Reunion (3)

Contrary to her impression as a countryside girl who had just arrived in the capital and knew nothing of the world, Yeseo surprisingly knew quite a lot about various miscellaneous facts related to the Cradle. As we walked, she rattled off the purposes of the surrounding buildings and the locations of facilities like the dormitories and dueling arenas. She even seemed to know everything about the students.

“Did you know? This year’s intake has an unusually high number of children from prestigious families. Among them, there are four heirs from the 27 Magic Families. People like us really need to be careful not to get swept up in troublesome matters. Just hearing that makes me so worried and scared. Do you think I’ll be able to do well? Hiiing… Still, they say our year is better than the previous ones. Last year, apparently…”

Yeseo chattered on without tiring for nearly thirty minutes. During that time, all I did was quietly match her pace or occasionally respond with short affirmations. I briefly wondered how she could already know so many things, but that question was soon answered.

Unlike what she had said earlier, it seemed Yeseo had already made quite a few friends. With every few steps, she exchanged greetings with someone new. After a while of this back-and-forth, she suddenly looked at me with an embarrassed expression.

“Hee… The truth is, I arrived a little early earlier… so while I was talking with people, I got a bit close to some of them… Everything I told you came from those friends… Ah, but I didn’t lie, okay? I don’t have anyone I’m close enough to walk around with… Really… You’re my closest friend, Hyun-ah…”

Yeseo poured out her words like a machine gun, as if making excuses. For someone claiming that, she seemed quite close with everyone she greeted. Still, I didn’t particularly mind. If anything, I was envious of her sociable personality. On top of that, her harmless, herbivore-like appearance probably made it easy for her to befriend so many people in such a short time. The fact that she kept trying to stick with me was proof enough.

Yeseo even volunteered information about herself that I hadn’t asked for. Thanks to that, I learned she was from East Sakju, a remote frontier region where electricity was available for less than ten hours a day. She also bombarded me with questions about myself—where I was from, why I wore a mask, and so on. But unlike her, I couldn’t tell her everything honestly. I gave her the hometown listed on my fake identity and made up a suitable story about the mask. My real hometown had long since turned to ash, and far too many unspeakable circumstances were tied to the mask.

I wasn’t as curious as Yeseo, but there was one thing I did want to know. Why had a talented mage, skilled enough to enter the Cradle, been chased by common thugs in that alley that day? Even though there were three of them, my common sense told me that in a fight between mages and ordinary people, a mage would win easily even if outnumbered ten to one.

But my question was answered in a rather anticlimactic way, instantly clearing up the mystery.

“Actually… I was so scared that I couldn’t even think of writing a magic formula… Hee…”

…It wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Yeseo had said she had never even seen a monster in her entire life. For someone like that to suddenly face a crisis…

“Y-you absolutely can’t tell anyone about this, okay…? It’s a real secret…? I only told you because it’s you…”

Embarrassed, Yeseo turned as red as a tomato, lowered her head, and whispered.

“…There’s no one I’d tell anyway, so don’t worry. More importantly, shouldn’t we get going now? The time is…”

I had originally planned to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠head straight to Hwayang-gwan, but after wandering around the campus following Yeseo’s guidance, the entrance ceremony was already about to begin.

“Hiiyaaak! That’s right…! We need to go this way. Hurry, Hyun-ah…!”

Yeseo jumped in surprise at my words, checked the time, then skipped ahead, leading me toward Hwayang-gwan.

Hwayang-gwan was an enormous banquet hall with floor-to-ceiling glass walls. The ceiling was impossibly high, and luxurious chandeliers adorned with jewels hung everywhere, casting brilliant light. By the time we arrived, the hall was already packed with students, leaving almost no room to move. Yeseo and I found a relatively uncrowded spot near the edge and stood there.

“Whew… We’re not late, right…? Thank goodness… Hee…”

Yeseo wiped her forehead with a handkerchief and smiled faintly. A few strands of hair, damp with sweat, clung to her faintly flushed cheeks.

“Hyun-ah, look over there…! Those are the students I mentioned earlier. From the 27 Magic Families…”

Yeseo, who had been glancing around, whispered as she looked toward the front. When I turned my gaze, I saw several male and female students standing together in their own group. Every one of them wore expressions full of confidence. At a glance, it almost looked like arrogance. Their attitudes naturally exuded ease and dignity. Even from a rough estimate, it was immediately clear they came from good backgrounds.

Come to think of it, the squad leader had definitely said that once I entered the Cradle, my ears would be ringing for a while from all the whining of young masters and young ladies. So these were the ones he meant…?

I held no malice, but I was honestly a little curious about what they were like.

“And the students on the right are second-years. Third-years are practically active duty, so they rarely come to the Cradle. That means those are our direct seniors…”

Yeseo whispered again in a small voice. It seemed the left side of Hwayang-gwan was for the new students, while the right was for the upperclassmen. In contrast to the new students, who were full of dreams and overflowing with energy, the right side of the hall carried a somehow gloomy and intimidating atmosphere. It was probably because of what had happened last year. Spending an entire year fighting and brawling would naturally be exhausting.

“Ugh, but it’s a bit scary… Why do they all look so sharp and intense…?”

Having received the same impression, Yeseo hugged her arms and pretended to shiver.

“…?”

While observing the second-year seniors, I suddenly spotted a female student whose face looked familiar. She was standing a little apart from the others, toward the back of the second-years’ section. Her long, straight hair was neatly combed down. Her face was delicate and oval-shaped. Her eyes were large and clear, her lips tinted a pale red. Her nose rose at an artistic angle, and her skin was flawless and clear. She had a seductive yet haughty appearance that would capture anyone’s gaze at first sight.

The profile photo the principal had given me was utterly inadequate to capture her fully. But I could clearly sense the arrogance and insolence leaking from her cool eyes. Yeon Minha—the distinguished daughter and heir of the Red Fire Yeon family, the target of the request Hae Wolhwa had given me—was right there.

I decided to observe her for a while before the entrance ceremony began, hoping to find some kind of clue. Yeon Minha looked displeased the entire time. Her slightly pouted lips were full of sulkiness. A few upperclassmen hovered around her, fidgeting anxiously at her every small gesture. They seemed less like friends and more like attending maids or servants.

However, after observing her for several minutes, I noticed a few strange things. Yeon Minha’s eyes lacked focus and darted around restlessly. Her gaze didn’t seem to be on what was in front of her, but rather on something far beyond in the empty air. Dark circles that makeup couldn’t hide were clearly visible beneath her eyes. The hand holding her glass trembled violently. Overall, she looked tense and restless, lacking any composure.

Was last year’s incident that stressful? Given how bad things had been at the Cradle and the recent terrorist attack on her family’s mines that dealt them a heavy blow, it made sense.

I had seen enough and was about to end my observation when Yeon Minha suddenly turned her head and our eyes met. Even from quite a distance, her sharp gaze pierced straight through me. But Yeon Minha merely scrunched her face up as if she had seen something unpleasant, then abruptly turned her gaze away with a sharp flick.

Maybe the mask made my appearance stand out even from far away. The feeling from the very beginning wasn’t good at all. If anything, it left a rather bad first impression. But the bad impression went both ways. Seeing her in person rather than in a photo or text made her arrogance and venomous nature feel even more unpleasant against my skin. And those were the two things I hated most in the world.

“Huh…? It looks like it’s about to start…!”

Yeseo muttered as sudden darkness fell over the hall. The tall curtains trimmed with lace closed on their own, blocking the windows, leaving only the soft glow of the chandeliers to illuminate Hwayang-gwan.

A voice amplified through speakers filled the interior, announcing the start of the ceremony.

“We will now begin the 73rd entrance ceremony of the Cradle. Students, please rise from your seats.”

The entrance ceremony proceeded with explanations of the Cradle’s history and founding purpose, boring speeches from invited dignitaries, and introductions of the professors who would teach each subject for the coming ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠year.

“Next, we will proceed with the new students’ oath. Jin Yeseo, representative of the 73rd class, please step forward.”

At the emcee’s call, one of the female students standing at the very front of the new students walked up to the podium. It was the one Yeseo had pointed out earlier, the one who had been chatting with that group. Her hair was dyed golden, and her eyes sparkled like emeralds. Her exotic and pure appearance was quite striking.

“…She’s the heir of the White Light Jin family, one of the five great families. You saw her earlier, right? She really looks like a fairy. They say it’s because one of her ancestors had Western blood…”

Yeseo whispered quietly from beside me.

The female student standing before the podium raised her right hand to her chest, then began reading the oath placed in front of her clearly and precisely.

When Jin Yeseo finished the oath, small applause scattered throughout the hall. Some new students’ eyes sparkled as if moved by the content of the oath. Yeseo, standing right beside me, was one of them. But because of what I had heard before, it didn’t resonate with me that strongly. No matter how good the words, they only have value if they are kept. Those new students whose eyes had sparkled earlier would probably have dull, murky eyes like rotten fish after just one year…

As I was thinking that, a rather familiar figure appeared next. A graceful and elegant woman who looked to be in her early thirties stepped onto the dais.

“Oh my, it’s the principal…! This is my first time seeing her in person… She has such dignity…”

Yeseo muttered, seemingly entranced as she looked at the principal. It wasn’t hard to find others around us reacting similarly. Hae Wolhwa was more popular than I thought. But then why did my older sisters and the squad leader seem so fed up with her?

A brief commotion arose, but when the principal lightly raised her hand, it quickly subsided. Hae Wolhwa smiled softly as she briefly scanned the students, then opened her mouth and began her speech.

“Welcome, new students.”

Her clear and beautiful voice echoed throughout Hwayang-gwan through the speakers.

“First of all, I sincerely congratulate you on becoming part of the Cradle family. The Cradle is the best place that can support you in every way as you begin your journey as mages. Let me be clear. You will have no regrets. After all, isn’t our Cradle much better than those garbage dumps like Masada Municipal Academy or Yukhwa?”

A few small laughs broke out here and there at the principal’s joke. Seeing their reaction, she gave a small nod and continued.

“Over the next three years here, you will hone yourselves and gradually grow into fine mages. In the process, you will interact with those around you. Sometimes you will cooperate, and sometimes there will be friction and conflict. Either way, these are natural occurrences. And the Cradle is a place that can accept you as you are.”

After speaking, Hae Wolhwa paused to look over the students once more.

“However, if you only repeat unproductive division instead of healthy competition, only a dark future awaits us. Rather than being blinded by short-sighted gains, we must learn to understand and embrace one another. Also, please keep in mind that here, ability is what matters most—background and origin are secondary. If you are truly wise mages, I believe you will understand and put into practice what I have just said. Once again, I sincerely congratulate you on your admission.”

The moment her speech ended, thunderous applause erupted. Yeseo clapped her hands enthusiastically with a flushed face.

“Wow… She’s so cool…”

The principal waved lightly to the students for a moment before descending the stairs. The speech had ended much faster than I expected. She really did seem to dislike bothersome tasks.

As Hae Wolhwa came down from the dais and looked around, her eyes met mine. She gave me a slight smile with her eyes before heading toward the faculty seats. Maybe because I stood out, there were quite a few people making eye contact with me today…

“…We will now conclude the entrance ceremony with the second-year representative’s address.”

The emcee’s voice rang out through the speakers once more. I suddenly turned my gaze toward where Yeon Minha had been standing. Sure enough, her beautiful face was filled with raw fury. I could almost hear the sound of her grinding her teeth. Even from a distance, her anger came through unfiltered. From what Yeseo had told me earlier, the second-year giving the address had taken first place in last year’s overall rankings. That would make her the young lady of the Baek family, who had been rivals with Yeon Minha all along. Being pushed into second place, it was only natural for her to be this angry…

“Then, second-year representative. Baek Seoyeon, please step forward to the dais.”

The moment that name left the emcee’s mouth, a sudden chill swept over me as if a bitter cold had seeped in. Behind my pounding heart, an unidentified anxiety began to creep over me.

Click. Click…

The only sound echoing quietly through the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠silence was the click of heels as someone walked toward the dais. Soon, the back of a female student with long black hair appeared through the crowd. The student who reached the front of the dais turned to face us.

“…”

A violent shock hit me, as if the breath had been knocked out of me. My mind went completely blank. The person who had once been my everything, yet now appeared in painful dreams every night. The person who had ripped out my heart and left only a gaping hole in its place. In an instant, without the slightest gap, I realized exactly what the anxiety and chill that had just overtaken me were.

“Hello, new students. My name is Baek Seoyeon, standing here on behalf of the second-years.”