Chapter 319: The Transfer Student is a Singularity (7)
OA7C0“It’s cold.”ao90
b0pnAY…Huh?7Jg0
af0JC“And I’m hungry…”vIsDK
I7Xa3zXAnd just like that, Speedweapon ended up picking up a homeless woman in the middle of the night.1P8zNu
CC3TF***U5FN
AHyTOdChangseong, former president of the Association, was notoriously strict when it came to evaluating physical strength.GRVLAT
qKfBTQyWith his hero’s solid jawline and designer’s sharp eyes, he scrutinized heroes without missing a single detail.nPcfkK7
MdAWhen it came to raw physical level, he was even more uncompromising than the Master of the Sword.wmv
16kZxSo passing Changseong’s standards meant being truly recognized. It was a badge of honor.uaMK4
XhXiThe current president, Sung Yuchang, was similar to Richard Mura in some ways, but far more demanding in others.idkwgW0
bBlSung Yuchang was the first president of the Association who wasn’t a hero since its founding.3afOvIK
1DraWithout any blessing, he had climbed to the top — and for that, his name would go down in history.jaTg1V
BvPmUTo him, the most important quality in evaluating people was ‘tact.’qIC6g
83bDeputy Director Kim recalled the day of her interview. Sung Yuchang had personally conducted it and gave her this advice.etDtz
zAI5e28— No matter how talented a hero is, if they don’t have tact, they’ll die early.3xGR
5FVa3‘Why is that?’VRjpNAt
J0cR— Because before the Heavenly Sword, everyone’s equal. His sashimi serves one me, one you.lJRiH
ddfNyFu‘Ah, I see…’4U4r6b
0i0r— So you need a sharp eye.tO0peH
YiC7dy3In any case, everyone in this camp had passed the scrutiny of both presidents.Cdz
wy2BIt took real grit to operate in Gehenna, where just breathing was hard for civilians — and mental agility, since it was enemy territory.lDmMVm
yxE9ohMIn short, the current exploration unit, including Deputy Director Kim, was an elite team, made up exclusively of individuals who had cleared the standards of both Association presidents.EhTTgo
VoPZvThey were people who could gauge another’s strength at a glance.HI6LN
pv5oj9B“First, drink this hot cocoa.”KNV
do4PK“Thank you…”wbT
FRMj0jJust from overhearing the scattered bits of conversation between the human girl and President Speedweapon, they were already deducing her identity.EMpso
wWV“….”AZjgG
DUnRDeputy Director Kim looked at the girl with a face of total defeat.c2O5A
BjnJVOShe was a well-known member of the Heavenly Sword fan club.OOck
xPMThe shock and sense of loss were overwhelming.xCDC
JKiKA‘I thought at least I had a chance to be his third…’ASDv6ZO
a6cHer nickname was ‘#RedSashimi’, and online she had been waging a holy war against someone named ‘SaintRyu’.6yAI
dKC“Deputy Director Kim, that girl…”qHcZ2PK
FbpbAn underling A approached her cautiously.EjlOm
mjF2E0“Silence.”xPKor
Bdf“Excuse me?”ojH3t
5eWV2r7“You and I saw nothing today.”KOLj
Cfn6Ia“What do you mean by that…?”jNfcabd
7xMdmcIUnderling A flinched. Deputy Director Kim turned toward her, wrapped in darkness. In her black eyes, shadowy flames had replaced her usual green pupils.zm2V
9aW“How can a “human” be walking around Gehenna?”q8qs2
D55VpShe grabbed her shoulder tightly. It hurt.453IrS6
Ol0UpB“Chief Speedweapon is mumbling to himself right now. That person is just… dealing with schizophrenia. Got it?”LLa6tYc
lhdwfE…Ah.n5gt
z2i‘So that was it.’o2Kcqu1
oxVPkvoThat’s how madness manifested when one’s devotion to Kang Geom-Ma went too far.KyHi
mJNUnderling A understood, as she looked at her superior.fKJZ
z7PAz***KB8q
69P1Sparks crackled from the dry branches.ZyKM
8LIThe flecks of light expelled by the fire sometimes gave warmth to humans or turned into stars that adorned the evening sky.ENDV
RrG7One might ask what’s the point of making a campfire in the 21st century.ZG6
zPvPM34But because it’s such a primitive form, it offered Homo sapiens an inexplicable sense of security.KeeQX
KOBAlthough some members of the team grumbled that it was a waste of time, at least Speedweapon didn’t think so.oSqvLU
NLZ— If we already have heating, what’s the point of the campfire?!HYSt5C
NTm8OW‘If you’ve got so many complaints, why don’t you get promoted to chief yourselves?’yXJCU
LpIm— Damn boss! Labor abuse!LbhB
qniY‘Hehehe… I’m not taking the fall alone.’EFtFW
hqv9— Workers of the world, unite!tBlW
8u5bjWith seven years in the workforce, Speedweapon had become a society-soaked adult.X75
zmx“How’s the cocoa taste?”WSvEn
xThKZmK“What’s this called… cocóah?”zod
wIGe“Ah… It’s your first time having cocoa.”ULVXdW
ijrAr“Uh… sorry.”P9L
N45O7ds“Aaah! No need to apologize! It’s totally normal!”H76
U6DpVg4But nature doesn’t change easily.n5gO
R7FdSpeedweapon treated the woman with infinite gentleness.Agi
oLe4P9It was pure kindness, without any hidden motive.yTuj
gEcmKccA virtue that, as a healer, he had to maintain even as an adult.BjtHO
FfvQ8S“…It’s tasty…”CMS
oIEK“I’m glad you like it!” he answered with exaggerated gestures.jn2Af
IGrfKIAt first glance, one might assume the woman was haughty. But after talking with her a bit, she turned out to be very shy.6P5
dxpNHer way of speaking was a bit awkward, but considering the place where they met, it didn’t seem strange.wzpJ
JF3FljWhat truly caught Speedweapon and the entire exploration team’s attention was…Bkq4Ege
9oLC0g‘She looks like him.’hUYxpI
f5siVThe woman’s face.t77HIzp
qutdRShe was like a copy of Kang Geom-Ma. The same shiny black hair and unreadable dark eyes.kXNHo
kBiwaOf course, there was a difference she was so beautifully proportioned it inspired awe.PZX
ifr59‘The president is handsome too, but this girl has an unreal beauty. She’s in her prime as a teenager, she could compete with Abel or Ryozo.’oUaUxs
CXoJust a smile from her and boys her age would probably forget how to breathe.yZb
CzCHm? But now that I think about it, does she really look like him aside from the hair and eye color?Mw2R
ckGWHe shook his head.flJ
C8uKz‘No, she does resemble him.’0TNUHU
18bKIn this world, the only person who matched those two traits was Kang Geom-Ma. (Yu Sein also had black hair and eyes, but bleached his hair whenever he could, so only Kang Geom-Ma knew it was naturally black.)CKAZax
2nFSpeedweapon sneaked a glance at the girl. She, with both hands on her cup, was quietly watching the fire.AqW
V15A girl shrouded in mystery. A human wandering Gehenna was rare enough on its own.aWB
a3CtMcAnd on top of that, she shared physical features with Kang Geom-Ma.OXF3M
cF5WThe firelight’s shadows seemed like arrows pointing at her.txfl
8FE“Do you know Kang Geom-Ma?”gwFJqPm
cJfAmid the fire’s crackle, Speedweapon spoke again. The girl slowly turned her gaze.Fxb
CaR“Geom… Ma…?”Bqo
VeT“Yes. He’s a friend of mine. You look so much like him that I wanted to ask if you were related. I don’t know your situation, but it’s not common for a human to wander around the Demon Realm. I’m just asking just in case, so feel free to answer.”Q0iAf
WvaqMq“Geom, Ma… I don’t know him.”z88
xxmxefShe mouthed the syllables. Everyone’s eyes locked on her lips. But in the end, she shook her head.WEGc3U
yrO7XNU“I see… well, that’s to be expected.”DQuo
IRbROf course she couldn’t be Kang Geom-Ma’s daughter. Just by looking, she was in her late teens. That would mean Geom-Ma had a daughter at age ten.oV9Fj
mBSnUXBDoes that even make sense?fDgP2
XKXeJust thinking about it made that theory crumble instantly. What intrigued Speedweapon was the relationship between Kang Geom-Ma and this girl.xd0ZGR
NJKVSurely there was some connection.3mN
FkQ‘But she doesn’t know?’2iJMrZP
5mxShe didn’t seem to be lying. Even if it was his first time seeing her, he could tell.n8mJ1a
UkXFSpeedweapon was someone even Sung Yuchang acknowledged for his keen insight.rndqJ
52tVtThe girl’s reaction was pure—only someone with a clean mind could respond like that. He didn’t even need to guess; she truly didn’t seem to know Kang Geom-Ma.gCTzc2
VpRzXkz‘The best would be to let them meet.’HfGn
Cli6CSpeedweapon scratched his eyebrow. Since the Second Great War Against the Demons, the Academy had severely restricted outsider access.Of6t
bN6kWith good reason. The Joaquin incident, among others, showed that whenever outsiders entered, trouble followed.OrFA
NmIC7So it was understandable that the Academy had become more conservative.S1e
6GP6j‘…But I can’t exactly summon Kang Geom-Ma to the Demon Realm or its outskirts…’UieCwb
RfvIsHe came to help him with his tasks, but ended up adding more. Wasn’t there a more practical solution?Q4aqSdM
VYSsp“Chief.”7WquVTa
EmxDd5JAs Speedweapon’s frown deepened, Deputy Director Kim whispered in his ear.dJWk
WcVShe was right behind him.HjR0wK
hC34“Ah! Damn it!”8GBrR
939“A Hero Association prospect startled by his subordinate’s face? That’s rare.”2KCR8
J8P“Look in a mirror, please! Ugh, my heart nearly jumped out.”J50G
ettuD“…”SdJEe9
LUK“What now? Why so quiet?”WF79ZUg
aour4wDeputy Director Kim was standing directly in the firelight, like a ghost from an old tale.9OfEDPS
wiD“…Am I ugly?”0MfGjs
dowr“Why are you steering the conversation so far off course?”6Svd
S9e“Tell me. Do I have what it takes to be the Heavenly Sword’s third…?”QKUUvTS
4QTY4“Ack!”xg1I
8IqI29Subordinate A, with more sense than Deputy Director Kim, quickly covered her mouth.GgK67KH
gfp5“Sorry, Chief. I’ll handle my superior.”LwH4r
bkt“…No, it’s fine… you’re doing a great job.”kV1D
46H“Let go! Let me go! I told you to let go!”NtaPfL
OwxThey dragged the screeching Kim aside. Subordinate A, with just a glance, picked up on Speedweapon’s concern.0Osupl
G4AsBecause he had come to the same conclusion.33eQc
M69AC“What if we enroll her in the Academy?”SVW8G
vCesWw“…Transfer? You mean bring her in like a new student?”BYFpf
xQB“Yes. I heard Mr. Leon also entered the Academy that way.”0yY
GQY“That’s right…”q5S
ptYd8Speedweapon nodded.qc0RFbj
1iodAnd looked again at the girl’s profile.Nyp5z
mrJOioThough they were talking about her, she was just poking the ground with a twig.774f
U0k2c6DShe didn’t seem interested, nor did she intend to follow the conversation.3o7lT
9LB“But you know. To get into Joaquin Academy, you need to manifest a Blessing. Or at least show something similar.”Auf
DJgpTSpeedweapon looked back at A.rs9
J6rtm“Come on, Chief. How could a regular human get lost in Gehenna? If even the current cadets came to the Demon Realm, they’d end up coughing blood.”wCvGF
mti3rESeen that way, it made sense.lBLUA
0QJYVHe’d gotten so wrapped up in the possible connection between the girl and Kang Geom-Ma that he forgot the most basic point.GLdb5
rvl“Besides, you’re the Chief. If you get President Sung’s approval, everything will go smoothly.”4bA99K
NhJlISpeedweapon hesitated for a long time.dIt5B
4zKRWhat if he admitted someone into the Academy surrounded by so many unknowns, and something went wrong? He’d take full responsibility.nX8EqTT
DwsPznq‘But even so…’ijGZfH
3GAEoTaking her to the Association would be worse. The Research Department and the administrative office were totally different. If they said they found her in Gehenna, she’d be sent straight to the research wing. Even Speedweapon didn’t know what might happen to her there.FSc
WzAFNrd“Hey.”2NIP
e75He didn’t take long to decide.zpbzc0V
dBEIj“What’s your name?”vVf0J
3p9EUM3Speedweapon was a hero—and a healer. It was his role to protect and shelter others.tWq0ct
gtnPThe girl hesitated, biting her lower lip, then answered clearly.iRUQ0
YD6Yxs“Rina. My name is Rina.”SatxA
0mWAt that moment, a half-burned log fell to the ground.2wuuiv
baFC5t— When the new student is a singularity. Classic.1sh
Lhbl***ES0qWn
WiZtN7oThe revival of Joaquin Academy is a relatively recent achievement.i0h4I
JKJ2Qy9Although Ryozo and Media worked tirelessly, the academy had been nearly destroyed after the Second Great War Against the Demons.j8ilizB
SuDW6AYSome even proposed relocating its headquarters.POPYhIv
oP4xeFor such a suggestion to be made about an institution with so much history and tradition, the situation must have been truly dire.iBUDB
q42KWmOThe two directors firmly rejected the idea of moving it.NphvQ8
TlKPThey argued that such a step could be seen as humanity’s surrender.9dAo
Hgw0Both of them took action. Even Kang Geom-Ma and other acquaintances joined the effort.Schly8
IFIA4q9Thanks to that, they successfully attracted investments (especially since they had received less funding from nobles). With pride, they rebuilt Joaquin Academy.qkWs1B
P8a8zrHowever.QUlx
VhUIcThose results couldn’t be seen overnight. There was an inevitable transitional period.sAvZ
xOSDuring that time, many boys and girls manifested their Blessings, and their parents demanded a place for them to study.npl
zMSl7The first year was manageable, but by the second, people were already demanding an alternative institution.ym8gyl
GUkThen, certain factions had an idea.PFn
xV9l7n— If it doesn’t exist… why not create one?IViAJO3
ei9HAnd they did.IXZ2p0
zRENAs soon as the decision was made, they united under a common will to found a new academy. Thanks to the generous investment of nobles dissatisfied with the directors, the construction was completed in just one year.9SM9UB
LA4cqZParsy Academy.JVgKYhG
0ayZlNWith only ten years of history, it hadn’t yet produced notable results, but that very fact pushed them to aggressively recruit students.cn15D
58EBxeCPerhaps that’s why the current Joaquin Academy, despite being at its strongest, was seeing a drop in enrollment rates.1mUYR
0aiawZJ‘I could understand up to that point.’3Osf7T
IhhKqJoaquin Academy was the legacy of the Sword Master. Even though competition was annoying, it was tolerable. After all, it wasn’t the only academy in the world.XCHT
OlwuMoreover, the exodus of noble and special-admission students helped ease internal tensions. Many of those who considered themselves superior had gone to Parsy. Annoying, yes, but there was a silver lining.Q2QVKw
qToX4zBut those bastards went and caused a scandal.IPZxfTG
gHqVThat morning, an emergency faculty meeting was called.ajF
PPxThey summoned me even though I only had a temporary role as a professor.YcvjM
0BqLeon was also summoned for having been my direct opponent. It was the decision of our dear director, Saki Ryozo, ever thoughtful.VnxoAN8
Je3Leon, I, and the entire staff started the day with a morning assembly. No one had time to be surprised by my presence they were too busy injecting coffee into their veins.VN7jno
TVejhKJust as the tension began to build, President Sung of the Association appeared with an announcement.dyF
RsEtSQ“Parsy Academy sent a request yesterday. They want to organize an ‘academic exchange’ with us…”jcal
QQAOpxThe uproar was inevitable. Bang! Lee Woo-Bin’s fist left a dent in the table.R0R
aZMVSf“They’re challenging us!”HVppW3j
Hpgq“That’s exactly what it sounds like.”jlWN7q
wvZbq“Those bastards! When they stole our students, we let it go! And now this!? This is a declaration of war with no titles or ranks!”fAkOD4
aGNqkIt“Weren’t they the same ones begging Heavenly Sword not to punish them? Now they think they’re hot stuff just because they’ve improved a little?”SNNS4hA
hc8eThe voices burned across the table.3gH
hy1lQMy patience ran out too. The uproar ended the moment I stood up.Y5O
mZ0Several staff members collapsed into sudden sleep.9Rh3k
FTar5tI am that man. The one who guarantees the staff’s right to rest.ehSCu6T
PY0AQa“Um… Mr. Heavenly Sword…”wPlI9
TcqGPresident Sung looked at me cautiously.wky
YExUs“You’re not going to head over there directly, right?”9Cux
Tpo9h9C“…”AUbUEp5
nfMpjOu“Why are you staying silent?”M9r
Rd6cg0“…”kiI
kZX“You’re not actually going to do it… are you?”xHkcIe1
cFwIyh“…”0Q8B
apxm0“…Excuse me?”GVjDaj0
iWOR2Fs“…”jR0c
kiWk…fbun1
FxpvvThe chair tipped backward.pA5
EO7HQ“It’s settled.”7QZE
DK95z1Without another word, I took my sashimi knife.PD75ko
SSqaLNot even Sung’s desperate pleas could stop me.eAt
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