Today, as usual, the café was bustling with people.
“So… you started laughing when you saw Hae-in, and then suddenly started crying?”
“Yeah.”
Sion was gently stroking her chin as if deep in thought.
“Well… there could be several possibilities, but, from a woman’s perspective…”
This was exactly what I needed. Asking Sion was the right decision.
“It’s probably not because he’s crazed… more likely because he feels overwhelmed. I would’ve probably reacted the same way.”
“Does he have anything troubling him?”
At my calm counter-question, Sion’s eyes widened in surprise.
She then started fumbling with her smartwatch, staring at the screen while speaking.
“Didn’t you know?”
“Know what?”
What do I not know?
-Ding
“Take a look.”
A message notification came through on my smartwatch, sent by Sion.
The attached message contained an article.
[Heir of the ‘Glory’ corporation, Kang Yu-seong, killed in a Demon attack.]
“Huh?”
What the hell is this?
Kang Yu-seong, Kang Ah-rin’s older brother.
He’s a character with significant weight in the story, though not as a helper but as a villain.
He was a traitor collaborating with the Demon.
“I guess you didn’t know. That’s why he couldn’t attend the opening ceremony.”
As Sion spoke, I blinked and re-read the article.
“Kang Yu-seong?”
His death doesn’t matter to me, not even a hundred times over. If anything, it’s beneficial.
From my perspective, he’s an extremely exhausting and troublesome element.
I had even considered killing him myself when planning things.
The problem isn’t just his death but the timing.
In the original story, Kang Yu-seong plotted against Kang Ah-rin due to her extraordinary talent threatening his position as heir. Eventually, he was caught and killed by Seong Si-woo, fulfilling the classic role of a villain.
– Multiple magical injuries to the abdomen and forehead were revealed as the cause of death….
-The Arcadia Divine Temple identified multiple traces of Demon magical energy and concluded they were responsible.
Arcadia. The temple where Cheon Yeoul works.
Specializing in healing and medical analysis, the temple often assists in verifying details of incidents like this.
Which makes this even more suspicious.
To go to such lengths to create the facade of a Demon ally, only to take him out themselves?
Demon entities may not be geniuses, but there’s no way they’d do such a thing.
Sion continued.
“So, don’t bother thinking about him…”
“Sion.”
When I called her name, Sion paused momentarily, widening her eyes.
A slight blush crept onto her face, and she responded in a flustered tone.
“U… Uh? What is it?”
“I should go. Thanks for today.”
As I walked back to my dormitory, I was lost in thought.
It couldn’t just be a coincidence. There are too many questionable aspects.
It seems unlikely to be the act of a single individual; such an occurrence would require more than someone I can think of.
That naturally shifts the focus from individuals to teams or guilds.
A group that ignores the prestige of ‘Glory,’ eliminates a Demon collaborator, and manages to cover it all up convincingly.
There are only two notable places capable of such actions.
One is… Glory’s affiliated guild’s elite team, ‘Glory.’
Of course, that sounds absurd.
And the other one…
A place I know well and the group closest to me.
I took out my smartwatch and pulled up the contact at the bottom of my list.
[Park Kwang-cheol]
Should I call this guy or not?
But this is the right decision. He might know something I want to find out, considering his position.
-Dialing…
“Hello?”
The person answered before the first ring even ended.
Does this man just sit around waiting for calls?
“So, what’s this? Calling out of the blue, it’s touching.”
“I’m not the youngest anymore.”
That’s why I didn’t want to call.
“Ah, got it. So, what’s up? Is someone at school bullying you?”
“No, it’s not that, hyung. Do you happen to know about Kang Yu-seong’s death?”
“…Of course. So what? They said he was killed by Demons.”
“That was not done by Demons.”
There was a brief, heavy silence before he responded.
“If the temple says it was Demons, what do we know?”
It doesn’t seem like he’s going to answer easily. There’s a distinct sense that he’s hiding something.
You shouldn’t ask vague questions in situations like this. It’s better to go straight for the core.
“Old Man, you?”
“Argh…”
A deep sigh came through the watch.
Park Kwang-cheol seemed to pause as if thinking.
“I don’t know how you found out, but this time, it wasn’t us.”
“We knew Kang Yu-seong was on their side, but I thought it wasn’t time to deal with him yet.”
Nope.
Not the old man either.
Park Kwang-cheol may act casually, but he isn’t one to spill secrets easily.
His words are likely true.
“Then, do you know who?”
“…No, I really don’t.”
His voice dropped slightly as he replied.
“Man, how did you even figure this out?”
My seriousness increased with his next words.
“It’s just… doesn’t make sense. I have good instincts.”
“Oh right, you’re a reincarnated being… Anyway, I’m only telling you because I care about you. This stays a secret between you and me, got it?”
“Yeah, got it. I find the old man a bit intimidating too.”
I stared blankly at my smartwatch screen as I responded.
“Okay, I’ll hang up.”
As Park Kwang-cheol was about to end the call, I quickly added.
“Wait, hyung.”
“What is it?”
“Can I call you again tonight? There’s something else I’d like to ask.”
There was another brief silence through the watch.
“…Let’s keep it to this. You’re still young, and there are some things you’re not ready to know yet.”
“That’s not what I mean. Something else.”
He laughed lightly, reassured.
“As long as it’s not that, anything goes. What’s the occasion? You who never used to call.”
“Thanks.”
I couldn’t help but smile at his teasing tone.
“Alright, I’ll hang up.”
“Okay.”
The call ended.
I sighed and put away my smartwatch.
Ultimately, neither of the two places was responsible.
Which leads to a massive headache.
‘Damn…’
How about we just look at the outcome?
In the end, an entrenched villain who would eventually become problematic has been removed.
It wasn’t even the old man, so there’s no risk of being caught.
And this issue that we’d have to handle ourselves sooner or later has effectively resolved itself.
Isn’t it better to look at this positively?
“Lucky…”
I mumbled to myself as I walked toward my dormitory.
It was already 9 PM.
I was ready to wrap things up.
What had I done since I got home?
“Si-woo, I would do this much for you.”
I was looking for a suitable sword technique to recommend to Seong Si-woo who had chosen his weapons in such a determined manner.
After sifting through the lore, the list of possibilities narrowed down to two:
First was the “Cheonma Sword Technique.”
“How can a martial arts technique have such a name…”
While the name may sound ridiculous, its potency and danger aren’t.
It ranks among the top for raw power and rarity.
However, there is a significant drawback:
[Only those of extraordinary talent can use it! Without talent, users risk going mad and perishing.]
That’s an old note I wrote 10 years ago when designing the lore.
It literally means this technique severely discriminates against users. Considering I don’t know Seong Si-woo’s full potential yet, it’s probably best to avoid a scenario where he ends up dead due to losing control.
Which leads to the second option:
“Taechung Sword Technique.”
This technique doesn’t require special talent, and any practitioner is guaranteed to achieve significant progress.
It’s the most balanced, yet powerful choice available.
Of course, there’s a downside: a limited growth ceiling.
Still, death is worse, and martial arts aren’t everything.
Ideally, I’d like him to learn the “Cheonma Sword Technique”, so I’ll check his talent.
I’ll investigate whether he has potential.
The Gaon Academy system is convenient.
Through their portal, you can freely access recorded lecture videos, watch them, and even review your own performances for feedback.
Extremely advanced.
“Seong Si-woo… Seong Si-woo…”
I searched for his name and downloaded the unit practice videos from today.
[Jeong Hae-in]: Seong Si-woo.MP4
[Jeong Hae-in]: Hyung, could you please ask the old man to evaluate this?
I debated calling but decided a message would be better.
The old man has a special ability to analyze talent.
It may sound funny, but he genuinely can assess someone’s potential, which is partly why his teams are always so strong.
[Park Kwang-cheol]: Hmm? This seems like something you could ask him directly?
[Jeong Hae-in]: It definitely isn’t.
It definitely isn’t.
The old man overly praises younger people to prevent them from getting arrogant after comparing themselves to others.
How old-fashioned.
[Park Kwang-cheol]: Ah, ㅋㅋ you’re probably right. Just show him this and ask?
[Jeong Hae-in]: Yeah, please do. It’s really important.
[Park Kwang-cheol]: Sure, sure, our littlest one.
Littlest one?! I am not the youngest. Still, I didn’t argue; it was a thank-you I owed him.
How much time had passed?
A reply from Park Kwang-cheol finally came.
[Park Kwang-cheol]: Recording File.mp3
A recording file?
Upon opening it, it seemed to record a conversation between the old man and Park Kwang-cheol.
-Boss, while searching Gaon Academy’s database, I stumbled upon an amazing talent. Can you check?
That was Park Kwang-cheol.
The clever ruse of acting like a scout. Not bad.
-… Isn’t there already someone of his age in Jeong Hae-in?
Oh ho, quite the unexpected response.
-Ah, I know, but please check this one. Alright?
The metallic clangs of weapons and student voices played, indicating Park Kwang-cheol had started the video.
After five minutes or so, the sound stopped, likely concluding the video.
However, silence continued for another ten seconds before the old man finally spoke.
-… Park Kwang-cheol, are you blind?
What?
-… Ah, I guess I was mistaken. It seems so.
-Never bring someone like that again. They have no skill, yet their arrogance knows no bounds. A poorly-disciplined individual. Where would someone with no foundation like him even begin?
The recording ended there.
An additional message from Park Kwang-cheol arrived.
[Park Kwang-cheol]: Hae-in, really?
[Park Kwang-cheol]: Aren’t they usually competent? I believed in you and played it, only to be called blind. You should have checked his potential first.
I couldn’t bring myself to reply.
I didn’t feel like responding.
-Tsk!
I sighed as I closed the open lore book in front of me.
“Ah…”
There were many possibilities.
He may still have talent but be terrible in handling a sword. Or he might have an atrocious character.
Still, the one thing I believed would be guaranteed in a game was the main character’s talent.
That was the one thing I trusted.
But now, even that belief has been shattered.
If the old man says there’s no talent, then there isn’t any.
“Damn.”
The main character has no talent.
