Chapter 55. Conscience

Chapter 55. Conscience

“Haah…”

Damn academy bastards.

Im Sol muttered as she sunk into the VIP seat.

She was glad that she had managed to secure a good reward for Lee Hoyeon.

It eased her conscience, and as a teacher and an adult, it felt right to properly compensate a student who had struggled.

But… the situation had gotten too big.

The commendation ceremony had grown to the point where Im Sol, as an academy professor, was required to attend.

And since it was an event where many important people gathered, there were bound to be bothersome interactions.

“It’s been a while, Professor Im Sol.”

Some old man approached and started talking to her. She didn’t want to respond, but since he was one of the academy’s benefactors, she couldn’t just ignore him.

In the grand scheme of things, he was one of the people funding her research.

“Yes. It’s been a while.”

“It’s the first time since your presentation at the last magic symposium. That was truly impressive. How is your research these days…?”

Im Sol disliked these tedious conversations, but she endured them, knowing they were necessary.

After exchanging meaningless pleasantries with several people and enduring the disgusting stares of old men, she felt utterly drained.

“Ugh, these disgusting old bastards… It won’t be much longer.”

The idiotic magic scholars who valued tenure over accomplishments were about to be shaken up soon.

The new method of magic application that Lee Hoyeon had demonstrated.

Once she finished compiling the findings, she would present them at the next magic symposium.

When that time came… she would no longer have to concern herself with the opinions of other mages. That was the future Im Sol envisioned.

Thud.

At that moment, someone plopped down in the seat next to her.

“Sola~ It’s been a while~”

“Huh?”

Hearing the overly familiar way she was being addressed, Im Sol turned her head and saw a familiar face.

Min Yeji.

At first glance, she looked delicate, but her sharp, narrow eyes exuded a certain allure.

No matter how often they interacted, this woman was dangerous.

Though they were acquainted, Min Yeji was a burdensome presence.

“Why didn’t you answer my calls? I sent you that business proposal.”

“You’re not actually calling that trash a business idea, are you?”

“Why not? Just imagine the ad revenue from you casting spells in a bikini—”

“Shut up. I’ll kill you.”

This insane energy. This was exactly why Min Yeji was so exhausting to deal with.

“Come on, why are you being so cold to me? Is that really something you’d say to a friend?”

“Haah…”

Im Sol sighed, watching Min Yeji shamelessly flash a grin and link arms with her. She began contemplating how to deal with this lunatic.

[The event is about to begin. Please take your seats.]

Fortunately, Min Yeji quieted down once the ceremony started.

Phew. Im Sol sighed in relief and turned her attention to the event.

The ceremony began with awards for outstanding students.

But the real highlights were the commendations for the hunters who subdued the gate and the cadets who defeated the demon.

Everyone knew the outstanding student awards were just filler.

“The students aren’t bad. Especially the student council president—she could pass as an active hunter.”

“Well, yeah. That’s Moon Surin for you.”

Im Sol had heard much about Moon Surin’s talents. She just hadn’t paid much attention since they were in different fields.

Flash—

Min Yeji’s eyes briefly glowed gold.

“Hmm, but none of them seem profitable.”

“…Are you seriously thinking about money with the students too?”

“In this world, money is everything, Sola.”

Min Yeji smiled, but there was a sharpness in her gaze.

After enduring unnecessary pomp and ceremony, the real commendation ceremony finally began.

“Oh, A-Young is getting an award.”

“You know the Saintess too?”

Unlike Im Sol, Min Yeji, being an active professional, had a broad network.

“Yeah, she often comes to our guild as a helper. She was there during our last raid.”

“I see. Well, that makes sense. It is the Ironblood Guild, after all.”

- Next, the commendation for the cadets who eliminated the demon will take place.

‘Finally, it’s time.’

Im Sol focused on the entrance.

Soon, Lee Hoyeon and Lucy hesitantly stepped onto the stage.

Seeing them, Im Sol couldn’t help but smile.

“Ah… So that’s the student you’ve been doting on lately?”

“W-What? How did you know?!”

“How could I not, when you’re staring at him like that?”

Min Yeji chuckled as she turned her gaze back to the stage.

- …Thus, we present this award to Cadet Lee Hoyeon.

“So his name is Hoyeon. Let’s see just how impressive the cadet our dear Sola favors really is~”

“Haah… Just don’t do anything weird—”

Flash—

Before Im Sol could finish her sentence, Min Yeji’s eyes shone gold once more.

And this time, the playful smirk disappeared from her face.

“…That kid… he’s worth something.”

Min Yeji’s gaze turned predatory, and Im Sol waved a hand in front of her face to block her line of sight.

“Hey. Don’t get any ideas. He’s my student.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll try to hold back.”

“No, don’t just try—don’t touch him at all!”

“Aww, Sola~ Why are you being so mean to me~?”

“Ugh!”

82. *

[Secret Records of the Rune Clan]

“I can’t believe this is here...”

‘Rune Clan’

A clan that appeared in the original game.

Their specialty: ‘Barrier Magic.’

They possessed a mana form specialized for barriers. From birth, they were educated solely in barrier magic, conditioning their mana form to suit it.

Because of this, their barriers were the strongest—and the worst. Ultimately, due to their danger, they were erased from history.

The reason I needed to learn this barrier magic was simple.

As the story progresses, I will constantly run into this ‘Rune Clan’ barrier magic. One of the major villains is a survivor of the Rune Clan.

When I faced Felix last time, it took me about a minute to break through his intermediate-level barrier.

If this were a game, that amount of time might not matter since the game would progress accordingly.

But this is reality.

A few minutes spent breaking through a high-level barrier could mean life or death for the heroines. Cutting down that time, even by a little, is crucial.

Besides, I’m not just saving one person.

If the academy faces a terrorist attack as the story dictates, I may need to save all the heroines.

To quickly dispel barriers, learning ‘Rune Clan’ barrier magic is essential. Weapons and artifacts can always be acquired later with money.

And another important point—barriers provide excellent soundproofing.

Maintaining good relations(?) with the heroines means it’s a necessity.

Anyway, I took the ‘Secret Records of the Rune Clan,’ which looked like a tattered piece of trash, and left the treasure vault.

Unfortunately, taking a piece of junk didn’t grant me an extra pick.

When the Headmaster asked why I chose it, I simply said it was for magic research. He just muttered something about me being just like my professor.

Too bad.

Soon, Lucy entered the vault and came out about ten minutes later.

She was holding an orb. I was pretty sure that was something that helped with mana circulation.

It was something I needed, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t find the ‘Secret Records of the Rune Clan’ anywhere else, so I had to let it go.

“I hope you both made good choices. I wish you luck in your academy life.”

“Thank you.”

With everything taken care of, we left the Headmaster’s office.

“Ah, I’m starving. Should we get something to eat before heading back? Let’s call Lumi too.”

It was already lunchtime. The awards ceremony took up the whole morning, but we still had afternoon classes, so time was tight.

“Lucy?”

When she didn’t respond, I turned around and saw her standing still, head lowered.

“… Hoyeon.”

“Huh?”

What’s with her? She looks tense.

“Take this.”

Lucy rummaged through her pocket and held out the mana orb she got from the vault.

“Hey, why? That’s yours.”

“No, it’s fine. I didn’t do anything to deserve it.”

“But… you chose it.”

That’s when I noticed it.

Her hands were trembling as she held the orb.

“L-Lucy? What’s wrong?”

I grabbed her arms and looked into her face.

Tears welled up in Lucy’s eyes. The trembling that started in her arms spread through her entire body, and the mana orb slipped from her hands, rolling weakly to the floor.

“H-Hoyeon… It’s too much. Just thinking about that day, about Felix… it’s terrifying… Everything goes dark. Every time I look at this orb, I see Felix. I-I don’t want to be involved in this anymore…”

Lucy stared uneasily at the mana orb on the ground, then covered her face with her hands and started crying.

“…”

She had been quiet, so I thought she was okay, but I hadn’t realized how much she had been holding back.

The heroine status window never showed anything like this.

It was probably because her guilt toward me outweighed her hatred of Felix.

“It’s okay, Lucy. It’s over. Felix is dead. You’re safe now…”

“Hic… Why did that have to happen to me? Why…? Why…?”

“…”

I held Lucy’s trembling hands as I gazed at the sky.

She was petite, almost fragile. I could nearly wrap my arms around her entire frame with one hand.

She wasn’t just a game heroine. She was a cadet who should have been living a bright and happy academy life.

And I had ruined that.

I had left an indelible trauma on such a pure girl’s life, and I deeply regretted it.

Just because I wanted to raise her favorability faster, just because I wanted her to rely on me more, I made such a disgusting decision. I hated myself. I wanted to turn back time.

But my [Steadfast Willpower] was urging me to say the best possible words in this moment.

And so, I followed that advice.

“It’s okay, Lucy. From now on, I’ll protect you. I’ll always protect you.”

Offering her a cliché but warm reassurance, I hugged her tightly.

This was the best way to raise her favorability right now.

“Hic… Hoyeon… hnn…”

Lucy buried her face in my chest and sobbed, tears streaming down.

Her tears soaked through my cadet uniform, leaving a damp warmth on my chest.

“....”

My mood was foul, yet the blue sky was completely clear today, without a single cloud.

How long had I been holding Lucy? Eventually, she stopped crying and pulled away, her eyes bloodshot.

“Ah, ah... Sorry. I just felt a little sad all of a sudden. I’m fine, so don’t worry. I’m going to head off first today.”

Lucy fanned her face wildly with her hands and forced a smile.

“Lucy, wait.”

“Don’t come.”

I had no choice but to stop my outstretched hand.

“Don’t come... Tomorrow, let’s meet as if nothing happened. Okay? Promise me.”

“...Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

At her pleading words, I silently nodded.

*

I wasn’t in the mood for lunch, so I headed to the private room in the training hall.

The afternoon class was on Magic Analysis—magic reversal and barrier nullification.

I wasn’t sure if Lucy would show up for class, even though I wanted to demonstrate something to her… But before the lecture, I wanted to master the “Rune Clan’s Secret Technique.”

“Haah, alright. First, the magical structure of a barrier is composed of hexagons connecting together… Ah, fuck.”

I couldn’t concentrate at all.

Despite my [Steadfast Willpower] keeping my emotions in check under most circumstances, today was different.

“Again, connect the hexagonal magic patterns evenly to distribute the power… Okay.”

Honestly, speaking aloud was just to get into the mood—I had already grasped the structure completely.

The formula and magical operation methods were all written down. With my talent, there was no way I couldn’t master it.

“I really made the right choice. This is actually practical.”

In my left hand, I held a mana artifact.

──── [Tear of the Mermaid] ────

▶ Grade: High Intermediate (A)

▶ A mana stone enhanced with a large quantity of mermaid’s tears and magic refinement.

▶ Increases mana control speed and accelerates mana circulation.

────────────

“Tear of the Mermaid…”

The name irritated me for some reason.

Ding—

Just then, an alert popped up on my smartwatch.

“Huh? That’s not a message notification sound.”

[You have received a private message on Everyday.]

[YejiYomi: Hello, Cadet Lee Hoyeon. I would like to personally sponsor you. Could you provide a contact method where I can reach you?]

“…What the hell is this?”

Honestly, I needed money back then, but now I had a reliable money-printing machine, so I was fine… Still, it wouldn’t hurt to respond, just in case.

I’d think about it carefully and reply after class.

Since I was done training, I left the facility and headed to the lecture hall.

There were still over 30 minutes left before class started, so the room was mostly empty.

“Hoyeon?”

“Lumi. You’re early.”

Like a model student, Lumi had been waiting in the classroom 30 minutes ahead of time.

“Yes. By the way, Lucy said she suddenly felt unwell and won’t be attending class. Hiiing.”

“…I see. I hope she’s okay. I’ll check in on her later.”

“Yes, you should.”

I looked at Lumi’s face as she met my gaze.

She looked exactly like Lucy. Almost indistinguishable. The only differences were their hair color, clothing style, and expressions. Their base features were identical.

That was their “setting.”

“Do I have something on my face?”

Hmm.

Lumi touched her face while looking at me.

Gulp.

Suddenly, I felt aroused.

I wanted to ravage Lumi, who looked exactly like Lucy. I wanted to ruin her and pour my pent-up desires into her frail body.

“Lumi…”

“Yes?”

She was completely unaware, still focused on class starting in 30 minutes.

“Come with me.”

“Huh? W-What?”

Without hesitation, I grabbed Lumi’s hand and pulled her out of the lecture hall.

“H-Hoyeon? What’s going on? Your face doesn’t look good… Hoyeon?”

Tap, tap, tap.

Ignoring her protests, I hurriedly led her to the most secluded restroom in the freshman building.

Dragging Lumi into the last stall of the men’s restroom, I activated a Rune barrier.

A small, transparent, perfectly silent barrier formed around us.

A flawless, airtight magical field that would prevent any sound from escaping.

If I had learned it, I had to use it. Right?

“H-Hoyeon? Wait a minute. Y-You’re not serious—?”

“Lumi. We’re secret friends, right?”

“Yes, but… right now… Mm!”

I silenced her by shoving my tongue into her mouth.

Chapter end