Episode 210. Subtitle: Special Candidate (1)

A few days after successfully completing the undercover investigation ordered by Chancellor Raonel.

My usual school routine had undergone a few changes.

“Hehe. Dale~.”

First, the biggest change was, of course.

“You worked hard training today. Stick your head out. I’ll wipe your sweat.”


“I can do this much myself…”


“Shh! Don’t say that~ Come on, hurry!”

No.

Honestly, I don’t really want to receive it in Yuren’s current form…

“Ugh.”


“Ha… Dale’s sweat… smells nice.”

Please, don’t blush like that in that form.

“You worked hard today. Oh, by the way, do you want to have dinner together later? And, if you have time… maybe come to my room…”

Yuren (Yurina) with a shy smile, slightly lowering her gaze.

Though she couldn’t even finish her sentence and was twisting her body in embarrassment, it was incredibly endearing.

But I clenched my fist and glared fiercely at the pendant around Yuren’s neck.

‘That magical tool, made by the great sage Julius 500 years ago and gifted to the Helios Family.’

I don’t know why a great sage would create a magical tool for disguising one’s gender.

But the magic within that pendant, ‘Polymorph,’ was indeed intricate and detailed, befitting the touch of a great sage.

Right.

So what I’m trying to say is.

‘Even knowing it’s Yurina inside, I can’t get used to it.’

Humans are creatures that rely heavily on visual information, and even heroes with superhuman bodies are no different.

“Dale? What’s wrong?”


“Ah… it’s just.”

While I was desperately avoiding Yuren’s sparkling gaze.

“Hmm. You two have been really close lately, huh?”


“Hmph. Even during training earlier, both of you were distracted.”

Iris, squinting her eyes at us, and Camilla, clicking her tongue with her arms crossed.

“Hehe. Want me to tell you why~?”


“…No, it’s fine. I can roughly guess why Yurina has been acting like she’s lost a screw lately.”

Clicking her tongue, Iris shook her head.

Though she said she expected it, she wasn’t entirely unaffected, as she pouted and pinched my side hard.

“Ouch.”

The sharp pain that shot through my side made me frown.

Iris leaned close to my ear and whispered in a small voice.

“Mr. Dale, you haven’t forgotten, right? I’m the first.”


“Ahem.”

Perhaps feeling left out after seeing Yurina’s happiness these past few days.

Iris’s voice carried a quiet anger.

‘Still, it’s better if she gets angry like Iris.’

I turned to look at Lanes, who was crouching slightly away from us, hugging her knees and biting her nails.

/(Small font) “I’m jealous of Yurina. I want to do more than just kiss Dale. I can do better. I can give Dale everything he wants. Why doesn’t Dale come to my room? Is it because I lack charm as a woman? Is that it? Men like tall, slender women, but I’m short and not slender, so Dale doesn’t look at me. What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? Maybe I should tie Dale’s limbs and force him…”/

The faintly audible curse-like muttering.

‘Is this… going to trigger another Blessing of Frost rampage?’

I gulped dryly as I looked at Lanes, who was emanating a gloomy aura.

If before, when Iris and I got together, the atmosphere was like ‘It’s okay, we’ll all be happy together,’ now it feels like ‘Huh? Didn’t we agree to all be happy together?’

‘Professor Elisha… I miss you.’

At times like this, Professor Elisha should step in and play the role of the big sister.

But Professor Elisha hasn’t been around much lately due to the investigation of the recent incident.

‘If I open my mouth now, things might get worse.’

While I was pondering what to do.

“Why are you crouching in the corner muttering to yourself?”

Sophia, who had been quietly observing the situation, sighed and approached Lanes.

“Sophia?”


“Tsk. Honestly, why do you fall for a guy like that…”


“Ugh.”


“Sigh. Well, it’s not my place to say.”

Sophia glared at Berald, who was grinning and saying, ‘When are we going for dinner? I’ll join you!’ amidst the tense atmosphere.

“Well, anyway. Don’t be so down. Didn’t we all agree to get along?”


“Th-that’s… but.”

Lanes, curling up like a bean bug and fidgeting with her fingers.

Though she understood in her head that her place wasn’t gone just because Dale and Yurina got together.

But since when does the human heart follow logic?

Every time she saw Yurina clinging to Dale, jealousy bubbled up from deep within.

“By the way, brother, when does your suspension end?”


“Hmm… probably another month?”


“Huh? Then the final evaluation will be over, right?”


“That’s right.”

I sighed and shook my head.

By the way, the midterm evaluation had already ended a while ago.

‘Even if I’m at the bottom, what’s the point of midterm and final evaluations?’

I thought about asking Chancellor Raonel to lift the punishment.

But since the midterm evaluation was already over, even if the punishment was revoked, I couldn’t retake the past exams.

‘And it would just cause more talk.’

The school chancellor personally revoking the punishment for a candidate who broke school rules and received severe punishment?

Starting with my relationship with the chancellor, there would definitely be a lot of talk.

‘At worst, information about those mask guys might leak.’

Anyway.

In the current situation, requesting the revocation of the punishment as a reward was too risky.

“Hmm… but with everyone gathered, this place feels a bit cramped.”

Berald, looking around the training grounds.

Lately, Yuren’s private training grounds have been used as a semi-hideout.

Though it’s called a ‘private’ training grounds, it’s spacious enough to be overwhelming for one person, but with seven people gathered, it felt quite cramped.

“Ah.”

Then, an idea flashed through my mind.

“Should we ask the chancellor for a party training grounds this time?”


“Party training grounds?”


“Yeah.”

Party training grounds.

Literally, a training grounds suitable for party training, designed for at least three to five people.

Due to the enormous cost and complex conditions, not many parties actually use it, but with the chancellor’s authority, it could be arranged.

“Ah, that sounds like a good idea. This place is good for one-on-one duels, but not so much for party training.”


“Now that you mention it, we haven’t had many opportunities for party training outside of relic explorations.”

Yurina and Iris nodded in agreement.

“Wow! Then we’ll really have our party hideout in the school!”

Perhaps hooked on the word ‘hideout.’

Berald’s eyes sparkled as he exhaled excitedly.

“Well… I also need a place to practice magic, so it’s not bad.”


“Great. Then I’ll talk to the chancellor later.”

With Sophia’s agreement, there was no more reason to hesitate.

Just as I thought about contacting Chancellor Raonel.

-Ding.

A clear chime sounded, and the Hero Watch lit up.

[Candidate Dale. Can you come to the chancellor’s office right now?]

It was a message from Professor Elisha.

“…Chancellor’s office?”

Not the professor’s office, but the chancellor’s office.

‘Did they find some clue about the mask guys?’

I tilted my head and stood up.

“Sorry. It looks like I won’t be able to have dinner with you today.”

Leaving the party members who were tilting their heads in confusion, I headed straight to the chancellor’s office.

* * *

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

Current hero ranking: 3rd.

Known as the ‘Brain God’ and idolized by countless heroes, Chancellor Raonel’s office was surprisingly simple, contrary to his brilliant reputation.

An old wooden table, a worn-out sofa, and a bookshelf filled with nameless old books.

Rather than the office of one of the continent’s most powerful figures, it felt more like a quiet countryside bookstore.

“Sorry for calling you on such short notice.”


“No, it’s fine.”


“Originally, I planned to treat you to a meal and show proper courtesy, but important information about the masked villain you found this time has come in, so I called you here.”

Chancellor Raonel stroked his beard with a complicated expression.

“What kind of information?”


“That’s for me to explain.”

Professor Elisha stepped forward.

She manipulated a magical tool to project a hologram photo in the air.

It was a photo of the Wolf Mask’s face taken right after the battle, with the mask removed.

“Is this the photo Candidate Dale took of the Wolf Mask?”


“Yes. That’s correct.”


“To you, did this person seem like the leader of the mask group?”


“No. That wasn’t the case.”

There was an unknown entity that the Wolf Mask was following.

“Then did he at least seem like an executive?”


“Hmm… Yes. I’m not sure exactly what position he held among the executives, but he didn’t seem like a clueless underling.”


“I see. So that’s how it is…”


“Is there a problem?”

Tilting my head, I looked at Professor Elisha, and she flipped the screen.

A new photo appeared, showing a young man with a face similar to the Wolf Mask.

“This is…”


“His name is James Jin. We found his identity in the list of graduates from our school.”


“Oh.”

The moment my assumption that if the opponent was a hero and not a mine, we could find information within the hero school, proved correct.

I eagerly examined the Wolf Mask’s face.

Though the scars were gone and he looked about ten years younger, it was definitely the Wolf Mask.

“The problem is…”

Professor Elisha furrowed her brows and continued.

“James Jin is a candidate who graduated from the hero school about 300 years ago.”


“…What?”

What?

300 years ago?