What They Mean by Academy
There was this feeling.
The kind where you hadn’t done a single thing wrong, yet somehow the whole room was blaming you anyway. It was the exact same flavor of misery I’d tasted as a private in my previous life’s military, and tasting it again now was pure hell.
The first culprit was Kang So-seon, who’d been radiating a frosty atmosphere for a while now. The second was the woman sitting pressed right up against my side, smiling as sweetly as if nothing in the world could possibly be wrong.
She could have just left it alone. Instead, deciding the heavy mood looked “fun,” she casually invited Kang So-seon to take a seat. The vibe was pure first wife magnanimously overlooking her husband’s little affair.
Sit if you can, the invitation seemed to say—an arrogant challenge from the one who already owned the territory. So-seon hesitated, glancing back and forth between me and the woman clinging to my side, then bit her lip and sat down.
Clack.
As if her master pulling stunts like this was nothing new, a servant moved with practiced ease to prepare tea and refreshments. I could only sigh.
What the hell kind of circus was this? I had zero interest, yet the two of them were going at it like cats in a bag. I couldn’t make sense of it.
In the first place, Kang So-seon was the one acting like some discarded heroine, so of course this woman was having a blast.
When I glared pure curses at her with my eyes, she put on a performance like she was gazing at a lover dripping with honey. The trembling that had been running through So-seon—who’d sat down but was still fidgeting with nerves—stopped dead. Then those burning eyes locked onto my skin as if she meant to bore a hole straight through it.
Fuck.
I was already short on time to clear up the misunderstanding, and now she was pouring gasoline on it. The woman snickered where So-seon couldn’t see, gave my body a light poke, and lifted her teacup for a sip.
The moment she tapped me, I felt something connect from that exact spot.
It was like the telepathy I’d experienced before—awkward and alien compared to the Hive’s version, but good enough. The instant I decided to send a message, the words formed in my mind.
[You said you had the perception interference on.]
[I did, yes. But a certain someone suddenly decided to clean himself up, and his presence spiked so high a gap opened. That lady over there caught it, and then the same someone went and spoke to her first—so the interference shattered.]
Bullshit. She’d deliberately loosened it because it looked entertaining.
I didn’t send another message, but she smiled faintly the same instant the thought crossed my mind. From the side it might have looked like she was smiling because the tea was delicious; in reality she was just amused watching me chew through a string of curses.
“So then…”
Clack.
She deliberately set the teacup down with a clear sound and opened the conversation.
“What exactly is your relationship with this man?”
“…I am Hubae-nim’s—”
Kang So-seon cut herself off mid-sentence. Her lips kept twitching as if she were carefully choosing words—or as if the words simply refused to come out. Then she looked at me like she wanted me to supply the answer.
Looking at me now? What the hell was I supposed to do? If I stepped in, it would look like I was defending So-seon. Then this woman would happily dive in and turn the place into a miniature bloodbath.
She could pull this kind of crazy stunt only because she was certain I wouldn’t leave her side over something this small.
Burning someone’s social connections for a single moment of entertainment? Absolute lunatic.
“…Ah.”
When I stayed completely indifferent, So-seon’s shoulders drooped a little, as if her spirit had deflated. The woman beside me, apparently pleased, pressed even closer and narrowed the distance between us.
Judging by that reaction alone, you’d think the two of us had been flirting for months. In reality we’d only cleared one dungeon run together. Why she was this obsessed with me was still a mystery.
“…I am Kang So-seon, currently enrolled in Class S of the second year at Sunrise Academy, where Hubae-nim attends. We happened to form a connection and got to know each other. I currently hold the position of Student Council Vice President.”
The dejected look lasted only a moment. After a deep breath she returned to her earnest self, finished her introduction, and looked at both of us with renewed resolve.
“Ahh, from the Academy… I see.”
Apparently that bold attitude pleased her; the woman’s smile deepened. She laid a hand on my body as if showing me off and spoke.
“Thank you for looking after my husband.”
“…Hu-husband…?”
My brow furrowed hard. I slapped the hand touching me away. So-seon’s pupils were shaking wildly as she stared at me, like she’d just heard the end of the world.
I was going to lose it. I’d been trying to play along within reason, but this crossed the line.
“Husband, my ass. We’re complete strangers—don’t overstep.”
“Oh come on. If you’re loving fiancés, you’re basically already married.”
“People who casually invent things like that are usually called ‘delusional.’”
“…Tch.”
She clicked her tongue and rubbed her hand as if it actually hurt. So-seon, who had looked ready to stand up any second, sank back into her seat like all the strength had drained out of her.
“Um… then the two of you are…?”
“People who l—”
“—are connected through work.”
I clamped a hand over the woman’s mouth before she could finish the lie without a shred of hesitation and answered in her place. Even after the correction, So-seon’s gaze still looked unsatisfied. I returned a thoroughly unimpressed look.
Why the hell was I the one having to explain myself in detail like I was making excuses? This was ridiculous. Seriously.
“Um… how should I address…?”
At that I removed my hand and looked at the woman. She had plenty of names—public ones, epithet-style ones, even names known only to those bound to her by contract.
“Hmm… please call me Lee Se-rin. Family name Lee, given name Se-rin.”
The request seemed aimed at me as much as at So-seon. After a brief moment of thought she had apparently decided on one of her public names. I would match her, then.
“Lee Se-rin… Se-rin-ssi, then. I expect we’ll be seeing each other often, so I look forward to working with you.”
“Ahaha, you’re quite the bold one, aren’t you?”
At So-seon’s words the woman—Lee Se-rin—lightly fanned her mouth with one hand. She was smiling, but her narrowed eyes weren’t smiling at all. The expression was pure interest at having found something entertaining.
[…I’m a little hurt. You already have a pretty, outstanding girlfriend like me, yet you’re out seducing a girl like that. What exactly did you do? Don’t tell me you already confessed? Hmph!]
The barbed words coming through the link made my brow twitch, but I answered anyway.
[How many times do I have to say it—I’m not your boyfriend. And I want to know even more than you why she’s acting like this. Seriously.]
At my not-quite-excuse, Se-rin hummed thoughtfully. I sprawled in a deliberately slanted posture, wanting nothing more to do with any of this, while So-seon continued sending burning looks at Se-rin.
The expression looked exactly like a hot-blooded shonen manga character thinking, I will never give up…! It was genuinely awkward to watch.
No matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t read her mind. Objectively speaking, even I knew I wasn’t much of a catch. Why she was this determined to stick to me was beyond me.
Apparently So-seon’s feelings were more serious than expected; Se-rin’s playful mood cooled a notch. Her voice turned a shade more curt as she clung tightly to my arm.
It looked like a child sulking over a toy she didn’t want taken away, yet the pressure on my arm carried the weight of someone who would not accept refusal.
My body went stiff as if under a petrification curse. I glared at Se-rin like I was thoroughly fed up, but she simply looked away as if it were none of her business.
Then, once more wearing that leisurely smile, she let the words slip.
“…Well, I’ll take my leave for today. From here on out it’s date time, after all.”
“…! A d-date…”
So-seon’s face filled with shock. She looked at me with a bitter expression she couldn’t quite hide, the very picture of a tragic heroine. Why she was making that face was still a complete mystery to me.
“Let’s go. The day is short.”
“Ah…!”
Exactly as Se-rin intended, my body rose from the seat. After that the control returned to me as if to say “do as you like,” but the fact that I hadn’t been able to move freely even for a moment still pissed me off.
Still, I had to do what needed doing. I gave a short bow to So-seon, who looked ready to burst into tears if I so much as poked her.
“Excuse me, Sunbae-nim.”
Don’t worry about me. Go cling to that protagonist way over there instead—you’ll get a lot more love that way. Objectively or subjectively, people who get tangled up with trash like me rarely end well.
“…H-have a good weekend too, Hubae-nim. And next time… please don’t pretend you don’t know me. Okay…?”
The slight tremor at the end of her words told me that the time I’d ignored her before had stuck with her more than I’d thought. While I was still debating whether to give a clear answer, my head nodded slightly against my will. The culprit needed no guessing—it was Se-rin.
Taking the nod as agreement, So-seon smiled in deep relief. I couldn’t bear to look at that pure smile and turned my head away—only to glare at Se-rin, who was watching me with a sly grin from behind.
“Do that one more time and I really won’t let it slide.”
“Then who told you to go seducing other women in the middle of our date?”
“You little—haah…”
I barely managed to swallow the vicious curse that almost escaped. Wipe that smile off your face before you say crap like that. I hadn’t even wanted any of this, yet I was getting treated like this. It was so absurd and frustrating I could lose my mind.
“…Where are we going?”
“Hmm, at first I was thinking of an amusement park, but I changed my mind.”
She crumpled a theme-park pamphlet she somehow already had and tossed it into the trash. A servant who had approached without a sound handed her a device; she took it and began tapping away.
“This place looks good.”
Se-rin shared the screen with me.
“Floating Castle of the Ruined Sky?”
It was a designated C-rank dungeon.
Its special feature was the floating stones that rose into the air, gathered together like a massive castle. Because of that terrain, every monster that appeared was a flying type. True to its C-rank name, the terrain itself was treacherous, making it infamous among outdoor dungeons as a hard-to-sell stock.
According to the footnotes and reviews below, anyone slow-moving or heavy could easily misstep on a floating stone and plummet into the endless sky. A cautionary warning advised packing wire and hook launchers in advance if you planned to challenge it.
There were also records that dungeon escape items could still be used while in mid-air, so even if you made a mistake you could keep your life as long as you didn’t panic and used the item.
Because of those quirks, many opinions held that while it was C-rank, the actual difficulty was closer to B-rank.
But that was only for ordinary cases. For me it wasn’t bad at all. More accurately, thanks to Kallion’s recent evolution into a dragon, it was perfect.
Bad terrain? Then just fight in the air.
In fact, the standard clear methods for this dungeon were either using the Levitation spell that let you float, or magical tools that created footholds in empty space.
Both consumed enormous amounts of mana just to activate and maintain, so mages often couldn’t contribute much once the actual monster fighting started.
Or so the information she’d handed me said.
No—that was important, but it wasn’t the immediate problem.
“We’re going to a dungeon? Just like that?”
“Doctor, you prefer this over enjoying some bittersweet youth, don’t you?”
“…Well, yeah.”
When someone suddenly starts being nice, you get wary instead, right? That was exactly how I felt right now. As expected, none of the strong ones had normal heads. I gave up trying to understand her unreadable heart.
Fine. Good is good. Worry later.
Clothes… ah, I’d be wrapping myself in shadow anyway, so no need. Worrying about this woman’s safety was the most pointless thing in the world; I just had to take care of myself.
My temporary access pass had already expired. I’d been wondering when to raise my job level to 15, and this was perfect timing.
Being used left a slightly sour taste, but since the result benefited me, whatever. Come to think of it, instead of going to an amusement park and dealing with all that nonsense, we were going to a dungeon.
“Let’s hurry.”
I had to move before this reed-like woman’s mood changed again. The distance to the dungeon… ah, pretty far. Still fine. That was only if you used ordinary transportation. Riding Kallion, it would be quick.
“Doctor. That’s real workaholism. I suggested working instead of playing on the weekend, and you’re happy about it? Who even does that?”
“Me.”
“…You’re more lively now than when I invited you on a date. It’s a little annoying. I never thought I’d feel this way over a mere dungeon.”
“Good for you.”
Watching her quietly get irritated actually soothed my mood.
From here I’d take the lead. I caught Se-rin’s arm just as she was about to head toward the road and the waiting car, and steered us up to the parking garage rooftop. When we reached the helipad on the far side and I summoned Kallion, Se-rin’s eyes lit up.
“Oh my, a dragon?”
“Grrngh…?!!”
The moment Kallion faced Se-rin he recoiled in pure terror and tried to hide behind my back. Of course a body that size couldn’t actually hide; only his eyes were barely covered by me. It looked exactly like a kid who only hides his head and thinks the game of hide-and-seek has started.
“Hmm~ Interesting. Really, truly fascinating.”
As she lightly poked and stroked Kallion’s body, Se-rin’s pupils had already shifted into vertical reptilian slits similar to his. But they didn’t stop there—the insides of her pupils opened further, and geometric sigils began to surface. Feeling the intense flow of mana, I realized it was a type of Magic Eye.
Kallion, who had been terrified at first, seemed to decide she wasn’t doing anything except tapping him, and cautiously poked his head out to watch both me and Se-rin at the same time.
Apparently finding that adorable, Se-rin covered her mouth and laughed softly.
“Even I wouldn’t casually eat something that belongs to the one I’ve chosen as my partner, so don’t be so scared.”
“…Kuuung.”
Even then her playful side kicked in; she deliberately licked her lips in an exaggerated way as if savoring the taste. Kallion’s body remained stiff with genuine fear, yet his scales began to tremble.
“You having fun teasing him?”
“Yes!! Thank you so much for showing me such an entertaining present!!”
She agreed without the slightest hesitation, bright and clear. I made a thoroughly disgusted face.
“Crazy bitch.”
“Ehehe.”
Even after being cursed at she just grinned like an idiot, looking pleased. Even I was starting to get tired of it. How the hell was I supposed to land a hit on this woman? Was it even possible in the first place?
“…I don’t know. I really don’t.”
The easiest way to test whether my power worked on those god-bastards whose locations I didn’t even know was this woman right here. By both her own admission and everyone else’s, she was the closest thing to a god in this world.
I was trash for making the proposal with the intention of using her from the start, but she was just as crazy for accepting because it looked fun.
Our mutual interests lined up, and that was why this deformed relationship continued. Honestly, anyone with a properly screwed-on head wouldn’t dare think about landing a blow on a god.
I knew I was weird too. The world had gone mad, so unless I went a little mad myself I had no confidence I could keep living in it.
“…Get on.”
“Yes~”
I formed a shadow saddle behind Kallion’s lowered head.
I’d made it for two from the beginning, but she completely ignored the rear seat—maybe she couldn’t even see it—and squeezed into my arms instead. I sighed and adjusted the saddle.
In the first place, her perception interference was necessary if we wanted to fly on Kallion at all.
If we openly flew around outside without a permit, the uproar would be enormous. In the worst case they might brand us criminals for indiscriminate skill use.
I’d thought this for a long time: the Awakened Association was weirdly loose in some places and ridiculously rigid in others. Without the special nature of Awakened, their rules would be called outdated iron-fisted tyranny without anyone batting an eye. The higher-ups in that organization definitely wouldn’t bleed a single drop if you stabbed them.
“Let’s go.”
At the signal, Kallion’s wings beat and wind rose. The scenery blurred past; when I opened my eyes we were already in a sky full of clouds.
The cityscape shrank to toy size in an instant, and the people vanished from sight. The earlier discomfort seemed to wash away completely.
I steered Kallion toward the dungeon’s location and flew on.