Chapter 147: Candidate No. 7, Kang Geomma (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 147: Candidate No. 7, Kang Geomma (5)
“…That is all,” Supervisor Ha murmured, wrapping up her explanation.
She had stuck strictly to the main points: that as a first-year, he had the right to run in the student council election, and that he could choose between Candidate No. 6 or No. 7.
Originally, she had planned to subtly slip in a scouting offer, but…
Supervisor Ha cautiously raised her eyes. A girl with sky-blue hair filled her vision.
That girl.
The female student whose eyes burned with blue flames. She had completely cut off any “Association-related” approach toward Kang Geomma.
Was her name Saki Ryozo? Supervisor Ha had been unsure at first, but she realized it belatedly.
Saki (咲) was the surname of the Archery Saint family. In other words, it proved she was the daughter of Saki Kojima.
To think she was the daughter of that monster who was both a Seven Stars Hero and the head of the Japanese government. No wonder her first impression had been so extraordinary.
If I had known, I would have refused her entry, citing a non-disclosure agreement or something…
It was a blunder. But in her defense, she had been absolutely terrified of being alone with Kang Geomma.
He was a man who could kill a magical beast instantly with a heart attack. What about her?
If their eyes met even for a second, she might drop dead and go straight to the underworld!
Supervisor Ha simply couldn't muster the courage to look Kang Geomma in the face.
The basic of sales is eye contact. It was the absolute fundamental she had heard until her ears bled back at the Association Training Center.
But let alone eye contact, those dark eyes of his didn't even seem to permit her to take a deep breath.
She erased Manager Seong's instruction to establish as friendly a relationship as possible with Kang Geomma from her mind.
I'm sorry, Manager Seong.
Supervisor Ha bit her lower lip. If only she had pitched to Kang Geomma successfully.
Their Strategic Planning Department's performance for the year would have been more than fulfilled. The Association's higher-ups were paying close attention to Kang Geomma, along with Leon.
But company work wasn't more important than her life. Surely the manager, who was probably getting chewed out by the Academy Principal right now, would understand.
No, seriously, how am I supposed to talk to an unmeasurable student in the first place!
While Supervisor Ha grumbled inwardly, Kang Geomma rested his chin on his hand.
He wore a crooked expression, looking somewhat displeased.
“The reward is running in the student council election.”
A voice as cold as a winter wind echoed in the private room.
Kang Geomma tapped the table with his fingernail.
“Is that all?”
“……!”
Supervisor Ha raised her head reflexively. What? This was running for president of Joaquin Academy, the most prestigious academy in the world!
An opportunity normally reserved only for second and third-years, where simply running would elevate one's family prestige.
Yet Kang Geomma scowled, as if to say, You made me go through all that trouble for just this?
His eyes made it clear that such honor was utterly worthless to him.
It defied Supervisor Ha's common sense. But then again, who was she dealing with?
The genius known as the Sashimi Sword Saint. A madman who wouldn't tolerate the slightest provocation and would draw his blade instantly.
Madmen were, by definition, people with a screw loose. She knew this well because the Association President had a similar vibe.
Their thought processes were different, and they felt joy and sorrow in ways ordinary people couldn't comprehend.
Thus, as an ordinary person, Supervisor Ha had no way of knowing what part of Kang Geomma she had triggered.
A chill ran down Supervisor Ha's spine. Sweat beaded on her hands, which were resting politely on the table.
“I-I'm sorry.”
She didn't even know what she was apologizing for, but her subconscious chose submission.
Just then, Ryozo lightly nudged Kang Geomma's arm.
“Geomma, you really need to consider the other person's perspective. When you get all intense like that, it feels like suffocating.”
“Ah.”
Kang Geomma scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, visibly calming down. Only then did Ryozo let out a deep sigh of relief.
“And you have to listen to the end. Supervisor Ha hasn't even finished speaking yet. If you act like that, how is she supposed to talk? Right, Supervisor Ha?”
“Ah, yes, yes.”
Supervisor Ha nodded, her eyes welling with tears. Catching her breath, she thought to herself: bringing this lovely girl along was a stroke of absolute genius.
Ryozo spoke up on Kang Geomma's behalf.
“Everything, starting from today's mock exam, has been highly unusual. There must be something more than just running for student council president. Am I right?”
“O-Of course! It has been agreed that the newly elected president will be granted a Hero Association Korean Branch Access Pass. In other words, the president of Joaquin Academy can freely enter and exit the Association at any time.”
At those words, a gleam flashed in Geomma's dark eyes. He had been disappointed by the pointless reward of being a presidential candidate, but an Association access pass was a different story.
Kang Geomma spoke.
“Does that mean I can access any area within the Korean branch?”
His tone had softened significantly, and Supervisor Ha quickly replied.
“You can use any facility except for the classified archives. For example…”
“Does that include the artifact storage?”
“Yes, the artifact storage is included in the authorization.”
“Let me ask one more thing. Is the Monolith also kept at the Association?”
“The Monolith… Ah! You mean that stone block. Yes, the Monolith is an artifact managed by the Association, and it happens to be stored at the Korean branch. Of course, there are conditions. You must go alone, without any companions. And physical contact is strictly forbidden.”
“……!”
The expectation that had crumbled to ashes in Kang Geomma's eyes flared back to life. Meanwhile, Supervisor Ha muttered.
“But that Monolith… you'll probably be very disappointed when you see it in person. It's called an artifact, but in reality—”
“It doesn't matter.”
That was enough for him. The reward would be fulfilled once he obtained the next objective presented by the system, “The Second Fragment of 【???】”.
His participation in this mock exam would not be a waste of effort, but would instead translate into a clear achievement.
However, he hadn't fully secured it yet. The main event was still two weeks away.
Furthermore, it would be different from before, when he had simply suppressed everyone with raw power.
To reign at the top of the students, what was required was not mere martial force, but strategy, information, and political maneuvering.
Kang Geomma quietly stared at Ryozo's face. She tilted her head in confusion.
Kang Geomma's gaze shifted back to Supervisor Ha. With a face full of conviction, he said:
“I will run as Candidate Number 7.”
* * *
…An hour later, Manager Seong returned to the department.
With a face worn out by fatigue, he slumped back into his chair. Supervisor Ha quietly approached and handed him a canned coffee.
“Good work, Manager. Drink this and cheer up.”
“…Is there no proper coffee? I'm not really a fan of sweet coffee.”
“I went to the cafe on the first floor earlier, and an Americano was nearly twenty thousand won. Considering our budget allocation, we have to stick to canned coffee while we're here.”
“Just because it's full of rich kids, the prices are ridiculous…”
Manager Seong clicked his tongue and popped open the can.
“How did it go with the Sashimi Sword Saint?”
Kang Geomma was known as the Sashimi Sword Saint in this industry because the name rolled off the tongue so well.
At Manager Seong's question, Supervisor Ha rubbed her trembling shoulders.
“Don't even get me started. I seriously thought I was going to die. When he glared at me, the atmosphere was just…!”
“How was the pitch? Did he seem interested in the Hero Association?”
“It's a bit ambiguous.”
Supervisor Ha poked her cheek with her index finger, a shallow dimple appearing on her left cheek. She summarized and reported the conversation she had with Kang Geomma.
“At first, he seemed to dislike the idea. But the moment I mentioned the Association access pass, he completely changed. He became incredibly proactive, and his eyes sparkled. He was especially interested in the Monolith.”
The canned coffee on its way to Manager Seong's mouth paused.
“The Monolith? That stone block? Why?”
“Who knows? Honestly, I was too scared to ask further. Ugh… just thinking about it now gives me the creeps. Did your talk with the Academy Principal go well, Manager? You were called in because the students fainted during the mock exam, right?”
“…Well, that was part of it, but apparently, there might be some trouble with the Gehenna Gate.”
The Gehenna Gate. It was the passage connecting the Demon Realm Gehenna to the human world.
“Huh? Nothing has happened for seven hundred years, and now suddenly?”
“The Academy Principal detected an anomaly through her [Poet's Blessing]. That's why she called me in to request an investigation from the Hero Association. Of course, I got chewed out big time, too.”
“…Nothing bad will happen, right? I mean, there's absolutely no way, but if by some miracle the gate is breached…”
“……”
Manager Seong tilted his can back and forth as if to shake off his complicated thoughts, then downed the last gulp.
“Ugh, this tastes awful. Supervisor Ha, tell the team to pack up early today. We're having a company dinner. We risked our lives working today, so we deserve a reward. Since we're all the way in Wonju, let's go eat some Hanwoo beef.”
“Oh! Beef! Are you buying, Manager?!”
“Where would I get that kind of money?”
Manager Seong smiled and slid a card between his index and middle fingers. It gleamed with a brilliant golden hue. Supervisor Ha flinched back at the dazzling light.
“T-T-That is!”
“The corporate card.”
* * *
The hallway leading to my room.
Walking slowly, I reflected on today's achievements.
Running for student council president.
It was an event that made my mindset of wanting to live in hiding until just a few months ago look ridiculous. I didn't regret it now, but I felt a bit hollow.
Candidate Number 7.
The choices were 6 and 7. When I picked the latter, Ryozo had tried to stop me.
She said that if I was going to do it, the closer the candidate number was to 1, the better. As the daughter of Japan's prime minister, she seemed to know a lot about these things.
But I chose number 7. After all, 7 was a lucky number.
So Leon naturally becomes Candidate Number 6.
An unexpected clash with Leon. But thinking about it again, could I actually beat him?
I was confident in clashing blades, but an election? I wasn't so sure…
In the original story, Leon easily takes the president's seat once he becomes a second-year.
He was handsome, good-natured, and strong. And above all, he was the protagonist. He was on another level in every aspect.
If it were just him, it might be one thing, but the candidates from the upper years would also be formidable. The faces that immediately came to mind had solid foundations.
Will the current president run for re-election too?
Whoever they were, as seniors, they would know the sentiments of the Joaquin Academy students well.
On the other hand, my standing was incredibly weak. The labels of being in the below-average Wolf Class and a lowly Special Admission Student. It was like running with sandbags strapped all over my body.
Still, I had a chance. Ryozo and Weapon. Those two clever individuals were my allies. We also had the experience of working together to run the Kimchi Jjigae Booth during the festival.
Although it was a bit of a hassle, this was the only way to get close to the Monolith. It wasn't like I could just raid the Association with a sashimi knife.
I should talk more with the club members.
…A moment later, as I approached my room.
“Huh?”
A box was sitting lonely in front of my door. As I drew closer to inspect it, I saw the sender's name written amidst a clutter of stickers.
=Wieland=
“He said it would take a week, but I guess he finished in three days.”
The moment I entered my room, I sliced through the packaging tape. A sharp, cold silhouette buried in bubble wrap.
It was my beloved Murasame. It had only been three days, but a wave of affection made my lips curl. I immediately drew the blade.
Sssring—
The blade sang coquettishly. Murasame scattered light all on its own in the unlit room.
The hilt, the finish, the polishing—it was hard to find a single flaw in any of it. It was Wieland's masterpiece.
At that moment, a status window floated into my field of vision.
* * *
[Murasame (叢雨)]
Type: Sashimi
Description: A sword that was once called the sword that harbored the dew. (......)
Specifications: 「Blade Length – (35▶36) cm」, 「Width – 6 cm」
Attributes: 「Destructive Power - (C▶B)」, 「Range – E」, 「Hardness - (C▶B)」, 「Growth Potential - (A▶S)」
Rank: (D▶B-)
[NEW! A new function has been added.] ◀ (Touch to unlock.)
* * *
The attributes had risen across the board. Even the rank had jumped up by roughly two grades.
Wieland, that old man must have really put his heart and soul into this.
I let out a short laugh and looked down. Even though the stat increases were encouraging, the main event was below.
I licked my lips and tapped the bottom text.
Flash!
* * *
1) 〈Authority of the Underworld King (冥王)〉
The king of the dead who rules the underworld.
Borrows a portion of the power of the afterlife.
◈ Abilities & Conditions
: Within 5 minutes, you can control up to (1) entity cut by this armament.
: The number of entities can be increased through proficiency and additional enhancements.
: The entities you can command do not distinguish between ally and foe.
: However, the effect does not last permanently, and the duration is limited to 10 minutes.
[※ Certain conditions have been met, achieving the Special Title 《Underworld King (冥王)》.]
2) [ ――(Empty)―― ]
3) [ ――(Empty)―― ]
※ Special abilities can only be granted through Magic Stones, and they activate at random.