Lion's Roar Training #4
Lion's Roar Training #4
After finishing my bragging, I returned to the classroom.
It was time for morning assembly. The instructor, who came in soon after, announced that classes had been slightly adjusted because of the recent incident, and said that combined classes were temporarily suspended.
A little disappointing, but it's only temporary. Heading over to the Mage Class to forge some unity—I can manage that much.
"Then first period is theory class. Don't fall asleep."
The instructor finished speaking and left.
—tap tap tap.
I heard a tapping sound coming from behind me.
"What?"
I looked. It was Ryu, tapping his fingers on his desk.
"You. You had something good happen, didn't you?"
"What? You're curious about that?"
"Not at all! It's obviously about the student council president! Give up your absurd dreams!"
"Oh? It's not about the president? Not about the president?"
"Then what was all that commotion about?"
"Ugh, it's kind of hard to put into words. But it's really, really good. Heh heh. Ryu. So you wanna know about me? Huh?"
"Just shut up...!"
I teased him a little and Ryu pulled out his earphones. That bastard is dying of curiosity but pretending he isn't.
"Hey, hey. It's not like that. It just so happened that I'm getting personal skill instruction from the Chairwoman."
"What...? Why?"
It must have been pretty shocking news, because Ryu's mouth fell open.
—slide.
Instructor Maikes walked in.
"Hello. I'm Instructor Maikes, in charge of theory class. I haven't seen much of you lately with the schedule changes, and now we're seeing each other again because of another sudden shift. Honestly. What's going on with education policy these days?"
"Hello."
I gave a light greeting. Instructor Maikes returned it, then turned on his laptop.
"Anyway... today's lesson is this. They suddenly told me to teach this, let's see. Superhuman customary law. Well, it is something you all ought to know."
Superhuman customary law?
"Usually, when a dispute arises among us superhumans, we go to the most influential superhuman in the region for consultation. That is to say, a superhuman who can be called a local notable."
Superhumans don't really go through judicial institutions. The prevailing culture is that superhumans resolve things among themselves.
"But such superhumans are invariably busy. From a national perspective, B-rank monsters occasionally appear, so those superhumans are always fighting for their lives."
"Ah."
"So, if you're asking what you're supposed to do—every region has a Superhuman Guild. You'll probably all join a guild you like after graduation, but if a dispute arises, report it to the guild. It will mostly be resolved amicably."
"What if it isn't resolved amicably?"
I asked.
"Then it will reach the ears of the local notable. You know the superhuman code, right? If you're in the wrong and raise your voice, you get beaten, and it hurts. However, a beating from a superhuman worthy of being called a local notable would hurt a great deal, so it usually ends before reaching that point."
"Ah."
I got it loud and clear.
If you don't want to get your ass kicked, then when you're in the wrong, crawl on your own. And compensate them. That is the bedrock of superhuman society. Anyone who violates that ironclad rule gets punished, no matter who they are.
"When the rights and wrongs of a case are weighed, the side at fault is punished and ordered to pay compensation. Superhuman society is indeed refreshingly clear-cut. Maybe that's why even civilians consult guilds more often than they use judicial institutions."
"Whoa. Really?"
"Yes."
In the end, even civilians have turned their backs on the judiciary and started relying on superhumans. If that's the case, the judiciary has shrunk, so the taxes to maintain it must have decreased significantly... Do they divert that into military spending? On top of that, statistically speaking, the number of incidents must have gone down too.
"But if superhumans are even resolving civilian disputes, wouldn't that leave them with no time to hunt monsters?"
"A good question. Though it's a little strange."
"Excuse me?"
"It's usually common knowledge... Anyway, to answer your question, they generally resolve civilian disputes for money."
Superhumans resolve disputes for money.
"Of course, even if you offer a huge sum, the party at fault still ends up utterly crushed. There is one absolute principle: the side at fault is invariably punished. If someone commits an offense and then shamelessly tries to cover it up with money, they'll lose their entire fortune and get a full-body fracture... They should crawl on their own before it comes to that. Anyway. With the money they earn, guilds hire private military companies. They often entrust some of the public-safety maintenance to them."
"Oh."
No wonder there were so many armed people around. So the guilds hire those kinds of companies too. Anyway, this class was a useful one. This is knowledge you need to get by in the world.
I'm going to take notes on all of it.
* * *
After school.
"Ahhh, good work again today."
Leona said, stretching like a cat.
"Kim Geun-cheol. Want to do some prep for the student council president stuff on the weekend?"
"Oh man, Leona. I've gotta train. Train. What's all this about the president again."
"How much prep could there be? We can do that and then train."
She is dead serious.
"Geun-cheol is saying he won't do it right now, but you never know, right? If you do it, I'll help you through my tears. But if you don't, I'll do it myself again."
"No need to hold back your tears. Hey. But aren't there other candidates?"
"At a glance, there don't seem to be any."
"Facts."
There really didn't seem to be any.
"Anyway. Think it over, Geun-cheol. Honestly, I think someone like Kim Geun-cheol has more than enough leadership. Decisiveness? And a fair amount of drive, too. You might actually be a good fit for it?"
"Leona. If you keep giving me that kind of hype, you might end up crying if I actually go through with it."
"That's preliminary groundwork! If that happens, you make me vice-president!"
"Heh heh, fine! I'll make you vice-president no matter what!"
I don't really plan to do it, but Leona seemed to want to see me become president. Of course, she wants to do it herself too, but well. I'll have to think it over.
"Then, bye!"
"Bye!"
And so I parted ways with Leona.
"Si-hoo. Training again today?"
"Yeah. Oh, I made a new technique, wanna see it tonight?"
"That's insane. You're offering door-to-door service?"
"Around ten? I'll come by and show you then!"
"Sweet!"
The fact that Si-hoo with the big chest was coming to my room at ten p.m. bothered me a little, but I steadied my heart.
"Alright, then."
—swish.
"Shall we?"
I said, standing next to Yu-ri.
"Miss Milky?"
"The fuck did I tell you about calling me that?"
—whish!
In a flash, a high kick came flying at me. I dodged it, bending backward Matrix-style!
"Ack!"
"You crazy bastard. Look at that flexibility. You do yoga?"
"You know about Superhuman Yoga?"
"No clue, asshole. Anyway. Wanna go a few rounds?"
Yu-ri said the word 'few rounds' with a grin. She really loves beating the hell out of people. She's got a totally predatory look on her face right now.
"How much are you planning to beat me up this time... Yu-ri. I'm in so much pain."
Thanks to that, my Endurance stat went way up, but my sides still feel sore.
Still, maybe because I've taken so many hits from Yu-ri, I did manage to endure it pretty well when I got stabbed by the General back then.
"Cut the crap. My heart hurts more. Because you bullshitted me, Geun-cheol."
"Hey, you're talking like you're sulking!"
"I am sulking."
Yu-ri spat the words out, her face deeply crumpled into a frown. Man, what do I do, I feel seriously sorry? I did think about it for a while.
"Yu-ri. Listen. I thought long and hard about what you said."
"What? Compensation?"
"Yeah."
"What is it?"
"From now on, if the fuck anyone bothers you, tell me. I'll beat the shit out of all of them."
"Oh man, you bastard. It's my fault for getting my hopes up. Hey. Whatever, let's just go to the training ground."
"Yep."
And so I went into the training ground with Yu-ri. As soon as we got there, Yu-ri took off her school uniform jacket and started warming up. The black T-shirt she was wearing underneath really stood out.
"Whoa. But how the hell do you even think to call out five guys one after another and beat them all?"
"Honestly, fighting four on one—minus Ahn Do-min—seemed like a stretch. So I moved strategically. Strategically."
Those guys are also superhumans. If all four surrounded me and started firing ranged skills, I'd be at a major disadvantage.
"Anyway, they say you're violent... Hey. Try being a little violent during our sparring too. Huh? How much longer are you gonna swing your sword like a foam bat?"
Yu-ri lifted a training sword with a taunting grin... This chick dared to mess with a man's pride?
"Yu-ri. You know there's no mercy when I hold a sword, right? I'll show you the limit of savagery."
"Bullshit. Oh, but you learned the Lion's Roar from the Chairwoman, right? Show me a little, bastard."
"That's what I said! I'm just her student, a student!"
"You lucky son of a bitch... All this and you're gonna be student council president too, learning skills from the Chairwoman. You're a big shot, a big shot. Huh? A big shot."
"Who's doing student council president!"
"Oh, can't I mess with the future president? I'll get on my knees and beg for forgiveness."
Yu-ri was being completely over-the-top, kneeling down.
But.
"Don't let your guard down, you bastard!"
"That was just to gain propulsion!"
She came charging right at me!
"Huk!"
I let out a scream while reading her trajectory. I can do this. The gap in skill between me and Yu-ri was still huge, but I hadn't spent the first semester just messing around.
—boom!
I executed a stamping step just like that, bracing for impact while simultaneously twisting my sword around Yu-ri's oncoming blade.
—scrape!
"Hoh?"
In that state, I wrapped a mana shield around my torso, and.
"Whoaaaa!"
Exerting a burst of monstrous strength, I deflected Yu-ri's sword to the side while simultaneously shooting out my free fist, aiming for her abdomen!
—fwah!
The flying punch sliced through empty air.
Yu-ri had already dodged backward.
"Gotcha!"
But I was aiming for that too. Taking one step forward just like that. That thing Yu-ri told me to show her earlier.
I exploded the Lion's Roar.
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
"Kuh?!"
No matter what, she must not have expected this, because Yu-ri's eyes flew wide open. Seeing her stagger for a moment, just like that!
—smack!
"Gak!"
I tried to land a hit, but a sword stabbed into my side!
—thud, crash!
The impact sent me rolling across the training-ground floor...!
"Ah, shit! That was my finishing blow!"
"You're insane. Look, my ears are ringing. Hey. Is that it? The thing you learned?"
"Yeah. Ah, but I only picked up a few training tips today. But she said she'll teach me properly later."
"Heuh... Really? Hey. It's kinda useful though, isn't it?"
I answered while rubbing my side, and Yu-ri came closer, as if intrigued.
"Right? You were caught off guard just now, weren't you?"
"Yeah. Honestly, if you use it as a hidden card, I think it could probably work once. It's gotten decent. Before, even though it was loud, wasn't it just a tool to draw aggro?"
"I'm modifying it so it can be used offensively. Like the Chairwoman's Lion's Roar."
"Bastard... growing like a weed."
"Hm?"
—flump.
As I was about to get up, Yu-ri flopped down next to me. What? Break time? I was about to ask that.
"Anyway. Bastard bullshitting me and all."
Yu-ri said that while scratching the back of her head.
"Huh? I took a loss worrying about you, Geun-cheol. How dare you trick me?"
She turned her head and glared at me as she continued.
So she still hasn't cooled off. This seems like it's escalated into a major incident. If there's one thing I know, it's that I can't predict what'll happen when Yu-ri gets mad.
"And tricking me, then running off to do something fun all by yourself?"
"Well..."
"What are you gonna do, huh? What are you gonna do about it, you bastard. This sense of betrayal is off the charts."
"Yu-ri! Please! I'll do anything! Just let it slide this once!"
First, beg wholeheartedly.
"Not sincere enough. Not sincere."
"How can I show more sincerity!"
"Prostrate yourself!"
"Yes!"
—fwah!
I immediately threw myself down in a bow before Yu-ri.
"I'm prostrated, accept my bow!"
"Still not enough."
"Ah, I'll do anything! Anything!"
"Anything?"
Reacting in an instant, Yu-ri went, "Hmm."
Did she actually think of something?
I'll do anything...!
"Well, then."
"Then?"
"Massage my shoulders or something!"
"Your shoulders?"
She wants a massage?
—swish.
I lifted my head and Yu-ri, sitting in front of me, turned her body and showed me her back.
"Let's see the massage skills on this bastard. Work my shoulders a bit."
"Oh dear! If that's all, I can certainly do that! Where shall I loosen you up!"
No joke, back when I was a Private First Class, I was a massage slave. Because of the sergeant whose shoulders I used to knead, the rumor spread that I was good at massages, and every damn guy was ordering me to do it.
That injustice is what strengthened my grip strength.
But again... that's a thing from the old world.
"Here. Work the shoulders a bit. I'll decide whether or not to forgive you based on how you work them."
"Let me show you the skills of a man not yet forgiven."
Right away.
—grip.
I grabbed Yu-ri's shoulders, clad in that black tee with so much volume.
"Uht."
"Your shoulders are hot. Yu-ri. You're a truly warm person."
"No, you dick, I said don't mess around. Jeez."
"Yu. Are. A. Spring Woman."
"Strike one for English and you die."
"Ohhh..."
"Don't pretend you've got a big nose!"
Anyway.
—knead knead.
I massaged Yu-ri's shoulders.
Using my fingers and palms, I pushed and kneaded Yu-ri's small trapezius muscles. But for a girl who worked out, her traps were really small.
Well, I guess. Superhumans exert massive power regardless of muscle shape.
"Hah... huuuh..."
As I kneaded her shoulders and pressed firmly into her shoulder blades with my thumbs, Yu-ri let out a breath, completely leaning her body against me.
"Do I look like I'm thinking about forgiving you?"
"Ah, hey... keep going, more... I can't feel a thing yet, you bastard."
"In that case!"
Even harder!
"Unf!"