Chapter 209: My Own Little Classroom (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 209: My Own Little Classroom (1)
Se-in asked, “If you had to choose between the two, which would you pick?”
“……?”
For a moment, Abel’s mind went blank. What was a Would You Rather game? A dilemma where two options held equal weight, forcing you to pick one against your will. In short, if the balance was off, the game itself couldn't even work.
And yet...
End up with Kang Geomma vs. The End of the World
Ordinarily, Abel would have frowned heavily and snapped at her. It wasn't even that one option was vastly superior; they were on completely different wavelengths. The premise itself fundamentally violated the nature of a Would You Rather game.
But that wasn't what left Abel speechless. Rather, it was because the second option was dreadfully ominous.
The end of the world.
In a world overrun by demons and magical beasts, those words carried immense weight. Humanity had, after all, faced the brink of total destruction seven hundred years ago.
People did not utter such profane words, even in jest.
As the saying went, words had power. In a world where wild, unknown forces like magic and blessings abounded, people believed even a casual phrase held power. Abel was no exception.
Yet Se-in had blurted it out under the guise of a silly game. No matter how lighthearted the game was supposed to be, this was crossing the line. And yet...
Se-in’s eyes, looking down at her, were sunken deep. She looked endlessly serious. Staring at an expression that made it clear this was no joke, Abel's mind went completely blank.
“……”
Silence swallowed their surroundings. After a short while, Se-in offered a faint smile and brushed herself off as she stood up.
“I see how much you like my cousin. To actually hesitate when faced with the end of the world.”
Abel blinked at Se-in’s words. Had that brief silence created a misunderstanding? Had Se-in thought she was actually weighing the options that seriously? Abel had only faltered because she had been too stunned to speak.
But Se-in seemed to have misunderstood, assuming Abel was torn because she wanted to be with Kang Geomma even if it meant the end of the world. It was a complete misconception.
Abel tried to object, but Se-in spoke faster. With a gentle curve of her eyes, Se-in said:
“If your feelings run that deep, then I'll do my absolute best in my own way—to keep the world from ending. Well... I'll probably have to pay a heavy price to the ‘higher-ups,’ but in the end, my destiny is the happiness of the ‘Being from the Outside.’”
Abel couldn't make head or tail of what Se-in was saying. Higher-ups? Being from the Outside? Happiness? Abel could only faintly guess that Se-in belonged to some mysterious organization. The rest remained a total mystery.
And why is she suddenly telling me all this?
Se-in's tone was almost like a weary confession, giving Abel a growing sense of dread. It sounded like someone coming clean and leaving behind their final testament.
Stuttering, Abel asked back, her tongue twisting in her mouth.
“W-Wait a minute. You're leaving out way too much context. What on earth did you just mean?”
Se-in offered a serene smile and replied, “You'll find out soon enough. Normally, ignorance would have been bliss for you, but things have gotten pretty tangled up. So now, inevitably, you're bound to learn the truth.”
“……?!”
Leaving those words behind, Se-in turned and walked away, quietly vanishing down the path she had come.
Abel considered reaching out to grab her, but couldn't bring herself to move. An eerie atmosphere, bordering on horror, weighed heavily in the air.
She tilted her head up. The stars decorating the dark sky flickered sharply, like glinting eyes. And right at the center of their piercing gaze walked Se-in.
To Abel, it looked as if Se-in was bearing the weight of all those cosmic gazes entirely on her own shoulders. Watching the scene, a sudden surge of sorrow and pity washed over Abel's heart.
“Yoo Se-in... just what kind of secret are you and Kang Geomma's family hiding...?”
Abel muttered softly, unaware of what kind of future this seemingly trivial conversation would bring.
* * *
At the same time, in a hotel near Joaquin Academy.
The Archery Saint stood by a floor-to-ceiling glass window spanning an entire wall. The expansive hotel suite, easily spacious enough to accommodate dozens of people, had been prepared solely for him.
With one hand behind his back, he tilted a whiskey glass with the other.
“Did persuasion end in failure, Hina?”
Standing behind the Archery Saint, Saki Hina's eyelids fluttered nervously.
“…Yes. I am sorry to disappoint you.”
Clearing her throat, Saki Hina barely managed to continue.
“The Heavenly Sword, Lord Kang Geomma, is far too mature not only physically, but mentally as well. My blessing couldn't affect him in the slightest. Persuading him through external means seems entirely impossible...”
Saki Hina feigned composure throughout her explanation. In reality, her legs were trembling so violently she could barely stand.
“Understood. You may leave.”
At the Archery Saint's dismissal, Hina's expression turned bewildered. Given her father's temperament, it wouldn't have been unusual for him to deliver a bone-chilling rebuke.
“U-Understood, Prime Minister. Have a pleasant evening.”
Though anxiety, confusion, and discomfort swirled within her all at once, Hina bowed deeply before hastily exiting the room.
The spacious hotel suite suddenly felt hollow. Keeping his eyes fixed outside, the Archery Saint took a sip of whiskey. Perhaps due to the lingering taste of the alcohol, he opened his mouth bitterly.
“How long do you intend to hide?”
No sooner had he spoken than a mass of shadow dropped lightly from the ceiling. The dark mass slowly assembled into a human shape and let out a hearty laugh.
“Hoho. To think you noticed me immediately, even when I utilized ‘Raven's Blessing’ to its utmost limit. As expected, the Archery Saint is truly cut from a different cloth. Had I lurked a moment longer, I might have caught an arrow between my brows.”
The Head of the Auditore Family, Al'tair. He stroked his beard as he stepped forward. The Archery Saint spat out coldly:
“If you know so well, why intrude upon my room uninvited? Have you grown so old that your judgment has dulled?”
Even considering his stature, the Archery Saint's attitude was remarkably overbearing. Furthermore, Al'tair was six or seven years his senior, and held a status hardly inferior to his own—after all, he was the head of the dark household.
Such condescension from the Archery Saint was a blatant insult, but the Head merely chuckled. He had been the one to break in, after all.
“I would appreciate it if you could generously overlook it as a habit of an assassin.”
Though his tone sounded polite, Al'tair lazily scratched his chin. The Archery Saint narrowed his eyes.
“Habits pushed too far invite judgment. Enough small talk. What brings you here? Is it an order from Senior Siegfried?”
“The Archery Saint seems to be gravely mistaken. We, the Auditore, are the House of Order. We are not an organization that acts on orders, but a clan that judges and moves according to our own will.”
“Then explain yourself. Why dare trespass into the quarters of a head of state in the dead of night? You had better choose your words carefully if you wish to avoid a major international incident.”
At the Archery Saint Saki Kojima's threat, the genial smile on the Head's lips completely vanished.
“Rumors are circulating. Rumors that the Archery Saint seeks to covet the Hero Association as well.”
“……”
The melting ice clinked softly as it rolled in the glass. The sharp aroma of alcohol faded.
“If these rumors hold true, don't you think your greed has gone too far? You are already a Seven Star Hero, and as you said, the leader of a nation. To reach your hands toward the Hero Association on top of that... it is excessive.”
At Al'tair's words, the Archery Saint downed the rest of his whiskey in one gulp. Then he dismissed it curtly.
“Baseless rumors.”
“Where there's smoke, there's fire.”
“Suppose it's true, then. What of it? What is wrong with that? Rather than leaving the post to a master who hasn't shown his face in nearly a decade, it is better that I claim it.”
“There is propriety in this world, Archery Saint. The Spear Saint is already favored to be the next Association President. For an outsider like you to intrude...”
The Archery Saint snorted.
“Senior Richard de Myura is a man whose body acts before his brain. He is ill-suited for such a pivotal position.”
“Even if that were true, it is not your place to judge.”
“Are you playing word games with me?”
“Far from it.”
Al'tair's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light.
“I came to give you advice, Archery Saint. Do not cross the line any further. Go any further, and our Auditore Family will no longer sit idly by. That is all I have to say.”
Al'tair strode toward the door. Reaching the threshold, he spoke once more, his voice heavy.
“While I'm offering advice, I shall add one more thing. Do not approach the new Seven Stars, the Heavenly Sword, any further.”
Clack! Shatter!
The whiskey glass shattered into fragments, showering the floor with shards.
The Archery Saint roared ferociously, “Head of the Auditore! There is a limit to your insolence! How dare you speak to me, Saki Kojima, in such a manner? You had best stick to preserving order—and keep in mind that those words of yours violate order more than anything!”
“By nature, order is equal beneath the heavens.”
Al'tair struck the floor with his cane. At the cue, the flickering shadows began to condense into distinct forms.
Sssss.
In an instant, over thirty presences filled the vast hotel suite. Assassins. Crimson gleams trailed sharply from their eyes.
Al'tair said, “And what is order, if not that which upholds the Heavens?”
“Head of Auditore... Are you implying that he, the Heavenly Sword, is the Heavens?”
“His title itself is the Sword of Heaven. I hardly think it is an exaggeration.”
A strange luster flickered in the Head's chilling eyes.
“So set aside your worries about order and mind your own conduct—unless you wish to have your head severed by a sashimi knife. Unlike me, the Heavenly Sword is not a patient man.”
* * *
It had been a long time since I stepped into the Wolf Class classroom. It was thanks to Medea's advice, telling me to enjoy academy life at least a bit before full-scale construction began.
Truthfully, taking ‘How to Become a Hero’ classes after becoming one of the Seven Stars was... well. To draw an analogy, it was like a general learning how to be a private soldier.
Even so, I intended to attend classes as much as possible going forward. The words of my first master were engraved on my heart: School isn't just a place to gain knowledge; it's a place to build bonds.
And so, I had come to class with a joyful mindset. Except...
“Eeeeeek! It's the Heavenly Sword! The Heavenly Sword! Please give me an autograph!”
“I've been a massive fan since way back! Can I please get a picture with you, Lord Heavenly Sword?”
“Heavenly Sword! Heavenly Sword! Heavenly Sword! Heavenly Sword! Heavenly Sword!”
I was utterly appalled. There were way, way too many people. Hey, class starts in one minute! At this rate, forget the next class—my entire day is going to be thrown down the drain.
I expected a crowd, but to this extent?
Students had gathered regardless of their class or year. There were so many that the room lacked oxygen, making it hard to breathe. This was a situation where instructors needed to step in and break it up.
The problem was... there were quite a few instructors mixed into the crowd. I could excuse the students, but you guys work here! Is this really okay? The place was crawling with payroll thieves.
And please, stop chanting 'Heavenly Sword'!
My face flushed bright red. As someone originally born on Earth, being called by an epithet felt beyond awkward—it was thoroughly embarrassing.
I had barely gotten used to my actual name, and now an even more cringe-inducing epithet? I wanted to find a hole and crawl into it.
I'm gonna lose my mind.
Just as I was heaving deep sighs while surrounded by the mob, a thunderous shout echoed from the direction of the doorway. The attention focused on me instantly scattered.
“Class is starting! Everyone, back to your places!”
It was Instructor Lee Won-bin, the proud head instructor of the Wolf Class. That smooth, bald head of his looked particularly radiant today. Dazzling, even.
Instructor Lee Won-bin scolded the instructors lurking among the students and ordered them to clear the room. Thanks to that, the wild commotion deflated instantly like a soggy sponge. I had heard before that Lee Won-bin held quite a bit of clout among the instructors.
Seeing it now, it was well deserved. Truly an exemplar for students and a paragon among instructors.
Once the fuss settled down to some extent, Instructor Lee Won-bin glanced around to check our surroundings. Soon, he approached me cautiously and whispered:
“Um... Lord Heavenly Sword.”
“Kang Geomma is fine. At least while I'm at the academy, I am clearly your subordinate, Instructor.”
“……!”
“If even you treat me awkwardly, Instructor, attending the academy is going to be way too difficult. So please, treat me comfortably.”
Instructor Lee Won-bin's eyes widened. A touch of emotion touched his face. I smirked softly. What's the big deal?
“Well, then...”
Lee Won-bin lowered his voice so much it was barely audible, offering an embarrassed smile to boot.
“Could I bother you for an autograph later? My nephew is a huge fan of yours. Oh, and! While you're at it, if you could make one out to me as well, I'd really appreciate it, haha!”
The proud corners of my mouth slumped back down in an instant.