The Witch of Corruption had successfully infiltrated Dungeon Island.
And now, she was sitting among the freshmen, waiting for the entrance ceremony to begin.
The female student next to her had no idea and spoke to her with innocent curiosity.
“You’re obviously joining a magic-related club, right? White Magic? The Magic Tower? A guild?”
“I’m still thinking about it. I might not join one at all.”
“Huh? Why?”
“There’s something else I want to do.”
“…I see.”
The girl nodded, though she still looked somewhat puzzled.
Even a trivial conversation like this could arouse suspicion, and there was nothing to gain from that, so she decided she would need to be even more careful going forward.
Just as the Witch of Corruption was making that resolution—
Flash!
“!!”
A powerful gaze suddenly struck the back of her head from somewhere.
It felt as though someone was thoroughly dissecting and examining her.
The sensation was a familiar one.
Master…?
It was similar to the feeling she got whenever the Time Dragon looked down upon her.
But there was no way her master could be here.
Which meant the next most likely possibility was—
A dragon…!
But she had received no word from them.
Was it one from another faction?
Or was it acting independently? Playing a game?
The Witch of Corruption was seized by the urge to turn around immediately, but she desperately restrained herself.
They might not have noticed me yet.
Perhaps their gaze had simply landed on her by chance.
If she turned around now, she would only increase the likelihood of identifying herself.
There was a reasonable basis for that line of thinking.
The Witch of Corruption recalled something that had happened before she left their stronghold.
Her older sisters had gathered to see her off.
Among them, the Witch of Madness approached with a bright smile.
– Our little sister is going to school, so I should give you an entrance gift, right?
Then she placed a hand on her head and cast a spell.
It was a disguise spell.
Madness ranked directly below Death and was generally regarded as a solid mid-tier powerhouse even among S-ranks.
True to her title, she excelled in mental magic and information manipulation.
She had even boasted confidently while applying the disguise.
– Even the former Hero probably wouldn’t recognize you.
– Well, maybe if they deliberately examined you, but when would that ever happen?
– As long as you don’t give yourself away, you’ll be fine~
Sure enough, after that initial glance, the other party took no further action.
If they had actually identified her, they would have looked her way at least once more.
That meant she had made it past the immediate danger.
Still, it’s too early to relax.
As long as she didn’t know who the other party was, something similar could happen again at any time.
The Witch of Corruption renewed her resolve.
From now on, she would have to act even more cautiously.
***
I already knew from experience that Seo Ye-in had exceptionally good eyesight.
Apparently, while looking over the freshmen, she had caught sight of something unusual, but now that she was trying to find it again, it wasn’t proving as easy as she’d expected.
After tilting her head one last time, she said,
“…It’s gone.”
“Really?”
There was every chance she’d simply been mistaken after giving the crowd only a cursory glance.
She wasn’t exactly the type to pay much attention to other people in the first place.
But if it was an intentional disguise…
That would mean someone far too skilled to be a freshman had slipped in among them.
There was no way to know for certain at the moment, but it seemed wise to give the administration a heads-up just in case.
As I was leaving a message for the principal, the Grand Auditorium gradually began to quiet down from the front rows onward.
The faculty had finally entered.
Among them, Lee Soo-dok and Seo Cheong-yong immediately caught my eye.
So much for only staying a year.
They’d made it abundantly clear that they were only doing this because the principal had asked them to. Because it was a job, a favor, an obligation they couldn’t refuse.
Yet somehow, they’d apparently decided to remain at Dragon Slayer Academy after all.
The two of them seemed to have spotted me among the second-years as well.
Seo Cheong-yong smiled and waved cheerfully.
Lee Soo-dok, meanwhile, fixed me with a sharp glare.
He looked ready to cut me on the spot, but I bowed my head politely all the same.
A moment later, the principal stepped up to the podium.
Whether it was an entrance ceremony, a graduation ceremony, or a tournament, his appearance never changed. He looked just as shabby as ever.
Scratching his dark-stubbled chin, he delivered the customary greeting.
“Welcome, freshmen. I sincerely congratulate you on your admission to Dragon Slayer Academy.”
Then his expression grew more serious.
“I am aware that the world has become increasingly unsettled of late. Incidents and disasters continue to occur across the continent. Dragons, the Blood Cult, witches…”
– ……
“For now, the organizations you belong to are protecting you from them. But someday, that responsibility will fall to you. Keep that firmly in mind, and devote yourselves to your training.”
– …..!
The atmosphere throughout the auditorium intensified at once.
Had it ended there, it would have gone down as a genuinely inspiring opening address.
Unfortunately, “the principal’s opening speech” was only just getting started.
“Now then, let me tell you about what happened when I visited the Sapphire Magic Tower. At the time, during a dragon invasion—”
Even from behind, I could practically feel the freshmen suffering.
The second- and third-years, meanwhile, were so accustomed to this by now that many had openly fallen asleep.
Only Go Hyeon-woo listened attentively, as though he had no intention of missing a single word.
And so the former Hero’s excessive storytelling continued for quite some time.
Eventually, the vice principal quietly stepped forward and pointed at her wristwatch.
As if to say that he had rambled on more than enough and should wrap it up.
Only then did the principal reluctantly bring his speech to a close.
“—I hope your time at Dragonslayer Academy will be a meaningful one. That is all.”
Next, the vice principal took the podium.
As always, she stuck strictly to the important points.
“The list of prohibited items has been updated for this academic year. Possessing any of the listed items, whether on your person or in your inventory, will result in confiscation. Depending on the severity of the violation, penalties beyond demerits may also be imposed.”
– …..!
“In addition, several school regulations have been revised, and the punishments for violations have been strengthened. Please familiarize yourselves with them to avoid any unnecessary consequences.”
I had a rough idea of which rules she was referring to, but I asked Han So-mi, the former Disciplinary Committee member, just to confirm.
“The Temporary Storage?”
“That’s right!”
Near the end of last year, the Archery Club and the Black Faction of the Swordsmanship Club had formed an alliance and launched a raid on the Temporary Storage.
Not through stealth like the Thieves Club would have done, but in a manner that was practically an all-out assault.
The Disciplinary Committee won in the end, though.
That was largely thanks to the exceptional skill of Oh Se-hoon, who had been the committee president, along with assistance from Dang Gyu-young and me.
Still, several committee members had suffered minor injuries, and a considerable amount of resources had been wasted on damaged items and repair costs.
It seemed the school had increased the penalties to prevent a repeat of the incident.
Though I doubt that’ll actually stop them.
Maybe the Archery Club would back off.
The Black Faction, on the other hand, was almost certainly still waiting for another opportunity.
I thought back to the second-year I had clashed with at the time.
Given both his ability and his charisma, there was a good chance he had taken control of the faction this year.
And considering how rebellious he had seemed, I doubted he would simply let the matter go.
How he would act remained to be seen.
While I was lost in thought, the vice principal’s announcements were drawing to a close.
“That concludes this year’s entrance ceremony. Please return to your dormitories without delay.”
The moment the faculty members left the auditorium, the entire hall erupted into noise like a bustling marketplace.
As I nudged Seo Ye-in awake, I spoke to the group.
“Let’s go get something to eat.”
If we were even a little late, we’d end up waiting in line forever.
We headed straight to the student cafeteria and chatted over dinner.
As he worked through his meal with his chopsticks, Go Hyeon-woo spoke up.
“Come to think of it, I’ll need to get a new Season Pass.”
The pass that granted unrestricted access to the Special Training Room for an entire semester.
During our first semester of freshman year, he had exchanged a Cube of Life for one. In the second semester, he had received one from Kim Gap-du. But now even Kim Gap-du had graduated.
Personally, I wasn’t too concerned.
“You’ve got plenty of points now, don’t you? Just buy one.”
“That would probably be best. I cannot afford to give up the efficiency of mana training.”
It would likely cost him tens of thousands of points, but after spending all of first year near the top of the rankings in both duel battles and strategy battles, he’d probably accumulated a substantial amount through replay rewards.
Han So-mi was in a similar situation. After leaving the disciplinary committee, she was no longer receiving a Season Pass.
Still, her academic performance had actually been better than Go Hyeon-woo’s, so purchasing one shouldn’t be difficult for her either.
Hong Yeon-hwa and Seo Ye-in had even less reason to worry.
They each spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
“I’ll… get one from the Tower Master.”
“They said they’d bring me one.”
Apparently, since no promising students had emerged from the Ruby Magic Tower this year, resources would continue to be concentrated on Hong Yeon-hwa.
As for Seo Ye-in, she was the granddaughter of the chairman, making her the top priority regardless of how talented the other Hye-seong Scholarship students were.
Go Hyeon-woo smiled.
“It’s good when there are fewer things to worry about. What about you, Kim hyung? Do you have something in mind?”
“I’ll ask around a few places. Worst case, I’ll just buy one.”
I’d built connections with several clubs over the past year, so I figured at least one of them might be willing to help.
As it turned out, I didn’t even need to bother.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and when I turned around, I saw a familiar face.
Kang Byeol, the president of the Sculptors’ Club.
I immediately bowed my head.
“Good evening, Senior.”
“If you’re back, you should’ve said something.”
“I was planning to come pay my respects soon anyway.”
“Right. I happened to see you while passing by. Heard you’re looking for a Season Pass?”
“Yes.”
Kang Byeol opened her inventory and casually pulled out a Season Pass before handing it to me.
“I accepted it as payment for a commission.”
“It’s worth quite a bit. Are you sure you should just give it to me?”
“I don’t need it anyway. Consider it a small repayment of what I owe you.”
Just last year, the Sculptors’ Club had been so inactive that not only was it gathering dust, it had been on the verge of being disbanded altogether.
However, with my help, she had completed a statue of an S-Rank Hero, allowing the club to survive. Now, she was spending her days swamped with commissions pouring in from all directions.
Since she said she wanted to repay that debt, I had no reason to refuse.
“Then I’ll make good use of it.”
“I’ve got the statue finished too, so come pick it up when you have time.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m off.”
With that, Kang Byeol left.
As I watched her receding figure for a moment and turned back around, I found the group staring at me with strange expressions.
Go Hyeon-woo was repeatedly letting out exclamations of admiration.
“As expected, Kim hyung had a plan all along.”
“I was going to ask, but even I didn’t see this coming.”
“For a senior to personally come and hand over something so valuable, one can only imagine how well-regarded you must be.”
The rest of the group, however, seemed to have interpreted the situation somewhat differently.
Han So-mi, Seo Ye-in, and Hong Yeon-hwa each offered a comment.
“Womanizer.”
“…Playboy.”
“I’m… okay with it. Even if you’re greedy…”
I replied in an even tone.
“It’s a business relationship. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t get the wrong idea.”
“…Playboy.”
However, the three of them didn’t seem inclined to let go of their suspicions so easily.
***
After finishing dinner, we parted ways and returned to our respective dormitories.
I only stopped by to check the room I’d be staying in this year, tossed my luggage inside, and headed right back out.
My destination was of course the Training Center.
The sooner I start, the better.
Spending the entire night practicing mana cultivation in the Special Cultivation Chamber.
Now that I had a Season Pass as well, there was no reason to delay.
However, someone was standing in front of the Training Center as if waiting for me.
Surprisingly, it was Seo Ye-in.
So I asked her,
“Why are you here?”
“I thought you’d come.”
“It was pretty predictable, wasn’t it?”
“Well within expectations.”
As she answered, Seo Ye-in grabbed my sleeve and continued.
“Let’s go together.”
“To the Special Cultivation Chamber?”
“Yes.”
So that was why she had been waiting in front of the Training Center.
She had instinctively sensed an opportunity to use the Kim Ho Pillow.
Not that I had any reason to refuse, but I decided to attach a condition.
“Then you’re sleeping while doing mana cultivation?”
“Of course.”
“Sounds good. Let’s go.”
Before long, we entered the Special Cultivation Chamber, a place that felt more familiar than the dormitory itself, and settled in comfortably.
Then just like that we began our mana cultivation.
***
The next day.
After having breakfast with Seo Ye-in and Hong Yeon-hwa, I headed toward the classroom.
By the time we were nearly at the new academic building, Hong Yeon-hwa suddenly turned to me as if a question had just occurred to her.
“By the way, what class are you in?”
Since we had moved up a grade, there was a good chance we had been assigned to different classes.
I answered casually.
“Class 2.”
“We’re in the same class…!”
Hong Yeon-hwa’s face immediately brightened.
Next, I looked at Seo Ye-in.
“What class are you in?”
“…Class 2.”
“Somehow, that doesn’t sound convincing.”
“…it’s true.”
The way she subtly avoided eye contact only made her seem even more suspicious.
So I gave her a probing look.
“Let’s be honest. What class are you in?”
“…Class 3.”
Just as I had feared, we had been placed in different classes.
I let out a long sigh before speaking.
“Regrettably, it seems Miss Seo Ye-in can no longer remain with us. I wish you the best in building meaningful relationships in Class 3.”
“No…”
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