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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: A Word
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"Party creation authority…?"
Baek Seol-hee raised an eyebrow, as if my request was unexpected.
"Yes, I'd like to form a party right after enrollment."
I said this and subtly glanced back at Kang Do-hee. She flinched.
Originally, in Velvet Sra, before the character I chose obtained party creation authority—
—meaning, until the mid-term exams, players were forced to watch the story and use auto-battle.
It was a way of telling players, 'Our game operates like this.'
In other words, it was a tutorial.
So, what I requested was a tutorial skip!
'The sooner I get this, the better. With party authority, I can clear dungeons early on.'
Furthermore, its importance skyrocketed now that character gacha draws were absent.
If I claim Lee Yu-ri or Kang Do-hee for my party beforehand, others won't be able to snatch them up, right?
"…Hmm, that's a more unexpected request than I thought."
"Is it not possible?"
"No. I'll make sure to resolve that part for you somehow."
After a moment's consideration, Baek Seol-hee nodded decisively.
'Done!'
I cheered inwardly.
*Snap!*
Baek Seol-hee snapped her fingers, changing the atmosphere.
"There was a slight unpleasant incident just now… but we still have work to finish. I will now evaluate today's joint training."
Everyone's faces stiffened.
"Special admission cadets. Kang Do-hee, Shin Se-hee."
"…Yes."
"…Yes."
"Do you understand what your problems were, cadets?"
Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee bit their lips.
"You probably thought you could do everything by yourselves. Or that a party was unnecessary. Or perhaps, that if it wasn't your own pawn, you only needed to do just enough."
She looked at Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee alternately as she spoke.
"Of course, you could make excuses. Because today, the cadets wore magic tools that restricted their magical power. You might think, 'I can just remove this kind of thing.'"
Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee touched the magic tools bound to their arms.
"For convenience, the cadets' power was restricted, but in fact, this training assumed you would face an enemy far stronger than yourselves. In that situation, would Cadet Kang Do-hee still charge ahead alone as party leader, giving no orders? Would Cadet Shin Se-hee also just do her own thing as she did today, acting as if cooperation was unnecessary?"
"…"
"…"
"Both of you will be assessed a minus 10 points in the evaluation."
Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee bowed their heads low.
"Cadet Jin Yu-ha."
"Yes."
Baek Seol-hee turned her head towards me.
Her stern gaze somehow seemed a little softer.
"Considering the strength of all party members, giving instructions that synthesize enemy information, your judgment, sense, and instincts. All are passing marks. Your observation skills are outstanding. I will give you a plus 30 points."
The instructor was cutting down the special admission cadets and praising me.
It was even more praise than the Demon Identifier had given.
I scratched my cheek, feeling a bit embarrassed for no reason.
"Thank you."
However, Baek Seol-hee soon hardened her expression and added.
"However, seizing the party leader's command authority in the middle without any warning is a violation of discipline and system. That is a significant deduction. Therefore, minus 30 points…"
"W-wait a minute!"
Just then, Kang Do-hee suddenly interjected.
"Hmm?"
"C-Cadet Jin Yu-ha did not seize the party leader's authority!"
Kang Do-hee's sudden defense.
'Even if I found it frustrating, I thought I'd get scolded for seizing command without a word…'
I looked at Kang Do-hee with a puzzled gaze.
"…Then?"
"I-I, from the v-very beginning…! I had decided to yield it to Cadet Jin Yu-ha…"
Baek Seol-hee let out a small laugh.
Baek Seol-hee had already heard all the instructions during the joint training.
Kang Do-hee's lie was too obvious.
However, she didn't point it out specifically.
Instead, a satisfied smile played on her lips.
"Alright. In that case, I will cancel Cadet Jin Yu-ha's penalty points. Then, Cadet Kang Do-hee. The party leader authority you possess…"
"As of today, I will transfer it to Cadet Jin Yu-ha."
Kang Do-hee said this, looking at me.
'Just a moment ago, she was glaring at me like she wanted to kill me, so why is she like this now…?'
A pitiful face, like a dog caught in the rain.
I tilted my head, unable to understand.
"Are there any other cadets who wish to object?"
"For me, it's fine…"
"None!"
"None!!"
Shin Se-hee's gaze seemed to have become a little more dangerous, for some reason.
The two quota cadets sent disgusting gazes and clapped loudly.
*Clap, clap, clap, clap—!!!*
With that, the joint training concluded.
* * *
After finishing the training and returning home, Kang Do-hee.
She trudged back to her room, her face devoid of spirit.
"…He wasn't a demon."
She had thought the request came specifically to her, but that wasn't the case.
When she thought about it, it was obvious.
It was more natural to send a request to an instructor first, rather than a provisional cadet, for the role of capturing a demon.
So, the request assigned to her was nothing more than a prohibition of approach and observation, wasn't it?
*Thump!*
*Thump!*
*Thump!*
Feeling utterly foolish, she banged her head against the wall.
*Ding-dong—♪*
Her phone notification rang from her pocket.
She took out her phone to check it.
[ Designated Request Canceled. ]
[ Cancellation Penalty Fee, 5,000,000 Won has been paid. ]
A message notifying her of the request cancellation had arrived.
One-tenth of the original completion fee she was supposed to receive.
She had done nothing, yet 5 million won had landed in her hands.
However, even as Kang Do-hee looked at the amount displayed on the screen, she felt no joy whatsoever.
Rather,
Guilt filled her chest.
'I knew…'
People who doubted, pointed fingers, and turned their backs on someone for a wrong they didn't commit.
People who wouldn't believe, no matter how loudly one cried out, 'No, it's not true.'
A person who withered and broke down amidst all that.
Kang Do-hee knew one such person.
And she also knew what that person's end was like.
The now-retired guild leader of Parandis Guild.
Choi Hye-seo.
Yet, she, who had witnessed that entire process right beside her,
had almost pushed an innocent person, not even a demon, into trouble by branding him as one.
Simply because the circumstances seemed suspicious.
Of course, she hadn't actually done anything yet.
But what if it hadn't been revealed today that Jin Yu-ha wasn't a demon?
Surely, as the instructor said, she would have committed an irreversible act.
And she would have regretted it for the rest of her life, never forgiving herself.
*Thump*—Kang Do-hee's heart sank.
It was then.
*Ding-dong—♪*
Her phone notification rang once more.
Sender — Black Serpent.
" Jin Yu-ha Video VER.2 "
'What is this…?'
The Hunter Management Bureau had sent another video of Jin Yu-ha via email.
'Why is there still an email even though it's confirmed Jin Yu-ha isn't a demon…? Ah, maybe they haven't received the update yet?'
It seemed the higher-ups had heard the news that Jin Yu-ha wasn't a demon, but it hadn't yet been passed down to the lower ranks.
Kang Do-hee hesitated, her finger hovering over the delete button.
'First, before deleting it… should I just take a look…?'
Kang Do-hee gulped and downloaded the video, then played it.
And her eyes widened dramatically.
In the video she received yesterday, Jin Yu-ha had only appeared to be persecuting other students.
Because only scenes of him demonstrating overwhelming skill and cutting down other students with a wooden sword had been shown.
However, Jin Yu-ha in the video received today was different.
The scenery hadn't changed, but,
he was extending his hand to the quota cadets who looked as if they had been terribly wronged.
And Jin Yu-ha on the screen spoke.
"It's only natural to save your party members when they're in danger."
'Ah, that fight yesterday was to save them…!'
*Shudder—*
A shiver ran down her spine with the realization.
Kang Do-hee bit her lip tightly, overwhelmed by surging emotions.
Now that her mind was clear, she could see it.
When they were in such a dangerous situation.
A person who extended a hand as if it were nothing.
"Guild leader…"
The guild leader's face distinctly overlapped Jin Yu-ha's.
'I need to apologize, apologize…'
But under what pretext…?
With what audacity…?
'Actually, I thought you were a demon because you were so suspicious…?'
'So I was going to turn you over to the management bureau?'
Kang Do-hee's face contorted.
Just then, Jin Yu-ha's one word came to mind.
"After today, I'll never speak to you first. Just listen carefully to what I'm saying now."
"Later, no matter what questions you come to me with, I will always answer honestly."
Ah.
Perhaps Jin Yu-ha had known from the beginning that he would be suspected like this.
Because with such abnormal power in a male body, he must have experienced many such things until now.
Come to think of it, even when he was suspected of being a demon, Jin Yu-ha had asked back, 'Should I go to the Hunter Management Bureau?' as if it were familiar.
'So, he had been hiding his power until now… and got caught right before coming to the academy.'
"And what I said about wanting to be your friend, that will never change. Keep that in mind too."
How had she replied then?
"What kind of idiotic thing is that to say? Me, come find you? Do you really think that'll happen?"
Jin Yu-ha shrugged and said.
"Who knows?"
That casual remark now felt like salvation to her.
"…Ha. Damn it."
Kang Do-hee covered her face with her hands and let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"It turns out, I *do* have a reason…"
Jin Yu-ha had told her to come talk to him directly anytime, but,
honestly, she still didn't have the courage.
For now, yes.
Starting with getting to know him as much as possible by his side.
Starting with properly carrying out his commands.
The apology,
will come after that.
After all, he was the party leader from now on.
Kang Do-hee nodded with a determined expression.
Then she replayed the video on her phone.
*Click.*
"It's only natural to save your party members when they're in danger."
"…Damn. That's so romantic."
Leaning back on her bed, she watched Jin Yu-ha's video all night long.