Episode 54. Doubt and Oath 9
Episode 54. Doubt and Oath 9
As I climb the stairs with the teacher-nim, I think to myself.
According to the teacher-nim's words, what I need to meet is a research mage.
But that costs an enormous amount of money.
"Hmm......"
There was nothing I could do about it here. I guess I'll just have to keep feeling nauseous for a while.
However, I did gain an unexpected benefit.
Earlier, the teacher-nim clearly said that mages who fully understand both magic and mana before entering combat are extremely rare.
And last time, my friends said that meditation is very difficult. Skill editing is even more so.
'...Then what about Seyeon?'
Of course, Seyeon doesn't properly engage in combat either. After all, she's never won a sparring match.
But at this point, I'm doubtful whether that was really her showing her true strength.
If all my suspicions so far are correct, that means I need to be wary of a strong opponent close to an S-Rank Hunter.
'Well, she probably isn't really S-Rank though.'
If she were S-Rank, wouldn't she be out breaking Gates instead of just attending the Academy?
Anyway, my mind became even more troubled.
Taking deep sighs, I entered through the back door and sat down in my seat. One second later, the teacher-nim entered through the front door and immediately began the morning assembly.
"Yubin-ah."
"Huh?"
Seyeon suddenly turned to look at me and spoke.
"What did you talk about with the teacher-nim?"
"Just, well......"
I gulped dryly.
I couldn't tell her honestly, and because of my intuition, I couldn't even if I wanted to... I had to vaguely dodge the question.
"My recent sparring grades, that kind of thing."
"Ah."
"Since I know I'm not doing well, I wanted to get some counseling."
"You must have gotten scolded a lot?"
"Uhh......"
Seyeon asked a few more questions about how the counseling went, but soon lost interest. I felt relieved that we got through it smoothly.
'But I didn't exactly lie... right?'
I did actually get counseling, after all.
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Sparring time.
"Uuugh......"
I slowly got up from the dirt ground. Then I staggered step by step toward our group.
After sparring, I was always in the best condition among us. The other three would position me in the rear, and if all the combatants fell and only the healer remained, the sparring would immediately end with a loss.
"Seyeon-ah, are you okay?"
"...Yeah."
So it became routine for me to help up the fallen members and handle the aftermath.
After I healed their wounds with my Heal skill, the four of us sat in a circle on the training ground as usual.
The atmosphere was heavy. We had tried all sorts of tactics but all failed.
Even though our grades were plummeting to the abyss, there was no atmosphere of blaming anyone. Because... we were all equally pathetic.
'Of course, I'm the biggest idiot though.'
Thanks to my special position as a healer, it seemed like I hadn't been cursed at so far.
"Sigh... What should we really do."
Eunbyeol, who was completely discouraged, sighed and muttered. The fact that no one had an answer to that question made us feel even more miserable.
Just as we were exchanging glances in that heavy silence.
"...Guys."
Seyeon, who had been quietly looking at the sky, suddenly opened her mouth.
The three of us lifted our bowed heads and stared intently at Seyeon.
"Huh?"
"Are you free tomorrow?"
"Ah, yeah. Since it's the weekend... I'm fine except for the evening. You're okay too, right?"
"Yeah."
Eunbyeol and Haseong (Eunbyeol's boyfriend) answered while looking at each other. I also nodded my head of course.
"But why suddenly?"
"Yubin has that skill, right? I think it'll be completed by today. Let's meet separately tomorrow to test it out."
"Huh? Really?!"
"What?"
The first response was from Eunbyeol, the second was from me.
Eunbyeol suddenly leaned toward us, her eyes sparkling as she alternated looking between Seyeon and me.
"No, Seyeon-ah. What are you talking about-"
"That's great! Really great. What time should we meet?"
"How about one o'clock? Everyone can come leisurely after lunch."
Everyone nodded vigorously at Seyeon's words, but I couldn't do the same.
On the way to the shower room after sparring time ended, I quickly approached Seyeon.
"Seyeon-ah, why did you say that...!"
"Say what?"
"I can't meditate properly yet! No matter what, completing it within today is......"
"It's fine. I can do it."
Seyeon glanced at me sideways and said quietly.
"Really?"
"Yeah, really."
Somehow I didn't believe it and was about to ask again but held back. She probably wouldn't explain further and would just say it's possible anyway.
Besides, when Seyeon spoke like this, she had mostly succeeded in the past.
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Time flew by in an instant, and it was already evening.
As I rode the elevator up with Seyeon, my mood felt stuffy and heavy like a waterlogged cotton ball.
First, there was the immediate problem of Seyeon being right beside me. The nausea showed no signs of improving. And on top of that, meditation......
If things didn't work out as Seyeon said, I wouldn't be able to face Eunbyeol and Haseong tomorrow. I can still vividly see Eunbyeol leaning forward excitedly with joy.
'No, let's not get unnecessarily scared.'
If I get tense now, meditation might not go well.
Seyeon wouldn't have made that assertion without reason. She must have some plan in mind.
As soon as I entered Seyeon's room, I hurriedly took off my clothes. Seyeon also had a strangely determined expression.
Naturally leaning my back against the bed and sitting down, Seyeon looks down at me while standing and speaks.
"How do you feel? Not too nervous or anything?"
"Yeah. I think it's better to do it right now."
At my answer, Seyeon nodded slightly and then took a deep breath, exhaling heavily.
"Then let's start right away."
As she said this, Seyeon raised both hands as if to lighten the mood,
Clap!
"Kyaa...!"
Seyeon's face suddenly appeared right before my eyes.
I was so startled that I let out a cute scream.
"Did you sleep well?"
Seyeon asked while stroking my forehead.
"What do you mean, did I sleep well?"
Weren't we just about to start meditation?
Why this sudden question......
While thinking that, I felt something strange.
I could feel a soft sensation from my buttocks and back. I should be sitting on the hard floor.
"Huh...?"
I wasn't.
I was currently lying on the bed with my legs stretched out.
"Seyeon-ah, what's going on- Huh."
Instead of answering my question, Seyeon shoves her phone in front of me. Soon she plays a video from her gallery.
"......"
The video showed me sitting leaning against the bed. It was shot from above looking down. Exactly the same position Seyeon was in earlier.
The difference was that I was kneeling.
Seyeon, who must have been holding the camera, crouched down and spoke.
[Now, Yubin-ah. Look here.]
I look at the camera as Seyeon instructed.
Then Seyeon begins chattering away, explaining about meditation. Though it was hard to understand with all the professional terms pouring out like a flood, I realized why it felt like the film had suddenly cut out.
[It's a somewhat dangerous method that could cause fainting or memory loss - ......]
"...That's what it was?"
"Yeah. That's why I recorded the video."
I nodded my head slowly.
As I was silently watching the video.
'Something's strange...?'
I felt something off about my appearance.
How should I put it... I looked more lively? Even though she was talking about scary things like fainting and memory loss, I kept giggling while shyly fidgeting with my fingers, rubbing my thighs together and fidgeting nervously.
[You roughly understand, right?]
[Yeah!]
[From now on-]
My answering voice was very cheerful too. It even seemed like I was being coy. And then I laughed innocently, going hehe.
'There's no way I would act like that.'
Normally I would have spoken quietly in a gloomy voice with about twelve ellipses. I wouldn't laugh that often either.
Was I deliberately trying to relax? I'm not sure.
After that, it was meditation as usual. When Seyeon hugged me from behind, I seemed to quickly enter my mental landscape. Soon a blue aura slowly enveloped my body.
'This is amazing.'
Since I always close my eyes during meditation, I had no way of knowing my body looked like that.
The video ended with me finishing meditation and fainting after bowing my head deeply.
"Ugh......"
When I took my eyes off the phone and looked at the ceiling, a mild headache suddenly came over me. Must be the aftereffects of meditation. Forgotten memories seemed to float through my mind like dark clouds.
I could also faintly hear the characteristic analog TV-like buzzing tinnitus.
Holding my forehead with one hand, I asked.
"Then... did it succeed?"
"It succeeded. Perfectly."
"Whew......"
A sigh of relief escapes me reflexively. It was truly fortunate. Seyeon really did well.
"...Thank you, Seyeon-ah."
"No. I should be thankful that you followed along so well."
Seyeon poked my cheek and praised me brightly.
"......"
I smiled bitterly.
Where exactly is there room to suspect this girl?
If only I could confirm with physical evidence, I could properly hate her, but since I only have these uncomfortable feelings and intuition-like circumstantial evidence, my heart feels so heavy.
"Ah, Yubin-ah. I need to shower now. Curfew's coming up."
"Huh? Already?"
When I turned on my phone to check the time, there were 30 minutes left until dormitory curfew.
Just showering alone takes 15 minutes, and with drying my hair and changing clothes combined, it's quite tight.
I hurriedly gathered my clothes and headed to the shower room.