Chapter 72: The Nation's Best Swordsman (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 72: The Nation's Best Swordsman (1)
It was absurd. I groaned inwardly for a long time as I stared at the attached file.
"...Fuck, what is this?"
The information on Kang Geomma—meaning, me—was excessively clean. Everything that should have been there—my place of origin, family relations, my parents' names—had been completely wiped clean.
Every single piece of recorded information started after my admission to the Academy. It was as if I hadn't even existed before then.
In truth, I wasn't originally from this world. That was an undeniable fact, but the point was that I had spent over a year in this world before enrolling.
The parents of this world who had warmly taken me in after I was swallowed by this world one day... After returning from Avallon, I tried to recall their faces, but I couldn't even conjure up a lingering shadow of them in my memory.
'Ha.'
A hollow laugh escaped through my teeth. Even as bewilderment and shock surged within me, my sharp intellect felt like a splash of cold water, keeping me grounded.
My fingertips didn't tremble, nor did cold sweat run down my spine. I simply organized my thoughts, one by one. I excluded unnecessary elements from my mindscape to suppress my emotions.
Had they been erased from my memory? If so, the evidence on my phone screen was too stark a contradiction.
Was it just my delusion? Sure, that was possible, but as always, my perception rejected that hypothesis.
I tilted my chin up and looked at the overcast sky. Heavy clouds drifted as if trying to hide the heavens.
"The two of them were just to help me adjust..."
I didn't bother finishing the sentence. No matter how else I tried to think about it, my thoughts ultimately converged on a single conclusion. I stood there in silence, then suddenly stroked my chest.
Just moments ago, I had been admiring my well-toned body, but now it felt empty inside, hollow. It felt as if a gaping hole had been punched through my solar plexus.
"Fucking bullshit."
I tossed my phone onto the desk. Dwelling on it any longer wouldn't yield any more answers. Besides, with practically nothing written there, there was no point in looking at it further.
But the feeling of being toyed with by someone made something hot surge from deep within. Anger rushed in to fill the void left by my bewilderment.
Fierce veins bulged on the back of my clenched fist. I squeezed so hard that blood began to seep from between my knuckles.
"Whew."
I took a long breath. The blood boiling in my veins gradually cooled down. Next, I opened the notebook I had folded shut.
【God of Sword】
【G.M.】
The two terms I had jotted down immediately after waking up from my dream.
"...Either one of them, or both."
My eyes burned fiercely as I glared at them. I gritted my teeth.
"One day..."
The moment the words left my mouth—
Rumble—!
Ash-gray clouds collided, unleashing a deafening roar of thunder. Instantly, a bolt of lightning violently struck the earth.
Rum
ble
—
CRASH!
The explosion was wilder than usual. Yet, I watched the spectacle without a change in expression. Before I knew it, Murasame was in my hand. I extended my arm and aimed the tip of the blade forward.
The lightning seemed to pause for a moment, only to rage back even harder, shaking the very air. As the ear-splitting roar continued, a few cadets poked their heads out of the windows to watch.
"..."
After burning that sight into my retinas for a long while, I headed to the bathroom to wash up. While showering, one corner of my mouth suddenly curled upward. Even the movement of the lightning didn't seem all that fast.
* * *
Before morning classes, Star Class.
"Sigh..."
A slumped Rachel let out a long, drawn-out sigh. She buried her face in her crossed arms with a sullen expression. Abel was taken aback by this rare sight.
Rachel, whose energy was usually excessively high, was completely deflated. Even her half-closed, heart-shaped pupils were just ordinary circles today. Glancing at her, Abel thought:
'What's wrong with her today? Is she affected by the weather?'
It was an exceptionally gloomy day with frequent lightning. Some cadets in the Star Class had even skipped class for religious reasons, claiming the heavens were angry. Of course, most of it was bullshit.
Abel wasn't particularly close to Rachel. However, since Rachel was the only one in the class who spoke to her in a friendly manner, she couldn't just ignore her.
While Abel hesitated, Rachel, who had her forehead buried in her arms, peeked up just slightly.
"Lady Abel, can I ask you for some advice?"
Her voice was heavy. Abel sensed that something was seriously wrong.
After a moment's thought, Abel adjusted her posture and nodded. Rachel added with half-closed eyes:
"You know, my self-esteem has been at rock bottom lately. Honestly, I don't think I'm half bad, right? I'm confident in my combat skills, my face is pretty enough that boys pester me constantly, and above all, when it comes to my body..."
"...?"
Mid-sentence, Rachel glanced at Abel. Her heart-shaped eyes lingered on Abel's chest for a brief moment before moving away. A bit of life returned to Rachel's previously dull eyes.
Abel blinked in confusion for a second, then felt a surge of indignation. Rachel's curves went beyond mere voluptuousness; they were practically towering mountain peaks.
"R-Rachel, y-you, just now—!"
Without giving her a chance to speak, Rachel mumbled and continued.
"Abel, you know Geomma started a club, right?"
At the sudden mention of Kang Geomma's name, Abel's shoulders flinched violently. Rachel, realizing her slip of the tongue, pursed her lips.
"Ah, right, back then you were busy with the Sword Emperor's situation..."
"Uh, yeah."
In truth, after returning from Avallon, Abel had cried herself to sleep because her grandfather, the Sword Emperor, had returned with severe injuries. Very few people within the Academy knew the details.
Abel didn't bother asking the Sword Emperor what had happened. As his family, she knew well that he wouldn't answer even if she asked. However, it was her grandfather who had brought it up first.
'Abel, I am sorry I cannot tell you the exact details. You will find out in due time. And also why I volunteered to nurse Cadet Kang Geomma.'
Having said that, the Sword Emperor had made his way to the ward where Kang Geomma was hospitalized.
'Kang Geomma.'
A whirlwind of emotions washed over her. However, she no longer harbored even a shred of negative feelings toward Kang Geomma. She also readily accepted her grandfather's devoted care for him.
'I don't know the details, but Geomma must have ended up like that while helping Grandfather.'
Suddenly, the events on Avallon flashed through her mind like a runaway train.
Since returning from the island, a rabbit blanket had replaced Abel's regular duvet—a secret she could never tell anyone.
Abel nodded slightly, a deep blush blooming on her cheeks.
"Abel, did something happen between you and Geomma?!"
Rachel suddenly sat up straight and thrust her face close to Abel's. A spark flared in her heart-shaped eyes. Her growling demeanor was like a wild beast facing a rival for prey.
"N-No! What are you talking about?!"
"Hmm."
Abel waved her hands in denial, her golden eyes shaking wildly. Seeing this, Rachel frowned slightly before letting out a short sigh.
"Right. Well, you're not the type to lie, Abel. I guess I was being a bit too sensitive. Sorry. Besides, you did say before that you didn't have a single speck of interest in Kang Geomma—not even a toenail, fingernail, dust, or cell's worth. Silly me."
"...I never said it to that extent, though?"
"Eh? Then don't tell me you're actually interested in Geomma, Abel?"
"No, why is the conversation even going in that direction?!"
Rachel let out a brief chuckle and swept her hair back. A healthy luster rippled through her blonde hair.
"Well, people's feelings can change at any time. There's no such thing as 'absolute' in human relationships, after all. Anyway, what was I saying again...?"
"You were saying that Geomma started a club."
At Abel's reply, a metaphorical exclamation mark popped up over Rachel's head. They had barely exchanged a few words, but fatigue was already written all over Abel's face.
"Ah, right, right! So, the thing is, as soon as I heard the news, I told Weapon that I wanted to join. But he flatly rejected me."
"Really? Why?"
In response to the question, Rachel shrugged. Abel also tried to shake off a slight pang of disappointment.
"I don't know the exact details, but apparently Geomma said he felt burdened by having Star Class members, so he wouldn't accept them. But if he's saying that, why on earth is the club's advisor the Academy Principal?"
"But Rachel, what does that have to do with your self-esteem dropping?"
"Ah, that."
Rachel leaned deeply back into her chair and spoke again.
"The other day, I happened to pass by Starbox and saw them interviewing for the Travel Club through the window. I still can't forget the look on Geomma's face when he was looking at the new member..."
Abel listened quietly to Rachel's grumbling.
"The corners of Geomma's mouth were practically stretching to his ears. What's so great about some pale girl with glasses? It made me wonder if Geomma's tastes lie in that direction."
"..."
"Well, so I was just venting... Huh? Abel, why is your face like that?"
Having finished her piece, Rachel blinked and looked at Abel.
Her finely arched eyebrows were furrowed, and her brow was knit tight. Her golden eyes were burning with a terrifying intensity.
* * *
The gloomy weather cleared up just as the final class ended. Perhaps because it had just poured, the fishy scent of rain-soaked earth drifted into my nose.
'Seafood does hit the spot in this kind of weather.'
The club members and I walked briskly toward the sushi restaurant.
Chloe, who was particularly fond of seafood, had a light and rapid stride. She forged far ahead, waving her hand to urge us on whenever the gap grew too wide.
'It must be a really good place.'
I didn't know how popular it actually was, but apparently, the wait time exceeded an hour as dinner time approached.
"I don't think I've ever been to a place with a long wait that was actually good."
I clicked my tongue. If there was one thing I took seriously, it was food, so I intended to sharpen my palate and judge every single bite. As we walked, a sudden question crossed my mind, and I tossed a casual remark to Weapon.
"What about Senior Hana?"
"Ah, Senior Hana said she can't eat raw fish. So she said she couldn't make it today."
"Well, nothing we can do about that then."
Being from Busan but unable to eat raw fish, huh?
Well, there are plenty of adults who dislike it because of the slimy texture.
But why do I keep perceiving Senior Hana as an adult?
Is it because she's strangely mature, even though she's only a year older than me?
While chatting about this and that, we soon arrived in front of the sushi restaurant.
The first thing that caught my eye was the sign, which preserved the natural texture of raw wood.
Oh...
There's a saying among merchants:
'A shop's sign is like a first impression on a blind date.'
In that sense, the first impression of this sushi restaurant the members had brought me to was quite decent. It wasn't large, but the neat exterior and the well-swept storefront made it clear that the owner was no amateur.
'But...'
【Korean Sushi】
Four letters proudly written. Sushi is originally a dish from the neighboring country, so how could it be so majestically labeled "Korean"?
Could it be that the common knowledge I had was slightly different here? This place was definitely not Earth, so who knew? Maybe sushi really was a Korean dish here.
Since this was a domestic game made by a domestic developer, anything was possible.
For a second, I was tempted to ask Weapon, but I decided against it. Nothing would raise more red flags than asking about common sense.
Slide.
Chloe, who was leading the way, slid open the wooden door.
"Hai, irasshai—!"
A booming Japanese greeting pierced my ears.
'So sushi is Japanese food in this world too.'
I nodded to myself. But come to think of it, the voice sounded familiar.
"Huh?"
Chloe, who had taken a giant step inside, suddenly shuddered. Without even looking back, she began to backpedal.
Wondering what was going on, I glanced at her and stepped into the restaurant. And soon, I froze in my tracks as well.
The person we faced was also trembling, far beyond mere surprise.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"...!"
Chloe's older brother, Nox Auditore.
He was greeting customers with a bandana tied tightly around his forehead.