Chapter 66
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: The Third Ruin (1)
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Friday's classes were incredibly hectic.
My classmates, seeing me after a while, bombarded me with questions.
And in a strange turn of events, even seniors from the second to fourth years started showing up to see me.
Until now, perhaps because of their pride or some unwritten rule about giving freshmen an adjustment period, seniors rarely came looking for me.
But it seems the dual attribute incident completely shattered their self-restraint.
Junior. Ever thought about joining our club?
There's a swordsmanship tournament next month. Interested in the swordsmanship club?
Hey, forget swordsmanship. You saw him use a spear. Come to the spearmanship club.
Seeing them use their lunch break to find me like this, I must be quite the catch.
After all, there was less than a month left before the club activity restriction for first-year cadets was lifted.
They were just trying to stake their claims early.
Siyeon. You're obviously going to pick the swordsmanship club, right?
Swordsmanship? No way. She's a perfect fit for the magic club. Didn't you see her ice magic?
Seeing the seniors crowded around Ha Siyeon too, I guess it was true for her as well.
Strangely, there was no one around Jia.
Then again, her club was pretty much decided already.
If you join now, we can give you our full support for the tournament next week.
Hey, their adjustment period isn't over yet. Don't get ahead of yourself.
It'd be just great if you got reported and had your activities suspended.
Everyone knows we all do it on the sly. If you want to go down together, be my guest.
It was on the verge of total chaos.
No, maybe it was already chaos.
Um, seniors.
I had no choice.
You all know I'm a student of Instructor Pi Jinho, right?
I'd have to use Instructor Pi Jinho's name.
Instructor Pi?
He's the one? The one getting one-on-one training?
You didn't even look that up? Tsk, tsk.
It seemed like half of them knew and half didn't.
What about it?
A female senior asked on behalf of the group.
As any of you who've taken Instructor Pi Jinho's classes would know, I'm really not in a position to be doing club activities
I put on my most pitiful expression and gave a plaintive smile.
Ah. Is it that tough?
Yes. One-on-one private lessons from 5:30 in the morning until thirty minutes before school starts. I'm being pushed to my absolute limit.
The expressions of the seniors around me soured.
Two hours of one-on-one training with Instructor Pi?
How are you still alive?
A few seniors looked at me with pity.
Still, you have to do club activities for your grades and future letters of recommendation.
He was right.
Not joining a club at the academy was definitely a disadvantage.
It was always better to join one.
Club activities, extracurricular records, tournament participation history, and so on.
It was a great opportunity to build up your resume for your future career as a pro superhuman.
Yes, I'm aware of that.
I fully intended to join a club.
However, I'll need to discuss joining with Instructor Pi Jinho If I just decide on my own I'm afraid of the aftermath.
Oof.
I just imagined it.
Everyone shuddered slightly.
As expected of Instructor Pi Jinho.
His infamous reputation preceded him.
So, I'd appreciate it if you could give me some time to think. It's a bit early to say, but I haven't even decided on my main weapon yet.
Thanks to the Master of Weapons, every weapon was pretty much my main weapon, but I decided to use that as an excuse for now.
Hmm.
The seniors fell into thought.
A moment later.
Alright. There's still a month left. Pestering you like this so early isn't very cool of us anyway.
We'll wait for you to sort out your thoughts, junior.
It seems they had all decided to respect my wishes.
Ah, what a talent to be the next leader of the spearmanship club. A shame.
Most of the people enrolled in the academy have good personalities.
Maybe it's because they're aspiring superhumans and have to pass a thorough personality test.
It's not because you're after the government appreciation plaque he has, is it?
I won't deny it. You guys want it too, don't you?
Fair enough.
The second reason I was getting all this attention from the seniors.
The government appreciation plaque I was about to receive.
Having it gave a club huge advantages in terms of budget and activities.
Like getting your flight seats upgraded when you go to an overseas tournament.
Or moving to the front of the line for the newest equipment.
There were many benefits in various ways.
Anyway, we get it. It's about your future, junior. Think it over carefully.
Here. We'll leave our club brochures, so please take a look.
The seniors each handed me a promotional poster for their club.
I had a whole stack. It looked like more than twenty of them.
Well then, juniors. Enjoy your lunch. Sorry for swarming you like that.
With that, the seniors disappeared in a crowd.
Hey, whoever gets that junior has to treat everyone, big time.
Ooh, I like that.
Seeing them joke and laugh among themselves as they left, it didn't seem like they were on bad terms.
Well, since their clubs were different, they went to different tournaments.
I guess they weren't really competitors.
Phew.
It felt like a storm had passed.
Wow. Seoyul, you're amazing.
I've never heard of fourth-year seniors flocking to someone like that before the recruitment restriction was even lifted.
They weren't just interested in my skills; it was the appreciation plaque they were after.
As I said, the plaque offered a lot of advantages.
Ugh. I'm exhausted.
Ha Siyeon, who had been dealing with other seniors nearby, approached me with the most tired look on her face.
You did well. Any clubs you're leaning towards?
Hmm. I'm leaning a little more towards swordsmanship than magic.
That makes sense. Your range is a bit too ambiguous to go all-in on magic.
Right. And I like swordsmanship more. Not that I dislike magic, though.
Ha Siyeon touched the training sword at her waist and smiled faintly.
Anyway, we should go eat before it gets too late.
I stood up from my seat.
Oh, me too, me too. I'm alone today because Cheoljin and Jihoon said they had something to talk about.
Really?
Those two, talking without Ha Siyeon. That was unusual.
Alright then. Jia, is that okay?
I called out to Jia, who was lost in thought beside me.
Huh? Oh, yeah. Of course, it's fine.
These two were rivals competing for the top spot, but they got along better than you'd think.
Jia, what club are you joining? Archery, I assume?
Probably.
I see. Then you'll be the next club president, Jia.
That would be nice.
Ha Siyeon's personality wasn't the type to be disliked by anyone, and Jia wouldn't want to be on bad terms with a promising superhuman like Ha Siyeon.
Although, it did seem like Jia felt a sense of crisis, like her top spot could be taken.
So, what are we getting to eat?
Ha Siyeon asked me.
We don't have much time. How about just some bread?
I'm good with that.
Me too.
We bought some bread and sat down in a garden near the cafeteria.
About this tournament.
Ha Siyeon casually brought it up while munching on her bread.
Seoyul. Are you going to win?
Huh?
Not Are you aiming to win? but Are you going to win?.
She said it as if I could win unconditionally just by deciding to.
Coming at me so directly all of a sudden?
Oh, it's just, I remembered you said your goal was to participate in the national competition. And the prize for winning this re-evaluation tournament happens to be a ticket to it.
I mean, I did plan on winning.
But asking like that would give other people the wrong idea.
And sure enough, Jia was looking back and forth between Ha Siyeon and me with a peculiar expression.
I'll be aiming for the win, sure. Aren't you planning to win too, Siyeon?
Ah, yeah. Right, right.
It seems Ha Siyeon finally realized her slip of the tongue.
Um. Can I ask something?
Jia carefully started to speak.
I've been curious for a while, what's the relationship between you two?
What do you mean, what relationship?
I asked back to figure out what she meant.
During the last Great Labyrinth raid. Siyeon, you used that Ice Empress? Right?
Yeah.
It seemed like you were the only one who knew about that skill, Seoyul. Even Choi Jihoon, who was on our team, didn't seem to know.
It was a question asking literally about my relationship with Ha Siyeon.
Thinking about it more deeply, maybe she was asking how much Ha Siyeon knew about me.
Hmm. How should I explain this?
So what should I do?
For starters, Ha Siyeon's and Jia's understanding of me had some common ground.
Did she know me as a half-Celestial, half-Elf?
Or did she just know me as a Celestial? That was the only difference.
In other words, I could somewhat align their perceptions.
I'm the one who taught Siyeon about the Ice Empress.
I decided to tell the truth.
You, Seoyul?
Yeah. We're kind of like a master and a student.
Jia's eyes widened.
She looked very surprised.
That's right. I receive intense guidance from Instructor Kang Seoyul every night.
Hey. That sounds a little suggestive.
Oops. Hehe.
Ha Siyeon covered her mouth, laughing cutely.
Every night private lessons
Jia stared at Ha Siyeon with a look of utter envy.
Then she turned to me with the pleading expression of a big-eyed cat I'd once seen in a movie.
Her eyes were practically screaming, Please teach me too!
But Jia, you commute from home, so the timing might be tricky.
I'll make it work!
She was suddenly using formal speech.
Well, Ha Siyeon sometimes used formal speech playfully too.
It didn't seem to look that strange.
It's at 8 PM every night. Are you sure you're okay with that?
Jia nodded her head vigorously.
She nodded so fast it made me dizzy just watching.
What about you, Siyeon?
Huh? Me?
Ha Siyeon, who had been nibbling on her bread like a hamster, tilted her head cutely.
I'd love that. I'd get a sparring partner.
There was no way Ha Siyeon would refuse.
It seemed like the thought of a rival growing alongside her didn't cause her any anxiety at all.
If you're both okay with it, then sure.
I shrugged.
So, you'll join us starting tonight? Deal?
Yes!
Jia beamed and nodded her head.
* * *
That evening at 6:30 PM.
After a light dinner, I was in my room playing with Geumho.
Suddenly, I got a message from Jia.
[Um, Ancestor. There's something I'd like to ask.]
[Yeah? What is it?]
[(Hesitant bunny emoticon)]
[Um, does Miss Ha Siyeon also know your secret?]
A very direct question.
I had expected she'd come to this conclusion after hearing I was tutoring Ha Siyeon personally, but I didn't think she'd ask so bluntly.
[That's right.]
[(Surprised bear emoticon)]
I coolly affirmed it.
As I said, Ha Siyeon's and Shin Jia's perceptions of me were very similar.
I was acting to stop the unknown enemies who would soon appear.
I had sealed my power to avoid their eyes.
My identity was that of a different race.
Whether I was a true Celestial, or a half-Celestial, half-Elf. That was the only difference; it wasn't a big one.
Jia just had slightly more in-depth information. That was about the extent of the difference.
In other words, even if they exchanged opinions, there wouldn't be any problems.
In fact, considering the future, it was better for the two of them to become close.
If my secret became the catalyst that brought them together, all the better.
[But Siyeon only knows me as a Celestial.]
[A Celestial?]
[Yeah. During the demon descent incident. Remember?]
[Ah. Yes.]
[I had to use a bit of my Celestial power to deal with the demon back then.]
[(Shocked penguin emoticon)]
[So that's how it happened.]
[That's how it happened.]
[Then Ha Siyeon has no idea that you have Elven blood, Ancestor?]
[Right.]
[Aha.]
This should prevent any problems.
The law of lies.
Even lies, when they align, become truth.
If I tied Ha Siyeon's and Shin Jia's misunderstandings together, my words would gain more credibility.
The chances of my true identity being exposed would decrease significantly.
Plus, connecting these two gave me another advantage.
[Speaking of which, are you free this weekend?]
[This weekend? My schedule isn't that important, so I can clear it if I need to What's up?]
[Nothing much. Just thought we could go clear a ruin.]
[Suddenly?]
That advantage was none other than expanding the ruin-clearing party.
[I found a ruin where an Elven artifact lies dormant.]
Ha Siyeon and Geumho.
Clearing it with just the three of us was too risky.
But if Jia joined, that was a different story.
[Deal?]
A smile played on my lips.