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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Classes at Arena Academy, unlike regular schools, start at 10 AM.
Before that, except for academy outings that have a separate set time, students can act freely.
For example, having breakfast, taking a walk, sleeping more, etc., there are no restrictions on actions.
But as there are no restrictions, they must have that much responsibility.
It’s okay to be lazy, but you must not be eliminated.
What Mushin Baek Yu-hwa, who established Arena Academy and serves as the chairman, values are ‘skill’ and ‘heroic spirit’.
In line with Baek Yu-hwa’s will, what the academy emphasizes is ‘competition’.
Literally, it means the academy operates on a strict meritocracy.
But what if your skills don’t rise and instead fall or stay the same?
It means you can no longer follow the academy’s curriculum.
And it means you can no longer attend the academy.
So most students wake up early in the morning, have breakfast, and train in the training ground until class, or conversely, train first and have breakfast.
However, not everyone follows that norm.
Just like me.
“As expected of Arena Academy, look at the welfare in the morning.”
Right now, I’m having breakfast, marveling at the food quality and variety of the cafeteria that rivals a 5-star hotel buffet.
“Wow, it’s so delicious.”
As expected of an academy that wants to create excellent heroes, the food is also very superb.
The meat is tender yet rich in juices as if it was just slaughtered.
The seafood was fresh as if it was just caught.
The vegetables and fruits had a healthy taste, perhaps because they use organic ones.
So what am I eating?
“This is the most delicious stir-fried pork among the ones I’ve ever eaten.”
It was stir-fried pork.
Although the cafeteria had plenty of delicious dishes like beef steak and butter lobster, what I put on my plate was rice, kimchi, and stir-fried pork.
If someone saw it, they might think I died in my previous life without being able to eat stir-fried pork, as my plate was piled high with stir-fried pork.
It’s not that I’m not interested in other dishes, it’s just that I suddenly wanted to eat stir-fried pork today.
Anyway, among the people in the cafeteria right now, there were few I knew.
Even those few, I only knew their faces and had never had a conversation with the supporting characters.
Arthur, Lee Seo-yeon, Asuka, Noah, and other main characters were nowhere to be seen.
I checked the time through the smartwatch on my wrist.
[AM 07:22]
The academy’s cafeteria opens at 6 AM.
But judging by the fact that the main characters are not in the cafeteria right now, it seems they are all in the training ground.
No, not seems, but they will be there.
The main characters never neglect training, so they must have woken up early in the morning and are training.
“…Then should I quickly eat and go to the training ground too?”
I don’t really need to train.
But since they will be in the training ground, I’m going to raise favorability.
“Come to think of it…”
It said Lee Seo-yeon’s Sword Prodigy is pioneering a new path.
“What has changed?”
I hastened my meal with rising anticipation.
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And my anticipation was shattered miserably.
Bang! Bang!
“…No, why?”
As soon as I entered the training ground, I heard gunshots and looked there with a question mark above my head.
“…No, really why?”
Seeing the familiar silhouette in Lee Seo-yeon’s hand, I felt a shock as if my guts were collapsing.
“No, why are you holding a gun?!”
In one corner of the training ground, there was a long-range physical test machine installed.
In front of that long-range physical test machine, I screamed at the sight of Lee Seo-yeon shooting a gun at the target.
I hoped it wasn’t the case, but she really pioneered in the direction of firearms.
I wanted to faint from the dizzying feeling.
But fortunately, seeing the blood-red sword ‘Dainsleif’ hanging from Lee Seo-yeon’s waist, I could feel somewhat relieved.
The fact that she was carrying a sword meant that Lee Seo-yeon’s identity and talent ‘Sword Prodigy’ had pioneered, but not completely gone in the direction of firearms.
Still… a gun is a no.
Unless it was a talent like ‘Super Accuracy’, firearms were weapons full of disadvantages in this world.
As I was thinking that, Asuka came running towards me from afar, waving her twin-tailed hair.
“Top student! Top student! It’s big, it’s big!”
“…What’s the matter?”
“You see, Lee Seo-yeon! Lee Seo-yeon!”
Asuka’s appearance, unable to properly continue her words had a surprised face.
Seeing that, I realized that Asuka was surprised that Lee Seo-yeon was shooting a gun instead of swinging a sword.
As expected.
Asuka pointed one of the wooden swords she was holding in both hands at Lee Seo-yeon and said exactly what I had thought.
“Lee Seo-yeon is shooting a gun!”
“…I know, but why is she shooting a gun?”
“Could it be because she’s so upset about losing to the top student?”
“I don’t think that’s it.”
If Lee Seo-yeon was upset about losing to me in the duel, she wouldn’t be shooting a gun in front of the physical test machine, but would have requested a duel with a sword in hand.
For Lee Seo-yeon, defeat is learning.
‘…Wait a minute, learning?’
Come to think of it, for Lee Seo-yeon, learning is…
‘…Paying back with the same martial arts to the opponent who defeated her…’
Ah.
It’s because of me.
It was because of me that she was using a gun.
“I’m doomed.”
“Huh?”
For a moment, not understanding what she heard, Asuka tilted her head with a question mark above it.
At Asuka’s reaction, I said it was nothing and patted her round head.
“…Eek!”
Then Asuka, startled like a squirrel, blushed and moved away from me.
“Wh-why do you keep patting my head since yesterday?!”
“…Because there’s a head there?”
Yesterday, I patted her head just to comfort her.
Is it because she tied her hair in twin tails?
Today, Asuka’s small and round head looked good to pat.
So without realizing it, I patted Asuka’s head.
‘It’s quite calming, isn’t it?’
It’s like patting a cute animal.
With that thought, as I reached out my hand towards Asuka’s head again,
“I-I’m going to train!”
Asuka ran away.
“Tsk, that’s too bad.”
“…What’s too bad?”
“…!”
I was startled by the sudden voice next to me and turned my head.
And there stood Lee Seo-yeon, holding a gun.
No, even if I was distracted by Asuka, I didn’t even feel Lee Seo-yeon approaching.
‘I obtained Swift Movement, but is she the one getting the correction?’
To the extent that I couldn’t feel Lee Seo-yeon’s presence.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“…Is that so?”
Lee Seo-yeon tilted her head with an expressionless face.
Then, as if she suddenly remembered something, Lee Seo-yeon raised the gun she was holding and said,
“…Teach me this.”
“…Why?”
“…I want to learn gun techniques.”
“…Why?”
Can’t you just not learn it?
Lee Seo-yeon, you should be swinging a sword, not shooting a gun.
And even if the seal on ‘Dainsleif’ is released later, you won’t be able to use other weapons anyway.
…I wanted to say that, but I couldn’t.
The reason Lee Seo-yeon’s ‘Sword Prodigy’ became interested in guns was because of me.
And how could I say that in the future, as the seal on the Blood Demon Sword Dainsleif was released and the dormant ego of the sword awakened, the ego’s jealousy was so strong that it wouldn’t let her use other weapons?
And even if I say it, she won’t believe it or will only be suspicious of how I know that.
So I carefully chose what I wanted to say and answered with something appropriate that I could say.
‘Unfortunately, I can also handle guns thanks to my talent, but I definitely don’t have the skills to teach others. So I can’t teach you. I’m sorry.’
“Just don’t learn it.”
“…Huh?”
“Ah.”
I said the wrong thing.
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Fortunately, Lee Seo-yeon didn’t take my slipped sincerity too seriously.
Although she was silent for a while, she asked me to teach her gun techniques again.
So, since class time was approaching, I escaped to the classroom, saying I would teach her later.
But the same thing happened as yesterday…
Lee Seo-yeon and Asuka sat on either side of the seat I was sitting in.
And furthermore, Arthur sat right in front of me, and Noah sat behind me.
Literally, I was surrounded by the main characters.
Like that, receiving attention from the kids, the first class began.
“Did everyone rest well?”
As class time arrived, Kang Cheol-su, who entered the classroom, looked around at us and said,
“”Yes! We rested well!””
“Good.”
Kang Cheol-su nodded his head in satisfaction at theit energetic answer and very gently placed the file he was holding on the new podium.
It seems he got an earful from the person in charge of equipment for breaking the podium yesterday.
Thud.
As the file safely landed on the podium, the corners of Kang Cheol-su’s mouth curved up.
But perhaps feeling relieved that the podium didn’t break, Kang Cheol-su unknowingly placed his hand on the podium.
Crack.
The podium cracked again.
And then,
Creak.
Thud.
It split in half and collapsed to both sides.
“…”
Kang Cheol-su’s smiling face froze.
But before long, Kang Cheol-su, who quickly came to his senses, frowned deeply and picked up the file that had fallen to the floor.
“Ah, damn it… I’ll get an earful again.”
Grumbling was included.
As if he was troubled by the thought of getting another scolding from the person in charge of equipment, Kang Cheol-su scratched the scar on his forehead.
Then, as if he had given up, he let out a deep sigh, gently kicked the broken podium aside, and stood in the place where the podium had been.
Then, opening the file, he said,
“Today’s first class will be held outdoors.”
Out… doors?
At the word ‘outdoors’ that came out of Kang Cheol-su’s mouth, I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten.
‘…I had forgotten about this.’
Classes were conducted differently for each class.
Class 1-B would have a skill evaluation like our class did yesterday.
Class 1-C would have physical training.
And our Class 1-A will have a fake ‘Other World’ experience ‘outdoors’.
But that ‘fake’ becomes ‘real’.
How?
Due to a Fallen worshipper planted in the academy.
But there’s nothing to worry about.
Even if the Other World changes from fake to real, the monsters that come out of there are not very strong.
And the main characters are not ordinary kids, and with Kang Cheol-su on standby outside, no big problems occur.
‘The Fallen worshipper… I’ll have to close the Other World and deal with him.’
Because he will bring me a lot of money.
‘Wait… money?’
Come to think of it, do I have live ammunition?
Since I had never seriously used firearms before, I don’t know if the academy provides live ammunition in addition to rubber bullets.
If they don’t provide live ammunition, I’ll have to request it from the manufacturing department or purchase and order delivery from outside the academy.
But I don’t have a single penny on me right now.
‘Ah, I’m doomed.’
I can’t get live ammunition right now, can I?
How do I hunt monsters with rubber bullets?
‘I have a gun, but no bullets…’
I felt a sense of helplessness.
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