Episode 11: Sung Siwoo (4)
Do Han-seong was an instructor at Gaon Academy, but at the same time, he was also an individual employed by the guild Lotus.
His role was to identify promising and exceptionally talented students and report them to the guild.
The clipboard in his hand was a tool he used for precisely that purpose.
‘Indeed…’
When he first received the list of Class B students, it seemed unremarkable.
A fairly average class with a few high-ranking students.
However, the new list he received on the day of the entrance ceremony completely overturned his expectations.
Yohan, Yu Hana, Cheon Yeoul, Kang Arin.
A class filled with students whose names were bound to become the talk of the academy.
Of course, most of them were already affiliated with other organizations or were essentially pre-assigned.
Naturally, his focus shifted to those who still had open potential.
And now, his gaze was fixed on the center of the auditorium.
Two students engaged in a sparring match. One of them, in particular.
Initially, the duel between Yu Hana and Cheon Yeoul drew the most attention.
Their dazzling skills exceeded expectations, capturing everyone’s eyes.
Their abilities were already far beyond what one would expect from students.
However, his interest was drawn elsewhere.
It was Sung Siwoo and Jung Haein.
The battle began simply.
Sung Siwoo dominated the offense, relentlessly attacking, while Jung Haein defended against every strike.
On the surface, it seemed like Sung Siwoo was overwhelming Jung Haein. However, the gap between them wasn’t that wide. Sung Siwoo hadn’t landed any effective blows on Jung Haein either.
Thus, Do Hanseong’s initial evaluation of them was straightforward.
‘Typical top-tier students…’
His first impression of the two was just that.
Sung Siwoo seemed to have excellent innate physical attributes, but his technique was close to zero.
Jung Haein was stable but lacked a decisive finishing move.
But that assessment soon had to be revised.
Despite Sung Siwoo’s relentless attacks, Jung Haein’s demeanor remained unshaken.
On the contrary, Jung Haein gradually started reading Sung Siwoo’s patterns and gaining complete control over the flow of the battle.
Clang!
The critical moment came.
Jung Haein’s sword aura shattered Sung Siwoo’s sword aura in an instant.
Sword aura at that age?
“The first since the previous Hero…”
With a sigh, he highlighted Jung Haein’s name on his clipboard with a marker.
This would undoubtedly be reported to Lotus.
***
Sung Siwoo stood frozen in place, as if in shock, for quite some time.
I didn’t say anything else to him.
I just quietly walked past him and returned to the waiting area.
The lingering aftertaste wasn’t exactly pleasant.
I felt sorry for him, knowing that I was trying to break his preconceived notions and reshape them to fit my own perspective.
After all, he’s a character I created.
His arrogance was probably the result of the environment he had lived in for the past decade or so.
‘Completely rural, after all…’
He must’ve been a frog in a well.
Even so, I couldn’t just give up on him. I believed he could change.
Even if it didn’t happen all at once, even if it took time, I hoped he would return to the version I knew.
No matter what anyone said, he was the protagonist of this world.
From the other side, I saw Sung Siwoo staggering toward the waiting area.
At that moment, a voice from somewhere interrupted my thoughts.
“That’ll never change, you know?”
What?
Did I say that out loud?
Startled, I turned toward the voice.
“Isn’t that right?”
It was Kang Arin.
Before I knew it, she was standing next to me, looking up at me with a questioning expression.
“Huh…?”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
How was I supposed to respond to this?
As I hesitated, debating whether to offer an excuse, Kang Arin crossed her arms and tilted her head.
“No, I mean your thoughts. Do you think the rankings will change next?”
- The rankings will definitely change. Yu Hana is stronger than Cheon Yeoul.
- Do you think the Saintess looks like a pushover? It’ll never change.
Ah… Now I understood the situation. The duel between Yu Hana and Cheon Yeoul was still ongoing.
People around were fervently discussing their rankings.
I stared blankly at her for a moment, then quietly shook my head.
“We’ll have to wait and see.”
“Hm…”
Kang Arin raised the corners of her lips as if amused, looking at me with a probing gaze.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion reverberated through the entire auditorium, accompanied by a massive shockwave.
The shockwave dissipated after hitting the erected magic barrier, but the sound was deafening.
I turned my head to look in that direction.
Do they even realize it’s supposed to be a sparring match? They’re fighting as if they’re trying to kill each other.
“So, how was your sparring opponent?”
As soon as I turned my attention to Cheon Yeoul and Yu Hana, she asked me.
I stopped myself from saying everything I was thinking.
…Guess I should at least defend him a bit.
“He was good.”
I kept my answer simple, without any embellishments.
But the person who asked didn’t react.
I turned to look at Kang Arin.
She was staring at me with clenched teeth, her expression on the verge of tears.
I was taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor.
What’s with her now?
She had seemed fine earlier, casually talking to me, so I thought she had moved on from the Kang Yuseong incident.
Judging by her reaction, that wasn’t the case.
“Are you okay…?”
But as if it had never happened, her expression sharpened.
“All talk, no skill, and overflowing arrogance.”
She began evaluating Sung Siwoo.
“He’s already ruined by bad habits.”
This sounded familiar somehow.
“Completely lacking in fundamentals.”
She didn’t pause for a breath, relentlessly criticizing him.
“And he’ll never change.”
Finally, she added one last remark and suddenly flashed a radiant smile.
“That’s my evaluation.”
Well… she has sharp judgment.
“Uh, right…”
I nodded vaguely, not wanting to argue with her.
“Phew~”
Kang Arin stretched leisurely and let out a soft sigh.
Her slender waist was exposed as she stretched, and her light breath exuded a sense of ease.
For a moment, my gaze was drawn to her, but then another thought crossed my mind.
By the way, who was Kang Arin’s opponent?
“Who was your opponent?”
“Hmm?”
She tilted her head and stretched one arm out, lazily pointing to one side of the auditorium.
“Over there~”
I followed her gaze and was met with a shocking sight.
“Hurry up and get in!”
The auditorium doors burst open as emergency medics rushed inside.
A student was being carried out on a stretcher, bleeding. It didn’t take long for me to recognize him.
“Yohan…?”
He had collapsed, unconscious.
More strikingly, the sword in his hand was utterly wrecked, as if it had been torn apart by brute force.
Was the gap between them really this wide?
I couldn’t close my gaping mouth.
“He kept trying to climb up the ranks~”
Kang Arin’s voice drawled lazily.
I slowly turned to look at her.
“…without knowing his place.”
She, too, turned her gaze to meet mine directly.
Then, slowly, the corners of her lips curled upward.
She was smiling brightly.
A smile that was all too radiant.
***
“8,000 won, please~”
The best way to forget a shocking scene is to eat something delicious.
I grabbed my food and looked for a seat.
Sion recommended this place as a must-visit, and sure enough, it was packed with people.
I found a seat tucked away in a corner and laid out my meal.
“Did you hear…? Kang Arin completely destroyed Yohan…”
No matter where I went, that was the main topic of conversation.
It didn’t take long for the news about today’s sparring match to spread.
Kang Arin was ranked first. Yohan was ranked second.
Was the gap between them really that wide?
In the original story, it’s true that Yohan never surpasses Kang Arin, even by the time they graduate. The difference between them only grows exponentially as time passes.
In other words, right now, the gap between them is at its narrowest.
The two were rivals in every way, from their affiliations to their ideologies. It wasn’t surprising that they fought, but…
Kang Arin had gone too far.
From what I’d heard, Yohan was suffering from mana exhaustion, which meant at least two weeks of rest would be needed.
I had been planning to deal with him sooner or later due to the pressure he was putting on me.
This incident saved me some trouble, but…
Sometimes, things just work out for the best.
Crunch.
It’s delicious.
As expected, Sion’s recommendations can be trusted.
I’ve been rethinking things since last night, or rather, trying to clear my head a little.
Trying to control everything was simply unrealistic.
“Let’s just go with the flow~”
I murmured to myself while moving my chopsticks when I suddenly sensed something off.
“Excuse me, are you Jung Haein?”
Instead of responding, I looked at him while putting food into my mouth.
Despite my silence, he wasn’t fazed. He sat down and pulled something out of his bag.
“Here, take this.”
What he handed me was a business card.
On the top of the card, one word was elegantly engraved:
‘Lotus.’
The world’s second-largest guild.
It was a name everyone knew.
“This isn’t the best place to talk. Do you have some time?”
As if he had already assumed I would answer positively, he placed the card on the table.
“No.”
“…Pardon?”
His expression twisted for a moment.
It seemed he hadn’t anticipated this response.
Most students would be overjoyed if a scout from Lotus approached them, eagerly jumping at the opportunity.
After all, it’s the second-largest guild in the world. The prestige alone is hard to resist.
What they don’t realize is that this practice is illegal.
At Gaon Academy, any scouting contact outside the official offer period is prohibited.
If you sign a verbal agreement, breaking it later becomes difficult as they use its illegality to threaten you.
With some thought, one could find ways to counter this, but a young, unaffiliated student wouldn’t know such methods. They’d end up being dragged along, swallowing their frustration.
What’s worse is that truly talented and promising students are treated with utmost respect through proper channels.
But for those in an ambiguous position—students who are “too good to give up but not worth the full effort”—they approach like this.
“Haha, I think there’s been some misunderstanding.”
Forcing a smile, he continued speaking.
“After seeing your performance in today’s sparring match, Lotus holds you in very high regard. We’d like to formally—”
“No, stop.”
I interrupted him and set my chopsticks down irritably.
Then, I slowly locked eyes with him.
“Offers should be made during the official period, with an official contract.”
I held up my smartwatch on my wrist.
“…Lotus holds you in very high regard…”
The screen lit up, replaying the recorded conversation.
His face froze instantly.
I got up from my seat.
My good mood was completely ruined.
“And I’ll be reporting this to the academy.”
No matter where you go, it’s always the same. The scum who prey on rookies are the absolute worst.
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