Chapter 232: Heaven Class (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 232: Heaven Class (1)
A luxury villa near Joaquin Academy. It was a residence Medea had arranged for her older sister.
The interior was bright and lavish, fit for a palace. Given its vast size, however, it felt empty with only white home appliances serving as furniture. To make matters worse, the sleek, polished marble floors only added to the chill.
Medea nagged, placing her hands on her hips.
“Unni! Have you gone completely insane? Because of you, Geomma had to go see the Archery Saint to clean up your mess!”
She shouted toward a rounded lump of duvet curled up in a corner of the spacious living room.
“……”
Nothing came back in response. Medea beat her chest in frustration and lamented.
“Barking away, just barking away! When a person speaks to you, you should at least pretend to listen! Ignoring me so blatantly only makes me dig my heels in! Oh, my head... Why is my family always like this? If you ask me, the Poison family—no, Ancients in general—are the problem. There isn't a single person with a normal personality besides me!”
The duvet wriggled slightly, and a voice leaked out.
“Duri, I don't think you're normal either...”
“I'm not normal?! My only sister pops out of nowhere and beats up the Prime Minister of Japan. Our dad, who's supposed to be the head of the Hero Association, vanishes without a trace saying he's doing secluded cultivation. If I, the young head of the household in this dysfunctional family, am not normal, then who is, huh?”
“Instead, you blatantly favor a certain 'someone' who's still a cadet. That's no way for an Academy Principal to act!”
Meain giggled softly. Right at that moment, Medea’s patience hit rock bottom.
The younger sister's eyes flipped wildly.
“Y-You... damn sister!”
Medea lunged forward, kicking off the floor toward the duvet. Meain, the older sister, swiftly wrapped herself up in the blanket like a roll and tumbled across the floor. Swift and agile movements.
Medea gave chase, looking ready to chew through the blanket roll like a kimbap. Slippery as if coated in oil, Meain deftly wriggled out of her sister's clutches time after time.
An absurd chase playing out across a luxury villa over three thousand square feet. On the surface, it was quite a hilarious sight.
“Stop right there!”
“I don't wanna~”
It was absurdly childish to call it a scrap between titans known as the Sage and All-Power. To put it nicely, it was an innocent sibling squabble. The problem was that their combined ages added up to one hundred and fifty.
It was a scene that would make anyone's respect for the two melt away like snow. Except...
“……”
Kang Geomma was standing near the front door, blankly watching them. A silent smirk escaped his lips.
I came straight here after meeting privately with the Archery Saint, and yet...
Honestly, he was at a loss for words. Kang Geomma briefly considered stepping in to mediate, but decided to just watch from a distance instead. It was a sisterly fight so embarrassing he didn't even want to butt in.
Let's see how long they keep this up. With that look in his eyes, Kang Geomma leaned his back against the wall. Amidst all this, Medea hadn't even noticed he was there.
Medea was completely consumed by a single thought: I am going to beat the hell out of this damn twin sister of mine no matter what.
A good while passed. Eventually, the clamor subsided.
“Haa... haa...”
Sweat beaded on her sleek chin. Medea leaned her hands on her knees and wiped her chin with the back of her hand. Then, she raised both hands.
“I surrender. I surrender, okay? So stop already.”
At those words, a head peeked out from one end of the blanket roll. Light green hair fluttered in the air, frizzy with static electricity.
“My victory again...”
The corners of Meain’s mouth curled up mischievously, only to drop right back down.
“...Huh? What? Geomma, when did you get...”
Medea tried not to miss that tiny window of opportunity.
“You told me before, Unni! Never let your guard down!”
Just as Medea was about to hurl herself forward, she felt a new presence tapping her back, and turned her head awkwardly.
There stood Kang Geomma, quietly leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Medea’s eyes blinked blankly, and she asked falteringly:
“Uh... Since when have you been standing there? Wait, no, before that, how did you pick the lock and break in...?”
“I came in just a moment ago.”
"Just a moment ago" was a lie. It had been nearly twenty minutes since Kang Geomma stepped inside. He simply answered tactfully to spare Medea from embarrassment.
Though the second question is a bit tricky to answer.
Kang Geomma scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“I opened the door... using a trick or two.”
This, too, was bullshit. Kang Geomma had contacted her several times from the front door asking her to unlock it. However, Medea hadn't answered because she was busy wrestling with her twin sister.
Kang Geomma had wondered if something went wrong. Even if he had used his Sashimi knife to put the Archery Saint in his place, what if the man held a grudge? What if he broke his promise in the meantime and issued a massive wanted notice for Meain? Or what if he conceded on the surface but secretly threw a wrench in the gears?
Was the Archery Saint really the kind of man to break just from a little threat? He was a Seven Star Hero, after all. On top of that, his family's glory and standing were immense.
Which means he isn't someone who'd bend completely after a single threat.
Of course, if he had pulled something, he would have paid the price. Out of consideration for Saki Hina, Geomma had let it slide the first time with just a few knife wounds. But there wouldn't be a second time. He would eliminate future troubles cleanly—and unlike the relatively polite first time, in a far more violent fashion.
Either way, it was true that he had been in a bit of a rush, so he had commanded Vixbig to breach all the villa's security barriers.
Still, this is explicitly a crime.
Moreover, explaining everything starting from Vixbig's existence would be a hassle. Detesting long-winded explanations was his pet peeve, so Kang Geomma cut straight to the main point.
“I just came back from speaking with the Archery Saint. I told him to revoke the wanted notice for Lady All-Power. For now, he has accepted the demand.”
Medea’s eyes widened dramatically. That Archery Saint backed down submissively? Knowing the man named Saki Kojima well, it was a story she found hard to believe.
The Archery Saint is the kind of guy who would bite his tongue off before yielding.
And yet... Well, who knew? Maybe Geomma had worked some kind of magic to bring that lunatic to his senses.
After all, not a single issue Geomma got involved in went unresolved. The word "impossible" seemed to be omitted from his dictionary.
The more I look at him, the more Geomma feels like a person sent down by the heavens for humanity.
Ultimately, Medea had progressed past merely trusting Kang Geomma; she practically worshipped him. Enough so that she even believed his claim about "opening the door using a trick or two."
“However, since an official announcement hasn't been posted yet, we'll need to monitor the situation today.”
Kang Geomma stated.
“Until then, we must keep a close eye on Japan's movements. Ah, there's no need to hire anyone separate. I've already hired someone.”
“...You already hired someone?”
Yes. Though it's an artificial intelligence, not a person.
“I left it to someone quite competent and trustworthy. If nothing unusual happens by today, the situation will mostly wrap up there. Then, Lady All-Power can normally participate in the Heaven Class opening ceremony tomorrow.”
Medea swallowed another sigh of awe internally. He is so cautious. His preparations and measures are flawless. He was never lax.
As Medea continued to admire him internally, Kang Geomma went on delivering updates.
“Once the wanted notice is nullified, support and supplies will flow from Japan to the Gehenna Gate. Ah, and additional support for the Heaven Class as well.”
“W-Wait, hold on. You got promises for all that on top of revoking the wanted notice?”
“Yes.”
Kang Geomma nodded impassively. At this, Medea’s legs briefly gave out. She was out of words of admiration.
Just how in the world did he negotiate with him?
Turning misfortune into a blessing. The ability to instantly transform what could have been a crisis into an opportunity. Was that all? His perspective was on a completely different level, like an eagle soaring high in the sky. Kang Geomma was looking at the forest, not just the trees. This was the most crucial virtue of a leader.
They say power shapes the person, but... to reach this point less than three months after ascending as a Seven Star Hero?
Is this even possible unless he's living his second life? Medea, who had been surprised by Kang Geomma countless times before, was once again utterly dumbfounded.
“Woaaah~ Geomma, I knew you were amazing, but I had no idea you were this capable!”
Right then, Meain wriggled out of the duvet. Kang Geomma looked intently at her before speaking up.
“I heard what happened. They said the Archery Saint told Senior, 'Turn Ryozo into an Awakener.'”
Meain answered as she smoothed down her messy hair.
“Yeah, that's right. Honestly, up until he said that, I was just planning to make up some excuses and chase him away, but at that moment, I completely lost my temper.”
“You know that almost caused a national-scale uproar, right?”
“I know.”
Meain shrugged. The next moment, her eyes turned stern.
“But I don't regret what I did. Ryozo isn't just Kojima's daughter—she's a fellow club member and a precious junior to me.”
“……”
Kang Geomma’s eyes narrowed, his pupils half-hidden beneath his brow. His lips twitched as if a sharp rebuke were about to spill out.
However, what came out of his mouth was completely unexpected.
“Good job.”
Praise.
Fluster washed over Meain’s relatively calm face.
“Honestly, until yesterday, I wasn't entirely sure about appointing Senior as the professor in charge of the Heaven Class. Even if you're the Academy Principal's twin sister, I couldn't just trust you unconditionally.”
Thud, thud. Kang Geomma crossed the spacious living room and stopped in front of Meain. A head's height difference separated them, and her field of vision filled completely with his chest.
“But now, I have some faith in you. An attitude where you're willing to go against an entire nation for the sake of a cadet—that is precisely the mindset I want the professor of the Heaven Class to possess.”
Saying so, Kang Geomma extended his hand, offering a handshake.
“Keep acting like this from now on. Maintain that attitude of sparing no effort for the sake of your cadets. It might sound a bit insolent coming to the great Lady All-Power, but I'll have your back, so don't feel intimidated.”
Meain stood dazed, blinking her eyes. Her throat felt ticklish. Suddenly letting out a soft chuckle, she tied her hair up neatly.
“You're a real player, aren't you? A master at that.”
“...A player? What kind of player?”
Kang Geomma tilted his head as if he had no idea what she was talking about. Instead of answering, Meain took his hand.
She couldn't help but admit it. This boy was a creature fatal to women.
* * *
After a day that felt uniquely long, the next morning finally dawned.
I got dressed and left the dormitory. The air was different from the past few days—feeling crisper and lighter. Perhaps thanks to that, my shoulders felt light.
“It's not just my imagination.”
A hum slipped out of my mouth naturally. Puffs of white mist breathed out and dissolved in rhythm with the tune.
That's right. I was currently in a good mood. And for good reason.
Because today is finally the opening day of the Heaven Class.
There had been plenty of friction and trouble in the creation process. These eventful days made me wonder why we had taken such a roundabout path.
Even so, somehow, we reached our destination.
Maybe that was why. The sense of accomplishment and pride felt doubled. For someone like me who rarely felt my heart flutter to be humming a song was proof enough.
On the other hand, a sense of anxiety welled up as well. Now, regardless of canon or original storylines, the political landscape had reached a point of no return.
I had set things in motion, but could I really lead this well? The uncertainty of the future stirred up impatience.
But let's flip the script. What if I knew every bit of the future?
I would have been intoxicated by complacency, wasting time aimlessly.
A variable future gave me stimulation along with anxiety.
It was the influence of uncertainty that kept my nerves sharp and maintained my tension.
Sorting through my thoughts as I walked, before I knew it, I arrived in front of the classroom.
I tilted my head back and looked up at the nameplate. The words engraved in my own handwriting. Perhaps because it lacked neatness, it oozed a distinct sense of humanity instead.
“Real men have terrible handwriting.”
Muttering that, I took a short breath. Then, I opened the door and stepped inside.
Slide.
The gazes of those already seated converged on me. Each wearing their own expression, they looked at me.
Step.
A gathering place bringing together a Hero Candidate, a Hero, an Ancient, and a Demon.
The Heaven Class.
This was the moment I took a step toward the final chapter.