ALL NOVEL Chapter 171
“Don’t hit too hard… Got it…?”
I showed no particular reaction after hearing my ranked match opponent, Yeon Minha. I merely left behind that one line.
Of course, it’s not that I’m particularly upset. I could definitely sense the trust in her voice.
It seemed she took my victory for granted. Maybe she was more worried about her reputation than anything else.
It has been a few months since I enrolled in the Cradle.
The suspicious gazes I felt when I first appeared have probably faded away by now. I’ve been firmly holding onto the top position of the first year, and I’ve encountered many things along the way.
That is, unless you count the third-year students who haven’t seen me directly and some jealous students who can’t properly discern things.
However, in terms of skill, there are still plenty of rumors circulating about me.
Things like having a cruel and vicious personality, or forcing several female students to be my slaves.
Some of the friends I’ve gotten close to have actively defended and clarified my character, but it hasn’t completely eradicated those malicious rumors. And finding the root cause wasn’t particularly hard.
There are many who think that I and Yeon Minha must be the source of evil in this academy. To them, the reality probably doesn’t matter that much.
Of course, my personality flaws played a role in those rumors. So, unless someone directly confronts me, I didn’t care much about reputation.
However, considering my current position compared to when I first entered, Yeon Minha’s concerns are certainly valid. Not only for me but for the Heukryeon family, it will affect her too.
But right now…
I’m worried about something other than reputation.
*
In the Cradle’s library, hundreds of grand bookshelves reached the ceiling. Always sitting in the same corner.
Beside me, a female student wearing glasses and a hood was immersed in her explanation.
“Look closely. This is the Walter curve, which represents the upper limit of the particle count in a wizard’s life cycle. Each of these variables means…”
A few strands of golden hair peeked out from her bangs. Her emerald-like eyes glimmered through her glasses.
“…Did you understand?”
“…”
“Hey.”
Suddenly snapped back into focus by her voice, I saw Jin Yeseo glaring at me, her finger tracing a curve filled with various formulas.
“You were daydreaming, weren’t you? I went through the trouble of explaining it, and you weren’t even paying attention…”
“No, I was listening.”
I quickly denied it, feeling guilty, but Jin Yeseo didn’t seem convinced.
“Really? Then apply the formula I just told you and calculate it.”
She slid a paper with problems toward me. After about five minutes of contemplation, I barely scribbled down the answer.
“…2512R?”
“…Correct. Good job.”
Despite her unsatisfied expression, Jin Yeseo nodded.
“Still, that took too long. What level is your particle manipulation technique now?”
“Knights Grade B.”
“You said your goal was Technical Grade A. So, apart from memorization, you need to shorten your calculation time significantly. Aim to finish each problem in under a minute…”
This peculiar arrangement was the result of the contract we made. I would accompany her in sparring, and she would help me with my studies in return.
And Jin Yeseo was a much better teacher than I expected. Listening to her explanations made the problems I struggled with become easily understandable. For someone like me, who always worried about academic struggles, it was like rain in a drought.
Well, that is, assuming there were no external factors like now.
“So to continue the explanation…”
“Hey.”
“…Are you not going to focus? Why?”
With her explanation interrupted, Jin Yeseo shot me a furious stare like an angry cat.
But I couldn’t help but ask.
“Are you alright?”
After this commission period ends, there was a shift in the rankings for the first years. I still maintained the top spot, and Jin Yeseo climbed back into the top ten.
She claimed that she had only gained a small amount of performance points by signing up for a friend’s external commission.
However, her friends, including Moon Yeowool, failed a designated request and lost significant points, resulting in her getting a beneficial outcome.
Since I hadn’t even considered that, I was caught completely off guard when Jin Yeseo drew my name during the ranking match lottery.
The lingering thoughts of that situation continued to haunt me.
“What are you talking about?”
“The ranking match is in just two days.”
“What? I thought you were… thinking about something else…”
But Jin Yeseo still replied nonchalantly, her face showing no signs of concern, just like when she had drawn my name.
“It’s already the third ranked match. You should be getting accustomed to it by now.”
“I know that’s not what you mean. If you lose this time…”
I understood the situation Jin Yeseo was in. Because of the promise she made with her family head’s mother, she was destined to be forcibly engaged if she lost even once.
I had heard the story from her friend Haewon long ago. After getting closer, I often heard her make self-deprecating jokes about being sold off like a piece of property.
Of course, this is infuriating for her since she can’t kill me. I’m not nice, nor do I have a big heart. Considering my temperament, which is as narrow as a well and explodes like a bomb, I’m closer to being petty.
So, at that time, I wouldn’t have cared much. And it was true.
I would have just found it funny. After all, she was just a stumbling block in front of my and Yeon Minha’s path.
However, things are different now. We have navigated the swamp of death together and saved each other’s lives. In front of that, factions became a trivial problem a long time ago.
The fact that someone like her’s fate rests in my hands… doesn’t feel so pleasant.
Moreover, it’s not like she desires it; she hates the principles of her family with a passion…
“I’m not losing.”
“What?”
“I’m not going to lose.”
However, Jin Yeseo calmly replied. Even when I asked again, she seemed utterly unfazed.
She appeared so serene, as if she had no worries about the future.
“Hey. What’s with that attitude? Why are you so cocky?”
Jin Yeseo snapped at me with her characteristic haughty and blunt tone that reminded me of her former self.
“But…”
“Anyone looking would think you’ve already won, you know? Right?”
Then she smirked, lifting the corners of her mouth.
That said, my feelings toward her didn’t really hold any animosity anymore…
“You barely won today with just a narrow margin. At this rate, you’ll probably surpass me on the day of the ranking match.”
It wasn’t entirely incorrect. I knew her abnormal growth rate well enough.
In terms of innate talent, she would probably be beyond comparison with me. Even the headmaster had said so, commenting that he had never seen someone without talent like I am before. Just roll around like a dog and do brute training…
Of course, that doesn’t mean I agree with her statement. We still have a gap of two years and uncountable practical experiences.
Yet, even if she catches up one day, for now…
“Ah, just in case—you’re not thinking of going easy on me, are you?”
Jin Yeseo’s glare burned even more intensely, as if warning me.
“You’ll know at once if I’m going easy. If I see any sign of it, I’ll forfeit immediately. And then I’ll terminate our friendship. For life.”
“…”
I can’t believe it. I can’t seem to find a way out of this.
But termination of friendship? That’s an act only possible among friends.
So she does consider me as a friend after all.
“I told you, it doesn’t matter who the opponent is. I’m going to win, no matter what. Even if that opponent is you… my resolve doesn’t change.”
Now with her expression softened, Jin Yeseo spoke in a slightly gentler tone.
“If you… think about me even a little…”
And her last words whispered to me lingered in my ears for the rest of the day.
“Please face me with your utmost effort.”
*
The final ranking match of the first semester was particularly bustling.
The fact that third years had temporarily returned increased the number of participants, and considering it was the last chance to showcase their skills before entering the socialization period, there was nothing strange about the atmosphere.
The names on the scoreboard shuffled chaotically according to the scores. The loud voice of the announcer amplified through all directions.
Among them, there was a dueling ground jam-packed with excited spectators.
“This really is some bad blood…”
“Right?”
Even though the opponents had not yet revealed themselves, the dueling ground was heating up with passionate discussions.
Last year, Baek Seoyeon and Yeon Minha had rivals who either matched or even exceeded them.
It was practically a lifelong grudge.
In contrast to Baek Seoyeon and Yeon Minha, who had cleverly dodged the rankings match, these two had clashed frequently.
However, the atmosphere today felt somewhat one-sided.
The second-year student from the Cradle, Baek Seoyeon, had a significant soft spot for Jin Yeseo.
And the spectators who knew what Jin Yeseo would face in case of defeat stirred up sympathy.
“Tch… how did she end up in that situation…”
In the stands, a third-year male student named Chun Su-ho, sporting a greasy expression, clicked his tongue.
“Forced engagement… Should I jump in and save her? Well, I guess I wouldn’t mind if she asked…”
His arms still bore the distinct marks of someone’s hand.
“Exactly. Of all people, it had to be that guy…”
A sluggish-looking freshman, Kuk Jae-ryong grumbled. His tone was full of disdain for someone.
It’s common for seasoned third years to find freshmen amusing, but this mismatched combination was less than ideal.
“This arrogant little brat…”
Chun Su-ho’s face darkened with intense fury as he recalled the newcomer who had embarrassed him in front of his juniors.
“This humiliation will be repaid a thousandfold in the socialization period tournament. How dare he treat me, a heavenly senior… oh, is it starting?”
As the preliminary bell signaling ten minutes before the match rang through the dueling ground, all eyes turned to the entrance. Soon after, today’s protagonists emerged from both ends of the hall.
On one side was a tall male student wearing a bizarre mask, and on the other was a female student with sparkling blonde hair and exotic green eyes.
The cheers and roars increased with fervor. However, the two narrowed their eyes at each other, closing the distance, as if they were the only ones in the world.
You could easily deduce the nature of their relationship just from the spiteful glares exchanged.
But a strange ripple began to spread among the audience, noting something unusual in the air.
“Um…?”
“Wait… That’s…?”
Their gazes fixated on Jin Yeseo’s waist.
And there, what they saw was an exceptionally sharp blade, entirely not reminiscent of the weapons used by magic technicians.