Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Midterm Evaluation (1)
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Kim Geon-ho was the wastrel son of the Mountain Lords.
Just describing him that way made it clear he was the type who would never be popular.
The typical chaebol villain style.
A bully who looked down on others and crushed them under the weight of his family's prestige despite lacking any real talent.
The image of a spoiled young master from a prominent family was bound to be a negative one.
But Kim Geon-ho was different.
Even with rumors of him being a wastrel spreading far and wide, seeing the real thing gave a completely different impression.
He'd never been a nuisance to anyone, had a refreshingly straightforward personality, and even enjoyed widespread support.
'...And through that support, he even snagged the class rep position.'
It wasn't luck—he'd earned the class rep role purely on merit.
It firmly established his place for everyone while boldly demanding submission from the rest of the class with unshakeable confidence.
Taking all these qualities together, Kim Geon-ho was genuinely a great catch as a husband.
No, he was more than just great—he was exceptional.
But Heila couldn't rate him quite that highly.
Why?
"No matter how far you've gone with Geon-ho, I'm the one who's going to get pregnant with his child first, so give up."
"...You've never even dated a playboy, so what makes you say something like that?"
The problem was his women—and it was a serious one.
These weren't just any women; they were all formidable in their own right.
'We need to hurry up and hold the engagement ceremony...'
An engagement was a promise of marriage.
Heila had cautiously used the title of "fiancée" to approach it carefully.
But with this kind of talk from those around her, even she couldn't help feeling urgent.
'Wh-what are they saying in a public place like this!'
To Heila's common sense, this dizzying conversation was utterly incomprehensible.
Not only were they openly talking about kissing, but they were even bringing up... s-sex...!
And loudly proclaiming they'd already done it, like they were advertising it? That was even more baffling.
These were stories far removed from the Radmos family, which valued honor and dignity above all.
'Don't they have any shame?'
Normally, wouldn't declaring herself the fiancée sort out the hierarchy on its own?
Heila was no expert in these matters, of course, but she wasn't completely clueless either.
She'd read a few romance novels, and she knew a fiancée held significant power in those.
The principal wife!
Under that tremendous title, everything fell into place, sorting out all the traffic jams.
But the women in front of her now—Marren and Airi—didn't seem to care about any of that.
Fiancée? So what? I'm closer to him anyway. That was the vibe.
'What kind of situation is this...'
If others besides her were feeling this same awkwardness, she might have felt a bit calmer.
But Heila was even more flustered because no one else seemed puzzled by the conversation.
And it made sense—Class 1-1 had already fully adapted to Kim Geon-ho.
'Tatakum thinks Kim Geon-ho is incredibly cool. Heroes are strong by nature, so it's only natural for multiple women to like them... A responsible guy like Kim Geon-ho—truly a warrior.'
Some praised Kim Geon-ho.
'Kim Geon-ho... I lost this time, but the Empire will claim the class rep seat for sure!'
Others felt competitive against him.
'...I want to face him again. True strength I've never felt even in the North. I'll grow stronger and challenge him once more.'
Some wanted to test themselves against him again.
Those were special cases, but the other cadets weren't much different—they fell into one of those three categories.
The sense of security from working under a capable leader was indescribable.
And even if they bickered fiercely with words...
"What's this? Everyone's gathered at my spot? Were you waiting for me?"
"Wh-who said we were waiting? If you're late, it'll make me look bad as your wife, so I had no choice...!"
"Yeah, I was waiting for you, Geon-ho. So, give me a real deep kiiiiss..."
"Who said I was waiting for a playboy? We just happened to end up talking here."
In the end, everything sorted itself out the moment Kim Geon-ho appeared, so there was no need to worry.
"Rowdy as ever from the morning. Everyone, take your seats."
And right on cue, Professor Ran stepped in to calm the class.
The professor, looking quite pleased, stood at the lectern and continued.
"As you all know, midterm evaluations are coming up soon."
""Uuuu....""
A despairing test descending on what had been a purely enjoyable academy life.
But despite the groans, everyone's faces lit up with excitement.
Being evaluated meant objectively checking their skills.
For cadets gathered to become heroes greater than anyone else, it was a prime opportunity to gauge their progress.
"And this midterm won't just be a simple evaluation."
Professor Ran continued, recalling the recent faculty meeting.
-Doing just evaluations would be boring, so how about a class competition too?
-Sounds good, right? It'd boost class unity.
-I'm for it. Tiered rewards based on midterm class rankings—nice.
-What should we wager? Let's start simple: menu selection rights for meals?
The professors had enthusiastically discussed competition rewards.
Eventually, they started boasting about their own classes.
-Our class has insane cohesion—from last joint training...
-But ours has even better...
Endless bragging.
Professor Ran, who had quietly observed it all, stood and dropped one line.
-It pains me to think such great classes will get crushed by Class 1.
The class with Kim Geon-ho.
Professor Ran knew better than any the value of that name's pull.
So she immediately brought up the class competition to the cadets.
"Class rankings will be determined by evaluation performance, and the winners get meal menu selection rights."
""Oooooh....""
The reaction wasn't as hot as expected.
But that was fine.
She didn't need to push it herself anyway.
"Therefore, class rep Kim Geon-ho, come to the podium and share your resolve for the midterms."
With Kim Geon-ho as rep, she wouldn't have to worry about rallying the class.
"...?"
Kim Geon-ho, puzzled but obedient, stepped forward.
As everyone wondered what he'd say...
"We don't eat the same slop as those stupid livestock."
His opening line struck Class 1-1 right in the heart.
The Mountain Lords stood aloof.
And the place where such Mountain Lords resided should be beyond anyone's reach.
Only one ruled the mountains!
No one could stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
Kim Geon-ho reaffirmed the Mountain Lord's mindset and continued.
"Choosing the meal menu isn't just about eating—it's something more."
Bam!
As Kim Geon-ho slammed his fist on the podium...
The cadets felt their hearts pounding in unison.
"Deciding fodder for livestock! It means we have a clear difference from those beneath us."
Livestock!
Who in Hero Academy wanted to be treated like livestock?
The cadets increasingly felt that menu selection was no light matter.
"Answer me! Are you livestock?!"
"N-no, sir!"
Honorifics slipped out naturally in response.
"Right! We're heroes! Born to be the best! We've prepared endlessly for it! We're heroes, not livestock! Isn't that right?!"
"Yes, sir!"
To build unity, solidarity was key.
And the easiest way to maximize it? Create an enemy.
"That's why I demanded surrender from the other classes the moment I became rep! Heroes and livestock can't stand side by side!"
One against eleven!
What seemed impossible sounded feasible coming from Kim Geon-ho's mouth.
The reason he had to oppose everyone? Heroes couldn't exist in multiples.
There was only one protagonist!
Only Class 1 qualified for that role—the cadets stomped their feet in agreement.
Hearts thumped, feet itched.
They were dying to smash the other classes already.
"Even thinking they can match us is arrogant. Do they dare surpass the Mountain Lords? Even knowing it's impossible?"
"Yes, sir! No one can surpass the Mountain Lords!"
"Kim Geon-ho! Kim Geon-ho! Kim Geon-ho!"
Madness.
Kim Geon-ho's speech, as if infused with some divine rhetoric, swept Class 1 into fervor.
"We'll take first place and show those beneath us that what number one eats is different. That's what sets positions apart—got it?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Short answers."
"Sir!!!"
"Good. Prepare, everyone. Not just first—we aim for overwhelming first!"
The other classes had no idea.
How much the class under Kim Geon-ho's command would change.
This was the moment the first button of the Kim Geon-ho legend was fastened.