The Academy’s Deceased Ate It All

The moment he saw him, Choi Hyun-woo swung his sword — swift and savage.

"Don't waste your strength. What I am now is nothing more than a heat-haze…?"

The ink-black blade sliced through Landschi's neck with precision, clean and sure.

The bisected corpse didn't so much as twitch before it crumpled to the ground.

Choi Hyun-woo moved to sheathe his sword without looking back, then exhaled once and turned his body around.

Rogers Nael lay sprawled on the floor, only his head turning to watch Choi Hyun-woo.

"…Honestly, I'm impressed."

He sounded genuinely impressed.

"To grasp the source of the sorcery and cleave it in that brief instant. That's not something ordinary skill could attempt. You acquired that level of talent at your young age?"

The voice murmured on, as if marveling.

"In nearly five hundred years of life, I've seen countless swordsmen, but I swear — never one with talent and skill to match yours."

He murmured in an insinuating tone.

"And even you lose your light, standing beside this Yu Ji-hyeok."

Choi Hyun-woo didn't answer. It wasn't worth answering. Reading nothing in his silence — as though he'd expected none — the man continued.

"Nam Hyun-hwa."

At that, Choi Hyun-woo's body went rigid.

Landschi, as if sensing the reaction, smirked and spoke.

"Could we talk for a moment, you and I?"

"……"

Choi Hyun-woo still hadn't said a word.

That alone was enough.

"I don't understand why a man like you would willingly stand beside Yu Ji-hyeok and let every bit of your light be stolen away. That's what I wanted to ask you about."

"…You dragged my master's name into this to spew that kind of bullshit?"

He growled like a threatening beast, and Landschi answered with laughter laced into his voice.

"I'd appreciate an answer. Is it perhaps a matter of righteousness and principle?"

He smirked once more.

Landschi acknowledged that Choi Hyun-woo was, without question, a once-in-a-generation genius.

But he also knew very well that he was still a child.

Knew, too, that depth and experience were things only the passage of time could grant.

Talking circles around a child who lacked depth and experience was nothing to him.

"……"

Choi Hyun-woo silently slid the sword back into its sheath, watching him as if to say go on, try it.

Rogers Nael, who moments ago had spat out something unsavory about Han Su-yeong before losing consciousness in an instant.

The name Nam Hyun-hwa, dropping from his lips.

Neither was a matter Choi Hyun-woo could take lightly.

"Indeed. Wise of you."

Landschi smiled — about as deep a smile as he could manage.

"This is way more elaborate than I expected."

The scene barely differed from the old Guild Invitational, and I clicked my tongue softly.

If anything, this looked more lavish and more chaotic.

The Guild Invitational had felt stiff and squared-off, polished for outside eyes, while this was a festival meant purely for play — and I figured that was the difference.

Since the commemoration had been canceled and replaced with this, the academy students had apparently pitched in across the board, making time to help with the preparations.

Maybe that's why everything felt scattered, restless, even thrown together in places. But that was exactly what stirred something in people. Even I caught myself gawking here and there as I walked the still-busy academy streets.

"Ah, crap."

The thought that I might be late for my appointment hit me, and I shook my head to snap out of it. Then I picked up the pace toward the academy's main gate. Lee Ye-eun had called me several times to make absolutely sure I came out to meet her.

Minerva, in a rare show of displeasure, said there was no need to indulge such pointless coddling.

Sbeungali muttered something about going out the way to get chipped into bigger pieces — more of his usual incomprehensible nonsense.

The most unexpected reaction came from Rauné.

"……"

The little guy was tucked inside my pocket.

When I'd mentioned I needed to go meet Lee Ye-eun, for whatever reason Rauné had clung to me as if insisting on coming along. The stance was so firm I'd had no choice but to stuff it into my pocket.

I slipped a hand in and ran my fingers over the two cases inside.

The hair ornament the Smith of Yado had made and the ring Evangelline Loengreen had crafted.

Just handing them over bare felt off, so I'd prepared something to put them in.

[Ugh, humans clumped together like frog spawn.]

The closer I got to the gate, the more the crowd thickened, just as he'd said.

Outside dignitaries connected to the festival, laborers, merchants, gawkers — the mix was wide.

[Repulsive beyond measure.]

Sbeungali grumbled as though he were genuinely about to retch.

He didn't seem to grasp the simple fact that his own appearance and voice were the most repulsive things going.

"Where the hell is she, though?"

She'd said to meet by the unusually massive zelkova tree visible right inside the main gate, but Lee Ye-eun was nowhere to be seen.

"Excuse me."

A woman walked up to me and spoke.

She wore a hat and sunglasses, and looked at least mid-to-late twenties.

If I had to add anything — she was stunning enough that I flinched for a second.

"Yes, can I help you?"

"Sorry to bother you, but could I get your number?"

"Sorry?"

She gave a small smile as she said it.

I gave a small wave of my hand.

"…You might not know, but trying to make contact inside the academy like this is against the rules. You could get sanctioned, so please be careful going forward."

She let out a quiet laugh at my answer.

"I didn't mean it that way."

She tilted her head slightly, still smiling.

"I'm hitting on you right now."

"……"

For a moment I caught myself looking her over.

Despite my guarded posture, she kept that easy smile.

I was about to brush past her, but something nagged at me, and I found myself meeting her eyes.

She was a stranger, and yet — something about her was familiar.

More than that, I could feel a faint but recognizable presence coming off her.

Wondering if it could really be, I murmured quietly.

"…Clan Head?"

At that, she burst into a small fit of giggles.

She pushed her sunglasses down with a finger, and golden eyes — like deep amber — glinted out at me.

"Hehe."

She smiled playfully and slipped off her hat, and green hair tumbled loose.

A green darker than the zelkova leaves rustling right above us.

"I was about to get mad if you kept missing it, but you got it."

She swept the wind-tossed strands back with her fingers, and the sight of her caught me off guard — she was startlingly beautiful. Most of the people nearby were staring at Lee Ye-eun like they'd been bewitched.

"How is it? Seo-ryeong really put her back into it. Totally unrecognizable, right?"

The grown Lee Ye-eun gave a slight smile and turned her face this way and that, inviting me to look closer.

The makeup alone made her look far removed from the Lee Ye-eun I knew. For a moment I was at a loss for words, then asked her quietly.

"Evangelline's potion. You actually took it?"

"Yeah. You left it behind, Ji-hyeok…"

She glanced at my expression, then stuck out her tongue a little and laughed.

"Are you mad?"

"I'm not mad. It's just — there could have been side effects…"

"What a silly thing to ask. So you mean to tell me, Ji-hyeok, you've been gulping down dangerous stuff like that yourself?"

She gave me a sidelong look as she asked.

I flinched in spite of myself.

"Anyway, let's go. This isn't the place to talk."

I started walking ahead, leading her along.

Lee Ye-eun stepped right up beside me, falling in.

"Where to?"

"There's stuff I want to talk about, and stuff I need to give you, so… I'll let Woo-seok know. He's on as an outside advisor at the academy right now, so getting us a reception room shouldn't be any trouble for him."

"Yeah, I figured as much, so I already called ahead."

"……"

We headed straight for the reception room.

Shin Woo-seok must have gone all out — the room was spacious and lavish.

We sat down across from each other.

"Sorry for being late. There's been a lot to juggle."

I nodded that I understood.

Sealing the main body of Natalia Milited at Alice Blesbuck's request alone would have been more than enough to wear her down. And I'd asked things of her on top of that, so most of what she was struggling with traced back to me.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. I've been worried this whole time that I asked too much."

"Don't be. You're not doing it for yourself, Ji-hyeok."

She smiled at me.

I pulled something from my pocket.

The case holding the hair ornament the Smith of Yado had made for her.

"I said I had something for you, right? Open this first."

"Oh wow, what is it?"

"A hair ornament forged from my scales."

She froze for a beat, then carefully took the case.

She ran trembling fingers over the lid before lifting the ornament out without hesitation.

Black Dragon's Feather (Unique / Autonomous / Quasi-Legendary)

A hair ornament forged with the full strength of the Smith of Yado, legendary craftsman, from the first molted scales of a black dragon who inherited the heart and blood of Minerva of the Seven Calamities.

Splits like feathers at the will of its owner and grants additional bonuses to every action.

Multiple fragments combine to take countless forms — sword, shield, armor, arrowhead, and more.

Its appearance is so beautiful that it holds high value as a decorative piece alone.

"…It's gorgeous."

Lee Ye-eun murmured the words in a daze.

I added an explanation quietly as I watched her.

The other kids had each received items suited to them, all made by the Smith of Yado no less. Being a unique-class weapon, she'd understand how to use it the instant she put it on, and above all, she'd now be able to land meaningful attacks on the Seven Calamities. Lee Ye-eun nodded along mechanically, barely registering any of it.

Anyone could see every nerve in her body was bent on the ornament.

"This… is really mine?"

"Yes, of course."

"Thank you… it's so beautiful… I really, really mean it — I've never gotten a gift I loved this much…"

Lee Ye-eun murmured the words in a daze, stroking the ornament over and over.

Then she straightened up suddenly and turned her back to me.

"Could you undo my hair tie? I want the first time I wear this to be right here in front of you."

"Your hair tie?"

"Yeah, it's tied kind of intricately. Hard to undo on my own."

I rose from my seat and stepped closer.

The tie was indeed knotted in a complicated way.

Without much thought I reached for it — then froze.

The decoration on the tie was red.

Red.

Sbeungali's comment about the color of the feeling Lee Ye-eun held for me, and what Lee Yu-na had said red meant, flashed sharp and clear through my head. I knew my face had flushed without needing a mirror.

"…? What's wrong? Something the matter?"

"No, nothing. Your hair's just really soft."

"Hair is the one thing I work hard to take care of."

Lee Ye-eun beamed proudly.

When I undid the tie, she rolled her hair up with a practiced motion and slid the ornament in.

It suited her so well an admiring sound nearly slipped out of me.

"Well? Does it suit me?"

"Yes."

"Hm?"

"Really. It suits you incredibly well."

At the honest praise, Lee Ye-eun smiled at me without a word.

The smile was beautiful enough to leave me mute.

"……"

So this is what she looks like when she grows up, I thought, then pulled out the other case to cover my awkwardness.

"Oh, and take this too."

"Goodness, what now?"

"A ring."

Her reaching hand paused mid-air.

"…A ring?"

"Yes, a ring."

I nodded and gave the same kind of explanation as before.

"It's another artifact forged from my scales. And like I told you before, this one was made for the Calamity we're up against this time, so keep it on whenever you can."

At that, for some reason, Lee Ye-eun let out a small sigh.

The look on her face said: of course.

"…All right, I will."

Lee Ye-eun took the ring with noticeably less spark than before, then asked, as though it had just occurred to her —

"By the way, did you give these to all the other kids too?"

"Yes, I did."

"…Did you hand them out face-to-face, one by one, like with me?"

I shook my head at the question.

"No. I handed them all out together when everyone was there."

Her mouth dropped open a little in surprise.

Then she shook her head slowly and muttered, very quietly —

"…Everyone really has it rough."

[For once that woman and I are of one mind.]

Sbeungali muttered the words.

Somehow even Rauné, tucked in my pocket, gave the impression of nodding in agreement.

"Hm?"

Han Su-yeong blinked at the sudden call coming in.

Hyun-woo.

The name on the screen, and she answered without hesitation.

No — the line went dead right before she could pick up.

"…No way."

She murmured the words and set the phone down quietly.

The phone began to ring again.

This time it rang exactly three times before cutting off, and she gave a small nod as she looked at the dark screen.

Jin Ye-seul and Lee Yu-na sat beside her.

"It's Hyun-woo."

Han Su-yeong murmured quietly.

There was something heavy and unsettled in her eyes.

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