Chapter 49: The Eve (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 49: The Eve (2)
Scritch, scritch.
Scritch, scritch, scritch.
“…What are you doing?”
Joo Seo-jun couldn’t focus on the lecture at all. It was his first class since arriving at Gaon, and the person sitting next to him was being far too loud.
The students from Carlos had a different curriculum from Gaon’s. To balance things out, the classes had been temporarily combined.
“Don’t talk to me.”
Yoon Chae-ha, head down and completely absorbed in writing something, answered irritably.
Forgetting the lecture, she wasn’t even taking notes. She was just furiously busy with whatever was on her desk.
It had been the same yesterday. The moment the mentor activities began, she had vanished somewhere.
What in the world is she doing?
Joo Seo-jun leaned slightly to the side, trying to get a look at her desk.
But the instant his gaze shifted—
Glare.
Like a cat hissing with all its fur on end, she quickly covered her book.
She threw her arms over it, even hunching her body protectively, her wariness blatant.
It looked like some kind of book. Joo Seo-jun gave up. The professor’s glares were starting to get sharp.
“Ah.”
Just then, he remembered something he’d forgotten to tell her yesterday.
He spoke in a low voice.
“Keep this Saturday free.”
Yoon Chae-ha replied, her eyes still fixed on her book.
“Why.”
“The Magic Tower is arranging a class for us.”
He had expected his connection to the Magic Tower to be severed when he left Carlos for Gaon. Fortunately, it seemed the Tower thought highly of him and her, and they had promised an additional class. It was a relief for him, too.
In truth, the Magic Tower had already taken note of their potential. For them, keeping talent of this caliber on their side was simply good business.
Joo Seo-jun naturally assumed she would be pleased.
“Hmm…”
But Yoon Chae-ha rested her chin on her hand, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“We don’t have to go, do we?” she asked slowly, tapping her fingers lightly on the desk.
“Well… no, I guess we don’t have to…”
For Yoon Chae-ha, who rarely found interest in anything, the Magic Tower was one of the few places she considered ‘fun.’ He had been sure she’d be happy.
If nothing else, she always responded to the classes and research opportunities the Magic Tower provided.
“I’m not going.”
This time, however, her answer was different.
She turned a page in her book as if it were nothing.
“It doesn’t sound fun.”
Joo Seo-jun looked utterly baffled.
*
Our reward for subjugating Moras.
The award ceremony had ended a few days ago, but there had been no news about the actual prizes. Just when I was starting to wonder when we’d get them, we were finally summoned.
To be honest, this was the only thing I’d been waiting for.
Me, Cheon Yeo-wool, and Yu Hana.
We stood before the armory warehouse run by the Association.
This was where Gaon’s officially owned elixirs, artifacts, and armaments were stored.
The Chairman, who was standing in front, greeted us with a beaming face.
“Well now, please, choose whatever you’d like, students!”
He spread his hands wide with his signature warm smile.
“Thanks to all of you, Gaon was able to avoid any greater damage. Hahaha!”
He wasn’t wrong.
If the three of us hadn’t been there, the school would have been turned upside down.
“You may each choose one item you desire.”
The Chairman approached me, gave a little wink, and patted my shoulder a couple of times.
So creepy…
It was all showmanship.
This was the same man who had most vehemently opposed my admission, claiming that someone from the Officer Academy would “muddy the waters.” Now he was parading me around as the pride of the school.
“Well then, I shall open it.”
At his words, an Association employee approached a terminal.
The Chairman placed his palm on a scanner next to the massive door—
Krrrr-rumble.
The great warehouse door slowly slid open.
And the incredible sight contained within came into view.
The interior of the warehouse was even larger than I’d expected.
Not bad, actually.
Elixirs, artifacts, various weapons. Gaon’s warehouse was impressive in both quality and quantity. It was a collection amassed by Gaon’s founder, who had been a famous collector in his lifetime.
I figured that no matter what we picked, it would be at least decent, but…
First, let’s see what they choose.
I already had a plan for what I was going to take. I’d been debating it, but yesterday sealed my decision.
First, I’d watch what Cheon Yeo-wool and Yu Hana picked.
If their choices were bad, I figured it would be best to persuade or recommend something else.
I was going to clean this place out.
So, I hung back and watched quietly.
“Feel free to choose!” the Chairman said.
But I couldn’t help but smile.
Well, look at this.
I hadn’t noticed at a glance, but now that I was looking closely, I could see it.
On the surface, everything looked pretty good. Impressive, even.
But it turned out the truly good and truly impressive items were cleverly hidden within the piles.
It was as if someone had deliberately concealed the best goods.
Yu Hana was the first to move, heading straight for the armaments.
She reached deep into a pile and pulled out what looked like a light bracer, a type of wrist guard.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary cloth guard.
Nice one.
But I knew what that guard really was.
Not bad. No, to be precise, it was an excellent choice. I glanced at the Chairman out of the corner of my eye.
He was pretending to maintain his composure, but I didn't miss the way he flinched the moment she picked up the bracer.
Yu Hana came over, holding the bracer, and immediately strapped it to her wrist.
She rotated her wrist this way and that, then asked me, “What do you think?”
It’s great.
What she had chosen was an artifact crafted from the sinew of a Titan, one of the Greek god-kin. It wasn't made with Earth's technology; it must have come from a dungeon.
It would aid her strength development and help with her overall training. It would be a huge boon for the Butterfly Sword Dance she was practicing.
“Not bad.”
A good choice.
I nodded.
She smiled and turned back to the Chairman.
“I’ll take this one,” she told him.
“…Ah, yes…”
The Chairman seemed momentarily flustered.
But he quickly composed himself and immediately began recommending other gear.
“But Student Hana, what about that suit of armor over there? It has excellent magic resistance, and its protective capabilities are…”
He pointed to a magnificent suit of armor engraved with ornate decorations. It looked incredible on the outside. In reality, it was all style and no substance.
“…”
She glanced at the armor, then turned her head to meet my eyes, as if to ask, ‘What do you think?’
I gave a subtle shake of my head. That one’s no good.
“It’s okay, I’ll stick with this.”
“…As you wish.”
The Chairman had no choice but to agree, a sour look on his face.
Next up was Cheon Yeo-wool.
She let out a small yawn, covering her mouth with her palm as she moved toward the pile of artifacts.
She went straight to the section where holy-type treasures were gathered.
She reached her hand deep into the pile of artifacts. After waving her hand around a few times as if searching for something, she pulled it back out.
“!!”
The Chairman, standing beside her, practically had a seizure. What she had picked up was a ring with a red jewel set in a silver band.
Holy crap.
Aurora’s Heart.
I never expected to see it here. That thing was seriously good.
Saints, who had to use both mana and holy power, were prone to developing an imbalance.
That ring corrected the balance perfectly, ensuring neither power overwhelmed the other.
But then, she picked up another vial.
No.
That one was… crap. Seriously crap. It might be useful for a mage, a one-time-use elixir that temporarily boosted mana. But for Cheon Yeo-wool, it was completely useless.
She came straight toward us, holding the elixir and the ring.
Then she asked me, “Which one looks better?”
For me, it was like being asked to choose between gold and a rock.
“Oh, that elixir looks incredibly potent!”
The Chairman desperately tried to talk up the elixir’s benefits.
I silently pointed to the ring in her left hand.
Cheon Yeo-wool stared at me for a moment.
Then, without a second thought, she tossed the elixir in her right hand behind her.
Thud.
The elixir rolled uselessly across the floor.
In contrast, the ring on her palm emitted a faint, red glow.
“Hae-in, could you put this on…”
Just as she started to offer the back of her hand.
“Perfect, Mr. Chairman? Would you mind putting the ring on her?”
Yu Hana cut in.
In that instant.
Cheon Yeo-wool’s hand froze.
She picked up the ring and slid it right onto her middle finger. Then, she immediately stuck that same middle finger straight out at Yu Hana.
Yu Hana tilted her head, looking at Cheon Yeo-wool with admiration.
“So pretty~”
Cheon Yeo-wool said with a smile.
“Thanks~”
But she showed no intention of lowering her middle finger.
Leaving the icy atmosphere behind me, I stepped forward.
Both Yu Hana and Cheon Yeo-wool had acquired the perfect artifacts for themselves.
Now, it was my turn.
I walked toward a more remote, shabby-looking corner.
There, a steel halberd stood leaning against the wall.
A sharp crescent moon blade and a straight shaft.
I crouched down to get a closer look.
The surrounding weapons and treasures showed the marks of time. But this steel halberd alone had retained its original form.
I slowly approached and gently placed a hand on it.
“!”
Instantly, the surrounding temperature plummeted. And yet, not a speck of frost formed on the halberd.
That was all the confirmation I needed.
"I'll take this."
The being that descended upon this land 20 years ago. A Civilization Termination Beast.
The fang of the Monstrous Dragon Aldebaran.
‘Catastrophe.’
This was the weapon I had been searching for.