Episode 46: The Exchange Program (4)
The students who had come from Kalos to Gaon were being guided by an assistant instructor as they toured the library.
Understanding the basic structure and locations of key facilities in Gaon was essential for the Kalos students who had just arrived for the Exchange Program.
Thus, the assistant instructor was busy explaining Gaon’s infrastructure.
“This is Gaon’s Central Library. It houses almost all existing materials… Some forbidden books also exist, but students are not permitted to access them—”
Though the assistant instructor continued his explanation, the students’ attention had already drifted elsewhere.
In the end, he let out a wry smile and granted them some free time. As expected of students from a magic-specialized academy, they were practically scrambling to read the books.
“We’ll meet back here in an hour~”
And so, they were given personal time.
Yoon Chae-ha quietly wandered through the library, leaving Joo Seo-jun behind.
— Sssk.
She brushed her fingers across the bookshelf and pulled out a book.
She flipped through it lightly.
“Nothing special.”
She tilted her head slightly and murmured.
The content of the book, the quality of the materials—
Compared to Kalos, there was nothing particularly outstanding.
As she absentmindedly moved forward, her gaze halted at one spot.
Deep within the library, she saw books bound by thick chains and secured with strong seals.
Forbidden books.
Kalos had them too—books that were strictly regulated.
The reasons varied. Some contained knowledge too dangerous, while others held research of such high value that access was restricted.
Most were sealed with unique magical formations by professors, making them impossible to open carelessly.
But she was different.
Her crimson eyes gleamed faintly.
[Authority: A Priori]
① Piercing Eyes
– Nothing can be hidden, and nothing can hide.
② A Priori Knowledge
– The essence is already determined.
③ ??? (Locked)
She analyzed the barrier.
She lightly extended her fingertips.
Normally, she should have been repelled the moment she touched it.
However—
— Srrk.
Without any resistance, her hand passed through the barrier.
Yoon Chae-ha glanced around once before effortlessly pulling out a book.
Her eyes moved rapidly.
Each time she turned a page, the sentences imprinted themselves into her mind instantly.
The content…
“…It’s similar.”
Even though it was a forbidden book, it was no different from what Kalos had.
They said Gaon was special, that it was different—
Yet neither the depth of knowledge nor the density of information met her expectations.
It was always the same.
The things people called “the best.”
The things people praised as “special.”
But whenever she saw them for herself—
Whenever she looked at them with these eyes—
They always fell short.
Her eyes could see through the essence of all things.
And never once had that essence truly shone.
Yoon Chae-ha returned the book to its place.
She stared at its spine as it was pulled back into the shelf, then slowly averted her gaze.
That was why she never believed anything unless she saw it for herself.
That was how she had lived her life.
And so, when she personally judged Jung Haein—
Naturally, her interest was piqued.
She waited for the moment she could see him again.
…
She recalled the morning’s events.
What had happened at the Exchange Program earlier today—
That moment replayed vividly in her mind.
Before the event ended, she had faced him.
And naturally, she opened her eyes.
Her crimson gaze shimmered with light.
…!
[Authority: Fragment of Harmony]
① Pasa HyeonJeong (破邪顯正)
– Shatter the false and reveal the truth.
② ??? (Locked)
③ ??? (Locked)
His authority was revealed.
‘A Fragment…?’
A concept still debated within academic circles—a fragment (片鱗).
Its exact usage remained unclear, an enigma that countless researchers had yet to unravel.
And yet, Jung Haein possessed such a fragment within him.
At that moment, her heart pounded.
It was a sensation closer to awe and exhilaration.
‘As expected…!’
She inwardly rejoiced. He was different from anyone she had encountered before.
Unwilling to simply accept this at face value, she became even more eager and activated her authority with greater intensity.
The second power of A Priori—Innate Knowledge.
It would reveal the true essence of Jung Haein.
Just then, he turned his head, and their eyes met.
However—
-Clang!
Her authority was repelled.
“…!”
Yoon Chae-ha’s heart pounded violently.
There was only one possible reason for such an occurrence.
Either an equal-level or higher-level authority had interfered.
Her gaze shifted to the short-haired woman standing beside Jung Haein.
A woman dressed in sacred robes, wearing a faint smile, quietly standing by his side.
But Yoon Chae-ha knew.
It was this woman who had just deflected her sight.
Like a mother shielding her child,
She had erected an unseen barrier between Yoon Chae-ha’s gaze and Jung Haein.
The mana radiating from her was powerful, yet it was directed solely at Yoon Chae-ha.
That was why no one else noticed.
Mana carries the strong will of its caster.
It is said that among those of a high caliber, even a single exchange of mana is enough to read the intentions behind it.
And right now,
This woman’s mana conveyed a clear message.
‘Don’t even try.’
An invisible boundary had been drawn.
“….”
Yoon Chae-ha slowly turned her head away.
Then, she allowed a barely perceptible smile to form.
Different. Truly different.
Her first defeat.
Until now, nothing had ever obstructed her sight.
Not once in her entire life.
But now, for the very first time—it had been blocked.
She analyzed her emotions.
Surprise?
Yes, that was there.
A sense of defeat?
Certainly, that too.
However,
Looming far larger than either of those—
Intrigue.
Who was this woman who had deflected her sight?
And why was she so carefully protecting Jung Haein?
That was why—
She found him even more fascinating.
***
‘She must be curious.’
By now, she was probably racking her brain, agonizing over it.
This morning, the moment Yoon Chae-ha saw me, her amber eyes sparkled.
She must have tried to activate her authority to grasp my essence.
Though she didn’t show it outwardly, she had definitely read my power.
And what she saw was—
A Fragment.
Something that, at this point in time, no one else in this world could possess.
For someone like her, who relentlessly pursued knowledge, it would be impossible not to be curious.
And I intended to use that curiosity.
The Exchange Battle.
One month from now.
Students transfer from Kalos to Gaon, and from Gaon to Kalos, would face off in duels.
They would engage in direct combat, as well as dungeon speed runs.
In other words, it wasn’t just a simple sparring match but a competition that closely resembled actual battle.
Each exchange student would be paired with a mentor from the hosting academy.
A mentoring system—where an exchange student was assigned a mentor from the host school.
In short—
It was a test to determine “Which school teaches better?”
With each academy’s pride on the line, students took the exchange battle very seriously.
The level of a student’s growth was a direct reflection of the institution’s prestige.
That’s why, for Gaon, the arrival of preeminent students like Joo Seo-jun and Yoon Chae-ha was a golden opportunity.
Mentors were chosen by the students themselves.
The exchange students from Kalos could pick any student from Gaon as their mentor—
And the chosen mentor had no right to refuse.
That was the official rule.
Which meant—
I simply had to wait.
For her to choose me as her mentor.
***
-Clang!
-Clang!
“Hah…”
Yu Hana collapsed in front of me.
We had been in the middle of partner training.
“How was it?”
I asked her for her thoughts on the new weapon.
What did she think about facing it with a sword?
She pressed the back of her hand against her lips, thinking for a moment before responding.
“Since there’s another attack path to account for, I had to pay attention to more things. But overall, it suits you well.”
I nodded.
‘…What is this?’
For some reason, her skin seemed to glow today.
Her complexion was smooth, almost radiant—her porcelain-white skin appearing even more striking than usual.
Could it be because of that elixir candy she ate this morning?
I dismissed the idle thought with a shake of my head.
The sparring match was over.
I checked my wristwatch.
11 o’clock.
It was about time to wrap things up.
“Well then, I guess we should—”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
She picked up the Dongbaek Sword from the ground.
Then, she infused it with mana.
-Whirrr…
The sword vibrated faintly, emitting a soft crimson glow.
“You still have to watch.”
Yuhana always performed Flower Butterfly Sword forms after sparring and asked me to critique her posture.
At first, I had a lot to say about her form.
But now…
Honestly, there was nothing to critique.
To be blunt, the only reason I had started training her in the first place was to give her the strength to survive against Moras on her own.
But she didn’t just survive—she cut him down.
There was no longer a need for continued partner training.
At this point, she would benefit more from refining her technique through personal reflection rather than external instruction.
One day, Yu Hana would carve out her own domain of mastery.
What she needed now was to realize things for herself.
-Swish!
I sat down on the training ground, absently watching her swordplay.
‘She’s good.’
That was all I could think.
And then—
-Beep!
My smartwatch vibrated.
I glanced down to check the notification—
And let out a startled, undignified noise.
“…Huh?”
✉ [Gaon]
✔ You have been selected as the mentor for student Yoon Chae-ha in the Exchange Program.
✔ Please attend the orientation by 10 AM tomorrow.
So it had happened.
She chose me as her mentor.
A smirk tugged at my lips.
Just then, it seemed that Yu Hana had finished her sword dance as well.
She lifted the hem of her T-shirt slightly to wipe the sweat off her face.
For a brief moment, her well-defined abs came into view.
“How was it? Was it okay…?”
“You did well.”
-Clap, clap, clap.
I applauded and walked toward her, giving her a few pats on the shoulder.
-Tap, tap.
Then, I spoke.
“Let’s stop here.”
Our partner training.
I kept it brief.
“I don’t think you need it anymore—for now. I think it’ll be better for you to figure things out on your own.”
Now that I was officially a mentor, there was a good chance I’d have to spend my afternoons with Yoon Chae-ha.
Besides, I had already given Yu Hana the Dongbaek Sword, taught her the Flower-Butterfly Sword, and helped her develop the strength to withstand Moras.
This was the right time to end our partner training.
We would still do our morning workouts together anyway.
Originally, I had planned for this to last around two weeks.
But now, we had gone well past three.
There was no reason to drag it out any longer.
“…What?”
The moment I finished speaking, her eyes widened.
-Clang!
The Dongbaek Sword slipped from her grasp.
The heavy blade clattered against the ground, ringing with a deep metallic sound.
Frozen in place, she stared at me.
Her expression shifted rapidly—
As if she was on the verge of tears.
“…What did you just say?”
Her fingertips trembled slightly.