Chapter 219 - Memorize | Novel Seeker

Foreshadowing

“Suhyeon, I’m heading out now. Don’t worry too much about the clan members.”

“I’m sure you’ll handle it well. Please take care of them.”

“Bye-bye, oppa!”

“Alright, Sol. Take care, listen well, and train hard.”

After reuniting with Go Yeonju, we headed straight for the warp gate. It felt more reassuring to see them off properly rather than just parting at the main entrance. Both Go Yeonju and An Sol gave me bright smiles as they said their goodbyes. Seeing Sol smiling instead of crying like before put my mind at ease.

Once they were gone, I returned to the academy. After a simple dinner, I revised my plans for the future, and before I knew it, night had fallen.

‘Is she not coming back at all tonight?’

I sighed as I scanned the room, having found the name “Cha Yuna” on the new member list. Hanbyeol’s bed was cold and untouched. I stared at her belongings for a moment before turning off the light stone. Sleep was necessary, after all.

The room was quickly enveloped in darkness. I threw myself onto the bed and let the drowsiness take over, closing my eyes.

… … … … … …

Creak, creak.

The sudden sound of the door opening snapped me awake. Though I’m usually a light sleeper (except when sharing a room with Go Yeonju or Jung Hayeon), lately, I’ve been waking up more easily. As I took a deep breath, the cold air filled my nostrils.

I sensed someone hesitating in front of my bed, but soon she carefully lay down on the opposite bed. Instinctively, I closed my eyes. Asking if she was okay now seemed pointless, and it was probably better for her to pretend nothing happened.

Just as I was about to drift back to sleep, I heard it.

“Sob… sob… hic…”

Hanbyeol’s quiet sobs reached my ears. Even as she tried to stifle her cries, it was clear she was holding back. I felt a pang of sympathy but turned away, pretending not to hear. Her sobs paused briefly, then resumed.

Using her sorrowful cries as a lullaby, I forced myself to sleep.

For a moment, I wished I could block out the sound.

The next morning, nothing had changed between us. I acted as if nothing was amiss, and Hanbyeol maintained her usual demeanor. Her slightly red eyes caught my attention, but I ignored them as I prepared to leave the dorm.

“Um…”

Her small voice stopped me in my tracks. I considered just turning my head but ended up facing her fully. Her face was tinged with a subtle anxiety, and her delicate fingers fidgeted nervously. She looked like she was about to say something difficult.

“Yes? What is it?”

“Could we… change the afternoon training schedule?”

“The afternoon schedule? It’s already set. Why the sudden change?”

“Well… there’s a shortage of instructors for the magic talent training…”

“A shortage? That doesn’t make sense. It’s not like it’s a physical or endurance class. As far as I know, the priest class isn’t included either.”

”…Please.”

At my gentle refusal, Hanbyeol hung her head, her shoulders trembling slightly, almost hysterically. Watching her, I clicked my tongue and let out a deep sigh before speaking again.

“Fine. Let me see the schedule.”

Taking the approval sheet from Hanbyeol, I carefully reviewed today’s schedule.

‘Wait a minute. Wasn’t Baek Hangyeol in the magic talent class?’

The awakened secret class, “Shield of the Gods.” According to the list I checked yesterday, Baek Hangyeol was classified under the magic talent category. With durability, stamina, and magic as his key stats, it was a bit tricky to decide which category he belonged to.

If he chose the magic class, it wasn’t a bad decision. In fact, it might have been the best choice. As I’ve said before, magic is the most crucial stat. Given his ambiguous class, it was best to balance his stats while focusing on magic as his main strength.

I felt myself leaning towards changing the schedule. Although I had encountered him a few times, I hadn’t realized Baek Hangyeol’s significance. As Park Hwanhee mentioned, I didn’t know he wanted to remain hidden. I had been too focused on gathering information on top-performing students to notice him.

Since the instructor duties were fairly consistent, changing the schedule wasn’t a big deal. I pretended to scrutinize the approval sheet, feigning a thoughtful expression. Then, with a reluctant tone, I spoke.

”…Alright. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Oh…!”

Hanbyeol let out a small gasp of relief at my agreement. As I returned the approval sheet, I noticed a hint of color returning to her face. She quickly took it and clutched it to her chest, hesitating before speaking again.

“Um… also, Deputy Director Park Hyunwoo wanted me to ask if you could join him for a meal sometime.”

“A meal? Why?”

“He said there’s something important he wants to discuss. If you’re busy, he hopes to arrange it after this week’s training…”

‘It must be about the mulberry tree and the yew.’

Though overshadowed by recent events, it was something that needed addressing. In fact, it was overdue. I nodded again, and Hanbyeol looked at me with a gaze filled with gratitude. She seemed to think I was being considerate of her situation.

“Just make sure to let me know about schedule changes earlier next time. It’s easier to adjust in advance rather than rushing to change things.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. Thanks to you, my life is quite comfortable. Anyway, let’s go eat.”

With that, our conversation wrapped up, and Hanbyeol and I headed to the dining hall. As we walked, I felt her footsteps behind me grow a bit lighter.

After breakfast, I participated in the close-combat group training as a supervising instructor. The instructor for this session was Yeon Hye-rim, known as the “Princess of Execution,” and over the past two weeks, we had developed a close rapport. In important settings (like when Han So-young was present, as she mentioned), we maintained formality, but otherwise, we were on casual terms.

Despite her notoriously difficult personality, Yeon Hye-rim had approached me first, likely due to something the clan lord had said. Having shared many meals with her in the first round, it wasn’t hard to align our preferences.

Even now, during a break in training, we were chatting and laughing together.

“Really? She… no, she actually cried like that?”

“More like she was wailing. That’s the right word.”

“That bundle of hostility? Haha! I can’t even imagine. She always glared daggers at me. But yeah, when I heard about Go Yeonju joining the Mercenary, it was all anyone talked about. There were even rumors that you won her over with your… size and technique. Pfft.”

“What nonsense. But she was so adorable. You wouldn’t understand unless you saw it. She screamed ‘Waaah!’ and I couldn’t help but hug her.”

“Waaah? Waaah, you say? Hahaha! Oh, my stomach hurts. It’s such a shame. She was at the academy yesterday, right? I missed a chance to tease her. Hehe.”

‘She’s playing with fire. Teasing her could end in a knife fight.’

Yeon Hye-rim laughed so hard she clutched her stomach. Her favorite topics were Go Yeonju and sex. In the first round, she often used sexual taunts against Go Yeonju, and it seemed to work this time too.

Of course, I wasn’t degrading Go Yeonju sexually in our conversation. I merely shared a snippet of our intimate moments, which was considered a light-hearted joke in Hall Plain.

Initially, Yeon Hye-rim maintained her usual aloof demeanor. But as time passed, her interest piqued, and her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Though she was the same as ever, I couldn’t help but chuckle wryly.

The other supervising instructors around us were watching intently. As a member of the Ten Strongest and the rising Mercenary clan’s lord, they were eager to join our conversation but couldn’t muster the courage, lingering nearby instead.

After the morning training, I had lunch with Kim Deok-pil from the Reverse clan. He had a bad habit of always taking my cigarettes after meals, so today, I offered him a whole pack. But he refused, claiming that cigarettes tasted better when taken from others, a sentiment that resonated with the other smokers around us.

Though I understood it was his way of showing camaraderie, as a smoker, it was frustrating. With that unpleasant feeling lingering, I finished lunch and finally joined the afternoon training.

Today, the instructor in charge of the magical talent training was from the clan, which had a friendly relationship with the . Although most of the training had been taken over by clans not participating in the expedition after the first week, they still held about 20 to 30 percent of the sessions. Compared to before, the situation had almost completely reversed.

Before the training began, I entered the classroom early. It was important to set the tone before the instructor arrived. As soon as I stepped inside, the previously noisy room fell silent. I didn’t even need to call for order.

There were 38 participants in the magical talent group. Besides me, no other supervising instructors were present, but the small number of students made it manageable.

I surveyed the room and stepped up to the central podium. All eyes were on me, and I could hear occasional whispers. It seemed the instructors had mentioned me a few times, just as Park Hwan-hee and Baek Han-gyeol had said. Honestly, I hadn’t been aware of it, but it seemed they talked about me when I wasn’t around.

The first person to catch my eye was Park Hwan-hee. He was seated slightly to the front and nodded when our eyes met. I returned the gesture with a nod and then scanned the faces of those seated around him.

Turning my head to the left, I spotted Baek Han-gyeol sitting at the far end, clearly trying to distance himself from Park Hwan-hee. He looked anxious, and when I glanced his way, he startled and bowed his head. Unlike with Park Hwan-hee, I responded with a thin smile.

Perhaps pleased that I acknowledged him, he excitedly tugged at the arm of the woman sitting next to him. She was likely Cha Yu-na, his girlfriend. Given her presence in this training, she must also be part of the magical talent group. I studied her face calmly.

Though I’d heard she was devoted to Baek Han-gyeol, her first impression was rather aloof. She had delicate features and a pretty face, but her raised eyebrows and cat-like eyes gave off a haughty vibe. If I had to compare, she reminded me of Lee Yoo-jung.

‘Not that it matters, Yoo-jung is much prettier.’

And that’s not just a father’s bias; Yoo-jung truly was more beautiful.

After dismissing these idle thoughts, I maintained my gaze and activated my third eye.

Name: Cha Yu-na (Year 0)
Class: Normal Mage Beginner
Nation: -
Clan: -
True Name · Nationality: Certified · South Korea
Sex: Female (20)
Height · Weight: 167.3cm · 52.7kg
Disposition: Good · Ambition

[Strength 22] [Endurance 16] [Agility 25] [Stamina 28] [Magic 47] [Luck 39]

‘Nothing special… but her disposition is Good and Ambition?’

While not a stark contrast, they could be considered opposing traits. Cha Yu-na held Baek Han-gyeol’s hand tightly as he pulled her, but her gaze subtly shifted. However, it wasn’t Baek Han-gyeol she was looking at. Her attention was directed towards where Park Hwan-hee was sitting.

In that moment, I sensed a subtle emotion in Cha Yu-na’s gaze.

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

Hello, this is Ro Yu-jin.

The golden three-day holiday has passed. Hahaha. Haha. Ha. Ha. Ha… A new Monday begins. ㅜ.ㅠ The Monday blues are truly powerful. Ah, there are many comments about Han-byeol. I’ve already decided on this character’s fate, so I’ll likely stick to it. A new event is about to unfold, so please look forward to how Han-byeol’s destiny will play out alongside it!

PS. I’ve received a lot of coupons today. Thank you sincerely to everyone who gave recommendations, comments, and coupons. (__)

『 Reader Replies 』

Sensitive + Riodri: Oh, Riodri, it’s been a while. Haha. Congratulations to both Sensitive and Riodri for being first. I was curious who would be first when I posted two chapters at midnight, and you both claimed the top spot. :)
dbss: No, thank you for reading. I’ll try to post two chapters again when I have the time!
Hawthorn: Many people seemed confused, so I changed the name from Kim Han-gyeol to Baek Han-gyeol!
Kkoya: No, I’m not an S. ;ㅇ; Han-byeol’s story is going according to my plan. Heheheh.(?)
Shiraya: It’s not so much looking after him as it is finding him cute. Hahaha. No matter how good Park Hwan-hee is, he can’t compare to our protagonist! Our Soo-hyun even gets a boost(?!)!
Them: Huh? No, Baek Han-gyeol may look feminine, but he’s male. Male to the core.
Flameheart: Correct. Yu-na is tagging along. Hahaha. I’ll continue to provide intriguing content to satisfy your curiosity. :)
Sereson: Haha. I’ll keep quiet about that part. I know, but you’re curious, right? Ahahaha!(Thud thud!) Ouch!
Ziklant: Ah, I remember that too. I think it was the first lesson on NTR. For the record, I haven’t watched any more since then. Or rather, I couldn’t. It was too shocking. ;ㅇ;
Estaia: Thank you for enjoying the story. :) Initially, I planned for 550 chapters, but now I’m considering more! Even if it takes 1,000 chapters as some readers suggest, I am determined to see it through to the end.

Your recommendations and comments are the driving force behind continuous updates. (This is the truth.)