novelraw Chapter 117 : A Holiday at HAUT
Chapter 117 : A Holiday at HAUT
Abel had said Saturday was a holiday.
But “holiday” didn’t mean it was a day to actually rest.
Reports on the five days of theory classes, unfinished weapon projects—our workload was still stacked to the ceiling.
After breakfast, our squad gathered in an empty room of the main building and dove into report writing.
“Ughhh…”
Meiling had both hands clutching her head, frustration written plain across her face.
“That’s what you get for dozing off in class,” I said.
“W-what was that!?”
She jolted, glaring defensively.
“Where’d you get stuck? Show me.”
“Uh, wait—”
I took her tablet and skimmed the screen.
[Advanced Demonology]
<1. Give at least three pieces of evidence supporting the hypothesis that civilizations once existed in the Demon Realm, and describe them in detail.>
I lifted my gaze and stared at her.
Meiling’s cheeks flared red as she averted her eyes.
“This was from the first lecture. You don’t remember anything?”
“…”
I sighed.
So I gave her a brief lecture, summarizing what we’d learned. She pouted, listening halfheartedly.
“…Can’t I just copy yours?”
“And when the teacher realizes you copied?”
“…”
She shut her mouth again.
Technically, it wasn’t an exam but a report. Copying wouldn’t be the end of the world, especially since this was meant to be group work. Still, her attitude grated. I was taking the time to explain, and the first thing she asked was whether she could just copy.
“I-I’ll help too. Let’s try together,” Lumina said, smiling kindly at her.
Right. She’s just a kid.
Being around them, I’d let myself slip back into acting like one too.
“Meiling, I’ll repeat what I said. If you get stuck, ask.”
“…Fine.”
She nodded, pulling the tablet back and resting her hands on the wireless keyboard. Then she looked at me, waiting.
I explained again. This time, she actually listened seriously.
We were in the middle of writing and revising when a loud voice echoed down the hallway.
[“Bella! You said you were going to the bathroom! Where’d you run off to! Bella!!”]
It was Rio.
“Guess she outright ran away,” Seo Yui muttered dryly.
“Speaking of which, the Ucheon already finished their weapons. We should wrap ours up today too, if we want to hand them in Monday,” Lumina said.
“Yeah, true,” I admitted with a wry smile.
“Why not just use your Ability to whip one up now? No one’s watching,” Meiling said.
“There are two problems with that.”
“What? Like what?”
“First—Master Smith Kim Hyeonseok saw me on day one. He knows I’m a total beginner. If I suddenly turn in a proper weapon, he’ll smell something fishy right away.”
“Ugh.”
Meiling bit her lip.
“And second—this one’s the real kicker. If I hand him a weapon I made, he’ll know I’m the Mystery Craftsman.”
“What? Why!?”
All three of them stared wide-eyed.
“Every crafted item retains its maker’s mana resonance.”
[“Ah.”]
They all said it in unison.
“Then you’re not submitting anything at all?” Seo Yui asked.
I nodded. “I’ve already racked up enough points in other theory subjects. As long as I finish these reports, it’ll be fine.”
Whatever grade Kim Hyeonseok decided to give, it was clear only Ucheon would earn real points in his class. Even Iris, who’d talked big, was making a laughably poor weapon.
Not that we’re in much better shape…
[“Found her! She was hiding in the Mind Training Room! Hey! Don’t run! Bella!”]
Now Maria’s voice rang out.
We all traded tired smiles.
Meanwhile, in the top floor office of Forward Trading’s headquarters, a man sat before a wide monitor, watching footage provided by HAUT.
Oh Sungcheon.
Young, but already president of Forward Trading and heir-apparent to Forward Group—a victor in brutal succession wars.
His lips never moved as the recordings of candidate students played.
When they ended, he finally frowned.
“Pathetic.”
It was child’s play.
So these are HAUT’s chosen? Barely level thirty brats. Why would I ever waste investment on this?
Because of appearances, Sungcheon had attended HAUT’s showcase just as his father had done each year.
But Sungcheon simply couldn’t make sense of it.
The whole system—identifying kids with potential, supporting them with “investment,” raising them into allies of the corporations—struck him as a colossal waste.
Time wasted. No guarantee of loyalty. Why even bother?
Gwangcheon Academy’s candidates, owned by Forward, were topping the charts, but even that left him dissatisfied. Their performance had nothing to do with his design or involvement.
With a flick, he deleted the HAUT footage from his monitor and reached for his phone. Something the recordings had stirred in his mind.
The line rang once before a voice picked up.
[Yes, Chairman. This is Ji Yuseon.]
At the word Chairman, Sungcheon’s lips curved faintly.
“Dr. Ji. It’s been a while since we last spoke. How’s progress? Any breakthroughs?”
He heard a small intake of breath over the line.
[The ability enhancement itself is nearly complete. But we’re still lacking ways to suppress the side effects…]
“I see. And concretely? How much of a boost can we expect?”
[It varies depending on the subject’s aptitude, but roughly enough to close a forty-level gap. The lower the level, the greater the increase.]
Sungcheon’s smile widened.
“Forty, hm? Excellent. Once complete, this could change the world.”
[It’s all thanks to your continued support, Chairman.]
“I’ll be expecting results. You’ll have it ready before year’s end, won’t you?”
[I’ll do my utmost.]
“Good.”
He was about to end the call when he paused.
“Ah, one more thing.” He tapped his desk with a finger. “That chimera that escaped the lab. What’s the status?”
Silence.
“Dr. Ji? Didn’t you hear me?”
[…My apologies. Still searching.]
“I heard you had it cornered last time.”
[Yes. It fell into one of our traps. But since then it’s been cautious. It hasn’t surfaced again.]
“We can’t afford loose ends when the research is almost finished. You agree, don’t you?”
[Of course.]
“I’ll send men tomorrow. I want every lead collected and that thing’s hiding place uncovered.”
[Understood.]
“I’m counting on you.”
This time, he hung up for real. Then leaned back, sinking into his chair.
“Academies, HAUT… nothing but a waste of time. No need to take the long way when the shortcut’s right here.”
His lips twisted upward.
“Done!!”
Meiling threw both arms high, shouting in triumph.
Her face wore not the feral grin of battle, but a drained, almost radiant smile—the relief of having wrestled her way through work she loathed.
Three reports—Demonology, Material Studies, Monsterology. For a kid who hates studying, she pulled through. She really does get things done when she has to.
She was sharper than she let on. If she weren’t, I might have hesitated to make her a companion.
“Let’s hit the shop! I need sugar after this brain work!”
“Me too,” Lumina said with a laugh.
We left the room—its door auto-locking behind us—and headed downstairs to the first-floor shop.
Inside, someone was already browsing.
“Ah.”
Ao, the leader of Martial God Academy.
She froze when she spotted us, a basket brimming with snacks in her arms.
“It’s not just for me! I was going to share with my squad!” she blurted.
Didn’t even cross my mind. And even if it had been for herself, so what?
“Is Martial God working on reports too?” I asked.
Her tension eased as she nodded.
“Yes. None of us are used to this, so it’s slow. Same for me.” She gave a wry smile. “Our academy spends most of its time on sparring or martial training. I’ve never had to dig into theory this deep before.”
“We’re in the same boat. This is our first time with the advanced stuff.”
“Really?” She blinked.
“Strange?” I asked.
“No—just, you answer so confidently in class. I thought Gwangcheon focused more on theory than we do.”
I nearly laughed. Not Gwangcheon’s training—just my knowledge of game settings, read and reread until memorized.
But I couldn’t say that. So I shifted the topic.
“Speaking of martial training, Martial God’s close-combat techniques were impressive.”
“Eh?”
“I’m not much of a fighter, so maybe I shouldn’t say it, but… I realized proper martial arts make a huge difference.”
Her lips curved up.
“Thank you. But saying you’re no fighter—that’s too modest, isn’t it? You looked pretty practiced during training.”
“No, I really…”
“Hey! Nam Yein! What’re you getting? We already picked ours!”
Meiling’s voice cut across the aisle, sharper than usual.
Lumina and Seo Yui both turned to glance this way.
“…Seems I’m in the way,” Ao said with another small smile. “I’ll get going. Oh—Yein.”
“Yes?”
“Could you spare me a little time this evening?”
“…Time?”
“There’s something I want to ask you. Personally. Would that be all right?”
I blinked. Personal? HAUT didn’t have events like that, not in the game I knew.
“Not possible?” she asked, careful.
“No—it’s fine. Seven o’clock?”
“Perfect. Let’s meet behind the dormitory, by the flowerbeds.”
I nodded. She left, basket in hand.
And when I turned back, my squad’s faces greeted me.
Huh.
Meiling’s eyes were narrowed to slits. Seo Yui’s half-lidded stare was fixed on me. Lumina… she only looked quietly worried.
That evening, after dinner, I slipped out behind the dorm at the appointed time.
“Ah, Yein.”
Ao was already there, waiting.
(End of Chapter)