Active Intervention
“Do you understand, Suhyeok? This is the gap between you and me! Don’t look down on me from now on. You know a vice president shouldn’t do that, right? Let’s both forget the past, and make sure you speak respectfully to me.”
“…For someone acting magnanimous as the victor, you certainly have a way of getting on people’s nerves.”
In the end, as everyone had expected, Seong Dasom, who had received my support, was elected student council president.
Having achieved an overwhelming 74% of the vote, she held her nose high and mocked Eun Suhyeok.
Eun Suhyeok looked displeased, but as the loser, he obediently accepted the result.
For reference, according to Do Sieun, she had apparently received 95% of the vote in last year’s student council president election.
‘That must be how much the students trusted Sieun noona.’
Even now, with her term nearing its end, Do Sieun maintained a high approval rating.
It was to the point that, during this election, I often heard people lamenting Do Sieun’s upcoming graduation.
Not only the students, but even the instructors highly evaluated her student council.
In this way, she was loved by many people.
So, if possible, I hoped that Seong Dasom would become as excellent a student council president as she had been.
‘If only so that I don’t end up getting cursed at too for supporting Senior Dasom….’
…She really can do well, right?
It would be fine.
Even in the game, Seong Dasom had never caused any particular problems after taking office as student council president.
It might simply not have been mentioned because it had nothing to do with the game’s story, but I decided to think positively.
And she wouldn’t be running the student council alone either.
‘Whether Senior Dasom runs wild or makes a mistake, if things get bad, Senior Suhyeok will step in and work hard to fix it.’
As the elected student council president, Seong Dasom had the authority to appoint the vice president and student council officers.
Accordingly, as she had initially agreed, she named Eun Suhyeok as vice president.
With his calm and meticulous personality, he would be able to support her well.
There was no need to be anxious.
‘Please take good care of things, Senior.’
After the election results were announced, the two of them were often seen going around together at the academy.
Passing by and spotting Eun Suhyeok being pointed at by Seong Dasom, I silently wished him luck.
Meanwhile, Yeon Haneul, who had been agonizing over it all this time, made her decision around this period.
—I’m going to join the student council. I want to become an officer, gain influence, and build recognition.
One day, Yeon Haneul told me her decision.
Inwardly, I wondered why she was trying to raise her influence and recognition.
As the disciple of the Seven-Colored Witch, Hong Yena, she shouldn’t have been lacking even now.
Depending on what she set her mind to, she could do anything, and become anything.
Even so, she wanted to reach a higher place. One could say she had tremendous ambition.
Perhaps she felt there was no meaning unless she seized it for herself.
Either way, I understood.
As her childhood friend, I decided to respect and support her wishes.
—Yeah, do what you want. You don’t need to worry about me. Then you’re only doing Shield until this year and quitting next year, right?
—No. I’m going to do Shield too.
—What? It’ll be really hard to do both at once…. Aren’t you pushing yourself too much?
But Yeon Haneul was far greedier than I had thought.
I couldn’t help but be dumbfounded by what she said next.
—Well, you see…. When I thought about it, there was no need to agonize over it. It might be difficult for other people, but I have the Gift of Division, don’t I?
—…You’re not thinking of using your Gift, are you?
—Yeah. When it was tight for me to move between lecture rooms during breaks, I used to send a clone ahead of time. Then I’d go without rushing and recall the clone that had been studying in the meantime.
—I know. That’s why Arin flew into a rage last time and said it was cheating.
—Right, even though she herself flies to lecture rooms on her staff…. Anyway, if Shield work and student council work overlap, I can just use Division like that.
—….
—Gyeonu? What’s wrong?
—Hey, Haneul. You….
Isn’t that seriously overpowered?
At that moment, I clicked my tongue without realizing it.
I felt bad for Yeon Haneul, but I fully sympathized with Min Arin’s feelings.
Wouldn’t there come a day when I saw her split off as many clones as there were subjects and study for exams?
The thought suddenly occurred to me, and I felt so envious it was almost a sense of deprivation.
—I wanted to be of help to you. And I didn’t want to reduce the time I could spend with you…. So I couldn’t give up Shield.
—….
But the feelings I had toward Yeon Haneul melted away completely at her shy smile and kind heart.
I was simply very grateful that she was my childhood friend.
There was no way I could respond negatively.
—All right. Still, don’t overdo it. Even if they’re clones and it seems fine, if you lose control of your Gift, something serious could happen.
—I know that too. I’ll use it within the limits I can handle in my current state.
And so, Do Sieun ended up recommending Yeon Haneul to Seong Dasom as a student council officer.
Seong Dasom, who was in the middle of receiving handover training in preparation for taking office as next year’s student council president, was generous.
She appointed her boldly.
—If Senior Sieun recommended her, there’s no reason for me not to make use of her. Good, Junior Haneul. Starting today, you’ll be the head of the Department of Culture. It’s a role deeply involved in student welfare and club autonomy.
—Pardon? The head? For me to be the head right from the start is a bit….
—Yes, exactly. If you put a kid with no student council experience in charge from the start, there will be many areas where she’s inexperienced. We should appoint a current second-year as head and instead make her vice head….
—Didn’t Senior Sieun say she was good at her work? Then even if she’s inexperienced at first, she’ll adapt and improve over time. Work is something you learn through experience, after all.
—There may be backlash from below….
—She is, strictly speaking, someone I appointed. Who would dare object? I think that would be no different from opposing me. If there is such a person, I won’t let it slide. Junior Haneul.
—Yes, Senior Seong Dasom.
—If anyone in the student council harasses you, tell me. Make sure you do.
—Ah, yes…. Thank you….
—Junior Haneul, you supported me, and I heard you’re Junior Gyeonu’s childhood friend. Due to the nature of the student council president position, there’s nothing to gain from making an enemy of Junior Gyeonu, who will become the only real power in the swordsmanship track starting next year. I’d rather maintain a good relationship. So I’ll be counting on you.
—…Yes. I’ll be counting on you as well.
As for me, I could only be grateful that Seong Dasom was favorably disposed toward Yeon Haneul.
At the same time, I was worried there might be people among the student council executives who wouldn’t welcome it.
In particular, Eun Suhyeok, who thoroughly separated public and private matters, had more than enough reason to oppose it.
But contrary to my expectations.
—Dasom herself isn’t trustworthy, but if it’s a recommendation from the student council president, it should be reliable. Understood. I’ll be counting on you.
Eun Suhyeok agreed with Seong Dasom’s choice.
When I heard the story from Yeon Haneul, I found it a little unexpected.
Then I vaguely guessed his intention.
‘Is he warning me, perhaps?’
If I tried to use Seong Dasom, then he would use Yeon Haneul as well.
It was possible Eun Suhyeok was trying to keep me in check by taking her hostage.
Of course, since I had absolutely no such intention, I could only let out a wry laugh.
But he seemed truly concerned.
Today, when I ran into him on the road, he suddenly issued a threat.
“Dasom seems comfortable around you, but I hope you aren’t approaching her with some purpose in mind.”
As if to tell him not to misunderstand on his own, I snorted and replied.
“I told you there’s no need to bare your fangs at me, didn’t I? Senior, you’re the one who’d better not mess with Haneul.”
“I have no such intentions either. You’re the one who shouldn’t mess with Dasom.”
“What are you even saying? Just take good care of Haneul.”
“She works well, just as recommended. You don’t need to worry.”
* * *
After resolving several events at the Geumgang Festival, I reached 59 pure mana and found myself staring at the wall of 60.
And after going through the student council president election, I crossed the wall that had been so difficult to climb and finally reached the realm of 60.
In other words, the fifth skill built into the Ultramarine Sword had been unlocked.
[You have entered a Gate.]
[Yellow: Rhino’s Plains I]
That day, in order to test the skill, I went to an artificial Gate with my friends.
The Gate we had rented by gathering Geumgang Coins together was inhabited by monsters with large horns.
Their size, hide, and the equipment they wore differed depending on their rank, but overall, they resembled rhinoceroses.
“I’ll be practicing, so you guys go hunt on your own. Yuri, keep an eye on me.”
“Okie-dokie! I’ll observe from the side and lend you my brain!”
“Gyeonu, what about me?”
“Haneul, you go play with the others too. If I need help, I’ll call you.”
“Okay, got it.”
The joint student council of Seong Dasom and Eun Suhyeok would begin next year, but that didn’t mean they were idle.
The two were receiving handover training from Do Sieun’s student council.
Yeon Haneul, who had been appointed head of the Department of Culture, was no exception.
So at the moment, she had used her Gift to split her existence in two and sent her clones to the two of them.
Naturally, her main body could not help but be weakened.
After warning her to be careful, I headed to a place away from the monster herd.
Nam Yuri followed after me with her hands clasped behind her back.
“You’re doing it now?”
“Yeah.”
I spread out my detection net and confirmed it was safe.
Then I took hold of the Ultramarine Sword, in which I had stored Azure Lightning in advance.
Focusing on the existence of the Ultramarine Sword in my mind, I cast the magic built into it.
Principles derived from Current Control seeped into my head.
Having instinctively grasped how to handle it, I controlled the Azure Lightning through the Ultramarine Sword as a medium.
Crackle!
The Azure Lightning spreading from me writhed.
I concentrated so as not to lose hold of it.
Before long.
Saaak!
Though there was no wind blowing, black particles began to flutter up from the ground.
It was iron sand.
The iron ore components mixed into the ground of this Gate.
Having taken form clearly enough to be visible to the naked eye, they swayed in the air along the Azure Lightning.
Before I knew it, I had a black snake coiling around my body as if it were alive.
‘Up to this point, it’s just like the game.’
In the game, the Iron Sand Control skill had the effect of gathering iron sand around the body like this to oppose an opponent’s physical attacks, while adding extra damage to all of my attacks.
If Current Control was a buff skill, then Iron Sand Control was a combat support skill.
However, unlike the game, where expression had limits, in this world it could be used in more varied ways.
For instance….
‘Using it as a whip.’
Today was not my first time practicing Iron Sand Control.
Clearly recognizing the iron sand drifting around me as if coiled, I swung the Ultramarine Sword.
Toward a tree that would normally be too far away to cut.
Chwareuk!
But the stream of iron sand using the Ultramarine Sword as a medium shot out straight and struck the tree in an instant.
The trunk that the iron sand swept past was deeply gouged.
Nam Yuri, who had been quietly watching my practice, spoke up then.
“Gyeonu-Gyeonu, try applying resonance there.”
“Resonance?”
“It’s ultrasonic vibration….”
“….”
“Since you already know how to control electricity, Gyeonu-Gyeonu, you should be able to use it.”
Nam Yuri drew on the ground as she injected the theory into me on the spot in a way I could understand.
I mulled over her advice and tried to fully digest it as my own.
‘So… I do it like this?’
There was no need to think about it too hard.
The point was to vibrate the iron sand at ultra-high speed to increase its cutting power.
I cast aside useless thoughts and swung the iron sand whip toward the tree as I had just done.
As a result.
Swaak!
This time, without being stopped midway, the iron sand whip cut through the tree.
Looking down at the tree that fell to the ground, leaving a clean cut surface behind, I raised the corners of my mouth.
“How is it? It’s become really sharp, right?”
“It’d be dangerous if I swung it wrong, but the effect is undeniable. This time, I’ll try it on a monster….”
As luck would have it, there was one monster approaching us.
I stopped speaking and stared at it.
[You have encountered a monster.]
[Armoured Rhino (Rank. 03) x 1]
A monster armored here and there like a warhorse one might see on a battlefield, the Armoured Rhino.
I decided to test the cutting power of Iron Sand Control on the guy with its solid durability.
‘Should I try cutting off its horn first?’
I intended to gradually find out how much I could cut at once.
Without manifesting any mana in my body aside from the Iron Sand Control skill, I steadied my breathing.
At that moment, it charged at me with its horn lowered.
Even though there was still quite some distance between us, I drew a line through the air with the Ultramarine Sword as if I had been waiting.
That instant.
Swaak! Pshk!
“…Huh?”
I had misjudged the distance.
The stream of iron sand not only cut off its horn as originally intended, but also sliced through its head and back.
The creature that had charged at me died on the spot, unable to withstand its own bulk as it slid across the ground.
Watching its corpse transform into particles of mana and disappear, I muttered.
“If I really swing this wrong, I’ll kill the people around me too….”
It felt like I had become a walking chainsaw.
“Gyeonu-Gyeonu! Next, put the iron sand inside the monster’s body and apply ultra-vibration….”
“Yuri, let’s not say scary things.”
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss