Chapter 220: Many
Chapter 220: Many
Something feels a bit strange.
It was hard to pinpoint exactly what. But I could sense a strange, unidentifiable undercurrent to the situation. I tilted my head for a moment, but quickly looked away as the classroom door opened and an instructor from the Northland Clan entered.
After a formal greeting, the instructor thanked me. He said they were short-staffed lately and appreciated the help, followed by other pleasantries like hoping I could assist again in the future. I smiled and returned the courtesy, but knowing it was all empty talk, I just scoffed inwardly.
Once the class began, I made a point to thoroughly memorize the new Users’ faces. I already knew Park Hwanhee, so I focused on committing to memory the faces of those sitting around him. Based on what I’d heard before, I was certain some of them were in on his plan.
I occasionally checked on Baek Hangyul and Cha Yuna, but aside from the beginning, I couldn’t find anything particularly unusual. They mostly focused on the lecture, save for a few moments when they would glance at each other and smile faintly. Still, I decided to trust my gut. That strangely unpleasant feeling I’d had at first was too intense to forget.
“Mercenary Lord. I’m sorry, but I have a favor to ask.”
“Pardon? Yes, go ahead.”
A short break was given after the theory lecture. I was still using my Third Eye when I heard the instructor speak to me from the side. I quickly deactivated the ability and turned my head to see the Northland Clan member with a sheepish look on his face.
“Oh, where is my head? We have not even introduced ourselves. I’m Jang Yunho of the Northland Clan, the representative clan of the northern city of Pamela. I hold an executive position, though I still have much to learn. I only recently became a Year 4 User.”
“Ah, I see. I’m Kim Soohyun, Lord of the Mercenary Clan. I’m a Year 0 User.”
I didn’t really care.
I replied simply. Jang Yunho just gave an awkward smile, then began to speak cautiously, sweating profusely.
“Haha. The favor I wanted to ask is… I was hoping you could help a little with the next class.”
“Help with the class…?”
“During the demonstration, 〈Elegant Puppeteer〉 Na Seung-hye taught the material in a rather convoluted way. It was difficult, and the new Users are struggling with the practical exercises. Once hands-on training begins, quite a few of them will need individual guidance.”
“In that case, wouldn’t it be better to gather the struggling Users for a supplementary lesson? There are only 38 of them in total, so it doesn’t seem like there would be that many.”
At my words, Jang Yunho waved his hands almost excessively and quickly continued.
“Ah, about that. They have another class scheduled right after this one. It’s a class led by Sung Yubin of the Golden Lion Clan, so their attendance is mandatory. And since it’s connected to this training… it’s probably best to avoid a supplementary session.”
“Even so, I’m not too keen on participating directly in the practical training.”
“Ah, I’m not asking for much. Since you’ve also completed the User Academy, Mercenary Lord, could you perhaps offer a word or two of advice to the new recruits on how to control their magic circuits? We spent too much time on theory, so we’re on a very tight schedule. If you could handle even one person, it would give us that much more breathing room.”
What a load of bullshit.
I had been thinking the new recruits were far too lax, but the instructors were just as soft. Even if he had his reasons and I understood the circumstances, it was ridiculous for a Discipline Instructor—a Year 0 User at that—to be asked for such a favor.
In any case, offering a few tips wasn’t a huge burden, so I sighed and nodded.
“If you insist, then fine. Once the break is over, I’ll start with the row on the left and work my way through.”
“Oh, thank you! That’s a huge relief. Phew. To be honest, I’m not a fan of this teaching method either. No matter how efficient it’s supposed to be…”
Seizing the opportunity, Jang Yunho began to badmouth Na Seung-hye’s teaching philosophy. I let his words go in one ear and out the other, turning my gaze to the Users in the left row. There, I saw Baek Hangyul, his eyes closed and his hands clasped together.
He was practicing generating mana and guiding it through his circuits. Judging by the way he occasionally glanced at Cha Yuna with a bright expression, it seemed he was making some progress.
A short while later, the break ended, and the practical training based on the theory lecture began. Jang Yunho instructed the new recruits to try controlling their mana themselves, adding that he would help anyone who was struggling. As I watched him walk toward the right row, I slowly moved to the left. The reason I’d specified I would start from the left was, of course, Baek Hangyul.
“How’s it going? Are you having trouble with anything?”
“Ye-Yes? Ah, no! It’s, uh, going okay, I guess…”
When I approached and spoke to him, Baek Hangyul answered with a startled expression. I let out a small laugh at his reaction and placed a hand lightly on his back. A quick glance showed Jang Yunho’s back as he faced the other way.
“E-Eek.”
“Calm down. Generate your mana just as you learned, and calmly guide it along the circuits.”
Baek Hangyul let out a flustered sound at my touch, but I could feel him slowly begin to generate his mana as instructed. The subsequent flow of mana—whether he was trying to hide it or was just nervous, I couldn’t tell—wasn’t as impressive as I’d expected. It wasn’t smooth, and I could pinpoint several parts where it faltered.
I gently infused my own mana into his body and whispered into his trembling ear.
“Don’t resist. Just entrust your mana to the flow I’m guiding.”
“O-Okay.”
I had no intention of teaching him anything profound. He seemed to be hesitating because of the complexity of the circuits, so I planned to just nudge the parts where he was faltering toward an easier path—just enough to solve his immediate problem.
His mana is quite pure, but timid.
It felt similar to when I had stabilized Ahn Sol’s mana at the trap point. I was slowly, delicately tracing the circuits when it happened.
Well, look at this kid.
My eyes narrowed as the flow suddenly accelerated. The mana that had scrambled to keep up during the first circuit began to change as soon as the second began. By the third and fourth circuits, it had completely reversed from the beginning. Watching his mana race as though trying to drive mine out, I increased the pace again.
I stole a glance at Baek Hangyul and found him utterly absorbed, his face tense with concentration. His focus was frightening. His mana followed my faster flow without difficulty, and I could not help feeling impressed. Only then did I remember Baek Hangyul’s True Name: Heavenly Talent.
Finally, after the eighth rotation, I withdrew my mana. Baek Hangyul stared at me with a dazed look. His face clearly showed that he wanted more. It seemed he had unknowingly fallen into a trance-like state due to his innate talent, and now that he was snapped out of it, he felt a sense of loss.
“Not bad. That was pretty good.”
Praising him openly might draw unwanted attention, so I spoke in a roundabout way. Instead, I patted his head as a sign of personal praise.
“Thank you!”
“Right. Keep up the good work. I have to check on the others too.”
“Um, Instructor, just a moment! If I have more questions, can I ask you again next time?”
“I don’t know whether another chance will come. My primary duties are Lifestyle and Discipline, not Training. Today was an exception; normally I cannot participate. Well, outside class time might be different….”
I trailed off, leaving the offer open. If he wasn’t an idiot, he would remember what I’d said before about coming to my quarters. Reaffirming my decision to recruit this kid no matter what, I calmly turned and moved toward another User. I could feel a sharp glare, presumably from Park Hwanhee, coming from somewhere.
*
Whether it was because my guidance that day had paid off or because we started running into each other more often (I had, of course, intentionally adjusted my schedule), Baek Hangyul definitely began to notice me. I subtly played up the fact that we were both Year 0 Users with Secret Classes and looked after him like an older brother. For now, my plan was to slowly build up our rapport.
However, I made sure to maintain the line between an instructor and a new User. Rather than always approaching him myself, I needed to make him come to me. This minimal distance was his to close, not mine. In other words, my strategy for winning over Baek Hangyul was to create an atmosphere where he could trust me enough to open his heart completely.
As I slowly advanced the recruitment plan, I also attended to my newly added duties. Until then, I had focused mainly on Discipline, but I sharply increased the proportion of Lifestyle work. Lifestyle duties made it far easier to enter the dormitories and observe the new Users than Discipline work that tied me up during training sessions.
In this regard, I didn’t target Park Hwanhee directly. There was a reason I had memorized the faces of the Users sitting around him during Jang Yunho’s class. Even if I had only caught a slight hint and hadn’t dug deeper, the fact remained that he had managed to advance his plans for a full two weeks right under my nose. I predicted that rather than going after the extremely cautious Park Hwanhee, I was bound to catch something if I focused on the people around him. This method also had a lower chance of being noticed.
And soon enough, an opportunity to prove my prediction correct arrived.
It was during personal maintenance time after all the day’s training was over. While patrolling the dorms, I saw a familiar New User looking around cautiously as she walked. She was definitely one of the Users who had been sitting near Park Hwanhee. I immediately stopped my patrol and followed her.
Soon, she entered the living quarters and reemerged with another woman. The woman being led out was none other than Cha Yuna. The two whispered for a moment in front of the building, with Cha Yuna seeming to be the one doing all the listening. After the conversation ended, she gave a single nod and, instead of returning to her room, started walking down the corridor.
I had been keeping a close eye on Cha Yuna ever since I’d noticed the way she looked at Park Hwanhee during training. Thinking this was a perfect opportunity, I began to tail her as well.
As I followed her, I was struck by a strange sense of déjà vu. I could tell she was heading somewhere secluded, but for some reason, the surrounding scenery didn’t feel unfamiliar.
It was only when Cha Yuna stopped that I finally understood the source of my feeling. She had arrived at the very place I had named the Easter Egg.
Damn it. And here I thought I was the only one who knew about this place.
Muttering to myself, I suppressed my presence and entered. There was no way a Year 0 User could find me when I was intentionally hiding, but carelessness was not an option. After silently climbing a thick tree, I looked down and saw Cha Yuna, who had already entered, and a man standing before her. The man was, as expected, Park Hwanhee.
He flashed a bright smile and murmured something to Cha Yuna. I quickly sharpened my hearing.
“Ah, Yuna, you’re here. Haha. I was waiting. Thanks for coming.”
“Why did you call me again?”
“Hm? Oh, don’t be so wary. We’re in the same boat now…”
“I think you’re mistaken about something.”
Cha Yuna’s eyes flashed fiercely as she spoke. Then, seeing Park Hwanhee hesitate as he was about to step closer, she continued in a sharp voice.
“I’m cooperating with you and giving you information about Hangyul for Hangyul and myself, not for you. I don’t care whether we’re in the same boat, but I want you to stop coming any closer.”
“Oh, dear. I see I’m still disliked.”
“Isn’t that obvious? When you think about what you did, don’t you think one slap wasn’t enough?”
At her scathing words, Park Hwanhee rubbed his right cheek. He let out a deep sigh and then spoke with a serious expression.
“Hah. You’re right about that. I’m sorry.”
“Coming from you, that doesn’t sound sincere at all. And the fact that you insisted on calling me here when you could have just said it normally.”
“Ah, I didn’t mean anything strange by it. We still have to keep this a secret, so I thought it was necessary to talk somewhere with no people. And…”
“And?”
At Cha Yuna’s sharp question, Park Hwanhee scratched his head for a moment. Then, with a somewhat dejected look, he spoke.
“I didn’t want to make Hangyul any more anxious. If he saw me meeting with you, I was sure he’d worry.”
He’s got a silver tongue, doesn’t he? And his acting is top-notch.
Comparing what Park Hwanhee was saying now with his previous conversation with Baek Hangyul, I couldn’t help but laugh. My interest piqued, I focused more intently on their conversation. His act seemed to be working; Cha Yuna was blinking with a surprised look on her face.
“Hangyul relies on you a lot, Yuna. He already doesn’t trust me, and I didn’t want to give him any room for misunderstanding.”
“H-Hmph. If that’s really the case, fine. Anyway, just tell me why you called me here.”
Though she was still snapping at him on the surface, the edge in her voice had softened considerably. He quickly changed his expression from dejected to one with a gentle smile.
“Ah, it’s nothing major. I told you most of the plan last time, right?”
“You did. I agreed to give you information on Hangyul on the condition that I hear it and judge for myself first.”
“Right. Well, a small problem has come up with that plan.”
“A problem…? Don’t tell me it’s Hangyul?”
Instead of answering, Park Hwanhee nodded gravely and began to explain the problem with a look of utmost sincerity. It was nothing new. He’d told Hangyul about the plan, but because Hangyul didn’t trust him, he refused to cooperate. It was the same boring story I already knew, since I was the one who’d witnessed and torpedoed that conversation.
“Did you also tell him I told you things about him?”
“I did. But he refused to believe me. He kept saying Yuna would never do something like that.”
“Tsk. That idiot. I thought something was strange with him lately.”
“Hm? What was strange?”
Park Hwanhee asked quickly, his eyes gleaming. But Cha Yuna narrowed her brow and shook her head.
“It’s nothing. He just keeps talking about some instructor… Anyway, what are you going to do?”
“That’s what I don’t know. Of course, it’s mostly my fault, but seeing him refuse so vehemently was a bit of a shock. I feel just as sorry as I am at a loss. I really don’t know what to do from here… Hah.”
Park Hwanhee’s shoulders slumped with a genuinely regretful expression. A moment of silence passed. Cha Yuna kept glancing at him before finally speaking in a cautious voice.
“Should I just… talk to him?”
“R-Really? You’d do that?”
“Kyaa!”
As though he had been waiting for that answer, Park Hwanhee sprang up and grabbed Cha Yuna’s shoulders. She cried out in surprise. With a startled “Oops,” he hurriedly pulled his hands away. The important point was that Cha Yuna had only flinched; she had not pushed him off.
“I told you not to get close!”
“S-Sorry!”
“Wh-Why would you suddenly grab me…! You scared me…”
“I-I didn’t mean to. I was just so happy. Gosh. Hahaha.”
Looks like this isn’t their first meeting. I knew it.
As if burdened by Park Hwanhee’s beaming smile, Cha Yuna bit her lip slightly and looked away. Her neck was slightly, but visibly, flushed red. Whether he noticed or not, he spoke again, his voice deeper than before.
“Hehe. Thank you. But I’ll try talking to him again myself.”
“Wh-What? You said Hangyul won’t believe you. Even after you told him that…”
“I know. But since I’m the one who did wrong, I want to be the one to win back his trust. If I sincerely ask forgiveness and show him how I feel, Hangyul will eventually understand. He’s good at heart, just like you, Yuna. So will you give me one more chance?”
“Wh-What are you talking about all of a sudden? W-Well, do whatever you want! Just don’t come crying to me for help later.”
“Okay. Don’t worry. I won’t disappoint you.”
Cha Yuna, who had barely been maintaining her composure, had been crumbling bit by bit ever since he’d grabbed her shoulders. Unable to bear Park Hwanhee’s intense gaze, she finally turned on her heel and left, leaving only the words, “If you have nothing else to say, I’m leaving.” But there was a strange stumble in her steps as she walked away.
“Hah.”
The moment he confirmed Cha Yuna had disappeared into the distance, a heavy sigh echoed through the Easter Egg. When I looked down again, I saw Park Hwanhee wearing an expression that had been completely absent during their conversation.
The corners of his mouth were slightly raised in a look of pure, undisguised vileness.