Chapter 489

The faces of the fourth-year students of Seviron Academy were full of vitality after returning from the holiday.

They brought their gifts from Children’s Day to school to show off and chattered away about stories of going to an idol concert with their parents.

However, the reason they were truly excited was because of one single announcement.

“We’ve decided to go to Jeju Island for this year’s school trip based on the results of the grade voting!”

“Wowwwww!”

“Ahhhh, Jeju Island, amazing!”

It was a moment of mixed emotions.

The background behind Jeju Island winning over strong competitors like Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore had its own reasonable explanation.

“Why should our guys go to a Disney princess theme park?”

“There will be many princes there.”

“Ugh, no thanks. The main characters there are all princesses anyway.”

“Who cares?”

“Yeah, you’re Princess Fiona.”

“Hey, do you want to die?!”

A theme park centered on Disney princesses.

The female students, completely captivated by the idea, united and gave unanimous support.

“Make sure to tell your parents today that we’re leaving next Monday, and since they won’t wait for latecomers, let’s all arrive at the academy by 8 AM. Everyone understands, right?”

“Yes!”

“Then let’s move on to page 86 of the science textbook.”

After class, the children gathered in small groups to discuss the school trip.

Although the boys expressed their disappointment, their faces quickly brightened upon hearing the news of the newly opened racing experience zone.

“Ahh, I want to see NaeMe. I wanted to go on the school trip with NaeMe.”

Seoyuna sighed, resting her cheek against her desk.

“NaeMe is busy.”

“She’s a national representative, so she has no time to play.”

“Hiiin, is that so? But people need to rest sometimes; if she only trains, her body will be ruined.”

“Why not just call NaeMe and ask her?”

“Should I? What’s NaeMe’s number again?”

“What? Are you really calling No Name? I want to listen too!”

“Shh, be quiet! Ssshh!”

Turuuruuru—

[The customer is unavailable—]

Turuuruuru—

After a long wait, NaeMe finally answered the phone.

[Hello. What’s up at this hour?]

“I got through! NaeMe, we’re going on a school trip next week. Do you want to join us?”

[A school trip? What right do I have to tag along since I’m not a student? You all have fun and take lots of pictures, okay?]

“I just thought I’d ask in case you could come.”

[Right now, it’s a busy season because of the national exchange competition, so please understand. Let’s meet during vacation later.]

“Okay. Good luck.”

The call started and ended exactly as one would expect from NaeMe.

“See? I told you she’d be busy.”

The kids left the area, clucking their tongues as if they knew it wouldn’t work out.

“Haah. I want to touch NaeMe’s soft cheek…”

Yuna slumped down weakly.

Iharu, standing beside her with his arms crossed, muttered to himself.

“Maybe I should come up with a reason for NaeMe to have to come to Jeju Island…”

* * *

Come to think of it, I didn’t ask where the school trip would be.

For fourth graders in elementary school, they would probably choose one of Japan, Taiwan, or Singapore.

It was obvious.

I was on my way back after registering Ignis Respicchio with the Korean Magic Copyright Association.

The e was a passive skill that increases Arsteria’s range, which isn’t particularly meaningful, and the w could be replaced with the existing “Cast: Submerge” from a three-circle setup.

“If I borrowed the power of erosion, reproducing the ultimate technique wouldn’t be entirely impossible… but let’s not overthink it anymore.”

When I returned home, I focused solely on resting.

“NaeMe, what’s for dinner?”

“I’d rather starve.”

“It’s your favorite cordon bleu!”

“Fine, NaeMe, come eat just one spoonful.”

At Professor Cheon’s urging, I reluctantly sat at the table and picked up my utensils.

There was nothing particularly wrong with my health, but I had no appetite, low energy, and felt constantly drowsy.

No matter how practical the duel was, neither Love nor I was giving our full 100%.

Even so, my recovery was unexpectedly slow.

I guessed that once the national exchange competition was over, the aftereffects would be quite significant.

“Thanks for the meal.”

In just a minute, I finished dinner and lay down on my bed.

Sleep was creeping in, and if I fell asleep now, I’d probably sleep soundly without even dreaming.

Ding-ling—

As expected, my phone buzzed, interrupting my sleep.

“It’s No Name…”

Without realizing my tongue was tying up, I groggily answered the call.

“Yes, what is it?”

Hearing the calm voice of the man on the other end made me wake up instantly.

Looking at the caller ID, it was Eborum and Iharu’s father, currently the CEO of Samyeon Link.

[No Name Wizard needs a wand that can be freely customized. Our Samyeon Group wants to support the wizard a bit, specifically with a wand from the Lee Taegak Collection.]

Lee Taegak, co-founder of Samyeon Group and founder of the Beom Samyeon family, and the great-grandfather of Iharu.

He was also known for desperately collecting treasures of Korea scattered around the world after the Japanese colonial period.

If I had to pick the three representative works from the Lee Taegak Collection, they would be the “Map of Countries by Historical Records,” “Gold Crown Tomb Gold Ring,” and the last one being the “Cheokhwa Sword.”

In particular, the Cheokhwa Sword series was regarded as a collection of garbage created using a massive amount of high-purity marble to widely publicize Heungseon Daewongun’s intention of rejecting diplomatic relations.

“Though it’s called garbage, when it comes to marble alone, it’s not lacking compared to anything in the world.”

Even someone like me, who lacks material desire, found it tempting.

I composed myself and politely inquired.

“Is there something you want from me?”

Did I sound a bit too confrontational with a kidnapper?

It can’t be helped; it’s a residual habit from a past life.

His response was simple and straightforward.

[Still, since it’s a precious family treasure, shouldn’t we attach some conditions for its return later? Instead, I won’t be at all concerned if the wand breaks or gets damaged during the competition. How does that sound?]

“Is that it? I’m fine with it.”

[Alright, I’ll send someone soon to finalize the sponsorship contract. Ah, right, No Name Wizard must be busy, so she probably hates things like advertising shoots. I’d just appreciate it if you could shoot a motion poster that’s 10 seconds long. What do you think, Wizard?]

The chairman of Samyeon Link gradually added various conditions, becoming increasingly cheeky.

Yet he seemed willing to accommodate my convenience as much as possible.

Considering the terms, it still felt excessively favorable to me.

[You’ll obviously be exhausted from mana depletion, so a trip to Jeju Island for some relaxation is perfect. I’ll send you the plane ticket right away.]

“Jeju Island? Out of nowhere?”

Why is he suddenly trying to send me to Jeju?

That question nagged at me as I continuously stroked my chin.

[The Cheokhwa Sword I’m trying to give you is made from the Ol-damaite marble found on Hallasan. So I was thinking of having No Name Wizard demonstrate either sword techniques or magic atop Hallasan with the Cheokhwa Sword. I think it’s a brilliant idea, don’t you?]

“Well, it sounds good, but seems a bit excessive.”

Thinking about gathering so many staff to Hallasan just for a 10-second shoot is definitely overboard.

Is it because someone born into wealth sees things differently?

In the end, the deal was reached.

Samyeon Group would transfer the B-type Cheokhwa Sword, and the detailed design would be handled by a workshop in Switzerland.

I would demonstrate martial arts with the Cheokhwa Sword in Jeju next week.

Nice and clean.

The Cheokhwa Sword is small, so it shouldn’t require too many modifications to fit my height.

Ding—

As soon as the call ended, the plane ticket flew to me.

It was for a flight on Monday, May 12, at 11 AM.

Merchants in my past life were all utterly annoying, but I liked this person’s efficient way of handling things.

Could it be that he has some hidden agenda that I’m not aware of?

And I learned of his hidden motives a week later.

* * *

“No Name?”

“Seoyuna? Isn’t your school trip today?”

I happened to run into Seoyuna while washing my hands in the women’s bathroom at Gimpo International Airport.

“Wow, NaeMe! How did you get to the airport? You didn’t secretly follow us, did you? I’m honestly touched!”

Yuna hugged me tightly.

The scent of perfume that seemed borrowed from her mother flooded around me.

I coughed, pulling her back a bit.

“No, I’m going to Jeju for work.”

“Wow, Jeju!”

“Yeah. Where did Seviron decide to go for the school trip this year?”

“We’re going to Jeju too!”

“Huh? Why?”

Just in case, I compared my plane ticket to Yuna’s.

The boarding time and flight number were all exactly the same.

Is this something that can be explained by coincidence alone?

At that moment, the face of Samyeon Link’s CEO flashed through my mind.

“Oh, it’s NaeMe!”

“Hey, it’s been a while, No Name!”

“Seoyuna, you really found me? You’re quite the NaeMe detector.”

As we left the bathroom, the fourth graders recognized me and rushed over.

From afar, I could see Jacqueline Carroll waving at me.

She had come along as the fourth-grade homeroom teacher.

“Hi, everyone. You’re going on a school trip to Jeju, right?”

“Yeah! What about you?”

I unfolded my plane ticket to show them.

“I’m going too. Are we on the same flight?”

“Wowwwww!”

The kids buzzed excitedly.

Among the group, only one person remained calm and watched the situation with keen eyes.

The same neatly bobbed girl from last year and the year before that.

Is she still the class president this year?

As I approached Iharu, she was the first to speak to me.

“You’re really quick on the uptake, No Name.”

So, you were the one who begged your dad like that.

How baffling it is that she would give up the Cheokhwa Sword just to join our school trip.

“Are you not happy to be on the same plane with us?”

Haru cautiously asked.

I shook my head side to side.

“Thanks for creating this opportunity for me.”

The last girl, who had hesitated to smile like the other kids, finally broke into a bright smile.