Chapter 213 – Omen of Crisis (2)
GmXTgvJust as I was thinking about brushing it off with an excuse, an unexpected savior appeared. Choi Seol-ah, her eyes blazing, approached with firm steps.8fO8
Atx8eJB“Hey! Horn… I told you not to wander around alone!”WC3bN
OpR5LChoi Seol-ah scolded Horn lightly, then spoke up in my place to explain.Ewu67
0dt4vB“She’s a distant relative of mine, recently transferred to the academy. That thing about calling Student Kang Geom-Ma ‘Lord’ is just a personal habit. She probably ran over because she was looking for someone to ask for directions or something.”cmbIXj
QGBZGQIt wasn’t a very logical excuse, nor remotely convincing. It was basically the first thing she could come up with. Yet surprisingly, it worked.UDJAW
qhQmw“Ah, I see.”4iDyY
J3Or5Speedweapon nodded. Beside him, Chloe also nodded. Both had a “makes sense” look on their faces.2Ko3
lJuVPlO‘They seriously bought that……???’4cVT
eCdHThat Chloe believed it, fine — but for Speedweapon, who’s usually so sharp, to accept it so easily left me speechless.eonHGII
3IdTVQOn Earth, if someone casually called you “Lord,” it would raise all kinds of weird flags. People would probably say, “What’s up with your weird kink?” But of course, this isn’t Earth. In this world, titles like Seven-Star Hero, Seven Braves, and Hero-Founder are normal. So using words like “Lord” isn’t all that strange.zlG7
05pEven so, if I had tried to explain it myself, it would have just sounded fishier. Having someone else say it for me made all the difference in credibility.Ay50K
Gwoc‘Thank goodness Choi Seol-ah rushed over at just the right time.’OPkIRQX
wf4Pi4If not, the more I spoke, the worse it would have gotten.d4Zi94
2QGNZ‘Though honestly, this happened because she lost track of Horn in the first place.’FseV4
MfO6CCqStill, I’ll let that go this time. Thanks to her, the situation smoothed over. It’d be rude to scold her now. Besides, judging by the sweat on her forehead, she clearly knew she messed up.hg5z5HJ
E92xI subtly turned my head. Ryozo was staring intently at Horn, her gaze half-hidden beneath her brows. After a few minutes of silent scrutiny, she finally looked away.DqSFoQx
JbcUXFbI let out a breath of relief inwardly.d9ysj6
HHta‘Whew…’lsInN
ZFIThus, what could have become a major problem ended up as just a minor episode. I had planned to announce that Horn would be joining the special class too, but decided to hold off. I needed to discuss it with Choi Seol-ah first.7s6SGT
VHUAlso, it was obvious Horn needed some serious education on human common sense. It wasn’t enough that she could speak well. She might easily blurt out a “Look at this!” and fire off magic spells.PbV8
LGVkJust imagining it gave me chills. In that case, no excuse would save us. It would be instantly obvious she was a dragon — and Choi Seol-ah, as her guardian, would get arrested by the Hero Association too.MdBtRd
d6kjxwT‘Honestly, it would be safer not to include Horn in the special class, but…’wKm
F6R2JzHorn plays an essential role in my plan. It’s worth taking the risk for her. It’s a gamble, walking a razor’s edge — but even so, Horn is indispensable for the special class.Kb1gbY
pYH4iPBIt was at that moment that Choi Seol-ah, hiding Horn behind her back, called out to me.waR
KRK“Lord— I mean, Student Kang Geom-Ma. Could I have a word with you? It’s about the special class. I’d like to discuss a few details. Would you come with me?”yjNI
1siWStudent Kang Geom-Ma. Choi Seol-ah said it awkwardly. You could tell she was already used to calling me “Lord.”VAj
jtt49A few days ago, I had specifically asked her to address me as “student” to avoid misunderstandings like this.6wLhh
csaNOSAnd yet…YjB
l3D8‘I never thought it would happen so soon.’VWngy
gOWPlMuOh well. Better to see it as an early warning. Ending that thought, I responded to Choi Seol-ah’s request.8KJ
EikInv“Yes, Instructor Kim.”y0fRjS
ABZ1jCome to think of it, I’m still not used to calling her that. Her name is Choi Seol-ah, but I keep calling her Instructor Kim. One of these days, I really should tell her to change it.8gn
7oxcCoY***RKvp4
y4gw5I walked silently behind Choi Seol-ah for about ten minutes.1XyCgK
81q5She carefully checked the surroundings and let out a sigh of relief. With a look like she had just lost ten years of her life, she clenched her fist and lightly tapped Horn on the head.fINzPo
B8h“Hey, pointy ears! Didn’t I tell you not to wander around alone yet? Do you have any idea what trouble you could’ve caused?”7qjylz
raZx“Wh-what did I do wrong?!”VBm
EpfCcKB“Oh, so you don’t even know what you did wrong and you’re talking back too? There’s no saving you. Tonight you’re having pork for dinner.”Rond1SN
iBu4zX“Th-that’s a breach of contract!”pAw
f1v“Breach of contract, my foot! Didn’t you eat chicken instead of hanwoo for lunch today? Our contract clearly states once a day…”oiFyd
eXmcQLQThus began a shouting match that quickly escalated into a full-on tantrum. I just stood by and watched.bXyp
6hUt‘Every time I see them, it’s always a fight over hanwoo beef…’Fhy
NW9YtWhat symbolizes peace for others was the trigger for war between them — a battle between one who wanted to devour all the hanwoo and one desperately trying to stop it. Their struggle knew no time or place.f1yknUg
fa6H00Normally, I would’ve stepped in to preserve the peace, but today I decided to stay silent. No real reason.dcCyeHN
zXS‘Let’s see how far they take it.’n2AEU
27dWEzg…Several minutes of back-and-forth later, Choi Seol-ah punished Horn by making her kneel under a tree with her arms raised. Horn, having lost the argument, glared at Choi Seol-ah while murmuring bitterly.lH08K
NMhU“I’ll never forget this humiliation…”LWn
EuxpBut Choi Seol-ah only smiled victoriously. Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she turned to me.rH3rr6t
w3ZZW5“Oh, almost forgot because of this pointy-eared troublemaker. My Lord, I have a report for you.”MPI0u
P0omuIF“A report?”grX2bie
nKTAJ6“Yes. It’s something that’s only circulating within the ‘Joaquin Academy Emergency Response Team,’ but I thought you should know.”wjyY
3QX1nThe Joaquin Academy Emergency Response Team — a kind of secret unit made up exclusively of elite instructors. Choi Seol-ah was a member of that group.RQLX
1ixpBy the way, when I once asked her how she got in, she shamelessly answered in her usual way.Q4xO
Q2tXN‘I was still part of the Villain Alliance back then, so I kind of snuck in as a double agent. It was on the recommendation of the late Professor Damian, remember?’NCvE
3ZRThat’s Choi Seol-ah for you. She talks about her illegal past like she’s recounting a casual street crossing. Even after leaving her villainous days behind, her nature hasn’t changed.1xmhKf
GxSp1SAnyway.EAGb0
rpm“So why do you look so pale?”66L
jCuI asked, and Choi Seol-ah quickly answered.0V5m3H
QjZtQ“There are reports of frequent demon sightings near the Gehenna Gate.”3eH
eYxicwxI frowned.3Z27
73fQ“Demons, not beasts? What are they doing hanging around the Gate?”PnBPdh
owbHB“We don’t know yet. Among the team, there’s a rumor that something’s wrong with the Gate. Oh, and also — the Swordmaster hasn’t been seen much lately. Word is he’s been patrolling that area nonstop.”Z5e
muVe8yy“…Hmm.”8cuns
yXZ5o2I fell silent, thinking. It was true that ever since the succession ceremony, there had been little news about the Swordmaster. And now it turns out he’s been near the Gehenna Gate all this time.7HQ
Vb0HS7rI let out a bitter smile.OxejGs
WGJRWSl‘He retired as a Seven-Star Hero, but he’s still on the frontlines more than anyone else.’zJlQWZ
29lyMeanwhile, I’ve been grumbling about juggling school life with Seven-Star duties. I felt a bit ashamed. But it also strengthened my resolve.6X88X
t62vRI needed to accelerate my mission to find the “fifth fragment,” one of my short-term goals. It was time to move.vD2ME20
g11Ob“Choi Seol-ah, handle the paperwork for forming the special class on my behalf. Horn and I will be absent today and tomorrow.”EWhl
PHh9W“You’re leaving right now? But as you know, you can’t just warp straight to the Gehenna Gate. You have to drop down several dozen kilometers away and then take a bus to the border zone. The overland trip is exhausting…”dVq
hnK73“That’s why I’m taking Horn.”GdS47N
kJzaE7“Huh…?”DHJ
bvdJ7iI turned to look at Horn, still kneeling as punishment. Looks like this trip’s going to involve flying.tTdGu
PIpAd4l“…You know you could just take a private jet, right?”W3DKKp
bOZ1Nit“No need.”qIK1QW
FoW“…Understood.”mZd
51TvX2t***3IFeDK
CX7Y2nNear the Gehenna Gate.98zoTKv
ay9q9The restricted zone was tightly cordoned off with [ACCESS RESTRICTED] signs, blocking civilian approach ahead of time.xdaUXuD
hAANHero Association employees were stopping each vehicle with glowing batons, inspecting them one by one. Heroes were also stationed throughout, armed and standing watch.zbGcc
JWljIt was a place where every step felt like walking on thin ice. Director Sung stepped down from a vehicle, scanning the tense faces around him.qpWop
dnw31“Oh, Director Sung, you’ve arrived.”A9cp8o
ZwQ3vThe Swordmaster greeted him with a crinkled smile.3klCvDy
mlto“How have you been, Swordmaster?”Nz2en
Bpf4jy“I’ve been well. Oh, and about Heavenly Sword… I heard you were the one who gave that name, right?”v12I
xkpNOHE“Yes. The Vice President gave me the honor of naming Lord Kang Geom-Ma.”E7F2oFU
MJoctl“Wow, even that muscle-headed Richard of Mura finally made a decent decision. You know what they say… even a broken clock is right twice a day.”UL6U
eFV7oNu“…Hahaha…”HnKRO5I
xXyDirector Sung let out an awkward laugh. He couldn’t exactly agree nor deny such a direct insult to his superior. So he quickly changed the subject.Q5dFyYm
t59rq“Swordmaster, I heard demons have been appearing lately.”TTgD4
GpoPN“That’s right. Three days ago, three dark elves attacked one of our heroes. I personally eliminated them, but since then, we’ve tightened security around here.”rjzU
cbiBDirector Sung felt a chill run down his spine.7AJzU
9G7HcI“Dark elves usually operate in groups. If only three came…”tDya
iapC“Then they’re probably a recon unit. A precursor to a full-scale attack.”4dtH
tktKi“Then it would be wiser to retreat for now and return with a formally assigned unit. If they come en masse, it’ll be extremely dangerous.”qsOJQ
rbldViDark elves were an exception among demons — unlike others, they worked in organized groups. That made them much more dangerous, more human-like in structure.MBLDVE
iiQImagine it one demon is already a monster. What if multiple come together — and well-organized at that?kdXqSn
3gJ7FZi‘Even with the Swordmaster here, this is a real threat.’N7v
inbn3EThey would need at least three Seven-Star-level forces. But the Swordmaster was firm.YSWrj2
6OV“No. We can’t leave. The Gehenna Gate’s rift is slowly widening. It’s just a few centimeters now, but if this keeps up, it could blow open before the year’s end.”fQkHy
vnecl“……”GZo6KI
MqBQsA“Also, if we gather all the heroes capable of operating here, it would leave other regions vulnerable. You know this. Only Senior-class heroes or the very best can even survive this environment.”jd7P4Kg
ar2NThe Gate of Gehenna emitted such dense mana that only those specifically trained could approach. That’s why, even with the crisis, only about thirty people were deployed. Even then, they were the very best the Association had.1iaWY7K
XQ2And what about asking for reinforcements from other countries? Sure, they would send help — but it would make the situation public. Stealth would vanish.xmJbyBp
Oqxt‘This is insane.’Bkk
VDkDirector Sung let out a sigh. The urgency of the situation clashed with the scarcity of resources.X0KXC8
XjIkAnd just then, his instincts flared. He raised his gaze, scanning the area.niplSI
Kv51The Swordmaster sensed it too. He immediately drew his sword.7Lo
Hsrok1KAmong the trees, gray from the Gate’s energy, red glints began to flicker. First one, then two, then three… and soon, too many to count.rXO
j0b4Someone shouted, teetering on the edge of panic.I84T
K2S“Dark elves!”Wpk
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaDark elve I’m smelling trouble
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaHe already have a dragon why bother go in private jet.