Chapter 121 : Chapter 121
Chapter 121: Award Ceremony (2)
"…Glory Academy Year 1 cadet, Hwang Ji-ho. In recognition of the following contributions, you are hereby awarded a 9th-Class Medal."
"T-thank you!"
The award ceremony proceeded without a hitch.
In truth, aside from Baek Ha-seong, there were only C-Rank villains involved, so it might have seemed strange to receive medals. Normally, medals are only granted when one stops a gate or a villain capable of inflicting massive damage on the nation.
However, no one among those gathered here raised an objection.
'I can expect several positive effects from this single award ceremony.'
It showed that Glory remained unshaken and strong despite this incident, while simultaneously sending a warning to the villains. It signaled that there was absolutely no intention of brushing things under the rug to hide their flaws. Any villain with half a brain would realize that the Association and the government would be responding sensitively to villain-related incidents for a while because of this.
'If that is the case, they will at least keep their heads down for the time being.'
It could not last forever, but that alone was a great achievement.
'Of course, that is not the only reason.'
While that was the primary motive, there were secondary effects as well. Specifically, it could ignite the students' ambition.
'It is one thing to see a famous Player on TV receiving a medal, but it is a completely different story when it is your classmate.'
Well, of course, the best part was that I would be receiving a reward myself. While overall positive effects were important, the most crucial thing was that I stood to gain something, right? Furthermore, being here with the heroes I admired made it even better.
I was feeling internally pleased and trying my best to maintain a composed expression when it happened.
"Glory Academy Year 1 cadet, Oh Jin-on. Please step up to the podium."
Before I knew it, the medals for the high-ranking cadets had been distributed, and our turn was approaching. It appeared that Ryu Jin-seong, who had been conducting the ceremony, was stepping back to let the remaining two take over.
'Is it because of Ryu Jin-oh?'
Ryu Jin-oh was indeed here because he had achieved results, but if his father, Ryu Jin-seong, handed him the medal personally, people might talk. That was likely why he stepped down. Whatever the reason, it did not matter much. It did not change the fact that a medal was being awarded.
Thus, I continued to watch the ceremony with a pleasant heart, but...
"Year 1 cadet Ryu Jin-oh. In recognition of the following contributions, I shall award you a 9th-Class Medal."
"Thank you."
As the ceremony progressed, I began to feel increasingly anxious. Why? Well...
'...Why is my name not being called?'
They still had not called my name from the podium. This remained true even now, with only Kim Su-hyeok and me left.
'Don't tell me...'
There were only two possibilities for my name not being called yet. First, my name was not on the list of medal recipients at all. However, the probability of this was practically zero. Ryu Jin-seong had come personally and said he prepared rewards; there was no way I was excluded.
That left only one remaining possibility.
"Glory Academy Year 1 cadet, Kim Su-hyeok. Please step up to the podium."
It meant my turn was the very last. Since Hong Sera had just called Kim Su-hyeok's name, it was essentially confirmed.
'Dammit...'
Honestly, considering my actions, it was not strange to be called last. It was public knowledge that I had fought an S-Rank villain and prevented further damage by capturing his interest. In reality, since I had made a deal with Baek Ha-seong using the Baek family as leverage, describing it as "capturing his interest" was technically accurate. There was simply a discrepancy between the public perception of that interest and the reality I knew.
Anyway, I was getting sidetracked, but it was not inherently strange. However...
'I cannot be entirely happy about this.'
Considering my talent, a spotlight like this would clearly be a huge help. The more I made my existence known, the more Influence Points I would continue to collect. Yet, at the same time, there was a fatal problem.
'My face will become known.'
Think about it. What was my purpose? Was it to live a proud life as a righteous person and a great Player? No, my purpose was nothing like that.
'My sole objective is a happy future for the heroes I admire.'
Yes. That was my only goal. It was the unchanging objective that had never wavered since I first arrived in this world. And to achieve that goal, I sometimes needed to get my hands dirty. Of course, there might be a way to achieve it while remaining pure, but that was how it stood for me.
'So, having my face recognized is a bit problematic.'
The more people who recognized me, the narrower my range of movement would inevitably become. Furthermore, villains might start to guard against me, so it was difficult to see this as entirely good in many ways. Of course, to gain Influence Points and considering the rewards provided, becoming famous to some extent was unavoidable. Still, I did not want to become famous in such a blatant manner...
'But since things have come this far, I suppose there is nothing I can do.'
They say everything depends on how you look at it. I was speaking too negatively, but this flow was not entirely bad. If I made a name for myself, there would be sufficient benefits to match. Therefore, I decided to think positively and waited quietly for my turn.
"Congratulations. Become a good Player."
"Yes! Thank you!"
"Right, right. Now, finally... Glory Academy Year 1 cadet, Choi Yu-seong."
Shortly after, my name was finally called. At the mention of me being the "final" recipient, the audience began to show even more interest than they had been focusing with until then. I felt a bit of pressure, but I could not exactly refuse to go out.
Thus, I walked toward the podium with a steady gait, making sure not to give anyone a reason to find fault with me. I was accompanied by a slight sense of tension.
***
The silence was heavier than expected. Considering this was a banquet hall, the atmosphere did not quite fit. However, it was not incomprehensible.
'It is because someone they never expected stepped out.'
It did not mean the people in this banquet hall were entirely unaware of my existence. Guilds always had to be sensitive to information. It would be strange if they did not know me after Shin Yu-hwan made such a flashy appearance during the midterm exams.
But...
'They probably did not expect me to be the final one to step up here.'
A cadet that Shin Yu-hwan showed interest in—the information the guilds possessed likely stopped right there. Although some details of the final exams had been leaked, they were not fully known. Therefore, aside from the cadets who were applauding, it was not strange for a quiet current to flow through the room. Even if Shin Yu-hwan and Horizon showed some interest, I was likely still just a lower-ranking cadet with some potential to them.
I was humbly accepting this atmosphere and maintaining my own silence when it happened.
"I do not like this."
A single, irritable voice broke the quiet silence. The source was Hong Sera, who stood facing me on the podium. Starting with that, she continued to speak in a sharp tone.
"When a young cadet has done something so valuable that it exceeds a single person's share—something even active-duty Players would not dare to do—shouldn't we be congratulating him from the moment he steps onto the podium?"
"……."
"But seeing how everyone is keeping their mouths shut, I feel like my true personality is about to come out. What should I do?"
Ending her words there, Hong Sera scanned the banquet hall with a cold gaze. The audience seemed quite surprised by her behavior. And I was the same.
'Why is Hong Sera doing this?'
I knew she had a fairly direct personality. So, she could certainly find this situation unpleasant. However, that was not a reason for her to step forward for my sake. No matter how blunt Hong Sera was, she was not someone who failed to understand her own position. While she was not bound to a guild, she belonged to the Hong family; showing such behavior toward the guild members gathered here was not exactly good for her.
And above all, wasn't my only connection to Hong Sera the meeting we had in the conference room previously? It was quite unexpected for her to step forward like this for someone she had no real ties with. Just as I was wondering why she had intervened...
"I agree. I know everyone's mind is busy, but shouldn't applauding the efforts of the younger generation come first?"
Another voice rang out from an unexpected place. Han Su-yeon, who had been quietly killing time until now, backed up Hong Sera's statement. Her voice was so listless that one might think she was sleepy. However, its impact was by no means small. In fact, it seemed to have a greater influence than Hong Sera's prickly remarks. As soon as she finished speaking, the silence broke, and the people began to speak up one by one.
"That is true. It seems we were too caught up in our own thoughts."
"Indeed. Congratulations should have come first."
Saying so, the guild officials finally began to applaud me. Hong Sera's expression remained somewhat crumpled, perhaps because she disliked how they had remained still for her but acted only after Han Su-yeon spoke.
"Tch. They should have done that from the start."
Still, the atmosphere felt better than before. Until a moment ago, it had been so cold that it would not have been strange for her to emit actual killing intent.
'I should probably say thank you first.'
I still did not know why Hong Sera had stepped forward, but staying silent in this situation would be rude. Therefore, I quietly offered my gratitude to her. To this, Hong Sera spoke as if it were nothing.
"Do not worry about it. It just reminded me of the old days."
"…The old days?"
"Yes. Back when I was a cadet like you."
While I was wondering what that had to do with helping me, Hong Sera briefly explained the reason, as if she had read my expression.
"To be honest, my grades were not very good when I was a cadet. I was barely mid-tier, I suppose?"
"……."
"Then, I once achieved a major result, and the atmosphere back then was exactly like this. It made me annoyed for no reason. So, you do not need to pay it any mind."
Hm, I did not know she had such a history. One might wonder how a Hero-Rank Player could have had such grades as a cadet, but it was actually quite understandable.
'Hong Sera's ability is the type that is hard to make shine unless it is polished.'
Hong Sera's talent specialized in barriers. When it reached its peak, it was great enough to seal off an entire massive area—befitting her epithet, the Queen—but conversely, it was hopeless if immature. In fact, Hong Sera's manifestation of her talent was more affected by her physical condition than most others.
'She really is amazing.'
As I just thought, she had taken a difficult talent and polished it until she became a Hero-Rank Player. If nothing else, she was a person who deserved respect for her tenacity and effort alone. Furthermore, even if it stemmed from her past, she possessed the consideration to look out for others. Therefore, even though she told me not to mind, it was better to express my gratitude once more.
"Even so, thank you. Feeling unpleasant and translating that into action are two different matters."
"Hmm~. For someone Shin Yu-hwan has his eye on, you are quite polite."
"…He is also a sufficiently good person."
"Hmph, as if that jerk could ever be good."
I wondered what on earth had happened between the two of them for her to show such a crooked attitude. Whatever it was, I was certain of one thing.
'Even if I find out later, I must absolutely pretend not to know.'
I had no desire to be the shrimp whose back broke in a fight between whales; I hated the idea of suffering between those two. Just as I was maintaining my silence with that thought...
"Then, Cadet Choi Yu-seong. Shall we slowly begin the award ceremony?"
Before I knew it, Hong Sera had cast aside her neighborhood-older-sister vibe and returned to her persona as a Player to ask me that. It was only right for me to respond with a serious demeanor as well.
"Yes, Player Hong Sera."
"Good. Then, we shall now begin the award ceremony for Glory Academy Year 1 cadet, Choi Yu-seong."