Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Hayun
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"Alright, everyone, good work."
"Ugh."
I stretched my arms to loosen up my stiff body upon hearing that today's exam was finally over. Not only did we have to watch our team's match, but we were also forced to spectate the other teams' exams too—and honestly, that was more exhausting than the test itself.
The table next to me was littered with drinks and snacks we'd bought from the cafe during the matches, and as I started cleaning them up, the kids snuck over and glanced at me nervously.
"I-I'll clean it up."
"I brought a trash bag."
"......Fine."
I accepted their help, but it left a bitter taste in my mouth. It felt like I'd scared them into paying me off or something.
'Tch, maybe I should've gone easy on them.'
I'd put on too much of a show and shot up their watchlist, but what could I do? If I flunked the exam, I'd get expelled for poor grades anyway.
"The way everyone's treating you has totally changed."
"Y-You're amazing."
Tana and Eve, who were helping me clean up from the seats next to mine, chimed in. Especially the professors from each class—they seemed to rate me highly, judging by the looks in their eyes.
"You saw me take down Penil's crew by myself. What's so surprising?"
"That's different. You had Hayun, plus Ares, and even that baggage Mei in the back."
"I-I was a little jealous."
"Right? Man, if we'd snagged Daniel, we'd have cruised right onto the bus."
"That wasn't what I was jealous about."
Eve trailed off and clamped her mouth shut, but I didn't press her. It was one of those days where we only had the exam and nothing else, so with time to kill afterward, I was mulling over what to do.
That's when I spotted Rin—walking straight toward me from behind the group at a brisk pace.
Since we'd sat with our own classes during the match viewing, it felt like she'd been eyeing her chance all along.
"We've got time left, so wanna hit the city? There's this new dessert place that's supposed to be great..."
"I'm heading to my room!"
"What? Hey, where are you going!"
"D-Daniel?"
I spun on my heel and bolted.
Minimize contact with Rin.
That way, I could figure out exactly how she ended up leading the Army of Death. No meddling from me to derail the set path.
'She'll be this persistent early on.'
Eventually, she'd give up and start treating me like I didn't exist.
"Thanks for today...!"
"Out of my way!"
"Eek!"
Mei tried to block me with a click of her tongue, but I shoved her aside. I heard her indignant yell from the ground behind me, but I ignored it.
"Whoa."
A quick glance back showed Rin now sprinting at full speed. Unlike me, who'd gone first, her turn had been near the end, but she still had plenty of stamina left.
"She's seriously scary."
Her lifeless eyes were eerie—verging on terrifying. They reminded me of the time in the Demon Realm Forest when she'd worn black armor and stabbed at my heart.
"Urk."
The thought made me unconsciously rub my chest, checking if there was a hole.
Once inside the dorm, I took the stairs two or three at a time, rushed into my room, locked the door, and heard Rin's footsteps chasing me down the hall.
"......"
She's at the door.
Cold sweat dripped down, but I held my breath. Then I heard her slowly walking away, and I let out a sigh of relief.
"Something's really off about Rin compared to the one I knew."
In my memories from my past life, Rin had been refined, always kind, with an easy smile that made her approachable.
That's why she'd been nice even to a timid guy like me back then, and I'd naturally fallen for her.
But now, it felt like she was possessed, obsessing over me. Had I just been oblivious before?
"So, what now?"
I was beat anyway, so I flopped onto the bed for a nap and closed my eyes. I ended up sleeping deeper than expected, waking up about six hours later.
"Ugh."
The bright outdoors had turned dark, and my stomach was growling. The cafeteria was closed by now, so dinner meant hitting the cafe for dessert.
'Pass.'
No ingredients to cook even if I wanted to, so I headed out to the city for a bit. I flinched opening the door, half-expecting Rin to be waiting, but luckily, no.
"Something with soup sounds good. Hope there's still a place open."
Worst case, I'd hit a tavern for some brothy side dish. That's when I spotted a black-haired bob-cut girl swinging a sword on the training field.
"Hayun?"
It was Hayun, who'd lost to me in today's exam, lost in thought yet still swinging her blade.
"Is she swinging that sword or just thinking?"
She seemed unfocused, so it probably wasn't great training. But too strenuous for just pondering.
"Still, the more I watch, the more intriguing it gets."
She couldn't do this or that, but my curiosity won out, and I approached her.
Swordsmanship!
Not knightly swordplay, but the style of Eastern warriors—something I'd never seen back when I lived in the Demon Realm Forest. Her blade fascinated me.
'Especially swinging that thin blade.'
A sword focused on slashing, not thrusting. I'd heard it called a dao sword or something, but it had its own charm. I'd always wanted to learn it at least once.
Not that I'd switch styles now—it looked more like a dance than combat swordsmanship, and I was curious about its real-world viability.
"Working hard, huh?"
The old me would've seen talking to a girl alone at night as pure torture, but not anymore.
If anything, it was like some old guy barging in on kids practicing: "Nah, that's not how you do it!" tossing in useless commentary.
They were just kids, after all.
No hesitation if I felt no qualms.
"Daniel... MacLaine."
I figured she wouldn't mind much since I'd made Ares's favorite pie with her in the cooking lab last time.
"......"
"Huh?"
Tears started streaming down Hayun's emotionless face.
*
Here was a truly tragic girl.
Both her parents were gone.
Officially an accident, but she was convinced it was an assassination orchestrated by her uncle, the family head, to win the power struggle.
All that remained for her was her lecherous uncle, the family head, who eyed her either to devour her or scheme some way to use her as a tool.
And the book on Eastern swordsmanship her mother had left her, urging her to go see her homeland.
Luckily, the girl had innate talent for swordsmanship.
The family had noticed and enrolled her in Aios Academy to hone it further and catch the eye of noble heirs.
She could understand that much.
Fine, whatever.
She planned to leverage her one weapon for survival in the family—building connections to uncover the truth behind her parents' deaths and gain power.
She'd been filing regular reports too.
But one day, her uncle asked a strange question.
'Do you know a boy named Ares?'
Of course she did.
The handsome blond transfer student in his third year.
In the same Class B, he'd beaten Arni Duratan, whom she'd always lost to in the first exam—highly impressive. She'd even thought about crossing swords with him someday.
Before she could wonder why her bloodline-obsessed uncle cared about a commoner like Ares, he grinned greedily and told her:
'Make that boy yours.'
It felt like a hammer to the head.
What the hell did that mean?
But her uncle pressed on violently.
'Seduce him with your sword skills, throw yourself at him with that halfway-decent face, or use that scrawny body—whatever it takes, bring him to me.'
'Just like your mother did with my brother. Rely on that lowly blood running through you.'
The report ended there.
Hayun swallowed her humiliation and reluctantly began courting Ares against her will.
It was laughable.
Watching herself clumsily hit on him amid all the beauties around Ares—it was so pathetic, tears welled up.
Maybe that's why.
'My sword's been dulling lately.'
Arni Duratan, her rival, had chewed her out for it. And in today's second exam, she'd lost pathetically without showing her true skill.
After the exam ended, she'd swung her sword for hours until sunset to rein in her emotions.
But no matter how much she swung, the heavy burden on an 18-year-old girl didn't lighten, and the waves of emotion only grew fiercer.
"Working hard, huh?"
Maybe that's why.
"Daniel... MacLaine."
The dam she'd desperately held back burst at the slightest jolt.