The principal frowned.
“If you’re talking about prohibited skills, there’s that freezing one or whatever?”
“I’d appreciate it if you could lift the restriction on that too.”
“No penalties for either of them?”
“They’re safe.”
“…How is that even possible? B-rank seems manageable, but do you have higher elemental resistance than me or something?”
Instead of answering, I just gave a serene smile, and the principal didn’t press further.
Scratching his chin, he continued.
“Anyway, I get that it’s safe, but it’s not something I can just approve on my own. I may be the principal, but there’s a whole process, you know.”
You have to prove the skill’s safety to the academic office, demonstrate it in front of faculty members, and have it officially recorded.
Then they consider various factors like your behavior, grades, etc., before deciding whether to lift the ban.
The principal added with a grin,
“—Officially, anyway.”
“So you’re saying it’s fine as long as I use it secretly?”
“Hey, now! I never said I gave you permission. I don’t even know what you’ve learned.”
The principal joked light-heartedly.
The vice principal gave him a look that said, “When is this guy ever going to grow up?” but didn’t say anything out loud.
At least when it came to this upcoming infiltration of the temporary storage, they were turning a blind eye to the use of prohibited skills.
Just to confirm, I asked,
“I should keep my identity hidden, right?”
“Of course. Kwak Seung-jae asked for the same thing.”
He’d even asked to borrow a recognition-blocking item for me.
Seems like they’re trying to limit information for now.
Well, the fewer people who know, the more effective it becomes.
Eventually, the principal turned to face both me and Dang Gyu-young.
“Then I’ll let the Disciplinary Committee know you’re in. About the prohibited skills too. They’ll be in touch soon, so make sure to meet with them.”
“Yes, understood.”
We both nodded at the same time.
***
From the moment we left the principal’s office, Dang Gyu-young’s steps were practically floating.
She bounced along so lightly, I couldn’t tell if she was walking or dancing.
“Pffthahaha, heheheh…”
“You that happy?”
“Of course I am! Everything worked out perfectly!”
“Honestly, I didn’t expect the re-enrollment part.”
“Me neither, hehe.”
Soon, something seemed to pop into her head, and she turned to me with a playful smile.
“So next year, I’m your junior, huh~?”
“How could I treat a great senior like you as a junior, after all you’ve done?”
“If we’re going by that, you’re like my super senior! You’ve graduated like, hundreds of times!”
“Can’t argue with that.”
“See? I’ll just call you senio— No! Wait!”
She caught her breath, then slowly leaned toward me.
“…Oppa?”
“I’m leaving now.”
“Pffthaha! This is already so fun. Let’s go together, senior~ Let’s go together, oppa~”
I ignored her and quickened my pace, but she kept bouncing along right beside me.
We walked like that for a while until she asked a belated question.
“By the way, where are we even going?”
“I need to check something.”
“Check what?”
“An expiration date.”
“What expiration date?”
“You’ll understand once you see it.”
Dang Gyu-young furrowed her brows in confusion but kept walking with me nonetheless.
Before long, we arrived at the Magic Engineering Club.
After sending a heads-up, we waited in front of Workshop No. 1.
At this point, Dang Gyu-young seemed to have guessed my intent.
“The Life Cube?”
“Yes. Whether it’s Kwak Seung-jae or Oh Se-hoon, once we meet, that’s the angle they’ll come at us with.”
Since I’d already been identified as Inferno Fist, the next thing the Disciplinary Committee would want to know is how we managed to smuggle out the prohibited items.
Even if they successfully defend the temporary storage and catch the intruders, it wouldn’t mean much if the items themselves mysteriously disappeared. That would only count as a half-success.
“You’re going to just tell them?”
“Depends on the expiration date.”
If the time left is short, I’ll use it as a bargaining chip. If there’s still plenty of time, I’ll just play dumb.
And we’d soon find out which it was.
Before long, the head of the Magic Engineering Club, Bong Jae-seok, came out.
“Kim Ho….and Dang Gyu-young too. What brings you here?”
It looked like he’d just stepped away from his work, his whole demeanor screaming busy, so I got straight to the point.
“I want to check on the project’s progress.”
“It’s come pretty far thanks to you.”
The Life Cube that Park Na-ri had was a prototype B-rank version.
The goal of Bong Jae-seok and the Magic Engineering Club was to refine it into a proper S-rank item and mass-produce it.
That project had been underway for almost a year now, and I’d occasionally dropped by to give advice.
After thinking for a moment, Bong Jae-seok replied,
“About 70, maybe 80%? We’ll definitely have the blueprints ready by early next year.”
Dang Gyu-young frowned and jumped into the conversation.
“Early next year? But you’ll have graduated by then.”
“I will. But my little sibling’s coming in.”
“Isn’t that a bit much for a freshman to handle?”
“No need to worry. My sibling is a genius. Makes me look like I’m not even worthy of licking their boots.”
If someone like a third-year club president spoke that highly, then at the very least, his sibling had to be competent.
Looking at me, Bong Jae-seok continued.
“She’ll handle things here, and I’ll support from the outside. Kim Ho, I’ll need your help too. Especially with the schematics.”
Magic engineering items are assembled by properly configuring cube-shaped blueprints.
And the blueprint they’re working on? It’s an extremely complex 10x10x10 cube.
Even most graduates would throw in the towel just looking at it.
That’s also why the prototype blueprint had been buried in junk for so long.
Whether Bong Jae-seok’s younger sibling could handle that was still up in the air. But for now, I gave a nod.
“I’ll try teaching them.”
“Good. Just saying this as a precaution. But don’t try to flirt with her.”
“…Huh?”
My puzzled response was met with an equally confused look from Bong Jae-seok.
“Oh, did I not mention? It’s my younger sister.”
At that, Dang Gyu-young put a hand on my shoulder, feigning a close and casual tone.
“He looks like he’s a player, but he’s actually very professional. Doesn’t go around hitting on just anyone, right~?”
“Should I limit it to just one bus?” (TN: Means he would hit on a bus of people.)
“Kak!! Gah! A bus!? I already hate that motorcycle you’re riding around on.” (TN: Means that she hates how he has two or three romantic interests.)
“That motorcycle’s already tipped over. It was overloaded.”
As we bickered, Bong Jae-seok waved us off.
“Alright, alright…. save the fighting for later. Anything else you need?”
“No, that’s all, senior.”
“Then I’m heading back in. Got a lot on my plate.”
He turned around and disappeared back into Workshop No. 1. We watched him go, then resumed walking.
That’s when Dang Gyu-young shot me a sharp side-eye.
“…Seriously, a bus?”
“Obviously I was joking. I don’t just hit on every girl I see, you know.”
“You rascal. Stop provoking my jealousy. I almost got sulky again.”
She lightly tugged on my cheek before letting go.
Maybe it was because I’d already set a precedent through Kang Byul, but she seemed to believe me without resistance.
“Anyway, what’s the expiration date?”
“By early next year, just in the first semester alone, we should be able to produce two or three cubes.”
“But you don’t know if his sister’s actually any good.”
“That’s why I left her out of the calculations. Assuming I make them all myself, it’ll be two or three.”
“Ah~”
If Bong Jae-seok was telling the truth and his sister really was a genius, then the pace of cube production would skyrocket.
In other words, two or three is the conservative estimate. At most, it could be several times that.
Dang Gyu-young looked up at the ceiling.
“So there’s not much shelf life left, huh?”
“Right. Let’s just cash in now with one big hit.”
Once Life Cubes start being mass-produced and distributed, someone’s bound to catch on to the hidden piece.
It’s best to use the information before that happens.
“Some of the archers have been asking me, by the way. Are we selling?”
“Let’s sell at a high price.”
We looked at each other and grinned.
***
The Thieves’ Clubroom.
Dang Gyu-young sat in a chair that looked like it had been brought straight from the Renaissance period. It was completely out of place in the gloomy room.
As she lightly lifted her teacup, Shin Byeong-cheol hurried over and tilted a Renaissance-style teapot to pour.
Drip-drip-drip…
Dang Gyu-young sipped her tea leisurely, then looked across the table.
“So, you came to give your answer?”
“Yes, senior.”
The girl sitting across from her bowed her head slightly as she answered.
A silver pin adorned her necktie.
She was none other than Hwang Dam-bi, the second-year vice president of the Archery Club.
Ahead of the upcoming infiltration mission into the temporary storage facility, both the Black Faction of the Swordsmanship Club and the Archery Club were conducting their own investigations.
In the process, they learned that Dang Gyu-young might have some way of sneaking out prohibited items and sent Hwang Dam-bi to ask if she’d be willing to share that information.
Dang Gyu-young frowned slightly, as if uncomfortable.
“Ah, this one’s a bit tricky to talk about.”
“As I mentioned, we’re willing to offer a fair price.”
“It’s not about the price. We’ve got our own reputation to think about.”
“By reputation, you mean…?”
Dang Gyu-young kept the strained look on her face as she took another sip of tea.
Then, after a short pause, she began to lay the groundwork carefully.
“It’s not like this is our first time doing ‘that’. I think the other side is starting to catch on. They’ll probably come prepared.”
“……!”
“So even if we tell you, it might not work anymore and then you’ll blame us. It’d hurt our credibility.”
“That’s…”
“I’m not about to walk into something that obvious just to get a small cut. I’m sorry to your club president, but I’m going to have to say no.”
With a faint, bitter smile, Dang Gyu-young nodded toward the door.
But even though she’d effectively been shown out, Hwang Dam-bi remained seated in the Renaissance-style chair.
After a moment of quiet thought, she raised her head and looked straight at Dang Gyu-young.
“If we agree not to hold you responsible for the outcome, would you be willing to share it then?”
“Is that something you can decide on your own?”
“I have the authority to do so.”
Well, she was the current vice president and slated to become next year’s president.
With a deep sigh, Dang Gyu-young spoke in a tone that said she had no choice.
“If you insist… then let’s say this much.”
With that, she scribbled something on a slip of paper and slid it forward.
The note listed next year’s Special Research Lab season pass, a VIP crafting ticket, and several other club privileges.
Hwang Dam-bi screamed internally.
This is outright theft…! No, worse…this highway robbery!
But she couldn’t let any of that show. Forcing a professional smile onto her face, she said,
“Um, senior… Considering the risks involved, don’t you think that price is a bit excessive?”
“I lowered it because there’s risk.”
This is the lowered price?
Maybe she caught the disbelief on Hwang Dam-bi’s face, because Dang Gyu-young added an explanation.
“You really think tricking the Disciplinary Committee is easy? Plus, this is the kind of information we could keep using in the future. Assuming it works. Tell me I’m wrong.”
“…You’re not, senior.”
“If you split the cost with the Black Faction kids, it shouldn’t be too much of a burden.”
“I’ll discuss it with them.”
“Just decide before the ban wave next week. I’ll need to check if it still works, too.”
With that, Dang Gyu-young gave another not-so-subtle dismissal.
She stared into her teacup as if she’d already lost interest.
“This tea’s good. Byeong-cheol, what is it?”
“Came from a random box, noonim.”
“How come you always pull this kind of stuff?”
“Hehe, I wonder that myself.”
And so, Hwang Dam-bi had no choice but to leave the clubroom, completely deflated.
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