The punishments for those who had taken part in the cheating on the midterms were decided.
For the instructors who had committed corruption, depending on their degree of involvement, they would either be dismissed, suspended, or have their salaries reduced.
The students who, without knowing the whole story, had indirectly taken part in Do Seungu’s scheme would be given suspensions, demerits, on- or off-campus community service, or disciplinary measures of a similar level.
The students who had been directly involved would receive failing grades in the subjects from which they had gained unfair advantage and would have to retake the exams later.
During summer vacation, they would also have to attend two additional weeks of remedial classes.
And in severe cases, like the Kim triplets, there were even some who were forcibly transferred.
“If the top-ranked students drop out like this… then maybe, just maybe, I still have a chance? Nice.”
Because of the Thornvine Spire incident, Min Arin had been unable to study for the exams for a while and had half given up on her midterm grades, but her eyes sparkled at this unexpected stroke of luck.
However, as long as Yeon Haneul was in the same track, there was a limit to how much she could raise her ranking.
Lastly, Do Seungu.
‘It went according to the game’s flow.’
At first, rumors that he might be expelled had spread all throughout the Academy, showing signs of diverging from the game.
But my grandfather, who didn’t want the family name disgraced, personally stepped in to stop the expulsion and produced the outcome of a forced transfer instead.
In the process, my third uncle lost a considerable portion of his influence within the family, while my father, conversely, benefited from the fallout and became someone who could no longer be ignored in the competition to become the next family head.
The overall flow had been maintained, while the finer details had subtly changed.
As for me, I couldn’t know what changes this incident would bring to the family.
Still, as I had thought before, if my father wanted to become family head, I intended to lend him my strength as a matter of course.
Meanwhile, what I was immediately concerned with wasn’t the minute change in the flow, but Do Seungu’s current situation.
‘Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for this day?’
The bastard was released from the Academy prison.
After receiving the news through the triplets, I went straight to meet him.
Though he was a member of the Divine Sword Do Clan, no one was there to welcome the bastard who could no longer wield that prestigious name.
I stopped him as he trudged out of the Academy prison alone.
Sensing my presence, he twitched the corner of his mouth as if sneering.
“What do you want? I doubt you came to feed me tofu just because I got released.”
“Of course not. Though if you said I came to laugh at you, you wouldn’t be wrong.”
“Do Gyeonu….”
“And there’s a debt you need to pay.”
“A debt I need to pay?”
“You have to pay the price for laying a hand on Haneul.”
“….”
I hadn’t forgotten. I couldn’t forget.
Even now, the memory of Yeon Haneul on that day, suffering with a face that looked half-dead, came vividly to mind.
Just thinking about it made rage surge up inside me, and I couldn’t let Do Seungu go like this.
It didn’t matter that the Academy and the family had already punished him.
I intended to put an end to this ill-fated relationship with him in my own way.
He must have felt the same.
Sure enough, after glaring at me in silence, he opened his mouth.
“You didn’t actually think I’d just sit here and take it, did you? Come at me if you want. This time, I’ll be the one to bring you down. Returning to the family that way wouldn’t be bad either.”
“Yeah, that’s never going to happen, so keep dreaming. Follow me.”
Somewhere with an open road would draw too much attention.
I couldn’t risk attracting people’s eyes and creating pointless trouble.
I led him into a nearby forest.
Since our interests aligned, he obediently followed behind me.
Eventually, when we entered a clearing, we faced each other with our swords.
There was no signal announcing the start.
This was not a spar, but a duel.
Kicking off the ground, I charged at the bastard as he took his stance.
───!!
“…Ugh!”
I wouldn’t use Azure Thunder.
I could win even without using it.
Avoiding his attacks with Evasion Instinct and blocking them with Hard Skin, I one-sidedly drove him back.
“Use the Beast King Style. Don’t be stubborn.”
“As if I would!”
Do Seungu, who saw me as a rival, tried to fight me on equal terms.
For a bastard who had lost both honor and people, it was likely the last pride he had left.
But no matter how desperately he struggled, he couldn’t even reach my toes.
He couldn’t respond to my speed.
All he could do was stay busy blocking the sword I brought down on him.
“Why! Why…!”
As time passed, what revealed itself was the gap between Do Seungu and me.
He no longer had the Brooch of Wind and Waves, could no longer receive help from others, had an impaired left arm, and refused to use the Beast King Style. His sword could not reach me.
That fact shattered his composure, and at last he began swinging his sword with his emotions at the forefront.
It was a sword with neither form nor technique, a sword that was embarrassing to call swordsmanship.
It was merely a sword containing a child’s resentment, devoid of any pride as a swordsman.
There was no way I would be struck by a blind blade.
It couldn’t cut a single strand of hair, couldn’t even graze the hem of my clothes.
“I—!”
“Sorry, but I’m not interested in your circumstances.”
“Do Gyeonu…!”
“What do I care?”
A sword reflects a person’s heart.
Thus, hidden at the very bottom of one’s sword swing lies that person’s essence.
Eyes wide as if holding back tears, biting his lip until it bled, sweating and red-faced, the bastard was now showing me his very depths.
He was full of resentment toward himself and the world.
A terrible inferiority complex had coiled within him.
And that emotion was directed wholly at me.
Only then did I realize.
‘I see.’
Do Seungu had been jealous of me.
Even if it meant stepping onto the wrong path, he had wanted to become my equal, to surpass me.
That was why he had bullied me when we were young, obsessed over me, and chased me all the way here.
Perhaps that was also why the Do Seungu in the game had tormented the Do Gyeonu in the game.
A stray thought suddenly passed through my mind.
But a stray thought was only a stray thought; it could not disturb my heart.
I only focused on the bastard before me, swung my sword, cleared my mind, and accomplished my purpose.
I brought an end to the duel, which had held no variables from beginning to end.
“…Kgh!”
Do Seungu’s sword flew from his hand.
I kicked him in the solar plexus and, disturbing his balance, hooked his leg.
His eyes widened as he tilted sideways and fell with a thud.
I stepped on him with all my strength.
He spat the saliva he had gathered in his mouth, but I had sensed it beforehand with Evasion Instinct and turned my head to avoid it.
“Why… why can’t I beat you….”
“Because you’re weaker than me.”
“….”
“What other reason would there be? Who are you going to blame? You should blame yourself. It’s because you’re weak.”
“Do Gyeonu….”
“You’ll never catch up to me, even if you die. Crawl beneath my feet for the rest of your life.”
“Shut… mgh…!”
Speech is the right of the victor.
I had no intention of listening to him.
Mounting Do Seungu’s body, I shoved the medicine bottle I had taken from my pocket into his mouth.
Even when he reflexively turned his head and tried to close his mouth, it was useless.
“If you don’t want it spilled elsewhere, drink it quietly.”
“Mmgh!”
I forced his mouth open with strength.
Then I poured the contents of the bottle into it by force.
“Unfortunately, I’m not going to kill you. Killing just you wouldn’t be worth the cost.”
If Do Seungu died at this point, given the circumstances, the person the family would suspect most would be me.
Even if no evidence came out, the people of the family would suspect me as the culprit.
If things went wrong, it could create no small obstacle to my future activities.
By going against Grandfather’s decision to transfer him, I might also fall out of favor with him.
So, unable to shoulder that risk, I thought for several days and chose the best option.
“What just entered your body is the poison of a Darknight Hornet. Hanbyeol gave me the one she plundered from you.”
“…!”
“Of course, I didn’t use it as is. I adjusted its potency so you wouldn’t die and added a few mixtures.”
“What the hell did you put in it….”
“You think I’d tell you?”
It was a poison I had concocted with Nam Yuri’s help, who had readily agreed, saying it sounded interesting.
Its effects would be certain.
I spoke to the bastard, whose face was now shadowed with fear.
“That poison will spread through your entire body and eat away at your mana circuits. I don’t know how long you’ll last, but… in the end, you’ll lose the use of a considerable number of them.”
“…What?”
“At first, I thought about cutting off your arms and burning them so you could never hold a sword again… but if I did that, the family probably wouldn’t just sit still. Besides, they said the arm I cut won’t ever move like it used to anyway. It’s a shame it wasn’t your right arm, but I’ll have to make do with that. So, as a compromise of my own….”
“….”
“I decided to cripple your mana circuits. This much, they’ll probably turn a blind eye to.”
“…You lunatic. Do you have any idea what’ll happen if I tell the world you tried to poison me?”
“Try it if you can.”
“….”
“But I wonder whose side the world will take. Yours, when you can’t even invoke the name of the Divine Sword Do Clan? Or mine?”
“Do Gyeonu… You think you can look down on me like this forever….”
“Once the poison slowly spreads through your body, you’ll never surpass me. You won’t be able to use Azure Thunder anymore either. A member of the Divine Sword Do Clan unable to use Azure Thunder—what a pity. Even if you someday return to your original position, you won’t be able to proudly say anywhere that you’re a member of the Divine Sword Do Clan.”
“…Don’t. Please, don’t. Without Azure Thunder, I….”
“Sorry about that. Unlike you, I didn’t make an antidote. I didn’t want my resolve to waver for nothing. Though I guess I could have made one after all. Seeing as I still don’t waver even after this.”
“Do Gyeonu!”
“Don’t shout. You’re noisy.”
Do Seungu tried to thrash.
I pressed him down with my weight so he couldn’t move, then placed my hand over his heart.
“Did she say that if I pour mana into the heart, where mana is produced, the medicine’s effect will circulate faster?”
“Don’t! I said don’t! Please, please, anything but thaf—! I-I was wrong! I’ll get on my knees and apologize to Yeon Haneul too, so take Azure Thunder awagh—!”
“Don’t say Haneul’s name carelessly. If a filthy mouth like yours says it, it’ll defile her. Ah, good. Looks like it’s doing its job. Don’t worry. It’s going to hurt a lot.”
“Ghhk….”
“Haneul suffered all that because of you. You should feel that pain too.”
I let mana flow from my fingertips, stimulating Do Seungu’s heart.
When he screamed in agony, I stuffed the towel I had prepared into his mouth.
I cuffed him to bind his arms and legs, then continued the process of spreading the poison’s effect.
The bastard who had begged and pleaded with me at first soon became unable to come to his senses, tormented by the pain of the poison.
At last.
“It’s done.”
After confirming that the medicine’s effect had spread throughout his body, I rose from my seat.
Tears were streaming down from the bastard’s eyes as he lay there half out of his mind.
Paying it no mind, I threw the medicine bottle and the key to the handcuffs onto his stomach.
“Clean up those things yourself. That was fun. You know what happens if you talk, right? Though you probably won’t be able to tell anyone out of shame anyway.”
“Do, Do Gyeonu… after doing this, you still call yourself a member of the Divine Sword Do Clan…?”
“Are you really one to say that?”
“….”
“I’m leaving. I hope you live kindly once you leave the Academy.”
Deliberately ignoring the sound of Do Seungu sobbing behind me,
I left without turning back even once.
If asked whether I felt relieved, I would have to say I didn’t feel particularly good.
‘This really is something a person shouldn’t do….’
Would killing him have been easier instead?
I didn’t know.
Only a sense of unease lingered in one corner of my heart.
On the other hand, there had been a part of me that felt a certain pleasure while torturing Do Seungu.
If I fell completely into that sensation, I felt like I would no longer be myself.
I decided to be wary.
‘Haneul will think it’s strange. I should hurry back.’
I couldn’t tell Yeon Haneul.
Given her personality, if she found out I had done something like this because of her, she would be saddened.
I didn’t want to see her like that.
While thinking up an excuse for why I had been unreachable for a while, I headed to her.
“Gyeonu, where have you been? Why couldn’t I call you… Hm? Gyeonu?”
“Just let me stay like this for a little while.”
“….”
Whether our friends were watching or not,
I held Yeon Haneul tightly.
She had come into my arms so suddenly, and puzzled, she carefully stroked my back.
“Did something happen?”
“No. I just wanted to.”
“If something is bothering you, tell me. Okay? Hmm?”
“Okay. You tell me, too.”
“…Yeah.”
It felt as if applying any strength would break her.
So I carefully wrapped my arms around Yeon Haneul, lest she shatter.
The hand that had been caressing her waist soon moved lower….
“Kyah! Why are you touching my tail all of a sudden?”
“Because I want to. Is that not allowed?”
“It’s not that you can’t….”
“I’ll only touch it a little.”
“*Sigh*… Just a little, really?”
“Yeah.”
“Ah, hhnngh… Don’t make my tail grow longer, it’s embarrassing….”
* * *
Truthfully, expelling Do Seungwoo had never been considered from the beginning.
It was obvious that the Divine Sword Do Clan would attempt to prevent his expulsion in order to protect their honor.
A prestigious family that preserved a long history, tradition, and glory—especially one of the Ten Great Houses—could not help but do so.
As expected, the Divine Sword Do Clan made their move.
From the standpoint of the chairwoman who pursued the academy’s interests, So Hyeyul, they were merely tools to be used.
‘Just as I was about to discipline the board of directors, that child Do Seungwoo got caught at the perfect time. How fortunate.’
The top floor of the faculty building. The chairwoman’s office.
So Hyeyul, who was in a good mood after having been free of anyone challenging her authority for some time, reached for a small box on her office desk.
She peeled away the fine silk wrapping and opened the lid of the wooden box.
Inside the box, a key shimmering with blue light was carefully kept.
“Brother Yeeik must be quite heartbroken.”
Possessing a Blue Gate Key itself brought glory to a clan.
Because conquering a Blue Gate required considerable forces, it was inevitably regarded as such.
In that sense, the Divine Sword Do Clan had suffered a painful loss this time.
“I did want more Gate Keys that could be used in the next clan head succession test…. But then, asking for them would be shameless. There’s no way they would comply.”
At that point, she could make an enemy of the Divine Sword Do Clan and end up putting herself at a disadvantage instead.
She had to know her boundaries.
Lest the key be scratched, she examined it with careful hands.
So Hyeyul muttered flatly.
She soon put the key away, sealed the box, and shifted her attention.
She asked Oh Seunga, the head secretary who had come to report on the situation.
“Come to think of it… Seunga, what about Student Haneul? Is she alright now?”
“According to our investigation, her physical condition seems to have improved… However, Student Do Gyeonwoo is being overprotective and looking after Student Yeon Haneul.”
“He must cherish Student Haneul very much. Seeing how fiercely he cares for her.”
“Yes.”
“Not to mention the petition matter….”
The Rabbit Do Gyeonwoo of the Divine Sword Do Clan and the Bunny Yeon Haneul, disciple of the Witch of Seven Colors.
That the two shared a very close relationship was well known among the academy’s people.
But how dearly they regarded each other had not been known.
Through this incident, So Hyeyul felt she had glimpsed a fraction of that.
‘When he met with me before, he seemed quite bold, someone who knew how to use his head, but when it comes to that child, his emotions seem to take priority….’
Do Gyeonwoo was not merely a rational and reasonable person.
At times, especially when Yeon Haneul was involved, he did not weigh gains and losses.
It was typical human behavior, unable to break free from the fetters of emotion.
“….”
That was why humans were weak.
Neither complete nor perfect.
She was no exception, and Do Gyeonwoo would certainly be no different.
‘He won’t be difficult to use.’
So Hyeyul organized her thoughts.
Having glimpsed the inner workings of the man called Do Gyeonwoo through the pretext of Yeon Haneul’s petition, she smiled as if satisfied.
It was then that Oh Seunga spoke up.
“Also, Chairwoman.”
“What is it now?”
“It is information we obtained just now. Student Do Seungwoo’s mana circuits have been severely damaged.”
“…The cause?”
“It is presumed to be the effect of a poison. Student Do Seungwoo is not speaking in detail, but given the circumstances, this matter….”
“I suppose Gyeonwoo did it.”
“It is merely circumstantial, so we cannot make unfounded assumptions. However, Student Do Gyeonwoo was recorded on camera near the site of the incident.”
“Hmm… Once his emotions flare up, he acts without regard for consequences. Or perhaps he lost his temper in moderation, gauging how far his deviation would be tolerated….”
So Hyeyul’s yellow eyes sparkled with interest.
The corners of her mouth curved.
Oh Seunga, on the other hand, asked for her opinion with an expressionless face.
“What will you do?”
“What do you mean, what will I do?”
“Shall we summon Student Do Gyeonwoo and interrogate him on whether he intended to kill Student Do Seungwoo….”
“Isn’t Student Do Seungwoo no longer a student of our academy?”
“…Yes, that is correct.”
“Then wouldn’t it be right to favor Student Do Gyeonwoo, who *is* our academy’s student?”
“…Yes, that is so.”
“Bury it in your heart. We don’t have clear evidence, and we can’t touch Student Do Gyeonwoo and end up dragging the Divine Sword Do Clan into this, can we? It’s already a very sensitive period as it is…. Brother Yeeik won’t stay still, will he?”
Do Gyeonwoo and Do Sieun, who were expected to become the next generation’s Hunters from the Divine Sword Do Clan, were special.
They might have cast out Do Seungwoo, but they would never cast out Do Gyeonwoo.
As the witch who counts the stars in the night sky, So Hyeyul, who knew how to weigh the world, rose from her seat.
She opened the door, her heels clicking against the floor.
“Besides, it’s common in the academy, isn’t it? People dying.”
“….”
“If I fussed over every little thing like this, there’d be no end. And it’s not worth it.”
In an academy where students from various backgrounds gathered, covert struggles were inevitable depending on interests.
For So Hyeyul, it was only natural—a physiological necessity of the academy.
* * *
Competition is a good thing.
Just as iron grows harder the more it is struck, a lion grows stronger the more it is driven into competition.
That was precisely why the Divine Sword Do Clan emphasized relentless competition.
While every clan’s desire to cultivate superior talent may vary greatly, the Divine Sword Do Clan in particular pursued growth through competition.
However, overheated competition sometimes draws blood.
The children of lions who learn the sword from the age they can grip a blade are fearless and rough of temperament.
They do not doubt that they are the king of beasts.
However, there can only be one king, so ranking among them is inevitable.
Soon, a bloody banquet awaits.
It was a situation that Do Yeeik, who guarded against the reenactment of tragedies recorded in the long history of the Divine Sword Do Clan, by no means wished for.
To such a man, the disgraceful conduct Do Seungwoo had shown was nothing but deeply disappointing.
“Tsk, foolish child….”
They had suffered no small losses from this matter.
The honor of the Divine Sword Do Clan had been tarnished, and a bloodbath had nearly erupted.
Do Yeeik felt like striking Do Seungwoo’s name from the family register.
But the bonds of blood stopped him.
His disposition, which had once strictly followed reason, had softened, unable to overcome the passage of time.
‘I too have grown old.’
Just as a predatory beast that once ruled its pack would one day intuit its own decline.
Do Yeeik felt himself waning as he handled this affair.
The time to yield the seat of the Beast King who reigned over all lions was not far off.
Of course, that time was not now.
As long as he reigned as the Beast King, he intended to manage the clan energetically until the very end.
He would watch over the lions’ growth.
Above all, he looked forward to the growth of Do Gyeonwoo, who had broken the record of the second clan head and manifested Byeokroe at the youngest age.
In that sense.
“Did you say Yeon Haneul….”
Yeon Haneul, disciple of the Witch of Seven Colors, currently known by the alias Bunny.
He could not help but be concerned about her, said to share a special bond with Do Gyeonwoo.
“….”
He had known of Yeon Haneul’s existence for some time.
Back then, he had dismissed her as merely one of the friends made in youth.
He had thought she held no special meaning for Do Gyeonwoo.
But now, it seemed he had to think differently.
‘Is that child so precious to him?’
It was the same with how he had stopped Do Beomjun from swallowing his pride to go ask Yeon Haneul to write a petition.
Through this incident, Do Yeeik realized how much Do Gyeonwoo cared for her.
Above all.
“I never expected Gyeonwoo to do such a thing.”
Do Yeeik recalled the news he had received not long ago and sighed.
Do Seungwoo had been ambushed, his mana circuits crippled, rendering him unable to ever manifest Byeokroe again.
It must have been Do Gyeonwoo’s doing.
Do Seungwoo had many enemies, but given the circumstances at the time, there was no one else.
Do Yeeik, who had cherished him since five years ago, could not hide his disappointment.
“Only so far.”
That Do Gyeonwoo had cut off Do Seungwoo’s arm during the midterms could be overlooked with extenuating circumstances.
But if he had tried to cut his arm again this time and take away his life as a swordsman, or if he had tried to take his blood relative’s life contrary to the clan head’s decision, it would not have been tolerated.
Fortunately, Do Gyeonwoo had carried out his revenge within the bounds he could tolerate.
By taking away Byeokroe, the symbol and pride of the Divine Sword Do Clan, from him.
Barely, but still.
He could not help but feel a loathsome emotion.
He was displeased.
Do Yeeik sank into thought with a complicated mind.
‘If only Gyeonwoo wouldn’t fall further for that Ain….’
Ain—those whose genes are corrupted by mana’s influence while in the fetal stage, born possessing animal characteristics.
The first reason they are discriminated against is that their characteristic red pupils remind people of monsters; the second is that their genes do not resemble their parents’.
And the third reason is that an Ain’s child is also born an Ain.
They do not resemble their parents at all.
For those of a prestigious family that values legitimacy alongside skill, this is fatal.
Thus, they are not preferred as spouses.
At best, they are fit as toys for a night’s pleasure or suitable playthings for affairs.
“….”
She was not suitable to be brought into the Divine Sword Do Clan.
She was of a different class.
Do Yeeik only hoped that Do Gyeonwoo’s eccentric behavior would end as a simple fling.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss