< Chapter 108: Entangled (3) >
I returned home and first contacted Maiden.
“You encountered the Saviors of Truth’s Boss?”
“Yes.”
Maiden sighed heavily.
“Tell me in detail.”
I explained everything that had just happened, from discovering someone exuding a fearsome aura during the friendly match to the accidental encounter.
“Fortunately, he didn’t seem to know my identity.”
“At least that’s good.”
“Yes.”
Even thinking about it now was nerve-wracking.
“Anyway, I got it. I’ll check if there’s anyone in the Korean political sphere showing suspicious behavior, as you said.”
“Thank you.”
The call ended. I stretched my tense muscles here and there.
“Is the communication over?”
Suddenly, the princess peeked her face between my shoulders.
“Ah, yes, it’s over.”
“You looked serious; what happened?”
“Nothing much.”
“It looked like something.”
“It really wasn’t anything.”
I patted the worry-filled face of the princess and stood up from my seat.
“Clearly, something is going on… Maybe I should learn that… Hangul?”
The princess pouted.
“Yeah, learning Hangul would be good. I’ll teach you. It’s not difficult.”
“Really?!”
“Yes, you’ll learn quickly if you’re the princess.”
The intelligent princess would be able to read and write within 10 minutes. Hangul was that simple.
Well, at least reading and writing were.
“Hmm. Even in my homeland, my intelligent mind was famous.”
The princess grinned.
“I have a favor to ask that smart princess.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
The princess’s ears perked up. It seemed she was pleased by the compliment.
“It’s not a difficult favor.”
After meeting with Unknown today, I felt it again. I had to get stronger before the national competition started. At least, I needed to be strong enough to beat the executives, except for Maestro, in a 1:1 fight.
“Teach me some magic.”
I needed to learn magic for that.
* * *
I had begun to learn magic from a princess who was inexplicably pleased.
“Move the magic with a feeling of ‘pop’ and end it with a flashy finish.”
…Could I even say that I was learning this?
“That’s the end.”
The princess grinned, her face resembling a fluffy-haired, perm-haired old man. For some reason, I felt like I heard a hallucinatory voice saying, “It’s really easy, isn’t it?”
“?”
I didn’t understand anything.
What did ‘pop and flashy’ mean?
Was there an error in my ability to understand beastmen languages, which I presumed I received from a God?
Hmm, that seemed plausible.
“Next is easier. Release the magic with a ‘woo,’ and end it with a ‘woo.'”
“…”
“If you reached ‘woo,’ next is ‘bang.'”
Apparently, it wasn’t a translation error.
I chuckled dryly.
I had read somewhere that geniuses couldn’t teach others. Was this the case?
“My dear, are you listening?”
“I am listening, but…”
Literally ‘just listening.’
“Then, let’s continue.”
The princess’s foreign-language special lecture continued for another 10 minutes.
“So, do you feel like you’ve learned something?”
“…”
No, I didn’t understand anything.
“Hmm, you look confused.”
My expression apparently gave away my feelings.
I had let her go on because interrupting someone who was talking so enthusiastically felt wrong. But at this rate, it would be neither here nor there.
“To be honest, I don’t understand.”
I said with a serious face.
“Which part did you find difficult?”
Which part…?
“Everything?”
“Ah.”
The princess sighed.
“I tried to simplify it as much as possible. Are you saying everything was difficult?”
…That was her simplified explanation?
“Actually, the educators who taught me felt the same. They were always baffled by my advanced vocabulary.”
“Probably baffled by your otherworldly vocabulary.”
“Hm? What did you say?”
Before I knew it, my real thoughts had slipped out. Thankfully, they were in Korean.
“No, I said it’s impressive.”
“That didn’t feel like what you meant. But, it’s fLustrating. I’ll have to quickly learn the language of this country.”
The princess nodded her head slightly, her lips pursed. She seemed resolved.
“I suppose we have no choice but to teach you through practice.”
“Practice?”
“Yes, it’s the method my first magic teacher used.”
The princess stood up from her seat with a playful smile and moved behind me, hugging me from behind.
“Princess?”
It was what’s commonly known as a ‘back hug.’
“Focus.”
The side of the princess’s face was extremely serious.
“Close your eyes and slowly move your magical energy following my guidance.”
The princess overlaid her hands on top of my hands.
A warm sensation spread throughout my body. I felt an alien magical energy in my body. However, it wasn’t uncomfortable.
“Start with the heart. Can you feel it? Start moving your magical energy from here.”
The princess’s magical energy coaxed mine to move.
I began to move my magical energy a little at a time.
Something felt serene.
“How is it? This is what ‘pop’ means.”
“…”
…I didn’t know about that.
I cleared my mind and focused again on circulating my magic.
“Wow, you’re adapting quite fast, although not as fast as me.”
The princess admired.
“Then let’s move on to the next step. Draw out a little more energy from the heart for the purpose of release.”
Whoosh!
At that moment, a warm flame rose within my body.
“Your innate magical attribute is fire… Not bad talent.”
Joy echoed in the princess’s voice.
“Then let’s try a simple fire magic. Follow my guidance to move your magical energy.”
I moved my magical energy.
It was a different flow of magical energy, not just moving it from the heart to the hand for release.
I kept moving it.
“Now.”
At that moment.
Whoosh!
I felt intense heat on my face.
“Truly, you have remarkable talent. I wonder if you’re special, or if everyone in this era is as talented as you.”
The princess smiled.
“Open your eyes.”
I slowly opened my eyes.
“Congratulations, you’re now a wizard.”
Before my eyes, a flame shaped like an arrow flickered.
It wasn’t very large, nor did it hold much firepower compared to when I used my martial arts, but it was definitely magic.
“Remember, it’s called Fire Arrow. It’s a basic fire magic.”
A strange thrill ran down my spine.
* * *
Thursday morning.
I had finished my routine training with Instructor Pi Jin Ho.
“Let’s stop here for today.”
“Yes, good job.”
Getting used to Instructor Pi Jin Ho’s physical training had never happened. As my physical abilities increased, shouldn’t exercise have become a little easier? Why did it become harder the more I did it?
“Hmm. The more I see, the more astonishing your recovery rate is.”
The boiling pure blood within me had been the driving force of my growth. Muscles inherently grew through recovery, and thanks to the accelerated rate of recovery, my muscles were growing rapidly.
“I guess we can increase the training intensity a bit more.”
And the hellish training led by this demonic instructor was accelerating even more.
“Please, spare me…”
Any more increase in intensity, please no…
“Does that mean you want me to increase the training intensity?”
“How did you interpret my words like that?”
“When you train, you become stronger, and naturally, your survival rate increases. Therefore, asking me to spare you is the same as asking to increase your survival rate. It concludes that you’re asking to increase the training intensity.”
“… ”
That was a sophism.
“Well, if you don’t want to get stronger, I can decrease the intensity…”
Instructor Pi Jin Ho twisted the corner of his mouth. It was a smile that strangely provoked my pride. Annoyingly so.
“Increase the intensity.”
And he wasn’t wrong. Leisure was a luxury for me at that time. At my affirmation, Instructor Pi Jin Ho flashed a deep smile.
“That’s the spirit.”
…Did I do something regrettable? I felt a bit regretful.
“Oh, right. What are you planning to do about club activities?”
The period for restricting club activities was almost over.
“To be honest, I haven’t decided yet.”
Lately, seniors had been approaching me during my free time, so I had a lot to consider.
“But why do you ask?”
Is there a club he wants to recommend?
“I asked because it seems like you’ve been refusing club invitations using me as an excuse. They say you can’t join any club without my permission.”
“Ah. Um…”
Instructor Pi Jin Ho chuckled.
“Anyway, choose your club wisely. Once you’re in, you can’t leave for at least a semester.”
“Yes, I understand.”
* * *
The classes had ended, and I had stepped out of the school gates. I was on my way back to the luxurious mansion that Maiden had gifted me.
Though having a private residence was comfortable, the distance was a bit inconvenient compared to the dormitory.
I was running lightly as if jogging. But even this felt like a hassle these days. Honestly, running alone no longer seemed to increase my physical abilities, making it feel like a waste of time.
“Should I consider getting a car?”
If my commute time were shorter, I would have more time to learn magic from the princess at home. I also felt the need for a car when I was in Gangneung recently. Having a personal means of transportation seemed necessary.
I could ask Maiden to arrange it quickly, but…
“Asking for a car after receiving a house would be pricking my conscience…”
I had a conscience. After all, asking for a car when I had already received a house felt wrong. But I still felt the need for a car…
“Sigh.”
I really needed to save some money. It was then that I sighed.
“Didn’t you hear that sighing makes your fortune run away?”
A woman approached me with a smile. I looked at her without much enthusiasm.
“That’s just superstition.”
“Oh, is it?”
The woman, Shirakawa Ai, greeted me with a naive smile.
“Did you happen to run into me while out for a walk again?”
“Yes, lucky me.”
This was already our fourth encounter since our first meeting on Monday. It was claimed to be coincidental, but clearly, it was not.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
I didn’t know why this woman was approaching me. Initially, I thought it might be for ‘seduction,’ as per her character, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
In fact, the Saviors of Truth should be busy preparing for operations at this time. There was no way Lust could be taking four days off.
There had to be another reason.
“I took a month’s vacation.”
“Shouldn’t you be going back to Japan, then?”
“It’s fine. I have no one to meet back home.”
“Is that so?”
But I still couldn’t figure out what her reason was. Was she investigating me? Unlikely. If she was, she wouldn’t reveal herself to me. No, she didn’t seem suspicious of me at all.
“Oh, your shoulder.”
Lust’s eyes widened as she approached me.
“Even the leaves recognize a handsome man.”
She then reached for my shoulder and picked off a leaf. She smiled radiantly.
“Thank you.”
Each day we met, I felt the intense yearning in her eyes growing stronger.
“I should get going now.”
“Alright, take care.”
I quickened my pace as Lust saw me off.
“This is complicated.”
Shirakawa Ai, or Lust. What should I do about her?
At first, I thought about trapping her like Vagabond, but that seemed difficult.
For starters, I had no evidence. Even if I arrested Lust now, she’d likely be released as innocent. Information about Lust was not publicly known, after all. If only she’d cause a ruckus like Vagabond did.
But doing nothing also felt problematic.
To be honest, it scared me. The thought of a high-ranking member of the Saviors of Truth hovering around me gave me chills.
But what could I do?
I had no other choice but to let it be. There was no other solution.
“Sigh.”
I wanted to avoid creating any major variables before the national competition.
“I wish she would just quietly disappear.”
I quickened my steps with a bitter smile.
* * *
Upon arriving home, I was greeted by two small tigers and the princess.
“Nyang.”
Goldie greeted me with his usual demeanor.
“You’re back.”
The princess greeted me in her peculiarly awkward Korean.
“You’ve become quite fluent now, haven’t you?”
“Ye-yes. I studied a lot.”
Her speech was so cute for someone her age that I couldn’t help but smile. I lightly stroked the princess’s hair, which made her jump and shout.
“Didn’t I tell you to stop touching my hair!”
When she spoke in the beastman language, her tone remained stern. The gap between when she used Korean and when she used the beastman language was staggering.
Well, I was the one who had initially deceived her into thinking that my formal speech was stern.
“Alright, I won’t do it next time.”
“Didn’t you say the same thing yesterday and the day before?”
“Did I?”
I couldn’t remember. But I had no choice; her hair felt as silky as the finest silk, making it irresistible to touch. It was beyond my control.
“Let’s just go inside.”
“You’re clearly trying to divert the subject!”
Ignoring her, I entered the room.
“Stand right there! Today will be the day I make you realize how rude it is to touch my hair!”
As I moved toward the bedroom, she followed me, grumbling.
“Ah, right. Princess, I succeeded today. Dual casting?”
“Are you trying to di—what?”
The princess’s eyes widened in astonishment. I grinned and turned my palms upwards.
In the next moment, two arrows floated above my palms.
Each was a magical arrow imbued with the elements of fire and wind.
“How about that?”
The princess’s pupils shook as if there had been an earthquake.
“You’re… you’re quite a quick learner. I didn’t expect you to grasp it in just one day.”
She averted her eyes while sweating profusely.
“Well, it took me only an hour, but you did fine.”
“…”
Her face was clearly that of someone telling a lie.
“Why are you looking at me like that!”
… So the princess took longer than me to master dual casting?
“I’m not lying. I’m an unparalleled genius! There’s no way I would be slower than you! Triple casting was a bit of a struggle, but dual casting was easy!”
I looked at her and chuckled playfully.
“Ah, so you struggled a bit with triple casting.”
“Yes, triple casting was somewhat challenging.”
Zap!
Another arrow appeared next to the two, solidifying her facial expression.
“Tri… triple?”
The third arrow was composed of lightning. I playfully moved the three arrows of different elements around as I smiled brightly.
“It wasn’t that hard.”
Her pupils shook once more, this time like a magnitude-8 earthquake.
< Chapter 108: Entangled (3) > End.
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