‘Weakness Affliction.’
Juyun’s finger, of course, didn’t bend.
Rohan focused his concentration and activated the skill.
And then.
‘···!’
It was as if the vessel containing his mana had shattered.
All the mana he had was drained in an instant.
[Insufficient Mana.]
A notification window popped up in front of Rohan.
He didn’t even have the luxury to feel regret.
Something beyond the dizzying flashes in his head.
His vision blurred rapidly.
“Ugh…”
Rohan, whose mana had evaporated in an instant, tried to hold onto his consciousness.
But the exhaustion from such a sudden, massive mana drain wasn’t something willpower alone could withstand.
Rohan’s consciousness slowly began to fade.
“!!!”
At the same time, a chilling sensation brushed against Juyun’s instincts.
Rohan’s mana, seeping through her finger, attempted to create an anomaly.
What she felt was a dissonance, a disruption in harmony.
‘Me, to a cadet…?’
Juyun suppressed the urge to act on impulse with patience and reason.
She almost swung Rohan, who was holding her left hand, and slammed him down.
Wondering if something was coming next, Juyun kept an eye on Rohan’s condition and was shocked again.
The sword Rohan had been holding in one hand slipped, and the grip on her finger loosened.
‘His consciousness!?’
Rohan collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
Juyun caught Rohan as he fell toward her.
There was no option to avoid it.
Ding-ding-ding-ding!
The alarm signaling two minutes had passed rang out.
Juyun’s situational judgment was quick.
She stood up abruptly, holding the unconscious Rohan.
“I’m heading to the infirmary. Everyone, stay here.”
There was no time to hesitate in this situation.
Juyun shot off like lightning.
··
··
‘Huh?’
Rohan opened his eyes on the bed. A thin, warm blanket was draped over him.
As he regained his senses and lifted his eyelids, he saw a pure white ceiling.
Familiar notification windows greeted him as his consciousness returned.
[Achievement Unlocked: A Day Without Reserves.]
[You’ve earned 10P as a reward.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Is This Living?]
[You’ve earned 30P as a reward.]
“…”
Without delay, Rohan summoned his status window.
『Name: Rohan』
Stamina: 98%
Magic Power: 3%
Affiliated Nation: Southern Ruins’ Echo
Affiliated Organization: Orion Academy
Attributes: [Physical] [Fire]
Status: Exhausted
Remaining Points: 2304P
“Wow, if this were a real battle, I’d be dead for sure.”
The moment I saw the status screen and the bluish IV drip connected to my arm, I immediately understood the situation.
Rohan lifted his weak hand from the blanket and covered his face.
I felt relieved that I had tested it out beforehand.
All I could hope for was that my abilities and skill levels would improve to break through this.
“…My condition is wrecked.”
So this is what magic exhaustion feels like. It was completely different from when I overused my abilities as a Hunter.
My whole body felt like a soaked sponge, limp and heavy.
Even though I knew I needed to figure out where I was and what time it was, the overwhelming sense of helplessness made even the simplest movements difficult.
How long did I just zone out like that?
*Whoosh!* Someone pushed the curtain aside and walked in.
“You’re awake.”
“!”
Rohan moved his hand and rolled his eyes, and Juyun came into view.
She naturally sat down on the chair beside him.
“It’s magic exhaustion. You scraped every last bit of your reserves dry.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. This will be a good experience, so no need to apologize. Just rest for now.”
Juyun continued speaking while watching the bluish IV drip fall drop by drop.
“How’s your body feeling?”
“Just… a little tired.”
“We’re giving you a recovery IV, so just let it all finish.”
Juyun placed Rohan’s bag on the desk and handed him his smartphone.
Thanking her, he turned it on and saw that classes were already over.
There were also messages from Ichinose Yui and the Class 1 cadets.
I wanted to reply to everyone right away, but the most important thing was time.
“Instructor.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you know how long it’ll take for this IV to finish?”
“Wait a moment.”
Juyun pushed the curtain aside and left. I could hear her talking to someone outside.
She came back soon and gave me the answer.
“About two more hours.”
“Phew…”
I guess I can still make it to my part-time job.
As Rohan let out a sigh of relief with that thought, Juyun seemed to read his intentions and stiffened her expression.
“Rohan. This IV isn’t a cure-all. You’re still dealing with the aftermath of exhaustion, so it’s best to rest properly today.”
“It’s fine. My part-time job is practically like resting anyway.”
“Hmm…”
Juyun had a lot she wanted to say, but she felt like crossing the line would make it too much interference, so she kept her mouth shut.
Everyone has their own circumstances, after all.
It wasn’t like they were going out for fun—this was a part-time job tied to their livelihood, so she couldn’t force Rohan to take a break.
She was also curious about his skills, but as an instructor, there’s a limit to how much you can dig into someone’s personal life.
All Juyun could do was watch as Rohan left the infirmary.
*****
“…”
Juyun finished her work at Orion Academy and returned home.
The luxurious residence the dean had secured for her when summoning her to the academy city.
She was considering returning it or passing it on to another instructor and moving somewhere else when the opportunity arose.
*Ding-dong!*
After entering the password, she was greeted by a pitch-black, silent living room.
Every time she faced this scene, she missed the cozy home she had back in Samhwa Kingdom.
“A big house is only good if it’s moderately big.”
An overly large house was hard to maintain, and if you didn’t fill it with furniture, it echoed with emptiness.
Half the size of this place would’ve been just right.
*Click.*
She neatly placed her shoes in the corner of the shoe rack.
Juyun began to take off her suit.
After putting her suit into the clothing care machine in her underwear, she headed to the bathroom to wash up as usual.
*Scrub scrub.*
She tossed her underwear into the laundry basket and started brushing her teeth while looking in the mirror.
Reflecting on today’s class during her washing routine was a must.
“I should hold classes like this more often in the future.”
Each of them was a dazzling talent.
Their brilliance shone even brighter than during the usual practical classes.
They were all outstanding, but three cadets left a particularly strong impression on Juyun.
‘Noah Frozenheart, Ichinose Yui…’
She believed that if these two cadets grew smoothly, they could easily surpass even her.
The saying that heroes appear in times of chaos might as well have been made for these two beautiful cadets.
*Swoosh—!*
“Phew…”
As the cold water from the shower poured over her, Juyun recalled the last one.
‘And Rohan.’
He was different from the hero type.
She couldn’t even predict how he would grow.
The more Juyun thought about Rohan’s movements, the more she felt a mix of admiration and bitterness.
It hurt her heart because his fighting style wasn’t something you’d expect from a fresh academy cadet.
It wasn’t a style honed through professional training but one learned through experience.
It felt like desperate struggles for survival. His movements were rough, fierce, and dripping with blood.
Unlike Noah Frozenheart, who had natural talent, Rohan’s skills were…
It’s a bit awkward.
In the two-minute sparring session, Juyun could see the kind of past Rohan had lived through.
Above all.
‘It was definitely the Scorching Blade.’
She didn’t expect to face it so suddenly.
Was it something he obtained by chance, or had he had it since birth?
‘Even if I know, nothing changes or gets better…’
She knows she’s still immature, unable to escape the shadows of the past.
Yet, she’s just curious.
It’s the feeling of still missing her younger sibling.
Whoooosh──.
“…”
But she didn’t want to push Rohan too hard with questions.
She knows that as an instructor, asking such questions to a cadet would put an unimaginable amount of pressure on them.
“Ah?”
While lost in thought, Juyun realized she had stopped moving again.
It was actually a bad habit.
‘I did something I shouldn’t have even done to Rohan.’
Those two minutes must have been incredibly precious to the cadet, and as an instructor, it was unacceptable to let her mind wander elsewhere.
It’s definitely a shameful thing for someone in the education profession. She needs to make up for it herself.
“Phew!”
After finishing her shower, Juyun used a bit of magical heat to dry herself off neatly.
Then she put on the new underwear she had bought recently.
The fit around her hips felt a bit tight. The same went for her chest.
‘Huh? The size?’
She doesn’t remember slacking off on training, so it’s definitely not that she’s gained weight.
And it’s not like she’s in her growth spurt, so her chest or hips couldn’t have grown.
‘This brand just won’t do.’
Other brands fit perfectly in this size, but not this one.
Juyun took out another set of underwear, put it on, dressed lightly, and headed to the kitchen.
She drank some cold water and picked up her phone.
Juyun carefully checked the details in the message.
‘The Flowering Chrysanthemum Bookstore, huh.’
She checked the time.
According to the report, Rohan’s part-time job wasn’t over yet.
Next, Juyun checked the Orion Academy Instructor Manual.
Standing in the kitchen, she double-checked the section about cadets’ part-time jobs.
‘The instructor’s responsibilities and duties… Should I drop by for a visit?’
Juyun took off the clothes she was wearing and opened her wardrobe for something to wear outside.
She pulled out some light clothing she hadn’t worn in a while and put on sneakers she hadn’t worn in who knows how long.
