Chapter 86
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: School Trip (1)
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I was laughing heartily while riding on Geumho's back.
"Hahaha!"
All around us lay trees, snapped like twigs by Geumho's movements.
"If you think you can take on Geumho, then come at me!"
"Khk."
Everyone gulped at Geumho's murderous gaze.
"That's cheating..."
"How are we supposed to beat Geumho?"
Geumho was the icon of the Korean Superhuman Academy. Not to mention his cuteness, but with the added eyewitness accounts of him fighting the Tyrant Drake one-on-one, he had literally become the most popular being there.
Casting offers from the pet program 'Summoned Beast Farm' were being handled at the student level, so it was safe to say he was the academy's greatest symbolic beast.
-Grrrr...
And that very Geumho was now baring his teeth at them.
On top of that, I was sitting on his back, holding a bow.
There was no way they could decide to attack.
Destroying all the Class 1 kids' brooches was one option, but...
"If you don't want to fight, I have a proposal."
"A proposal?"
I decided to rule that out for now. I had no intention of getting on the bad side of the Class 1 kids I'd have to spend the next year with.
"I don't particularly want to take your brooches. I don't need them."
"You don't need them?"
In the first place, I didn't need all their brooches.
"I'm already in first place, so what's the point of taking more?"
"Ah."
This test was graded on a curve.
It meant that whether I took first place by plundering 20 brooches or 40, it was all the same.
"So, how about we call a truce?"
"A truce?"
"Yeah. I don't need your brooches, and you guys don't want to fight me, right?"
"...Right."
The seven cadets Kim Cheoljin called the Beta Team looked back and forth between me and Geumho, swallowing dryly once more.
"So let's just end it cleanly here. How about it?"
Riding the tiger's coattails.
The effect of my proposal, backed by Geumho's presence, was outstanding!
"...Fine."
"I agree."
"I, I... never planned on attacking anyway. Haha..."
"I was gonna backstab you guys if you attacked!"
"You too? Hey, me too! N-nice to meet you!"
"Let's be grateful for Lord Seoyul's mercy."
Everyone quickly nodded their heads.
Just as I expected.
"Then let's tell Cheoljin about this and call a truce..."
"Ah. Wait a minute."
Something suddenly occurred to me.
"Let me ask one thing. Did all the Class 1 kids participate?"
"Uh... I think everyone except Ha Siyeon and the ones who were eliminated participated."
"Oho. So Siyeon refused."
No wonder I didn't hear Siyeon's voice on the radio.
So that's how it was.
"Yeah. She said she didn't want to fight you."
"Right. So that means the ringleader is Cheoljin alone?"
"Y-yeah, right?"
"Okay."
My smile widened.
"Cheoljin."
I spoke into the radio again.
What is it?
Kim Cheoljin's urgent voice echoed from the other side.
"I've agreed to a truce with the kids here."
What? A truce?
"Yeah. I don't really need your brooches, and you guys don't really want to fight me or Geumho, right?"
...Right?
"So I'm proposing a truce."
Really?
"Yeah. I don't want to be resented by the Class 1 kids for no reason."
Okay, deal. You all heard that?
The energy returned to Kim Cheoljin's voice. It seemed he really didn't want to fight Geumho either.
Confirmed!
Phew. That took ten years off my life.
Hey, hey, disperse! Let's relax now!
Hooah! I thought my heart was going to explode!
Sighs of relief came from the other teams as well.
"Ah. Right. There's one thing I forgot to mention."
Forgot to mention? What is it?
The corners of my mouth curved into a wicked line.
"I never said I'd spare you, Cheoljin."
Huh...?
Kim Cheoljin's flustered voice came over the radio.
"The ringleader has to be punished. Don't you think?"
...
My smile stretched from ear to ear.
"Try and run."
***
All the tests were over.
It was now 7:30 PM on Saturday.
After washing up at the accommodations the school had arranged, students were gathering in small groups for an after-party.
"...I feel like I've used up a year's worth of my lifespan."
Kim Cheoljin was slumped over in a nearby caf. His face was gaunt, as if he carried all the fatigue in the world.
"I told you not to mess with Seoyul for no reason."
Looking at him, Ha Siyeon scooped up her ice cream with her usual expression.
Her face showed no signs of fatigue.
"I know."
Kim Cheoljin sighed.
The difference between the two was whether they had participated in the 'Annihilate Kang Seoyul' alliance.
Kim Cheoljin had participated, so he was targeted by Kang Seoyul in return and was now exhausted.
Ha Siyeon hadn't, so she was perfectly fine.
"Still, isn't using Geumho cheating? How are we supposed to beat him?"
"Hmm."
The spoon in Ha Siyeon's mouth twitched.
Ha Siyeon hadn't joined the 'Annihilate Kang Seoyul' operation simply because she didn't want to face him.
Even if he was hiding his power, Kang Seoyul was a half-celestial, half-elf, a hero from ten thousand years ago.
For Ha Siyeon, who knew Kang Seoyul's true identity, attacking him was nothing short of a suicide mission.
"And that Seoyul kid holds a serious grudge. He targeted only me for three whole days, it was just..."
The memory of being chased by Geumho and Kang Seoyul for three days straight remained a trauma, to put it mildly.
Kang Seoyul, popping his head out of the bushes.
Kang Seoyul, lunging from mid-air.
Kang Seoyul, slowly rising from the water like a corpse.
Kang Seoyul, calling his name in surround sound from all directions.
The creepy Kang Seoyul, crawling quickly on all fours.
Kang Seoyul, matching his steps and following him like a shadow.
Kang Seoyul's Kang Seoyul, hiding behind a wooden cutout of Kang Seoyul...
"It was just... *hnghh*..."
Kim Cheoljin let out another deep sigh.
"Ah. Speaking of which, where's Jihoon?"
To relieve this gloominess, his only option was to tease Choi Jihoon, the guy who'd been eliminated at light speed.
"Haven't you heard? The lower-ranked kids have to take an additional test."
"...An additional test?"
"Yeah. Since it's impossible to evaluate the ones who dropped out too early. They said they'll determine the detailed rankings with an extra test."
"Aha."
Kim Cheoljin understood.
Then he sighed deeply again.
"Aish."
The thought that he couldn't tease Choi Jihoon made his irritation spike.
How was he supposed to relieve this stress?
***
I was talking with Pi Jinho in his room, with Geumho by my side.
"You didn't break any of the test's rules, so the results will be processed normally."
"That's a relief."
I let out a sigh of relief.
I was worried they might accuse me of cheating, but it seems that was a needless concern.
"Still, be aware that new rules might be added from the next test onwards."
"Ah. You mean I won't be able to use Geumho in practical exams?"
"Yes. It might seem unfair from your perspective, but I hope you understand."
"Unfair? Not at all. It's only natural."
I stroked Geumho's head.
Geumho is just too strong.
He's continuously getting stronger due to the Guardian's Contract.
Even in his current state, he could probably beat Jia, the top student of our year, one-on-one.
That abnormal strength doesn't fit with the academy's ironclad rule of fair competition.
I had more or less expected this to happen.
"By the way, I heard from Elder Jeong Ilyong. He said he's agreed to make Cheonbyeon for you?"
"Ah, yes. That's right."
Pi Jinho smiled wryly.
"The elder was praising you highly. Said he'd found a good successor."
"...Haha."
I scratched my cheek.
"Though he also scolded me for not telling him sooner that he'd found a successor."
Pi Jinho smiled bitterly.
"I've talked for too long. You worked hard. You must be tired, so go and get some rest."
Pi Jinho stood up and patted my back a couple of times.
"Yes, sir."
***
That night, at 10 PM.
I was walking the night streets of Australia with Geumho.
Do you have any idea how panicked I was when Geumho disappeared?
Yuhwa's grumbling voice came from the receiver.
Normally, I would have taken the call in my room, but the room I was assigned to was a six-person dorm. Talking to Yuhwa in front of male students starved for romance was like throwing meat into a den of hungry lions.
That's why I'd taken Geumho and gone outside.
He was definitely sleeping in the room, but he was gone no matter how much I looked. I checked all the CCTV footage near the house, but there was no sign of him leaving.
"...Haha."
My heart really sank, you know?
"I-I'm sorry."
I had thought Yuhwa would be flustered if I summoned Geumho, but the situation had unfolded so quickly that I had no choice.
Even now, just thinking about it...
Yuhwa's complaints continued for a long time. I listened attentively to her words, filled with hurt feelings.
Thinking about how worried she must have been because of Geumho's sudden disappearance, I was at a loss for words.
Sigh. Anyway, since you said you got first place thanks to him, I'll let it slide this once.
How long had I been walking?
Yuhwa, having seemingly poured out all her frustrations, spoke with a sigh.
"Thank you."
I looked up at the sky.
The Australian night view had a different flavor from Seoul's.
So you'll be together for the rest of the trip?
"Yes. I will."
The school said it was fine for me to be with Geumho.
That's great. Get plenty of rest.
"I will."
I'll hang up now, then. Call me if anything happens.
"Okay. Good night."
...I still have work to do.
"...Aha. You're working hard."
I offered my condolences.
Sigh. Anyway, I'm really hanging up now. Have fun.
"Okay. Keep up the good work."
With that, the call ended.
The current time was 10:43 PM.
For some reason, I thought of Jia, who was left behind alone in Korea.
"...I wonder if she's awake?"
She was probably tossing and turning, unable to sleep with so much time on her hands.
I sent her a message, just in case she was sleeping.
[Jia. You asleep?]
The reply came instantly.
[No! I was just lying down!]
My prediction was correct.
[Can you talk on the phone for a bit right now?]
[Yes! Of course!]
I immediately started a voice call.
Seonjonim!
Jia's voice rang out loudly.
"Sorry. I meant to call right after the test, but somehow time just flew by."
Not at all! I'm just grateful you called.
I could hear Jia's laughter through the receiver. An innocent laugh.
Ah, more importantly, I heard from Siyeon! You got first place, right?
"Yeah. Thanks to Geumho."
Congratulations.
"Thanks."
I sat down on a nearby bench.
Geumho lightly leaped up and settled onto my lap.
"How's your body?"
It's almost fully healed. I did some rehab training today, and there was no pain even when I ran.
"That's good."
A week had passed, so it was about time she healed.
I want to be discharged right away, but Mr. Taejin and the doctor are strongly against it...
Jia's voice sank mournfully.
"Then you should rest more. Take this chance to get a good rest."
I can rest at home, though...
"Hmm."
Hospitals are definitely boring.
Nothing to do. The food is bad.
"But if you go home, you won't rest, will you? You'll be busy with training, paperwork, and what not."
...
Jia was silent.
"You won't be going to school for a while. You might push forward with a project you've wanted to do."
...
"No matter how I think about it, it doesn't seem like you'll rest at all."
Only groans of 'uh... um...' came from the other side.
She couldn't bring herself to deny it.
She had probably planned to do just that.
"Anyway, just rest well until the doctor says you can be discharged."
...Okay.
Her voice was sullen.
I could almost see an illusion of Jia pouting in front of me.
She usually acts more mature than an adult, but at times like this, she's just a kid.
Does she hate resting that much?
"Ah. Right, did you hear? In this test, Siyeon..."
Really? Then, Seonjonim...
We continued our idle chatter like that.
"I'm gonna hang up now. It's already past 11."
Ah...
As we happily chatted, 20 minutes had flown by.
Okay.
Her voice sounded a bit down.
It felt like she didn't want to hang up.
She must be lonely, being in the hospital by herself. I know that feeling well.
"I'll call you again tomorrow."
Oh. Okay!
Jia's voice brightened up instantly.
Does she like talking to me that much? It's not a bad feeling.
"Sleep well."
Yes! You too, Seonjonim, sleep well!
With that, I ended the call.
"Haaah."
I leaned the back of my head against the top of the bench's backrest and looked up at the sky.
Maybe because there were fewer lights than in Seoul. The stars looked much clearer.
"Nyaa."
As if to copy me, Geumho leaned his back against my stomach and looked up at the sky.
"Is my Geumho looking at the stars too?"
He looked so cute that I stroked his belly.
"Kkyang."
Geumho purred and rolled around.
*Flinch.*
Suddenly, his body tensed up.
"Geumho?"
Then he moved out of my arms and stood on the bench,
"Grrrrrrr..."
growling as he stared in one direction. Geumho was projecting an aura shimmering with hostility and killing intent into the empty air.
I squinted, wondering if something was there, and stared at the spot.
A black, smoke-like substance began to shimmer in the air.
"As expected of the elder's guardian beast, I suppose. What remarkable senses."
The smoke soon formed a human shape.
This familiar entrance and voice.
I clutched my startled chest and desperately controlled my expression.
"Is that you, Hermit? To think you'd be detected by a mere low-level guardian beast. I pretended not to notice just in case, but this is rather disappointing."
The black smoke soon took the form of Hermit.
"Yes, it is my failing. In any case, it has been a while."
Hermit smiled, his expression much more relaxed than the last time we met.
...Ah. That startled me.