Bab 150: 150
[Master: I have something to say about your previous request. I need to talk to you in person. Can you come out now?]
'Huh? Request?'
A message suddenly came from Instructor.
'Oh, right.'
A few days ago, I sent a text to Instructor because Soup was worried that her family might have been kidnapped by the Demons.
[Instructor, have there been any kidnapping cases involving Demons recently? If it's not too much trouble, may I ask you to investigate?]
I only asked casually because the possibility of the Demons being responsible was extremely low. Right after sending the message, I was able to identify the culprit as Kim Hyeji, a Hunter, and took care of her.
'Right after that, I didn't even have time to catch my breath before helping Soup's family move, and then the other party members started moving too…'
Since I hadn't contacted Instructor at all after making the request, Master must have been running around in circles for days!
'Damn it!'
If I told her now that it was all resolved a few days ago, would Instructor just brush it off?
Probably.
Instructor wasn't the type to raise her voice or get upset over things unrelated to training.
Still, there would likely be some lingering resentment.
I felt like I needed to apologize and offer a small gift to make amends.
'Hmm, what would be good… Ah, I know! I have just the thing!'
I remembered an item I had received and tossed into my A-Space without ever using it.
It was a "Sword Maintenance Kit," something that any sword user would covet and desire. Although I had no use for it since I wielded the legendary sword, Moonlight.
It was a gift from Kang Do-hee during the founding of Utopia.
Kang Do-hee had managed to obtain it through her connections, crafted by a world-renowned artisan as a limited edition piece. T
his gift seemed perfect to soften Baek Seol-hee's demeanor.
'The instructor probably doesn't line up for limited editions or anything like that.'
With the gift decided, my heart felt a little lighter.
[ Yes, I'm coming now ].
[Master: Alright, I'll wait.]
"I'm just stepping out for a moment. I'll go alone."
.
.
.
But how did it end up like this?
Planning to leave quietly, I ended up with Sophia and LLim Ga-eul tagging along.
"I'm just going to see my teacher for some personal business."
I tried to dissuade them, but Lim Ga-eul shook her head resolutely, her voice filled with sorrow.
"Junior, I realized something today. I've been complacent."
"…What?"
"Just because I'm in Utopia doesn't mean I can relax and take it easy…!"
'…That's a great realization, but why do you have to come with me on my personal errand to realize it?'
"I need to be right by your side at all times! Only then can unexpected opportunities come my way, not when I'm lounging in a massage chair!"
"…"
"I couldn't come with you to the mid-term evaluation! So this time take me with you!"
Lim Ga-eul clung to my arm, tears welling up in her eyes.
'Is this… the nurturing big sister act?'
When did she become like this?
'Anyway, I'll explain the misunderstanding and come back soon. Besides, my teacher didn't say not to bring anyone.'
With a sigh, I nodded.
"But, Master?"
Sophia, who had been filming with interest, asked.
"Why are you filming this… Well, yes. I need to visit the Academy instructor and talk to her about something."
"Oh, you mean the black-haired instructor?"
I was surprised at Lim Ga-eul's interjection.
'Hasn't Ga-eul met Instructor yet?'
Although Baek Seol-hee was an instructor at the Academy, she had said that my class would be her first and last, and due to her activities with the Demon Slayer Squad, she was rarely seen at the Academy.
So it was surprising that Lim Ga-eul knew of her.
"So that's the instructor who wields that clean sword. No wonder your swordplay matches so well."
"You saw me wield a sword?"
"Yeah, I did! I saw it!"
'I'm surprised she noticed the cleanliness of my sword, and even recognized that our sword styles are similar.'
It seemed that Lim Ga-eul hadn't been idle during our mid-term evaluation.
"Senior, you must have worked hard. When did you develop such an eye for detail?"
I praised Lim Ga-eul, feeling quite pleased.
"Eh? Y-Yeah! I, I worked hard! It's, it's basic!"
Jin Yu-ha's sudden praise made Lim Ga-eul break out in a cold sweat.
'I just repeated what was written in the comments of the video that was uploaded just now…'
At that moment, the camera that had been filming Jin Yu-ha suddenly turned towards Lim Ga-eul.
"That's amazing! As expected, Senior Lim Ga-eul!"
"You, you know me?"
"Of course!! You're Utopia's only supporter!"
Sophia nodded her head vigorously, as if she had a motor attached.
I knew that Sophia had joined as a new healer, but
they hadn't even properly introduced themselves to each other yet.
Lim Ga-eul was the type to receive others' advances rather than take the initiative herself, and Sophia had been too busy keeping track of everyone's movements.
So, Lim Ga-eul was surprised that a new junior, who she thought wouldn't know much about her, knew who she was.
But Sophia wasn't done yet.
"A special constitution that converts magic stones into magic power! If you had an infinite supply of high-grade magic stones, you could even rival the Emperor in terms of magical power!"
"...."
"The Green Witch that freely manipulates the time of others! Stretchable and shrinkable at will!"
"...."
"You're already sliced! The Silent Assassin that cuts down opponents with invisible threads! The narrow-eyed mastermind!"
"...."
Ziiiing─
To be honest, it was hard to make sense of the origin of this praise, but Sophia's words struck a deep chord in Lim Ga-eul's heart.
"R-Really? Me? I can rival the Emperor in terms of magical power?"
"Yes! If you had a mountain of high-grade magic stones, you could supposedly match the Emperor in magical power, right? Or am I wrong?"
"We, well, that's not entirely wrong… But even so, it's a bit of a stretch to compare me to the Emperor…"
"Amazing! You're incredible, Senior Lim Ga-eul!"
Sophia looked at Lim Ga-eul with sparkling eyes.
"Hmm! Y-You know quite a bit, junior."
"Of course, of course! I've always been a fan of yours!"
Fan!
What a beautiful sound. To think that she had a fan!
"Ahem! Well, I don't usually go out much… But, y-you know quite a bit… Junior?"
"It's only natural that a mastermind doesn't reveal their power outwardly! People say that the fast raid times of Utopia's party members are all thanks to you, Senior Lim Ga-eul. You're truly amazing!"
Just a moment ago, Lim Ga-eul had her name mispronounced, felt invisible, and had her self-esteem plummet due to comparisons with other party members.
Slowly, her shoulders straightened, and she puffed out her chest. With a serious expression, she lowered her voice.
"...…It's nothing special. As a supporter, it's my duty to keep an eye on the vanguard at all times."
"Ooh..."
"Now that I think about it, you're also a rear guard, right?"
"Yes! I joined late, so I still have a lot to learn and many shortcomings. From now on, I'll observe and learn everything I can from you, Senior!"
Sophia replied with sparkling eyes.
A sense of fulfillment spread from Lim Ga-eul's chest.
Ah. This is it.
She had always been overshadowed by her exceptionally talented juniors, feeling inferior and unable to assert herself.
But now, she had a junior who looked up to her like a sunflower, and she could be the warm and supportive senior she had always wanted to be.
What a beautiful relationship! It was the ideal she had always dreamed of.
The dormant motherhood within her, which had been suppressed for so long, finally spread its wings.
"...…Ahem, Sophia, is there anything you need? As a fellow rear guard, if there's anything you want, just say the word. I'll do whatever I can for you."
"Wow, really!?"
"Of course."
However, what Lim Ga-eul didn't know was that Sophia was more driven by her desires than she let on. Although, when it came to Jin Yuha's requests, she was helpless.
"...…Do you happen to know any secret stories about Jin Yuha?"
"Stories about Yuha instead of me?"
"Yes, just as I mentioned earlier, I already know a lot about you, Senior. So, I was wondering if there's anything about Jin Yuha that you could share."
"Oh, well, that's my specialty! You came to the right person!"
"As expected of the narrow-eyed mastermind, Senior Lim Ga-eul!"
"Hehehe..."
'What are they up to...?'
Unbeknownst to them, Jin Yuha could hear every word they whispered to each other, as he had her detection ability activated.
'…So this is how Sophia ended up being Lim Ga-eul's natural enemy chemistry-wise? At this rate, she might even co-sign a loan for her.'
It seemed that entrusting Lim Ga-eul's training to Sophia would ensure maximum efficiency, extracting every ounce of potential.
.
.
.
Baek Seol-hee's eyebrows twitched upon seeing the people who had come with Jin Yuha.
"…These kids."
Sophia stepped forward and spoke first.
"Long time no see, Instructor! Thank you for your help during the mid-term evaluation! I followed him here!"
"…I also followed him."
Baek Seol-hee gazed at the two of them intently before clicking her tongue and turning her head away.
I found Baek Seol-hee's reaction a bit strange.
'Hmm? Is she upset that I brought them along?'
No, that couldn't be.
There's no way the Baek Seol-hee would be upset just because I brought a few party members.
'Ah, she must be embarrassed that she didn't find anything during the abduction case investigation!'
There was no need to let any further misunderstandings accumulate with Instructor Baek Seol-hee.
"Instructor."
"…"
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"First, please accept this."
I quickly retrieved the sword management kit from my subspace tattoo.
The iron box, adorned with intricate designs, gleamed with a purple hue. It looked exactly as it did when Kang Do-hee gave it to me, without a speck of dust on it.
Seeing it, Baek Seol-hee's eyebrows twitched again.
"…This is…"
"I asked Instructor for a favor, so…"
Upon receiving the gift and opening the box, Baek Seol-hee's lips trembled three times.
'Wow, she really likes it.'
The three twitches were a sign of her great satisfaction, something that only happened on rare occasions. For someone as stoic as her, this was equivalent to someone else beaming with joy.
It seemed giving this gift was the right decision.
Baek Seol-hee looked at the sword management kit for a moment, as if she hadn't expected to receive such a present, then stored it in her subspace tattoo.
"Hmm, I didn't expect any sort of repayment for this…"
"I've always been receiving from you, instructor, and haven't given anything in return. Please accept it as a token of appreciation from your student."
"H-Hmph. Very well, I will accept it gratefully."
Her voice sounded noticeably more relaxed as she continued.
"And… those kids will be of help. You did well to bring them."
"…Huh?"
"The demons are orchestrating mass abductions. Speed and recovery are critical in this matter."
"…Pardon?"
Baek Seol-hee began to recite the results of the investigation in a calm voice.
"…The demons have been abducting humans, primarily those whose disappearances wouldn't be easily noticed."
I listened to Baek Seol-hee's explanation, my eyes widening in shock.
'A major demon abduction incident is happening right now? At this very moment?'
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