Chapter 335: Succession of the Academy Exchange (3)

“Lord Heavenly Sword.”

Victoria delicately set her chopsticks on the table.

“What is it…?”

She was trembling slightly, as if trying to contain her emotions.

Even when alone with me, the princess was always quiet.

With so many eyes on her now, she was even more reserved.

Given her status, it was a wise attitude. Every word needed to be chosen with utmost care. And yet, the princess had chosen to speak—publicly.

“…Why, with such mastery of the blade… didn’t you pursue a career as a professional chef?”

Everyone present nodded as if that sentiment were unanimous. I couldn’t help but laugh.

It was the highest praise I could receive, delivered with genuine emotion.

And yet—

‘If I had, this world would already be doomed, wouldn’t it?’

Also, Princess…

‘Could you please wipe that bit of fish off the corner of your mouth?’

That phrase burned in my throat like bile. I wanted to say it—but held back.

She had been instrumental in Joaquin’s victory. This wasn’t the time to sour her mood.

Even if our relationship was strained, we needed to maintain boundaries.

It lasted only a moment.

“Um, Princess…”

It was Ji Changhyuk who spoke.

“There’s something at the corner of your mouth… oh, it was fish. I thought…”

“……”

“……”

A cold wind blew across the empty plates and barren table.

Steam began to rise from the center of a head.

I smiled as if nothing had happened and calmly stood up.

The creak that followed meant I wasn’t the only one who’d decided to leave.

I walked out to the balcony, leaned my elbows on the railing, and gazed up at the moon.

Boom!

Soon after, the terrace window trembled violently.

Once.

Twice.

And then again…

BOOM!

The tremor was so strong the massive window shook in its frame.

Even the Parsy board members seated at the grand table wore expressions as stormy as their director’s.

As expected, the topic of discussion was the recently concluded flag war.

But something was off.

The director of Parsy didn’t seem to be aligning with the rest of the staff.

The divide between them was as wide as the physical distance separating their seats—if not wider.

From the outside, it looked like the director was fighting alone against the majority.

And watching this from afar—

“……”

A female crow perched on a bare branch, tilting her head repeatedly, as if trying to catch the internal discussion.

The short, twitchy movements were typical of birds.

I tried to focus.

Voices, once muffled by the glass, began to grow clearer.

As if the fog was lifting, the words took shape. Shouts rang out.

“How can educators plot something so vile?! Aren’t you ashamed?!”

The Parsy director stood abruptly, her large stomach heaving with emotion.

Those receiving her wrath looked visibly irritated. They were Parsy’s majority shareholders.

Their role was akin to the elders of Joaquin.

“Director.”

A middle-aged woman with a stern face stepped forward to speak.

“The whole world is watching! For the honor of Parsy, for the children who study here—this is a battle we must win at all costs!”

“And yet! You want to change the rules of the remaining two trials in Parsy’s favor? Do you really think that makes sense?”

“Why not? We’re the hosts! And it’s not like you’ve ever cared much for Joaquin, have you? Why act like such a righteous educator all of a sudden…?”

The director choked up as if someone had shoved an entire sweet potato down her throat.

“I hold no grudge against Joaquin!”

She fought to suppress her fury, then tried to reason with them.

“It’s true we lost the first trial, but everyone saw the talent of Parsy’s students. That alone is a significant achievement. But if we introduce external manipulation into the competition, the spectators will notice immediately. In the long term, it will bring enormous damage to Parsy! And above all, Joaquin is not our enemy!”

Putting aside personal issues with the Heavenly Sword who had stormed in with the Lady of the Sword, the Parsy director held deep respect for him.

He was a hero of the old world.

Even if she couldn’t repay his sacrifice, how could she betray him? Were these nobles made of noodles instead of brains?

“Ahhh, enough. I don’t want to hear this anymore. The shareholders want immediate results.”

“You… you people…!”

“Just do whatever’s necessary to give us a satisfactory result, Director.”

The woman turned to leave, but before going, she tossed a sarcastic remark.

“After this competition, you might not be the director anymore, you know? We like you—let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Anyway, good work.”

The shareholders left.

“……”

The director slumped into her seat as if all her strength had been drained.

First came the exhaustion. Then a rage that surged to her forehead.

“If it were up to me… I’d love to cooperate with the Heavenly Sword…”

But she couldn’t. If she did…

Parsy Academy would lose all autonomy. It would forever live in Joaquin’s shadow.

As much as she personally respected Kang Geom-Ma, that was another matter entirely. Parsy Academy was founded with the explicit purpose of distinguishing itself from Joaquin.

“Haa…”

A sigh filled with fatigue hit the window.

“Huh?”

The director blinked. Through the dew-covered glass, her eyes met those of a crow.

The crow’s gaze pierced through the director and fixated on the door the shareholders had just exited.

As if trying to sear each of them into memory. Just as the director reached to open the window, feeling a chill—

Kwaak, kwaak, kwaak.

The crow ruffled its feathers three times and took flight.

Its black wings brushed the window frame as it soared upward.

***

Ⓐ Supreme.MasterSword: Hmm hmm. Looks like no one’s around today…

Ⓐ Supreme.MasterSword: I was curious about the next trial in the tournament and thought we could use a little collective brainpower, but eh… activity isn’t what it used to be.

Ⓢ Saint.Ryu: I’m here.

Ⓐ Supreme.MasterSword: Oh! You showed up!

Ⓐ Supreme.MasterSword: But why the mysterious new name all of a sudden?

Ⓢ Saint.Ryu: …Please drop the act already

Ⓢ Saint.Ryu: ‘MasterSword’-nim

Ⓐ Supreme.MasterSword: H-How did you know…?!

Ⓢ Saint.Ryu: If I couldn’t figure that out, I’d be a fool. Though, of course, only someone who knows you well would notice.

Ⓐ Supreme.MasterSword: ……

Ⓢ Saint.Ryu: Don’t worry, I won’t spread it around. Hmm… I don’t know if you’d call it an exchange, but…

From what I read in the chat, you’re curious about the next — final — trial. Should I at least tell you its name?

Ⓐ Supreme.MasterSword: …I guess the condition is I don’t ask who you are, right…?

Ⓐ Supreme.MasterSword: Fine then. Let’s treat this like we both have bomb collars. What’s the name of the next trial?

Ⓢ Saint.Ryu: The Two Wolves: Sköll and Hati

Ⓐ Supreme.MasterSword: …Huh? The wolves that devour the Sun and the Moon. Those are some bold names for a competition… So, the name of the final trial is…?

Ⓢ Saint.Ryu: You’ve already guessed it, haven’t you? That’s right.

Ⓢ Saint.Ryu: The Finale is Ragnarok

***

The hot topic right now is, of course, the inter-academy tournament.

They’re competing for the title of the world’s best academy.

Pride is on the line, and once it ends, spin-off products will pop up like mushrooms after rain.

Right now, the academy business goes against the growing interests of the world. In other words, academies are a doomed industry.

‘Maybe not in our generation, but someday, academies will disappear.’

Demons are no longer a major threat. The false gods pulling strings from the shadows are gone. So, what’s the point of heroes and the institutions that train them?

For now, they still matter. It’s only been ten years since the Second Great Human-Demon War.

Humanity hasn’t fully healed from the aftermath of that war, which is why they still cling to heroes.

But the longer peace lasts, the more people will begin to question the very existence of heroes.

The space heroes occupy will inevitably shrink, little by little. And eventually, they might be downgraded to nothing more than regular people with a bit of extra power.

‘Though it’s already strange that blessings still exist even after the false gods vanished…’

The world is special because academies exist. Blessings stem from the class system but also uphold this society.

Even if those elements were to disappear, would the Miracle Blessing M still make sense? Would this world have any meaning…?

My thoughts spiraled endlessly. It was a night of deep reflection. The scene from a moment ago, when everyone was toasting together, now felt distant.

I leaned back into the bed.

Glancing at Ryozo, fast asleep, I murmured.

“…Is it really okay for things to go on like this…?”

To some, this might seem like worrying over trivial matters. And yes, I admit, it’s a passive attitude.

I’m the God of the Sword, an Outer God, a Game Master and yet I only care about one tiny blue planet in this vast universe.

I’m definitely a narrow-minded god.

‘If the time comes, I’ll cast aside my humanity and devote myself entirely to preserving balance in the world.’

Yu Sein told me I had two options.

– Become part of the system by obeying the power of suppression.

– Or preserve my humanity and remain as I am.

I chose to remain an individual, not a cog in the system. And the result is that I can now laugh, talk, and eat with everyone.

I’m happy. So happy that it actually scares me. This peace feels unfamiliar.

“Mmmh…”

Ryozo stirred slightly.

Her sky-blue hair draped over her cheek.

As if it might tickle her eyes, I gently brushed it back behind her ear and left the bedroom.

My role in the event was over, so I was free for the rest of the night.

Step, step.

I wandered aimlessly around Parsy Academy. The air was still chilly.

I pulled up the collar of the black coat Abel had given me.

If tumbleweeds had been rolling by, it would’ve looked like a Western.

With silly thoughts spinning in my head, I kept walking with no particular destination.

Parsy was blindingly bright during the day, but the dim nighttime had its own charm.

The majestic fountains and statues occasionally drew my gaze.

Above, the night sky stretched into a true celestial panorama.

And then, suddenly—

I stopped.

The countless statues blurred slightly. One figure completely stole my attention a girl sitting at the edge of a fountain, her feet in the water.

Splash, splash.

Chaerina played with the water, swinging her legs side to side.

When she saw me, she turned her head. Her black hair, shaded like the cosmos, brushed her slender shoulders.

“You came?”

Her tone suggested she’d been waiting for me. Her wet, bare feet left prints on the ground.

Chaerina glanced at her wet feet and raised her head. She met my imposing presence without flinching.

It felt like time had stopped.

“How long do you plan to remain bound to Gleipnir?”

“…?”

I didn’t understand her words. But Chaerina kept talking.

“The destiny to cripple the god of war, Tyr, and devour even Odin… that won’t change.”

I had no idea what she meant.

“Kh…”

But even without understanding, her words shook my mind. Each one embedded itself deep into the folds of my brain.

The pressure in my skull was so intense, it felt like my eyes might pop out.

“Just like how you are the wolf who bit the sword.”

Chaerina extended her hand, as if she wanted me to take it.

“Was it really a coincidence that your name is Wolf?”

I stepped closer, hand drifting toward my waist. Take her hand? No way. If anything felt off, I’d draw immediately.

I’d been postponing this meeting with Chaerina.

And now I was starting to think it hadn’t entirely been my choice.

Subconsciously, I’d been avoiding her.

That’s why I hadn’t contacted her directly and consulted Yu Sein first.

My instincts rejected her.

‘Even so, I have to face her.’

My intuition, guided by the Blessing of the Sword God, told me.

– Don’t let this opportunity slip away.

The blessing, still intact with my humanity, acted like a compass. I couldn’t ignore it.

“Who… are you?”

Gripping the sashimi sword recently assigned to me, I asked in a low, steady voice.

Chaerina stared into my eyes and calmly replied.

“Hel.”

Her eyes, infinitely deep, pulled at my soul. Without realizing it, I opened the eyes I’d been squeezing shut.

Fwoooosh!

Hell spread beneath my feet.

Infernal fire consumed massive buildings I recognized.

That hell—

That illusionary scene.

Was none other than Parsy Academy.