Episode 42. The Consistent Brat (3)

“Huh?”

Did he hear my voice?

Berald, holding a crumpled door panel in one hand with a triumphant expression, turned his gaze toward me.

His eyes sparkled like stars upon spotting me.

“No way, isn’t that Brother Dale?!”

Berald shouted loudly as he approached me.

“Hehe. I’ve been hearing a lot about you lately, Brother… What’s going on?”

Berald was the only one who had a connection with me before the regression.

‘Well, even if we had a connection, it wasn’t exactly a good one.’

We first met during last year’s supplementary classes.

Both of us had failed the required course, “Principles and Understanding of Magic Power.”

As they say, birds of a feather flock together.

He, known as the “black sheep” of the Liu family, and I, the perennial bottom-ranked candidate, naturally grew closer.

“Didn’t you knock out Professor Lucas with one punch? And didn’t you make the next Holy Kingdom’s sword kneel with just a gesture…?”

Berald trailed off, as if even he found it hard to believe.

“I even heard rumors that you sliced through dozens of monsters during the recent monster rampage… Is all that true?”

“Well, some of it.”

“Some of it? So, it’s not entirely baseless rumors?”

Berald’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Of course.

From the perspective of someone who knew me before, I knew better than anyone how absurd those rumors were.

“Did you really find some miracle herb on the school’s back mountain or something?”

“Not exactly…”

I pondered how to explain it to Berald but soon concluded that there was no need to overcomplicate things.

“Let’s call it enlightenment? Yeah, something like that happened.”

“Ooh! Enlightenment!”

Berald’s eyes lit up as he exclaimed.

Enlightenment.

It was a term often used when a hero, blocked by the wall of a certain realm, suddenly experienced significant growth.

‘Honestly, it’s a ridiculous excuse.’

Even with enlightenment, was it really possible for a candidate who had been at the bottom of the rankings since enrollment to grow strong enough to beat up a professor overnight?

But.

‘Berald wouldn’t doubt me.’

Not because he’s stupid.

Nor because he’s incapable of doubting others.

There was one reason I thought he wouldn’t question my words.

“Kuh! I knew Brother could do it!”

Berald exhaled sharply, clenching his fists tightly.

“…Really?”

“Of course! Didn’t I keep saying from the moment we first met? That Brother had the makings of a great hero!”

As expected.

This guy had always had an absurd amount of faith in me.

‘I still don’t know what he sees in me, though.’

Even when I graduated at the bottom of my class in my past life, Berald had stubbornly insisted.

– Don’t worry! Brother will definitely become a great hero!

A pure belief with no basis or logic.

That was why I thought he wouldn’t question my ridiculous excuse about gaining enlightenment and becoming strong overnight.

“Hahaha! This really clears my mind! You’ve been through a lot, Brother!”

“Yeah. Thanks, man.”

Berald patted my shoulder with a gleeful expression, as if he were the one who had gained enlightenment.

After patting my shoulder for a while, his gaze shifted to the person beside me.

“By the way, who’s this beside you?”

“Ah, this is Juliet Kang. A friend of mine.”

“Oh, Brother’s friend! Nice to meet you. I’m Berald Liu!”

Berald grinned and extended a hand as big as a pot lid.

“Huh? Uh, yeah. I’m Juliet.”

“Hehe. How do you know Brother?”

“…That’s.”

Juliet’s expression stiffened.

I smirked and turned on the Hero Watch.

“Let’s see… This friend has a unique hobby, you know?”

“Eek! No, don’t!”

Juliet screamed as if having a seizure the moment the Hero Watch screen turned on.

I chuckled as I looked at Juliet, who was making a pitiful face.

“Why?”

“Why?! You promised to keep it a secret!”

“Hmm? What kind of hobby is it that you’re so freaked out?”

“It’s nothing! Really!”

Juliet quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, if you’re Berald Liu… then, right? You’re from the same Liu family as Principal Raonel.”

The Brain God, Raonel Liu.

A hero ranked 3rd in the Three Kingdoms Hero Rankings and the current principal of Reynaldo Hero School.

“The Liu… family.”

Berald’s face stiffened for a moment.

But only for a moment.

Berald nodded with his characteristic hearty smile.

“That’s right. Though we’re from the same family, I’m from a branch family, so I don’t have much connection with Grandfather Raonel.”

“Ah, really? Still, being from the Liu family… That’s impressive.”

Juliet looked at Berald with admiration.

Though Juliet’s family was also a respectable one in the Republic, it couldn’t compare to the Liu family.

The Liu family was a prestigious lineage that had produced outstanding mages, comparable to the Empire’s “Bastian” family.

They had firmly established their position since the people of the Republic crossed over from a world called “Korea” 500 years ago.

“…Is that so?”

Berald smiled faintly, his tone tinged with bitterness.

Juliet didn’t seem to notice, but with my memories of the past life, I could clearly see Berald’s feelings.

‘He probably doesn’t take kindly to praise of his family.’

Berald had grown up being severely scorned within the family for his inability to properly wield magic.

‘Being from a branch family with no tradition and having poor magical abilities didn’t help.’

Thus, he was given the nickname “The Black Sheep of the Liu Family.”

A derogatory title for someone who ignored the history and tradition of a family that had produced outstanding mages, focusing only on brute strength.

‘No wonder we got along in my past life.’

The bottom-ranked hero and the black sheep of the family.

What a fitting pair, right?

“By the way.”

This time, Berald changed the subject.

“Did you have lunch before coming out?”

“Yeah. You?”

“Hehe. I just finished a hearty meal.”

Berald patted his stomach with his thick hand.

“What did you eat?”

“Of course, stir-fried pork.”

“You really know your stuff.”

“Hehe. Did you have stir-fried pork too, Brother?”

I nodded readily, grinning at Berald.

“If you’re from the Republic, it’s gotta be stir-fried pork.”

“Hahaha! Brother and I really are on the same wavelength!”

Berald laughed heartily and slung his arm around my shoulder.

He swayed his body as if dancing, with his arm around me.

Though his rock-solid muscles didn’t make it the most pleasant sensation.

‘This brings back memories.’

The times when we roamed the continent with our comrades to stop the resurrection of the Devil God.

Gathered around a bonfire, arms around each other’s shoulders, drinking heavily.

– Come on, let’s down a drink, Brother!

– Alright! Let’s drink till we drop today!

– Hahaha! Brother, even if you die, you’ll come back, right?

– Everyone, remember we have to wake up early tomorrow.

– Hey~ Don’t be so stiff, Brother Yuren, come join us for a drink!

– Berald. You’re disturbing my reading, so shut up.

– Tsk. Reading this late at night is why Sister Sophia isn’t growing taller, isn’t it?

– You wanna die?

– Hehe. Everyone, drink in moderation. As Yuren said, we have to wake up early tomorrow.

– Hehe. So, Sister-in-law, you’re not going into Brother’s tent tonight?

– Oh my, that’s a different story.

– Hahaha! This makes me jealous of those without lovers!

Berald and I, laughing and drinking boisterously.

Yuren, quietly approaching to scold us, and Senior Sophia, quietly reading in the corner.

And Iris, watching us with a warm smile.

A memory of an ordinary time.

A precious, fleeting page of memories torn apart.

“…Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue briefly at the memory that surfaced.

‘I can’t keep wallowing in self-pity.’

If a page of memories is torn,

You just have to make a new one.

‘I’ve been given the chance to do so.’

I looked at Berald, who was smiling brightly, and my eyes sharpened.

Seeing him laugh so heartily, one might think he lives without a care in the world.

‘But only someone who doesn’t know Berald would say that.’

I know.

Only I know.

How much he suppresses himself beneath that hearty laughter.

“Haha. By the way, enlightenment… So, I guess I won’t have to attend supplementary classes with Brother anymore.”

Berald continued with a bitter smile.

“It’s embarrassing to say this to Brother… but I’ll probably fail again this time.”

“The semester just started.”

“Haha. True.”

A deep sigh escaped Berald’s lips.

“I’ve been learning magic for years, and I still can’t even make a proper Magic Power Orb… Hehe. That’s some talent, huh?”

A self-deprecating smile.

“Anyway, I’m glad Brother is shining this time.”

“…….”

I looked at Berald, who was slumping his shoulders weakly, and firmly closed my mouth.

‘Come to think of it, Berald hasn’t really started learning martial arts yet, has he?’

He’s been throwing punches here and there.

But that was just him relying on his natural strength to swing his fists mindlessly.

It wasn’t proper martial arts.

‘Perfect timing.’

I was already thinking of meeting up with my comrades, and running into Berald at this moment was just right.

As Iris would say, this must be the “guidance of the seven gods.”

‘Originally, I planned to sweet-talk Juliet into getting the gold needed to apply for the Private Training Grounds.’

But something much more important came up.

“Hey, do you have any plans later?”

“Hmm? Not really.”

“Yeah? Then…”

I smirked.

Suddenly.

A memory from my past life flashed through my mind.

The time when Berald taught me martial arts.

Despite my terrible coordination, he never complained, even when he had to teach me the same technique over and over.

Always with a hearty smile.

He silently guided me.

‘Then.’

Now.

“Hey, want to learn some martial arts from me?”

It was my turn to guide him.