21
“If I ask for a certain reward, will you give me anything?”
“…Yes.”
In response to Haesol’s words, Kim Joo-hyuk paused for a moment and then replied with a simple “Yes.”
It wasn’t because Kim Joo-hyuk was generous or Haesol was pleasing; it was purely to assert his authority.
I wanted to make the students realize that I was someone who would give them what they wanted if they just solved the problems during class.
And Kim Joo-hyuk’s strategy was already halfway successful. The students were already looking at him with twinkling eyes.
Of course, to elicit such a reaction, I had set a risky condition of “I will give you the reward you want,” but Kim Joo-hyuk was confident.
‘Surely he couldn’t have interpreted all of this.’
Haesol’s relaxed attitude was slightly unsettling, but it couldn’t be true. Even if correct, it had to be wrong.
Because the language was Rune, and its meaning could vary greatly depending on how it was interpreted.
Moreover, the paragraphs Kim Joo-hyuk wrote were so intricately twisted that each one required a considerable amount of time just to interpret its meaning.
Furthermore, Haesol hadn’t even properly looked at them. He must have stayed up all night, showing signs of drowsiness throughout the class.
‘Arrogant guy.’
Perhaps because he had already been humiliated during a previous class, every little action of his irritated me.
Anyway, Kim Joo-hyuk only had about 30 seconds left from the moment Haesol properly looked at the blackboard.
Even Kim Joo-hyuk himself would find it difficult to interpret a paragraph composed of Runes perfectly within that short time.
No. Even if Haesol managed to interpret the paragraph perfectly, Kim Joo-hyuk was determined to be wrong. There were various interpretations of Rune, so there was no need for that.
‘Exactly. He can’t possibly know.’
Without giving the interpretation, Kim Joo-hyuk raised the corner of his mouth as he looked at Haesol, who was frowning.
“Surely you can’t read a bit? Then, yawning during class is…”
“Is this wrong?”
“Enough… Yes? It’s wrong?”
“Yes. The paragraph is wrong. Here and there. No, that’s wrong too. Why did you include this?”
“That, that’s······”
As I-Haesol stepped forward, holding a piece of chalk, scrutinizing various parts of the paragraph, Kim Joo-hyuk became flustered, unable to focus.
Even though he wanted to refute, I-Haesol’s point was so flawless that Kim Joo-hyuk found himself speechless.
“W-what, what is this······!”
“Ah, now I can read a bit. Magic is the path, runes are the torch that illuminates the way, called ‘Madora.’ The one who walks the path of Madora is······”
“Stop! Stop! That’s enough! You don’t have to read anymore. Please return to your seat.”
Kim Joo-hyuk’s body trembled uncontrollably, unable to hide his bewilderment. But Kim Joo-hyuk was so consumed by the immense shock that he couldn’t even realize it.
The fact that there was an error in his writing, and that I-Haesol had found it, was shocking enough. But being criticized in front of all the novices was an unbearable shame for Kim Joo-hyuk.
“I said return to your seat. Novice I-Haesol.”
“I haven’t received my reward yet.”
“···Ugh! Just tell me what you want.”
***
“Wow, this is awesome.”
Kim Joo-hyuk glared at me as if he could kill me, but even that looked as sweet as a honey jar to me.
It’s no wonder; Kim Joo-hyuk is like a walking magic shop.
To satisfy his vanity, he wore five luxury magic accessories, not to mention countless other magical items.
While his talent played a role in reaching the 5th Circle by casually practicing magic, it was mainly due to his family’s wealth.
Kim Joo-hyuk was nothing special, but his family was one of Korea’s leading magic lineages that produced wizards.
That’s why he’s also working as an instructor here in Eternity.
Anyway, Kim Joo-hyuk, the walking magic shop, was told to choose any reward he wanted, and it couldn’t have been better than this.
I wanted to ask for one of his expensive magic accessories, but that was unreasonable at the moment.
Not only was it doubtful that he would give it to me right away, but also his magic items all required magical power, something I lacked.
“Even if I could use them, I have no intention of choosing one.”
I had already thought about what to get from Kim Joo-hyuk.
“The Seed of Engagement.”
A magical potion ingredient that can produce the ‘Engagement Elixir,’ which purifies the mind.
Drinking the Engagement Elixir made from the Seed of Engagement allows a person to maintain a ‘resolute mind’ intact, even in the face of severe mental stress.
It may seem like a trivial ability, but it was crucial to me.
I had been feeling a heavy burden from using Icarus’s Ring on my mind.
But if I obtained the Seed of Engagement and completed the Resolute Mind, it would free me from that burden.
The ‘resolute mind’ provided by the Resolute Mind could help maintain my mind, worn out by using Icarus’s Ring.
Naturally, the Seed of Engagement, the ingredient to complete the ‘resolute mind,’ was a very valuable magical potion.
However, Kim Joo-hyuk had no idea how valuable the Seed of Engagement was.
He just carried it around as a research material without knowing what it was used for. Moreover, the ‘resolute mind’ completed using the Seed of Engagement was a unique ability only found in the game ＜Eternity: Sword Chronicle＞, so Kim Joo-hyuk had no way of knowing about it.
Sure enough, Kim Joo-hyuk, who was tense, thinking I might ask for an expensive magic accessory, handed it over without asking how I knew about it or even considering changing his mind.
As I took the Seed of Engagement and returned to my seat, Kim Joo-hyuk swiftly turned to the blackboard, perhaps trying to hide his crumpled expression.
“The, the passage interpreted by Novice I-Haesol just now is the foundation of modern runic principles by the Delac Magician······”
It was amusing to see him stutter and struggle to interpret, unable to hide even the trembling in his voice.
‘Nevertheless, what a jackpot. It’s coming so easily.’
I gazed at the blue seed in my hand.
[Seed of Engagement]
[Potion for making the Engagement Potion.]
*When consumed, the Engagement Potion can engrave an indelible bond.
[Cost: 3000SP]
A potion that can only be obtained by eliminating Kim Juhyuk, who has become a mine at the end of the semester.
I thought I couldn’t get it right away, but it ended up in my hand due to Kim Juhyuk’s unbelievable mistake.
“Wow, it’s disgustingly expensive.”
I muttered as I looked at the cost of 3000SP.
“What’s that?”
At the voice from beside me, I tucked the Seed of Engagement into my pocket. Eun Ga-ye was leaning over next to Han Seyeon.
“It’s nothing.”
“Hmm, doesn’t seem like nothing?”
Eun Ga-ye, looking suspicious, glanced at the pocket containing the Seed of Engagement and soon asked with a surprised expression.
“By the way, did you know how to read runes?”
“Well, a little.”
“No. You’re so smart, why…”
Eun Ga-ye trailed off with an incredulous expression.
It was no wonder, as for the past few days, I couldn’t even keep up with the pace of the classes.
Would that be why even Eun Ga-ye, known as the ‘Raindrop Deity,’ confidently declared, ‘I’m better than you’? Of course, it wasn’t because I was dumber than Eun Ga-ye.
“Because I didn’t study.”
It’s weird to be good at a subject you’re doing for the first time.
“…Ugh, what a filthy world.”
Eun Ga-ye, who had lost her zest for life, slumped onto the desk, but it was none of my business.
“Thanks, you wrote it well.”
I handed back the notes on magical theory that I had borrowed from Han Seyeon a while ago.
“Feel free to borrow it anytime.”
“Okay.”
Han Seyeon smiled brightly as she took the notes and kept them safe.
True to her ‘daughter of a strict parent’ setting, she took care of me and Eun Ga-ye like a nanny, showing us the notes even though we couldn’t keep up with the lessons.
“We’ll end the class here for today.”
Although there were still 10 minutes left for the class to end, Kim Juhyuk, who declared the end of the class, ran out of the classroom as if fleeing.
***
…Lunchtime after the morning classes.
Eternity’s cafeteria is a large building that can accommodate hundreds of people.
Inside, various health foods for novices’ well-being were prepared.
As someone who enjoys eating to the core, I pick sausages, tonkatsu, and such according to my taste.
“The nutritional balance is a mess. That’s why you can’t even run properly.”
Nikolai, who is obsessed with balance, interfered with my tray, seemingly dissatisfied with my food choices.
“Alright, I’ll eat as I please until I die.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Leaving that aside, how did your rune studies go? I’d like to borrow your notes if you have any.”
Ah, that was your goal. It was indeed a reason fitting for a top student.
“Since I don’t have that, will you go?”
Ignoring Nikolai, who offered money, I declined with a wave of my hand and sat in a secluded spot to have a meager meal.
Soon, someone placed a tray in front of me. However, the contents were appalling.
Chicken breast, bell peppers, eggplants, broccoli…
Just looking at it made my stomach churn. Nikolai wouldn’t be able to eat that either.
I raised my head, wondering who would have such a meal for lunch, only to find Cheon Woojin.
“Really, you eat this kind of stuff?”
While it was said that one of Cheon Woojin’s character traits was ‘taking care of his health,’ this seemed a bit extreme.
It’s not like he’s a bear eating mugwort…
I became genuinely curious watching him meticulously chew and eat each bite.
“Is it tasty?”
“It’s bearable once you get used to it.”
Smiling with eggplant in his mouth, Cheon Woojin seemed to have lost his mind due to the terrible taste.
I picked up a sausage to soothe my battered taste buds. As I was trying to recover, another tray was placed next to me.
Hmm, this one looks somewhat decent.
Seated next to me was Eun Gae-ye, who stared at me intently and asked, “Care to explain properly?”
“What? Magical theory?”
“I’m better at that than you.”
“······.”
Avoiding my bewildered gaze, Eun Gae-ye turned serious and asked, “What does ‘ease off a bit’ mean?”
“Oh, that?”
“Yes.”
Eun Gae-ye’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“Just as it sounds. Ease off a bit.”
“…Is that all?”
“Yes, that’s all.”
Eun Gae-ye frowned in disappointment, but I had no intention of saying more.
Eun Gae-ye needed time to contemplate and find the answer on her own.
Some things couldn’t be learned through instruction; they had to be experienced firsthand.
Of course, there was also the fact that I had no way to help Eun Gae-ye.
For her to properly handle magic, she needed to discard her family’s swordsmanship, which didn’t suit her body. But discarding it recklessly could lead to unforeseen consequences. Hence, I had no choice but to stay silent.
Suddenly, I remembered that the sword Eun Gae-ye used in the game was even bigger than the one she had now.
If the current rapier-like sword Eun Gae-ye wielded was closer to a thinner type, the one she used in the game was much thicker. It wouldn’t hurt to mention that.
“Change your sword to a bigger one.”
The current sword Eun Gae-ye had was too small.