Given the sheer size of the game, there were more characters who could be recruited into Kang Hanbyeol’s party than one could count on both hands.
Park Sagun, Lisa, me—Do Gyeonu—Yong Haerang, Min Arin, Cha Eunsol, Nam Yuri, and so on….
There were already seven characters recruitable from the same year alone.
Once Kang Hanbyeol advanced to his second and third years, even more characters appeared.
As a result, there had been plenty of players in my previous life who were overwhelmed by the breadth of choice.
But being able to bring diversity to the party with characters who were each good-looking, brimming with personality, and possessed of their own distinct traits was also part of the game’s charm.
‘Depending on what combination you used to form your party, even the same story would change in difficulty, letting you enjoy it in a new way.’
It was one of the reasons I had been unable to help falling into the game in my previous life.
Combinations that pursued攻略 efficiency, combinations for farming, balanced combinations, combinations meant to clear the game on brutal difficulty, all-female combinations, conversely all-male combinations, combinations focused on growth, and so on….
Since countless combinations were possible, players’ preferences were just as varied.
It was common to see the amusing sight of people in the community recommending their preferred combinations to one another.
Among them, there was one combination that divided players’ tastes.
‘As a damage dealer supporting Kang Hanbyeol, who was better—me or No Hyowon…?’
In the game, there were broadly two ways characters were recruited into Kang Hanbyeol’s party.
Either it happened naturally as the story progressed, or it happened when certain conditions were met regardless of the story.
For the sake of distinction, players used to call characters belonging to the former category main characters, and those belonging to the latter sub-characters.
By that classification, the game’s Do Gyeonu could be called a main character, while No Hyowon, standing before me, could be called a sub-character.
She was a character who could only be recruited if Kang Hanbyeol selected a particular class.
In other words, she served as an excellent alternative for players frustrated by Do Gyeonu’s early-game performance.
“Rabbit? Lion cub? I know both names. You’re someone from the Divine Sword Do Clan, you took first place in the swordsmanship track, and you entered as the runner-up overall. It’d be stranger not to know you. I’d been wanting to meet you anyway. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to face you during the entrance exam and only saw you from afar.”
They said sub-characters had lower growth potential than main characters.
But No Hyowon played a part in carrying the story forward stably from the early stages with her solid performance.
It stood in contrast to Do Gyeonu, who only awakened belatedly in the latter half and displayed explosive performance.
Because of that, players were divided between the solid but non-explosive No Hyowon and the late-blooming Do Gyeonu.
‘As for me, I was a veteran who played every combination without discrimination.’
There was also a difference in No Hyowon and Do Gyeonu’s combat styles.
No Hyowon, who wielded a greatsword as her main weapon, placed greater emphasis on strength.
Do Gyeonu, who used a one-handed sword as his main weapon, placed greater emphasis on agility.
In my opinion, having used both characters in my previous life, each had their own strengths and weaknesses.
However, since I had reincarnated as Do Gyeonu, I hadn’t particularly kept in mind recruiting her into the party.
Even so, I was simply glad to meet her.
“I’d wanted to meet you too. I’d heard rumors that there was someone my age in the Crimson No Clan who swung a sword so well she was called the Battle Princess.”
“Really? Hearing that you knew about me puts me in a good mood. Let’s get along.”
“I look forward to it.”
There was etiquette even to handshakes.
When I held out my hand to No Hyowon first, she clasped it.
Unlike Yeon Haneul’s soft hands, hers were rough and firm.
The hands of a born swordswoman.
I felt as though I could understand the passion she had poured into swinging a sword.
“You two are in the same year, so make sure you get along. And Gyeonu, this is No Huichan. He’s a third-year like me.”
“Hello. I’m No Huichan. I’ve heard about you often from Sieun. If you’re someone Sieun acknowledges, then the rumors must not be exaggerated. You also proved your ability by entering as the runner-up this time. If there’s anything you’re curious about or if you run into trouble, feel free to tell me anytime. I’ll help however I can.”
“Hello, I’m Do Gyeonu. Thank you for saying that.”
“You’re Sieun’s younger brother, so be comfortable. Don’t speak so formally.”
“I will.”
“You switched right away because I told you to. I like how straightforward you are even more.”
After finishing my greeting with No Hyowon.
I exchanged names with the other students from the Crimson No Clan as Do Sieun introduced them.
All of them were friendly toward me.
No Huichan, a third-year who represented the people associated with the Crimson No Clan attending Geumgang Academy, practically said outright that he would lend me the clan’s strength.
‘Is it because of Sieun noona?’
Most likely.
It was probably the result of Do Sieun having built a good relationship with the Crimson No Clan over her three years at the academy.
I felt grateful to her as she conversed with No Huichan.
At that moment, No Hyowon, who had been standing quietly while waiting for the conversation to end, spoke to me.
“By the way, seeing you beside Senior Do Sieun, I suppose she’s planning to push you as the first-year representative? Was his name Do Seungwoo? I saw him earlier moving around with the second-year representative.”
“Well… I guess so….”
Even if No Hyowon hadn’t told me, I had already expected as much to some extent.
Since she had asked me to come to the Prestigious Families Association with her and even taught me various things, it wasn’t hard to guess Do Sieun’s intentions.
‘On top of that, she’s even used her connections to get me the support of the Crimson No Clan….’
Do Sieun was undoubtedly trying to make me the first-year representative.
Between me and Do Seungwoo.
At a point when one of us had to become the representative, I was extremely grateful that she had thrown her weight behind me.
I should buy her a meal next time.
‘Anyway, No Hyowon….’
Just a moment ago, Do Sieun had recommended that I bring No Hyowon into my faction.
Indeed, if it was No Hyowon, she seemed likely to be useful in managing the first-year students in the swordsmanship track.
No one would oppose her, backed as she was by the Crimson No Clan.
Even if someone did oppose her, at most it would be people from families of equal standing to hers.
As for them, I could just crush them myself.
‘Her personality is suitable too.’
In the game, No Hyowon was portrayed as a charismatic character with excellent judgment.
She was a fitting choice to lead the students in my stead.
Moreover, she was also someone with a strong desire for self-improvement and progress, as well as a powerful urge to dominate and conquer.
「No Hyowon」
—Do Gyeonu, I want to conquer you. Let our swords speak!
No Hyowon, who took pride in her clan, wanted to surpass the Divine Sword Do Clan, known as the foremost swordsmanship prestigious family.
The circumstances that led her, upon first appearing in the game, to try to defeat Do Gyeonu could be understood in that context.
By doing so, she sought to prove her skill, elevate the prestige of her clan, and settle the hierarchy among the students in the swordsmanship track.
Of course, in the game, she never succeeded in defeating Do Gyeonu.
Do Gyeonu refused the spar, and before that, she ended up losing to Kang Hanbyeol, who belonged to the same swordsmanship track.
「No Hyowon」
—Before I conquer Do Gyeonu, I’ll have to conquer you first, Kang Hanbyeol…. Thank you. It was a good match.
That was how the player became able to recruit No Hyowon into Kang Hanbyeol’s party.
Afterward, she came to harbor the ambition of wanting to defeat not only Kang Hanbyeol, but the party members as well, and to someday become the leader of the party herself.
She was highly ambitious.
One could also say she had a strong desire for power.
‘For someone like that, my proposal is bound to be tempting.’
If she entered my faction, she would be able to wield the authority I possessed as representative.
Even if she could not become number one, she would be able to reign over the swordsmanship-track students as the number two, almost equivalent to the number one.
Having judged that much, I spoke to her indirectly.
“As someone from the Divine Sword Do Clan, I don’t intend to recklessly represent your collective will. I plan to make an effort to listen to your voices. But there’s a limit to how much attention I can pay to all of you on my own. So I’d like you to become my strength.”
“Hooh…. Should I take that to mean you’re asking me to become part of your faction?”
“To put it directly… yes, that’s right. Come under me.”
“I do like your honesty when you put it that way. As for offering a faction… am I the first?”
“For now, you’re the first.”
“Then that means… I can assume you intend to treat me as your right arm, correct?”
“I’m planning to set the overall direction, and delegate the rest to you.”
“…So you’re saying you’d allow me to exercise almost full authority. That’s exceptional.”
“If I want to place you under me, it has to be exceptional. Don’t you think?”
“I’m grateful, since it means you acknowledge me that much… but that doesn’t mean I’m going to happily go under you just like that. Supporting you and serving beneath you are different things. Above all, I like conquering. I don’t like being conquered.”
“So are you rejecting me now? That’s disappointing.”
“Even so, your proposal is appealing. Too appealing to simply turn down like this…. So let’s do this.”
“Go on.”
“At the unity gathering later, achieve better results than I do. If you show me that you’re superior to me, I’m willing to quietly be conquered by you. When that time comes, I’ll enter your faction and fulfill my role as number two.”
No Hyowon swept back her red hair and made the proposal as though provoking me.
I could read her desire to conquer me in her brown eyes.
Her competitive spirit was burning.
Since I wanted to recruit her into my faction, I decided to accept her challenge.
“If that will make you submit… fine. It’s a promise.”
The unity gathering, where the members of the Prestigious Families Association would enter a Gate to build camaraderie.
I had gained a reason to give the unity gathering my all.
* * *
After the Crimson No Clan came to find me.
I was able to exchange greetings with students from various swordsmanship prestigious families, including the Five Great Swordsmanship Families.
Perhaps because Do Sieun was beside me, they treated me with great courtesy.
‘How many has it been now….’
Students kept approaching without end.
As soon as I finished speaking with one person, I had to speak with the next without a moment to rest.
And since I had to shake hands every time, it felt as though my hand would wear away.
At this rate, the calluses on my palm might fall off.
Once their number had surpassed twenty, I gave up trying to remember their faces and exchanged polite words with them using phrases that had, in the meantime, become fixed on my tongue.
Unlike the people Do Sieun had told me about beforehand, they were relatively less important, so it was enough to identify only their families through the badges attached to their clothes.
It was then that the crowd parted.
‘…I wondered when I’d see them, and here they are at last.’
The student who had been speaking with me tactfully stepped aside.
The people around me withdrew, making way.
As if it were only natural, I turned my gaze toward the two male students walking down the path.
Both of them were from the Divine Sword Do Clan.
One was Do Jinwoo, the son of my fourth aunt and the one serving as the second-year representative.
The other was Do Seungwoo.
“Even though you’re both direct descendants, how can the treatment you receive be this different? Honestly…. I was waiting for the right timing to talk to you, but it didn’t look like it would ever end. I couldn’t just keep waiting, so here I am.”
“I was looking for you anyway. You’ve been teaching Seungwoo properly, right?”
“I’m taking him around and teaching him. From the looks of it, though, Gyeonu seems to be having a harder time than Seungwoo…. Gyeonu, make sure you watch and learn well beside Sieun noona.”
“I am. Even though it’s just greeting people, it’s not as easy as I thought.”
“You’ll be doing it for the next three years. Congratulations in advance.”
Do Jinwoo had an easygoing personality.
He was one of the few people in the clan I could treat comfortably.
Like that, we talked about how we had been.
Do Seungwoo, on the other hand, did not join the conversation and kept his mouth firmly shut.
He did not look to be in a good mood.
‘Of course he wouldn’t.’
Unlike in the game.
Do Seungwoo’s and my positions had been reversed.
I was no longer being tormented by him; rather, it was almost as if I was the one tormenting him.
The days when he had once been regarded as a prodigy of the Divine Sword Do Clan and held great expectations were now nothing more than the distant past.
As if to prove that fact, his face was not filled with confidence like before; it was brimming with a gloomy air.
Shadows were cast heavily beneath his eyes as if he suffered from insomnia, while a venomous, malice-laced air could be glimpsed from both eyes.
His skin also looked dry and rough.
That was the state of him when he opened his mouth.
“Must be nice.”
“….”
“Being put on a pedestal by people.”
It was a tone that seemed to be sneering.
Hearing a tone that would naturally offend anyone, not only I, but the other two also turned their heads.
Do Seungu was smiling as if mocking them.
At that, I snorted.
“Yeah, right. It’s amazing.”
“….”
“I feel fantastic. Thrilling. Is this what it’s like? You’d have to feel it yourself to know.”
“Do Gyeonu….”
“Ah, I suppose you have felt it before? Up until five years ago, at least.”
“You bastard….”
“Well, fuck.”
Do Seungu glared at me with a gaze tinged with killing intent, grinding his teeth with a click.
I paid that gaze no heed and glared right back.
The ones who mediated our staring contest were Do Sieun and Do Jinu.
“Do Gyeonu, Do Seungu. Both of you, stop it here. Stand down.”
“You two really don’t get along. What do you think you’re doing in front of all these people?”
The two warned us sternly with expressions that seemed angry.
Do Sieun’s glare was particularly sharp.
I had no choice but to back down in the face of her attitude, which was different from usual.
“Tch.”
Do Seungu was the same.
He clicked his tongue as if displeased and turned away on his own accord.
“Let’s see how well you do at the Unity Gathering.”
“….”
“He’s seriously… Sieun noona, I’m going to go keep an eye on that bastard.”
“Yeah, please do.”
Before I could even say anything in response.
Do Seungu left his seat rudely without a word.
Do Jinu sighed at his behavior and followed with a resigned air.
Soon, three students emerged from the crowd and joined him.
They seemed to be Do Seungu’s crew.
I watched them quietly.
“That bastard Do Seungu.”
“The more I see him, the less I like him.”
“Right, he’s insufferable.”
“….”
The triplets suddenly appeared in my line of sight.
I looked in the direction Do Seungu had left and spoke to the backs of their heads as they cursed among themselves.
“When did you guys get here? If you were here, you should’ve told me from the start. Just what were you doing messing around instead?”
“What’s he talking about?”
“We arrived way earlier than you and were waiting for you.”
“But there were so many people crowded around you that we couldn’t get close.”
“Is that so? I was so busy dealing with other people that I didn’t know you were here. Still, you made it without getting lost.”
At the Famous Families Gathering, not only members of the prestigious sword families could attend, but also attendants who assisted them could participate.
At this event, the number of attendants was limited, and they needed to obtain permission from the organizers in advance.
That was how the triplets came to be here as my attendants.
They could be considered my faction as well.
*Truthfully, I wanted to call Haneul, but…*
Unfortunately, Yeon Haneul belonged to the magic system, not swordsmanship, so I couldn’t bring her to the Famous Families Gathering.
On the other hand, Gang Hanbyeol was of the swordsmanship system, but her very existence could draw too much attention, so I hadn’t invited her.
In the end, the only ones I could bring along as attendants were the triplets.
Then, they spoke to me with serious faces.
“By the way, did you see what just happened?”
“The three who came as Do Seungu’s attendants!”
“Their faces looked similar, just like ours!”
“So what?”
“They were triplets, too, you know!?”
“Do Gyeonu, doesn’t that make you think anything?”
“Those guys stole our identity!”
“What do you mean, identity…”
The triplets ground their teeth in indignation.
I clicked my tongue at their appearance.
I couldn’t understand the reason for their anger.
But regardless of my understanding, they heated up among themselves.
“This is war.”
“That bastard Do Seungu just declared war on you and us!”
“We have to show them who’s real.”
“He said he’d see us at the Unity Gathering earlier, right?”
“At the Unity Gathering, you and us will join forces and show those bastards what we’re made of.”
“Let’s prove we’re the real deal! The, real, deal, has, arrived! Rawr!”
The triplets’ gazes were burning.
I think this was the first time I’d seen these guys so passionate.
I found it absurd that they had gotten so riled up over something so trivial.
Meanwhile, they looked at me with sparkling eyes, urging my answer.
*Can’t be helped.*
Truthfully, even if the triplets hadn’t said anything, I didn’t want to fall behind Do Seungu.
So if they were burning with motivation on their own, it was a welcome situation for me.
I decided to go along with them.
“Minions Gold, Silver, and Bronze.”
“Minion Gold!”
“Minion Silver!”
“Minion Bronze!”
“We’ll show them the difference in class at the Unity Gathering.”
“Loyalty! Loyalty! Loyalty!”
Even though five years have passed since I recalled my past life, this heart of mine remains unchanged.
I hate Do Seungu.
I just wish Do Seungu would be miserable.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss