“Mm.”
Joo-yeon stood atop the transport ship that was dropping supplies.
From that lofty height, she quietly looked down at the now rain-free deserted island.
Even the humidity reaches all the way up here.
She hadn’t aimed for the rain, but it was within her expectations.
Thinking of it as training, she felt it had worked out rather well.
“…….”
Joo-yeon took the energy bar from her pocket and placed it in her mouth.
She chewed mechanically, keeping her eyes on the unfolding situation.
After dropping off the Class 1 students yesterday, Joo-yeon had spent the entire day on the deck of the transport ship.
As an instructor at the Academy, she believed it was only natural.
Besides, she wasn’t the only one having a hard time.
All the instructors in charge of the first years were planning to watch over the students without sleep or rest until the test was over.
The support makes it somewhat bearable.
The Paradise Knights came into view. They were patrolling the skies with their excellent flying skills.
She could also sense instructors moving directly through the island’s interior.
“…….”
The island within her view was quiet and without issues.
Even so, Joo-yeon couldn’t take her eyes off it for even a second.
It was a vague, unclear feeling. Something hazy and formless.
Something’s wrong.
What Joo-yeon felt was pure instinct.
Whenever she sensed a flow like this, an incident had always followed regardless of its scale.
She didn’t know what kind of incident it might be, and so she couldn’t even try to avoid it. Stopping the test could itself become the trigger for the incident.
So all she could do was keep her senses as sharp as possible.
…Let’s hope nothing happens.
Just this once, she hoped it was all for nothing. That it was a useless worry.
With that prayer, Joo-yeon shoved the last piece of her energy bar into her mouth.
***
Red-flavored supply drop.
What kind of tempting item could be inside?
Rohan hadn’t been able to see it in Abyss City, so curiosity bubbled up. It made him feel giddy like children.
Rustle! Crunch!
Rohan and Ichinose pushed through the underbrush and stopped in their tracks at the sight before them.
“Huh?”
“This is… a coincidence, right? What a strange picture.”
They crouched in the grass, hid their bodies and watched the swarm of iron turtles below.
Judging by the number of them, this had to be a habitat.
“They’re asleep, right?”
“Most likely. They’re supposed to retreat into their shells when they sleep.”
At the center where the sharp, blade-like shells of the Iron Turtles were located.
On top of the largest Iron Turtle’s shell sat the supply drop, proudly releasing red smoke.
The sheer coincidence of how it had ended up like that was astounding.
“Hmm… instead of forcing our way through, should we just sneak in and try to take it quietly?”
“I don’t think that’s a bad idea. They’re tough, but slow monsters.”
As Rohan and Ichinose exchanged thoughts—
Two male students boldly appeared from the bushes on the opposite side.
Rohan and Ichinose fell silent and observed them from their hiding spot.
– Iron Turtles? Those things aren’t satisfying to hit.
– …
– What are you waiting for? Go grab it.
– M-Me!?”
Their hierarchy seemed well-established.
Judging by their faces, they weren’t Class 1 students.
Maybe they had run into each other inside Orion Academy at some point, but Rohan had no clear memory of them.
What was certain was that they weren’t playable characters, nor were they people who appeared in the story.
“Hmm, faces I haven’t seen before.”
“…One of them’s a student from the Three Nations Alliance.”
Ichinose let out a long sigh as if she recognized the face.
Just recognizing them seemed to visibly drain her.
“A friend of yours?”
“Not someone I’d call a friend. I saw him a few times while following my father around to various events…”
Though that might’ve been all, the discomfort and displeasure Ichinose felt were unmistakable.
Rohan didn’t press for more and instead asked quietly,
“Then you probably don’t have much information on them?”
“If I just mention what I know…he’s the grandson of General Cheol-Eung from the Three Nations Alliance. His name is Ok Myeong-jin. His weapon, as you can see, is a spear… I’ve heard that General Cheol-Eung’s spear technique relies more on centrifugal force, resembling staff movements rather than simple thrusts.”
Indirect information about the student named Ok Myeong-jin.
Concise and useful. Given the blood relation, there was a high possibility he had been personally taught the spear techniques.
“General Cheol-Eung holds a rank below Grand General, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Wow, our instructor really is the best.”
“Instructor Joo-yeon’s reputation ranks in the top five, even when compared to figures in the political world of the Three Nations Alliance.”
Though Ichinose spoke softly, she didn’t hide her admiration for Joo-yeon.
Becoming a general at Joo-yeon’s age would already place her among the greatest talents in the history of the Three Nations Alliance. But to go even further and attain the rank of Grand General before stepping down…. that made her nothing short of a genius.
What’s more, given her young age, it was clear she would grow into an even more formidable presence with time.
It was no exaggeration to say Joo-yeon was the pride of the Three Nations Alliance.
“Anyway, you’re saying there’s no reason for us to share supplies with that Ok… whatever-his-name-is?”
“Right. No need to worry about them.”
After double-checking Ichinose’s stance, Rohan reached for his gear and finished preparing to head out.
– Move it. Unless you wanna die.
– W-Wait a minute!
– I told you, I’ll give you a little if you bring it back.
They even saw him shoving his teammate toward the monster.
Ichinose was about to step in, but Rohan stopped her and stood up first.
“Hey, you two.”
““!””
At Rohan’s voice, both men snapped their heads around.
Their faces were full of suspicion.
When Ichinose appeared behind Rohan, the student holding the spear broke into a wide smile.
“Lady Ichinose! Fancy seeing you here!”
“Ah, yes…”
“Wahaha! To run into you while checking the same supplies. Surely, this must be fate, don’t you think?”
“…….”
Ichinose took a subtle step back.
Even from where he stood, Rohan could tell the man’s attitude was overbearing.
It felt like a hybrid of things that should never have been mixed, so he cut off the conversation.
“Enough with the small talk. We’re not sharing supplies, so back off. If you’re hungry, tear off your sticker or something.”
“Hmm?”
Ok Myung-jin shifted his gaze to Rohan, who was standing next to Ichinose.
He gave him a quick once-over, then asked,
“And who might you be?”
“I’m Rohan.”
Rohan replied in the same polite tone the other had used.
Rohan… Rohan…?
Ok Myung-jin mumbled the name to himself a few times, then exchanged a word or two with the male student beside him.
Once he seemed to have an answer, a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Teaming up with Lady Ichinose… You’re one lucky guy.”
“Look at this guy switching gears. That’s funny.”
“Quiet. I’ve no intention of chatting with the likes of you, so stay out of it.”
Ok Myung-jin planted his spear on the ground and fixed his gaze on Ichinose.
“Lady Ichinose. What would you say to teaming up with me instead?”
“Do you mean the four of us should work together?”
“No. Not ‘we’. Just ‘me’.”
Ok Myung-jin’s partner kept his mouth shut, staring only at the ground.
Ichinose arched the brow hidden beneath her bangs.
“What exactly do you mean? Are you saying you’re going to ditch your partner?”
“If you put it that way, I end up looking like the bad guy. I’m just proposing a trade in the name of efficiency.”
“……?”
Ichinose widened her eyes, clearly not understanding, and turned her gaze to Rohan.
Rohan shrugged as if to say he didn’t know either.
“If we meet here again on the last day and switch partners, no one will find out. With the number of students on this island in the four digits, the instructors won’t be able to check who’s with whom in detail.”
“What are you even…”
Such audacity in his demeanor.
Ichinose was left speechless, and Rohan who was listening beside her let out a dry chuckle.
What the hell’s with this guy?
To make a suggestion like that with the person concerned standing right there. What kind of manners were those?
The problem was, people like him weren’t even that rare. Rohan felt not anger, but something close to nostalgia.
Screeeeech!
Rumble rumble…
Hearing the conversation from below, the Iron Turtles began to wake one by one.
But the battle of wills wasn’t happening between students and monsters. It was unfolding among the students themselves.
“What do you say, Lady Ichinose?”
“I refuse.”
“Still extending kindness to the unfortunate, I see. Once again, I’m touched by the beauty of your heart, Lady Ichinose.”
“What did you just—!”
Just as Ichinose was about to snap, Rohan’s hand reached for a standard-issue dagger.
He tossed it lightly.
Clang!
Ok Myung-jin deflected the dagger with his spear and turned to look at Rohan.
It hadn’t been a magical throw. It was nothing threatening. But the intent behind it was crystal clear.
“What do you think you’re doing, Southerner?”
“Guess you didn’t know. That’s just how we greet people in the South.”
Convinced that what he’d heard from his partner had been correct, Ok Myung-jin smirked and the corner of his mouth twisted up coldly.
“Trying to claim the supplies by force? You sure put a lot of trust in Lady Ichinose. Arrogant.”
“Well, you should’ve found yourself a partner like mine.”
Rohan naturally reached for his longsword.
He held Ichinose back with a hand and stepped forward.
“So, you think you can handle this on your own? I can’t give you the supplies, but for Lady Ichinose’s sake, I’ll spare your life.”
“Yeah, yeah. Thanks.”
Even as Rohan stepped up, he found himself puzzled.
Why did the guy look so overly excited? Was the chance to beat someone up really that thrilling?
Thinking that, Rohan––shring!––drew his longsword.
And in that moment, a memory flashed through his mind.
This feels familiar… where have I seen this kind of atmosphere before?
He looked at Ok Myung-jin.
Instead of keeping his eyes on Rohan who should’ve been his opponent Ok Myung-jin kept sneaking glances at Ichinose.
Ichinose’s awkward vibe, her presence, her gaze, her behavior. All of it clicked together like pieces of a puzzle.
And then Rohan remembered.
Ah!
It wasn’t just déjà vu. It was a clear memory from the past.
He had experienced, even witnessed, a situation exactly like this in a previous life.
He wasn’t entirely sure, but the odds felt high.
The words left his mouth before he could stop them.
“…You bastard… don’t tell me—”
“What? Don’t tell me you’re backing out now that you’re scared?”
Ok Myung-jin pointed the tip of his spear at Rohan with bold confidence.
His whole posture radiated the arrogance of someone who already believed he’d won.
But that wasn’t what Rohan had meant to say.
The look he gave Ok Myung-jin was already filled with pity and sympathy.
“…Did you confess and get rejected?”
“….…”
It was obvious who the confession had been for, even without explicitly saying it.
At Rohan’s words, Ichinose flinched. Her whole body trembled as she recalled the past.
Ok Myung-jin, caught off guard by the past he had buried deep inside, stood there with his mouth hanging open.
A brief silence followed.
Ok Myung-jin’s expression twisted into something demonic as he grabbed his spear and leaped into the air.
“I’ll kill youuuu!!!”
Anyway, one man had started to go berserk.
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