Chapter 93: Final Exams (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 93: Final Exams (3)
Emerging from the completely faded Vast Forest, a vast wilderness immediately stretched out before us.
The bleak, grayish-white landscape was just as desolate as the forest we had just left.
Even so, I felt like I could finally breathe. There was a certain refreshment in having an open, unobstructed view.
"Haa, hah! We're finally out of that crazy forest!"
"I know... Thank goodness."
Rachel and Senior Hana's faces brightened considerably, looking like passengers stepping off a boat after a long bout of seasickness. I, too, let out a sigh of relief.
That's one hurdle cleared.
I took a deep breath. Air thick with magic power filled my lungs. Unlike the stinging sensation I felt at first, it didn't bother me at all now.
I was building up a tolerance so quickly it surprised even me. Was it because my name had the character for 'demon' (魔) in it?
Back then, I had only found the name embarrassing, but now I seemed to be benefiting from it. If not that, then perhaps Kang Geomma possessed a unique constitution. Though, the latter seemed less likely.
Suddenly, I thought of my parents in this world, the ones who had named me Kang Geomma. I remembered my father, who had heartily congratulated me with a wide, toothy grin.
—"Bwahaha! Geomma, you are the pride of our Seori Kang Clan! As expected, a good name brings good fortune. I'm proud of you, my son!"
They were faces I no longer truly remembered. Yet, a faint, nostalgic longing lingered deep in my chest like a low-lying mist.
I scrunched up my nose. I could uncover those details later. For now, I needed to focus on getting through the current situation.
I turned my head. Choi Seol-ah was sniffing the air, detecting magic power. She had the body of a human, but her behavior was exactly like a dog's.
Feeling my gaze, Choi Seol-ah scratched her cheek in embarrassment. Shrinking back, she hesitantly approached. She whispered softly, as if afraid someone might overhear.
"...I feel dense magic power to the northwest, Geomma-nim. If we walk in that direction for about ten minutes, I think we'll reach the first checkpoint...!"
Choi Seol-ah pointed straight in that direction with her index finger. She was doing her job much better than expected. I stared at her for a moment before nodding.
"Good job."
"Hehe, thanksh."
Even at my incredibly cold words, Choi Seol-ah scratched her head bashfully. Her reaction was exactly like a pet dog that had just fetched a frisbee thrown by its owner.
Since Choi Seol-ah had lived as a subordinate of the 5th Corps Commander, her passive attitude was somewhat understandable. However, I obviously didn't let my guard down.
Though she was acting humble and bowing down now, villains were the type of people who would stab you in the back at any moment. They had no reason to kill, nor did they hesitate to do so.
Even now, she was probably wagging her tail while harboring a deep grudge against me.
Still, thanks to her, we didn't get lost in the forest.
I raised my eyes and looked out over the plains. Even though we were indoors, the horizon stretched far into the distance. I wondered if the magic power undulating on the ground was interfering with space and expanding it. Or maybe not.
...Something feels off.
As I stared at the horizon, a sense of unease began to bloom.
If I had my sashimi knife on me, I could fully utilize my sensory zone, but for now, I had to rely on my natural instincts.
"Hey, Geomma."
As I was gathering my thoughts, Senior Hana quietly approached.
"Yeah, Senior."
"...Well, no matter how I look at it, Rachel doesn't look so good. Can we take a short break? We found the way faster than expected, and there's still thirty minutes left before the time limit. Why don't you go and ask her?"
I glanced over at Rachel.
She was sweating profusely and breathing heavily. She was struggling far more than the rest of us.
A newspaper article I had skimmed through in my past life came to mind.
A bit of trivia stating that, ironically, healthier people were more vulnerable to pathogens.
I think it said that because their metabolism is active, the pathogens multiply faster.
Is magic power like a virus to humans?
If that hypothesis was correct, it made sense why Rachel was breathing so raggedly. As far as I knew, there was no cadet in the Academy healthier than her.
I thanked Senior Hana and stepped closer to Rachel. As I approached, Rachel forced a smile even as she took long, ragged breaths.
"Haa, haa. Sorry, sorry. I finally got to be the group leader, and it's kind of embarrassing to show such a pathetic side of myself right in front of you, Geomma."
Rachel tried to put some strength into her fading voice. She quickened her pace, acting as if this was no big deal.
"..."
I had forgotten, but Rachel was the group leader. Perhaps that was why her staggering steps were heavy with a sense of responsibility.
Although her usual behavior was rather bitchy, she was still a proper hero who inherited the lineage of the Spear Saint. Furthermore, she was one of the main heroines who would stand against the demons alongside the warrior, Leon.
Even if it was in the future, the mission and duty of representing humanity rested on her shoulders. Whether she wanted it or not.
In that sense, Rachel is pretty amazing.
Putting one's life on the line to fight for the nameless masses was something worthy of respect. Though right now, she had absolutely no such awareness and was only acting as my migraine trigger...
Still, seeing her panting like that was pitiful. If she suddenly fainted, I might have to carry her on my back for the rest of the exam. I didn't have the confidence to handle Rachel's solid weight.
"Wait, Rachel."
"Y-yes?"
I grabbed her arm. Rachel flinched in surprise.
Her firm biceps twitched in my grip.
"Let's take a short break here."
Flustered, Rachel stammered, which was unlike her. Her heart-shaped eyes grew round. Even if I couldn't treat her warmly, I could at least suggest a short break. After all, we were in the same group.
"We're almost there anyway. So I think we can afford to rest for about ten minutes."
"...How do you know we're almost there, Geomma?"
Rachel stared at me with a puzzled look. My explanation was far too lacking.
But I couldn't exactly tell her that I was secretly using Choi Seol-ah as a magic-detecting dog.
I had to gloss over it. Scratching my eyebrow, I replied.
"I have good instincts, you know. I was the first to notice the Majin appearance during the midterm exam, too."
"Well, that's true."
"And so what if we're a bit late?"
"Huh?"
"Even if we get disqualified, it's not like we'll fail immediately. We can just do well on the next exam. Don't put too much pressure on yourself just because you're the group leader."
"..."
Even if we failed the final exam, it wasn't more important than Rachel's well-being.
In any case, she was destined to become a great hero, the right hand of the warrior Leon.
If she got hurt in some random place, there was no telling how far the butterfly effect would reach.
"Rachel, I'm saying this because not only you, but Senior Hana also looks tired. It's your call as the group leader, but I vote for a break. Right, Senior Hana?"
When I asked, Senior Hana silently gave an OK sign. I looked back. Rachel looked back and forth between Senior and me. Eventually, keeping her eyes on the ground, she gave a small nod.
"...Then just three minutes."
"What is this, instant curry? When you're feeling sick, you need to rest properly. How about ten minutes?"
Rachel raised her head. Her eyes were red.
Was it because I mentioned curry to a blonde? She had reacted violently earlier when Choi Seol-ah teased her by calling her pickled radish.
Rachel parted her lips, then let out a chuckle. It was her usual bright, healthy laugh.
Soon after, she wiped her eyes and shouted vigorously.
"Alright! Ten minutes, let's go~!"
I smiled faintly to myself.
Now that's more like Rachel.
Only then did Senior Hana plop down. I also sat down on a gray tree stump.
As I sat there blankly, Choi Seol-ah stealthily squatted down next to me. I thought about shooing her away, but she was faster at sitting down.
Choi Seol-ah pulled her knees up tight, as if trying to block out any sound, and whispered.
"...Um, Geomma-nim, I have something to tell you."
At some point, Choi Seol-ah had started using extreme honorifics.
She stayed quiet, as if waiting for permission to speak. I asked suspiciously.
"What is it?"
"...Well."
Choi Seol-ah organized her thoughts for a moment before speaking.
"Geomma-nim, your skills at picking up girls are really no joke! Respect!"
"..."
Choi Seol-ah's purple eyes sparkled, as if she was hoping for praise.
Since her humanity had been degraded, I didn't know what she meant by that, but to me, it sounded like sarcasm. My expression hardened coldly.
"If you're going to live in Korea, go relearn how to speak first."
Choi Seol-ah buried her face in her knees, looking somewhat shocked. Her hands wrapping around her shins trembled.
"...I-I'm sorry. P-please spare me."
"..."
...How has Choi Seol-ah not been expelled from the Academy yet?
* * *
After a short break, we started moving again.
The barren wilderness stretched out long. There wasn't even a hint of life.
Even looking around, we couldn't see any other groups besides ours. Since the exam included both first and second years, there should have been many, but it seemed quite a few had dropped out midway.
We would have been disqualified long ago if not for her.
Choi Seol-ah implicitly stuck close to my side and pointed out the direction. Even in such a harsh terrain, all we needed was a human GPS.
...But come to think of it, what happens to the groups that forfeit midway? We have Choi Seol-ah, but other groups wouldn't. Suddenly curious, I asked as we walked.
"Hey, how do the groups that drop out of the exam get back?"
"Ah, about that. Hold on, let's see... it should be here."
Choi Seol-ah didn't care about my annoyance.
She reached her hand into her subspace pocket, rummaged around for something, and soon pulled out a small box.
A pitch-black box about the size of a palm. It was something I had never seen even during my days as a gamer.
"...What is this?"
"This is a magic power pager! If you open the lid like this, ta-da!"
Choi Seol-ah proudly flipped open the top lid of the box. A retro red button, the kind you'd see in an arcade from the eighties, was embedded right in the center.
"See this button? If you press this, the holder's location will pop up on the screen in the administration office."
"Even from the Special Pavilion? How?"
"...Uh, I don't really know the principle behind it either. It was made by the Hero Association's research lab and distributed to the Academy for educational purposes... Word has it that they degraded one of the artifacts to make it. Oh, by the way, this subspace shoulder bag was also provided in large quantities to the faculty by the Association!"
Choi Seol-ah lifted the shoulder bag with her index finger, showing it off. She looked proud, as if she had invented it herself.
I completely ignored her and examined the black box and the bag. Choi Seol-ah pouted and grumbled quietly.
"...I explained it so hard, you could have at least given me a word of praise..."
"..."
I thought about saying something, but decided to look away.
The Association is already making things like this?
Artifacts.
Relics made in the mythological era when magic and blessings were not distinguished. Items with unknown power inherent in them, their value could not be measured in money. It was said that less than ten remained in the modern era.
A world heritage that made several S-rank Armaments, which were treated as national treasures, look like 'nothing'.
That was why a single nation possessing one was a violation of international law, and their handling and management were done by the international organization, the Hero Association.
To put it simply, it was to maintain the balance between nations.
Developing and distributing a degraded version of one of them...
Somehow, ominous questions arose rather than positive outlooks. Because I had no information about this part. I figured this part would probably be revealed around the latter half of the main story.
But is this expensive? Even if it's a supply item, its origin is an artifact. I bet it would sell for a pretty penny.
As I licked my lips, Choi Seol-ah noticed and flinched in surprise. She quickly hid it behind her back.
I frowned. Then, she put on teary eyes and said.
"N-no, not this. The industrial accident insurance is registered under the holder's name, so if I lose it, I have to pay for it."
Her voice was sorrowful. Even though she had sold her humanity to a demon, she was pretending to be pitiful.
It was absurd to hear her babble about industrial accident insurance, low pay, and squeezing blood from a stone.
For a villain, she sure lived while meticulously taking care of those things. It was fucking ridiculous.
And was I some kind of robber? Although my clan was 'Seori Kang'—which sounded a bit like pilfering—I was just eyeing it. While Choi Seol-ah was pouring out the sorrows of a salary earner like that.
"I-I found it! The first checkpoint!"
Rachel, who was walking at the very front, shouted.