Chapter 52: A Brief Moment of Freedom (3)

I enthusiastically received the exam, but that feeling only lasted a moment.

As I read the questions, my mind went completely blank.

“…”

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〈Midterm Written Exam of 2034〉

1. What is the essential meaning of the phrase “God is dead!” spoken by Friedrich Nietzsche, a philosopher born in the Kingdom of Prussia in 1844?

2. Are humans truly worthy of receiving a Divine Blessing? State your opinion.

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•

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(Essay)

I completely lost my focus.

I turned my head to observe the other cadets in the room.

Everyone seemed accustomed to this type of test, diligently writing with their pencils.

‘You’ve got to be kidding me… No one said this exam would be essay-based.’

Come to think of it, I had never taken a written exam since I entered Joaquin Academy.

The entrance test had been taken by the “previous” Kang Geom-Ma, before I replaced him.

Maybe essay exams were normal in this world, but couldn’t they have at least warned me once?

“I’m screwed.”

I let out a deep sigh. Even so, I couldn’t give up without trying.

Gripping the pencil, I began to write on the numbered sheets from 1 to 5.

***

At the same time, in the Beinhardt family villa located in Seogwipo, on Jeju Island.

A group of people with weapons hanging from their belts followed an employee through the halls of the Beinhardt mansion.

“Captain, it seems we’re finally making progress. A member of the Joaquin Academy’s Elder Council personally summoned us. Isn’t this a good time for you to step into the public eye as well?”

Among the men, who had a rough appearance, a woman with an elegant demeanor stood out. Her attire wasn’t extravagant, but her refined face radiated nobility.

“Farik, if you don’t want to lose the tongue you still have, shut up.”

“Alright, alright. No need to get so aggressive. It was just a joke.”

Although his words seemed light, the woman’s cold and murderous tone made Farik raise his hands in alarm.

The hiss in her voice was evident as she tried to calm him.

“Honestly, Captain, you’re way too strict. Am I wrong?”

Trying to find support, Farik nudged another companion, Jang Taepung, who was walking beside him.

“Farik, since you’re new, you wouldn’t know this, but the captain hates superiors.”

“Then why did she accept this mission?”

Jang Taepung grinned mischievously, forming a circle with his thumb and index finger.

“Of course, for this. The amount of money is too high to turn down. In the end, we’re all doing this to make a living, right? The captain just took that into account.”

“Well, that makes sense. The upfront payment is 100 million won per person, and the bonus is double.”

Farik nodded as he stroked his thick chin with a finger. Jang Taepung also shrugged in agreement.

The group arrived at Cladi’s office, and the employee leading them knocked on the door with a polished gesture.

“Cladi von Beinhardt, I’ve brought them.”

“Let them in.”

Farik and the other team members looked around the office curiously and disorganized.

Cladi slightly furrowed his brows but soon leaned arrogantly back in his chair, swirling his glass of whiskey.

“Well done making it here.”

Cladi’s condescending tone made Farik’s face tighten, but the captain stopped him with a simple hand gesture.

“I called you because I have a job I want to entrust to you.”

“Who do we need to kill?”

The captain asked without any expression, and a sinister smile spread across Cladi’s lips.

“Give them that.”

Following Cladi’s signal, the employee placed a document on the table and handed it to the captain.

Farik, looking over her shoulder, examined the photo of a cadet attached to the file.

“What the hell? He looks like a kid who can’t even grow a beard yet. And he’s got a face like a courtesan.”

“Next week, there will be a ‘Survival Training on a Deserted Island.’ I want you to take care of him there. As you know, the upfront payment is 100 million won per head, and the bonus is negotiable.”

“What do we do with the body afterward?”

The captain asked bluntly as she looked at Cladi.

Even though her dark blue hair partially covered her face, it couldn’t hide her elegance.

She was Lei Shen, known as the Predator. Though her cold and direct demeanor was irritating, Cladi couldn’t deny her exceptional skills.

Cladi took a slow sip of whiskey before responding.

“Isn’t the island surrounded by water? Just toss him into the sea. He’ll be food for the fish or the sharks.”

Incidentally, that same evening, the dinner menu at the Beinhardt mansion featured fresh fish caught in the waters of Jeju.

***

After the written exam, during lunchtime, I gathered with the club members on the academy lawn to eat.

Although the club wasn’t officially formed yet, we were only one member short, so everyone except Chloe already called me “president.”

“Hey, Saki! How is the answer to the first question supposed to be that?”

“And you? What kind of idiot takes ‘God is dead’ literally?”

“These types of questions require a more direct and intuitive interpretation!”

“You talk too much… Forget it, I won’t say anything else.”

Speedweapon raised his voice while Ryozo waved a hand lazily, as if not interested in further arguing.

In reality, it was more of a one-sided monologue from Speedweapon, as Ryozo, with her drowsy expression, only responded with slight clicks of her tongue while continuing to eat without concern.

Beside her, Chloe energetically ate her fried rice, much like a hamster nibbling.

Since I made her fried rice once, she had asked me to bring it almost every day for lunch.

“Kang Geom-Ma, did you do well on the exam?”

Chloe looked up slightly and asked me. I scratched my jaw awkwardly before replying.

“I answered at random.”

“Huh? But it was an essay. How can you answer that randomly? Kang Geom-Ma, you’re so naughty.”

Chloe tilted her head, puzzled, before breaking into a soft laugh.

Honestly, I thought she might take it more seriously.

‘Maybe she thinks I’m a complete fool.’

Regardless of the result, I had decided to accept it humbly.

After all, it was an unexpected essay exam.

I wrote as much as I could, pulling fragments of information from the game that I could still recall.

I did my best, though the outcome was now in the professor’s hands.

It wasn’t like I had high expectations, and truthfully, I didn’t care much about my rank.

Although I was sure I would rank above Chloe.

As I watched Chloe diligently eat her meal, a question came to mind.

“Chloe, has Knox said anything to you recently? It’s been a while, and there doesn’t seem to be any news.”

“Ah, that…”

A few weeks ago, Knox came to see me in person and told me a story.

The elders of the Academy had asked the Auditore family to deal with Kang Geom-Ma.

While they said the verification process would take two months, Auditore’s work as an assistant in the game was known to be swift and reliable.

Based on their ability to gather information, they should have already reached a rough conclusion.

However, even though my senses remained on high alert, there were no significant signs of abnormalities. A subtle unease began to settle.

“Before the storm.”

It was strangely quiet and calm, like the moments just before a typhoon.

Also, the gaze I felt during the Buffalo Dungeon meeting hadn’t returned since that day.

Even though I kept looking around with heightened awareness, there were no signs of anything unusual.

In response to my question, Chloe set down the spoon she was holding and pursed her lips. Her eyebrows, forming the shape of a faint smile, reminded me of a puppy looking sad.

“Actually, Knox called me last night, but I went to bed early and didn’t answer…”

Wasn’t Chloe a night owl? How late would Knox have called for her to miss it?

Any call from him at that hour must have been important. Furthermore, the numbers of Auditore members were strictly protected as confidential information.

It was like the personal data of intelligence agents on Earth.

Most of the news from Knox came through Chloe, and every word she passed on was crucial for me.

“What time did he call you?”

I leaned slightly toward her to ask, which caused her cheeks to flush red. I quickly moved back to avoid making her uncomfortable.

“At seven in the evening. I’ve been staying up late studying for the exams… hehe.”

“…”

You definitely ignored him on purpose.

Although Knox’s news was important to me, Chloe still seemed uncomfortable with him.

She must have her reasons, but I preferred not to pry into other people’s family matters.

‘Still, they’re siblings. It’d be nice if they got along better.’

I sighed as I scratched the back of my neck, lamenting the situation.

‘If it was urgent, he’ll call back.’

Chloe, visibly regretful, lowered her gaze and closed the lid of her lunchbox. Just hearing Knox’s name seemed to have dampened her appetite.

I noticed some grains of rice stuck to the corner of her mouth.

I was tempted to wipe them off but decided against it.

‘Better not risk any misunderstandings.’

Chloe seemed to realize the mess on her face and quickly turned her head, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

Even though I could only see the back of her head, her embarrassment was clear.

‘…Maybe I should have told her.’

A little later, the argument between Speedweapon and Ryozo came to an end.

Defeated, Speedweapon wore a gloomy expression, while Ryozo looked slightly bored but triumphant.

“Damn it! Why? I stayed up late studying for this for days!”

“Why don’t you just admit it already? It’s a matter of… in-te-lli-gence.”

“What’s the difference?”

Ryozo chuckled while Speedweapon shouted in frustration. Clearly, Ryozo had won the debate.

Even so, Speedweapon still seemed unwilling to accept defeat, glaring at Ryozo with a look that said, “Just you wait.” She, unfazed, simply got up and sat down next to me.

“What were you two discussing so passionately? Don’t tell me you’re dating or something.”

The question made the corners of Chloe’s lips twitch slightly upward as her cheeks turned an even deeper red.

She hugged her shoulders, visibly uncomfortable.

“I keep telling you, it’s not what you think.”

I responded firmly, shutting down any insinuation.

Chloe, hearing my response, relaxed her lips and returned to her neutral expression.

She muttered something, barely audible, in a slightly dry tone. Meanwhile, Ryozo entertained herself by unwrapping a sweet red bean pastry, letting out a peculiar laugh.

‘…She did that on purpose.’

Ryozo had this curious mix of maturity and childlike mischief.

Although she was usually cold and direct, sometimes she made unexpected jokes. They weren’t blatant like Rachel’s, but they were just as effective.

Surprisingly, Chloe, who usually went head-to-head with any woman who got close to me, was surprisingly subdued around Ryozo.

Maybe it was her skill with words or her calm demeanor, but she could easily disarm Chloe.

“By the way, President, why do you always ignore my messages?”

“How is it always? It was just once.”

“And what about this morning?”

Ryozo pouted slightly, visibly annoyed.

Chloe, who had been quietly observing, tilted her head with a curious expression.

“Me…ssage…?”

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