Chapter 29

“Hello Ji Hye! Did you have a good winter break?”

“Wow, Seo Ri! It’s been a while! Yes, I did! How about you?”

“Hehe, I had a good time too. We went to the ski resort last week!”

“I’m so jealous! My dad keeps wanting to go hiking even in winter.”

Seviron Academy was gradually melting the snow that had been frozen throughout the winter due to the vibrant awakening of lively sprouts.

Unlike the high school department, which still felt the biting cold, the elementary department was so full of children’s energy that even passersby felt a warm illusion.

A vague two-week return to school between the winter and spring breaks.

Most schools had combined into a single winter break, but a minority of schools, including the academy, still maintained a February return system.

In exchange, the school provided a variety of non-academic activities to give children experiential opportunities to contemplate their future paths.

A school without classes was nothing less than a giant playground for elementary school children.

For a month and a half, children who hadn’t seen each other exchanged greetings and eagerly shared stories.

As it was the first day of the return, the teachers of each class had no intention of curbing the children’s excitement.

The originally planned programs would not begin until the next day, so there was no particular schedule except for announcements today.

In the pure minds of the children, the only thought was to quickly have recess and go have a snowball fight.

“Is that person late? They just started walking to the playground now?”

“Where? Where?”

“Over there, they’re just entering through the back gate.”

“Really? Who is it?”

At Seviron Academy, one could not even imagine a latecomer.

Thus, many were naturally focused on the child strolling leisurely on the playground.

“Alright, everyone, quiet down and sit in your seats. From 11 a.m. to noon today, there is a transfer interview in Multipurpose Room 126 on the first floor, so please avoid that area. Everybody understand?”

“Yes!”

“Teacher, what is a transfer?”

“A transfer is when someone comes to our academy in the middle of the year. Then they have to take the same exam as you all, right? That’s why there’s an interview today.”

“Teacher, will a transfer student come? What grade are they?”

“I can’t tell you what grade because they can’t disclose that until they’re accepted.”

Ding dong ding dong

The homeroom teacher of the 1st Grade A Class at Seviron Academy heard the recess bell and reminded the children to play carefully while emphasizing once again that they should not go to room 126.

“They looked really young, right? Aren’t they in the same grade as us?”

“Yeah? Then they must be transferring to 2nd grade.”

“Should we go check it out? If we go quickly, maybe we can see their face?”

“No way! The teacher said we’d get a penalty if we go!”

While Seo Ri was already excited about the rumored transfer student, Ji Hye calmly tried to dissuade her.

But Ji Hye couldn’t help but feel curious about the rumored transfer student as well.

“Really? Our homeroom teacher didn’t mention anything about that!”

“Maybe they don’t go there often, so she didn’t know.”

“What do they look like? Are they a boy or a girl?”

Not only the students of Class A but also the rumors about the transfer student became a hot topic among the 1st graders.

From the rumor that the daughter of a famous overseas royal family had come to study abroad, to the story that a spy raised in a nameless criminal organization had come to Seviron Academy on a mission!

In just 10 minutes of recess, the children began to showcase their creativity as they speculated about her identity.

As the teachers of each class were called to the assembly hall for the career program announcement, the brave one who decided to meet her directly was the leader of Class A, Han Seo Ri.

Seo Ri confidently declared she would become a detective and uncover the identity of the transfer student, leading her retinue with her.

Thus, Ji Hye was left helpless.

“Seo Ri, didn’t the teacher say that during the 4th period today, we have to remain in the classroom until the bell rings? What if we get caught?”

“It’s fine. All the teachers are in the assembly hall, so they won’t know.”

“But we’ve already been waiting for 30 minutes…”

“Shhh…! If you keep talking, you’ll get us caught! Oh, look, someone is coming! Hide, hide!”

Allowing a mere penalty to quell Seo Ri’s curiosity was simply not enough.

“I think that was her! Can you see?”

“It’s too far to see well. Ah, now I can see! But what do we do? Are we really going to talk to her?”

“Of course! Why else would we be waiting here?”

“Ah, I seriously don’t know!”

Without a moment of hesitation, Seo Ri dashed toward the back gate.

Ji Hye ran as fast as she could to keep up, but the already distanced Seo Ri was just about to face the student.

“Hello! I’m Seo Ri! Han Seo Ri!”

“…?”

“Hello! I’m Seo Ri! Han Seo Ri!”

“You didn’t have to say it twice. Do we know each other?”

“No, it’s the first time I’ve seen you!”

“Ah. Are you a student at this school?”

“Huff huff… Seo Ri, you’ve dropped your scarf.”

“Oh! When did it fall? Thank you!”

“Ah, hello…? I’m Ji Hye.”

Ji Hye, who joined them late, handed Seo Ri’s scarf and introduced herself as well.

The transfer student was smaller and more delicate than Ji Hye had imagined. She was at least a head shorter than Seo Ri, who was taller than her peers.

Unlike Han Seo Ri, who had curly blonde hair and blue eyes due to her mixed heritage, the transfer student, with the same black hair as Ji Hye, gave off an exotic vibe.

“I am Han Seo Ri from 1st Grade of Seviron Academy! This is my friend, Ji Hye. Did you transfer to our academy? What’s your name?”

However, despite Seo Ri’s extremely enthusiastic greeting reminiscent of a retriever, the transfer student chose to ignore her and walked past.

“Uh… uh…?”

“Did she just walk away?”

Having never imagined she would be ignored, Seo Ri was rendered speechless.

“Yeah, she just walked away…”

Worried she might return, they stared at her for a long time, but the transfer student didn’t turn back.

The only thing they could see was her backside as she took a hairband from her pocket and neatly tied her hair.

* * *

Was it said that extremely advanced science could not be distinguished from magic?

It was likewise true that extremely advanced mind control magic was indistinguishable from reality.

Especially in an era where the ethics of magic could be disregarded, the joke that even passing cats would become pawns of black magic no longer seemed like a joke.

Sometimes, I wonder if I am not repeatedly reborn but actually caught in a very powerful hypnosis.

The so-called brain in a jar, or something like that.

However, when truly facing reality, such thoughts gradually disappeared into the abyss.

“Hey, big sister! My mom said that if you’re not from this apartment, you shouldn’t play here!”

“Who made that rule?”

“Um… I don’t know? Wait a moment, I’ll ask my brother!”

The world constantly evolves.

Humanity discovers fire and defeats mammoths and wyverns.

The concept of the nation is established, and conquest wars are waged.

Slavery is abolished, and democracy based on freedom and equality is constructed.

Mana is constantly refined, and magic also evolves.

And now, in a world equipped with rational means to control all these, is it a wonderful new world?

“Hey, where is your home?”

“…”

“I feel like I’ve never seen you in this complex before. This is a no-entry zone for outsiders. If you want to play, go to a different playground.”

“I live in Apartment 102, Room 3903.”

“Oh, really? Well, have fun then?”

The world develops through human greed, and that driving force may never disappear until humanity becomes extinct.

It is a sad reality that, as long as the forces driving the advancement of the world are money and honor, humanity cannot resist the hierarchy of capitalism and power.

Failing the academy interview without anyone at home to accompany, and not wanting to access the capsule on days like this.

Sitting on the swing, I kicked my feet to feel like the other kids, but the restless feeling still wouldn’t go away.

“Get lost, you beggar!”

“Ugh, it stinks!”

Look.

There is no clear evil or good in this world.

There must have been some reason for banning outsiders from the luxurious apartment playground.

Perhaps it was difficult to hold outsiders accountable for property damage, or perhaps it involved the real adult concerns of property values.

While adults provided children with a good environment through regulation, by contrast, the young child who just accidentally entered the playground was now being beaten.

Children either conformed or struggled to ignore it while adults stood by.

“Ahhhhh!!!”

“Are you not leaving? Go back to your home!”

Disgust. Yes, it’s disgust. I was pondering what this confusing feeling was when…

I had completely forgotten it was a memory from long ago.

What should a brave party of heroes destined to subjugate the demon lord do when they encounter patrons plundering the people wherever they go?

Should the commoners be sacrificed under the noble cause of defeating the demon lord? Or should they ignore those dying in the border areas and focus on immediate relief?

How did they respond back then…

“Hey, what are you doing? Why are you hitting that kid!”

Nevertheless, the disgust reached a peak, and just as I got off the swing, other kids moved ahead of me.

“What are you doing?”

A girl, already covered in dirt and looking shabby, barely lifted her head. Her white dress was so dirty it was hard to recognize its original form.

And there were five children who appeared to be at least three or four years older than her, who had been bullying the girl where their parents’ eyes couldn’t reach.

When no one dared to intervene, two familiar figures showed up and bravely confronted them.

They were two 1st graders I had met by chance on the way home.

“We’re from this area too, right? Is it not shameful to bully one person with a group? If it were me, I would have been too embarrassed to live after that!”

“What? Did your mom teach you to talk like that?”

“Then did your mom teach you to bully innocent kids?”

A fierce battle of words erupted among the children.

Though their vocabulary might be lacking, their spirit was not to be outdone by anyone.

Eventually, a bigger child among the group of five took charge.

“Do you think we’re doing this because we’re bored? She’s being stubborn and won’t leave. It would have been great if she had just gone when we asked nicely.”

“No! I was waiting for my mom! She told me to keep waiting here… sniff… waaaaaah!”

“Can you just shut up?”

“Hey! I told you not to hit her! If you hit her again, we won’t let it go!”

“So what? Want to take us on? Are you confident?”

“Yeah, I’m not scared.”

It was truly chaotic.

Shouldn’t there be a security guard in a wealthy neighborhood like this?

Where have all the adults gone?

“AAAAHHH!”

The friend who had introduced herself as Seo Ri just moments ago was pushed and rolled on the ground.

“If you mess around one more time, you’re finished.”

“Using Aura? You crazy… you guys are really no match for Ji Hye.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Die!!!”

The moment Seo Ri fell, Ji Hye dashed toward the group of boys.

I wondered why Seo Ri was so confidently acting like that, but it seemed her friend was no ordinary girl.

Ji Hye was enveloped in aura on her legs and arms and literally charged forward to execute a headbutt.

“AAAHHH! Isn’t she insane!”

“Die! Die already!”

“Quick, get this jerk off me!”

And then, without caring whether she got hit or not, she relentlessly targeted just one who had fallen.

But one of the children had picked up a thick wooden stick from somewhere and was determined to strike Ji Hye’s head with all his might.

It seemed like it would work out, but then…

“That’s enough.”

[Cast: Adjust Friction Coefficient]

[4th Circle Combined Cast: Adjust Gravity Coefficient]

[Formation: Rotational Transformation]

The children who were about to beat Ji Hye all lost their balance and fell.

With arms and legs slamming to the ground, they completely flattened to form perfect prone positions.

In the end, it was time for me, the adult, to step in.