Chapter 146 – No. 7 Kang Geom-ma (4)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Training grounds, Saint Class camp.

“A-Abel. That ogre just now, how did it die? Did I see it wrong? Or is there some separate technique in swordsmanship like that?”

Rachel tugged at Abel’s clothes and asked in an insistent voice.

“That hurts, Rachel! Let go of this!”

Abel first slapped away Rachel’s hand, which was gripping her clothes tightly. The rough grip had left her sleeve all crumpled with wrinkles.

Rachel stuck out her tongue and apologized.

“Ah, sorry. I think I got too excited. Hehe.”

“Haa, anyway.”

With a tired face, Abel spoke.

“As far as I know, there isn’t any such technique in swordsmanship. And that… to me, it seems more like something different than a technique. Even you, who handles a spear, can feel that Kang Geom-ma’s swordsmanship is something alien, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. How should I put it, rather than a technique, it feels more like some kind of phenomenon? He even cut magic during the midterms before.”

“Exactly, so it’s ridiculous to apply the yardstick of common sense we already knew to Kang Geom-ma.”

“Well, the score already came out as unmeasurable, infinity.”

“That was a huge shock to me too. But it’s probably not just us. Everyone who witnessed this situation must feel the same….”

As Abel looked around, Se-in’s face came into view.

Amid the heightened atmosphere, Se-in alone was narrowing her eyes.

Wearing an intentionally serious face, she stared intently at Kang Geom-ma seated far away. For some reason, her eyes were full of concern.

“The speed at which he’s synchronizing is absurdly fast….”

Se-in’s muttering lingered by Abel’s ear.

‘Synchronization, speed?’

Right then, perhaps feeling the stare, Se-in abruptly whipped her head this way.

“!”

At the sudden meeting of their eyes, Abel’s shoulders jerked high. Like a thief with a guilty conscience, she had the look of someone who had stolen another person’s muttering with her ears.

Abel’s face turned restless. Rolling her eyes around, she avoided that black gaze.

…Yet under that lingering stare, Abel suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.

‘What is this?’

After staring at Abel for a moment, Se-in left her seat.

The silver hair that fell neatly to her waist swayed softly in the wind.

* * *

Ryozo kept asking what she was curious about.

“Fine, I get that you cut the fear using your blessing. Honestly, even now, this thing about cutting sound or waves. I still can’t completely believe it, but I saw it with my own eyes, so I can’t exactly pretend I didn’t… Then does that mean you can instantly kill every magical beast that emits fear with cardiac arrest or something like that?”

“No, that’s not it.”

I shook my head.

“That situation just now was a bit special. Ogres are magical beasts that rely particularly heavily on fear. On top of that, the pulsation was hugely amplified by berserk mode. Actually, if it hadn’t gone berserk, I was doubtful whether I could’ve finished it in a single blow. I just got lucky.”

Ryozo exploded in outrage.

“Hey! How can you brush that off as getting lucky!? It was only possible because you had that absurd skill to begin with! No matter how well the situation lined up, yeah, that wasn’t like backing into a mouse by accident, it was like catching a dragon!”

“Oh, Ryozo, you know Korean proverbs too.”

“Is that what’s important right now? Even with conditions attached, does it make any sense that at seventeen, you activated the realm of the mind and cut sound itself, huh? You idiot natural-born monster!”

Looking stifled, Ryozo thumped her own chest. I scratched my head and smiled awkwardly. Still, thanks to the silly joke, the stagnant mood lightened.

Step, step.

My senses, sharpened from before, detected a presence approaching.

The scene was filled with cadets who had fainted. And on top of that, in the Wolf and Tiger class camps, only Ryozo and I were still in our right minded.

So the approaching presence clearly had business with us. The guess soon turned into reality.

“Cadet Kang Geom-ma.”

I turned my gaze toward the voice. A man in a neat suit was standing there. Behind him, there was also a woman peeking out with only her eyes showing.

Judging by their tidy attire alone, they were not academy staff. The academy professors and instructors had badges hanging all over their uniforms.

The man, sweating nervously, held out a business card. The paper was damp with sweat.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Sung Yuchang, a section chief in the Strategic Planning Department of the Association, dispatched to the academy. Please feel free to call me Section Chief Sung.”

That handsome middle-aged man, Section Chief Sung, jabbed his elbow back behind him. The woman who had been hiding sprang out like a mole with its tail on fire.

“I-I’m Han Eunae, assistant manager first class in the Strategic Planning Department of the Association!”

After finishing her introduction, Han Eunae also hurriedly held out a business card. Her hands were trembling so badly it was pitiful.

Shifting her eyes this way and that to avoid my gaze. She was so desperate she looked like someone with a disease that killed you if you made eye contact.

I tilted my head slightly.

“Why have people from the Association come looking for me?”

I had heard through Media that the Association had set up its base in the academy. So I was not all that startled by their sudden appearance.

But was it really fine for them to approach me this openly? Media would obviously dislike this kind of behavior. It felt strange.

At my slightly hardened expression, Assistant Manager Han hurriedly opened her mouth.

“Ah, well, that is…”

“Wait a moment. First, I’m going to verify whether you really are from the Association.”

Ryozo, who was beside me, snatched the business cards out of my hand and examined them. Only after scrutinizing them with narrowed eyes did she nod.

“I checked the serial numbers, and they really are from the Association. The titles and departments also seem to match.”

“…!”

At Ryozo’s words, both of their eyes widened in shock. Ryozo pointed out the details to them one by one.

“The first four digits would be the institution number, the middle three the department, and after that the title notation. The five digits at the end would be the personal security number, right?”

“H-How did you….”

“My family has trained me in this sort of thing since I was little. I’ve seen business card formats from all sorts of government agencies and international facilities countless times since childhood.”

“…Huh.”

Section Chief Sung let out a faint laugh.

Some random female cadet had identified them just from the numbers written so small in the corner that they were barely visible. That reaction of sheer disbelief was normal.

Even I, who knew how clever Ryozo was, flinched. No, I was creeped out.

Was it really right for someone who could identify titles by serial number to call me a talent monster or whatever? She was basically a computer with two legs.

I glanced at Ryozo. At that, she tapped her temple with her index finger.

‘Are you AlphaGo?’

Ahem. Section Chief Sung broke the awkward silence with a cough. Brightening, he said:

“First, I’ll answer Sashimi Sword Saint… no, Lord Kang Geom-ma’s question. We’ve come because of the special reward for this mock exam.”

“It’s the academy’s special reward, so why has the Association come?”

“Because we were the ones who planned and organized this exam, and the headmaster entrusted even the granting of the special reward to us. The atmosphere here isn’t very good right now, so would you be able to spare some time separately?”

Section Chief Sung’s attitude was extremely polite. At a glance he looked at least twenty years older than me, yet his speech was fully respectful. Even so, I couldn’t simply put aside my suspicion.

The concerns of the Sword Emperor and the headmaster came to mind. Neither of them had liked the idea of me getting involved with the Association. There was certainly some reason for that.

But separately from that, there were some things I was personally curious about. Not just the special reward, but couldn’t I also ask about the Monolith? As I said before, most artifacts were managed under the Association.

I understood the feelings behind the two of them worrying about me. They treated me like family.

But in the end, my own would have to come first in every matter. No matter what, the choice and the responsibility were entirely mine.

My mind was made up. Right now, it was right to act proactively.

I nodded to Section Chief Sung.

“Yes, let’s go.”

“Ah, thank you! Then I’ll escort you right aw…”

Ring, ring, ring.

A shrill noise came from Section Chief Sung’s pocket. The complexion of the man, who took out his phone and looked at it, instantly turned deathly pale.

“…Please excuse me while I take this call.”

Section Chief Sung took the brief call, then let out a sigh deep enough to sink the earth. He soon said to Assistant Manager Han:

“I need to go to the headmaster’s office because of this matter. So explain it to them in my place, Assistant Manager Han.”

“If it’s the headmaster’s office… then don’t tell me, Section Chief….”

Apparently guessing the situation, Assistant Manager Han let out a low murmur. Section Chief Sung gave a bitter smile. A shadow had already fallen over his face.

“Don’t worry about me, just take good care of Lord Geom-ma.”

Without any further explanation, Section Chief Sung hurried off. His final expression had been extremely heavy.

Watching her superior’s back, Assistant Manager Han forced herself to speak in an even tone.

“Lord Kang Geom-ma, if you would please follow me.”

“Can I come too?”

Ryozo asked, raising her hand straight up.

“Geom-ma, her… way of thinking is a little unusual. If I step in as an intermediary, communication will probably go more smoothly.”

Wasn’t this overprotecting me a little too much?

“I’m not a child, so what are you even worried about?”

“No.”

Ryozo glared at me sharply. With her eyes, she was saying, Were you seriously asking if I could leave you to go alone?

Assistant Manager Han thought for a moment, then agreed.

“Understood.”

Assistant Manager Han had been gradually avoiding my gaze, but Ryozo looked straight at her.

“However, if you aren’t the person directly concerned, then confidentiality regarding everything discussed is mandatory. Do you agree?”

“……”

Ryozo silently looked at me. Then she met Han Eunae’s eyes and nodded.

“If you want, I’ll even sign a confidentiality agreement.”

* * *

Following behind Assistant Manager Han, who led the way, we moved to the academy’s main building. Assistant Manager Han pressed the button for the fifth floor of the elevator.

Ding. When the doors opened, Ryozo and I blinked at the quite different scene.

The fifth-floor reception hall of the main building had been turned into the “Hero Association Strategic Planning Temporary Department.”

Office desks and computers filled the space without a gap. At a glance, it looked no different from a company.

Under Assistant Manager Han’s guidance, we reached a separate room. Then Ryozo and I ended up sitting across from Han Eunae with a wide table between us.

“……”

With a strange atmosphere settling over us, Ryozo laced her fingers together. Narrowing her eyes, she seized the initiative.

“Assistant Manager Han, could you first explain why you’ve brought us all the way here, and what kind of conversation this is supposed to be?”

Pressed down by Ryozo’s chilly bearing, Assistant Manager Han stammered:

“F-First, I’ll explain step by step the purpose for which we planned the mock exam, and why we invited Lord Kang Geom-ma.”

Ryozo immediately corrected the point of the discussion.

“Mm, I’ll decline the prefatory remarks. I already more or less guessed it on the way here.”

“…?”

With a faint smile, Ryozo continued.

“Ogre subjugation is originally part of the second-year curriculum. And Joaquin Academy’s curriculum hardly changes under normal circumstances.”

“……”

“Isn’t that strange? Normally, ogre subjugation isn’t one cadet from each class. All cadets participate. But this time, for the one we took, only one representative from each class was put forward.”

“……”

“That felt awfully suspicious to me. How should I put it. It looked like a pretext for selecting exceptional individuals and approaching them. And bringing us here seems like part of that too.”

“……”

“As for the Association always hovering around graduates of Joaquin Academy, well. Seeing how you came straight at Geom-ma with business cards earlier, I can more or less tell.”

“……”

Assistant Manager Han only moved her lips, like a person whose secrets had all been laid bare. Before she could say anything, she had already been driven onto the defensive.

Judging by the fact that she had made assistant manager first class at such a young age, Han Eunae was probably an elite too, yet Ryozo overwhelmingly defeated her with words. She forced her into silence.

Honestly, I felt that if there were a strongest in the setting when it came to deskbound theory, it would be Ryozo. Quietly staying silent was probably what helped her most.

A triumphant smile appeared at the corners of Ryozo’s lips.

“So, Assistant Manager Han, setting aside whatever ulterior motives the Association may have toward Geom-ma here, you only need to tell us what the special reward is.”

“……”

In the end, Assistant Manager Han nodded with a half-resigned face.