Chapter 139 – Variable (1)

As soon as lunchtime arrived, I headed straight to the director’s office. I didn’t even take the time to eat.

My original plan was to meet up with the club members, chat a bit, and see how they were doing. But Media had sent me an urgent message.

Just yesterday, she had sent me a message saying, “Geom-Ma, from now on, just enjoy your school life at the academy,” and now she was already going back on her word.

That could only mean that the matter was truly serious or urgent. Or, most likely, both.

‘Are there still some villains at large? Or maybe traces of the former elders?’

I slid my hand inside my clothes. I felt a solid, familiar object. As if it were hungry for blood, my sashimi let out a silent wail.

“…Am I losing my mind?”

Why was that the first thing I reached for? I understood that it was a reflex, but the fact that my hands instinctively went for a weapon… When did I develop such dangerous habits?

I suddenly felt exhausted. My fingers loosened, and an overwhelming sense of reality hit me.

“This is all because of that damn synchronization rate.”

Tch— I clicked my tongue. The synchronization rate with the [Blessing of the Sword God] kept increasing relentlessly. And with every increase, my ‘humanity’ was diminishing in real time.

Yesterday, I saw that I was just a few steps away from unlocking the next phase, which required reaching 35%.

The fear it caused made my eyelids tremble.

I wasn’t even halfway there yet, and I was already like this. What would happen when I reached higher levels? I felt like I would eventually become someone who only lived for the sword and nothing else.

‘Even though the synchronization rate is a growth factor, isn’t there a way to prevent the loss of humanity…?’

I clung to my sword with the intention of surviving, but the price I had to pay seemed to be my own humanity, melting away like a candle consumed by flames.

To survive, I had to give up what made me human… It was ironic in so many ways.

Lost in thought, I arrived at the director’s office before I realized it.

Curiously, the secretary who was always at her desk in front of the door wasn’t there. She must have gone to lunch.

Knock, knock, knock.

I knocked three times. To my surprise, my European etiquette habits were already ingrained in me.

“I’m Kang Geom-Ma.”

“Oh~ Come in.”

A seductive, melodic voice filtered through the door. I froze with my hand on the doorknob.

Unlike the urgent message she had sent, her tone was laced with a provocative calmness.

Something didn’t add up.

I had a strong sense of déjà vu.

Before opening the door, I needed to confirm something.

“Director, if you’re not fully dressed again, I’m leaving immediately.”

“……”

“You called me for something urgent, right? I don’t think you summoned me just to play around.”

“……”

“Director Media?”

There was a moment of silence. Then, the whisper of fabric sliding smoothly filled the air, followed by her voice again.

“…Come in.”

“Understood.”

As soon as I stepped inside, I checked her attire.

Fortunately, all the buttons on her robe were properly fastened.

Media greeted me with a radiant smile.

“Wow, our dear Geom-Ma, it’s been so long! I knew boys your age grow fast, but you change day by day. You even seem taller.”

“My height is the same, but I lost some weight.”

“What?! A boy who was already skinny got even thinner? Don’t tell me that old fossil didn’t feed you properly!”

“I ate well. It’s just that a lot happened in Switzerland… And I trained constantly. I lost fat, but I gained more muscle.”

“Hmmm… But at your age, it’s better to be a little chubby. Teenagers just need to eat well and stay healthy!”

“Yeah…”

We exchanged some trivial words for a few minutes before Media finally got serious.

Her eyes softened, and she spoke in a low voice.

“I have two things to tell you. One is good news, and the other… let’s just say it’s ambiguous news. Which one do you want to hear first?”

Media raised her hand in a ‘V’ gesture with her fingers. Her index finger probably represented the good news, and her middle finger the ambiguous one.

“I’d rather hear the ambiguous one first.”

“I knew you’d say that.”

Media smiled slightly and folded her middle finger.

“For clarification, this news is only ‘ambiguous’ for now, not necessarily bad. But if things continue like this, the situation could become complicated.”

She bit her lower lip slightly.

“I just want you to be clear on this—if something puts you in danger, I won’t sit back and do nothing.”

“I appreciate your concern.”

“Oh, come on, no need for thanks. It’s my duty as an educator. This news has to do with what I mentioned in my message yesterday. Out of everything I wrote, I’m referring specifically to the Hero Association. Do you remember?”

“You mentioned you’d be working with them to track down the remnants of the elders.”

“Exactly. Like I said, the Association is strict and somewhat rigid, but no one can deny they do their job well. Since their history is more recent than other organizations, they’ve focused on improving their capabilities. If they were incompetent, the arrogant nobles would have crushed them long ago.”

“That makes sense.”

I nodded in agreement.

“They’re incredibly good at detecting irregularities. If they suspect someone, they investigate with an almost obsessive tenacity. And that’s where the problem arises…”

“You’re saying they’ve now set their sights on me?”

“…Yes. It seems they’ve started to suspect that you had something to do with the defeat of the Fifth Corps Commander of the Demon King’s Army. I only found out about this this morning. If I had known earlier, I would never have accepted their help.”

Media sighed heavily, softly pounding her chest with her fists, then took a sip of green tea to calm herself.

“But what’s truly absurd is that a high-ranking official from the Association personally came to inform me. They told me directly that they were watching you. That’s why I say the news is ambiguous.”

“The Association said it openly? Why?”

“Exactly. Isn’t it ridiculous? Honestly, this isn’t a ‘method of the Association’ but something more typical of Changseong. That gorilla has always believed that ‘snooping around in secret isn’t manly.’ I never thought he’d still have that mentality even now that he’s old.”

I remembered something the Swordmaster had told me before—the president and vice president of the Hero Association had their eyes on me.

They had even assigned me a personal [H.P.], something that normally wasn’t done for students.

‘This is escalating too fast.’

Until recently, I was just an ordinary citizen. And now, suddenly, I was under the attention of globally influential figures. A hard feeling to describe.

“But this could work to our advantage. If Changseong holds you in high regard, that could make your succession as one of the Seven Heroes easier.”

Then, she winked at me and enthusiastically changed the subject.

“If among the Seven Stars, there are three of us—Kojima, Gorilla, and me—pushing for you, Geom-Ma, it’ll be hard to refute your candidacy. However, Kojima is a bit of a problem… Actually, he’s the most difficult one.”

As she spoke, Media suddenly turned her head to look at the wall clock. Less than ten minutes remained before lunch break ended.

“Oh, this story has gone on too long. Let me tell you the good news now.”

Media, her eyes shining with excitement, spoke.

“You no longer have to worry about your tuition or living expenses! Someone has sent you financial support.”

I blinked and looked at her, wondering what she meant.

While I was still confused, a pleasant smile appeared on Media’s lips.

“Who, you ask? Well, even if you don’t know, I arranged the donation in your name. Tuition, living expenses, everything will be deposited into your account regularly every month.”

“…Who?”

Media placed the index finger she had been holding up against the center of my lips.

“These kinds of things are usually anonymous.”

She added, winking.

“Don’t worry too much about money. You’re already going through a lot at seventeen. Students should live like students.”

“…”

“Anyway, our dear Geom-Ma has been promoted! You even have a fan club now?! Oh my God, isn’t that amazing?”

***

At the Same Time, in the Backyard of the Joaquin Academy Main Building

Three members of the Exploration Club—Saki Ryozo, Speedweapon, and San Ha-Na—had gathered. Despite reuniting after a month, two of the five members were missing.

Speedweapon asked,

“Where are the president and Chloe? Did they have a special class during lunch in the Wolf Class?”

Ryozo briefly explained their absence. Chloe was away due to family matters, while Kang Geom-Ma had been urgently summoned to Media’s office.

“…So they won’t be coming.”

Speedweapon muttered while furrowing his brow, lost in thought.

Among the three of them, he was the only one who knew the truth about the night of the purge.

That night, although the Cladi elder had been eliminated, the Auditore family had also suffered losses. No fewer than ten assassins had died in the process.

Therefore, it was only natural that Chloe, as a member of the Auditore, would take a while to return. Most likely, she was now traveling to various locations, eliminating any remaining stragglers.

He could perfectly picture her, with her hamster-like appearance, stabbing enemies with an unchanging expression.

“…”

Just imagining it made him shrink like a turtle. Speedweapon shook his head vigorously to chase away the horror movie-like image.

‘…And besides that.’

Why had Kang Geom-Ma been called to the director’s office on the first day of the second semester? Speedweapon had no trouble guessing the reason.

Geom-Ma was already playing in a different league. His words from that time still echoed in his mind.

‘I am the next of the Seven Heroes to succeed the Swordmaster.’

Every time he recalled that statement, his heart pounded hard. As his clubmate and as a man, Speedweapon felt the thrill of witnessing a truly epic story unfold.

Being named as the next of the Seven Heroes at seventeen was something straight out of a shonen manga.

Moreover, he was the only club member who knew.

But as someone prone to talking too much, it was hard to keep the information to himself.

He wanted to run outside and shout to the world, “My friend Kang Geom-Ma is the next of the Seven Heroes!”

Every day, it became harder to hold back.

But Speedweapon suppressed the urge with all his might.

Kang Geom-Ma had explicitly asked him to keep it a secret, and if it leaked, it would cause a massive uproar.

To Speedweapon, friendship was far more important than his desire to brag. A man who betrays his loyalty is a man without honor.

Even so, he couldn’t help feeling frustrated. The fact that so few people knew about Kang Geom-Ma’s achievements was exasperating.

‘The president isn’t getting the recognition he deserves…’

Speedweapon scratched his head aggressively. While Kang Geom-Ma remained indifferent, he felt like he was suffocating from frustration.

‘Damn it.’

As his expression shifted every second, Ryozo narrowed her eyes, watching him suspiciously.

Without hesitation, she interrogated him.

“Hey, what’s up with you? Are you hiding something?”

“H-hiding? Me? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Speedweapon waved his hands exaggeratedly.

Ryozo squinted even more before letting out a mocking laugh.

“You’re terrible at lying. It’s obvious from miles away. Besides, what could you possibly be hiding? At most, a stash of erotic magazines under your bed.”

“…”

…How did she know?

Speedweapon’s eyes widened threefold as he stared at Ryozo.

San Ha-Na, who had been silently observing, smiled subtly.

Step, step.

Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps reached the Exploration Club members.

Noticing the increasingly clear sound, they all turned their heads at the same time.

It was a young woman.

Her silver hair fell past her shoulders, with dark strands that had unusual highlights. Her distinctive appearance instantly caught everyone’s attention.

As Speedweapon thought, ‘I’ve never seen black eyes on anyone other than Kang Geom-Ma,’ the young woman had already approached.

???

Question marks formed over the heads of the Exploration Club members.

The young woman scanned the group with an impassive gaze before tilting her head.

“Where is the guy called Kang Geom-Ma?”

She looked around, noticing his absence, and pursed her lips in disappointment.

“I’ve been looking for him for an hour, even skipping lunch.”