Reviving Tensions
It wasn’t unfamiliar. The slightly wavy hair cascading over her shoulders, the glimpse of a slender, pale face. As I looked closer, I noticed the delicate eyelids following the gentle curve of her features. It was Kim Hanbyul, someone I had gone through many rites of passage with, along with the others. She lay there, asleep, looking rather pitiful.
I watched her for a moment, then quietly closed the door. I tiptoed closer, trying not to make a sound.
“Sniff…”
”…”
Her face, emitting a faint nasal sound, looked much more gaunt than before. Even in sleep, her brow was slightly furrowed, as if she were having a bad dream, occasionally letting out a soft moan. The atmosphere around Hanbyul felt inexplicably gloomy.
Gently, I lifted her frail body into my arms. There was no ulterior motive. With only a few hours until dawn, I wanted her to rest peacefully rather than waking her up unnecessarily.
“Mm…”
Despite my efforts to be quiet, Hanbyul’s eyes fluttered open, sensing my presence. Her eyes, once sharp and bright, now seemed clouded and dull.
“Oppa…?”
“Yeah. It’s okay, go back to sleep.”
Her voice, heavy with sleep, murmured as I laid her back on the bed. Her lips moved a few more times, but only unintelligible sounds came out. Soon, she settled into a steady rhythm of breathing.
Watching her sleep more peacefully than when I first entered, I found myself lost in thought.
Six months had passed since the academy ended. I had thought of Hanbyul a few times during that period. The disappointment I felt when she didn’t choose me was more about missing out on a Jewel Mage than anything else.
But seeing her now, I felt nothing. Well, maybe a tinge of pity. I didn’t know the full story, but it seemed she was struggling to fit in with the clan. I had expected to feel something special upon seeing her again, but all I felt was a calm indifference.
I sighed deeply and turned away. The reason I initially thought there was only one bed was because the two beds were pushed so closely together, they looked like one large bed.
After removing my gear and placing it beside me, I lay down on the empty bed. As soon as I closed my eyes, the events of the day began to replay in my mind—promotions, summons, Han So-young, the matriarch, clan members, An Sol, the academy, instructor meetings… I couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking that An Sol’s tears might have something to do with all this.
As time passed, darkness slowly crept into my mind.
………. ………. ………. ………. ………. ……….
I did sleep, but it wasn’t deep. I could sleep soundly in the arms of Jeong Ha-yeon or Go Yeon-ju, but this was different. It was a mystery. Even though it was a light sleep, it was better than not sleeping at all, so I decided to stop complaining and slowly opened my eyes. I could feel a gaze fixed on me from the side.
”…….”
I turned my head to see Kim Hanbyul standing quietly beside me. Her expression was cold and silent. When our eyes met, her gaze wavered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.
Hanbyul didn’t speak, and neither did I. “Why are you here, oppa?” or “This is my room,” were pointless conversations for us. We both knew the circumstances.
I sat up in bed and spoke in a calm voice.
“It’s been a while. Well, not really, since we saw each other yesterday.”
”…It’s been a while. Oh…”
“Yeah. I heard from Park Hyun-woo yesterday. Let’s work well together for the next three months.”
”…Yes. Please take care of me.”
Hanbyul’s voice sounded strained, as if she was still uncomfortable with our relationship. I decided to maintain a composed demeanor. She’s quick-witted and smart enough to understand my intentions. I didn’t want to burden her or make her feel uneasy.
To ensure that, I needed to clearly define our relationship. As head instructor and assistant instructor, we had a professional relationship. So, I spoke nonchalantly, even though I already knew the answer.
“Seems like you didn’t sleep too deeply. Do you know the schedule for this morning?”
”…….”
“You don’t?”
”…You need to wake the new users with the lifestyle instructors and guide them to the control instructors.”
“Ah, right. Thanks.”
When I asked again, her response was cold, yet there was a subtle sadness in her voice. After a brief exchange, I turned and opened the door in front of me.
She’s capable of taking care of herself. I’m sure she can overcome her current struggles on her own, I thought, as I quickly left the room.
Despite numerous challenges, the User Academy had finally sounded the starting gun for its training. The process was rushed, like cooking beans over a lightning fire, and I wondered if it would run smoothly. However, thanks to Park Hyun-woo’s desperate role distribution, the first week went relatively well.
There were several reasons why I postponed my original plans to join the User Academy. It wasn’t simply to help new users that I accepted the instructor position. I intended to act strategically and saw the necessity to do so.
The first reason was to build connections. Whether the future was twisted or not, networking was crucial in Hall Plain. Many prominent members from various clans participated as instructors in the User Academy. They would undoubtedly be interested in me, and I intended to maintain good relations with them.
Even though I was granted a Free status, I made sure to show diligence. I often felt eyes observing my actions. It was obvious that the control and lifestyle instructors would report my daily activities to the education instructors from the same clan.
A good appearance is as important as good taste. If I showed a lack of diligence, relying solely on my potential, it would only devalue me. The positive impressions I made could later serve as a bridge of goodwill when meeting with influential education instructors from each clan.
Another reason was to scout potential new clan members. This was perhaps the most significant issue. Passing the rite of passage on the fifth day was a 100% guarantee of a user’s exceptional talent.
Though it seemed a bit foolish, I activated the Third Eye on each new user from the first day. I didn’t just look at their stats. I opened their user information to the fullest, meticulously reading, calculating, and considering every possibility.
I stopped this tedious task after three days, having checked about 30 users. I realized how inefficient this method was. While I could eventually see everyone this way, analyzing each user’s information and considering various scenarios was exhausting. I disliked the idea of having to start over if I missed something by skimming through.
Since I had plenty of time, I decided to be a bit crafty. Although the first week was just a taste, specialized training would soon begin. At that point, users’ levels would start to diverge. Depending on their abilities and potential, they would either break through limits or hit a wall. This would allow us to assess their suitability as combat users.
There’s a saying, “A needle in a bag will eventually poke through.” It means that a person with exceptional talent will naturally stand out, even if they try to hide. Soon, users who excel will emerge, and I can focus on evaluating the combat personnel. If none appear, then a thorough investigation will be necessary.
Haste makes waste, so I proceeded with my plans slowly, focusing on two main goals. Of course, there were a few other things that caught my attention.
I always kept An Sol’s words before leaving Barbara in mind. However, there were no signs or indications. I couldn’t just bluntly ask, “Is something wrong with the Golden Lion Clan’s matriarch? And is there anything unusual happening lately? I feel uneasy.”
So, I decided to proceed with the academy plans and wait for a while. My concerns might be unfounded, and it wasn’t something I could discuss openly. If there was no solution internally, I would need to seek external help. I planned to discuss it with Go Yeon-ju after the second week.
Another matter was Kim Hanbyul.
“Mercenary Lord, is there anything inconvenient about your instructor duties?”
“Suhyeon, how’s life at the academy? Is the assistant instructor helping you a lot?”
Hyunwoo Park and Yubin Sung would occasionally drop by and subtly try to broach the subject with me. Honestly, every time they did, I couldn’t help but think how pathetic it was. When I first heard about it from Hayun Jung, I just thought, “Oh, is that so?” But experiencing it firsthand made it clear just how rotten things had become.
Every time they asked, my response was always the same.
“Yes, Hanbyul Kim is a very competent user. I understand why you spoke so highly of her. Having her as an assistant instructor certainly makes things easier.”
“Haha. I’m getting a lot of help from Assistant Instructor Kim Hanbyul. Thanks to her, life at the academy has become much more manageable.”
I had no intention of getting involved with Hanbyul Kim. I didn’t want to play into their schemes, and forming a close relationship with the Golden Lion now would bring more harm than good. Various clans were already eyeing me with interest. Right now, it’s just a trickle, but I planned to turn it into a flood. I wanted to avoid any actions that could lead to misunderstandings.
The most important thing here was Hanbyul Kim’s position. She seemed to be caught between me and the higher-ups, which must have been quite awkward for her. Fortunately, she hadn’t shown any particular stance so far. In fact, it seemed like she understood my signals. As time passed, the initial awkwardness faded, and she began to show her true self more often. That alone was enough for me.
Sometimes, she’d come back to the dorm with a flushed face, and I’d ask out of courtesy, “What’s wrong with your face? Are you sick?” to which she’d usually reply, “No, it’s nothing.” It was a bit unfortunate, but it wasn’t something I could help with, and she didn’t seem inclined to talk about it.
And so, the hectic first week at the academy came to an end.
After the first week, the user academy recorded an unprecedented zero dropouts. This time, the academy had started with a significantly lower difficulty level compared to previous sessions, and the reason was obvious. Having been well-fed, they were now trying to stretch things out as long as possible. They said they’d gradually increase the difficulty from the second week, so we’d have to wait and see.
Anyway, after the first week, I saw Hyunwoo Park breathe a sigh of relief in the cafeteria. He probably thought he’d managed to get off to a good start amidst the chaos.
But the academy was just beginning. Tensions between the clans still lingered, and there was a subtle sense of competition over the new users. Even while performing daily tasks and maintaining order, there were moments of palpable tension.
It wasn’t severe enough to cause problems, but with nearly twenty clans in conflict, it felt like it was only a matter of time before something erupted. It was just a question of when and who would make the first move.
And sure enough, midway through the second week, an incident occurred that proved my suspicions right.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Royujin.
I uploaded this in quite a rush today. Finished editing at 11:57 PM. Before updating in the serial section, I first upload it to the drafts and take a slow look through. Usually, I take my time reading, but today I read through it in a frenzy. @[email protected] Balancing multiple tasks is never easy, it seems. ㅜ.ㅠ Today, I even turned down an invitation from my classmates to eat after lectures, and I felt so guilty. They told me not to act so high and mighty. Hahaha. :D
『 Reader Comments 』
Miwolya: Congratulations on being first! You’ve achieved first place twice in a row now! I’m curious if you’ve made it three times in a row. I haven’t checked the latest comments yet, but I’m eagerly looking forward to it. :)
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Shinyujin: Hahaha. I understand. Back when I was just a reader, I always felt stories were too short. I didn’t realize then how challenging daily serials could be. ㅜ.ㅠ
Prince of Chaos: Yes. A long time ago, there was no user academy. It was established by a user in the past, and the angels, recognizing its value, assigned a mission reward of 4 points upon completion. That’s all I’ll say about the academy for now. Any more would be spoilers. :) (For reference, there are similar facilities on other continents, but the original is on the northern continent.)
Sereson: Do you like Sereson, or do you prefer Ansol?
Brisingr: Hahaha. Don’t worry. The protagonist won’t be swayed by their personality.
Offitlove19: Thank you! I’ve corrected the typo! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
BrokenFan: Oh, I was on the subway home when that song suddenly came to mind. Hehehe. Round and round~.
CubeChessboard: Hmm, I didn’t quite understand. What do you mean by collecting by color and type?
OverdueRent: NO. I didn’t intend to show the fallen status of the Golden Lion. Please connect it with the luxurious lineup that follows. However, I’ll definitely consider your comment during the e-book revision to make it smoother. Thank you for the valuable advice. :)
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