It might seem unexpected, but the top-ranking student in the martial arts department is none other than Yong Ha-Rang.
Thus, it was only natural for the homeroom instructor to choose him as the class representative.
“Then, let’s make Ha-Rang the class representative. Ha-Rang, I look forward to working with you.”
“Yes, understood! Since you trust me to take on this responsibility, I’ll do my best as the class representative!”
“Ah… Right… Good luck.”
The righteous martial artist, Yong Ga, cannot tolerate injustice and acts according to his sense of duty.
His emotions run deeper than even the righteous sword masters of the swordsmanship guilds, who adhere to justice and honor.
That is why he is called the righteous martial artist.
Though he did not desire it, Yong Ha-Rang ignited his sense of duty as class representative to honor his instructor’s trust.
A fire is burning brightly.
‘…Am I doomed?’
Just witnessing it was enough to make one sweat.
The homeroom instructor, somehow, felt as though flames were erupting around him.
He soon found himself regretting his choice, though it was too late to undo it.
“If no one else is going to volunteer for class representative, I’ll choose someone myself. Let me see… Nam Yu-Ri? Sorry, but Yu-Ri, you’ll have a tough time this semester…”
Meanwhile, Nam Yu-Ri, who had entered the alchemy department with high marks, was also nominated for the class representative role.
However, she was not one to easily comply with her instructor’s words.
“Why me?”
“What?”
“Are you giving me an order?”
“…”
“On what grounds, exactly?”
“Yu-Ri, I’m your instructor…”
“Do you have the authority to force me?”
“…”
At the back of the classroom, during the dull orientation, Yu-Ri lazily twisted her gray hair, raising an objection.
Her round violet eyes widened as she smiled, and her question, seemingly innocent, radiated an uncomfortable feeling that was hard to ignore.
The homeroom instructor instinctively flinched, startled by the newly enrolled student’s attitude.
“Yu, you don’t want to, huh?”
“Yeah, I hate anything bothersome.”
“Ah… I see…”
“…”
In the prestigious academy, the authority of the instructors is quite strong.
There is no advantage in offending them, as they can affect a student’s grades.
However, those who hold power to rival the instructors’ authority are the families of the Ten Great Clans, especially those belonging to the renowned families.
If the relationship between the instructors and these families is smooth, life is easy, but if it sours, it becomes a headache.
Attempting to undermine them using the instructor’s authority can lead to complications.
The homeroom instructor was well aware of this through years of experience.
He muttered begrudgingly as he observed Yu-Ri’s assertiveness.
The other students quietly watched the tension between them.
‘I guess I shouldn’t have provoked her.’
If Yu-Ri became the class representative, the students would follow her without question, and the semester would likely be smooth.
However, it seemed she was not the type to take on such a role.
The instructor quickly formed a judgment about her in the short span of time.
Though she was short and cute, with long, fluffy gray hair, which could give the impression of a gentle lamb, she was no lamb.
She was a wolf in sheep’s clothing—or rather, a snake.
A venomous, dangerous snake.
It was best not to get involved with such a person.
The instructor, who had a somewhat hamster-like appearance, decided to back down.
“If you don’t want to, Yu-Ri, I guess I can’t force you. Is there anyone else who will step up as class representative?”
“…”
And so, the tension between the instructor and Yu-Ri began.
Among the students, she became a figure many found difficult to approach.
Of course, she didn’t care.
Meanwhile, another student, in a different way, made the instructor give up.
The lazy genius of the cycle carriage department.
Cha Eun-Sol.
“Really, no one is volunteering? I see… Then I’ll choose someone myself, so don’t blame me later. Hmm… Right, we do have someone from the cycle carriage department here?”
“…”
“Cha Eun-Sol. Where is Eun-Sol?”
When no one volunteered to be the class representative, the instructor first looked at the entrance scores and background of the students.
In that sense, Cha Eun-Sol, despite her low scores, was someone who could catch the instructor’s eye.
The homeroom instructor began searching the classroom for Cha Eun-Sol.
“Eun-Sol! Where are you? You were just here during introductions…”
But Cha Eun-Sol was nowhere to be found.
The instructor called her name, but there was no response.
Then, a student pointed to an empty desk nearby with their finger.
“Instructor, Eun-Sol is over there.”
“Oh, there…”
The instructor was about to speak, but stopped.
There was a pile of belongings on the desk.
Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t a pile of belongings, but a blanket.
The blanket was subtly shifting up and down.
A faint breathing sound was audible.
Sssss…
“…”
Cha Eun-Sol was lying face down, disguised under a blanket as though trying to hide her presence.
She had cleverly disguised herself as a pile of belongings, and the instructor failed to notice.
The homeroom instructor, stunned by the situation, clicked his tongue.
“Wake up, Eun-Sol.”
“Yes, Instructor. Eun-Sol?”
“Mm?”
“The instructor says to wake up.”
The blanket rustled.
Cha Eun-Sol peered out from underneath it.
She had on earplugs and a sleep mask.
Even a cushion to prop up her arm.
“…”
The others in the classroom were left speechless at the sight.
However, Cha Eun-Sol calmly removed her earplugs and sleep mask, but only slightly.
She didn’t remove them entirely.
“What’s going on?”
Cha Eun-Sol rubbed her eyes, which had suddenly been exposed to light, and yawned, covering her mouth.
The instructor couldn’t help but laugh at her nonchalant behavior, even though he felt embarrassed.
“We were in the middle of choosing a class representative, and Eun-Sol, you’re the one who—”
“I don’t want to. I’m not doing it.”
“…”
“I’m not going to.”
Before the instructor could even finish his sentence, Cha Eun-Sol immediately rejected the idea.
She shook her head.
“Then I’ll just go back to sleep.”
“…Okay, fine. Sleep well…”
The instructor didn’t press her further.
At that moment, he gave up all expectations of her.
“Cool…”
Actually, if I had made up my mind, I could have rejected the vice-representative role back then.
With my name tied to the illustrious swordsmanship family, simply refusing would have been possible.
No matter how powerful the instructors’ authority, they couldn’t look down on me.
As a member of the swordsmanship guild, I had the support of people from renowned swordsmanship families.
In short, if someone wanted to oppose me, they’d have to face the wrath of the swordsmanship families.
That’s the power of the Ten Great Clans.
Every prestigious family from the same lineage, like the magical martial arts families, the righteous martial artists, the cycle carriage department, and the alchemy families, was bound by a post-cataclysmic pact to follow the Ten Great Clans.
If they didn’t want to be ostracized in the Hunter’s world.
This applied to all of them.
Therefore, the academy instructors respected students from the Ten Great Clans.
In the world of hunters, it was inevitable that one would receive support from or borrow power from the Ten Great Clans.
They could not oppose them.
And neither could they.
‘I’m the vice-representative…’
Despite this, the reason I didn’t mention my swordsmanship guild’s name to Hong Ye-Na was that I didn’t want to create tension between us.
She likely knew I wouldn’t refuse and thus nominated me as the class representative.
She truly is an insufferable person.
‘But, I can’t go back now. Let’s think of it positively.’
I decided to shift my mindset.
Being the class representative isn’t all bad.
Even if there’s no real benefit, there are definitely advantages to the position.
Firstly, as the class representative, you act as a liaison between the class and the instructors, giving you the authority to control information and lead the students.
Of course, whether the students will follow orders is another matter.
In the Hunter’s world, where meritocracy reigns, if you don’t have the ability, it’s hard to move others.
But I have both skill and the backing of the swordsmanship guild.
The students had no choice but to obey.
‘Moreover, I’m not the class representative, I’m the vice-representative.’
Class representative duties? Responsibilities? Troubles?
All of that is for Min Ah-Rin to handle.
I’ll just support her and take advantage of the power.
So, it’s not bad.
It’ll be useful for understanding the events in the academy and provides me with a good excuse to get involved.
I can get closer to Hong Ye-Na and also make friends with the assistant instructor, Yu No-Eul.
And there’s Min Ah-Rin too.
Thinking positively, there are advantages.
Still.
“Why me?”
This is one thing I need to address.
After the orientation ended completely, I followed Hong Ye-Na, who said she had something to discuss with the class representatives, and immediately asked her.
She, who had been heading to the administrative office, answered dismissively.
“I told you, it’s because you’re the top student in the entrance exam. And you’re from the swordsmanship guild.”
“Not just because of that. You could have not chosen me, since we’re close.”
“Don’t say things that can be misunderstood. It sounds like I took bribes from you. You and I are now student and instructor. Let’s keep our distance.”
“So, what’s your real reason?”
“Because you’re annoying.”
“…”
“I’m the one who’s going to suffer because of you, so I can’t just let you be comfortable. You wouldn’t do that, would you?”
“You just said we should keep our distance earlier. Is it okay to mix in personal feelings now?”
“Where in the world are things ever completely rational?”
“…Is the Witch, who once said that a wizard should be rational, really saying something like that?”
“What are you talking about? When did I ever say that? I did say that both reason and logic are important for wizards, but you also need to understand that mana, the origin of magic, is based on imagination and emotion. Humans and wizards are beings who combine emotion and reason, logic and irrationality. That’s what makes us incomplete yet endlessly capable of growth.”
“I’m not planning to attend your class~.”
“…You’re really infuriating, aren’t you?”
“You’re annoying, Witch.”
“Annoying? Do you even know how much older I am than you?”
“Of course, I know. This year, I’m 3… “
“Don’t say it.”
“…”
“Will you shut up?”
“Well, I’m still young because I’m a Hunter.”
“Don’t try to comfort me in such a ridiculous way.”
“Complaining no matter what, huh…”
“Ugh, you’re so frustrating.”
Hong Ye-Na suddenly stopped walking and turned to look at me.
I raised the corners of my mouth on purpose as she gave me a sharp glare.
That seemed to frustrate her even more, and she clicked her tongue in exasperation.
“Anyway, while I’m your homeroom instructor, don’t go causing any unnecessary trouble.”
“I’ll try my best, if I can.”
“…What are you even saying? That doesn’t sound like you’re really going to try.”
“I’ll try as much as I can.”
“Why does it sound to me like you have no intention of trying at all?”
With a deep sigh, Hong Ye-Na resumed walking.
We continued our conversation as we headed to the faculty office.
At some point, Min Ah-Rin, walking in sync with me, nudged my shoulder.
She leaned closer and whispered in my ear.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“Are you close with the Witch of the Seven Colors?”
“I guess you could say we are. I used to have private lessons with her. But why are you asking about that?”
“Well, I’m just curious about how you became close with someone so famous for being difficult. Wait, you had lessons with the Witch of the Seven Colors?”
“Yeah.”
Her yellow eyes stared at me.
Min Ah-Rin openly scanned my body with faint curiosity.
I shrugged it off.
“I’ve heard the Witch of the Seven Colors doesn’t usually give private lessons… Unless you have a significant talent… So you must have had some magic talent on top of being from the Swordsmanship Guild, huh?”
“The Witch said I’m just ordinary.”
“What? Then how did you manage to get lessons from her? Could it be that you used your family’s influence?”
“My childhood friend is one of the Witch’s disciples.”
“Ah.”
“So I just tagged along with them.”
“Ah, your childhood friend. That’s Yeon Ha-Neul, right?”
Min Ah-Rin, who had initially been suspicious of me, quieted down as soon as Yeon Ha-Neul’s name was mentioned.
She didn’t say anything more after that, closing her lips and following me in silence.
She seemed a little down.
‘What’s going on with her?’
She looked a bit gloomy, lost in thought.
I glanced sideways at Min Ah-Rin as she stared at the floor while walking.
I thought about saying something, but she didn’t seem like she’d be receptive.
Before I could say anything, we had arrived at the faculty office.
“This is where I and Assistant Instructor Yu No-Eul sit. You’ll be coming here often, so remember our spots.”
Hong Ye-Na sat down in the faculty office for the first-year students and spoke.
She then pulled out a file holder from the rack and handed it to Min Ah-Rin.
“Keep this between the class representative and vice-representative. It contains the contact information and whereabouts of all the students. Just so you know, it contains personal information, so make sure you don’t misuse it. Keep it safe, don’t lose it. And it also has the business cards of the instructors, including mine. Don’t forget to save the numbers, okay?”
“Yes, I saved them during class earlier.”
“Me too. So, now that everything’s done, we can leave, right?”
“Yeah. Anyway, let’s try to get along this semester.”
I briefly flipped through the information in the file holder.
I’ll save the students’ numbers once I get back to the dorm.
Having finished our business, Min Ah-Rin and I stood up to leave.
Just then, Yu No-Eul, who had been sitting next to Hong Ye-Na, called out to us.
“Before you go, Gyeon-Woo, Ah-Rin, take a candy each. It’s delicious.”
“Thank you. We’ll enjoy it, Instructor.”
“…Thank you.”
Yu No-Eul turned her chair towards us and personally handed us the candy.
As expected, it had a rice porridge flavor.
‘When I used to visit Yu No-Eul in the game, she’d always give me rice porridge-flavored candy.’
I couldn’t help but smile as nostalgia hit me.
No, should I say it felt more real?
I decided to indulge my past self’s curiosity about what the candy in the game might have actually tasted like.
After thanking Yu No-Eul, I turned to leave, unwrapping the candy.
‘…It tastes familiar.’
It was the same flavor I’d had in my past life.
Like eating rice porridge, it was savory, light, and sweet.
I could feel a distinctly Korean vibe.
I rolled the candy in my mouth and savored the taste.
Meanwhile, Min Ah-Rin looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Is that really good?”
“It’s not bad, you know?”
“You should eat rice porridge and candy separately. Why are you eating them together?”
“Well… maybe it’s because I can have both a meal and a snack at the same time.”
“So, when you eat that, you’ll end up eating rice porridge and candy together?”
“Something like that.”
“Sounds like you’re trying to diet with candy. That’s ridiculous.”
Min Ah-Rin didn’t seem to care much about the rice porridge-flavored candy.
She was trying to put it into her pink skirt pocket.
I stretched my hand out to her.
“If you’re not going to eat it, give it to me.”
“Your tastes are strange. Fine, take it.”
As if it were fate, Min Ah-Rin handed me the rice porridge-flavored candy.
I put it into my pocket.
‘I’ll give it to Ha-Neul later.’
I wondered if Yeon Ha-Neul would like it.
Once I said goodbye to Min Ah-Rin, I decided to message her.
She should be done with the orientation by now.
Just then, I heard her voice.
“Ah.”
“Yeah? What is it? Why are you like this?”
As we were about to leave the faculty office, I noticed a pair standing in front of a desk.
The female student was Lisa, and the male student was also a character from the game.
The talkative Guardian, Dr. Gun.
He looked exactly like the illustration of his character from the game.
‘Come to think of it, based on the game’s plot, Lisa and Dr. Gun became the representatives.’
Dr. Gun, who volunteered, became the class representative, and Lisa, with her good grades and royal lineage, became the vice-representative.
I decided to approach them to say hello.
“Not going? Why are you going there?”
“I’m just going to meet a few people I know.”
Min Ah-Rin called me from behind.
I answered her vaguely and walked over to Lisa.
She must have noticed me because her face lit up when she saw me.
“Oh, Gyeon-Woo. Did you also get chosen as the class representative?”
“I’m not the class representative, just the vice-representative. You became the representative, right?”
“Oh, the vice-representative. I’m also a vice-representative. This is the class representative, Dr. Gun. And this is my friend, Do Gyeon-Woo…”
Lisa gestured lightly to introduce Dr. Gun, who was standing next to her.
He seemed to realize she wanted to introduce us and immediately greeted me.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Gun. Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you already.”
He adjusted his glasses and extended his hand for a handshake.
Naturally, I shook his hand.
“Well, no need for introductions then. Nice to meet you. Let’s get along.”
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