Episode 11 The Hero’s Appearance is Always Late (2)
I was lost in thought, basking in the sunlight streaming in through the window.
…Leon van Reinhardt.
‘He was damn handsome.’
To be honest, Kang Geum-ma’s face was pretty and he had a tall appearance, but Leon’s appearance was different because he received the main character’s buff. He was a handsome man with blond hair that sparkled like the sun and blue eyes that looked like sapphires. When he stood, he looked like a statue, and when he sat, he looked like a painting.
As the saying goes, a face is a match for another, and just like other munchkin protagonists, the heroines make you fall in love with them just by making eye contact.
For example… if you run into a heroine with a piece of bread in her mouth and corner her, you will be flagged, and even if you sneak a peek at her naked body in the women’s bathhouse, you will be flagged.
‘What an unlucky kid.’
All kinds of women were attracted to him for such ridiculous reasons that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him a two-legged pheromone. It’s a good thing Miraculous Protection isn’t an erotic game.
I think that if it was an adult-rated game, Leon might have died before he could fight the Demon King. I think the cause of death might have been a fortune teller.
In addition, the women who got tangled up, the members of the so-called main character party, were also splendid.
Rachel, the niece of the Spear Saint, Saki Ryozo, the daughter of the Zetian Emperor, and Abel von Nibelung, the granddaughter of the Sword Emperor and the most beautiful girl in the story.
I stared blankly into space and let out a hollow laugh. Thinking about the burden of karma that Leon would have to bear in the future, being popular with the ladies wouldn’t be much of a consolation. I shook my head and decided to focus on class.
widely-!
An old professor with square glasses who teaches history classes tapped the blackboard with chalk for emphasis.
“This part will be on the test. Remember it.”
The afternoon class covered the First World War that broke out 700 years ago and the subsequent establishment of the Academy by Balor Joaquin with his seven disciples, who felt the need to train the next generation of heroes.)
‘I know the basics.’
The hero of the poem, Balor Joaquin, has won a bloody battle that lasted 20 years against the Demon King’s right-hand man and the commander of the 1st Legion, ‘Lycan’. It may be called a victory, but in reality, it was a fight with no true winners, only losers.
It is said that it was the history of the bloody sea of the world, where screams filled the air and blood vibrated everywhere, and where the hell of the human world unfolded. I remember being startled when I saw it as an image of the game story in my previous life.
As a result, Balor Joaquin lost one of his arms and became one-armed. He could no longer participate in battles, so he founded the Joaquin Academy to plan for the future.
But if you think about it, that guy is funny. He seems to be very narcissistic, seeing as he has his name firmly engraved on the academy.
Following the First World War, humans and demons signed a non-aggression pact.
Who would have thought that this would be the beginning of a 700-year-long truce that continues to this day?
Perhaps they are too accustomed to the peace they have now. Moreover, I am probably the only one who knows that the prelude to a crack in that peace has opened today.
I wanted to at least give the media a word, but I shook off the thought because that would mean changing the situation rather than interfering with it.
She told me that she wanted to get out of the academy principal position as soon as possible. Hana Media was the first character to notice the change in the story through her unique protection, the ‘Poet’s Protection’.
And… he was the first of the Seven Star Heroes to jump to the front lines to protect the cadets.
According to the official Keumuwiki, she was the first Seven Star Hero to be sacrificed at the hands of the Demon King.
Thinking about it made a bitter taste appear in my mouth.
What did you feel while living at the academy?
‘…I wish I hadn’t known.’
After contemplating, I looked back at the blackboard. Although my eyelids grew heavy during lectures on some of the more boring subjects, the brilliant professors at Joaquin Academy, the most prestigious school, generally explained the potentially boring lectures in a coherent and clear manner.
Thanks to that, I was able to keep up with the progress of the theory class better than I thought. Of course, I was still used to standing up while working, so sitting down was a bit uncomfortable.
Still, the sound of writing on paper with a pencil or ballpoint pen and the wooden scent of the pencil tickling the tip of my nose felt quite pleasant.
However, Joaquin Academy did not reflect written exams in grades very much, and since the school values practical training above all else, the most important thing is generally practical training.
What determines whether you fail or not is not the written test, but the practical test that is held twice a semester. As it is a world-class academy, the difficulty level is also vicious, but I have some idea of the thread, so I was quite relaxed.
I looked at the faces of the students who were diligently taking notes. Regardless of whether they failed or not, the influence of note-taking was also significant until the next grade’s class reassignment, so the students were diligently following the professor’s chalk tip with sparkling eyes.
The first ones to be drafted for the Second Human-Demon War, which would take place three years later, were the upper-class cadets.
Actually, it’s called draft, but in reality, it’s forced conscription. I felt firsthand how shitty that was for two years in my previous life, so I refuse twice.
So, I’m going to put aside the fun of studying that I’ve slowly come to realize and just barely meet the cutoff line for the written exam.
Then, suddenly, a question crossed my mind.
Even Balor Joaquin, who was said to be the strongest in history, was only able to seal the commander of the 1st Legion, so how strong is the Demon King who reigns at the top of the Demon Tribe?
Come to think of it, I wonder if there were players who progressed all the way to the Demon King during the time they played ‘Miracle Protection M’.
‘Surely it’s not a crazy story where the main character loses or anything… … .’
Well, whatever. This story doesn’t apply to me. The main character, Leon, will figure it out.
The sound of the students’ pencils clicking quietly in the classroom. Because of my distracting thoughts, the flow of the class was interrupted, so I just pretended to scribble notes.
It wasn’t a note about class, it was just a habitual doodle like, “What should I eat for dinner?”
For me, worrying about my daily meals takes priority over worrying about the affairs of the country.
* * *
That evening.
As usual, I stopped by the school mart to buy dinner. It was one of the most enjoyable moments of my day. Most of the children from the precious families went to the school cafeteria without worrying about the menu.
Well, now I don’t really envy it. Because the food I cook myself tastes better than the food that someone else makes. And it’s not like I’ve been eating knife-cut rice for free for 20 years.
“Huh? Sword Demon Army!”
As I was looking through the various items at the grocery counter and comparing prices, my eyes turned to a young voice calling me. Yes, it was Chloe, the only person who called me “Geumma-kun.”
I got nervous without realizing it and started to drool.
“Oh, we meet here. Are you here to shop?”
“Oh, yes!”
Maybe it was because I had a friend, but my voice was stronger than before. I turned my gaze slightly and glanced at Chloe’s cart, which was filled with all sorts of fish. I thought that she still had a different wall of spending.
Chloe furtively watched me and licked her lips.
“Excuse me, did I make a mistake back then?”
“It was a mistake… … .”
As expected, she had no memory of that time. A dry laugh escaped my lips as I thought that it might have been a mistake to draw my Japanese sword and try to kill me.
After thinking about it for a while, I decided to ease her worries. On the one hand, I wanted to say coolly, “Chloe, you almost got your neck cut off,” but holding a grudge wouldn’t make much of a difference. Whether it’s Miu or Gou, we’ve been seeing each other in the same space for a year, so I can’t avoid you forever.
“Nothing happened.”
“… Really?”
As I nodded silently, a color came to Chloe’s face.
“…thank god.”
Chloe let out a small breath, sweeping her chest. Her red hair, which had fallen to her shoulders, swayed. She must have fixed her hair, because it looked neater and more suitable. Looking at her like this, she was definitely a small and cute girl.
‘What on earth is this guy?’
What kind of past is behind this innocent and cute face? Chloe was unconscious, but I know because I received the sword. For some reason, there was sadness in it. It seemed like she was begging to be saved, to run away. And yet, the murderous intent in the blade was so fierce that it made every hair on her body stand on end.
It’s just a guess, but while she may be less powerful than the Mao twins in terms of direct strength, if she’s intent on killing, she’s more dangerous than them. I asked Chloe, shaking off my growing doubts.
“But Chloe, why don’t you go to the cafeteria and do your own shopping?”
“Oh, that… I didn’t really like it. It was too salty and spicy… … .”
Chloe grumbled for a moment and then looked at me with round eyes and said.
“Excuse me, if it’s okay with you, Mr. Geumma, can I treat you to dinner tonight? Oh! Of course, I’m not as good at cooking as you, Mr. Geumma, but I still really want to treat you… … .”
‘It’s evening… … .’
Oh, those eyes are so confusing. I felt bad about rejecting her, but if I accepted, I felt like I would wake up in the refrigerator the next day. With that awkward expression on his face, he racked his brain to come up with a suitable reason for rejecting her, and then he opened his mouth.
“I know this is a bit much for a dinner replacement, but can I ask you a favor?”
Chloe opened her eyes wide and tilted her head.
“Please?”
“That’s right, I want to learn swordsmanship right now, but the only person I can think of to ask is Chloe.”
“Me, me alone?”
Chloe’s face turned red. She shook her head, holding her face with both hands, trying to cool it down.
“But, the Sword Demon Army is strong enough.”
“I also want to learn some new weapons. I guess I’ll have to try out a variety of weapons to prepare for the upcoming exams. There was a Japanese sword in Chloe’s room before, right? You use a sword, right?”
“… Cool.”
“huh?”
“Oh, no!”
Chloe waved her arms in an excited voice. Then she took a deep breath and nodded quietly.
“Are you sure it’s okay with me?”
“I’m asking because it’s Chloe. If it’s too much of a request, feel free to refuse, so don’t worry.”
Chloe nodded fiercely in agreement with my request. Not a bad excuse to avoid a cozy dinner with her.
I needed a swordsmanship teacher anyway, and she was strong enough for me to acknowledge. Scary enough.
So Chloe and I each had dinner and made plans to meet at the gym at 8 o’clock.
‘It seems like it went well for now.’
I waved goodbye calmly and let out a sigh of relief.
