrance ceremony declaration text for two years. Please give our Jefferson a chance."
"Austin, I'm speaking right now."
Hasegawa glared, but the white guardian ignored him and approached Yoo Ji-tae, bowing at the waist.
"I beg you."
"Ah, please wait a moment. Yoo Ji-tae guardian."
This time, another white person.
"For our Hansen, this declaration is a huge opportunity to restore the Danish royal family's honor. The Danish royal family was once attacked by monsters in the past..."
Then the other guardians rushed forward one after another.
The atmosphere turned chaotic in an instant.
The guardians, who had been watching desperately, all jumped up and approached Yoo Ji-tae. 'Our cadet...!' 'As a brother nation...' They competed to plead for the remaining spot, recommending their own cadets.
Some even rubbed their thumb and index finger, muttering, 'Do you need any help by chance...?' Others knelt and begged earnestly.
For some here, this place was desperately important.
A complete reversal from when they first met.
Wei Lian, assuming he'd already secured one spot, stepped back and just watched.
So when the conversation fully shifted to the guardians and Yoo Ji-tae, the regressor quietly spoke up.
"...One spot won't cut it like this."
One spot? Whose?
Then they understood Yoo Ji-tae's words.
"Really?"
"Yoo Ji-tae guardian-nim!"
And at that moment, Wei Lian's eyes twisted demonically.
It was very brief.
Quickly reverting to a flustered gentlemanly expression, Wei Lian cut in.
"No, what do you mean by that, Ji-tae-ssi?"
"Ah, Professor."
"No, why suddenly take away our Ju-hee cadet's spot..."
"...Given the situation, I want to help."
"Who here isn't desperate? Do you always help others like this?"
"Pretty much."
"Ah... Haha... I see. But you didn't promise or anything..."
Yoo Ji-tae didn't respond. It was a denial.
Then the corner of Wei Lian's mouth twisted upward. The smile was natural, but he couldn't hide the tension in his jaw or the flush rising to his neck.
His disposition surged toward malice, right on the verge of exploding.
It was fine if his dark true nature emerged like this. A demonkin whose nature was revealed became everyone's enemy.
Yet even as blood rushed to his head, Wei Lian didn't act rashly.
The guardians were glaring sharply at him.
They had been encouraging each other just moments ago, talking about working together.
But with the assistant declarer spot on the line, their attitudes flipped completely.
Wei Lian licked his lips and forced an awkward smile.
Gong Ju-hee's guardian was the same. He couldn't even find a moment to interject.
Then, Wei Lian's phone rang. Checking the number, he hurriedly turned and headed out of the audition hall.
Yoo Ji-tae watched him go impassively.
-Please be quiet. We will now announce the main declarer and assistant declarers.
Perhaps because the guardians had dragged things out with their scuffle, the judges' table, having narrowed down their differences, began the announcement. As the opportunity slipped away, the guardians let out sighs that weren't quite sighs.
-Main declarer: Cadet Yoo Gaeul. And...
Confirming that much with his ears, Yoo Ji-tae decided to step out of the audition hall for a bit.
*
To receive a call and step out during such a crucial moment.
It meant something even more important had come up.
Yoo Ji-tae strode into the corridor and silently followed Wei Lian, suppressing his presence.
He had a hunch.
Right after administrative staff Oh Min-seong was insulted by Ha Jun-su, he'd glared at Ha Jun-su and Gaeul. At that time, Oh Min-seong's good-evil reading on the Scales Eye had surged to evil. That happened when someone harbored truly malevolent intent.
So he'd suspected as much, and it seemed something had blown up.
Then, footsteps followed Yoo Ji-tae.
He turned. Bom was standing there.
"Winter's with Yeoreum. Where are you going?"
"...You don't need to know."
"I want to go too."
"......"
Bom's expression was serious. Had she seen something through providence?
"No."
"Why?"
He refused with silence.
Situations deviating from the everyday weren't something to share with the dragons. From here on, he was going to kill someone, and the process wouldn't be a sight for them.
"I'll go with you."
"I said no."
"...I won't interfere. Just let me come along."
Bom was being stubborn.
There was no time for talk. Yoo Ji-tae turned and met Bom's eyes directly.
"Yoo Bom."
A dry voice. The short call of her name changed the air.
Bom's eyes widened round.
"Go back."
Bom opened her mouth. But no words followed, her lips trembling anxiously.
Soon, she turned wordlessly.
Only then did Yoo Ji-tae turn and begin pursuing Wei Lian.
Like blood droplets spreading in water. The demonic energy, on the verge of dispersing between the world's mana, pointed the way.
Before long, Yoo Ji-tae entered Lair's closed district (no-entry zone).
Half-demolished buildings came into view.