Episode 33: The Heroines Stole My Regression

Episode 33: Midterm Exams (3)

This was insane.

As expected, Yu Hana was indeed a genius.

Before I knew it, the time had already reached 11 PM.

“Like this?”

—Pabababak!

The strike from her sword carved a sharp arc through the air before hitting the training hall’s wall.

Power, speed, and flow—everything was flawless.

It hadn’t even been a few hours, yet Yu Hana had already mastered the basics of Hwa-jeop-geom (Flower-Butterfly Sword) that I had taught her.

I was a bit taken aback when she teared up upon receiving the sword, but after exchanging a few blows, she quickly regained her composure.

“Hoo…”

Yu Hana sheathed her sword and steadied her breath.

The delicate flow of mana, which had danced like flowers and butterflies, quietly seeped into the scabbard.

And then—

Suddenly, she stepped toward me and bowed deeply.

—Tak.

It wasn’t just a simple gesture of respect.

She knelt down, clasped her hands together, and lowered her forehead to the ground.

A perfect dogeza.

I was momentarily flustered.

“Hey, hey, what are you doing?”

Without lifting her head, she spoke in a low voice.

“I am deeply moved by the teachings you have bestowed upon me. Master, I look forward to your continued guidance.”

Her voice carried a level of sincerity and reverence that felt unfamiliar.

Using honorifics was one thing, but her tone and posture were overly submissive.

Yu Hana was from a martial family.

It was only natural for her to show respect to someone who taught her swordsmanship.

But even in the original story, she had only used formal speech briefly before discarding it entirely.

‘This is a bit much.’

Good thing we were in a private room.

If someone had seen this, weird rumors would have spread.

“You can get up now…”

Then again, knowing her, she wouldn’t move even if I told her to.

Her stubbornness was on another level.

So, the quickest way to get her to stand up was simple.

“It’s an order from your master. Get up.”

—Flinch.

And I added,

“Also, just talk to me like you normally do.”

Her shoulders trembled slightly, her forehead still pressed against the floor.

Eventually, Yu Hana slowly got up.

Even as she stood, she wore an expression as if she was reluctantly holding back her disappointment.

‘What’s with her?’

Not that it was any of my business.

It was about time to wrap up the training session.

“Here.”

She held out the Dongbaek Sword to me.

A gesture that seemed to imply she was returning it.

I hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Keep it with you for now.”

Honestly, even if I wanted to carry it around, I couldn’t.

Just to prove my point, I reached out and grabbed the sword.

—Uuuuuuung!

The moment I touched it, it vibrated wildly, as if rejecting me with all its might.

Stupid sword.

“See?”

I shrugged.

“If I keep it, it’ll just be a hassle.”

Seeing this, she let out a small chuckle.

Then, she fastened the sword back at her waist.

“Alright. Thanks. I’ll definitely repay this favor.”

“Sure, sure.”

I replied nonchalantly, and she smiled faintly as she followed behind me.

After tidying up the room, we stepped out into the main hall.

Even though it was late at night, there were still plenty of people around.

Probably because midterms were just around the corner.

Students were fully immersed in their training.

I stretched lightly and took a look around.

Midterms Were Just Around the Corner

If possible, it would be best to train every day.

But saying that outright felt a bit awkward.

So, I asked cautiously.

“Can you tell me which days you’re free this week? I think it’d be good to train once or twice more.”

“…”

Yu Hana didn’t respond.

I turned to look at her.

She was gazing up at me with a blank expression.

As if I had just asked something too obvious.

“Every day.”

Then, stepping a little closer, she carefully added,

“…Weren’t we doing it every day?”

Nice.

I cheered inwardly.

Her drive for improvement was much stronger than I had expected.

Without saying much, I simply nodded.

And with that, we naturally headed back to our respective dorms.

Above us, the night sky was slowly filling with stars.

***

Ding—

A message arrived.

[Luke]: Jung Haein, the payment proposal for Iano’s Cross is ready. Please visit the Order at your convenience.

Good news.

It seemed the price assessment for the cross I had submitted was finally complete.

I could probably stop by tomorrow since I only had morning classes.

But right now, that wasn’t my priority.

-Scroll, scroll—

“…What the hell.”

Late at night, in one corner of my dorm room,

I was scrolling through the Hero Auction site, unable to sleep.

-Scroll, scroll—

“Where the hell is it?”

I needed to prepare for the demonic attack during next week’s midterms.

To do that, I was searching for a specific item, but I just couldn’t find it.

After nearly two hours of searching, I finally stumbled upon it.

Buried way at the bottom, almost as if it hadn’t been updated in ages.

[Stone Sickle]

“Pfft.”

Just the name made me chuckle.

The listing’s photos were blurry and poorly lit.

The post was so shoddy that I wondered if the seller even wanted to sell it.

I checked the description.

[Origin: Central Africa]

[Seller’s Description: It’s a sickle made of stone. I found it in a dungeon while on a mission in Africa. I have no idea what it does. No refunds.]

[Price: 1,000,000 KRW]

At first glance, it looked old and crude.

The blade was chipped in several places, like a wolf with missing teeth, and it seemed incredibly heavy.

The seller’s lack of enthusiasm was obvious from both the price and the listing details.

For reference, 1 million won was the absolute minimum price on the auction site.

But I had to buy this sickle.

This wasn’t just some random stone tool.

It was Harpe.

Yes, that Harpe from mythology—the one Perseus wielded.

It wasn’t exactly a powerful artifact in itself,

But it had a very specific purpose.

It was essentially a one-time-use item.

But that one use was invaluable.

-Click.

Without hesitation, I pressed the buy button.

[‘Stone Sickle’ is now scheduled for delivery.]

The seller was probably jolting awake right about now,

Wondering what kind of fool had actually bought it.

But they were wrong.

***

A massive medieval-style building stood tall in the middle of the city.

This was my second visit.

As soon as my class ended, I rushed over. I happened to need some money.

Quietly, I opened the door and stepped into the Arcadia Order.

The moment I entered, my eyes met with the priest sitting at the counter.

She immediately stood up and quickly approached me.

“Please, come this way!”

It seemed they had already been informed in advance. She led me with a lively step to the same reception room as before.

And there, waiting for me, was the middle-aged priest, Luke.

“Brother Haein!”

The middle-aged man stood up and greeted me warmly, extending his hand.

I shook it lightly in return.

“Haha, we were a little delayed. There was some friction during the price negotiations.”

“Oh, well… it’s fine.”

He seemed to be in a particularly good mood.

With the matter of the cross and other factors, it appeared that Cheon Yeoul’s influence within the order was growing rapidly.

Luke pulled a gold-embossed document from a leather bag and handed it to me.

“I hope you’ll find this satisfactory. If there’s any issue with the amount, please feel free to let me know.”

After briefly meeting his gaze, I lowered my eyes to the contract.

And the moment I saw the listed amount—

‘Holy shit.’

How many zeros was that?

I hadn’t planned on demanding a huge sum, but I wasn’t going to let them take it for free either.

If they had tried to lowball me too much, I was prepared to negotiate.

But this… was far more than I had expected.

I blinked a few times and read through the contract again.

Luke watched my reaction with a subtle smile.

“… You must have put a lot of effort into this.”

At my words, his smile deepened.

It seemed he was pleased that I had noticed.

“Thanks to you, Brother, the situation has improved greatly in many ways.”

At some point, he had started addressing me as “Brother.”

I closed my eyes and tapped my fingers on the table, lost in thought.

I could just accept the full amount.

But…

Slowly, I folded the contract and spoke.

“I can donate this to the Arcadia Foundation, right?”

Luke’s eyes widened slightly, and he leaned forward.

“Oh, yes… of course, that is possible, but….”

“Then, I’ll go with this amount.”

I flipped over the folded contract and wrote down a figure.

One billion won.

It was only a portion of the payment, but as a donation, it was by no means a small sum.

When Luke picked up the document, I noticed his fingertips trembling slightly.

“… Are you sure about this donation? And the recipient…?”

His voice wavered slightly.

“For Cheon Yeoul.”

At that single statement, his expression changed in an instant.

A mixture of surprise and deep gratitude filled his eyes.

He stood up from his seat and bowed respectfully.

“Thank you, truly.”

His voice carried genuine sincerity.

A donation like this would undoubtedly help solidify Cheon Yeoul’s position, and Luke fully understood its significance.

Moreover, donating to the order came with various benefits.

I had considered this option for a while now.

I quietly observed him for a moment before slowly rising from my seat.

Since he had shown proper courtesy, it seemed fitting to return the gesture.

I extended my hand lightly.

Luke took it with both hands, grasping mine firmly.

“May the goddess’s blessing be with you, Brother.”

He offered a heartfelt blessing.

I smirked.

“If everything’s settled, I’ll be on my way.”

With a slight nod, I exited the reception room.

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