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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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“Seok-hyun, who do you want to apply the cold compress?”
The question, a metaphorical arrow, pierced his heart.
But it was fine. He could handle this.
17-year-old rom-com tropes didn’t apply to him, Lee Seok-hyun.
‘Don’t underestimate nursing duty.’
He knew that affection alone wouldn’t be enough to motivate someone to perform such a tedious task.
‘Meiri and Mijuran’s feelings are understandable, but the age gap is too significant.’
While they might share the same physical age, the difference in their mental and emotional maturity was vast. He couldn’t shake the feeling that their affections were fleeting, a temporary infatuation fueled by hormones and amplified by the recent, dramatic events.
After all, they were at that awkward age, caught between childhood and adulthood, their emotions as unpredictable and volatile as a summer storm.
He knew, logically, that the best course of action was to avoid making a choice, to gently deflect their advances and diffuse the situation.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m feeling much better now. I don’t need it.”
He spoke calmly, his tone even, his expression neutral, hoping to subtly convey his lack of interest.
‘Besides, the match seems to be going well, even without us.’
Mirinae Academy was still dominating the competition, even with Meiri, Mijuran, and himself absent. This was due, in large part, to the sheer number of main characters on their team.
While the other academies typically had only one main character representing them—their designated team leader—Mirinae Academy was overflowing with them.
‘And not just any main characters, but the heavy hitters.’
Woo Do-hyun, the Sword Saint, destined to wield unparalleled power.
Bellos Belon, the fifth prince of the Skerian Empire, a master of both magic and manipulation.
These two alone were more than capable of defeating the representatives from the other academies.
The fact that they were all gathered at Mirinae Academy was a testament to its narrative significance in the Final Destiny storyline. It was a narrative imbalance, an unfair advantage that skewed the playing field in their favor.
‘Of course, in a normal playthrough, there would be inter-class conflict to balance things out. Woo Do-hyun and Bellos would be at each other’s throats, their rivalry hindering the team’s performance.’
A small crack in a dam might go unnoticed, but when the entire structure began to crumble, the consequences were catastrophic.
That’s why Final Destiny had introduced a seemingly minor, yet potentially devastating, element to the Mirinae team: discord between nobles and commoners. It was a carefully calculated handicap, a way to level the playing field.
But Lee Seok-hyun had disrupted that dynamic, uniting the first-years under his leadership, forging bonds of camaraderie that transcended social class. He had created an unstoppable force.
-“Wow! Did you see that? Bellos just silenced Raymay’s wide-area heal!”
-“He perfectly anticipated that she’d need a long incantation to activate it at her current level. A brilliant tactical move!”
-“And Woo Do-hyun’s suppression of Pelkins gave Bellos the time he needed to cast the spell uninterrupted. Excellent teamwork!”
The three Mirinae Academy professors, providing commentary for the match, were clearly impressed by their students’ unexpected display of teamwork.
Their excitement was palpable, their voices filled with a newfound enthusiasm. They hadn’t expected such seamless coordination, such strategic brilliance.
They were witnessing the birth of a new era for Mirinae Academy.
‘This complicates the wager, though.’
Lee Seok-hyun frowned. The wager he’d made with the other academy representatives was a personal bet, not an official one.
And if he couldn’t participate in the remaining matches… it could be interpreted as a forfeit, a loss by default.
‘Should I consider this a draw, then? One win, one loss?’
As he pondered the implications, he felt a presence beside him. Meiri and Mijuran were closing in, their eyes fixed on him.
He’d already told them he was fine, that he didn’t need any further care, yet they seemed determined to fuss over him. What more could they possibly want?
“Seok-hyun, you’re not… still thinking about the competition, are you?”
“Seok-hyun, you shouldn’t.”
“No, no, of course not. I already assumed I wouldn’t be participating in the next match.”
“I knew it.”
“This is bad, Seok-hyun.”
“…?”
Had he said something wrong?
That seemed unlikely. He was simply stating the obvious.
He looked at them, his expression questioning, and they both sighed, their faces a mixture of exasperation and concern.
“You should be thinking about resting, not about the next match. The professors specifically instructed you to focus on recovering.”
“Which professors?”
“All of them. Are you saying you’re going to ignore their instructions?”
“Well…”
The situation was getting complicated.
‘But I understand their concern.’
He could still feel the hum of Infinite Track, a faint vibration deep within his core. It was still operating, albeit at a lower intensity than during his fight with Raystember. Even with the Cooler regulating its energy flow, his body was still recovering from the strain of pushing it past its limits.
He’d forced Infinite Track into overdrive, pushing it beyond its normal operating parameters, and the consequences were lingering.
If the track hadn’t been reinforced by the Cooler, it might have shattered, his body overloaded with uncontrolled energy.
“Seok-hyun, just stay here. We’ll handle the rest.”
Meiri, sensing his hesitation, moved closer. She leaned against him, her soft body pressing against his side, her face buried in his chest.
She wrapped her arms around him, her embrace warm and comforting. Her eyes, usually bright and playful, now held a look of genuine concern.
She looked up at him, her expression pleading. She was the picture of vulnerability, like a small, frightened animal seeking shelter from a storm. He couldn’t resist. He gently stroked her hair, a calming gesture.
Mijuran, seeing this, sat beside him, placing her hand on top of his. It was a subtle but unmistakable display of affection.
‘This is… a bit much.’
This level of attention, of concern, was overwhelming. He appreciated their support, but being trapped between two affectionate classmates felt more like a prison than a comfort.
‘And the match… it doesn’t seem to be going as smoothly as I’d hoped.’
As he sat there, surrounded by Meiri and Mijuran, he watched the match unfold on the screen. He’d expected a swift and decisive victory, but the reality was different.
–Velutos and Mirinae have reached a draw!
-“What a nail-biter! Velutos Academy’s mastery of magic was truly impressive!”
-“Indeed! I never would have guessed they were all capable of double casting! They expertly baited Mirinae Academy with lower-level spells, then unleashed their high-level magic at the last moment, securing the draw. A brilliant strategy!”
Casting lower-level spells to create a diversion, all the while chanting powerful, high-level magic in preparation for a final, decisive strike – it was a tactic that required incredible skill, precision, and control.
It also required a way to neutralize Woo Do-hyun and bypass Bellos’s Silence magic.
And Velutos had accomplished both.
‘They isolated Woo Do-hyun in a separate dimension, then used a barrage of low-level spells as a shield against Bellos’s Silence magic.’
With Mirinae Academy’s main damage dealers effectively neutralized, the momentum shifted, Velutos gaining the upper hand, ultimately resulting in a draw.
Since Velutos and Mirinae were now tied with two wins and one draw each, a rematch was scheduled immediately.
And it was in this rematch that Velutos unleashed their true power.
–“Unbelievable! Velutos Academy is going all-out from the very beginning! They’re burning through their mana reserves, unleashing a barrage of high-level spells! It’s a reckless gamble, like wearing a time bomb!”
–“But it’s working! The sheer firepower of their mages is overwhelming!”
-“With Lee Seok-hyun absent, Mirinae Academy’s greatest weakness has been exposed: they lack the ability to adapt to unexpected strategies. Their tactical flexibility depended entirely on Lee Seok-hyun’s leadership.”
Even battle-hardened veterans needed time to internalize and adapt to new strategies. The Mirinae students, still relatively inexperienced, were struggling to adjust to this sudden shift in tactics.
Velutos’s gamble, defying conventional wisdom and abandoning their carefully constructed plans for a full-frontal assault, had paid off spectacularly.
And the absence of Lee Seok-hyun, the architect of Mirinae’s previous victories, had created a void in their leadership, a tactical blind spot that Velutos expertly exploited.
‘They shattered the illusion that mages are inherently slow and methodical, catching Mirinae Academy completely off guard.’
And Lee Seok-hyun’s absence, his inability to adapt and respond in real-time, had been the decisive factor in their defeat.
‘I took on too much responsibility.’
While he’d delegated authority and encouraged independent decision-making among his squad leaders, his overall strategy, the overarching plan, had depended entirely on his presence, his guidance. And with him gone, their carefully constructed framework had crumbled.
In contrast, Velutos Academy, with its rigid hierarchy and clearly defined chain of command, functioned seamlessly even without Elua’s direct leadership. If she fell, the next highest-ranking student would take command, the structure remaining intact. This small, but crucial, difference had determined the outcome of the match.
The team match concluded with Velutos Academy claiming victory.
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‘I have to participate in the third match.’
With the Mirinae team struggling to adapt without his guidance, Lee Seok-hyun knew he couldn’t afford to sit this one out.
He had to lead them to victory, to secure their first-place ranking and claim the rewards of his wager.
‘But how am I going to escape this… affectionate confinement…?’
Meiri clung to him like a koala, her soft body pressed against his side, her arms wrapped tightly around him.
Mijuran sat beside him, their hands intertwined, her eyes fixed on his face, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
He had no idea how to navigate this delicate social situation, how to extricate himself from their affectionate embrace without causing offense.
The prospect of having to explain himself to two lovestruck teenagers filled him with dread.
‘…Wait, why am I even trying to explain myself?’
He was the representative, the leader. And the professors, while concerned about his health, had only advised rest, not forbidden him from competing.
Besides, after witnessing Mirinae’s near-defeat in the previous match, they would surely understand that his presence was essential for victory. The situation was actually working in his favor.
He stood up abruptly.
“Huh?”
“Seok-hyun, you shouldn’t be getting up…”
Compared to the 200kg weights he’d carried during training, Meiri and Mijuran’s combined weight felt like nothing. He effortlessly shrugged them off.
“I’m fine. In fact, I think it’s better if I push myself a little and participate in the next match.”
I can’t leave them to flounder without guidance.
‘No matter how I look at it, our strongest team is me, Woo Do-hyun, Bellos, Meiri, and Mijuran.’
He spoke with conviction, his tone leaving no room for argument, and began walking towards the door.
Soft. Yielding.
He ignored the sensation of Meiri’s body pressed against his arm, the warmth of Mijuran’s hand in his. He wasn’t some lovesick teenager, easily swayed by fleeting affections. He was above such trivial matters.
Or so he told himself.
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