Chapter 100

<Episode 102> Regarding the fact that no one cares that “Class President” is already a nickname

The ground was caved in, and walls were shattered all over.

An untimely battle unfolded at Hwagcheon Mansion.

If an ordinary person saw this, they’d probably ask if some disaster had occurred.

!…….

!…….

………

Amidst that small battlefield, Biseo Park let out a deep sigh.

“Huff…

99

He brushed off the dust clinging to his shoulder.

Blood seeped from various parts of his body, and one arm hung limp.

To be honest, every inch of him throbbed with pain.

How long has it been since he last fought like this?

‘Hwagcheon’s hunting dog… Guess the opponent was too strong for the name to die easily.’

Biseo Park leaned against the wall, slumped on the floor.

In that position, he looked upward.

A golden-haired girl with doll-like features still stood there, her expression clearly annoyed.

Her saliva, spat out with a ‘pft,’ carried a hint of blood.

Seeing this, a wry smile escaped him.

‘Even though I’ve never heard of being called weak within Hwagcheon…’

Biseo Park’s name was well-known not only inside Hwagcheon but also among external organizations.

In the past, he was the talent who directly assisted the leader of Hwagcheon.

His legendary feat of wiping out an entire organization hostile to Hwagcheon overnight lives on in the dark world.

When they say “Hwagcheon’s mad dog,” they’re talking about him.

Not overly arrogant, but he believed he deserved pride.

‘So the world truly is vast…isn’t it?’

Shaking his head left and right, Biseo Park stood up.

Though staying seated wouldn’t have mattered,

he still had dignity as someone serving Yu-jin.

He couldn’t keep lying down like this.

Since he serves Yu-jin within Hwagcheon, he must always be the strongest.

At least the person before him was chosen by Yu-jin, which gave him some solace.

The girl looked at him somewhat surprised.

“Can you even stand?”

“Well, I can move.”

As proof, he rotated his arm in a circle.

The girl watched this with dissatisfaction.

“Hmph, I’ve thought this from before, but you’re pretty decent. You didn’t fight at full power just now, did you? Why go easy on me?”

“I can’t kill someone Yu-jin recognizes as an acquaintance. But isn’t that true for you too?”

Biseo Park’s sharp gaze pierced forward.

It was the predatory look of a beast trying to see through his opponent’s bottom line.

“No idea what’s going on, but your condition right now is terrible. Probably not even half your usual strength, huh?”

Yet still, the power and skill shown here…

Most heroes would have decapitated him in less than a second.

He only managed this much due to type advantages.

Rime’s skills were undoubtedly real.

‘Even if I went all out, who knows who would’ve fallen…’

Just where did such an incredible talent come from?

This renewed respect for Yu-jin’s capacity and judgment.

Though he’s tried his best to pave a smooth path for Master Yu-jin,

it seems following behind him is already a monumental task.

“So what will you do now? Keep proving yourself or something?”

“Haha, let’s stop. I’ve already confirmed your skills sufficiently.”

Truthfully, he wasn’t entirely without the desire to fight more.

He wanted to verify the girl’s full potential.

But if it came to that, one of them would die.

As someone serving his master, he couldn’t allow such disgraceful behavior.

If this woman truly is Yu-jin’s partner, harming her would be a grave offense.

Why she concealed her existence until now… honestly, he doesn’t know.

But if Yu-jin chose this, there must be some deeper meaning.

“Are you resting in the room because your body’s in bad shape?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Last time, I used up nearly all my magic power.”

Upon hearing this, Biseo Park openly expressed genuine admiration.

Just moments ago, he was certainly not at a level to call weak.

If that state was after using most of his magic power…

“Of course, we know from seeing Yu-jin that magic power isn’t everything when it comes to strength.

‘But if she used all her magic power, she’s definitely far stronger than this now.’

He glanced again at the cleanly sliced walls.

His curiosity grew further regarding her true power.

Biseo Park forcibly suppressed his rising competitive spirit with loyalty.

“Sorry for the intrusion. Please feel free to call me Biseo Park.”

“Rime. Yu-jin calls me that.”

They shook hands side by side.

Both understood the other genuinely cared for Yu-jin,

and their skills were unquestionable.

Thus, there was no need to continue fighting.

Collaboration might be better.

Above all, the other party was Yu-jin’s associate, wasn’t she?

As per the previous statement, she was a guest he should respect as well.

“So what’s your real identity?”

“The prettiest slime in the world.”

“What an unexpectedly absurd answer.”

He had some suspicions, but a slime?

What exactly has Master Yu-jin been doing while I wasn’t looking?

“Could you tell me how you met Yu-jin if you don’t mind?”

“It’s a story too long to explain fully.”

“In that case, while viewing the photos of Yu-jin’s childhood stored in the mansion, we could talk.”

“Guide me immediately.”

Despite being a slime, which humans find utterly repulsive,

if the negotiation includes photos of the man she loves as a child, even the highest-level slime can’t resist.

Rime slowly began her explanation.

The first meeting with Yu-jin, the reasons for staying together afterward,

and when exactly she started accompanying him…

Of course, she tactfully omitted certain details to preserve Yu-jin’s honor.

“Hmm, longer than expected.”

“…If you ever betray Yu-jin, I won’t let you get away with it.”

“Haha! Rest assured, there’s no need to worry about that!”

It seemed their social circles weren’t just expanding for Yu-jin alone.

Perhaps, compared to the stubborn loner, this slime with misanthropy might actually have more talent in this regard.

****

“A martial arts tournament, huh? Interesting idea they came up with.”

Chul-soo leaned back in his chair, pondering quietly.

Thanks to the experience of cooperating with Biseo Park to dismantle several organizations,

he now has a rough understanding of how large-scale organizations operate.

“Probably an issue regarding Yu-jin Kim’s background.”

Originally, ‘U-Academy’ selects representatives based strictly on academic performance.

And according to that, Yu-jin Kim would represent the martial arts faction,

while the class president would represent the magic faction.

I’m not sure how big the gap is between myself and Yu-jin Kim now,

but judging solely by past records, Yu-jin Kim is the clear choice.

However, the fact that Yu-jin Kim is Hwagcheon’s successor complicates things.

“From the Academy’s perspective, they must consider the Hero Association, Hwagcheon, and various other organizations.”

That’s why they organized this martial arts tournament, most likely.

It’s quite a reasonable decision.

Regardless of the outcome, the selection process appears fair.

While it may seem like “turning a blind eye and pretending,”

from the Academy’s standpoint, they can claim they selected representatives through a fair examination.

“Probably the most ideal picture from the Academy’s perspective is that cooperative Yu-jin fails due to unfamiliar tag-team battles,

allowing me to represent the martial arts faction instead.

Meanwhile, either the class president or Young-hee gets chosen as the magic faction representative.”

This so-called martial arts tournament is essentially a setup to legally eliminate Yu-jin Kim.

Hwagcheon’s pressure must be significant.

If I were the old Chul-soo, I probably wouldn’t have given it much thought.

But now, my thoughts are different.

Rather, I’ve learned to see further ahead.

“Yu-jin Kim…”

I don’t particularly think highly of Yu-jin Kim.

Actually, to be honest, I still dislike him.

I view him as an opponent I need to defeat.

Such enmity isn’t something easily resolved.

“But it’s also true I owe him something related to Young-hee.”

He helped save Young-hee despite getting injured himself.

He took care of memory-loss Young-hee unconditionally.

During the fight with Jekyll, we somehow managed to cooperate.

Those are debts I need to repay.

“I can’t possibly owe something to someone like Yu-jin Kim.”

Rather, it feels more correct to say I can’t leave such a debt with someone I dislike.

My pride doesn’t allow it.

Given this situation, the Academy’s blatant attempt to undermine Yu-jin Kim makes me uneasy.

“To begin with, I’m not really interested in international competitions anyway.”

True, building credentials might be beneficial,

but frankly, with my current abilities, I don’t need any more credentials.

To put it bluntly, I can pick any guild I want after graduation.

With few merits, there’s no reason to force participation in the tournament.

“Besides, now is not the time to worry about that kind of thing.”

Chul-soo glanced downward unconsciously.

My inability to perform as a man is the pressing issue!

What could be more important than resolving this situation right now?

My top priority is dealing with this problem.

There’s no room for Chul-soo to focus on anything else.

“…Also, something Young-hee said before keeps bothering me.”

He subtly turned his eyes toward the class president.

The completely changed president after the fight with Jekyll.

Her blonde hair and oddly revealing outfits still haven’t settled in with me.

Despite that, she studies and attends classes more diligently than anyone else, creating an imbalanced impression.

Of course, there are those who appreciate her good looks and figure, liking these changes.

But as someone who’s been friends with her for a long time, all Chul-soo feels is a headache.

“I wonder what happened at Yu-jin Kim’s place while I was fighting?”

I’ll need to have a serious conversation about this.

Ultimately, after considering everything, I’ve decided to yield to Yu-jin Kim.

“The Academy isn’t stupid. If I step aside, they’ll have no choice but to send Yu-jin Kim.”

The problem lies with the magic faction.

Frankly, I hope the class president gets chosen.

No matter what, I don’t want to send Yu-jin Kim and Young-hee overseas alone. Absolutely not.

“……Then maybe I should suggest to the class president to pair up with Yu-jin Kim for the tag team.”

Together, they’d win the championship easily.

Just as he made this decision, the class ended.

“Damn it, Yu-jin Kim might cause trouble again. Better deal with it as soon as possible.”

Chul-soo stood up from his seat.

However, the class president moved first, walking determinedly toward Young-hee.

She stopped in front of Young-hee’s desk and declared firmly,

“Young-hee, let’s play a round.”

“…….Huh?”

Ah, crap. What’s she up to now?

Clutching his head, Chul-soo felt like crying.

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