Chapter 30: The Female Knight's Counterattack (3)
Chapter 30: The Female Knight's Counterattack (3)
The three of them sat around the table to eat the breakfast Kang Yujin had prepared.
Han Shin sat in the center, flanked by Kang Yujin and Grace on either side.
At the moment, Han Shin was eating mechanically, his hands moving almost unconsciously. His mind was busy replaying the swordsmanship techniques Grace had taught him earlier.
Grace had expected this, as one of the pieces of advice she’d given him was to mentally review the techniques whenever he had a spare moment in his daily life. Seeing Han Shin follow her instructions so diligently brought a natural smile to her face.
Even though Kang Yujin didn't know the specifics, she could tell Han Shin wasn't just daydreaming about something useless; he was deep in thought.
As he reflected on the movements, a question occurred to him, and he immediately turned to Grace.
Grace answered the simple questions on the spot. However, for the points that required a physical demonstration or repeated practice, she realized they couldn't do them right then and there.
"Han Shin-nim, I think it would be best if we headed to the Sanctuary again this afternoon for more training."
"Ah... right. Let's do that."
Han Shin immediately understood her intent and agreed.
"Shin, you're really working hard learning from Grace, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I have to. I'm still lacking in so many ways... Oh? Wait, Noona, are you on casual terms with Grace now?"
Until yesterday, they had addressed each other formally in front of him. Hearing Kang Yujin call Grace so familiarly naturally piqued his curiosity.
Yujin winced inwardly.
The moment Han Shin had gone to bed the night before, she and Grace had dropped the act and abandoned all formalities while bickering. The problem was, they couldn't exactly carry on that sharp-tongued fighting in front of him.
In that split second, Kang Yujin and Grace locked eyes.
They reached a silent agreement in an instant.
"Oh... well, since we're going to be seeing a lot of each other because of you, Shin, we decided to just speak comfortably. Hehe~."
"Yes, that is what we decided."
"That's good. I think that's better, actually."
Completely unaware of what had transpired while he was asleep, Han Shin felt relieved that a situation he’d been worried about had been resolved.
Strictly speaking, as a follower of Tiamat, Grace was currently his subordinate. He could have easily given her orders, but Han Shin was well aware of his own shortcomings. Since Grace served him loyally without ever looking down on him, he didn't want to just boss her around.
Furthermore, while Kang Yujin was his Noona, she was an outsider to Grace. It was awkward to have Grace treat her with the same high level of respect as him, yet it also felt wrong for Grace to be treated as a subordinate by her.
Han Shin had been agonizing over how to handle the dynamic between the two women, unable to find a clear answer. Hearing that they had decided to drop formalities on their own felt like a weight off his shoulders.
His relief was written all over his face, and both Kang Yujin and Grace felt they had handled the sudden situation well.
Phew... thank goodness. Well... I guess I should be grateful this time...
Yujin felt a spark of gratitude toward Grace for playing along so smoothly without even needing a hint.
However, even in her thoughts, Yujin sounded a bit blunt. Since they were rivals fighting over Han Shin, being purely grateful felt like losing for some reason.
Unlike Yujin, Grace maintained an air of total indifference. She continued to chew her food steadily before picking up a piece of braised beef and placing it on Han Shin’s plate.
"Han Shin-nim. You pushed your body hard earlier, so you must eat plenty of meat."
"I think you're right. Thanks, Grace."
Han Shin appreciated her kindness and began munching on the beef she gave him.
Watching this scene unfold right under her nose, Kang Yujin’s blood began to boil.
I'm the one who cooked this for Shin...
Since she had spent her first night with Han Shin yesterday, Yujin had busied herself preparing a fresh feast the moment he and Grace left for training, wanting to make sure he was well-nourished.
The table was covered in various new meat dishes, and the careful plating alone showed how much effort and heart she had poured into the meal.
However, Han Shin was so exhausted from the intense training and so preoccupied with reviewing the techniques that he hadn't noticed. To Yujin, it felt like Grace was just swooping in to take the credit for her hard work.
"Shin, try this too. Noona made this fresh."
"Oh. Thanks, Noona. Now that I look, you really made a lot of new things."
"Yeah. I put a lot of thought into it."
Belatedly realizing the abundance of new dishes, Han Shin could guess why she had gone to such lengths. His mind flashed back to the passionate first night they had shared.
Stay calm...
He feared that if he let his imagination run wild, he’d end up with an embarrassing erection right there at the table. He forced himself to calm down and think of something else.
While Han Shin struggled with his thoughts, Grace and Yujin exchanged glances. Unlike before, their eyes were now tinged with hostility. As rivals competing for Han Shin, every action that could score points with him was vital.
"Han Shin-nim, this as well..."
"Shin, I think this turned out really well today. Have some more."
The two women took turns piling side dishes onto his plate... and as a result, Han Shin ended up stuffing himself until he was about to burst.
The competition only ended when...
"Ugh... I can't eat another bite, Noona."
After finishing the last piece Grace gave him, he apologetically declined Yujin’s next offering.
At that moment, their fortunes diverged.
Grace, knowing she was technically behind since Yujin had already slept with Han Shin, allowed a small smile to form at her minor victory.
Yujin was slightly irritated by Grace's reaction, but she kept her expression neutral in front of Han Shin. She still didn't realize that Grace knew about their night together.
Hmph... just wait until I tell her how much closer Shin and I have become.
Vowing to get her revenge when she was alone with Grace later that evening, Yujin forced a smile.
Fortunately for Han Shin, breakfast concluded without any further incidents.
★ ★ ★
After a brief rest following breakfast, Han Shin and Grace immediately prepared to enter a dungeon.
Han Shin pulled out his smartphone and opened the Manager App to scan for any nearby portals.
Huh..? This is a feature that wasn't here yesterday.
Han Shin noticed a slight change in the Manager App. It now displayed how many Awakeners were currently inside the surrounding portals.
Previously, he had lacked this information and had to specifically target newly spawned portals to avoid running into other Awakeners.
Now I can just jump into any empty portal I see.
In a way, Han Shin was an unlicensed Awakener, and encountering others could lead to significant trouble. He was essentially bypassing the framework established by the Association, clearing dungeons and removing them before clans could extract any profit.
Unbeknownst to Han Shin, the Association and the various clans who felt their portals were being "stolen" were currently baffled by the situation, investigating behind the scenes to find the culprit. In the early days of portals, the only goal was to clear them, but now they were treated like gold mines where profit was the priority.
Grace stood beside Han Shin, watching him operate the app. She noticed that all the nearby F-Rank portals were currently occupied.
"Han Shin-nim, I think it would be better to try a stronger dungeon today."
Since there were no suitable F-Rank dungeons, Han Shin decided to follow Grace's suggestion.
Spotting an E-Rank portal that had just appeared, Han Shin didn't hesitate. He tapped the screen, and they initiated the dungeon entry.
Watching the two of them vanish into light, Kang Yujin was once again slightly amazed by the unprecedented abilities Han Shin displayed through his contract with the god Tiamat.
She had only been an Awakener for two years herself, but as an S-Rank, she had seen and heard a great deal. In her experience, no one possessed the ability to move directly to a portal like that, nor did any such artifact exist. It was a power unique to Han Shin.
Though she didn't like Grace, Yujin recognized her undeniable strength and felt certain that Han Shin would return safely.
Ah... I shouldn't just be standing here. I need to get the laundry started.
Realizing that Grace was finally out of the house, Yujin remembered she needed to wash the bedsheets, blankets, and clothes that were covered in the "traces" of her and Han Shin's night together. She hurried to start the washing machine.
Not only that, but because she had gone all out for breakfast, the kitchen was piled high with cookware and dishes that needed cleaning.
But Yujin didn't mind at all.
In fact, she felt a strange sense of happiness, as if she were a young bride taking care of the housework after sending her husband off to work.
Humming a song she’d heard somewhere, she used her psychokinetic powers to lift the remaining laundry and toss it into the machine. She then turned her attention to the mountain of dishes, using her psychokinesis to wash them all with effortless speed.