“That concludes today’s training session.”
A collective groan echoed through the room.
Standing at the center of the lecture hall, I announced the end of the class, and a chorus of disappointed voices filled the air.
Hundreds of trainees were gathered around, but none were looking at me. Their eyes were fixed solely on Mar and Dodo, perched on the podium, while their lips silently protested, “No, no, no!”
“Look at this! She’s holding my hand so tightly. Isn’t that just adorable?”
“Can you see? See those tiny wings fluttering?”
Most of the women were crowding around Dodo, eagerly reaching out their hands.
“Haa… haa… Oh, Lady Mar… My goddess… How can you be so beautiful…? Haa… haa…”
Meanwhile, the men were clustered around Mar, cooing and fussing over her.
Glancing aside, I caught sight of Mar, her eyes glistening with anxiety, trembling in my arms. Next to her, a young trainee with a peculiar demeanor fidgeted nervously, exhaling warm breaths. One of those Secret Class trainees with strange quirks, I supposed.
Unable to ignore those pleading eyes, I scooped Mar up in my arms.
“Alright, everyone, that’s enough. Training time is over, so there’s nothing we can do. If there’s another chance, I’ll bring them again, but for today, that’s it.”
“Haa… haa… I want to marry… marry her…”
…Is this guy crazy?
I gently patted Mar, who was trembling tightly in my embrace, and turned around. (Dodo had already returned and was nibbling at my ankle.) Suddenly, a trainee stepped in front of me, blocking my path. I stopped immediately. I thought it might be a Secret Class member, but it was someone I hadn’t seen before.
The trainee spoke.
“Um, Instructor Kim Suhyun!”
“Yes? What is it, trainee?”
“Well, I have a question.”
“A question?”
I tilted my head in curiosity. Since today’s training focused on the unique creatures living in the Hole Plain, there hadn’t been much room for questions. The man hesitated for a moment, then cautiously spoke.
“Um… the graduation ceremony is coming up in a few weeks, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. And?”
“So… I was wondering about the Mercenary Clan.”
“Hmm?”
At that moment, I finally understood the intent behind the question.
“Oh, you mean why the Mercenary Clan isn’t doing any promotion? All the other clans are advertising themselves.”
The trainee flinched briefly, then nodded vigorously. I smiled and continued.
“It’s simple. The Mercenary Clan doesn’t have any promotional plans. Recruitment is already underway, and we scout trainees individually. It’s strictly one-on-one.”
“Wait, so does that mean trainees who aren’t scouted can’t join the Mercenary Clan?”
“No, that’s not the case. We only use scouting within the User Academy. The doors to the Mercenary Clan are always open. If you want to join, just come find us and knock on the door. Of course, there’s a simple test before you can join.”
“I see…”
“That’s about it. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now.”
“L-Lady Mar!”
Pushing past the wailing Secret Class trainee, I quickly left the lecture hall and walked down the corridor, lost in thought.
The User Academy, which had captured everyone’s attention, had finally entered promotion week.
As promised by the central management, all restrictions on promotion were lifted at the start of week 10. Trainers were allowed to mention their clans during training, and as long as it didn’t go too far, they could even buy meals or offer contract terms to make offers.
As a result, trainers who had been cautiously watching from the sidelines pounced on their chosen trainees, and the recruitment war at the User Academy officially began… or so it seemed for the other clans.
The Mercenary Clan, however, had stepped back from the fierce recruitment battle. Upon entering promotion week, I instructed all clan members not to engage in any promotion or offers.
Of course, there was some resistance. The biggest problem for the Mercenary Clan was its small size. Hayun even whispered a pillow talk protest, asking if I was really going to waste such a good opportunity. But I firmly decided not to reverse this decision.
I wasn’t being stubborn without reason.
First, I wanted to preserve the unique identity of the Mercenary Clan. Second, honestly, there was no need to promote.
More precisely, I hadn’t felt the need yet.
The clan had been mentioned several times during the strict training weeks (mentioning clans for training purposes was allowed), so trainees already knew what kind of clan the Mercenaries were. Even if they didn’t know all the details, they had a rough idea of our strength.
So, if a user is confident in their own information, wouldn’t they want to join a clan that looks impressive rather than one that accepts just anyone?
We don’t go out hunting for trainees; we let them come to us. That was my strategy.
Of course, that doesn’t mean we just sit back and watch. We have to take care of what’s important.
Jin Suhyun and Cha Heeyoung—at least those two had been on my radar for recruitment for a while, so I’d scout them when the time was right.
As for Jegal Haesol…
I planned to wait and observe a bit longer. I had talked with Istanbul Row, and there was still time until the graduation ceremony.
Yes, at least until the graduation ceremony.
With my thoughts settled, I quickened my pace down the corridor.
Time flew by, and before I knew it, the weekend of week 12 had arrived. After this weekend, only two weeks would remain in the User Academy.
But before thinking about the upcoming graduation, there was something else to handle first: the event match, which had become the biggest event in the User Academy since it started in week 9.
I had signed up to participate in this weekend’s event match. Honestly, I wasn’t aiming for promotion with this; I just wanted to join for fun. After watching the matches in weeks 9, 10, and 11, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to step into the ring once.
“Let’s get started already!”
“Last week’s match was pretty dull. Hopefully this one’s better.”
The main auditorium was packed with trainees streaming in. Not just trainees, but all the instructors had gathered as well.
In fact, almost everyone in the User Academy was here for this event match. I figured it was because today’s match promised to be especially exciting. I thought so too.
“Instructor Kim Suhyun, please move to the center when you’re ready.”
The voice of Shin Jaeryong echoed through the hall.
Amid the rising cheers from all directions, I calmly stepped toward the center.
And my opponent for today’s event match was…
“Instructor Kim Yuhyun, please move to the center when you’re ready.”
My older brother.
Honestly, I was a bit surprised.
The event match requires participants to register three days in advance, so all instructors knew the list. Only my brother and I had signed up for this week’s match. Since I had registered first, it meant he signed up knowing I was participating.
“We have confirmed both instructors are present. The match will begin shortly. Please prepare accordingly. Light provocations are allowed.”
As my brother stepped forward, I felt the thrill of victory within reach. He fixed me with a steady glare and raised both hands above his head—a signature pre-fight stance of his. …Light provocations are allowed, right?
“I never thought I’d have to fight you. Even if it’s just an event match.”
“Same here.”
“Hmm. I wonder if you can really fight properly.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Ho.”
“Even though you’re my younger brother, I separate personal and professional matters. So don’t expect me to go easy on you. I’ll give it my all.”
His tone was icy cold. Come to think of it, he’d been staring at me like that for a while now… What’s his deal?
I tilted my head and spoke.
“Hmm. You make a good point, but why the attitude today? Did I do something wrong?”
“Hah. No.”
He said no, but his voice was still frosty.
Watching golden currents of energy crackle from his hands, I shrugged. Whatever. It’s better than putting on a pathetic show like “I can’t hit my little brother!” This kind of fighting spirit was exactly what I wanted.
Feeling pleased, I broke the tense atmosphere with a little provocation of my own.
“Ah, I see. So that’s it. I guess I misunderstood you.”
“…Misunderstood?”
“Let’s begin the match!”
Just then, the announcement blared through the speakers. I bent my stance slightly, focusing intently on every expression and movement of my brother. I didn’t expect to fight him again, but as an opponent, he was a formidable challenge.
More than anything, I hated losing. Especially with Han Soyoung watching from the front row.
Anyway, I thought this would be a good experience. I fixed my gaze ahead.
“What do you mean by ‘misunderstood’?”
“Ah~ Remember last time when you got really upset because I didn’t eat with you and instead made plans with Istantel Low Road? I thought you were still mad about that. Hahaha.”
“…!”
“Come on, I’m telling you it’s not like that. Anyway, I’m counting on you, okay?”
That’s when it happened.
“Uh, uh…”
My brother, who looked like he was about to unleash magic at any moment, suddenly flinched. His cold eyes shifted to a look of surprise, and he took a hesitant step back. It was as if I’d hit a nerve he didn’t expect me to find—like he was silently asking, “How did you know?”
Feeling a sudden pang of guilt, I cautiously spoke, keeping my voice low so the trainees wouldn’t overhear.
“Hyung.”
“Y-yeah?”
“Don’t tell me… it’s true?”
“…Huh?”
“No, it can’t be, right?”
“…”
He said nothing. Just kept stammering “uh” and avoided my gaze, looking utterly flustered. His reaction meant only one thing.
“Seriously? Are you for real?”
A strange, empty feeling washed over me, and I relaxed in disbelief. The crowd seemed to sense the odd tension too, as the noise and cheers in the arena quieted down.
A moment later.
My brother, who had been glancing sideways the whole time, suddenly bit his lip tight. The fierce energy he’d been radiating vanished instantly.
Then, with a determined shake of his hand, he looked at me with a face full of frustration.
“So, what are you going to do about it?”
“…What?”
“Yeah. Since it’s come to this, I’ll be honest. Suhyun, I was really hurt by you lately. Huh?”
“W-what are you talking about all of a sudden?”
I was about to retort in disbelief, but he cut me off sharply.
“You went on a date with Istantel Low Road last weekend, didn’t you?”
The moment he said that, I was stunned speechless.
For a brief moment, there was silence.
“…”
“…”
But it didn’t last long. His voice rose almost to a shout, and everyone watching nearby heard it.
Oooooohhhhhh.
A low cheer echoed through the auditorium.
I quickly glanced toward Han Soyoung. She sat there with her usual expressionless face.
No, not expressionless. She was sitting rigidly, like a private in the army watching TV at attention—back straight, hands clenched tightly on her knees, eyes fixed on the floor, completely frozen.
Suddenly realizing that didn’t matter, I turned my gaze back forward.
My brother, looking more sad than angry now, was pouring out his grievances.
“I thought you’d at least come see me once. But you never did. Not even once.”
Oooooohhhhhh~
My head spun. A dizzying wave hit me. Was this some new kind of attack?
No, what kind of ridiculous scene is this, happening in front of everyone?
“Hey, cut it out. What are you doing right now?”
“I waited and waited patiently! But you went out with someone last weekend…!”
Oooooohhhhhh~?
If I stayed quiet now, some really weird rumors would start. I snapped back to my senses and shouted,
“It wasn’t a date! We met for official business!”
And then—
“Then why did you give a gift?”
The moment he said that—
Oooooohhhhhh~!
My mind went completely blank. Like a white sheet of paper with nothing on it, I was utterly speechless.
“Giving a gift means it’s a date. Isn’t it? And besides…!”
Before he could say more, I didn’t hesitate. I drew the Glory of Victoria sword.
I didn’t care how he knew, or how Han Soyoung reacted. Nothing else mattered except shutting him up.
I leapt forward, planted my feet firmly, and swung the sword with all my might toward him.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Kim Yuhyun’s jealousy explodes!
And it’s all because of the rain.