Chapter 72: The Best Swordsman in the Country (1)

I couldn’t believe it. As I stared at the attached file, all I could do was let out a sigh.

“…Fuck, what is this?”

The information about Kang Geom-Ma—that is, about me—was absurdly clean. Details that should have been there—my place of origin, family relationships, the names of my parents—were completely erased.

Everything recorded began after my enrollment in the academy. Before that, it was as if I had never existed.

In reality, I’m not originally from this world. That’s an undeniable truth. However, the fact remains that I spent more than a year in this world before entering the academy.

One day, I was swallowed by this world, and my parents here welcomed me warmly. After returning from Avalon Island, I tried to recall their faces, but not even a shadow of them remained in my memory.

‘Hah.’

A sarcastic sigh escaped through my teeth. Despite the confusion and astonishment rising within me, a cold rationality seemed to smother my emotions.

My fingers trembled, and cold sweat ran down my back. But all I did was calmly organize my thoughts, suppress unnecessary emotions, and block out any mental distractions.

Had my memory been erased? If that were the case, the evidence on the phone screen wouldn’t be so clear.

Was it just my imagination? It could be, but my perception always dismissed that hypothesis.

I lifted my chin and looked up at the cloudy sky. Dense, heavy clouds floated above, trying to hide the sky from view.

“Maybe they were just helping me adapt?”

I didn’t finish the sentence. No matter how much I tried to think about something else, my thoughts always circled back to the same point. I stood there silently, running a hand across my chest.

A moment ago, I had felt proud of my muscular body, but now it felt hollow, as if it were empty. I felt a void at the center of my chest.

“This is bullshit.”

I set my phone down on the desk with a dull thud. It didn’t seem like reflecting further would lead me to another conclusion. Besides, with such scarce information, there was nothing else to review.

However, the feeling of having been manipulated by someone caused a surge of anger to rise from deep within me. Frustration was quickly replaced by intense fury.

Veins bulged on the back of my hand as I clenched my fist. I squeezed so hard that blood seeped between my knuckles.

“Phew.”

I exhaled deeply. The blood boiling in my veins began to cool little by little. Then I opened the notebook I had set aside earlier.

⌜God of the Sword⌟

⌜G.M.⌟

Those two words I had written down immediately after waking from the dream.

“…One of them, or perhaps both.”

My eyes burned with intensity as I stared at those words. My teeth ground together.

“One day…”

At that exact moment:

Boom⎯!

The gray clouds clashed with the roar of thunder. A bolt of lightning illuminated the sky and struck the earth.

Krrr⎯

Krrk⎯

Krr⎯

KABOOM!

The noise was louder than usual. But my expression didn’t change as I watched the scene unfold. Without realizing it, I had Murasame in my hand. I extended my arm and pointed the sword forward.

The lightning seemed to freeze for a moment before roaring again, shaking the air. The succession of explosions was so intense that my ears buzzed. Some students stuck their heads out of their windows to look.

“…”

I burned that scene into my retinas for a while, then headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

While the water ran down my body, one corner of my mouth curled upward.

The movement of the lightning didn’t seem that fast after all.

***

Before the morning class, Star Class.

“Ha…”

Rachel let out a long sigh. She buried her face in her arms with a dejected expression. Abel was surprised by her unusual behavior.

Rachel, who normally maintained an exaggerated level of energy, was utterly dispirited. Her heart-shaped pupils, which always sparkled, were now just ordinary circles. Abel observed her from the corner of her eye and thought.

‘What’s wrong with her today? Could it be the weather?’

It was an especially cloudy day with frequent thunderstorms. Some students from the Sacred Class had even decided to skip class for religious reasons, claiming that the sky was angry. Of course, most of them were just excuses.

Although Abel and Rachel weren’t particularly close, Rachel was the only one in class who spoke to her in a friendly manner, so she couldn’t completely ignore her.

While Abel hesitated, Rachel slightly lifted her forehead from her arms.

“Miss Abel, can you give me some advice?”

Her voice was soaked in sadness. Abel sensed that something serious was happening.

After thinking for a moment, she adjusted her posture and nodded. Rachel, her eyes half-closed, continued:

“Lately, my self-esteem is at rock bottom. Honestly, I think I’m not bad at all, you know? I’m strong, guys tease me about my face and, above all, about my body.”

“…?”

Rachel paused and glanced at Abel out of the corner of her eye. Her heart-shaped pupils landed on Abel’s chest for a moment. A faint sparkle returned to her dull eyes.

Abel blinked in surprise, feeling frustrated. Rachel’s curves were more akin to towering mountains.

“Ra-Rachel, you—right now…!”

But Rachel didn’t give her time to finish and murmured as she continued:

“Abel, did you know Geom-Ma started a club?”

At the sudden mention of Kang Geom-Ma’s name, Abel’s shoulders flinched.

Rachel seemed to realize she had made a mistake and bit her lip.

“Ah, at that time, you were busy with your grandfather…”

“Huh, yes…”

After returning from Avalon Island, Abel had cried a lot in her bed. Her grandfather, the Sword Master, had returned with severe injuries. Only a few people at the academy knew exactly what had happened.

Abel never asked her grandfather what had occurred. She knew full well that he wouldn’t answer even if she did. But it was her grandfather who spoke first.

‘Abel, I’m sorry I can’t explain everything to you. You’ll understand in time. You’ll even understand why I personally took care of Kang Geom-Ma.’

After saying that, the Sword Master went straight to the hospital where Geom-Ma was admitted.

‘Kang Geom-Ma…’

She had mixed feelings. However, not a shred of resentment toward him remained. She fully accepted the dedication her grandfather had shown him.

‘Even if I’m not certain, I’m sure he ended up like that because he was helping my grandfather.’

Suddenly, memories of what happened on Avalon Island flashed through her mind like lightning.

After returning from the island, the rabbit blanket had replaced her old bedding, but that was a secret she couldn’t tell anyone.

Abel nodded slightly, a deep blush coloring her cheeks.

“Abel, did something happen between you and Geom-Ma?!”

Rachel suddenly straightened up and brought her face close to Abel’s. Her heart-shaped pupils shone brightly. She looked like a beast about to pounce on its prey.

“W-What? No! What are you talking about?”

“…Hmm.”

Abel waved her hands desperately. Her golden eyes trembled from side to side. Seeing her reaction, Rachel frowned slightly and let out a brief sigh.

“Alright. Well, you’re not the type to lie. I guess I’m just a bit sensitive. Sorry. Anyway, you said you’re not interested in Geom-Ma at all…”

“…I never said it that directly.”

“Huh? Then are you interested in Geom-Ma?”

“No! Why would you say that?!”

Rachel let out a short laugh and tossed her hair back. Her golden locks gleamed with a healthy shine.

“Well, people’s hearts can change at any moment. Human relationships are never absolute, right? Anyway, what was I saying…?”

“You were saying that Kang Geom-Ma started a club.”

At Abel’s comment, an exclamation seemed to float above Rachel’s head. They had only been talking for a few minutes, yet Abel’s face already showed signs of exhaustion.

“Oh, right, that. So, when I heard the news, I rushed to tell Speedweapon that I wanted to join. But he said I couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

When asked again, Rachel shrugged. Abel also tried to shake off the slight regret she felt.

“I’m not exactly sure, but apparently, Geom-Ma said he didn’t want members from Star Class because it would be uncomfortable. But what sense does that make when the club advisor is the academy director?”

“And what does that have to do with your low self-esteem?”

“Oh, that…”

Rachel leaned back in her chair and continued.

“Recently, I passed by Starbucks and saw them interviewing a new member for the club. I still can’t forget the look on Geom-Ma’s face as he stared at that girl…”

Abel listened intently to Rachel’s murmur.

“Geom-Ma was smiling from ear to ear. What was so special about that pale girl with glasses? I wondered if maybe that was his type.”

“….”

“Well, that’s it. I just wanted to vent… Eh, Abel? Why do you have that look on your face?”

At the end of her story, Rachel blinked and looked at Abel.

Her finely arched eyebrows were drawn together in a frown. Her golden eyes burned intensely.

***

The weather, which had been stormy, cleared up by the time the last class ended. Perhaps because of the torrential rain that had just fallen, a humid smell lingered in the air.

‘On days like this, seafood feels right.’

My clubmates and I rushed to the sushi restaurant. Especially Chloe, who loved seafood, walked ahead with light, quick steps. She went so far ahead that when the distance grew too wide, she would wave her hand for us to hurry up.

‘It must be a good place.’

I wasn’t sure how popular the spot was, but they told us that if you arrived near dinner time, the wait could be over an hour.

“I’ve never found a restaurant with a line that was truly worth it,” I said, clicking my tongue.

If there was one thing I took seriously, it was food. So I was ready to judge the place with all my senses. While I was thinking this, a question popped into my mind, and I glanced at Speedweapon.

“What happened to Senior Ha-na?”

“Oh, she can’t eat raw fish, so she said she wouldn’t come today.”

“Well, too bad.”

Even though she’s from Busan, she can’t eat raw fish. Go figure. Many older people can’t stand that slippery texture, so it’s not too strange.

But why do I keep seeing Senior Ha-na as an adult?

She’s only a year older, but it’s surprisingly hard to see her as just another young girl.

While chatting, we finally arrived at the sushi restaurant. The first thing that caught my eye was the wooden signboard, which retained its natural finish.

‘Oh…’

There’s a saying among merchants:

‘A store’s signboard is like a first impression on a blind date.’

In that sense, the first impression of the restaurant my clubmates brought me to was quite good.

‘But…’

⌜Korean sushi⌟

Four letters proudly spelled out: “Korean Sushi.” Sushi originated from the neighboring country, so how could they write “Korean” with such confidence?

Could it be that my knowledge was wrong? This wasn’t Earth, so anything was possible.

Maybe sushi really was a Korean dish here. If a Korean gaming company could create a game of national origin, anything was fair game.

For a moment, I felt curious about asking Speedweapon, but I held back. Nothing like asking obvious questions to create an awkward atmosphere.

Creak.

Chloe, who was walking ahead, slid open the wooden door.

“Hai, irasshai-!”

A loud greeting in Japanese echoed in my ears.

‘So, in this world, sushi is Japanese after all.’

I nodded to myself. But as I thought about it, the voice sounded familiar.

“Huh?”

Chloe, who had taken a step inside, froze. Without turning around, she nervously stepped back. Looking at her curiously, I entered the restaurant as well—and froze in place.

The person who greeted us was equally surprised, barely able to contain his trembling.

“What are you doing here?”

“…!”

It was Knox Auditore, Chloe’s brother. He was wearing a headband tied around his forehead and was serving customers.