Chapter 113
Yoon Haul frowned as she closed the thick book in front of her. The words just wouldn’t sink in.
The incident at the Magic Department had been largely resolved, with Duke Becken taking an active role in uncovering the truth.
It was concluded that a dark mage was behind it all.
On top of that, she was even set to receive a commendation from Ardel Academy as a form of compensation.
Despite the positive outcome, something continued to bother her.
Tap, tap.
Yoon Haul irritably shook her head, trying to banish the image that kept popping up in her mind.
“Agh.”
No matter how much she waved her hand as if to shoo it away, it came back.
Han Siha.
More than the dark mage being captured after causing havoc at the Magic Department, this was what mattered most to her.
She had seen his future.
“What was that?”
What was it, really?
Yoon Haul sighed as she murmured to herself.
When the dark mage attacked and Han Siha collapsed.
She had feared he might die, that he might never wake up again.
Scared that this might be the end.
Yoon Haul had tried to see his ‘end.’
Seeing someone’s death required an immense amount of magic, and the pain that came with it was something she had to endure alone.
After learning about the side effects of her ability, she had avoided looking at others’ ends.
But she had summoned extraordinary courage and tried to see it this time…
And yet, she saw nothing.
“That’s impossible.”
Yoon Haul shook her head in disbelief.
Not seeing the end meant…
There was only one reason she wouldn’t be able to see the future.
It only happened when the future was tied to her own.
Yoon Haul blinked her eyes slowly, trying to remain calm.
It was hard to believe, but the futures she saw were highly accurate. No, they had never been wrong.
That left only one possibility.
But that couldn’t be true.
Muttering to herself cautiously, Yoon Haul voiced the unbelievable conclusion.
It was a thought too delicate to even speak aloud.
But if she was right…
“Does that mean… I’m there at your end?”
Her heart raced wildly.
Yoon Haul took a deep breath, trying to steady her breathing.
The idea that they might share the same end.
Whether that was good or bad, she didn’t know.
* * *
[Main Episode 6: Ardel Crusaders]
[Protect the Cube from the Dark Mage (Achant).]
[Recommended Participants: 6]
Ding.
The familiar alert suddenly rang out.
Without any prior warning, the sixth main episode had appeared.
But I had known it was coming.
This was a crucial episode.
In fact, I had been waiting for it.
“The Ardel Crusaders.”
That was in the original story too.
Originally, Lee Han would have been the one to form it, but now it fell to me.
The Cube was highly likely to be stolen by them.
The dark mage Enchant.
In the original story, he was a mid-level boss who played a significant role.
A master thief skilled in detection and theft… It sounds unimpressive, but that’s the reality.
He was unmatched when it came to stealing.
In the original, he inevitably managed to steal the Cube once, but if possible, I needed to prevent that.
If the Cube was stolen and I couldn’t retrieve it, it would lead to the worst-case scenario I had been dreading.
The Cube was too dangerous to let go of so easily.
“Hmm. Let’s put that aside for now.”
Assuming I followed the message’s instructions, the key issue was who I should bring with me.
The recommended number of participants was six.
That meant I had to gather five more people besides myself.
If I thought back to the original story, Lee Han, Adela, and Solia were essential.
These three had to be included, no question.
As for the remaining two spots.
A few candidates came to mind.
Natalie, who had been through the wringer, even getting kidnapped.
Won, the reliable supporter who had joined the Crusaders in the original story under Lee Han.
But my thoughts drifted in a different direction.
“Yoon Haul.”
In the original, Yoon Haul wasn’t supposed to learn about the Cube until much later.
At least not until the year after next, if I recall correctly.
I had originally intended to keep her out of danger, but if she joined us, she would be a great asset.
It was a tough decision.
“Her artifact was more useful than I expected.”
Yoon Haul had saved my life, narrowly keeping me alive when I was on the brink of death.
Honestly, she had been my lifesaver.
If I could recruit and train her earlier, with her genius-level talent…
“Maybe I should talk to her.”
I felt guilty for involving her, knowing it would be dangerous.
But ultimately, it would be her choice. For now, I decided to put Yoon Haul’s involvement on hold.
As for the last person.
Realistically, Natalie, who probably harbored a deep hatred for dark mages, seemed like the right choice.
But for some reason, Seymour kept coming to mind.
“He knows the enemy better than anyone….”
In the original story, Seymour became one of the Ardel students who led a revolt as a key member of the dark mage group.
If I assumed he had reformed, he would be the one who knew the enemy best.
In the original, he had a rotten personality.
His position was still uncertain.
These two factors kept weighing on my mind.
But I trusted my choice.
At least the current Seymour was someone I could trust.
Because I had made him that way.
“Seymour.”
And so, I finalized the list of five candidates for the Crusaders in my mind.
For now, the idea of getting their permission was set aside.
“I’ve got a lot of work to do. Convincing this one, persuading that one. Trying to explain the concept of the Cube to each of them would take at least three days and nights.”
It was frustrating to be having these thoughts while my body was still recovering, but I was adapting quickly enough.
I couldn’t afford to waste any time preparing for the next episode.
But then.
At that moment, the door suddenly burst open.
“Han Siha!”
Bursting in with her short hair flying and teeth clenched was a face I had somewhat expected—Adela.
“You—where the hell have you been? What were you doing running around?!”
…If I brought up the Cube now, I’d probably get hit.
“Is it true that you almost died?”
“….”
“Really?”
Adela repeated her question several times, as if she couldn’t believe it.
She already knew that my life had been in danger at the Magic Department before.
Still, the idea that something so serious had happened in the short time she returned home was hard for her to accept.
“Duke Becken’s statement has been going around everywhere. All the other students already know. Why didn’t you tell me before getting involved in something so dangerous? What were you thinking when you followed that man?”
This was unfair.
“I didn’t follow him. I was kidnapped.”
What was there to follow? I just opened my eyes, and there I was, tied up.
My calm response only seemed to fuel Adela’s anger, and she clenched her fists tightly.
“It’s the same thing!”
“How is that the same thing? There’s a huge difference between following someone and being kidnapped.”
There’s a clear distinction between doing something of your own will and being forced into it.
Of course, Adela didn’t seem to understand it that way. It seemed she was under the impression that I had willingly walked into danger, just like last time.
Adela bit her lower lip, her face flushed with frustration.
“The presentation. If that’s what puts you in danger, then let’s stop.”
“….”
“That artifact is dangerous enough.”
By “that artifact,” she meant the Cube, but I could tell there was more meaning behind her deep gaze.
“And that, too.”
“….”
“Even if I don’t know all the details, I have a rough idea.”
The Cube.
But I was in a position where I had to protect it.
My safety was important, of course, but if I let it slip away, it wouldn’t just be my safety at risk—Ardel as a whole could be in danger.
“I was going to talk to you about it anyway. It seems like they’re targeting it.”
“If they’re targeting it, can’t you just give it up?”
“No, it’s something that has to be protected. I’ll explain why….”
“I care more about you….”
“No!”
The conversation was starting to take a more extreme turn, but if I didn’t say it now, I might never get the chance.
With that in mind…
How about joining the Crusaders?
“…Crusaders?”
Swoosh.
Instead of a response, a heavy stone slowly floated into the air.
“Sorry.”
I barely managed to avoid getting buried alive by uttering those words.
* * *
The next day, as Adela had predicted, news of the dark mage’s infiltration at the Magic Department spread quickly throughout Ardel Academy.
Thanks to Duke Becken’s efforts to restore his reputation, the story had gained a lot of attention.
And, of course, my name was all over it.
I had become a famous figure overnight.
[The Brave Future of Ardel Academy: Students Han Siha and Yoon Haul Save Not Only Their Honor, But Also Their Lives. – by Duke Becken]
[The Strange Invention Created by Two Students at the Magic Department’s Recent Presentation: A Revolutionary Artifact?]
I never expected to see an article about it.
Ta-da.
Even my face was featured.
“Isn’t that Han Siha?”
“Probably.”
“Wow… He’s been all over the place during the second years.”
“Hey, look, Han Siha is coming this way!”
My name, which used to be known only among the second years, was now spreading far and wide.
“I heard he unlocked a new ability too.”
“Huh? Is that true?”
“Something other than taming?”
“I don’t know the details….”
I had come to the lecture hall for my monster psychology class, but the whispers from the back of the room made it hard to concentrate.
Won, who entered the room with the day’s hot news tucked under his arm, excitedly waved a newspaper in front of my face.
“Wow, what’s this? When did you make it to the news? You look better in photos, you know.”
“The real thing is better. What are you talking about?”
Shaking my head at his ridiculous comment, Won continued as if the actual issue was something else.
“Never mind that. Do you know the students from the Natural Sciences Department?”
“Natural Sciences?”
The department is known for its serious, no-fun people who were obsessed with theories.
I remembered the name, though it hadn’t played a significant role.
Won lowered his voice, his excitement barely contained.
“Well, they proposed a group date… and they specifically asked for you. Come on, let’s go together.”
“….”
“They said they’re bringing the four most popular students from their department. I’ll gather up three more with all my connections, so let’s go together.”
Is that what this was about?
“Not interested.”
“Eh?”
Won grimaced in disbelief.
“Why? Why not?”
“Group dates? I had more than enough of those in the first year. If you go on them when you’re too old, they’ll treat you like a fossil and talk behind your back. You’ll be so drained you won’t even have fun, and every day will feel the same. These days, I don’t even know why my body aches so much….”
I was giving this speech to a fifteen-year-old.
Honestly, it was mostly because I couldn’t be bothered.
“We’re… only… in our second year….”
Won mumbled in shock, covering his mouth.
“If you’re aching at this age… Maybe that dark mage hit you harder than you thought?”
“….”
“Shouldn’t you go back to the hospital?”
Thankfully, the nonsense was cut short by the timely arrival of Professor Ernst.
“Good to see so many of you here today, haha.”
The quiet lecture hall fell silent at the sight of the professor.
As a sense of impending doom settled in, Professor Ernst’s gaze landed squarely on me.
If this were Professor Grint, he would have just passed by without saying anything.
But with Professor Ernst, who thrived on data and student relationships, that wasn’t likely.
Please.
Don’t call on me.
“Han Siha?”
…Don’t call on me.
“Ah, yes, I heard our very own Han Siha, one of my students, recently performed an incredible feat and returned from the Magic Department. I’ve also heard that the artifact you presented was truly remarkable—so much so that I regret not attending the presentation myself. At this rate, I might have to say you’re the most successful student I’ve ever taught. Ahem.”
One of Professor Ernst’s defining traits was his overflowing affection for his students.
“Now, with that in mind, why don’t you come up and explain the theory behind it, Han Siha?”
And another defining trait?
He always made his students present.
Excuse me, I’m still a patient, you know?
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