Chapter 155: The Lay-dies Can Just Take It Easy
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 155: The Lay-dies Can Just Take It Easy
"The gate you will be practicing in is a C-Class Gate. You are scheduled to enter the Troll Kingdom."
"C-Class?"
Unlike the startled Min-su, everyone else nodded as if they had expected as much.
Instructor Kim Seok-gu, seemingly anticipating the surprised reaction, flipped to the next slide of his presentation and continued.
"I’ll be saying this often in the future, but... the number of dungeons and gates has been surging at an almost excessive rate lately. Therefore, even though this is a practical training exercise, we have decided to emphasize the 'practical' aspect over the 'training' aspect. Any questions?"
"What kind of place is the Troll Kingdom?"
"I will explain that now. First, the number of teams divided for this joint training is..."
As Kim Seok-gu’s explanation continued, I turned my gaze toward Kim Min-su.
To think he’d show up just in the nick of time and then act like he’s working so hard.
His intentions were so transparent it was pathetic.
‘Well, that tactic usually works quite well, though.’
That is, if he hadn't caused any problems until now.
Wasn't Kim Min-su the very person who started by skipping class and then proceeded to wreck the atmosphere of the exchange event?
He probably didn't notice, but the look on Kim Seok-gu’s face suggested he was itching to give the kid a piece of his mind.
I could practically feel him holding back only because the Saintess was present.
It was a good thing Min-su was focusing on the lesson; if he had been fooling around, the instructor might have beaten him to death right then and there.
‘By the way, C-Class is pretty tough, isn't it?’
Considering that B to C-Class is the main stage for the top-tier Hunters in Gladire.
Sending first-years into a C-Class Gate was a very bold decision.
All those stories about raising gate fees and refusing to move unless the money was deposited—those were all based on C-Class Gates.
For difficulties below that, you could somehow manage by throwing 4th or 5th-grade hunters at the problem, but from C-Class onwards, it was a completely different story.
"First of all, from C-Class up, the environment will be entirely different. But well... since every member here has experience clearing an S-Class Gate, I don't think that will be an issue."
Kim Seok-gu continued without a break.
He tried not to show it, but since the Saintess was sitting right in front of him, his nervousness was becoming visible.
Well, she was essentially like the king of a nation; it would be weirder if he wasn't nervous.
Poke, poke.
'Hm?'
While I was listening intently to the explanation, someone poked my arm. I turned my head to find Melanie grinning at me with a face that said, 'See? I was right, wasn't I?'
Yeah, she definitely was.
I gently stroked the back of Melanie's hair and smiled back with a face that said, "Good for you."
"The condition for clearing the gate is the elimination of the Troll King. The hidden clear conditions haven't been discovered yet, and as far as we know, there aren't any. Since similar types of gates have been conquered several times already, in some ways, the practical difficulty is considered to be around E-Class."
"May I ask a question?"
"Yes, Saintess. You may ask at any time."
The moment the Saintess opened her mouth, Kim Seok-gu’s speech shifted instantly from informal to polite honorifics.
Perhaps because I had thought of the Saintess as a 'heroine,' our psychological distance had closed, and I had never really felt she was difficult to approach.
But being in a place where her influence was so palpable made me realize once again what kind of existence the Saintess truly was.
‘A being respected and loved by all...’
And Kim Min-su is aiming for someone like that?
It was laughable.
"May I know who conducted the gate investigation? I would like to receive a detailed list of names."
"Ah, if that's the case, would it be alright if I gave it to you after the theoretical training is over?"
"Ah, yes, yes. Then I'll ask that of you."
Why did she need a list?
I had more than a few questions, but for now, I decided to let it go.
"Then, to continue the explanation... the expected location of the gate is Mount Cheorak, located behind Bogeumjari Mall. We plan to deploy as soon as the gate opens, so you must not be late. And absolutely no absences."
Kim Seok-gu glared at Kim Min-su as he spoke.
It was a stern warning that if he skipped again, it wouldn't end with just a glare.
He hadn't just skipped a class; he had skipped the opening ceremony of a major event, so this kind of treatment was only natural.
Since he had even lost his Protagonist Share, the days of being let off for no reason were over.
‘Though it seems Kim Min-su hasn't realized that yet.’
The way he nodded while keeping one eye on the Saintess and the other on Melanie...
I suppose living that hard is one way to live.
Not that I wanted to respect it.
I just wanted to hurry up and strip away the rest of his Protagonist Share so I could beat him up with a truly clear conscience.
"For now, the basic explanation is finished. Honestly, I’d like to talk more about positions, but I think it would be better for those with S-Class Gate experience to discuss it among yourselves. So, I’ll leave it at that and head out."
Don't just leave as soon as I do; make sure you discuss your positions.
""Thank you for your hard work.""
With those words, Kim Seok-gu left the classroom, and a heavy silence descended.
Because he had explicitly set the stage by saying, "Talk about this!", everyone was at a loss for words.
Right then.
"But is there really anything to overthink? Baelson, Baek Tae-yang, and I can just clear everything from the front. The Lay-dies can just take it easy."
Kim Min-su stepped forward.
With a face full of confidence that seemed to say, 'Wasn't I just so sweet?', he went up to the chalkboard and literally wrote "Lay-dies."
He was repeating the same nonsense he pulled at the Noble social party, having learned absolutely nothing.
"See, Baelson is like a typical tank if this were a game, right? Since his skills are Paladin-type anyway... so he'll be at the very front of the vanguard. And Baek Tae-yang is a bruiser, so he can be second... I'm more of a dealer, so I'll be in the back. Everyone understands, right?"
As Min-su spoke, he drew three circles and wrote their respective names in them.
I didn't know if he was trying to divide an ant into head, thorax, and abdomen or what.
"And the Saintess and Melanie can just relax comfortably, because there's no way the three of us will let a single monster get past us. Right?"
"..."
The already quiet classroom fell into a total vacuum of silence.
Melanie looked at Kim Min-su with a disgusted expression.
Baelson was digging in his ear as if wondering if he had actually heard that correctly.
As for me, there was nothing to even say.
The Saintess, however...
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
"Wow, Hero, how did you come up with that? I think it's truly amazing. It's like you have a completely different level of intelligence than us! Really, your level is just! It's so overwhelmingly different!"
She was giving him a round of "seal claps," reacting enthusiastically to Min-su's words.
"Ehehehe, I've always been exceptional in these areas."
"It's at a level very similar to the internet stories I read when I was young! How can your creativity be so breathtaking?"
"Ohohoho! I'm someone who values the glories of the past. You know, 'learning from the old to know the new'—that kind of thing is very important to me."
Give me a break.
She's mocking you right now.
How can a person be so utterly clueless?
I stood up, thinking I should say something, but Melanie grabbed my arm.
"I'll do it."
"What?"
"I don't want to waste any more time on this."
With a look of extreme displeasure, Melanie walked toward Kim Min-su.
"Stop talking such utter nonsense. The Saintess here is likely stronger than you, so who do you think you're protecting? And in the first place, you don't even have the skills for it. If it were Tae-yang, maybe, but you..."
Melanie began to dismantle every bit of bullshit Kim Min-su had spewed with perfect, undeniable logic.
Kim Min-su began to shrink like a cartoon character until he eventually huddled in a corner, and thus, the situation was cleanly resolved.
‘It’s going to be a rough one. Real rough.’
I had deep doubts about whether this combination could successfully clear the gate tomorrow.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Ah... I'm exhausted..."
After the first day of joint training ended.
I lay on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Ever since the Saintess appeared, I felt like things had been going slightly off-track.
What was certain was that she wasn't an enemy, but it was also ambiguous to call her an ally.
While it was true she was subtly mocking Kim Min-su, strictly speaking, she was still technically on his side.
‘I’ve ended up in a development where I’m being dragged along again.’
A situation had been created where I couldn't do anything until the gate opened and we went inside.
It wasn't like I could just whip out my cock in front of the Saintess and mindlessly fuck her, either.
‘I wonder how deep Min-su's trauma actually goes.’
His ability to rationalize things was truly extraordinary.
Seeing him call Melanie and the Saintess "Lay-dies" right after losing Yu-min and then Hye-mi...
He was definitely a formidable opponent in his own way.
"Chun-hyang."
Pop.
"Yes, My Lord!"
Chun-hyang appeared the moment I called her name.
I stroked her hair, wanting to relieve all the stress from today's events.
"Spread them."
"Yes."
Without asking any questions, Chun-hyang immediately lifted her skirt.
Using her index and middle fingers, she pulled her pussy wide open and thrust it toward me.
"My Lord, please, hurry and impregnate this girl with your cervix-crushing breeding press..."
"Stop talking nonsense."
I needed to make sure my body was fully relaxed before entering the gate tomorrow.