Chapter 110: A New Start (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 110: A New Start (1)
“…Should this be enough?”
I stared down at my wide-open suitcase.
Clothes, daily essentials, and a bundle of Daixo sashimi knives. Looking at the tightly packed luggage, my heart fluttered with a strange excitement.
This was my very first time traveling abroad, combining both my past and present lives.
Come to think of it, I had been to Scopuli Island for the midterm exams and Avallon Island as part of the uninhabited island survival training, but...
...calling those "trips" was a bit of a stretch. Both had been deeply unpleasant experiences where I nearly died.
So, in a true sense, this was my "first" trip abroad.
I'm actually a little nervous.
Having finished my rough check, I sat on the edge of the bed.
I recalled what the Sword Emperor had said when he paid me a private visit yesterday.
—If you don't have any plans for the break, why don't you come with me to the Nibelung estate?
The Sword Emperor had added a few more details to his proposal. It was a rather long conversation, but it could be boiled down to two main points.
First, since I had made up my mind to become the next Seven Stars, he would personally guide my training and discipline in earnest.
The Sword Emperor was a busy man. He had been bombarded with interviews regarding his retirement as a Seven Stars hero and was constantly drifting in and out of the Hero Association. Those were the reasons he had been absent from the Academy lately.
But it seemed things had finally wound down. His return to the Academy was proof of that.
Thus, his first point was that he would spend the break teaching me and handling the long-delayed handover (?) of his legacy.
The second point was a more complex and practical matter.
Elder Cladi had just died. And by my hand, no less.
To be precise, he had died at the hands of Al'tair and Nox, but I was deeply entangled in the whole mess.
If that fact reached the ears of the hostile factions, they would target me first. To them, I was the easiest prey.
They wouldn't be stupid enough to touch the Sword Emperor, the strongest man alive, or Academy Principal Medea.
Nor could they afford to provoke the Auditore family, a house of order.
Therefore, there was a high probability that the enemies' unpleasant gaze would soon focus on me.
The head of the Auditore family said they would do their best to prevent any leaks, but...
It would be one thing if there were absolutely no witnesses, but a few of Cladi's bodyguards whose offenses were minor had been spared.
Of course, the Auditore family would have thoroughly silenced them, but as the saying goes, walls have ears.
It was only a matter of time before the hostile Council of Elders or the nobles found out.
If that happened, things would get annoying. Instead of physical pressure like hiring assassins, they would probably try to squeeze me in other ways.
Honestly, it would be better if they just sent contract killers like the Undertaker. I could just decapitate them as they came.
I really prefer using my body over using my brain.
In any case, because of these factors, I needed to stay somewhere far beyond the reach of their evil clutches. The Academy seemed like the safest place, but it was still within the sphere of influence of the Council of Elders.
That was why the Sword Emperor had gently suggested I join him.
At first, I found it absurd. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized there was no better option.
The Nibelung family.
The birthplace of the first Sword Saint, Aaron Nibelung, and a family with a prestigious 700-year history.
I had never seen it in the game, but the estate itself was treated almost like a small sovereign nation.
Which meant that within the borders of the Nibelung estate, the word of the Sword Emperor, its head, was absolute law.
Furthermore, with the Sword Emperor—the strongest man alive—holding the fort, any outside interference was practically impossible unless someone was completely insane.
Only those of the same Seven Stars rank, like the Spear Saint or the Archery Saint, were barely permitted entry.
Even if outsiders were to visit the Nibelung estate, it would only be those two. But the Archery Saint, Saki Kojima, was busy as the Prime Minister of Japan, and the Spear Saint, who lived in France, was on terrible terms with the Sword Emperor.
Surely I won't run into either of them.
I stared at the ceiling for a moment before burying my back into the blankets.
"This is the first time I'll be leaving this room empty for so long."
Just three months ago, this room had felt so foreign, but now it was my only sanctuary. And I was going to leave it empty for a whole month.
On top of that, I wouldn't be seeing the members of the travel club, whom I'd grown quite fond of, for a while. I thought about telling them, but I shook my head.
The Sword Emperor had gone out of his way to keep my whereabouts ambiguous for my own safety. No matter how much I trusted my friends, the more ears that heard, the greater the risk.
And since Chloe's family home is also in Europe...
I could already picture her running toward me with her red hair fluttering in the wind. Goosebumps broke out on my arms.
I definitely need some distance from her.
I lay there blankly, cradling my head for a few minutes, when a sudden question popped into my mind.
"I wonder how big the Sword Emperor's private jet is?"
He would obviously own a private jet, so my curiosity was about its scale. The Nibelung family belonged to the absolute highest tier of nobility.
For a commoner like me, their wealth was unimaginable. If I had to compare it to Earth, wouldn't it be similar to the net worth of oil tycoons?
I heard the Auditore family's private jet could accommodate about 18 people... so the Nibelung family probably flew around in a massive commercial-sized airliner.
"...My first flight ever, and it's on a private jet..."
My excitement grew. I worried this might end up spoiling my standards.
Forcing down the corners of my mouth, I sprang out of bed. I sat back down in front of my suitcase to double-check if I had missed anything.
Departure was in two days. Time was tight.
"...Hmm."
Looking down at the tightly packed luggage, something felt missing. I thought I had packed everything.
"Ah, right. I need to pack some cup ramen."
I had almost forgotten the one thing more important to a Korean than a passport. I immediately grabbed my wallet and headed to the campus convenience store.
* * *
Two days flew by, and it was finally the day of departure.
After checking my luggage one last time, I stood before my room door.
As I gripped the doorknob, I turned my head halfway to scan the room.
"……."
A quiet loneliness lingered in the small room. A strange emotion welled up in my throat. I smiled faintly and stepped out.
The Sword Emperor told me to meet him at Incheon Airport first.
We had briefly spoken on the phone about the schedule two nights ago. He said he would arrive at the airport a day early to handle the departure procedures.
Things were chaotic due to Cladi's death. If the Council of Elders pressured the administration, they might not be able to block my departure entirely, but they could certainly delay it.
The Sword Emperor had likely headed out early to prevent that very scenario.
Walking briskly, I quickly arrived at the Academy bus terminal.
Perhaps because most of the cadets had already left on the day of the closing ceremony two days ago or yesterday, the terminal was quiet.
Only about ten people were scattered across the waiting area, waiting for their buses.
As I entered the terminal, a wave of eyes fell upon me. Two girls among them widened their eyes and began whispering to each other.
"Hey, that black-haired guy, that's him. The cadet who defeated the Iron Leg."
"Ah, the Sashimi Sword Saint? I heard he has a devilish personality and slices people up with a raw fish knife..."
If they had whispered quietly, it would have been fine, but their voices were loud enough to carry straight to my ears.
"Hey, that's not even the half of it. A junior I know is in the same class as him, and she said he confesses to a different girl every single week... And if they don't accept, he pulls a knife on them... He confessed to my junior too, and she said she thought she was actually going to die when she rejected him."
What the fuck.
I didn't know how these rumors about me were spreading, but my reputation was apparently that of a complete psychopath.
Pulling a knife if a confession is rejected? If I did that, would I even be allowed to attend the Academy? I'd be rotting in prison!
I was already doing my best to keep my distance from the opposite sex because of Chloe and Rachel. The sheer injustice of it made my blood boil.
"Whoa, he's a total psycho... But he's actually kind of good-looking, isn't he? His hair color is unique, so it looks pretty 'hip.' And he's famous for being incredibly strong. Honestly, my type lately has been strong, bad boys. Maybe he's worth dating once?"
"Are you crazy?! What if you get stabbed?! That's not a bad boy, that's a bad bastard! And besides, his background is on a completely different level from ours. No matter how strong he is, do you think his family would ever approve of a relationship?"
"I guess... But wait, is he looking at us?"
"Gasp! Hey, look down, look down. If you make eye contact, he might confess to you."
"Eek!"
Sensing my gaze, the two female students gasped in shock. Their faces turned pale, and their pupils shook with terror.
To them, I seemed to be a creature more terrifying than a demon. Honestly, I wanted to march over and say something.
Who be pleased to have such ridiculous rumors used as cheap gossip? Especially when they were treating me like some kind of serial gigolo.
I wasn't generous enough to just brush off an insult. In fact, I was the type whose body moved faster than his brain.
So, I briefly considered drawing my sashimi knife to give them a real-life fact-check, just like they said.
"Sigh..."
I let out a heavy sigh filled with a tangle of complex emotions.
I had only recently realized that my personality had changed, but what good would it do to act out now?
Regardless of my inability to just take things lying down, "educating" them would only add fuel to the fire.
If I even spoke to them, the rumors would probably mutate from "a psycho who confesses to girls every week" to "a beast who confesses to girls every single day."
To be honest, I still didn't understand why I had become known as a confession-obsessed lunatic. But my public image was already thoroughly ruined.
Let's not create any unnecessary misunderstandings here. I should just pass by quietly.
Above all, today was a good day. I decided to calm my emotions and focus on positive thoughts.
When I sighed and remained silent, the two female students looked at each other and nodded.
Their faces filled with conviction, as if my silence confirmed the rumors.
In times like this, ignoring them was the best answer. I tuned them out and pulled out my earphones.
At that moment.
"Excuse me."
A cold voice called out to the chattering girls.
The two female students slowly turned their heads toward the source of the voice.
"“……!”"
At the same time, their eyes widened to their limits. The unexpected appearance of a girl made them instantly hold their wagging tongues.
Not just them, but every eye in the terminal focused on the girl, and a wave of shock instantly rippled through the crowd.
The person who had just pushed through the revolving door was...
...a beautiful girl whose appearance defied any superlative.
Abel...?
Her brow furrowed as she approached the two girls.
Abel crossed her arms and glared coldly. The two female students seemed to have lost their voices, their lips merely trembling.
It was as if they didn't dare speak in the presence of such overwhelmingly superior genetics.
Silence seeped into the walls. Abel's gaze swept over their name tags. White name tags, indicating they were second-years.
Abel frowned deeper and spoke.
"As seniors, isn't it incredibly classless of you to go around badmouthing a junior? Regardless of the 'facts,' it's extremely rude to talk behind someone's back, but he's sitting right over there listening to everything. Even if you can't set a good example, you shouldn't be acting so embarrassingly."
"……."
The two shut their mouths tight. Battered by a relentless barrage of hard facts, they lost any chance to defend themselves.
"And logically speaking, if he pulled a knife on people for rejecting his confessions, would he still be attending the Academy? He'd be in prison. You seniors knew it was a fabricated rumor, yet you still giggled and gossiped right in front of him. Am I wrong?"
Under Abel's interrogation, the two girls could only hang their heads like criminals.
Their sour expressions showed they weren't entirely convinced deep down. But who was the person standing before them?
Abel von Nibelung. This was a world where social hierarchy strictly existed.
It would be difficult for them to argue back against a descendant of the Nibelung family, one of the most prestigious houses. Even if she was a year below them.
Of course, it's not like Abel did that on purpose, but...
Furthermore, Abel was a top-tier beauty in this world. They had every reason to feel a deep sense of humiliation, both hierarchically and as fellow women.
...But seeing her like this, she really is Abel.
The Abel I knew from the game always maintained a cold, heartless attitude.
She was always sharp, even toward Leon, the handsome protagonist who attracted women like a magnet.
Because she was prickly toward everyone, not just Leon, the players actually liked her quite a bit.
They said her strong personality made her fragile moments stand out even more. That was a realm beyond my understanding.
There had been constant hints and foreshadowing about Abel's cold personality since the early stages of the story.
It probably had to do with her past, and as far as I knew, those plot points were resolved in the latter half of the game.
Therefore, I didn't know the details. I had quit the game around the mid-to-late stages.
Since she was the sole reason I had played Miracle Blessing M, I had wanted to learn about her past, so I felt a lingering regret.
However, now that I had dropped into this world, it was probably better for me to remain ignorant. Abel was Leon's main heroine, after all.
Soon, tears welled up in the eyes of the two seniors who had been gossiping about me. It was a natural reaction after enduring such stinging words for several minutes.
It was a moment that made me realize once again that words could cut deeper than knives.
"Sigh."
Having thoroughly schooled the two, Abel shook her head.
A look of disillusionment washed over her face. After all, her seniors were crying over just a few words.
On top of that, she seemed highly uncomfortable with all the eyes fixed on her.
Abel was a character with an attention-grabbing appearance but a personality that loathed being the center of attention.
Shrugging off the focused stares, she took a step forward. A massive suitcase trailed behind her right hand.
Abel then approached me.
"……."
"……."
After staring at me, she casually sat down in the seat next to mine. Naturally, I had to share the spotlight that had been focused on her.
The combination of me—rumored to pull a sashimi knife on anyone who rejected my confessions—and Abel, the most beautiful girl in the world.
What on earth would people imagine?
It was certain that more bad rumors would pile up.
Suddenly, keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead, Abel spoke.
"You packed everything without leaving anything behind, right? Grandfather told me to go to the airport with you. Since we're in Wonju, it'll take about three hours by bus to Incheon Airport."
When I wore a bewildered expression, Abel crossed her arms and shifted only her eyes toward me.
"What? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"
"……."
A fact that had been buried under my chaotic days suddenly flashed back into my mind.
Abel, the very reason I had spent money during my month-long stint as a player.
"You're staying at my house for the break."