Chapter 185: Chapter 185

There's a saying about gaining momentum. The current situation is exactly that.

[The location for the World Joint Academy has been decided...]

[Work on the academy site has begun...]

[Each country is sending support funds and construction materials to Korea...]

I remember the official discussion being right before vacation.

Less than a week later, the academy location was decided.

After that, less than a month later, site preparation finished and buildings started going up.

Magical support that would drastically reduce construction time for enormous projects.

Monster byproducts that make ordinary construction materials unable to compete.

Plus the highest-level support teams carefully selected and sent from countries worldwide.

At this speed, completion would happen before even second semester ends.

This is taking that long because the Joint Academy building and site are enormous.

If relatively small scale, might have finished within vacation.

'More than that, already a month passed. Is this vacation? Damn.'

Never expected vacation doing nothing and resting.

Vacation season isn't vacation and I'm not a student.

But I thought minimum rest would be guaranteed, but it wasn't. Damn.

One struggling student finally trips over his own feet and falls.

Already a month passed but showing no significant improvement.

Though he barely won the competition to enter the Academy,

After that, he can't soar further and is stuck at the bottom.

Left , he'll face the fate of being expelled without completing the semester,

Or even if he somehow graduates, receive poor treatment.

"I told you. Someone swinging a sword shouldn't fear the sword."

"S-sorry. I'm trying to adapt but it's not... not going well."

"Fear isn't always bad. Rather, fear makes you more desperate and stronger. But excessive fear only becomes shackles."

Academy entrance exams wouldn't have life-threatening crises.

No need for that in places checking basic parts.

Those things can be learned while staying at the Academy, so I understand. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ N0velFire.ɴet

The problem is the world isn't as leisurely as before.

Growing even slightly faster isn't just a path to become more famous,

But a path to live without getting hurt or dying.

"Let's try again. This time please, don't be scared beforehand."

Twenty-fifth attempt. But the result is the same.

At first wondered how he'd endure, but speeding up slightly repeats the same appearance.

Hands and feet tangling from fear, even breathing disturbed, collapsing on his own.

Situation naturally causing sighs. No, situation where irritation is inevitable.

But I drew the character for patience several times internally and took deep breaths.

'Right, endure. Still, these students gave up vacation to stay here.'

Most of those who couldn't reach Silver yet left the Academy to enjoy vacation.

Ma Hakjun personally said he'd keep the Academy open during vacation,

Considerately telling them to keep taking examinations during that period to try for Silver.

Indeed, those falling behind have their reasons.

Only a few remain at the Academy who somehow want Silver promotion.

These are friends with minimum will. Then I must respond to that will.

Though frustrating and seemingly hopeless, mustn't give up.

"S-sorry. Examiner. I keep..."

"If you're sorry, work harder. And you shouldn't be sorry to me."

"Family and friends cheering for students. You should be sorry to those people."

I added more wood into the constantly dying flame.

Family and friends. Hearing those words, he'll probably flinch.

Guilt toward family and shame toward friends.

Only this way will the fading intensity revive.

Clash again, and someday prove it.

That you became someone the gatekeeper can send off with a smile.

"Let's eat and do it, Examiner."

When I sent one student back to Bronze again,

Lee Hyunwoo, who was swinging his sword in the distance, appeared before me holding something.

Obviously, the Academy cafeteria also rests during vacation.

No reason to operate cafeteria when most students are absent.

Though some students remain in dorms, they must solve meals themselves.

So students either go to nearby restaurants to buy and eat,

Or prepare food themselves for meals,

Or go to convenience stores to fill stomachs.

"Really. You know it's amazing every time you see it, right?"

"Is me cooking that amazing?"

"Obviously. I'd expect you to shout about training even a little more instead of spending time on that."

Originally planned to pack and bring lunch boxes,

Thinking of Lee Hyunwoo and other students, preparing generously.

But goodness, that Lee Hyunwoo came with lunch prepared.

Even the quality was enough to mistake for something bought somewhere.

Until now, what Lee Hyunwoo showed was just a guy crazy about training.

Wonder if there was a setting that he cooks well too.

But the lunch he prepared was something even I would naturally admire.

Thanks to that, no disaster of preparing lunch while commuting during vacation.

"Eat plenty and please take care of the next sparring too."

...You, is preparing lunch a bribe for that?

Feed well then ask for proper sparring with full strength?

If that's really it, seems I fell for it properly.

While eating lunch, Lee Hyunwoo points somewhere.

Wondering why suddenly, I turn my head and there—

"...That's not Irina, right?"

"No. Much less pretty than Irina."

A blonde white woman exactly like Irina was walking around inside the Academy.

Several men and women follow behind her, and personnel in suits and sunglasses follow after.

"They're not villains, right?"

"If they were villains, they wouldn't be walking around so quietly."

What are those, while finishing lunch,

Sensing our presence, people walking around approached us.

Seems like I can't finish eating lunch.

Seeing me and Lee Hyunwoo, the woman in front greets.

Thanks to that, I realized Irina, unlike her appearance, speaks Korean really well.

She says "Hello" but the awkward feeling clearly comes across.

Thinking anew, if blonde blue-eyed Westerners, this is right.

'Still, trying to speak Korean without using translator is amazing.'

Deciding to eat later, I got up from my seat.

After greeting, the woman moved her lips several times then spoke.

"Do you know where Mr. Ma's office is?"

Mr. Ma would mean one person at the current Academy.

Seems like a visitor looking for Ma Hakjun, but what's the matter?

"First go to Korea and meet Mr. Ma. It could be great help to us."

"For the pride of our fallen British Empire."

British A-rank ability user, Emily.

She found Korea faster than anyone from other countries.

The moment the Joint Academy construction location was decided as Korea,

There was much to prepare for home country and Joint Academy's domestic students.

Additionally, there were things to request support for from Korea, which has relatively comfortable ability user numbers.

"The place showing most notable activity recently. It will somehow help our fallen British Empire. Exchanging with that academy's dean wouldn't be bad."

"And there are several people who were close to your father. If you mention your father's story, perhaps they might take more care of you, Emily."

Emily's real name is none other than Emily Shaw.

Daughter of recently murdered British S-rank ability user, Bernard Shaw.

The sudden death of S-rank caused domestic chaos once.

Villains became active on large scale, deepening social anxiety.

Plus gates and monsters suddenly strengthened, bringing all sorts of difficulties.

Especially, gates Britain couldn't cover had to be handled by France.

Result: France's position rose while Britain's narrowed.

'For father, for the motherland. Must make exchange with Korean ability users more certain.'

For that reason, before Joint Academy construction even began,

Emily visited Korea's Academy with British students.

The problem was miscalculating vacation timing and coming when students were absent.

'Too late. Should have come earlier.'

Mulling over schedule mistakes while heading to meet Ma Hakjun,

Suddenly feeling gazes on her, Emily moved toward that place.

There she met two men—

Setting aside why they're eating lunch in such a place,

Most surprising was both of them being tremendous skilled people.

Especially from the man standing on the left, she faintly felt the energy strong people emit.

The faint magical power her father once unconsciously emitted.

"You seem to be here to meet the Dean. Is that correct?"

Dean, dean. Right. Mr. Ma. Ma Hakjun is in such position.

Emily nodded meaning that's correct.

Then that strong person gestured for her to follow.

'Who is he? At minimum A-rank. Or higher.'

While thinking various thoughts, the group reached the dean's office front.

With words to wait a moment, the man went inside and shortly after,

With those words, the closed door opened wide.

"What. Never expected Examiner Baek Seojin would bring them."

The moment Ma Hakjun muttered that while looking at British people,

Finally Emily learned the identity of the man who guided her.

'Baek? ...Baek! Right. The person who defeated Elder had surname Baek!'

Emily looked at Baek Seojin with surprised eyes.

Never expected such a big shot to be eating lunch in an Academy corner.