Chapter 27
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Lesson 7. It's Definitely Not Because I Like You - 2
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“I'm so glad everyone's safe!”
Yumina let out a deep sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping as she spotted Ban Yu-won and the others emerging from the tower.
Not just her—professors and associate professors alike, every staff member from the academy had gathered outside. Students dotted the crowd here and there as well.
If they shared one thing, it was that everyone looked utterly frazzled.
“What happened?”
“Well... sigh. Let's move somewhere else first.”
When Ban Yu-won asked point-blank, Yumina heaved a grand sigh and fiddled with the pendant around her neck.
The next instant, the group found themselves in a lecture hall without a door.
“It's not exactly good news, and we couldn't make a fuss about it, so I gathered you all here. I also wanted to hear about your first exploration.”
“And?”
Dokgo Yeon let out an irritated voice.
“Why did things go wrong right from the first exploration?”
“Because of the Irregular.”
They'd known that much even before hearing the details.
Yumina nodded, knowing full well that wasn't the answer they wanted, and continued.
“We talked about external intruders this morning, right? Their presence has been confirmed. One of our students... died at their hands.”
“Eek!”
Lucelle, who had been utterly dejected ever since leaving the tower, gasped in horror and reflexively clamped down hard on Ban Yu-won's forearm.
Ban Yu-won, who had braced himself inwardly while taking in the chaotic atmosphere, asked to confirm.
“Not just died, but couldn't make it out of the tower, right?”
“Yes. The ones in the same party as that student testified to it. They... ultimately let the intruder slip away.”
It hurt. Lucelle was gripping his arm even tighter.
Even so, Ban Yu-won let out a hollow laugh.
“So what happens to that intruder now?”
“Who knows. They might have been recognized as a climber by the tower itself.”
Yumina's expression was incredibly bitter as she said it.
Ban Yu-won saw right through her words as truth, not mere supposition.
In that moment, intuition beyond reason dawned on him.
“Don't tell me the tower deliberately led them on? To have the intruder... kill an existing climber?”
“...!”
Yumina gave the tiniest nod, barely perceptible unless you were looking closely.
Ban Yu-won's teeth ground together with a grit.
It was the moment his view of the tower flipped completely.
“A qualification test, then. If they can kill a climber, they're recognized. If not, they die instead.”
If an intruder couldn't even take down an existing climber, they lacked even the bare minimum qualifications.
But if they did manage it, they'd proven themselves superior to the current climbers, earning the chance to ascend the tower.
To Ban Yu-won, a normal human with a normal mind, it was a test utterly incomprehensible.
“It's also because new students entering the tower increases intrusion attempts, right? The intruders want to kill off the relatively easier marks among the freshmen and get recognized as climbers.”
Yumina didn't answer his question directly, but her expression had already done so.
“What a place Union Academy is.”
Dokgo Yeon, having pieced together the situation from the exchange, sneered as she hopped up to sit on a nearby desk.
“An intruder brazenly breaks into the tower—the very reason the academy exists—and they can't even stop the tower from goading them into killing a student... Makes 'top academy in all dimensions' sound like a joke.”
“You're misunderstanding something, Dokgo Yeon.”
Yumina gave a wry smile.
“Union Academy has a duty to protect its students, but the moment you enter the tower, it's all on you. Especially if the tower chooses the intruder over the student—we can't interfere with that. It's the tower's will.”
“The tower's will...”
Dokgo Yeon murmured blankly, her gaze drifting out the window to the towering structure beyond.
Even after one student had died inside, the tower stood unchanged, simply looming there impassively.
Was the intruder—now a climber—still inside?
Probably.
“...I really don't like it.”
“Wait, Dokgo Yeon—.”
After muttering that, Dokgo Yeon placed her hand on her student ID.
Yumina called her name, knowing what that meant, but Dokgo Yeon was already gone.
“Whew, honestly.”
“Please understand, Professor. Something unpleasant happened inside the tower.”
Ban Yu-won comforted the visibly disheartened Yumina.
She looked up.
“Unpleasant? What?”
“Some weird voice calling itself the Observer of the All-Seeing...”
“A Constellation?!”
Yumina's reaction was explosive.
Ban Yu-won was the one startled this time.
But Lucelle and As Light just gave wry smiles, as if they'd expected it.
“Contact with a Constellation on your first day in the tower? That's a first in academy history! Even with Irregulars making the Constellations act up and loosening the tower's barriers, still!”
Her reaction was worlds apart from her earlier gloom, making Ban Yu-won wonder if she'd been acting all along.
He shook his head and asked her.
“So what's this Constellation thing?”
“...Pardon?”
Yumina let out a dumbfounded voice at his question.
She glanced back and forth between Lucelle and As Light with a 'you don't know either?' look, but they shook their heads slightly, indicating they already did.
She seemed a bit relieved at that and turned back to Ban Yu-won in disbelief.
“Unbelievable... I heard you're from a lower dimension without mana, but they block out Constellations too? What kind of backwater is this?”
Earth had just been called a backwater.
Just because it lacked Constellations!
“So what is a Constellation?”
“Patrons, or observers.”
The answer came from As Light.
For some reason, he said it with utter contempt in his eyes.
“Transcendent beings who observe countless dimensions, contract with those who catch their fancy, and exert influence on those dimensions through their contractors.”
“They give you magic power, authorities... or artifacts like that. But they demand a lot in return.”
Lucelle added her explanation with a similar expression.
Ban Yu-won nodded automatically, recalling what had happened in the tower earlier.
Upper beings who arbitrarily observed beings from other dimensions, sponsored their powers, and demanded whatever payment they pleased.
Truly transcendent.
“This is straight out of fantasy. What, do they just browse dimensions like some webtoon? And handing out powers like candy...?”
“You say the funniest things, Ban Yu-won.”
“It's fantasy, alright.”
If Ban Yu-won had to compare it to something he knew, it was kinda like those tall benefactor stories?
If everyone had diligently read those, they'd know there's no such thing as sponsorship without strings attached.
A promising young maiden gets some tuition help and ends up mortgaging her life to a guy fourteen years older!
“They actually make those shady deals. How do you even know what they'll demand?”
“Constellations' demands vary, but if you can borrow their power, plenty of people are willing to pay the price. Shows how desperate they are for strength. Especially... in places where power matters most.”
Yumina's gaze turned toward the tower.
“The tower has the most Constellation contractors of anywhere. It's where they focus their attention the most.”
“What's the academy's stance on Constellation contracts?”
“Officially neutral, but in practice, they encourage grabbing the opportunity if it comes.”
Yumina added with a wry smile.
“I told you before—you can't enter the tower without a student ID. So why do intruders show up? How do they even manage it?”
“No way...”
“Yes, most of it's Constellation power. If it lets outsiders dream the impossible dream of becoming climbers without joining Union Academy, it's no wonder some would stake their fate on a Constellation.”
But to become a climber, you inevitably had to kill another climber.
And the Constellations knew that full well while sponsoring intruders.
Ban Yu-won felt even more disgusted.
Then Yumina leaned in with sparkling gem-like eyes and asked.
“By the way, what did the Observer of the All-Seeing demand?”
“Murder.”
“Ah...?”
Professor Yumina's face froze as she shoved it close.
Ban Yu-won gently pushed her back and continued.
“It said it'd contract with two out of four, so the ones who wanted it should kill one of the others first... That's what it demanded.”
Well, it was a bit different, but that wasn't something to get into here.
Ban Yu-won could still vividly hear that Constellation's voice in his ears.
—Only the hot, life-filled blood of your veins shall be praise and offering to me. Children of such astonishing potential, sever a comrade's neck and offer it to me, and I shall take you as my closest kin. My love shall never leave your side until you reach the tower's peak and claim your desires!
Believing and following some lunatic who demands you kill your friend right off the bat for power.
Thankfully, before anyone could react, Dokgo Yeon had snapped in fury, channeling her energy to drive it off.
It wasn't easy—she'd been exhausted right after—but thanks to that, they'd escaped that space unharmed and made it out of the tower.
“Th-that...”
It must have been even more outrageous than she'd imagined.
Professor Yumina clutched her forehead with a sigh, then glanced at Dokgo Yeon's empty spot and murmured.
“So that's why she... after hearing that.”
“Some unknown entity treating our deaths like some fun game or test? Yeah, she'd be fed up. Honestly, me too.”
Tower or Constellation, they were the same in trying to toy with humans at whim.
Maybe somewhere there was a benevolent one handing out power freely, but today's experience was enough.
Ban Yu-won would never trust any being that interfered with him on a whim.
“Professor, does that mean no tower access this week?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, probably not. Sorry. But over the weekend, we'll be monitoring the tower to hunt down intruders...”
“You don't need to apologize to us.”
For Ban Yu-won, with his Tuesday sparring match against Irecto looming, this was awkward.
Now he'd have to tackle external dungeons that were a bit tougher...
“Want me to summarize what happened in the tower as a report?”
“Mm. I'd prefer to hear it directly... Oh, you free tonight? We could talk over dinner.”
“...”
“...”
As Yumina clapped her hands like she'd had a brilliant idea, Ban Yu-won stayed silent, but As Light and Lucelle stared at her.
Yumina flushed slightly, feeling accused preemptively.
“If you all wanted to join me for dinner, sorry. But our class president has been through so much, so I figured I'd look after him personally... We'll eat together next time!”
“No, that's not... Never mind.”
“...”
As Light started to say something at Yumina's somewhat off-target response but just shook his head.
At least she didn't seem to have romantic interest in Ban Yu-won, so that was fine.
Lucelle, still looking suspicious, stared at Professor Yumina before glancing at Ban Yu-won, sighing lightly, and placing her hand on her student ID over her chest.
The next moment, she vanished.
“Well then, Ban Yu-won, As Light. You did great. I'll make sure nothing like this happens next week, so don't think too badly of the academy.”
“I get your position, Professor. Thanks for caring.”
“Haha... Guess I'll head out and rest. Have a good weekend.”
As Light, looking drained, left the room first.
Ban Yu-won bowed his head and turned to leave.
“Ban Yu-won, one thing first.”
Yumina's voice held him back.
It felt oddly familiar.
“I have a question.”
“Can't it wait for dinner?”
“No, I want to get this depressing talk over with now.”
At Yumina's wry tone, Ban Yu-won realized his shallow ploy hadn't worked on her at all.
He slumped his shoulders in resignation and turned back. Yumina looked him straight in the eye.
“Straight to the point, then. The Observer of the All-Seeing... didn't it actually designate sacrifices?”
“...Yes.”
Ban Yu-won hesitated a moment before squeezing his eyes shut and admitting it.
Want to be contractors? Kill 'first'?
No, that bitch wasn't that nice.
—You two can definitely reach the tower's summit. Of course. Yes... if you just get rid of those useless lumps.
The Observer of the All-Seeing said that and 'bound' two of the group in place.
—Now, my beloved children. Kill those. Then I promise you: you'll gain the most radiant potential among all climbers.
And then it demanded.
From Dokgo Yeon and Ban Yu-won.
—Kill and seize. I'll show you that's all there is to the world.
It had demanded they kill Lucelle and As Light to gain power.