Chapter 117 : Chapter 117
Chapter 117. Why Are You Here? (2)
"Hello, everyone."
The morning after burning through an insanely grueling night, I headed to school. I stood in the auditorium, letting out yawn after yawn as I listened to Principal Jo Yeong-dal’s speech.
"First of all, I would like to bow my head and offer my sincere apologies to all of you for the unfortunate incident that occurred at our academy."
I was incredibly tired. Regardless of having a Player’s body, I felt like I was going to die of exhaustion. Last night’s training had been that hellish.
"I am well aware of what you, the cadets, are worried about."
Still, it was not all bad. First, regarding the talent I had intended to test initially, I was able to achieve quite decent results.
"You are likely wondering if this incident is truly the end, or what will happen if something like this occurs again. You must be worried about these things."
The first was Cohesion, which I had purchased using the Admiration Shop. For now, it passed the test. However, should I say it carries a significant risk factor for everyday use? When I shifted all my stats into Agility, I became a 'glass cannon' that would collapse from just a graze. I will have to think carefully before using it.
"Every member of our faculty is aware of this. However, simply being aware is not enough. I know that a proper solution is required."
Next was the Swordsmanship talent. This was also good, but it was ambiguous at the same time. First, the passive elements were a definite pass. I could immediately understand what it meant for my understanding and ability regarding swords to increase significantly. It felt as if my body instinctively knew how to swing a sword more naturally.
"Therefore, I would like to present a solution to you, the cadets, and to the parents who are not here but are constantly worried about their children."
Then there was the active skill, Perfect Strike. To put it simply, rather than a one-hit kill, it felt more like a way to create variables. Perhaps because of the 'clumsy posture' comment in the description, it was indeed a perfect strike, but its power was somewhat lacking in comparison. Still, it was not a useless ability. The side effect, the hand tremors, was not that severe.
Precise swordsmanship would be difficult, but simple cutting and swinging were not a problem. Furthermore, the tremors did not last long—only a few minutes—so it was perfectly usable in real combat.
"First, through collaboration with government-affiliated Players, members of the Villain Response Team will rotate and be stationed at our academy."
Right. The Villain Response Team will be stationed at... wait, what?
"What is this all of a sudden?"
I had been so preoccupied with thinking about yesterday that I had not been focusing on the speech, but it seemed like something quite important had just come out. I paused my thoughts and focused on Jo Yeong-dal’s voice.
"Additionally, through the cooperation of reliable domestic guilds, we have ensured that we can receive immediate support in case of an emergency."
"Furthermore, we have obtained the cooperation of the Hong Family, who are responsible for the barriers directly linked to the safety of Glory."
This was quite a shock to me. This was not part of the story I knew.
"Well, there is no way I could have known."
In the version I knew, Glory lost its power as an independent institution after suffering a massive blow during the midterm exams.
"Well, it is not a bad thing."
In fact, it was better to see it as a positive development. Regardless of the details, they had established safety measures. Moreover, from the sounds of it, these were not just mediocre plans.
"Of course, I cannot dare to tell you to feel completely at ease."
"However, I hope you will recognize that the academy is doing its absolute best."
With that, Jo Yeong-dal stepped down from the podium. Of course, his departure did not mean the auditorium schedule was over. A host soon stepped up, as if there were still announcements left. However, that was outside my interest.
"The things Jo Yeong-dal said were just too shocking."
The government Villain Response Team, reliable guilds, and the Hong Family. Just these names alone brought specific people to mind.
"Shin Yu-hwan, Cha Yu-na, and Hong Sera."
Of course, they would not step forward personally. People like Hong Sera and Cha Yu-na were incredibly busy...
"And Shin Yu-hwan will likely be busy most of the time as well."
A villain is not just someone who causes a massive incident. Even someone spreading malice in small incidents can be a villain. Well, it was not like Shin Yu-hwan would intervene in truly trivial matters, but it meant he had a lot of work to do. Although his usual behavior made him seem like a bit of a loafer.
"Still, I might run into him occasionally."
Even if he did not step up personally, he would have had various communications with Jo Yeong-dal. If so, would he not show his face once in a while to reassure the cadets? As I was thinking that I should contact Shin Yu-hwan when I had time later...
"...Therefore, we plan to hold an official party this Friday!"
The host’s voice pierced through my thoughts and hit my ears. I could not help but react, forgetting that I had deemed the announcements uninteresting. Why? Because...
"A festival?"
Something completely unexpected had been mentioned. Since I had not been listening to the previous words, I did not understand the context. So, I had no choice but to quietly ask Kim Su-hyeok, who was nearby.
"Oh, the festival? They say it is an event traditionally held before the break, but they decided to make it even grander and more passionate this time for the cadets who have worked so hard!"
Kim Su-hyeok answered my question easily with a bright smile. He definitely seemed to have trained harder than me yesterday, so why was he so full of energy?
"Well, he is the protagonist."
Comparing my body to Kim Su-hyeok’s was probably an insult to him anyway.
"That is not what is important right now."
Returning to the main point, the party the host mentioned—this was also something that did not happen originally. Actually, that was obvious. In the story I knew, the atmosphere was not exactly right for a festival or anything of the sort. It would be more accurate to say it felt like a house of mourning.
"But the progression has changed, and accordingly, the originally scheduled party is being held without any issues."
Should I call this a good thing or a bad thing? It is certainly a good thing to relieve the cadets' stress through an event. Even though they aspire to be Players, they are still only seventeen years old. They risked their lives to fight villains at an age when they should be enjoying themselves, so they need to vent their accumulated stress. Considering this, Glory’s policy was definitely the right move.
"But it is not purely a good thing."
Listening to what the host said next, it was not an event only for cadets, but one that external guests would also attend. I heard they were inviting people to make it a proper festival, but...
"Are they not thinking about what happened because of that before?"
Of course, they would have made sure to prepare for it as much as they had suffered, but still. It was not as if they had not prepared the last time they were attacked, and villains are not fools; they would not invade with the same tactics.
"Well, it is not a problem I can argue about."
The festival has already been decided, and it is not something that will be canceled just because I oppose it. I was just uneasy because it was an unscheduled event, and I did not know what kind of accident might happen.
"It cannot be helped. I just have to pray."
The train has already left the station, so what can I do? I just have to pray that the festival ends without any trouble.
"But who am I supposed to pray to?"
In this situation, the one closest to the position of a god would be the author, but if I prayed to that person... Sigh. There is no point in thinking deeply about this; it would only be my loss. Therefore, I spent the rest of the speech praying that no garbage incidents would occur.
***
Thursday evening.
I finally understood why they were openly proceeding with the festival despite the villain infiltration issue.
"Looking at the names of the external guests, I understand it instantly."
Even though the event was only scheduled for a single day, the number of invitees was immense. It ranged from people I had never heard of to people whose names alone were recognizable. Yes, exactly this part. Looking at the recognizable names, they had every reason to be confident.
"To think that three Hero-Rank players would come."
First, Ryu Jin-seong and Hong Sera were somewhat understandable. Ryu Jin-seong probably accepted because of Ryu Jin-oh’s safety. Hong Sera likely felt some responsibility for the barrier being breached. However, the third person on the list was quite a surprise.
"Han Su-yeon."
I had mentioned the Thanksgiving Festival before. The day it rains to commemorate a glorious day in the past. And I mentioned there was one Hero-Rank player who leads that.
"That is this person."
Of course, I do not know much more than that. She did not appear often in the novel, so even I did not know much about her in detail. The information I just mentioned was everything I knew. So, I could not tell for what reason Han Su-yeon responded to Glory’s invitation.
"She might have a connection with the Principal, or she might have received a request from Ryu Jin-seong or Hong Sera."
Or perhaps it was just out of interest. Regardless, it was good news. In public evaluation, Han Su-yeon was also among the highly skilled. With three Hero-Rank players coming, no villain would be foolish enough to try anything.
"On top of that, many people from famous guilds are coming as well."
There is no need to even mention the Horizon Guild. Besides them, I could see figures from top-tier guilds that were well-known even in the novel, such as the Soaring Guild and the White Night Guild.
"Certainly, at this level, it would be strange not to have confidence."
If I were the Principal, I would be grinning ear to ear with this lineup.
"Then I should get ready to go to the party tomorrow, too."
If I keep worrying even after they prepared this much? It would only be my loss. Rather than worrying now, it was better to just think about it if something actually happened later. Therefore, I decided to prepare for tomorrow's schedule.
"They said the location is the annex."
According to Ju Ha-yeon, the pinnacle of information gathering, the party will take place in the 5th Annex, not the main building. I wondered why there were so many annexes, but it seemed they all had their uses.
"They said it would feel like a ballroom dance."
Of course, it was not actually like a ballroom dance from the Middle Ages. It was more of a party atmosphere where food was placed in a large hall. They chose that kind of party because it was popular among the cadets.
"The clothes are the biggest problem..."
I heard that while we could wear the cadet uniforms optimized for combat, the majority would wear formal uniforms. As cadets who are also Players, these were the formal uniforms they received in preparation for when they would achieve great feats. But I was not particularly fond of them.
"There are so many things dangling off of them."
A dress shirt and tie on the inside. Then, on the outside, there are epaulettes that seem useless, various insignias on the chest, and even something that looks like a rope, which I do not understand the purpose of. It was the height of discomfort.
"Still, I suppose I have to wear it."
What if everyone else comes in formal uniforms and I am the only one in a cadet uniform? I would receive unnecessary attention because of my outfit, just like during the midterm exams. It was better to deal with the discomfort and wear the formal uniform.
"However, I cannot compromise on the color."
The formal uniforms, like the cadet uniforms, are divided into white and black. Most people will probably come in white, but I planned to wear black no matter what. During the midterm exams, there was a reason because of Shin Yu-hwan, but why this time? Is that not an obvious question?
"White is for handsome guys to wear."
Of course, I am not saying I am ugly, but think about the people who will be next to me. The handsome Kim Su-hyeok with his innocent impression, and the handsome Ryu Jin-oh with his sharp impression. What would happen if I stood between them wearing the same clothes? I would look like a total loser, nothing more and nothing less.
"So, I cannot compromise on this."
I would rather be an attention seeker than a total loser.
Making that vow, I neatly laid out my black formal uniform by the bedside.