Episode 147 Symbol 7: Strong Sword Horse (5)
‘… That’s it.’
Chief Ha concluded the story with a small hum.
I just got to the point. As a first-year student, I can run for the student council president election and choose either number 6 or 7.
Originally, I was planning to sneakily make a scouting offer, but… … .
Chief Ha slightly raised her eyes. Her retina was filled with sky-blue hair.
‘That girl.’
A female student with blue flames boiling in her eyes. That girl completely cut off the ‘associative’ approach towards Kanggeomma.
The name was Saki Ryozo, I think. Chief Ha was hesitant at first, but slowly figured it out.
Saki (咲) was a surname that proved that she was the daughter of Saki Kojima.
Surely, she would be the daughter of a monster who is both a hero of the Seven Stars and the head of Japan. Why did I think she was unusual from the first impression?
‘If I had known this would happen, I would have cut it off, even if it meant signing a nondisclosure agreement or something… … .’
It was a miss. But if I were to make an excuse, I was too afraid of meeting Kang Geum-ma alone.
I’m the one who instantly kills the demon with a heart attack, but what about me?
If you even look at them, you’ll be sent to hell!
Chief Ha simply did not have the courage to look at Kang Geum-ma’s face.
The basics of sales are making eye contact with the other person. It’s the most basic of the basics that I’ve heard so many times since I was in the association training center.
But let alone making eye contact, those black eyes didn’t even seem to allow me to take a deep breath.
I erased from my mind the instructions from Chief Seong to try to establish friendly relations with Kang Geum-ma as much as possible.
‘I’m sorry, Manager Seong.’
Chief Ha bit his lower lip. If only he had done a good job selling to Kang Geum-ma.
Our ‘Strategy Planning Department’s’ performance this year will be more than enough. The association’s higher-ups have been paying attention to Kanggeomma along with Leon.
But company work isn’t more important than life. I’m sure the manager, who’s probably getting yelled at by the academy director by now, will understand.
‘No, how am I supposed to talk to a cadet who can’t be measured in the first place!’
While Chief Ha grumbled to himself, Kang Geum-ma rested his chin on the table.
He made a crooked expression, as if he was displeased with something.
“The reward is running for president.”
A voice as cool as a breeze lingered in the private room.
Kanggeomma tapped the table with his fingernails.
“Is that all?”
“… … !”
Chief Ha raised his head without realizing it. What is this? He’s running for president of the world’s most prestigious school, Joaquin Academy?
Originally, only second and third year students could apply, and just running for office would raise the family’s prestige.
Kang Geum-ma frowned as if to say, ‘Why are you making me suffer so much for something like that?’
He said with his eyes that such honor was worthless to him.
Chief Ha’s common sense did not allow him to understand it. But who was the other person?
A genius known as the Sashimi Sword Master. A madman who does not forgive even the slightest provocation and immediately uses his sword.
A madman is someone who has a screw loose in their head. I know this because the president of the association is like that.
They have a different way of thinking, and they feel joy and sadness in different ways than ordinary people.
So, there was no way that Chief Ha, an ordinary person, would know what part of Ganggeomma had been stimulated.
A chill ran down Chief Ha’s spine. Sweat formed on the hands he had placed on the table.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
I don’t know what I’m sorry about, but my subconscious has chosen to apologize.
At that moment, Ryozo lightly hit Kang Geumma’s arm.
“Geumma, you really need to think about the opposing position. I told you that if you set the mood, it’ll be really suffocating.”
“ah.”
Kanggeomma scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. He seemed to have regained his composure. Only then did Ryozo let out a deep sigh of relief.
“And I have to listen to the Korean until the end. Chief Ha hasn’t finished speaking yet, but if I do that, I’ll be able to open up my mouth a lot. Right, Chief Ha?”
“Oh, yes yes.”
Chief Ha nodded with wide eyes. She caught her breath. She thought. Bringing this pretty girl was a stroke of genius.
Ryojo asked on behalf of Kang Geum-ma.
“Everything is unusual, starting with the mock exam we had today. It’s not just about running for president, but it seems like there’s something more to it. Is that right?”
“Oh, of course! It has been decided that the president elected this time will be given a pass to enter the Korean branch of the association. In other words, the president of the Joaquin Academy will be able to enter and exit the association freely at any time.”
At those words, a light flashed through his dark pupils. He was immediately disappointed by the pointless reward of being a candidate for president, but it was a different story when it came to the association membership card.
Kang Geum-ma said.
“Are you saying that I can enter any Korean branch of the association?”
Manager Ha responded quickly in a very relaxed tone.
“You can use any facility except the top secret archives. For example… … .”
“Is the artifact vault included?”
“Yes, the artifact vault is also included in the authority.”
“Let me ask you one more thing. Is there a Monolith, and is it in the Association?”
“If it’s Monolith… Ah! You mean that boulder? Yes, Monolith is an artifact managed by the Association, and it’s currently being stored in the Korean branch. Of course, there are conditions. You must do it alone, without any accompanying personnel. And contact is prohibited.”
“… … !”
The anticipation that had crumbled like ashes in Kang Geum-ma’s eyes rose again. In the midst of this, Chief Ha muttered.
“But that monolith. If you see it in person, you’ll be very disappointed… It’s called an artifact, but in reality-”
“It doesn’t matter.”
That was enough. The reward will be fulfilled when you obtain the next goal presented by the system, “The Second Fragment of 【？？？】”.
The results of this mock exam are not just a passing grade, but a clear achievement.
However, it wasn’t completely captured. Two weeks later, the main curtain remained.
Moreover, it will be different from the past when we simply suppressed things with force.
To rise to the top of the cadet ranks, one needs wisdom, information, and trickery, not just brute force.
Kanggeomma looked at Ryojo’s face quietly. She tilted her head.
Kang Geum-ma’s gaze shifted to Chief Ha. He spoke with a confident face.
“I will run for number 7.”
* * *
… An hour later, Manager Sung returned to the Buddha.
With a face worn down by fatigue, he leaned back in his chair. Manager Ha approached him quietly and handed him a can of coffee.
“Thank you for your hard work, Manager. Drink this and cheer up.”
“…Is there any cheap coffee besides this? Sweet coffee is not very good.”
“I went to the cafe on the first floor earlier, and an Americano was 20,000 won. If you think about your budget, you’ll have to drink canned coffee while you’re here.”
“The prices are high because only the rich go there… … .”
Manager Sung clicked his tongue and opened the can lid.
“What happened to the sashimi sword?”
Ganggeomma was known as the best sashimi sword in the industry because of its smooth texture.
In response to Manager Seong’s question, Chief Ha brushed away his trembling shoulders.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I really thought you were going to die. You were glaring at me, but the atmosphere was just…!”
“How was the sales? Did you seem to have any interest in the Hero Association?”
“That’s a bit ambiguous.”
Chief Ha poked the ball with his index finger. The left dimple went in shallowly. She reported the conversation she had with Kang Geum-ma.
“At first, he seemed to hate it. But when he got his association pass, he changed completely. He became really proactive? His eyes sparkled. He was especially interested in monoliths.”
The canned coffee heading towards my mouth stopped.
“Monolith? That boulder? Why?”
“Well? Honestly, I couldn’t ask you any more questions. Ugh… Even thinking about it now, it’s really scary. Did you have a good conversation with the principal? Were you called in because the students fainted during the mock exam?”
“… Well, that’s true too. I think there might be some trouble at Gehenna Gate.”
Gehenna Gate. It was a passage connecting Gehenna, the demon realm, and the human world.
“Huh? Nothing happened for 700 years, and then all of a sudden?”
“The academy director sensed something strange with [Poet’s Protection]. That’s why he called me to the Hero Association to ask them to investigate. Of course, it was a total disaster.”
“… Nothing will happen, right? It really, really won’t happen, but if by any chance the gate gets breached.”
“… … .”
Manager Sung shook the can as if he was thinking complicated thoughts. Then he took the last sip.
“Oh, this is no good because I don’t have the brains to eat well. Manager Ha, tell the kids to leave work early today and have a company dinner. We risked our lives working today, so we deserve some compensation. We came all the way to Wonju, so let’s go eat some Korean beef.”
“Oh! So-go-gi! Is the manager shooting?!”
“Where is my money?”
Manager Sung smiled and put the card between his index and middle fingers. The color was golden and splendid. Chief Ha flinched at the brilliant light.
“That, that, that!”
“Corporate card.”
* * *
The hallway leading to the room.
As I walked slowly, I reflected on today’s achievements.
‘I’m running for student body president.’
It was an event that made me lose my desire to hide until a few months ago. I didn’t regret it now. I just felt a little empty.
‘Symbol number 7.’
There were two choices: 6 and 7. When I chose the latter, Ryozo stopped me.
If you’re going to do it, the closer the symbol is to 1, the better. As the daughter of the lifetime prime minister of Japan, she seems to be good at this kind of thing.
But I chose number 7. 7 is definitely a lucky number.
‘Leon naturally became number 6.’
I ran into Leon unexpectedly. But then I thought to myself, could I win against him?
I’m confident in fighting with a knife, but I’m not sure about elections…
In the regular school, Leon, now a second-year student, easily takes the position of president.
He’s handsome, has a good personality, is strong, and most importantly, he’s the main character. He’s superior in every way.
If only he was here, I wouldn’t know. The candidates from the upper grades would be strong as well. The faces that immediately come to mind are all people with solid foundations.
‘Is the current chairman going to run for reelection?’
Whoever it is, as they are seniors, they will know the sentiments of the Joaquin Academy cadets well.
On the other hand, I was in a very weak position. I was labeled as a lowly special student who was treated as a lowly person, a class below the average. I was running around with sandbags hanging from my body.
Still, there was a chance. Ryozo and Weapon. These two smart people are my allies. We even had the experience of working together to set up a kimchi stew booth at a festival.
It was a bit of a hassle, but this was the only way to approach the monolith. You can’t just go and raid the association with sashimi.
‘I guess I need to talk more with the members.’
… After a while, when I reached the room.
“uh?”
There was a large box sitting in front of the door. I approached it and looked at it, and saw that the sender was written between the stickers.
=Bullant=
“They said it would take a week, but it was finished in three days.”
As soon as I entered the room, I tore off the packing tape. The chilling figure covered in bubble wrap.
It was my favorite Murasame. It had only been three days, but my lips were curled with longing. I immediately pulled out the blade.
Srrrrung-
The blade cried coquettishly. Murasame scattered light all by herself in a room where no lights were on.
The handle, the finish, the trimming – it was hard to find a single sharp point. It was a masterpiece by Bühland.
At that moment, a status window appeared in my field of vision.
== ==
[Murasame (Raindrops)]
Type: Sashimi
Description: This is the ‘Dun’ sword, which was called the sword that held dew. (…….)
Specifications: “Blade length – (35▶36) centimeters”, “Width – 6 centimeters”
Traits: 「Destruction Power – (C▶B)」, 「Range – E」, 「Hardness – (C▶B), 「Growth Potential – (A▶S)」
Grade: (D▶B-)
[NEW! New features added.] ◀ (Touch to unlock.)
== ==
Abilities have increased evenly across the board. Even the rank has gone up by about two levels.
‘Bullant, that old man must have been very determined.’
He smiled briefly and lowered his gaze. Even though the strengthening stats were encouraging, the main was below.
I licked my lips with my tongue and tapped the bottom phrase.
Phew-!
== ==
1) 〈Power of the Underworld King〉
The king of the dead who rules over the underworld.
Borrow some of the power of the afterlife.
◈ Abilities and Conditions
: You will be able to use (1) Bend entities with this weapon within 5 minutes.
: The number of entities can be increased through proficiency and additional reinforcement.
: The entities that can be controlled do not distinguish between subcutaneous and vascular.
: However, the effect does not last permanently and the time is limited to 10 minutes.
[※ By satisfying a certain condition, the special title “Hyung-wang (冥王)” was achieved.]
2) [ ――(empty)―― ]
3) [ ――(empty)―― ]
※ Special abilities can only be granted through *magic stones*, and are activated randomly.
