Chapter 491: Impressive Sloth

As soon as we exited the dungeon, the midterm exam came to an end.

The test site grew noisy, with faculty and staff moving busily.

Lee Soo-dok, seemingly realizing that I had been the last one standing, sent me a meaningful look.

I responded with a slight bow and rejoined my waiting companions.

As expected, the atmosphere was subdued.

Han So-mi clung to Go Hyeon-woo’s arm and wouldn’t let go.

Even the promising students who were usually so full of confidence looked dejected.

We’d known from the start that defeat was inevitable, but still….being crushed by overwhelming force wasn’t something you could shrug off.

Even I wasn’t feeling great about it.

When our eyes met, Song Cheon-hye let out a small sigh and said,

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“You too.”

“I’ve got something to take care of, so I’ll head off first.”

“Disciplinary work, huh? Good luck.”

“Well, it’s what I signed up for, after all. So-mi, let’s go.”

But Han So-mi shook her head with a sullen look.

“I don’t want to go…”

“It’ll only take a moment. You know that.”

“Still don’t want to…”

Song Cheon-hye looked troubled.

It was a disciplinary committee duty, and it wasn’t something she could skip just because she was in a bad mood.

But dragging her along against her will would make her feel guilty.

It was understandable, given they’d just faced the Craftsman Dragon a little while ago.

Go Hyeon-woo, sensing the tension, gently coaxed her.

“Miss Han, I believe you could use a bit of rest today as well.”

“…Really?”

“You must’ve accumulated quite a bit of fatigue without realizing it. Let’s call it a day and see each other tomorrow.”

“…Okay.”

Only then did Han So-mi finally follow the disciplinary committee members out.

Mo Yong-jun and Lee Seong-hyeon each said a few words before turning to leave.

“I should check in on my team members as well.”

“You’ve done well. See you next time.”

As for Shin Byeong-cheol, he lingered nearby for a bit but got driven off by a sharp glare from Hong Yeon-hwa.

That left just the original four party members.

I gave them a broad smile and said,

“Thanks, guys. I was able to finish the quest thanks to you.”

“I’m glad we could be of help. I worried we might’ve just held you back, given our skills.”

“Held me back? I wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”

[Draconic Soldier Eliminated]

▷ Dragonscale Soldier: 25

▷ Dragonfang Soldier: 78

▷ Dragonclaw Soldier: 55

▷ Dragonwing Soldier: 1

▷ Minions: 3

▷ Portal: 1

Even if a third of the results came from me burning myself out in battle, the rest was thanks to these three.

Had I been alone, I’d have hit the limits of my stamina or run out of item cards in no time.

[Side Quest: 11th and 12th Week Midterm Exam] (Complete)

▷ Objective: Survive and eliminate Draconic Soldiers

▷ Reward: [+1 Bond Slot], [+1 Shared Trait Slot], Fixed Pin

I successfully completed the quest despite the handicap, so this impressively netted me two additional slots and even a Fixed Pin.

▷ Bond [1/2]

1. Dang Gyu-young

2. (Empty)

▷ Shared Trait [1/2]

1. Distortion

2. (Empty)

When I shared the skill descriptions, Seo Ye-in who had been sleeping on her feet cracked open her eyes slightly and tugged on my sleeve.

“Reservation.”

“Of course, I’ve got a spot saved for you.”

“Encouragement reward.”

“I promised you that too, didn’t I?”

Go Hyeon-woo watched us with a content smile, then turned to leave.

“Then I shall take my leave now.”

“M-Me too. Good work…”

Hong Yeon-hwa followed after him toward the dorms.

Still, she must’ve been quite curious about the “encouragement reward” because even as she walked away, Hong Yeon-hwa kept glancing back at us.

Watching the two of them disappear into the distance, I turned to Seo Ye-in and asked,

“Shall we head out too?”

“Let’s go.”

With that reply, she moved around behind me and hopped onto my back.

“Another piggyback ride?”

“Take responsibility.”

“And what exactly am I responsible for?”

“Everything.”

…Now that she mentioned it, she wasn’t entirely wrong. So I obediently offered my back.

After finding a quiet place together, I took out the communication crystal.

“Let’s talk to Dragon Uncle.”

We needed to go over the details of that “ultimate move.”

But just as I was about to use the crystal, Seo Ye-in lightly took it from my hand and slipped it into her inventory.

“Confiscated.”

“Why?”

“Something else comes first.”

She meant we should do the Bond and hand out the encouragement reward before making any calls.

She’d waited long enough and clearly didn’t want to delay it again.

Which was fair enough, so I nodded.

“All right. Let’s do the Bond first.”

“Bond.”

Her gray eyes sparkled brightly.

Flaaash—

A radiant light shimmered between the two of us.

At the center of it, a crown-shaped crest appeared.

I asked her one last time.

“Once it’s used, there’s no going back. You sure about this?”

“Mhmm.”

Seo Ye-in answered without a second of hesitation.

The ritual continued, and the crest began to emit an even stronger light.

Flaaaash—!

Then a glowing blue thread connected the two of us.

▷ Bond [2/2]

1. Dang Gyu-young

2. Seo Ye-in

“We can decide the Shared Trait slot once noona is here.”

“Okay.”

“By the way, where did your crest show up?”

Mine was on my shoulder. Dang Gyu-young got hers in a place so awkward she couldn’t even say…nor get married, supposedly.

So, where did Seo Ye-in’s appear?

“……?”

She tilted her head, puzzled.

Then lowered her gaze and began unbuttoning her shirt one by one.

I quickly raised my hand to stop her and asked,

“Why the buttons?”

“It’s here.”

Seo Ye-in lifted her shirt slightly, as if to say, “See for yourself.”

I’d noticed this before, but it really seems like she has no concept of embarrassment.

Even back when we stayed in Hye-seong City, she’d often fall asleep hugging the Kim Ho Pillow, and her pajamas would come undone every now and then. She never seemed to care in the slightest.

Maybe she just gave up on everything out of extreme laziness.

Still, even taking that into account, I figured it’d be best to get her permission one more time, just out of courtesy.

“Can I look?”

“Mhmm.”

I leaned in toward Seo Ye-in and looked inside her shirt.

Then slowly nodded.

“…I see. So that’s where it is.”

Now that I’d confirmed the crest’s location, the bond ritual was effectively complete.

I spoke again, this time with a solemn tone.

“Next up is the Encouragement Reward ceremony.”

“Encouragement Reward.”

Her gray eyes sparkled twice as brightly.

I leaned in again and lightly kissed her on the cheek.

“……”

Seo Ye-in, staring blankly at me, then gave me a kiss on the cheek in return.

After that, she turned her head and pointed at her other cheek with a finger.

“This side too.”

She was probably copying what she’d seen right before midterms.

I had kissed both of Dang Gyu-young’s cheeks back then.

Since there was no reason not to do the same, I gently kissed her other cheek as well.

Then I held up a pretend microphone with my fist.

“Since you’ve just received the Encouragement Reward, care to say a few words? How do you feel?”

“……”

Seo Ye-in paused for a moment, deep in thought.

Then she quietly raised one hand and placed it over her chest.

“…Thump-thump.”

“Your heart’s pounding?”

“Mhmm.”

“Any idea why?”

“…Don’t know.”

She didn’t seem to understand the reason just yet, but at least emotionally, there was some progress.

No need to rush things.

“Take your time figuring it out. Think of it as homework.”

“Mhmm.”

Seo Ye-in gave a small nod.

Before long, I got my confiscated crystal ball back.

I routed the call through Ahn Jeong-mi and connected with the Underworld Dragon King.

– So it’s the young monarch and my niece. What’s the occasion?

I briefly explained what had happened in Craft Haven.

The Underworld Dragon King rested his chin in his hand, as if searching through his memory.

– The Craftsman Dragon, huh. I think there was someone like that.

“Sounds like you crossed paths before.”

– If you can even call it that. I only ran into him once. He came near our territory. I was about to flick him on the forehead if he came back again.

“……”

My opinion of the Craftsman Dragon dropped a notch.

Maybe he’d been pushed around so much that settling in Craft Haven was his only option.

The Underworld Dragon King shrugged, then looked over at Seo Ye-in.

– So, niece, you actually used it?

“My ultimate move.”

– Did you enjoy it at least?

“Almost gave them a good beating.”

– Too bad your opponent was a dragon. Bit much for your current skill level.

“Next time, bang!”

Seo Ye-in shook her pot with fiery resolve.

I gently stepped into the conversation and asked,

“Actually, the reason I called was to ask about that skill.”

– Makes sense. I’d be curious too if I were you.

“Not just anyone can learn it, right?”

– You’re right. My niece is very special. She’s the first and likely the last of her kind.

“Would it be alright if I heard the full story?”

But the Underworld Dragon King shook his head.

– Sorry, but it’s not something I’m in a position to talk about. Definitely not light enough to discuss over a call.

A firm refusal. But I still managed to get a clue.

For an S-rank dragon to say “not in a position” and hold his tongue…

It meant someone even higher up was involved.

Most likely, it was the Meteor Dragon.

– Of course, young monarch, you deserve to know. You’re basically responsible for her now. And from the looks of it, you’ve already formed a bond.

“Right on the mark.”

– Next time you drop by, I’ll try to set up a meeting.

It seemed I’d have to return to Hye-seong City and meet the Meteor Dragon in person to learn the truth about Seo Ye-in’s secret.

I’d already promised to visit Dang Gyu-young’s family home during winter break, so realistically, it wouldn’t happen until next year at the earliest.

Still, I probably don’t need to wait until summer break.

Starting in second year, external missions open up. If I pick one related to the Hye-seong Group, I might be able to go around early to mid-year.

As I was thinking that, the Underworld Dragon King threw another question at Seo Ye-in.

– By the way, niece, have you checked for any side effects?

I’d sensed it the moment I saw that ultimate skill for the first time.

That kind of power must come with serious recoil.

Destructive force that far exceeded Seo Ye-in’s current level.

It pierced through the S-rank barrier surrounding the city like it was nothing and even shattered the Craftsman Dragon’s defensive spells.

In some ways, it surpassed the amplified Inferno Fist.

The spell had been interrupted when she was hit by draconic soldiers mid-cast, but if she’d had a little more time, she might really have given him a beating.

Given all that, if there were no penalties, that’d be even stranger.

But Seo Ye-in simply shook her head with a puzzled expression.

“I don’t know.”

– You should identify and deal with it as soon as possible.

So I asked,

“Do you have any guesses?”

– I don’t. I only taught her how to use it. I’ve never actually seen it in action. This was probably the first time.

“I’ll look into it.”

– Best of luck, young monarch. And you too, niece.

The call ended, and I took a closer look at Seo Ye-in.

She definitely looked sleepier than usual, but could that really be the extent of the penalty?

Most likely, there was a hidden debuff we didn’t know about or a restriction placed on one of her strengths.

A strength, huh…

That thought sparked a hunch.

I suddenly raised my fist and said,

“Wanna play rock-paper-scissors?”

“……?”

“Rock, paper—”

“—scissors.”

“Rock, paper—”

“—scissors.”

We played five rounds of rock-paper-scissors in a row.

No tricks, no reading. Just pure luck.

Seo Ye-in lost all five.

“…Looks like your luck’s gone.”