It’s a bit disappointing not to be in the same class as my close friends, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
As Do-gyeon-woo said, I can only hope to meet good people in the class I’ve been assigned.
After parting ways with her friends in the hallway, Lisa found her way to her classroom.
‘It looks like we’re almost there…’
Class 12, Year 1.
Perhaps because the class orientation was about to start soon, many students were already seated.
Lisa searched for a place to sit, glancing around to see if there was anyone she knew among them.
‘Oh, those are the people I worked with during the third practical exam. I didn’t realize they were in the same class…’
Fortunately, she wasn’t completely alone.
She recognized a few students—some she had collaborated with during the entrance exam, and others she’d competed against.
“Bow.”
“Yes, hello.”
Among the students, some had bowed their heads in greeting, likely members of the Grace Empire.
Lisa gave them a slight nod in return.
Among them were some familiar faces.
‘That person is… the heir to the Cherish family.’
Even though they were far from the top of the imperial succession list, Lisa was still an imperial princess.
While those from prestigious families, such as the ten noble families, had to undergo intense training to become hunters from a very young age, she, as a princess, had to grow up receiving education befitting her royal status—teaching in court etiquette, social manners, dance, politics, economics, and more.
She had been educated to memorize the names, crests, histories, statuses, and family lines of the noble families loyal to the empire.
For influential noble families, one even had to memorize the faces of their members.
Someone like her could never fail to recognize such figures.
She had greeted the Cherish family heir a few times at imperial banquets.
They had only exchanged pleasantries, so it wasn’t exactly like they were close, but still, meeting a fellow person from the Eastern Kingdom brought a sense of warmth.
“Who’s that? A member of a prestigious family?”
“Wow… to think I’m in the same class as someone like that…”
“A foreigner?”
Meanwhile, the students who didn’t know Lisa’s identity were quietly gossiping.
Her exotic and striking appearance, combined with an air of elegance, naturally drew their attention.
But Lisa, used to being the center of attention, didn’t show any sign of discomfort and took her seat.
Her eyes naturally fell on a group of male students seated a few rows ahead.
“Sa-gun, does that mean there are no classes today? Is the orientation the only thing we’re doing?”
“Yep. Today, we’ll just meet the homeroom teacher, have a brief explanation about academy life, and that’s it. If we do anything more, it’ll probably be introductions among the class members.”
“Looks like we’ll be done sooner than I thought. Hmm, what should we do with the free time…?”
“How about we do the entrance ceremony tonight, just the two of us?”
“Entrance ceremony?”
“An entrance ceremony is…”
Two male students, who seemed to know each other, were sitting side by side, chatting away.
The male student who was leading the conversation had his eyes obscured by the light reflecting off his glasses, but Lisa got the sense that he was likely an intellectual.
As for the other male student…
‘He’s handsome.’
The thought crossed her mind involuntarily.
Lisa, who had refined tastes and an eye for aesthetics, noticed that his facial features were strikingly well-proportioned. His forehead, eyes, nose, and chin were all aligned in such a way that it almost felt like admiring a well-crafted sculpture.
‘He’s different from Gyeon-woo.’
His eyes sparkled with vitality, and his sharp jawline subtly revealed a sense of masculinity.
Yet, as he smiled and chatted with the other student beside him, there was something innocent and childlike about him.
She thought to herself that a child who kept their innocence would likely grow up to be like that.
If she were around him, she felt that she might be swept up by his lively energy without even realizing it.
He was the kind of man who could easily charm a woman with a lack of resistance to attraction.
His aura was completely different from Do-gyeon-woo’s, who had a more intense, probing energy that made one feel somewhat unsettled.
A different kind of handsome.
Lisa continued to observe the male student absentmindedly until the homeroom teacher arrived.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Suho-guk, your instructor for the year.”
“…”
The instructor introduced himself from the podium.
The students flinched slightly, unnerved by his sharp, penetrating gaze, which seemed to pierce through everything.
At the same time, they all recalled his alias, which was well-known.
‘Suho-guk…’
Lisa recognized him immediately.
Anyone who had applied to Goldong Academy would have heard his name.
No, even those who hadn’t applied would likely have heard of him.
The Punishment Sword, Suho-guk.
Before becoming an instructor, he was a figure who had struck fear into countless villains, an enemy of the dark forces.
He was considered a nemesis of villains.
Naturally, the students were stirred by the news of him becoming their homeroom teacher.
He quickly silenced the room.
“Quiet down. There will be plenty of time to hear about me later. Let’s focus on the orientation for now.”
“…”
Suho-guk proceeded to explain the essential information students needed to know about life at the academy.
The students listened attentively.
Afterward, they had a brief moment to introduce themselves.
“Hello, I’m Lisa Evangel… Grace. I’m sure some of you may already know me, but even though I’m from the Grace Empire’s royal family, please just call me Lisa…”
Students introduced themselves in the order listed on the roll call.
When it was Lisa’s turn, she explained her background to the class but also made it clear that she wanted to be treated as an equal to them, regardless of her status.
The response was generally positive.
‘Phew, that’s a relief.’
Lisa felt a quiet sense of relief.
She had no intention of being treated with special respect because of her royal status.
At Goldong Academy, she was just another student.
That’s how she viewed it.
This wasn’t the Grace Empire, nor was it even an academy city in Korea.
Expecting to be treated differently by people who weren’t from the Empire was, frankly, laughable.
After sitting down, Lisa started to familiarize herself with the faces of her classmates.
“Hello, I’m Bak Sa-gun. I went to middle school…”
‘That person is Bak Sa-gun.’
Before long, the male student with glasses who had caught Lisa’s eye stood up.
He was one of the two male students she had noticed earlier.
Bak Sa-gun.
Lisa made a mental note of his name and continued observing her classmates.
By the time it was the turn of a student with the surname Hwang to introduce himself, the introductions were nearing their end.
“Then, the last student is… Kang Han-byul? Why is that written below?”
“…”
“Oh, he’s a disciple of Tugi.”
Suho-guk casually mentioned a name that caught everyone off guard.
Tugi’s disciple, Kang Han-byul.
The students immediately began murmuring at the mention of this name, which had been surrounded by rumours for some time.
“A disciple of Tugi?”
“Didn’t they say he didn’t apply for the exam this time?”
Tugi was a figure of immense reverence, comparable to the heads of the ten noble families.
Naturally, the fact that Kang Han-byul was his disciple piqued everyone’s interest.
Moreover, for students of their generation, he was also a potential rival.
On the other hand…
“I heard rumours that he was admitted through special enrollment. Was that true?”
“If he’s from the Kang family and was called last, then it must be true, right?”
“…”
There had been whispers about Kang Han-byul entering through special enrollment, which had caused some discomfort among the students who had worked hard to pass the entrance exam.
Their reactions were less than friendly.
The murmuring grew louder.
“Everyone, stop talking and quiet down. Kang Han-byul, where are you? Get up and introduce yourself.”
“…Yes.”
“…”
In that moment, Tugi’s disciple stood up.
The students’ gazes turned toward the source of the voice.
A male student with dark brown hair stood.
‘That’s him…’
It was the same male student Lisa had noticed earlier.
She blinked.
‘So, he’s Tugi’s disciple.’
Lisa knew that the Grace Empire had once owed a debt of gratitude to Tugi Seo Jeong-jin, which softened her view of Tugi’s disciple.
Unlike the other students, she didn’t harbour any resentment toward him.
Moreover, Goldong Academy was a place where even the ten noble families couldn’t meddle, and its president, So Hye-yul, was known for his wisdom and impartiality.
She felt that there must have been a good reason for his special enrollment.
‘Perhaps he’s exceptionally skilled…’
With that thought in mind, Lisa became curious about how Kang Han-byul would address the students who might harbour negative feelings toward him due to the rumours of his special enrollment.
Would he deny the rumours?
Or…
“Hello, I’m Kang Han-byul! I may not seem reliable since I didn’t take the exam like all of you, but I will work hard to prove my abilities! Please take care of me!”
“…”
Kang Han-byul chose the latter approach.
After the orientation, Hong Ye-na had the students introduce themselves.
Then, we were tasked with electing the class representative and vice representative, who would be responsible for both small and large matters in the class throughout the semester.
“First, let’s elect the representative. If anyone wants to show outstanding service and become the class representative, please raise your hand.”
“….”
With a haughty expression, Hong Ye-na, who was standing at the podium, tried to encourage the students to participate.
However, no one raised their hand in response.
It was to be expected.
‘Who would want to do such a troublesome job…?’
Unless they were offered a Golden Coin or something.
Being the class representative brought no real benefits.
They had to convey instructions from the homeroom instructor, distribute handouts, assist the student council with organizing official events, and generally work hard in many ways.
The only possible advantage was becoming closer to the instructors and the student council, and maybe having an extra line written in the student’s record.
But for hunters, skill was everything.
In the world of hunters, the phrase “showing dedication, responsibility, and leadership as a class representative” would not be of any help.
“Is there no one who wants to volunteer? If you do, the instructor will bring snacks and give you candy every day!”
Naturally, both Hong Ye-na and the assistant instructor, Yuno-eul, expected such a reaction.
Yuno-eul, who was standing by the whiteboard, tried to coax the students with the promise of food.
That aside…
‘I didn’t expect Yuno-eul to be our assistant instructor…’
Yuno-eul, who had recently acquired her instructor’s certification and was assigned as a homeroom instructor this year, was 25 years old.
She was a character in the game who served as a guide, helping players with character development.
According to the storyline, she was supposed to be assigned to a class with Kang Han-byul.
But for some unknown reason, she had unexpectedly been assigned as our assistant instructor.
‘This must have been So Hye-yul’s doing.’
That was the only conclusion she could draw.
Just like Hong Ye-na’s appointment as the homeroom instructor, it seemed like So Hye-yul had orchestrated it.
For Lisa, this was not a bad situation at all.
Both Hong Ye-na and Yuno-eul were people she could rely on.
Even though Yuno-eul’s appointment as the assistant instructor had disrupted the original course of events, there was no need to worry much.
In the grand scheme of things, she wouldn’t have much impact on the story’s progression.
The real concern was elsewhere.
‘I hope they didn’t change Suho-guk’s role… I really hope they didn’t…’
Suho-guk, the Punishment Sword, was the homeroom instructor for Kang Han-byul this year. He was a key figure in the storyline.
Just as Yuno-eul’s future had been altered, Lisa hoped Suho-guk’s future had not been changed as well.
Since she and Kang Han-byul were now in the same class, she planned to ask him about it later.
Then, at that moment…
“I’ll do it. I’ll take the position.”
“Wow! Arin is doing it?”
Min A-rin, who was sitting next to Lisa, suddenly raised her hand.
Yuno-eul clapped her hands in delight.
‘…If it’s Min A-rin, she can do it.’
The other students didn’t seem to understand why Min A-rin was stepping up to become the representative.
But Lisa easily understood.
Min A-rin was someone who wanted to prove her excellence and had the ambition to become the student council president.
For her, being class representative was something that could give her a little value.
“Is there anyone else?”
“….”
“If not, we’ll close it here. Min A-rin will be the class representative. Please take care of things for the next semester.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best.”
Since there were no other volunteers, Min A-rin was officially appointed as the class representative.
Next, they were to elect the vice representative.
“Who would like to volunteer for vice representative? The instructor will take care of you and give you candy!”
“….”
The situation was the same as before.
Despite Yuno-eul, wearing a light blue shirt and a black skirt, eagerly trying to convince the students, no one responded.
“Who wants candy?”
‘The candy is probably burnt rice-flavour anyway.’
Unfortunately, no one stepped forward to volunteer for the vice representative position.
Finally, Hong Ye-na, unable to delay the decision any longer, spoke up.
“If no one volunteers, I’ll choose myself. Is there any objection?”
Hong Ye-na’s gaze swept across the room.
Lisa guessed that the students, including herself, were probably thinking the same thing.
She quickly lowered her head to avoid meeting her gaze.
‘…Why is this taking so long?’
Despite the passing time, Hong Ye-na still hadn’t chosen anyone.
Feeling uncomfortable from keeping her head down for so long, Lisa slowly raised it to understand what was going on.
And then…
“….”
She met Hong Ye-na’s eyes.
Hong Ye-na was staring at her intensely.
It felt as though she had been waiting for Lisa to lift her head.
‘Witch, don’t do this.’
A sense of unease washed over Lisa.
She shook her head in desperation, trying to avoid the situation.
Hong Ye-na seemed to accept her refusal with a nod.
A wide grin appeared on her face.
“The vice representative will be Gyeon-woo, who joined as the second-best student. Please take care of things for the semester, Gyeon-woo.”
Lisa, who had foolishly sat in the front seat, muttered under her breath.
All she could say was one thing.
“…Damn it.”
Why was the witch doing this to her? What had she done wrong?
The class representative elections were taking place in other classes as well.
The situation was mostly the same.
Students were unwilling to volunteer for a position that brought no tangible benefits.
As a result, the instructors had no choice but to select students themselves.
The criterion they typically used for selection was the students’ entrance exam scores.
Therefore…
“Yeon Ha-neul.”
“…Yes?”
“Yeon Ha-neul, who joined as the top-ranking new student, will be the class representative.”
“Whaaaat!?”
It was inevitable that Yeon Ha-neul was appointed as the class representative.
When her name was suddenly called, she was so shocked that her hair stood on end and her rabbit ears popped up.
“T-teacher, I…”
“Ha-neul, you’ll have to work hard.”
“….”
“Well then, next, we’ll have to choose the vice representative.”
No. I can’t. I really can’t.
Yeon Ha-neul trembled, pleading with the homeroom instructor in a quivering voice.
But neither the instructor nor anyone else listened to her plea.
They simply moved on to selecting the vice representative.
“Ughhh…”
“Ha-neul, you can do it! Fighting!”
Her rabbit ears drooped.
Yeon Ha-neul, on the verge of tears, looked like she might break down.
Her seatmate, Ko Eun-bi, awkwardly tried to comfort her.
Eun-bi, secretly relieved that she wasn’t the class representative, smiled to herself.
But in the end, Eun-bi found herself in the same situation.
Yeon Ha-neul desperately clung to her.
“Eun-bi.”
“…Yes?”
“Please… help me… please?”
“….”
Yeon Ha-neul tightly grabbed Eun-bi’s hands, preventing her from escaping.
Eun-bi couldn’t help but feel moved by Yeon Ha-neul’s teary eyes and her pleading expression.
“What will you do for me if I become the vice representative?”
“I’ll do whatever you want!”
“Really? Then, can I touch your ears?”
“Right now?”
“Can I touch your tail too?”
“Only Gyeon-woo can touch my tail…”
“Ah, never mind, I won’t do it.”
“No, you can touch my tail! Just… do it gently and with gloves on.”
“Gloves?”
“…”
“I just want to touch it with my hands.”
“…Alright, just don’t hurt me. And don’t tell Gyeon-woo… It’s a secret.”
“Okay! I love you, Ha-neul!”
A contract had been made.
Ko Eun-bi’s face turned bright red as she embraced Yeon Ha-neul.
Her hand slowly…
Leave a Reply