“Look over there—it’s Thomas Andrea…!”
“Why would the man known as America’s strategic weapon be here?”
“Probably here to find some good talent or something.”
“Guild Master, Thomas Andrea is here……”
Despite the murmurs from the crowd around them, a woman sitting in the stands sipping beer paid no attention and nonchalantly grabbed a fistful of fried chicken from her plate and shoved it into her mouth.
“Hmm… This spicy chicken really does taste best in Korea.”
As the woman wiped the seasoning from the corner of her mouth, Andrea watched Yoon Se-ah make her entrance, illuminating the otherwise empty arena with awe.
“She’s much stronger than the last time I saw her.”
“Master, are you referring to Yoon Se-ah?”
“Yes. Look at that mana—there’s an overwhelming difference in quality compared to the last time we met!”
“Although the quantity is less than before… you’re right.”
With a powerful aura that could overshadow countless heroes and cadets surrounding her, one girl currently stood out as she delivered a speech. Her lavender hair flowed down to her waist, and with a beauty akin to a statue, she gripped the microphone, capturing the audience’s full attention. Indeed, Yoon Se-ah’s appearance could be described nothing short of genius.
“The rules of the competition are simple. The newest combat system developed by the collaboration of Raon Academy and YS Technology will be used. It employs a simulation device with boundaries that disconnect automatically when a fatal blow is dealt…”
“So, what exactly is this system?”
“Uh… If you think of it like a virtual reality game, it’s easier to understand. Even if a limb is cut off in the simulation, the actual cadet’s limb will remain unharmed—but supposedly, the pain is real.”
“Hmm… This kind of technology hasn’t been introduced yet in America’s academies. Investigate the company that developed this system.”
“Understood.”
Luis, the vice-guild master of Vulture’s Guild, who stood beside Thomas Andrea, was amazed at Korea’s technology and began researching YS Technology, the company responsible for the system’s development.
“As I expected with ‘YS’ in the name…”
“…Yes, that company was recently acquired and merged into the Yuseong Group under Chairman Kim Deok-bae’s leadership. It’s safe to say he’s a genius of commerce.”
If it weren’t for the fact that he dreamed of becoming a hero, Andrea thought he would have instantly recruited him as the Guild’s asset manager.
“…Since the reason you’re all here isn’t to listen to my speech, that’s all for the explanation. Watching is probably faster anyway.”
Watching Yoon Se-ah casually run the competition with wit and humor made a smile spread across Andrea’s face, reminiscent of discovering a gem with overwhelming talent at a young age.
“Every time I see her, I wish I could just recruit her to my guild…”
Seeming to pick up on Andrea’s thoughts, Luis quickly began investigating something on his tablet.
On the screen, Yoon Se-ah’s mage power was being measured, placing her above a B-ranked Magician.
“Even though she’s still a cadet, she’s emitting a mana signature stronger than a B-rank magician.”
“That’s while her power is being suppressed by those bracelets. Re-calculate it accordingly.”
“If we assume those bracelets are removed… she’d reach the upper tier of A-rank. Shall we reach out to her?”
Currently, Yoon Se-ah is not affiliated with any guild and isn’t sponsored by any guilds either. Naturally, if Raon Academy were to select its most gifted pupil, everyone would unanimously agree it’s Se-ah. Naturally, someone who dreams of building the best guild would find her extremely appealing. Andrea even thought about constructing a Korean branch of Vultures Guild just to snatch her up and appoint her as its head.
“Nah, that old bag from the academy wouldn’t be too happy about that.”
After contemplating for a bit, Andrea let the idea go.
“To be honest, if Master had pursued Se-ah seriously, relations with Korea would have fallen apart instantly.”
“I know, I know.”
Yoon Se-ah held the position of Student Council President at Raon Academy, a role that includes a privilege of direct meetings with the principal. In the past, over half of Raon’s Student Council Presidents eventually joined the Golden Guild, which is why many assumed she’d follow the same path.
Of course, Andrea and Luis shared the same assumption. They knew it would be wise not to mess with someone who was already expected elsewhere.
“Anyway, a friendly relationship with her is enough for us to gain. We could tackle gate exploration together sometimes.”
“Finally, you’re letting go of your greed.”
“Shut up.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then I’ll introduce today’s matchups. There will be a total of 100 matches with 200 cadets participating…”
As Yoon Se-ah finished the opening ceremony and confirmed the day’s schedule, Andrea stood up, kicking his chair back.
“Are you heading back to America now?”
“No, not really. Going back would just have me dealing with more board meetings and the dogs from the underground. Might as well stay here and have some buffalo wings.”
“Whether there’s enough bourbon to satisfy the Master, I can’t guarantee that.”
“Nah, beer is fine too!”
It was said that on that day, the academy’s snack shop broke its record in sales.
…
‘My match is tomorrow.’
Still, this atmosphere was quite intimidating; if it were a normal person, they’d probably be swallowed up by the overwhelming energy here.
If someone like Baek Sia, who lacks emotional resilience, were in my shoes, they’d probably be intimidated by the pressure from the S-rank heroes and might make some mistakes.
‘Who would’ve thought my university presentation experience would help this much?’
Thanks, those jerks who made me run around with group projects.
It was quite surprising that Thomas Andrea was here, but we could say that everyone who mattered showed up. From Ryu Seong-ho, Ryu Shin-woo’s older brother, to Choi Won-ho, the mentor of Seo Ah-rin known for his moniker ‘Tyrannosaur,’ Jina Lee, a disciple of Eve and current guild master of a large guild, to Lee Cheon-ma and Kang Jin-myung—all were present.
While reminiscing about their appearances, cheers erupted from the stadium.
“Wowwww!”
‘Did the first match already end?’
The first match was definitely a first-year clash—between Kang Ayul and someone else. Likely Kang Jin-myung would have drilled the fundamentals into Ayul given his teaching style. If Ayul had shown too much reliance on her abilities, he’d likely call her home for intensive training this summer.
Ayul must demonstrate her growth to her grandfather through pure swordsmanship alone. Considering her skills amplify everything she does with a blade, she should dominate the first years. The cheers suggest she won overwhelmingly.
Pulling out my phone to watch the live feed, sure enough, Ayul was annihilating her opponent in an awe-inspiring victory.
As it turns out, her opponent, Choi Si-ra, a first-year assumed by everyone, was actually a top-ranked third-year student.
‘Impressive.’
From what the commentators said, Choi Si-ra had a confirmed contract with the Renowned Sword Guild, and no one expected her to be trounced so thoroughly.
“Well… I’m done here, might as well go watch.”
Thinking there was nothing else to do, I figured I’d just head back to the dormitory and rest, but then a text came.
[Yoo Eun-ha]
[Sister, would you have time to watch the match with me?]
If she’s asking like this, how can I say no?
“Are you going to see that cowardly woman?”
“Shut up, any sudden moves and you’re dead.”
“Understood!”
To avoid drawing attention, I threw on a dark hoodie over my school uniform. The uniform pants look similar enough to regular dress pants, so people will just think I’m a regular civilian stopping by to watch the games.
Once Azathoth disappeared, a crystal ball appeared clenched in my hand.
‘At least this will prevent any unexpected outbursts.’
This was a strategy I devised after Azathoth’s frequent outbursts became a problem.
[“You can’t use Crystal Maker when Azathoth is out.”] => [“If I’m using this power, Azathoth can’t appear.”] => [“So, if I use Crystal Maker to create a crystal ball, it means I’m using this power.”] => [“Azathoth can’t appear.”]
This was my foolproof Azathoth-sealing plan.
Though I couldn’t stop him from muttering in my pocket, placing him in my bag muffled all sounds, which was fine by me.
Later, I met up with Yoo Eun-ha.
“Eun-ha! Over here!”
“…Weren’t we supposed to be by ourselves?”
“Hm… I thought so too, but then someone suddenly appeared beside me and suggested watching together… Sorry about that.”
“No, it’s okay. They are Eun-ha’s friends after all.”
I hadn’t expected the protagonist crew to show up.
