Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 112
>Chapter Title: Rampage (1)
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Already five months had passed since entering the Demonic Path Academy. Just a little more endurance, and I'd officially be a half-year veteran.
Letting my body and mind drift with the cool breeze while lazily swinging my sword through the air, the whole world felt like a hassle.
'Nice weather.'
Yawning lazily, I swung the sword haphazardly at nothing in particular, tempted to just flop down and nap.
"You seem awfully relaxed. Maybe it's time for a spar with your instructor."
If only Chu Il-hwan's voice hadn't cut in right at that moment.
'Tch.'
I clicked my tongue inwardly and hurriedly straightened my posture.
"Misunderstanding, Instructor. I was just swinging slowly to organize my insights."
I said that to Instructor Chu Il-hwan, visible beyond the three from the Benevolent Formation trio, and he flashed his signature smile.
"Oh? Insights, you say."
But for some reason, despite the smile on his lips, the vein bulging on his forehead stood out prominently.
'Menopause? He's been extra sensitive lately.'
A bit young for menopause, but a guy who'd spent his life mastering demonic arts might develop mental issues early—who knows?
'Or maybe he's pent-up sexually?'
The thought of Chu Il-hwan's sexual quirks sent a shiver down my spine.
'Come to think of it, I've been getting chills lately... No way?'
A foreboding imagination suddenly surfaced.
What if that crazy pervert was stalking me in secret?
My eyes narrowed instinctively as I eyed Chu Il-hwan with suspicion.
"What's with that look? You want to spar with your instructor after all?"
His smile deepened, black lightning crackling around his right hand—I had to forcibly avert my gaze.
'You don't dodge shit because you're scared of it. You dodge it because it's filthy.'
The last remaining pile of shit I had to avoid at all costs was none other than Chu Il-hwan.
'At least Dokgo Pae seems to be honoring that promise.'
Thanks to my advice, he hadn't initiated any spars outside of exams or instructor directives.
For some reason, a cadet named Gwak Sul had taken my place getting hounded by Dokgo Pae, but that wasn't my problem.
'And no real need to head to that clearing anymore.'
Jeong-hyeon, Joo Seo-yeon, Bang Mi-hwa, and Ha Yeong—the four women were training or practicing acting there together.
To be precise, Bang Mi-hwa was doing almost all the acting practice by herself.
Ha Yeong clapped enthusiastically from the side, while Jeong-hyeon and Joo Seo-yeon were basically just stage props.
Either way, after a month together in the clearing, Jeong-hyeon had adapted somewhat to the trio—that was the key point.
'Bang Mi-hwa's hooked on acting, Dokgo Pae's busy with Gwak Sul. No one's chasing me anymore, so really, no need to go to that clearing now?'
Maybe true peace had finally arrived?
'Alright. From today, I'll just hole up in the Black Dragon Hall.'
The Demonic Path Academy life I'd dreamed of might finally begin.
* * *
That afternoon.
As usual, Jeong-hyeon arrived first at the quiet clearing.
"Nyam."
She took a bite of the onigiri from her bosom and looked up at the blue sky.
Due to the side effects of her Ghost Spirit Divine Bow, she avoided crowded places and always grabbed an onigiri from the cafeteria after classes, coming here to eat alone.
Her nerves went haywire if anyone got too close, so eating with others required tremendous courage.
Beyond awkward—it would definitely make her nauseous.
But that didn't mean she enjoyed eating alone every time.
'...If we get closer, maybe we could eat together?'
Il-mok's face overlapped with the fluffy clouds drifting in the sky.
'At that distance, it might be okay.'
If they ate together but separated by exactly the distance of those clouds, even she could enjoy her meal without discomfort.
Unaware of how far clouds actually were, she savored her onigiri alone with that pure thought for a while.
After finishing it, rinsing her throat and hands with water from her gourd, she sensed footsteps at the clearing's entrance.
"Cadet Jeong-hyeon! You're here first as always!"
Joo Seo-yeon greeted her with her usual cheerful voice, and Jeong-hyeon gave an awkward smile.
It was partly because she was bad with people, but also due to Il-mok's advice.
'Avoid being alone with her.'
Jeong-hyeon couldn't understand why Il-mok had given that advice.
But even without knowing the reason, she followed it faithfully.
As the brightly smiling Joo Seo-yeon took a step forward, Jeong-hyeon stepped back.
Even at the evident avoidance, Joo Seo-yeon remained innocently sunny.
"Ah! Any closer would be uncomfortable! Haha! I'll stop here then!"
She knew from the start that Jeong-hyeon couldn't handle proximity.
Joo Seo-yeon plopped down right there and stared blankly at the sky.
"......"
"......"
An awkward silence naturally settled over the clearing.
If she enjoyed solitude, it might be fine—but Jeong-hyeon wanted to be with people. Her constitution just wouldn't allow it.
And like anyone desperate for company but crippled by social skills, this silence felt suffocating.
It felt like it was her fault.
'I can do it, Jeong-hyeon! You've practiced for this!'
Recalling the torment from the now-departed Baek Cheon, she mustered her lifetime's courage and spoke.
"W-what are you thinking about?"
If Baek Cheon saw, he'd pat her shoulders praising her growth—enough to make Jeong-hyeon faint on the spot. Success.
At her question, Joo Seo-yeon pointed at the clouds with one finger, still gazing at the sky.
"I was thinking about Lady Jin Ha-yeon. That cloud looks just like her."
Jin Ha-yeon—the woman who'd been with Il-mok before entering the academy—sparked Jeong-hyeon's natural curiosity.
"J-Jin Ha-yeon... the m-maidservant who served Y-Young Master Il-mok?"
And that was the wrong choice.
Joo Seo-yeon's head snapped sideways toward her with eerie speed, her clear eyes gleaming.
"You've heard of Lady Jin Ha-yeon! Haha. As for Lady Jin Ha-yeon, her beauty is like a flower carved from eternal glacier ice—not an exaggeration. She seems untouchably cold and elegant on the outside, but that's just the surface! Her heart burns with volcanic lava! Like birds swimming against a river current, right? Noble and aloof above, but below, striving and devoting herself against the world's harsh waves..."
Praise for Jin Ha-yeon poured endlessly from Joo Seo-yeon's mouth.
Jeong-hyeon listened to the trance-like rant with a dazed expression for a long while.
Footsteps at the clearing entrance finally snapped her out of Joo Seo-yeon's brainwashing.
"Ohoho. What fun conversation are you two having?"
Bang Mi-hwa approached, snapping open her fan, and Jeong-hyeon sighed in relief.
Truthfully, Bang Mi-hwa was a burdensome presence for Jeong-hyeon.
Not because of her haughty laughter or willful attitude.
Those were similar to Baek Cheon, so somewhat familiar.
It was just that, since the bathhouse incident, she'd been glancing at Jeong-hyeon oddly now and then.
Still, her arrival brought relief—because of who would come next.
"???"
But oddly, no Il-mok appeared despite Bang Mi-hwa's arrival. Only her sidekick Ha Yeong was with her.
As Jeong-hyeon puzzled over it, Joo Seo-yeon and Bang Mi-hwa started chatting.
"I was talking about the woman I admire most. Haha."
"Oh my. You were discussing me."
"Lady Jin Ha-yeon from the Silver Wing Hall—utterly beautiful. Haha."
"Hehe. No need to be shy, Cadet Joo Seo-yeon. Blame my irresistible charm that captivates all, young and old alike. Hohoho."
Was this even a conversation? They traded Q&A like that.
Jeong-hyeon watched the nonsense spectacle blankly for a moment.
'I can do it, Jeong-hyeon! It worked earlier!'
Muttering that to herself, she cautiously spoke up.
"Um... wh-where's Young Master Il-mok?"
Bang Mi-hwa, mid-self-praise, snapped her fan shut as if just remembering.
"Come to think of it, Young Master Il-mok won't be coming today. He said he has other business."
"Yes?"
Stunned by the unexpected news, Jeong-hyeon blanked out briefly.
"......"
Only then did she realize the awkward silence blanketing the clearing.
"!?"
Snapping to, she saw Bang Mi-hwa gazing at her intently.
"Come to think of it, with no Baek Cheon or Young Master Il-mok today, it's just us ladies."
The usually brazen Bang Mi-hwa subtly covered her mouth with her fan as she spoke.
"So, woman to woman—answer honestly, Cadet Jeong-hyeon."
"Wh-what do you mean?"
Trembling at the ominous vibe, as Jeong-hyeon asked back, Bang Mi-hwa boldly stepped forward.
As Jeong-hyeon retreated that distance, Bang Mi-hwa snapped her fan open, pointing at somewhere on Jeong-hyeon's body.
"That. What's the secret?"
"!?"
"Absolutely not out of jealousy. Just curious if it'd help my acting."
How was this related to acting?
The question arose, but her flustered mouth wouldn't open, as if glued shut.
Meanwhile, even Joo Seo-yeon, who'd been muttering nonsense, now eyed Jeong-hyeon.
"Come to think of it, I've been wondering about that too."
Suddenly standing, Joo Seo-yeon crept toward Jeong-hyeon.
'Wh-why the hands?'
Seeing Joo Seo-yeon's approaching hands outstretched, Il-mok's advice flashed—never be alone with Joo Seo-yeon.
Amid that, Ha Yeong too approached out of curiosity.
"Since it's just us girls, feel free to share."
The three women closed in, surrounding her from three directions.
Normally, the sudden approach would have made Jeong-hyeon foam at the mouth and faint.
But for some reason, she didn't pass out now.
Her instincts rang alarm bells. Fainting here meant unknown consequences.
Even as convulsions threatened...
"Eek!"
Letting out a weird shriek, Jeong-hyeon endured with superhuman willpower and unleashed her lightness skill.
Pop!
The most perfect lightness skill of her life.
* * *
"Hmm."
Alone, savoring a leisurely afternoon with the aroma of her teacup, Instructor Eun-ryeo let out a satisfied hum.
For her, plagued by rejection phobia and always feigning a cold expression, this solitary rest was pure bliss.
But the faint smile on Eun-ryeo's face soon froze like ice.
Her senses had caught someone stealthily approaching.
Unwilling to show a relaxed face to others, she sighed softly and spoke.
"Come in."
From the intruder's aura alone, Instructor Eun-ryeo knew who it was.
And as her permission came, the door opened—Jeong-hyeon entered, just as expected.
To avoid triggering a seizure at the entrance, Eun-ryeo had stayed seated and ordered the door opened.
Maintaining her cold facade was one thing, but she couldn't help her compassionate nature toward those in need.
Seated at her desk to keep distance for Jeong-hyeon's sake, Eun-ryeo turned—and nearly startled.
Jeong-hyeon's face was deathly pale.
"...Something wrong?"
Regaining composure, at Eun-ryeo's question, Jeong-hyeon trembled as she replied.
"S-s-sorry, Instructor. C-can you h-hide me for a bit...?"
Like a rain-soaked kitten, her pitiful, pale, shivering plea made Eun-ryeo's heart sink.
"Use it as you like."
For someone with rejection issues, it was a request she couldn't possibly refuse.
"Come, sit here."
Eun-ryeo gladly stood, yielding her seat—for Jeong-hyeon to take hers.
"You look chilled from the shock. Warm up with some tea."
Unknowingly, her tone had softened.
Jeong-hyeon, looking uneasy, followed the instruction. As she sipped the tea and calmed slightly, Eun-ryeo asked belatedly.
"Is someone chasing you?"
Hiding implied pursuit. But what would make a cadet chased in the academy?
At Instructor Eun-ryeo's question, Jeong-hyeon flinched.
'Th-that's too embarrassing to say...'
She couldn't admit being chased over her voluptuous... assets.
"J-just... b-being chased, Instructor."
"By whom?"
Unlike her usual demeanor with cadets, Eun-ryeo asked gently, and Jeong-hyeon stammered.
"C-Cadet Bang Mi-hwa and C-Cadet Ha Yeong. And C-Cadet Joo Seo-yeon, Instructor."
"Mind sharing why?"
Eun-ryeo asked softly again, but Jeong-hyeon frantically shook her head in shame.
With Jeong-hyeon refusing to reveal the reason, Eun-ryeo had to deduce.
'Jeong-hyeon. Bang Mi-hwa. Ha Yeong. Joo Seo-yeon. Familiar names that connect somehow...'
Individually unrelated, but oddly linked to one name.
'It's because of Cadet Il-mok!'
That realization painted the story in Eun-ryeo's mind.
'I figured he'd be a sinner with women, but he's turned it into a total bloodbath!'