Chapter 249

Of course, the result of the discussion was that Eternity was not held responsible.

The Hwan-Young Clan had already bowed their heads, but to be precise, they had no choice but to do so.

‘What else could they do but bow?’

If they had denied it further and dragged it out, the situation would only have worsened.

‘In fact, I was somewhat impressed.’

I was quite surprised by their quick decision to cut ties with Jin Hyun-soo.

‘It seems the Clan Master and that instructor were quite close, but they were decisive.’

In the end, the Hwan-Young Clan gave up on recruiting from this training facility and compensated Eternity financially.

Of course, that instructor didn’t get the death penalty, but he received a punishment almost as severe.

Honestly, it was practically a death sentence. After all, we planned to quietly deal with him later.

‘Attempting to harm a trainee, trying to kill a fellow instructor.’

He denied it, but we had already made sure he couldn’t escape.

With the Royal Palace and key figures within the training facility all on Eternity’s side, the outcome was predetermined.

‘This is why connections and power are great.’

If Eternity and I didn’t have influence, it would have taken a lot longer to prove his guilt.

‘Let’s put the Hwan-Young Clan on hold for now.’

They definitely seem shady, but there’s no need to deal with them right now.

‘First, let’s focus on the demonstration.’

Shifting my gaze, I saw the trainees on the stage struggling to showcase their three months of progress.

Having gone through the same process, I could understand how they felt.

‘Especially those with nothing to show must be suffocating.’

I wasn’t talking about those who didn’t do anything.

There are always those who work hard but still don’t succeed.

‘Even if they can’t join a large clan…’

Those who worked hard for three months should still be able to join a clan.

Clans look at grades and talent, but they also consider the effort put in over those three months.

Whether they realize it or not, instructors remember the faces of those who worked hard, as long as they’re not at the bottom.

‘Our batch was definitely irregular.’

The instructors watching the trainees had calm expressions.

There was none of the shock and awe they had when they saw our party two years ago.

But then again, the real deal hasn’t stepped up yet.

‘I’m curious.’

I was quite curious whether Shin Han-sol would reveal her true abilities or not.

Given that she hasn’t disclosed much about herself to me, it’s likely she won’t…

‘But you never know. She’s already set to join Eternity anyway.’

Soon, it was her turn.

As Shin Han-sol stepped onto the stage, many eyes turned toward her.

She had unintentionally become famous as the only trainee Eternity recruited.

It was definitely a hot topic, as I could hear other clan representatives whispering.

“Did Eternity really recruit that trainee?”

“That’s what I heard.”

“Hmm… Why? From what I know, her grades are mid-tier…”

“Well, isn’t that good for us? For some reason, Eternity isn’t eyeing our raid team this time.”

“True. But… have you heard the rumors?”

“What rumors?”

“You know, the one about how she was recruited because of her looks…”

‘Ha.’

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Ridiculous nonsense. Not even worth listening to, so I tuned it out.

“Alright, Trainee Shin Han-sol, you may begin your demonstration.”

As soon as the words were spoken, I saw her slowly gathering mana.

“…Huh?”

“What’s this?”

Seeing Shin Han-sol slowly manipulating mana, most people’s eyes widened in shock.

‘…Is she going to reveal it?’

It seems like she’s planning to show her true abilities.

‘Well, she’s probably been frustrated hiding it for so long.’

With all the strange rumors about Shin Han-sol going around…

Like how she seduced an instructor or used her looks to get into a large clan.

It must have been stressful for her, even if she didn’t show it.

‘Once she shows her skills, they’ll all shut up.’

Whoosh—

“W-what the hell?! What is this?! You said we didn’t need to recruit her!”

“W-well, her grades were mid-tier…”

Even before the magic manifested, the surroundings became quite chaotic.

Especially the clan representatives who had ignored Shin Han-sol earlier, now sweating bullets as they got chewed out by their superiors.

‘Look at their faces.’

Seeing the dumbfounded expressions of those who had been spreading nonsense earlier, I felt oddly satisfied.

And Shin Han-sol on the stage probably felt the same.

“Separation.”

As soon as she spoke, the space in front of her split, and the training dummy was cut in half along with it.

“What the hell is that? Separation?”

“Damn it, that’s a magic I’ve never seen before!”

‘Wow…’

The training dummy was literally split in half.

Not cut by a sword, but separated along with the space itself.

Even I was shocked, as it was the first time I’d seen Shin Han-sol use her magic.

‘…This is broken.’

The performance was absurd. I was more impressed by the mechanics than the destructive power.

‘The limitations of physical distance are much less compared to regular magic.’

For example, the fire magic I used during the tutorial took time to travel to the target after being cast.

‘But hers is different.’

Shin Han-sol’s magic is different.

It doesn’t matter where the caster is; the target location immediately becomes the range of the magic.

‘There are probably limitations based on the user’s mana capacity…’

But even so, the performance is ridiculous.

The other instructors realized this too, which is why they all have that dumbfounded look.

It wasn’t as extreme as when Seo Yoo-ju sparred with the instructors, but the reaction was close.

“Damn it! What the hell did you say? That Eternity recruited her for her looks?! Are you kidding me?!”

“N-no, that’s not…”

“I trusted you as an instructor, and you have the nerve to miss a gem like this with your stupid eyes?!”



“Can’t you even tell?! She’s not just an ordinary mage!”

I guarantee, if that guy who’s shouting like that had come as an instructor at the training facility, he would have been just like everyone else.

The person conducting the demonstration seemed flustered too, continuing with a trembling voice.

“That… Trainee Shin Han-sol’s demonstration is over…”

“There’s more.”

“Huh?”

“…Compression.”

The moment she reached out towards the scarecrow, the bisected scarecrow began to shrink as if crumpling like paper.

*Crunch*

“What the…”

“What, what is this…”

The sight was so shocking that I worried the audience’s eyes might pop out.

‘…Guess there’s still a limit.’

Although the scarecrow was compressed into a smaller circle, there seemed to be a limit.

“Ugh…!”

The magic was released before it could fully compress.

Probably because Shin Han-sol’s stats are still insufficient, and she lacks experience.

Seeing her sweating, it seemed she had pushed her mana to the limit.

‘Even this much is insane.’

Of course, the power of her magic would naturally be weaker since she’s a trainee. The instructors aren’t that demanding to begin with.

The important point here is that Shin Han-sol showcased magic that’s on a completely different level from ordinary magic, and she even used two unfamiliar types of magic: separation and compression.

“Dammit…! I should’ve realized something was off when Eternity tried to recruit her…!”

‘Too late for regrets now.’

Even if another clan had intervened, I would’ve stopped them by any means necessary.

‘…Even if it meant using some dirty tricks.’

“…Trainee Shin Han-sol’s demonstration is over. Next trainee…”

Both instructors and trainees alike were staring at her as she descended from the stage.

The instructors were cursing their own eyes for failing to recognize a gem…

*Pfft*

Some of the trainees were looking at Shin Han-sol with pale faces.

The reason they looked so pale was simple: they had been talking behind her back all this time.

‘In a situation where they might not even get into a mid-tier clan, they blew their chance to form a valuable connection.’

For a moment, my eyes met Shin Han-sol’s as she came down from the stage.

I immediately pretended to be surprised and met her gaze.

‘Gotta manage my expression.’

I needed to at least act like I hadn’t known about her abilities.

‘No need to feel sorry.’

It seems Shin Han-sol feels guilty for hiding this from me.

As she came down, she apologized with a guilty look.

“Um… Instructor.”

“Haha… Trainee Shin Han-sol, your demonstration was very impressive.”

“…I’m sorry for hiding it. I should’ve told you earlier…”

‘I was actually curious when you’d tell me.’

“No, it’s fine. I was quite surprised, but… it’s actually good news for Eternity.”

“Ah… Still, I’m sorry. I actually wanted to tell you when we made the contract last time.”

“No, it’s fine. It feels like I received a surprise gift.”

I couldn’t help but smile. After all, it felt like my three months of effort had paid off.

Her revealing this means she’s at least opened up to Eternity and me.

‘I’ll really take good care of you.’

“Let’s head back now. We need to prepare for the graduation ceremony.”

“Yes, Instructor… I mean, uh…”

“Ah, is it a bit awkward to call me Instructor now?”

Technically, we’re no longer instructor and trainee, but fellow clan members.

“That’s right… What should I call you…?”

“Just call me whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“…Then I’ll call you Oppa. And you can speak casually to me too.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. It’s fine.”

It felt like our closeness had increased. It seems I’ve earned some trust from Shin Han-sol.

Anyway, with Shin Han-sol’s demonstration over, there was no more business here.

******

After the graduation ceremony ended without a hitch, Shin Han-sol finally joined Eternity.

‘There were some twists and turns, though.’

Actually, calling them twists and turns is a stretch—it was just one guy causing trouble.

In the carriage heading to Runde, Shin Han-sol sat across from Kang I-seo and Hyeon-jin, who were chatting with her.

“Wow, I was really surprised. So you were hiding your skills all this time?”

“Yes…”

“Wow, our newbie is no ordinary person. Most trainees try their best to show off at the training facility…”

“Well… I wanted to observe quietly for three months rather than reveal myself too soon.”

“Oh…”

Kang I-seo was slightly impressed, so Hyeon-jin jokingly chimed in.

“Wow, you’re way smarter than my noona, huh?”

“What are you talking about, punk?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at their antics. It was nice to see them like this, and I understood their intentions.

‘They’ve matured a lot. They’re trying to help her relax.’

They were trying to make Shin Han-sol feel more comfortable.

“Haha, Lee Seo noona here has a bit of a sharp tongue. You might have a hard time adjusting.”

“Come on… Hey, the more someone has a sharp tongue, the purer they are. Those who act all gentle but stab you in the back are the most dangerous, you know?”

*Sigh…*

…I must be feeling guilty for some reason.

Kang I-seo thumped her chest and said to Shin Han-sol.

“Anyway, if anyone in the clan bullies you or acts up, let me know. I’ll teach them a lesson!”

‘What is she, some middle-aged man…?’

I don’t know why she’s thumping her chest like some 40- or 50-year-old man.

“Yes, thank you.”

Still, Shin Han-sol seemed to like the atmosphere, so it was a relief.

After a while, the cityscape began to appear outside the window.