Chapter 24
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Things Get Complicated (1)
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I don't know what to do about this situation.
The trait I acquired is called 'Heavenly Wings,' a unique organ exclusive to the Angelic race.
In a world where flight itself is extremely rare, gaining a means to fly should definitely be a good thing.
What's more, the Heavenly Wings also help with mana circulation.
For now, since I don't have any mana, it's a largely meaningless function, but looking toward the future, this trait is definitely a 'win'.
Um, Seoyul. No, Sir Seoyul? May I ask you a question?
......Just a moment. I need to gather my thoughts.
Ah, yes.
The problem is that I've shown these wings to a third party.
And of all people, it had to be Ha Siyeon, a major supporting character.
I quickly racked my brain.
I quickly assessed whether this would be a gain or a loss.
Alright. What do you want to ask?
I have a pretty good idea.
She's going to ask about my identity.
By any chance, Sir Seoyul, are you...
Just speak informally.
But...
I won't answer if you use formal speech.
Ah, yes, sir. I mean, yeah.
I'm getting a strange sense of dj vu.
It's like I'm seeing an overlap between Ha Siyeon and someone else.
Um, Seoyul, are you...
I immediately realized what that sense of dj vu was.
You're an angel, right?
Right now, Ha Siyeon's gaze and attitude are very similar to when Shin Jia first came to see me.
......
Of course. You'd naturally think I'm an angel. Yes, indeed.
If I said no, would you believe me?
Yes! I mean, yeah!
......You too?
Huh?
That's not the face of someone who believes me at all.
It's exactly the same expression I saw on Jia's face once.
No. You're right.
I knew it!
There was no way to deny it.
It wasn't just the wings.
Ha Siyeon saw me seal the demon.
She saw me use 'Scribe's Shackles'.
She saw me wielding the chains that the demon said only the Angelic race could use.
In Ha Siyeon's mind, I must have already been branded as an 'angel'.
Unless I explained everything in painstaking detail, starting with the fact that I don't have a status window, there's no way to change that perception.
For now, keep this a secret.
Yes! I understand!
Formal speech again.
Ah, yeah! I'm sorr... I mean, sorry!
This is making me worried.
I'm worried she might shout 'Angel!' in front of everyone.
Anyway, since the cat's out of the bag, there's something I want to tell you.
To me, sir? I mean, to me?
......You really need to watch that formal speech, you know?
Hehe. Sorry.
I let out a faint sigh.
You were there when I sealed the demon, so you must have heard it.
This could actually be an opportunity.
A golden opportunity to bring a remarkable talent like Ha Siyeon to my side.
Do you remember when it said, 'See you in a year'?
......Yeah.
Do you know what that means?
I have a rough idea.
Ha Siyeon's expression hardened.
In a year... the demon's seal will be completely broken, won't it?
Exactly.
The 'Scribe's Shackles' I used doesn't have much time left.
That period is about one year.
Next time, I won't be able to just reseal it like I did now.
It will have to be defeated directly.
In the original story, the protagonist would have wiped them all out on his own, but I don't have that kind of power right now.
I need to make allies.
Allies who can fill the void I leave.
I want you to defeat it in my stead. As you've probably guessed, I can't reveal my power for certain reasons.
Ha Siyeon's eyes widened.
Me, defeat that demon?
Yes.
That's impossible. In just one year...
No. It's possible. If you trust me, Siyeon. I can make it happen.
Just like how I awakened her ice magic, if I use my knowledge of the future to help Ha Siyeon grow, it's not impossible.
Does that mean... you'll oversee my training, Seoyul?
That's right.
Ha Siyeon's growth potential is among the highest in this world.
If the original protagonist is a 100, then Shin Jia is a 92, Ha Siyeon is a 90, Kim Cheoljin is an 88. Surprisingly, Choi Jihoon is an 89.
As a side note, Yuhwa is an 87, and Pi Jinho is an 86.
Is it really possible? For me to defeat that demon within a year...
It is. Trust me.
Recruiting Jia would have been good too, but I put it on hold for now.
Unlike Ha Siyeon, Jia has specific conditions for her growth.
Until the time comes when she can meet those conditions, it will be difficult for her to get any stronger, no matter what I do.
But Ha Siyeon is different.
She has no such limitations.
Just by passing on the knowledge I have, she will grow stronger at an unimaginable speed.
If that happens, I'll be able to get through the perilous early scenarios without much risk.
That's not all.
By taking on the position of her mentor, I'll be able to receive her help without any reservations.
That will be a great help in conquering future ruins as well.
Naturally, my own growth rate will also accelerate.
This is the best possible plan in the current situation.
......Alright. I'll trust you.
After long deliberation, Ha Siyeon made up her mind.
Thank you. For trusting me.
I let out a sigh of relief.
The variable I thought was the worst-case scenario produced the best possible outcome.
* * *
That night.
After being safely discharged from the hospital, I had just arrived at the dorm when I got a call from Yuhwa.
You've been busy again, haven't you?
What do you mean?
Playing dumb again. I'm talking about the demon incident. You're the one who solved it, aren't you?
......No, I'm not.
Right. Well, we'll just say that for now.
I really don't know why the women around me are so headstrong.
I mean, sure, I did solve it, but would it kill them to believe me for once?
By any chance, was this the work of the Seekers of Truth as well?
What?
Talk about a sudden change of topic to the Seekers of Truth.
That's so random.
No.
Hmm. Is that so.
This incident has nothing to do with the Seekers of Truth.
Anyway, about this incident. I've taken care of the media that was about to swarm you, so don't worry too much.
Ah, really?
Yes. I'm not sure why, but it seemed like you wanted to hide your identity. It wasn't a pointless effort, was it?
Of course not. Thank you.
No wonder. I was wondering why the reporters were leaving me alone. So that was the reason.
Ahem. You may not know it, but I'm a woman who knows how to support her man.
Yuhwa said triumphantly.
That was the most creative bullshit I'd heard recently.
Well, to be honest, I didn't even have to step in. It was probably that Shin Jia's doing.
I see.
No wonder. So Jia made a move, too.
Besides, the Soosung Group also got involved. You can assume that any information about you or Cadet Ha Siyeon has been completely buried.
The Soosung Group got involved, too?
The eldest son of the Soosung Group seemed to be close with Miss Ha Siyeon. Maybe he didn't want to see her get hounded by reporters.
Hmm. That makes sense.
Whatever the reason, I'm glad it was resolved well.
By the way, with all that's been going on, I forgot to ask you this.
Yes. What is it?
What exactly is the relationship between you and Shin Jia?
I told you. We're just ordinary friends.
Do you really think I'd believe that nonsense? It's not like I don't know what Shin Jia is like.
I gave a bitter smile.
Then again, I wouldn't believe it either if I were her.
Well, whatever. I have a theory anyway.
......What kind of delusion are you having now?
I have a bad feeling about this.
Why? Are you curious?
It does bother me.
What on earth did she conclude?
Oh, just a thought... that you might be the archer who defeated Pialle Allo?
Whoa.
It wasn't a delusion, it was a fact.
Your silence tells me I'm right.
No.
I replied emotionlessly.
......You deny everything I say. It's so annoying.
Yuhwa grumbled.
It's no use denying it. I have proof this time.
There's proof?
Oh? Did you just admit it?
Ah.
I slipped up.
An innocent person wouldn't respond like that to being told there's evidence. They'd just scoff.
You're so sloppy in the strangest ways. Anyway, it's more like circumstantial evidence that only I would recognize, but I found something.
I could hear Yuhwa grinning over the phone.
I went through all the CCTV footage near the World Tree Park from around the time of the incident. The ones on the outskirts that weren't shut down. And what do you know, right after the incident, I found footage of someone running out of the World Tree Park. Covered in wounds.
She went through all that trouble?
......That's some serious grunt work you did there. Especially for someone as busy as you.
That 'someone' must be me.
I'm the type who can't stand not knowing. I told you, didn't I? That I would definitely uncover your identity.
Wow.
She's actually scary.
......Please, take it easy. You're scaring me.
Hmm~ If you promise to join the Bihon Guild after graduation, then I'll take it easy.
Yuhwa was a fox to the very end.
* * *
The next morning.
Awakened at dawn by my boiling pure blood, I headed to the training room as usual.
Kang Seoyul. You should have rested today.
Instructor Pi Jinho, who was stretching in the training room, approached me.
I only passed out because of the mana density, so I'm fine. Besides, I was taught never to skip a day of training. By a certain instructor.
Instructor Pi Jinho smiled in satisfaction at my playful words.
I don't know who it is, but they must be an excellent instructor.
An excellent instructor's excellent self-praise.
Then I won't hold back in putting you through the wringer.
......Couldn't you go a little easy on me?
This instructor believes that if it isn't hard, it isn't a workout.
......The instructor's smile was terrifying.
A short while later.
Haaahk. Haaahk!
Good work. See you in the classroom later.
You... too, sir.
I was wrecked.
Stretching. Don't forget.
Yeees.
With that, the instructor leisurely left the training room.
Hmm. No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like you're acting...
Ha Siyeon approached me as I lay sprawled out. She crouched down, brought her lips close to my ear, and whispered a question.
I've been wondering since yesterday, are you really just acting?
Does this look like acting to you!
I wanted to shout, but I barely managed to hold it in.
Then again, from Ha Siyeon's perspective, it's only natural for her to think that.
How should I answer?
Even I have to admit my current state is a bit much to be just an act.
Jia seems to believe it's an act somehow, but Ha Siyeon seems to harbor a faint suspicion.
If I just insist it's an act, I have a feeling it will cause problems later.
It's not an act.
Then I have no choice but to set my conscience aside for a moment and write a new script.
Not an act?
Yeah.
I lifted my upper body and whispered into Ha Siyeon's ear.
I told you, right? I'm hiding my true self for a reason.
Ah, yeah.
To do that, I've sealed my power.
I subtly showed her the 'angel tattoo' on my chest.
This should add some credibility to my lie!
Aah!
Ha Siyeon let out a gasp of understanding.
I train to periodically release some of my power. If I don't, the seal might break.
Yeah. I understand.
It was a script I came up with on the spot, but even I had to admit it was a pretty plausible lie.
By the way, maybe it's because I've been lying so much lately.
The guilt seems to be fading. They say lying is a habit; I wonder if I'm becoming one.
Oh, right. This isn't what I meant to talk about! Uh, um. Seoyul. Did you see you have a ranking match scheduled for today?
A ranking match? No, I haven't seen it yet.
It was about time for one to come up.
Well...
Ha Siyeon said with a face full of apology.
Just look at this first.
Ha Siyeon held out her phone to me.
The screen displayed the schedule for the ranking match.
[Rank 103 Choi Jihoon uses Challenge Ticket.]
[May 15th. 1:30 PM.]
[Rank 497 Kang Seoyul VS Rank 103 Choi Jihoon]
......Choi Jihoon? No, more importantly, a Challenge Ticket?
A Challenge Ticket.
A right to nominate an opponent for a ranking match, given only twice a year.
He's using it already?
And on me, rank 497?
Such an important ticket?
He won't gain anything from winning, will he?
I-I'm so sorry. He was being stubborn, saying you're too suspicious and that he had to fight you himself...
Aw, man.
That little punk.
Making trouble for people again.
No. Wait a minute.
If I think about this carefully,
I might be able to skyrocket up the ranks?