I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 66 : Gate (1)

"Yu-jin is upset, you say?"

"Yes."

Lee Ho-seung, who had finished today's third sparring session in just 3 minutes, scratched his neck vigorously with his sword hilt.

"Hmm. Well. She's not the type to get upset easily, though? Even when I teased her all the time since she was little, she'd just clench her fists without saying anything."

"I see."

"That kid has quite a punch. Secretly fun to tease."

"Maybe that's why she didn't apply to you?"

"Hmm. No way. Or could it be?"

Lee Ho-seung asked with a shrug.

"But what did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything."

"Keep things moderate. You know very well who her grandfather is."

"What do I need to moderate? I didn't do anything, I tell you."

Somehow, when I was with this Lee Ho-seung fellow, I felt my speaking style following his.

"Her uncles are no joke either. And her father is incredibly intense."

That was something I knew well too.

"Anyway, be careful, unless you want to be kidnapped by sword-wielding assassins some night."

"Hmm."

The scary point was that it wasn't entirely an unfounded story.

In any case.

"How did you do that last technique?"

"Ah, that?"

The technique where our swords seemed to be in a power struggle, but with just a wrist rotation control, he easily threw my sword to the ground.

It was such an exquisite sword disarming that it felt like my sword was caught in a sword breaker and stolen.

Of course, I didn't ask because I genuinely didn't know, but.

'If I ask like this, I won't arouse suspicion later.'

Using techniques that weren't taught would stand out too much.

But if I pretend to miss techniques that Lee Ho-seung shows, he naturally explains them, allowing me to blend in naturally.

"How's the win-loss ratio when you spar with Yu-jin these days?"

"We're pretty evenly matched."

"Hmm."

Lee Ho-seung narrowed his eyes.

His face seemed to say he knew I was holding back when fighting, but.

He appeared to enjoy it and chose not to pry further.

"Well, considering how little time you've been learning the sword, it's impressive that you can fight so evenly with Yu-jin. As expected of my disciple."

Since the Ma-in attack incident, nicknames like "my disciple," "chief disciple," and "beloved disciple" kept getting attached to me.

"Fighting isn't just about sword mastery."

"Right. Mastery doesn't put food on the table."

Lee Ho-seung grinned.

"But with swords, as you desperately eat 'sword meals,' mastery naturally accumulates."

"I understand."

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"Yes. No, it's not. Yes, thank you, Grandfather."

Lee Yu-jin sighed deeply after finishing her call with the Sword God.

"Yu-jin! Why are you sighing?"

Song Yu-ha, who had been lurking from afar waiting to pounce, clung to Yu-jin's back and asked.

"It's nothing. I'm just feeling a bit off."

"Hmm. Want something sweet?"

"Maybe."

The two brought out snacks and shared them.

"Is it because of yesterday?"

"Yesterday?"

"Yes. You didn't look so good after sparring with Su-hyeon."

"......"

When Yu-jin closed her mouth, Yu-ha delivered a follow-up strike.

"More precisely, since the day before."

"I see."

"Is it because Su-hyeon and Ji-su sparred?"

"...I guess so. I know I'm being weird."

"Heheh. Well, there's nothing weird about it."

At Yu-ha's mischievous smile that seemed to know everything, Yu-jin firmly shook her head.

"It's not like that."

"Not like what? I didn't say anything."

Glare.

Only after receiving that angry look did Yu-ha wave her hands in defense.

"Anyway. Are you upset because he sparred with Ji-su?"

Yu-jin sighed.

"That's Su-hyeon's freedom. It's not something I should comment on. It's not like he postponed any prior appointments with me."

"Hmm. That's true."

"But, Ji-su was always snippy and then just because she lost to me, she goes and..."

"Ah-ha."

Yu-ha nodded as if she finally understood.

"In short, you don't like that she seems to be treating Su-hyeon however she wants but only approaches him when she needs something?"

"Well, maybe 'however she wants' is a stretch. But it's true that Ji-su keeps an eye on me, Su-hyeon, and Jun-seong."

"Hmm."

Yu-ha smiled.

"But isn't that just Su-hyeon being kind? He helped her even though he clearly knows she's keeping tabs on him."

"Yes."

Yu-jin nodded.

"I think Su-hyeon is too kind."

"Hmm. So that's what bothered you."

Yu-ha said with a grinning face as if the whole thing was adorably innocent.

"But that's not Su-hyeon's fault. From Su-hyeon's perspective, wouldn't it seem strange that Yu-jin is upset without knowing why?"

"...!"

At those words, Yu-jin's eyes wavered a bit.

"I-Is that so?"

"Probably?"

"...What should I do?"

Seeing Yu-jin fidgeting, Yu-ha finally couldn't hold back.

"Awww! You're so cute I could die!"

Yu-jin made a crying face as Yu-ha pinched her cheeks vigorously.

"It hurts."

The reason for her tearful expression wasn't just because her cheeks hurt.

"...For the aforementioned reasons, I propose significantly elevating the observation priority on Jeong Su-hyeon."

In a secluded corner of the campus where no one came.

"...I will proceed with that measure."

Nam Tae-hoon, having completed his report to the "higher-ups," sighed.

"Phew, more and more work piling up."

It was truly bothersome to have to carry out observation and regular reporting in addition to following the curriculum like everyone else.

'At least Su-hyeon is hardly ever in his room because he's always sparring, which makes reporting easier.'

Thinking about Su-hyeon these days was enough to make him break out in a cold sweat.

'I really don't know what kind of guy he is. Even after thoroughly examining his past actions, there was nothing notable.'

A boy who, without any outstandingly displayed talent, took on all sorts of dirty work while dreaming of EFAC admission in a difficult environment.

It was a touching story, but that was all it was.

'Or? Was even that just a disguise?'

Otherwise, there would be no explanation for Su-hyeon's abilities, which were so different before and after admission.

'Perhaps.'

Another possibility.

'Jeong Su-hyeon might be of the same kind as me.'

An agent who had his career and abilities cleanly managed to avoid any issues, and who had undergone meticulous cultivation for infiltrating the academy.

Thinking this way, Su-hyeon's past, which was so unblemished that even questioning it felt burdensome, might be functioning as an immunity card that blocked any suspicion about him.

'Jeong Su-hyeon, who on earth are you?'

A temporary non-aggression pact that wasn't even reported to the higher-ups.

Nam Tae-hoon was still confused, not knowing whether his choice had been beneficial or detrimental…

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"Next week there will be a gate suppression practical training, right?"

Instructor Lim Ye-sun said, looking around at the cadets.

"Gate waves are one of the few situations where hunters and the Execution Force must gather and work together."

"That's right."

"Hmm. Since we're on the topic, let me ask something. Awakened individuals with combat abilities above a certain level are given two choices: hunter or Execution Force. What then is the commonality between these two? You there, answer me."

Park Chang-jun, who was pointed at, blinked his eyes and then answered.

"The commonality... isn't it that they're both Awakened?"

"The commonality of Awakened is that they're Awakened? Even a kindergartener would give a better answer than you."

"I-I'm sorry."

Su-hyeon, looking at Park Chang-jun with disdain, answered.

"The commonality between the two is that both sides are under strict control from the state."

Instructor Lim Ye-sun smiled with satisfaction at Su-hyeon's answer, but the question that came from her mouth seemed to contradict this.

"Hunters are basically mercenaries and freelancers, operating for profit in forms such as guilds. So how can you say hunters are under strict control from the state?"

"Of course, that's how it appears on the surface."

Su-hyeon answered.

"Especially in the case of the Execution Force, they follow a route where they receive specialized education at training institutions, including EFAC where we currently belong, and then are commissioned and organized into state-affiliated unit formations. It can be said that there is state control at every step."

"Hmm. A completely different route from hunters."

"Yes. Hunters receive hunter licenses from the state, and in return, they have obligations regarding dungeon hunting quotas and mobilization during gate occurrences. It's clear where the initiative lies between the side that bears the obligations and the side that imposes them."

Lim Ye-sun nodded and asked again.

"Correct. Then why do hunters comply with such troublesome and dangerous obligations? Hmm, let's have Hwang Ji-su answer this."

Hwang Ji-su, who had quietly raised her hand, was designated as the subject of the next question.

"Because they can only be prescribed Ma-in suppressants if they fulfill the quota with those obligations."

When one kills demonic beasts, a specific wavelength of mana emitted from the corpse is called magical energy, and if this is inhaled through the respiratory system, demonic nature accumulates in the body.

Therefore, the body of a human who has killed a demonic beast concentrates demonic nature like heavy metals or radiation, acting as a potential risk that could cause Ma-in transformation at any time.

"And the only institution that can produce and distribute demonic nature suppressants is the state."

"Cadet Hwang Ji-su is correct. Strictly speaking, it could be said that the state was the first institution to succeed in its development, which allowed the maintenance of the state system without the dispersion of power."

Especially.

It could be said that the reason why South Korea has one of the most stable systems in the world today also lies here.

"When a South Korean scientist was the first to discover a decisive clue about demonic nature suppressants and registered it as a patent, the long '2nd Generation' confusion finally came to an end."

Lim Ye-sun began writing on the blackboard in print letters.

"Therefore, in that era, it is evaluated that not only the Awakened who bled on the front lines but also the achievements of these researchers were significant in preventing what was essentially a pandemic situation caused by the mass emergence of Ma-in."

However.

"There is criticism that the state holds a leash on hunters using their lives as weapons. What do you think about this aspect?"

"What's clear is that those who establish this logic as their justification are mostly from the underworld or antisocial Awakened."

Su-hyeon said.

"Realistically, it's a well-known fact that the most reliable institution that can represent all people to maintain social order is the state government. In this situation, the purpose of unlicensed hunters who refuse licenses is often to aim for immediate large profits without regard for certain doom."

"Or they're often dropouts who didn't properly complete the regular courses at hunter academies, and don't want to have jobs that require diligence like non-Awakened."

"That's correct. The worst cases are criminals from the underworld like the mafia, smugglers, or drug dealers. Those who think that 'they, with their great power, having been chosen' don't need to be bound by rules like good and evil or morality. They can become Ma-in at any time, and even if they don't, they're entities that cause chaos in the social order."

Lim Ye-sun nodded with satisfaction at Su-hyeon's scathing evaluation.

"I like your perspective. They're indeed the most dangerous elements after Ma-in. Therefore, the Execution Force assigns risk levels to them based on their strength, tendencies, and expected progress of Ma-in transformation."

Hong In-hyeon, who had been listening to this Q&A, raised his hand.

"Can they be immediately subdued like Ma-in?"

"Not so. Basically, attacking and subduing a hunter who hasn't become a Ma-in without due process is not authorized."

But.

"In cases where they're clearly dangerous or classified as criminals with prior convictions, we always keep an eye on their movements and prepare manuals for prevention and immediate suppression."

"Is there no remedy for them?"

"There is. In cases where there are no serious prior convictions like assault, there is a support measure to allow them to obtain licenses on the premise that they will fulfill the same obligations as existing hunters. The important thing is to reduce risk, not to eradicate all criminals."

"......"

Looking at the cadets who had fallen silent at the heavy topic, Lim Ye-sun laughed.

"Well, rather than worrying about that right now, it would be better to worry about 'that event' that will take place before the midterm exam."

Because.

"That is truly no joke."