Chapter 35: This time, too, it’s nothing unusual (2)

In Front of the Dragon Class Door

I looked at the nameplate on the door for a moment before pushing it open and entering the classroom.

The instant I stepped inside, every student’s gaze locked onto me, their expressions turning into synchronized scowls.

I thought I was used to these cold stares by now, but in this higher-level class, the hostility in their eyes felt especially intense.

Their disdainful glares were so sharp they felt like needles on the back of my neck.

Ignoring them, I narrowed my eyes, scanning the room for a particular bicolor hairstyle reminiscent of a Japanese thug, but seeing no sign of it, I figured he wasn’t here.

Just as I was about to leave that zone of discomfort, a tall, broad-shouldered guy with a square jaw strode toward me, each step purposeful.

When he stopped in front of me, he shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned his face closer.

“Well, look who’s here. None other than the celebrity himself.”

The guy spoke in a mocking tone, his expression anything but friendly. It seemed he recognized me from my fight with Knox in the subspace duel.

“But let me tell you something. This isn’t a place for low-grade types like you who come and go as they please.”

His words sounded like something from a third-rate script, accompanied by a dismissive gesture as he withdrew one hand from his pocket.

At first glance, he looked like one of those rebellious students you find in every class, but after almost twenty years in the restaurant business, dealing with countless drunks, the threats of a big teenager were hardly worth laughing at.

“Don’t bother me and get out.”

As he said this, murmurs began to spread around us. Seeing the looks his classmates were giving, the guy’s face flushed red, but as soon as we locked eyes, the color drained from his face.

I smiled and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“Idiot.”

“You bastard!”

Without a second thought, the guy threw a punch aimed straight at my temple. Despite his large size, his movements were quick and agile, fitting for a member of the Dragon class.

However, to my eyes, his punch moved so slowly that it almost made me yawn.

‘Hmm.’

I considered fighting back to teach him a lesson—maybe breaking an arm would give him some perspective. As an adult, I could afford to give him a lesson in self-restraint.

Just as I was about to move my hand, someone behind him grabbed his shoulder and, without hesitation, landed a clean punch to his jaw.

“Argh!”

The guy grunted and collapsed sideways, completely drained of strength. His eyes rolled back, showing only the whites.

I remembered seeing a YouTube video once that said a punch to the jaw could knock someone out instantly.

“Wow, this guy’s jaw is like steel, the bastard.”

While everyone else stared at the scene in shock, the one responsible for the punch rubbed his knuckles, muttering to himself as though oblivious to the uproar around him. Then, he turned to me.

“You all right?”

“Thanks to a few days of rest in a nice hospital room, I’m good. Money does help, that’s for sure.”

Shrugging, I replied nonchalantly, making SpeedWeapon chuckle wryly as he shook his wrist.

‘I’ve heard of strong mages, but a healer with strength—this is a first.’

SpeedWeapon, who had just knocked out that big guy with a single punch, was definitely an unusual healer, especially given that his weapon was a recorder.

“Sorry about this. You come to our class, and the first thing you see is these idiots. But you know, try to understand—they’re just too narrow-minded to see things as they really are. Teenage hormones and all.”

He tapped his heel a few times on the guy’s body, making it sway from side to side. I shrugged to show it didn’t bother me much, and SpeedWeapon smiled before leaning down to whisper to the unconscious guy. No one dared approach us.

“Don’t be too offended; if it weren’t for me, you might have ended up dead. It’d be a shame to waste your life on something so stupid.”

“…”

There was no response. After murmuring those words to the white-eyed guy, SpeedWeapon straightened, while I looked down at the passed-out student with a blank expression.

“Shall we talk in the hallway? Too many eyes here. After all, you came looking for me, didn’t you?”

I nodded and left the classroom with SpeedWeapon following close behind. As we walked down the hallway, he suddenly asked a question.

“Honestly, if I hadn’t stopped him, what would you have done to that guy?”

I stopped and turned my head to look at him.

“Who knows?”

With a cold smile, I replied before continuing down the hall. I noticed SpeedWeapon shudder slightly at my response.

“…You’re one terrifying guy.”

He trailed behind me, his gaze fixed on me the entire time.

***

In the Middle of the Hallway i stopped and began explaining.

The key point was that I needed to put together a team to clear a dungeon, and I wanted to know if he’d be interested in joining.

SpeedWeapon listened closely, nodding, and accepted the proposal without hesitation. Though I was only testing the waters, he seemed eager to help.

While I spoke, SpeedWeapon stroked his chin, murmuring.

“…So, you need to assemble a team as soon as possible. You’re asking me to help gather the members, and the reward you’d receive would be split among the team, with you keeping the beast materials. Did I get that right?”

I’m not great at explaining, but SpeedWeapon caught on quickly. I nodded, holding up the special student badge hanging from my chest.

“If I’m the one forming the team, nobody would show up aside from Chloe. With someone from a higher class like you helping, it’ll be a lot easier.”

Besides, SpeedWeapon held the rare and valuable role of healer. In Korean games, a healer might get treated like a tool, but here, it was a crucial and rare role.

Despite his appearance, he was quite sharp and could understand things no matter how you explained them.

‘Even if his weapon is a flute, you can’t deny his skill.’

According to the Joaquin Academy’s rules, you had to form a team of at least four people to get permission for a dungeon expedition.

This rule existed to minimize accidents by having team members keep each other in check.

If everyone was looking out for one another, it would be harder for someone to stray or act recklessly.

After pondering for a moment, SpeedWeapon finally smiled slightly and said.

“If it weren’t for those academy rules… you could probably clear five or six dungeons a day on your own, right?”

“I’d never be able to clear even one alone.”

I shook my head and spoke quietly.

“Really? Are you saying that after taking down a demon siren all by yourself? False modesty is annoying, you know?”

“…”

SpeedWeapon gave me a playful slap on the side, smiling casually.

‘But it’s the truth.’

With my 40-second speed boost ability, I’d be out of commission as soon as I set foot in the dungeon. But he seemed to think I was being humble, so I simply shrugged in silence.

SpeedWeapon stroked his chin, thinking, then offered his opinion.

“Got any particular dungeon in mind?”

“A Class C dungeon. The Buffalo Dungeon.”

“The Buffalo one… Yeah, that’s a classic.”

SpeedWeapon narrowed his eyes and asked,

“Then… for the last team member, do you have any preference?”

“…I’d rather avoid Rachel or Leon.”

“Oh, those two are out. Since you went to the hospital, Rachel’s locked herself in the training center, and Leon’s busy prepping for an advanced dungeon with some second- and third-year students.”

SpeedWeapon shrugged as he explained, and I nodded in understanding.

He seemed enthusiastic, probably already considering potential candidates in his head.

Joaquin Academy, with its strict policy of not allowing outings without a valid reason, made SpeedWeapon’s eagerness understandable.

For a kid, even this enormous academy could feel like a cage.

The only time we’d left had been during the midterm exam when we’d come dangerously close to crossing the line between life and death.

After a moment, SpeedWeapon seemed to remember something, and his expression changed.

“I know the perfect person for this. At this time… she’s probably asleep.”

“Asleep at this hour?”

“Yeah, it’s her usual routine.”

After checking his watch, SpeedWeapon continued talking.

“Let’s stop by the store first. We’ll need to buy a few things.”

* * *

“I didn’t know there was a place like this on campus.”

As I looked around, I murmured. I’d never visited this place, not even while playing *Miracle Blessing M.* While I hadn’t explored the entire campus, this place had a distinctly Japanese style.

The Joaquin Academy Archery Dojo.

A cedar wood building. When I turned my head, I saw targets in the distance with arrows deeply embedded in them.

The place had an exotic feel, like I was on a trip to Japan. In my previous life, I’d been a chef of Japanese cuisine, but I’d never visited Japan.

It was a tempting thought, but work had never left me any time to travel. Now, however, I was having this experience.

As I looked around like a tourist, my gaze settled on a girl lying on the dojo floor.

“Hey, SpeedWeapon, there’s someone over there.”

“Ah, there she is.”

SpeedWeapon approached her quickly, and I followed him, though somewhat cautiously. When he reached her, he grabbed her shoulder and started shaking her.

“Hey, wake up.”

“…”

He seemed to be shaking her with quite a bit of force, but the girl barely reacted, as if she were unconscious.

She lay there with her eyes closed, limp like a rag doll.

Despite SpeedWeapon’s attempts to raise his voice, she continued sleeping soundly. Finally, he sighed, stopped shaking her, and said in a low tone,

“I brought some red bean cakes.”

“!!”

At those words, the girl’s delicate eyelids slowly opened. Rubbing her eyes, she looked up at SpeedWeapon from the floor.

Her sleepy expression, somehow, gave her a certain charm.

“You brought bean cakes?”

SpeedWeapon nodded approvingly.

“Yes, but I’ll give them to you after you hear us out.”

Pulling a small bean cake from his pocket, he waved it in front of the girl’s face. Her sky-blue eyes followed the cake from side to side.

She was Saki Ryojo, the daughter of a prestigious family of archers.

A slender girl dressed in an archery kimono, giving her the appearance of an elegant maiden.

Her hair, light blue like the sky, fell to her waist, glinting in the light.

After yawning, she tapped her mouth a few times, then turned toward me, who stood a few feet away.

“Do you have bean cakes too?”

“…”

I had no idea how to respond.