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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 27
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"Instructor Kally is already bringing a student to the instructor's dining hall… Is this what I think it is?"
"Well, well, well. What a lovely pair they make, don't they?"
"After all her talk about students, she finally got her claws in, huh…."
I paused mid-way, as I was serving myself food onto my tray, when I overheard an instructor I didn't know.
…It was hard to take it as a joke, and even harder to respond to.
A C-class student talking back to an instructor could seem disrespectful. So, I just offered an awkward smile, completely at a loss for words.
But Kally, on the other hand, said,
"Do you think so?"
"Well, my face is decent enough, so I suppose it's not so bad for me either."
She playfully returned their teasing, and it looked strangely natural.
…Now that I thought about it, Kally's true personality wasn't as cold or rigid as she claimed. Rather, she was quite popular for her playful nature among those of equal or similar standing.
In fact, there were quite a few instructors who liked her without her knowing, proving that she was a woman who subtly scattered her charm everywhere she went.
*Thud.*
As I sat across from Kally at a window-side table, I found myself swallowing hard under the gaze of the other instructors.
'Freshly baked garlic bread, a huge steak… a soup rich with meat, and a delicious chunk of cheese.'
Though I'd only taken enough not to overeat, it truly looked more appetizing than any food I'd ever seen, and even the aroma was sweet.
"Han Cheon-seong, some of the instructors can be a bit mischievous. You don't have to be so nervous."
"Oh, no, I'm fine. I'm not nervous."
"Really? You look incredibly nervous to me, Han Cheon-seong."
She smiled faintly, as if knowing I was trying to sound relaxed, and I unconsciously averted my gaze.
'Seriously….'
How could someone approach so casually?
Especially when she was clearly a beauty, speaking to me so warmly—anyone, not just me, would feel a strange flutter in their heart.
"See? You're avoiding my gaze again, Han Cheon-seong. And you're still saying you're not nervous?"
…She just casually picked up her fork and asked, as if taking my reaction in a different way.
I couldn't exactly say, 'Because of you,' so I just offered an awkward smile and picked up my fork and knife.
"Alright then, let's say I am nervous."
"Oh? Well, that's not so bad either. Because a student who immediately feels comfortable with an instructor isn't so bad either."
Her response, as if she would take anything I said in a good light, honestly made my heart flutter, but also put me at ease.
I had expected a heavy, awkward meal where I'd have to agonize over every response, but that wasn't the reality at all.
It was simply good.
…Truly, just good.
Just the fact that I was having a meal with the woman I'd admired in the novel made my heart pound with excitement and joy. And as I palpably felt her consideration for me, I, too, enjoyed this time.
*Slide.*
As I carefully cut my steak, I found myself glancing sideways at Kally as she ate.
The amount of food she ate was similar to mine.
Not too much, not too little. Just right, you could say.
The types of food she took also seemed similar: a meat dish and a simple soup. The only difference between our plates was the cheese and garlic bread.
"Oh, and Han Cheon-seong. I'd like you to just listen to me while you eat, without feeling any pressure."
At her words, I calmly nodded.
"Yes, I understand."
"Actually, it's about yesterday's duel… Honestly, there's so much I want to ask you, Han Cheon-seong. What I heard simply didn't make sense."
Having somewhat anticipated her words, I met her gaze even as I brought a piece of cut steak to my mouth.
Meeting Kally's eyes, filled with curiosity, goodwill, and a strange question, I could somewhat anticipate the various questions I would have to answer.
"I heard quite a bit about the duel, but from what I heard, you maintained an offensive stance against Leonhardt the entire time. And that… was possible because you use a spear, right?"
At her next words, I paused, savoring the juices of the steak in my mouth.
*Gulp.*
I swallowed the delicious steak and inwardly marveled.
In this world that looked down on common-grade spear mastery,
Kally had, without even seeing it, pinpointed the core of yesterday's duel with a single sentence.
'…As expected of a prominent figure.'
She didn't even disregard weapon matchups.
In truth, most of the key figures in this world were like that. Rather than trying to escape into disbelief when something extraordinary happened, they would rationally consider *how* it could happen and its underlying principles.
"Yes, that's right."
"I see. I thought so… Hmm. Still, Han Cheon-seong, you're quite impressive. I can't believe you accepted a duel with Leonhardt."
As she smiled faintly and praised me, I felt embarrassed and averted my gaze.
"It's just… I felt I couldn't avoid it."
And I unconsciously spoke the exact feeling I had.
The duel's beginning was certainly semi-forced by Glacia, but looking back now, I would probably have made the same choice.
Even if Glacia hadn't been the cause, if a similar situation had arisen later, I wouldn't have avoided the duel.
—*It's alright to be defeated.*
Yes. It was okay to lose. I just had to confront it. If I wanted to grow stronger, if my characteristic was to evolve and advance further, I believed it was crucial not to avoid but to face crises and powerful adversaries that could be called direct walls.
When I thought about it deeply, that's truly how I felt.
That's why, after the duel, all the lingering resentment I had towards Glacia vanished, and I even felt grateful to her for creating such an opportunity.
That duel was like the most important turning point for me.
"…Couldn't avoid it, huh? You felt that way even against Leonhardt, who has a Legendary characteristic?"
"Yes. To evolve my characteristic and grow stronger, I couldn't avoid it. Even if it hadn't been Leonhardt, my choice would have been the same for anyone else."
As I answered Kally, who asked with a sense of wonder, my own heart felt clear.
No questions, no hesitation, no wavering.
Just acceptance and acknowledgment.
The path forward for me in this reality.
I knew it was right before me. Even if it was a thorny path, and simply taking a step forward felt difficult, I… could step onto that thorny path.
Because that's why I enrolled in this academy.
"..."
But perhaps my answer was unexpected.
Kally didn't ask any more questions for the next few bites of steak I ate. Yet, she continued to gaze intently at me.
As I continued to eat, feeling too self-conscious to meet her gaze, I averted my eyes.
A natural silence settled between us.
But that silence wasn't bad.
Because I knew she didn't see me in a bad light. And I knew she harbored goodwill towards me.
I now naturally, very naturally, realized that I didn't need to appear unconfident or stumble over my words.
Instead, I wanted to show Kally the real me, just as I was.
'If it's her.'
I could grow even stronger than I was now.
Not stopping at my current growth.
I could achieve incredible growth, like the duel with Leonhardt yesterday. Kally was known among instructors as someone who fostered student growth, a figure who would become renowned in the future.
I could meet her gaze with a belief that felt like certainty.
"…"
Then, my gaze involuntarily fell on her lips. A faint trace of the red sauce from the steak remained around her mouth. Seeing that, my heart unconsciously wavered.
*Thump!*
My heart, which I thought had calmed down, began to pound again, oblivious to its own place.
Even as I continued eating, I tried to calm my heart.
But it wasn't as easy as I thought.
'This is why beautiful people are dangerous.'
Just a trivial thing. A minor action or word, or even a moment of unguardedness…
There was a reason why looks mattered so much.
What mattered was that even an unintentional, casual gesture, or a moment of unguardedness, could appear utterly charming to the other person.
"How should I put it…"
Then, as her lips parted, I momentarily froze but didn't avert my gaze.
"Han Cheon-seong, you're intriguing."
"I'm intriguing?"
"Yes, you feel quite intriguing. Honestly… I never expected you to answer that way, Han Cheon-seong. The impression I got of you during the entrance exam was definitely good. Your confidence and effort are qualities I appreciate. But I never thought… you'd have such deep thoughts. To be honest, I'm truly surprised."
Kally, continuing to speak calmly, had unconsciously set down even the fork she was holding.
At that, I… didn't open my mouth, thinking anything I said might sound like I was gloating.
Instead, I just smiled faintly and met her gaze.
Kally, too, smiled faintly.
"And 'couldn't avoid it,' huh. Hmm… that phrase, it really seems like a very good one. Honestly, if someone else said they couldn't avoid something, it might sound irresponsible and even hypocritical, but if *you* feel that way, it carries immense meaning."
"…Irresponsible and hypocritical, you say?"
"Yes. I want students to show more effort and development than anyone else, but I can't easily tell them to 'try harder.' My position and the students' are different. To some, my characteristic and talent might seem innate. And truthfully… I do think there's some truth to that myself."
Kally, speaking calmly, met my gaze with soft eyes.
"…"
Under her gaze, as if I were something admirable and commendable, I couldn't help but meet her eyes.
It wasn't the playful tone she'd used all this time, but a soft, sincere voice. At this moment, I could feel her true feelings. And it resonated so deeply in my heart that I couldn't bring myself to avert my gaze.
Because one couldn't ignore someone's sincerity.
'Could someone express goodwill with just their eyes like this…?'
As I met her gaze, a part of my chest felt incredibly ticklish.
To be able to say such things so casually… it was truly Kally-like. She wasn't a character who had drawn grumbles of dissatisfaction for nothing in the original work for not being the heroine.
'No, not a character.'
…Now, she was a living, breathing presence before me.
Because I, too, had come to live alongside them.
And I understood perfectly what she was saying right now.
Kally was one of the people in this world who valued effort the most, but she didn't easily impose it on students.
Because she herself knew how hypocritical her words could sound.
And the reason I loved that world in the novel was because of characters like her, including the protagonist.
"Because only by facing reality can you move forward…."
Without even realizing it, I spoke those words.
Words someone had said in the original work.
Words spoken by an unfortunate figure, no longer alive, whose light had faded on the battlefield.
The words that had given Kally a major turning point…
I had unconsciously uttered them.
I saw Kally's eyes widen instantly and felt a momentary jolt of realization, but I couldn't take back what I'd said.
"Han Cheon-seong… Have we, by any chance, met somewhere before?"
Kally's voice, as she asked cautiously, was trembling.