Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Orientation (1)

The long winter passed, and spring arrived.

The weather was still chilly, but spring carried a symbolic meaning.

The season of beginnings—spring.

Everything up to now had been nothing. From here on was the game's prologue. I had to keep the Playable Characters alive through the scheming, attacks, and all manner of malice that would unfold within Florian.

After that, the ultimate goal was to build a party that could save the world.

"Wow, seeing the freshmen reminds me of the old days. Those were really fun times. I had so many things I wanted to do."

Lee Yeeun gazed out the window, reminiscing.

She looked as cute as someone who'd just peeled off the freshman sticker, but she talked like a fossil. Well, she'd graduated from the academy and entered the lab, so I suppose fossil was accurate.

"You seem relaxed. Is the research going well?"

"Of course! Totally relaxed."

That was reassuring. Lee Yeeun's research was far more important than she realized. It would become the foundation for humanity's growth.

Now that I knew the Playable Characters couldn't perform as well as I'd hoped, incremental power-ups were desperately needed.

"What about you, Professor? Is your class all prepped?"

"More or less."

"Pfft, aren't you a little too relaxed about it?"

It was bravado. I was afraid of making mistakes or looking awkward, so I'd practiced alone several times when Lee Yeeun wasn't around. I'd even written a script, but destroyed it since then. It'd be humiliating if she found it.

Checking my wristwatch, it was almost time for the lecture.

"I should head out."

"Have a good one."

Lee Yeeun settled comfortably onto the sofa to see me off. I gave her a look to say I was locking up, so get out—but either she didn't understand or just tilted her head in confusion.

Does she think my office is some study hall?

Then again, there wasn't really a reason to kick her out. There was nothing to hide, and Lee Yeeun wasn't the type to cause trouble.

"Don't cause any problems while I'm gone."

"Okay."

I stepped out of my office looking calm, but inside I was shaking.

Could I really do this? Back in school, I'd trembled just giving a five-minute presentation. At least back then, the listeners only half paid attention.

But from now on, I had to lecture for four consecutive hours.

As a professor, no less. The pressure doubled knowing everyone would be focused on my every word, even taking notes. What if I started stuttering? If I bit my tongue, I'd want to die of shame.

While all kinds of thoughts swirled through my head, I suddenly found myself standing in front of the lecture hall.

I wasn't mentally ready yet—do I go in or not?

Fuck it, I don't know.

Standing here agonizing wasn't going to make me ready. It wasn't like I was going to stay here forever. Just go in and figure it out.

I opened the lecture hall door and stepped inside. Roughly forty pairs of eyes locked onto me.

─Is that our professor?

─He's really young.

─Are you sure he's a professor? He's fucking handsome.

─Oh my god! I think he made eye contact with me!

The students' murmuring was unusually loud in my ears. My face really was a cheat. First impressions nailed just from looks alone.

Standing at the podium, I swept my gaze across the lecture hall. Some faces were new, some familiar.

Two among them—An Seri and Seo Dayun. When our eyes met, An Seri flashed a grin, and Seo Dayun averted her gaze. A few female students let out tiny squeals.

I smirked.

Looking at them this way, it was funny.

These kids weren't some terrifying unknown entity—they were just kids.

The collective called "students" had loomed in my mind like a monster, but upon closer inspection, they were nothing special. Well, obviously. That should've been clear from the start.

I calmed my racing heart and spoke.

"I'll take attendance."

***

First week of the first semester—the time when freshmen carried their bright dreams into their academy life.

But the atmosphere in the Combat Magic Department was absolutely the worst.

"...So that's why mana is complicated. Got it?"

The lecture hour for Introduction to Beginner Magic—a required course for all freshmen across every department.

The lecture hall's mood had sunk to frigid depths.

Part of it was the professor cramming a full session's worth of material from day one, but that was a secondary reason. The real cause of this atmosphere was the boy sitting in the very front row.

"Does anyone know what to do here?"

The professor posed a question, but no one answered. It was the first day, so everyone might've been shy, but even so—it was too quiet.

This was Florian Academy, where only Korea's top-tier Awakened could enroll. Naturally, there were plenty of geniuses eager to show off their abilities. The question was basic enough that most should've known the answer. Yet no one opened their mouth.

"Bonus points if you get it right. Anyone know?"

The young professor naturally tried to encourage participation, but there was no response. He clicked his tongue and turned his attention to the boy in front.

Left with no choice, the professor deployed his trump card.

"Song Seokhwan, right? You entered as the second-ranked student. The professors have been talking a lot about you. Do you know the answer?"

Asking someone who definitely knows.

No matter how timid the students were, none had ever stayed silent when asked directly.

The young professor assumed things would go as intended this time too. But Song Seokhwan's reaction was unprecedented.

"Am I a genius? Haha, I'm no genius, so I wouldn't know."

"Huh?"

"Ask her. The real genius is right here."

Song Seokhwan jerked his chin toward Seo Dayun in the seat beside him. Her pupils shook visibly.

While the professor fumbled through this first-time situation, Seo Dayun answered quietly.

"...You channel the mana slowly."

"That's right, correct."

Song Seokhwan then erupted into thunderous applause.

"Amazing! As expected, a genius is different, right? She knows everything. You guys think so too, yeah?"

"U-uh......"

"Then show your respect and clap!"

Awkward applause echoed through the lecture hall. Every time Song Seokhwan raised his voice, the clapping grew louder, until eventually everyone was clapping. With each clap, Seo Dayun's head sank lower. Only the professor blinked in confusion, unable to fathom what was happening.

'I'm scared......'

Seo Dayun was terrified. All week, Song Seokhwan had been sitting next to her, cultivating this bizarre atmosphere.

Wasn't this essentially bullying?

Was it because An Seri had asked her to take a class together at the enrollment ceremony? Had that wounded Song Seokhwan's pride? Because I, a nobody, had been seen alongside the princess?

While Seo Dayun fought back tears, the class ended. After the professor left, Song Seokhwan mocking her—saying that genius-nim surely didn't need to pay attention to a trivial class—was just the cherry on top.

Naturally, no one stood up for Seo Dayun.

Again.

Just like when the red-haired girl had nearly hit her at the enrollment ceremony, she felt powerless. Everyone stared blankly and watched; no one stepped in.

The grief of having no one on her side hurt more than the bullying itself, and the tears came.

"Aw, come on─ why the crying? Who made you cry?"

When Song Seokhwan snarled, Seo Dayun's tears stopped dead. Overwhelming terror devoured the grief.

"I'm... I'm sorry... It's my fault......"

Seo Dayun apologized desperately, but Song Seokhwan just smirked. He then turned to the boy who'd been first to clap along.

"Jeez, what a mess. Hey, you clapped earlier, right?"

"N-no, I mean... Aaargh!"

WHAM—!

A merciless kick. The boy screamed, but Song Seokhwan's beating continued. It was less like hitting a person and more like pounding a punching bag.

Seo Dayun couldn't bear to watch and covered her eyes with her hands. But Song Seokhwan forced her arms down.

"Why are you looking away? I'm getting revenge for our genius-nim here."

"I'm sorry... I was wrong, so please......"

"Shut up and watch!"

When Song Seokhwan shouted, Seo Dayun froze in place. The atrocity only ended after several more students were dragged out and beaten.

"Don't you dare make our genius-nim cry again."

It was a warning aimed at Seo Dayun.

A malicious warning that she wouldn't just be torturing her, but everyone around her too.

It was an unmistakable act of assault, yet no one reported it. No—they couldn't.

The other party was the heir to Bisang Guild. The supreme power in this world belonged to Heroes, no question. Bisang could be called the pinnacle among guilds. Going up against Song Seokhwan was worse than throwing eggs at a boulder.

"Ngh, hck......"

After Song Seokhwan left the lecture hall, Seo Dayun quietly sobbed. No one comforted her. No one had the courage to stand against Song Seokhwan.

The Combat Magic freshmen filed out one by one, until Seo Dayun was left alone in the lecture hall.

Her lonely cries seemed to echo all the louder.

After a while, a janitor who'd been there unnoticed slipped into the lecture hall.

"Hey, miss. Is something wrong?"

"It's just... just something bad happened."

Before the janitor could say another word, Seo Dayun quickly gathered her things and left. Grief and humiliation washed over her like a tidal wave.

She rushed into the restroom, locked herself in a corner stall, and let the tears pour out.

She just kept crying.

***

"...Based on the circumstances, this appears to be what's happening."

"I see. Good work."

An Seri let out a sigh after receiving the report from her subordinate.

She'd had a bad feeling ever since Seo Dayun—with whom she'd been steadily building rapport—started avoiding her. She'd had a subordinate investigate, and what they'd uncovered was beyond anything she'd imagined.

She'd only tried to befriend a talented girl—how had it come to this?

"I knew that bastard was a crazy son of a bitch, but pulling this crap inside the academy? At this point, even if it weren't the heir but the Guild Master himself who showed up, I could put him down."

"My lady, that's dangerous."

Right—if she went all out, she could probably beat him.

The problem was the retaliation that would follow. She had nothing to gain but everything to lose.

If it came to light that An Seri had intervened, the relationship between Bisang and Geumok could be finished. If that happened, Geumok would discard An Seri. An Sehyeon was Geumok's heir, after all.

"...As if I'd actually do it. I was just saying."

The reason that reckless brat had pulled this stunt was obvious. He was furious that An Seri had praised Seo Dayun at the enrollment ceremony.

Then he should know Seo Dayun's backer was An Seri—and yet he dared act this way? Unforgivable. This was an unambiguous challenge against her.

"Still, I don't intend to just let it slide."

"My lady, I understand you're angry that your friend is being treated this way, but......"

"Who said she's my friend! I've never worried about someone like her. She's just a chess piece. But someone messing with my piece means they're disrespecting me."

Her subordinate whispered, "Someone who can't be honest with herself," but that wasn't the case at all. She wasn't a leader soft enough to develop feelings for a chess piece.

"Can we mobilize the kids who got beaten by that bastard without it tracing back to us?"

"They're too scared of retaliation. They'd never agree. And if we actively protect them, it'll leave a trail."

"This pisses me off."

Was there a chess piece she could put into play?

One that was obedient, capable, and whose connection to her wasn't obvious......

There was one.

"That's right. You're the one who introduced her to me in the first place."

"Pardon?"

"Yeah, this is good. He must've asked me to get students into his class because he has something up his sleeve, right? Hehe......"

She didn't like that man either, when it came down to it.

Pitting the two against each other and having one of them die wouldn't be so bad. Just imagining it lifted her spirits.

"Using barbarians to subdue barbarians—fight savages with savages, as the saying goes. Let's see who wins."

She still hadn't collected payment for him running his mouth about An Sehyeon in front of her. If he upheld her pride, she was willing to forgive the debt.

If Cha Eunwoo had beaten An Seri, surely that reckless brat would be no match for him.

"I'll be looking forward to it. But... he might not be as easy an opponent as you think."