While she was taking me to some place, not a word was exchanged between Song Cheon-hye and me.
Song Cheon-hye who was leading the way occasionally glanced back to ensure I was following.
“…….”
Judging from the displeasure that came out every time we made eye contact, it didn’t seem like I made a good impression at all.
In her view, I must have seemed like a strange person who caused trouble for the disciplinary committee over a cookie.
Moreover, due to that slight friction with Han So-mi I was probably on the verge of being branded as a troublemaker.
I was probably just a notch above Shin Byeong-cheol, who was already a student known for being problematic.
Eventually, we arrived at the office marked “disciplinary committee Club”.
The office was neatly organized.
Except for a corner stacked with piles of documents.
On one side of the room, there was a door leading to another room. Song Cheon-hye approached it first, opened the door, and gestured for me to enter.
If the disciplinary committee office was neat and orderly, this room felt barren and stark.
The only furniture was a table in the middle with two folding chairs facing each other.
A single dim incandescent bulb faintly illuminated the dark room.
Anyone could see that this was an interrogation room.
The place was known among players as “The Room of Truth”.
It was said that anyone who entered would come out a good person….
“Please, take a seat.”
“Okay.”
At Song Cheon-hye’s words, I pulled up a folding chair and sat down.
I settled into the folding chair, leaning back with leisurely ease. This apparently looked too comfortable to Song Cheon-hye, as her eyes twitched once in response.
She closed her eyes tightly as if suppressing anger, then reopened them.
“Just wait a moment.”
Song Cheon-hye left the Room of Truth and soon returned with another male student.
Judging from the golden color of the pin on his tie, he must be a third-year senior.
His sturdy build and benign appearance reminded me of a gentle bear, perhaps more so because of his narrow, slit-like eyes.
It was hard to tell if he was smiling or expressionless, as only the corners of his mouth were slightly turned up.
The senior with narrowed eyes placed a few items on the table and asked,
“Hello. Your name is… Kim Ho, right?”
“Yes, senior.”
“Alright, Kim Ho. My name is Oh Se-hoon. Most people know me as the president of the disciplinary committee or ‘Slit-Eye Senior’. Feel free to call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“…….”
People with narrow eyes usually don’t like being called that, do they?
I wasn’t sure if Oh Se-hoon was genuinely indifferent to such a nickname or if he was testing me.
In situations like this, it’s best to keep quiet.
Oh Se-hoon asked while pouring coffee from a thermos in his hand.
“Would you like something to drink? I’ve got honey water, green tea, and coffee… But it’s almost evening, and coffee might keep you awake, right?”
“I’ll just have some cold water, thank you.”
“Please stay seated. I’ll get it for you.”
Before Oh Se-hoon could rise, Song Cheon-hye quickly left the room and returned almost right away.
She was so fast that one might have thought there was a water dispenser right outside the door.
Song Cheon-hye, still showing her displeasure, briskly placed a paper cup in front of me and then positioned herself upright behind Oh Se-hoon.
Oh Se-hoon took a sip of his coffee and then began to speak.
“So, Kim Ho, we won’t keep you long since you can’t be late for the entrance ceremony. Just answer a few questions, and you can go.”
“Okay.”
“I heard you used the slot machine in carriage number 10. So-mi warned you it was against school rules, but you continued. Why is that?”
He went straight into questioning about the incident on the train.
My response did not change despite knowing the other party was the head of the disciplinary committee.
I persisted with my strategy of feigning ignorance.
“I don’t understand why it was against the rules, so being told not to do it just made me more rebellious.”
As she answered nonchalantly, Song Cheon-hye’s eyes twitched again.
If it weren’t for the disciplinary committee president, she might have cast a powerful spell on me right then and there.
On the other hand, Oh Se-hoon slowly nodded his head as if he could see my point.
“There’s some fault on So-mi’s part for not explaining properly. Still, I hope you’ll follow the disciplinary committee’s instructions without question in the future. We’re not always in a position to provide an explanation.”
“I understand.”
“There’s another thing I want to ask.”
Song Cheon-hye handed over a small glass bottle that was kept in a ziplock bag.
It was the same bottle that contained the [Dark Ice Crystal].
Oh Se-hoon, examining the bottle, narrowed his eyes, which seemed to flash sharply for a moment.
“You swallowed the crystals that were in here. Don’t you have any abnormalities in your body?”
“None at all. I feel just the same as usual.”
“Still, just to be sure, I’d like to conduct a simple test. Could you put your hand here?”
A device resembling a blood pressure monitor was placed in front of me.
It was a device that displayed results when you inserted your hand into a fist-sized hole.
A Debuff Detection Device.
In <Dragon Slayer Academy>, the methods to access information about an opponent’s skills, traits, or equipment were extremely limited.
It was even impossible to check what status ailments the opponent had.
Unless the status ailments were directly inflicted by oneself.
This debuff detector was designed solely to check for status ailments in the person whose hand was inserted.
Without hesitation, I put my hand into the hole.
Whiiiir
The device started to whirr and buzz.
Until just before we arrived, the Dark Ice Crystals were not completely absorbed, so the freeze effect continued to occur and release, but now that was all over.
Therefore, it was unlikely that the detector would find any debuffs.
As the device emitted a green signal, Oh Se-hoon nodded his head.
“It seems there’s nothing unusual. Kim Ho, let me tell you something. In principle, you can be subject to disciplinary action simply by disobeying the instructions of the disciplinary committee, regardless of whether an explanation was given or not. Of course, this is only a case of ‘in principle”. Since no one was hurt in this incident and it’s your first offense, we’ll overlook it this time without issuing any demerit points. But I do hope that this is the first and last time we have to address an issue like this with you.”
“Yes, senior.”
Hearing my answer, Oh Se-hoon’s lips curved into a more relaxed smile.
“You can go now. Do you know the way to the auditorium? If not, you can go with Cheon-hye.”
“It’s fine. I know the way.”
“Alright, then go ahead. And have a good semester.”
***
“…….”
Oh Se-hoon was leisurely savoring his coffee even after Kim Ho left.
He was someone who could enjoy a relaxed moment anywhere as long as he had his coffee with him.
He gently took another sip and then asked a question over his shoulder.
“It looks like Cheon-hye is dissatisfied.”
“…That man is lying; at least he’s definitely hiding something.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Student Kim Ho’s room was in carriage number 8. There’s no reason for him to go all the way to carriage number 10 unless his target was the slot machine from the start. And as for dumping the contents of the bottle in front of So-mi, he said it was out of rebellion, but it seems forced to me.”
“You’ve got a sharp eye. My thoughts are similar.”
Although he expressed his agreement, to Song Cheon-hye, it seemed like Oh Se-hoon had lost interest in the matter.
Was it her imagination, or did he seem more interested in the coffee in his hand?
Song decided to press further.
“There’s a high possibility he acquired some prohibited skill. If we use the [Magnifying Glass] to check his skills, we might catch him.”
“Yeah, that could be the case.”
The [Magnifying Glass] was an item that allowed partial access to a subject’s information.
The information that could be viewed varies depending on the type and rank, but if you use the right one, you should be able to see what skills someone possesses.
However, Oh Se-hoon’s response remained lukewarm.
Just as Song Cheon-hye was about to add another comment, he asked a question.
“What if it shows nothing?”
“Pardon?”
“If we use the magnifying glass and it doesn’t reveal any problematic skills, what then?”
“That is…”
Song Cheon-hye found herself unable to respond easily.
Although she was almost 100% certain in her suspicion, what if she pushed hard and it turned up nothing?
The backlash would affect not just the disciplinary committee but also the Topaz Magic Tower that she was a part of.
On the other hand, even if the Magnifying Glass did reveal a ‘prohibited skill’ the chances of it being something egregiously evil were slim. At most, the perpetrator might get demerit points or a minor disciplinary action.
The risk seemed too great compared to what could be gained.
Oh Se-hoon had likely already considered this when he decided to let Kim Ho go.
Song Cheon-hye bowed her head.
“I’m sorry. I was careless.”
Oh Se-hoon was pleased with his junior’s attitude.
This was a time when the students were full of self-esteem as elites.
Recognizing and admitting one’s mistakes during such a period was no easy feat.
Oh Se-hoon gently advised her.
“Cheon-hye, I understand that your heart is in the right place. But remember, in matters like these, pushing aggressively isn’t always the solution. Let’s take it slow and look at the bigger picture.”
“…Yes.”
If Kim Ho was indeed using something prohibited, he would inevitably get caught, even without the use of the magnifying glass.
“Unless he causes more trouble, let Kim Ho be. Our priority now is to monitor the trends among the clubs.”
“Understood.”
“Come on, you better hurry too. You’ll be late for the entrance ceremony if you don’t leave now.”
***
The time I spent in the “Room of Truth” was very brief.
But by the time I stepped outside, the sun was already halfway down.
Walking on the land bathed in the crimson hue of the setting sun, I arrived at the auditorium.
Hundreds of freshmen were seated, waiting for the entrance ceremony.
The noise of their chatter combined, sounding like a swarm of bees buzzing.
While casually looking around, I noticed someone with gray hair.
Although it was a game world where all kinds of worldviews were mixed, gray hair was still surprisingly rare.
Seo Ye-in seemed to sense my gaze and turned her head towards me just in time.
Following her gaze, Go Hyeon-woo also looked my way and soon he spotted me and waved his hand.
“Kim-hyung, over here!”
In a rather calculated move, Go Hyeon-woo and Seo Ye-in had strategically left a seat empty between them.
Unless you have a very thick face, it would have been difficult to put your butt in between them.
The moment I sat down in the empty seat, a notification message was displayed in the corner of my eye.
[Tutorial III Completed]
▷You have attended the entrance ceremony on time.
▷Reward: E-rank weapon selection, 5 silver coins
[Weapon Selection (E)]
▷You can acquire any E-rank weapon of your choice.
Even though it was called an E-rank weapon, it was merely mass-produced equipment that was no better than Go Hyeon-woo’s iron sword.
But it was still better than nothing.
The 5 silver coins I had squandered on the slot machine were also fully reimbursed.
“……!”
“……!”
The bustling auditorium began to quiet down, beginning from the front rows.
The reason was that a group had entered the stage at the front of the auditorium.
Judging by the timing of their appearance and their age range, it was clear they were the teachers and staff of the Dragon Slayer Academy.
As the students’ attention converged on them, the teachers displayed varying reactions.
Some completely ignored the sea of faces, focusing straight ahead as if nothing else existed, while others responded with faint smiles and friendly waves.
Among them, a man who appeared to be in his late thirties, with a roughly trimmed beard, stepped up onto the podium.
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