Episode 212: Signs of Crisis (1)
“Manager Seong! No, Manager Seong… …!”
A male staff member of the Hero Association came into hospital room 313 in a hurry. Section Chief Sung, who had been promoted to manager, was organizing the bedding on the hospital bed. He was good at organizing. It was thanks to the high-performance prosthetic arms and legs provided by the association. Section Chief Sung greeted his subordinate.
“Hey, Manager Park. What’s going on?”
“That’s it. Oh, first of all, congratulations on your promotion and discharge at the same time, Manager.”
“What’s the congratulations? It’s probably a promotion to fill an empty position.”
“You showed your sacrifice in the Joaquin disaster, and you successfully completed the naming of the new Chilseong Hero, so the Vice President promoted you two levels, from deputy manager to manager! It’s unusual for someone of your age to become manager again.”
“What did I do? It was all thanks to Kanggeomma-nim’s efforts. To be honest, I didn’t do anything back then. If anything, I was just a hindrance.”
Manager Sung laughed bitterly. He muttered as he finished stacking up the blankets and pillows.
“And you’ve lost your arms and legs and your subordinates. Do you have any hopes for a promotion or anything like that? In fact, if it weren’t for the Vice President’s persuasion, I would have just taken an honorable retirement. It all felt a bit pointless.”
“I am sorry about what happened, Chief Ha… … .”
“It’s my fault for not managing my subordinates. Anyway, what’s going on that makes you come running like you’re under attack? It doesn’t seem like you came to congratulate me on my discharge and promotion.”
The subordinate, Manager Park, took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“I just received reports that the guerrilla activity at Gehenna Gate is growing.”
The head of the Sung family’s face became serious. The artificial limbs that had been moving according to his will also became stiff. For a moment, my heart sank. To be exact, that was what happened.
“Wasn’t it just last week that it opened up by about 2cm?”
“Yes. As I just reported, the clearance there has increased by 0.5cm.”
The prosthetic hand of the head of the department touched his temple. Deputy Park was inwardly surprised to see the head of the department like that. When the other employees heard this news, there was chaos.
0.5cm. It’s smaller than a fingernail, but the implications of that gap are frighteningly large.
A sign has appeared at a gate that has been intact for centuries. If this isn’t a disaster, what is? Even if a tsunami were to hit, it would be less alarming than this.
But what about Chief Sung? On the outside, he looks calm. He has a worried look in his eyes, but he doesn’t seem to be trembling with fear or anything. Is it because he’s become more courageous after the Joaquin disaster? No. I don’t think so.
This firm response from the head of the Sung clan came from faith. The strength that the Ganggeomma gave him had erased his anxiety.
“You must have reported it to the Vice President and the Inspector, right?”
“I rushed to the sickroom right after reporting it.”
Originally, Manager Sung was an office worker who never went out to the field. However, he was promoted to manager. Unlike a section chief, he had to go out to the field.
‘If something goes wrong at Gehenna Gate, it’s most likely related to the Legion Commander.’
If it were me, I would have shrugged my shoulders at the word ‘corps commander’. But Seong Hyeon-seong is different now. It wasn’t just because of the weight that came with the title of division chief.
‘You have to go and check it yourself.’
There must have been something wrong with Chief Ha. There may be another enemy within the association, or a villain hiding. You must see it with your own eyes and report it to the swordsman.
After organizing his thoughts, Manager Sung looked at Manager Park.
“Manager Park.”
“Oh, yes, yes.”
Chief Sung’s eyes sank coldly. Deputy Park swallowed a breath. Chief Sung smirked and said.
“Let’s go on a business trip, to Gehenna Gate.”
“Manager, you were discharged from the hospital today, right!?”
“You know what? The Heavenly Sword never puts off work that has already been done.”
Chief Sung put on his outer garment.
“Let us follow his example.”
* * *
Suddenly, the back of my head felt hot. I quickly turned my head, but all I could see was the peaceful backyard of the academy. There was no one there. If there was anyone, they would be in front of me.
‘Is it because I’m in a bad mood?’
I scratched my itchy neck for no reason and turned my head forward again. The club members were staring at me. They were waiting for me to open my mouth.
“… … .”
A very serious atmosphere was created. Weapon’s expression was particularly hardened. I asked myself why. And I immediately gave the answer. Even though we are fellow cadets, there was a clear gap between us.
Even if a friend you were comfortable with suddenly turns into a big shot, it would be difficult to remain close like before.
‘I can understand the tense faces too.’
And you might be worried that suddenly, an announcement will come out saying, ‘The travel club is disbanding!’
Seven Star Heroes, Academy Life, and Club Life. I ended up doing three jobs. Of all of them, the club life was the easiest, so it wouldn’t have been strange for me to give it up. However, the worries of the club members were unfounded. I have no intention of giving up any of those three.
It would be hard to be faithful to all three, but I will put my feet on all of them. The Seven Star Heroes is like a job, and the academy life is my daily life. Lastly, the travel club allows me to live like a human being.
‘If it weren’t for these guys, I would have become a madman who only swings a knife by now.’
So, even though it might be a little tight, I plan to do my best in club activities. First, let’s start the conversation after relieving their anxiety.
The air was a bit too cold to suddenly say something like, ‘A special class is being opened, you all need to come.’ But I’m not good at talking, so I can’t start the conversation with a joke.
I passed over Weapon, Ryozo, and Chloe and looked at them one by one. No matter how much power I had, those eyes were as inorganic as a wax doll.
‘Senior Hana didn’t come today.’
I said in the club group chat that I might not be able to attend. It’s been over ten minutes since the scheduled time, so it looks like I won’t be able to come today.
‘But today’s issue is something that can be handled without a senior.’
Anyway, thanks to my wink, the members’ stiff expressions relaxed. I coughed. It was quite awkward to speak in front of so many people. This was usually the role of Weapon, who was good at talking.
‘Oh. And now that I think about it, I’ve never tried to persuade anyone.’
Because the knife came out before the mouth. This is the moment when I acknowledge the legitimacy of people calling me ‘Sashimi that speaks faster than words’.
I decided to just blurt out whatever came to mind after thinking about it for a moment. It made my previous worries seem meaningless, but whatever.
“The reason I called you today is because the principal and I decided to create a new class outside of the existing classes, and I’d like all of our travel club members to be in it. That’s what I called you to say.”
“… … ?”
Sorry, kids. I really am not good at talking. Then Weapon slapped his knee.
“A new class has been opened… … Ah! Manager, since you became a Chilseong Hero, have you been chased by people so much?!”
Weapon This guy, I thought he was only good at explaining things. He understands even when I talk like a piece of shit. Thanks to that, I had less to explain and was able to speak comfortably.
“People are always swarming around and this is not something that will happen for a day or two. This is not only a problem for me, but also for other students. The final exams for the second semester are coming up soon. That’s why I’m going to create a special class in a separate building.”
Chloe interrupted me.
“That’s certainly true. It could be a distraction to the students in Lang’s class who are serious about their studies.”
“Yes, that’s right. That’s the biggest reason for creating a new class. But it would be a bit odd to create a new class just for me. So the principal gave me permission to choose about ten people and create a class.”
“Wow… Even if it’s called that, the scale is huge. In the 700 years of Joaquin Academy’s history, it’s unprecedented for a class other than yours to be created. The current principal even created a groundbreaking system called ‘special promotion students,’ and on top of that, it’s a class just for you, the president… … .”
Suddenly, Weapon’s eyes filled with moisture. He thought. The president who had been ignored as a special promotion student had become Chilseong, and furthermore, he was making a bold mark in the history of this academy.
At that moment, Ryozo, who had been listening silently, opened her mouth. She had the calmest eyes among us.
“But who are you going to fill the rest of the members besides ours? Geomma, if it’s as you said, we have to choose ten people.”
“The first thing I’m thinking about is Leon. And Abel, and Rachel.”
As the name was mentioned, Ryozo’s expression became worse. His lips twisted and his brows gradually narrowed.
‘Come to think of it, Ryozo had a huge fight with Abel before.’
But there’s nothing we can do about it. The main purpose of this special class is to train the warriors and the people around them.
To put it simply, it’s impossible to bite them because of the noise between them. Who knows. If they stay together, they might reconcile.
Ryozoh still kept her mouth shut. Her raised eyebrows reflected her feelings, but she replaced them with a snort of discontent. Even if she didn’t like the situation, she would respect my wishes. I smiled faintly at her and turned my head to Weapon.
“So, Weapon. Could you possibly deliver it to them for me?”
“Oh, me? Wouldn’t it be better for the manager to do it?”
Of course, that’s true. It’s just that I don’t have the confidence to persuade them. On the other hand, Weapon was a master of explanation and persuasion. There’s no reason for me to step forward and do all the work when there’s a talented person.
I answered with a proper mix of facts and lies.
“I want to go and talk to you in person, but since I’m doing Chilseong work and assignments at the same time, I feel like I don’t have enough hands and feet. For now, Weapon, you talk to me. If you don’t come, I’ll go and talk to you separately.”
Weapon nodded at my words. He seemed convinced.
“… Well, it must have been really hard for you, Manager, to find the time to be here today. Okay! I’ll go and talk to the kids. Leon and Abel might not know, but Rachel will probably understand right away.”
The story was almost over. As I was letting out a sigh of relief, I heard footsteps approaching. My teammates and I reflexively glanced in that direction.
Her hair was neatly braided and her skin was transparent. She looked like a perfect human being, but her aura was like that of a mysterious girl, a soul. She was wearing an academy uniform and looked very pretty.
Weapon muttered with dazed eyes. He couldn’t take his eyes off the spirit.
“This is crazy… … . Looking at the name tag, she looks like she’s in the same grade as me. Has there ever been a girl that pretty?”
Weapon is ‘surprisingly’ not interested in the opposite sex. The fact that he was so impressed was a huge compliment.
I know that Naya’s soul is a dragon, so I’m not that impressed.
When I looked outside, I realized that the soul was a beauty… no, a dragon.
‘But why am I wandering around alone without Choi Seol-ah?’
At that moment, the soul found me. And Dodo came running with a joyful expression. Dust rose up following the soul’s footsteps.
“My lord!”
The members’ eyes were focused on me.
“…ah.”
I think some explanation is needed.
About this situation where a beautiful young girl calls me her lord.
