After passing through the portal, the Battalion Commander was waiting with an anxious expression.
When Sinhyeok looked around, the evening glow stretched everywhere.
“Are you alright? Is anyone injured?”
Everyone nodded with slightly dazed expressions.
“Yes, thanks to Trainee Bu Sinhyeok.”
At Ichan's words, Captain Gim Chanyeol was relieved.
“Whew, it’s fortunate we had a veteran. Everyone, return to your quarters now.”
Several instructors looked at the closing portal and asked the Battalion Commander.
“Did we have something like this?”
Captain Gim Chanyeol watched the backs of the three walking away and spoke.
“I had been briefed as well. I understand it was a program prepared eight years ago through the suggestion and support of Brigadier General I Gangyeol of Hongik.”
“Ah. In the first place, wasn’t the Alliance opposed to permitting the quest assignment, even with Brigadier General I Gangyeol’s proposal?”
Captain Gim Chanyeol nodded and let out a sigh of relief.
“That is true. Goodness. I didn’t know this thing would actually open.”
* * *
“Hyung, what’d you get?”
“Just a drop of blood.”
It had hardened so severely it looked almost like a jewel—nothing more than a murky, blackish-red stone.
“What about you?”
Ichan tried to speak about what he had received but hesitated.
“W-well, I got something like that.”
“What is it? I told you mine, and you clammed up.”
At Sinhyeok’s words, Ichan pretended not to hear and laughed awkwardly.
“I just got something like that~ I don’t know! Let’s go eat!”
Caught by Ichan’s hand, Sinhyeok was swiftly dragged away.
She had been walking a few steps away beside them, and when her eyes met Sinhyeok’s, she flinched.
Then, muttering to herself as if something had put her in a foul mood, she glared at him.
“What? Why?”
“Hmph!”
Sinhyeok felt utterly wronged by the baseless glaring.
“Hey, what did I do?”
“Just go, ajusshi.”
Watching Sinhyeok head toward the mess hall, her heart felt restless.
“It can’t be. My ajusshi couldn’t possibly be the same as someone like that.”
A strange sense of anxiety, the ajusshi in her overlapping memories, and her romanticized image threatening to crumble made her uneasy.
‘I can’t let this happen.’
Baek Arin ran off to call someone, determined not to taint the memories she held dear.
“Arin? Aren’t you eating?”
“You guys eat first!”
The remaining female trainees shouted, bringing up the topic of squads.
“Arin, let’s be in the same squad!”
“Later!”
Baek Arin ran to a public phone and hurriedly made a call.
“Yes, miss, I’ve answered. Is the training manageable?”
“Yes, yes, Chief, you know that soldier ajusshi who saved me back then.”
The man on the other end of the line replied in a dignified, ponderous voice.
“Yes, though I don’t quite remember clearly.”
“What was that person’s name again?”
“Hmm, I can’t recall the surname either, but Sinhyeok? I recall a name tag with a name like that.”
*Clack.*
Her expression fell as if she had lost the world.
His face, weathered by the storms of life, and the fantasy shattering in an instant drove her to the brink of despair.
“Miss, I just remembered the surname. It was probably Yu Sinhyeok.”
“Aah!”
At the words “Mr. Yu,” she smiled broadly and picked the phone back up.
“I knew it, right?”
“Yes~ I don’t know what this is about, but yes. Why? Shall I look for him again? We couldn’t back then, but time has passed now, so even if it’s classified, it should not be hard to find, should it?”
Baek Arin shook her head at the talk of the hero in her memories.
“No, I want to find him with my own strength. If I become famous, I’ll be able to meet him someday, right? Chief, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it, miss. Then I shall wait for your graduation day.”
“Chief, take care~”
She ended the call in a good mood.
“As I thought~ My ajusshi couldn’t be like that.”
She giggled and ran off to the mess hall.
“I’m hungry~”
‘But what should I do about the squad?’
She thought hard as she went to eat. Of course, it would be nice to be with close friends, but this was a competition.
‘It’s not something to choose based on personal connections.’
When she entered the mess hall, two outsiders eating off by themselves caught her eye.
‘One definite veteran, one ambiguous but rather unique runt.’
It was a peculiar yet solid combination that couldn’t be seen in others.
‘The composition is perfect, though. They can cover DPS, tank, and support.’
She herself was DPS and tank; those two were probably support.
“Arin? Sit here.”
People everywhere gestured for her to sit. However, after glancing around, she headed toward the two of them.
At that, everyone made a fuss.
“Huh? Huh!”
“Hey, hey, hey!”
“Arin! Not there!”
“That’s hell!”
“Not that way! Arin! Come to your senses!”
Sinhyeok and Ichan turned around at the sudden uproar.
Baek Arin approached them with a proud stride, holding her tray.
“What?”
“I’m going to sit. You have room, right?”
Sinhyeok was about to point to the side with a sulky expression, but Ichan beat him to it.
“Ah, no.”
At that, her gaze turned to Ichan.
He flinched.
Ichan flinched at her intense glare.
“There is?”
“No.”
“So there is?”
It was a clash of spear and shield.
In an infinite loop of neither conceding, Sinhyeok just cut in.
“Hey, just sit. They just want to eat together; why are you like this?”
“But their intentions are obviously impure.”
Sinhyeok was dumbfounded by Ichan’s grumbling.
“You think someone like that would suggest forming a squad with you and me for no reason?”
Baek Arin, who had sat down, flinched.
She awkwardly picked up her spoon and stirred her soup.
At that sight, Sinhyeok spoke again to confirm.
“She probably sat down because there were no seats. It’ll be uncomfortable, so let’s get up. We’re done eating, right?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
As the two tried to get up, she spoke hurriedly.
“No, wait! Just stay seated. What are you doing!”
Sinhyeok glanced around at the people looking at them with jealousy and envy.
“Look at those eyes. They could kill.”
“Stop teasing them and sit. I came because I have a serious proposal.”
For now, they sat at the word that she was serious.
“So you want to form a squad together?”
She nodded.
“Honestly, we weren’t bad back there. Of course, this one was useless.”
*Crack.*
Ichan glared at her, tightly gripping his spoon.
With a shameless expression, she silently conveyed a message.
‘So?’
“You’re the one who was useless. You can’t even handle one Aura.”
“Ha! I’m not anymore, so shut it.”
“Oh~ yes~ I suppose so~”
She trembled at the mocking sarcasm.
“Cut it out, both of you. So you want to do this?”
“Yes. Honestly, I think it’s a good idea.”
Sinhyeok smiled lightly at her proposal and refused.
“Sorry, find someone else. I’m just going to drop out at a suitable point.”
He got up abruptly. She chased after him in confusion.
“Why!? Getting a good score is a good thing!”
“That’s the problem.”
Sinhyeok spun around with a clear, enlightened expression.
“I’m re-enlisting. Did you see the news?”
“What?”
At his words, she thought of the news she had seen recently.
“That? Don’t tell me you Awakened the day before yesterday?!”
“Yep~ I came here because the training course is shorter, so I have no desire, no greed, no motivation whatsoever~”
Sinhyeok bounced lightly and dashed toward the barracks.
“Ah, come on! Aaaaaah! Ajusshi!”
Watching him flee into the distance, she suddenly shouted.
“Heeey!”
Sinhyeok smirked at her explosive temper and slipped inside.
“Whew, look at that temper. Vicious! Vicious.”
Entering the room with an excited expression, Sinhyeok dove onto his bed.
“Haah, a bed truly is love.”
Soon after, Ichan entered with someone, wearing an uncomfortable gaze.
“Oh, Ichan. Huh?”
He had come with Baek Arin, eyes blazing.
“You’re a handful.”
“I’m fed up too. Then I’ll make another proposal.”
“What proposal now? I told you to do it with someone else.”
“No! Why would I go with a rookie when there’s a veteran!”
With firm resolve in her eyes, she held up one finger.
“What? You’re going to give me ten thousand won to do it? Fat chance~ Use that to buy yourself some candy.”
“—Hundred million.”
At the word "hundred million," Sinhyeok’s gaze and movements came to a halt.
“H-ha, ha, what nonsense.”
She quietly held up one more finger.
“Two hundred million.”
Sinhyeok sighed at the ever-growing number and turned over.
“Keep talking nonsense with money you don’t have, and you’ll get scolded~”
“Hyung, she’s the only daughter of Hanha Group. The sole owner of the group.”
At Ichan’s addition, Sinhyeok straightened his posture.
“What?”
“That’s right. I really have a lot of money.”
She quietly held up one more finger.
“Three hundred million.”
Sinhyeok quietly got up, straightened his posture, and spoke.
“Upfront or after?”
“A deposit of one part, the remaining nine paid after completion.”
“Deal.”
The contract was sealed.
She smiled and immediately spoke.
“Then let’s go report the squad formation right now.”
“Great! Let’s go right now.”
Hong Ichan pointed at himself with a dumbfounded look.
“What about my opinion?”
“Half?”
At Sinhyeok’s suggestion, Ichan got up without hesitation.
“Then it’s fine.”
The two who had succumbed to money followed the wealthy heiress trainee.
They arrived at the instructors’ administration office.
As the three entered, an instructor and Captain Gim Chanyeol, who had been talking, greeted them.
“What brings you here?”
“We’ve come on business. We came to inquire about the quest achievement score rankings.”
At those words, the Battalion Commander said that he had forgotten.
“Ah, my apologies. Come to think of it, I had not told you. You three are ranked first, second, and third in achievement scores, so you may form your squads as you wish.”
She welcomed those words and immediately reported.
“Therefore, we request to be in the same squad, just the three of us. That is all.”
At the clean, succinct report, the Battalion Commander paused briefly in silence and nodded.
“Let’s do it that way.”
“Yes, sir! Then we’ll be going. Loyalty!”
Captain Gim Chanyeol let the two leaving go and held Bu Sinhyeok back.
“Trainee Bu Sinhyeok, stay behind for a moment.”
“Sir? Yes, sir.”
Bu Sinhyeok glanced at the male Battalion Commander and the instructors around them.
At the subtle hint, everyone cleared their throats and got up.
“In fact, I received your past records beforehand.”
Sinhyeok let out an awkward smile at those words, then sighed.
“Sigh. Did you hear everything?”
“Yes, it seemed the higher-ups wanted me to be aware and handle the situation accordingly. So, in fact, I had intended to ask you first. I was going to tell you that you may be exempted from training.”
At the talk of a training exemption, Sinhyeok looked disappointed.
“Ah~ If only you had told me a little sooner.”
“My apologies. The timing was oddly late.”
Sinhyeok waved his hands and said.
“But it’s fine. It’s been a while since I’ve been with sprouts, so it feels new and fun. So I’ll participate in everything.”
‘It’s three hundred million. Even split in half, it’s one hundred fifty million.’
He hid his inner thoughts. The Battalion Commander nodded with a smile.
“Then I’ll ask this of you for the sprouts’ sake. Please blend in with them.”
After Sinhyeok left, instructors who had been eavesdropping in the next room slipped in and asked.
“What on earth is with that trainee? You were speaking with him as if he were a retired Awakened.”
The Battalion Commander spoke nonchalantly, the instructors left behind him.
“Well, you’ll find out anyway, so I’ll tell you. That gentleman is from Hongik.”
The instructors fell silent for a moment.
“Hongik?”
“Yes, Hongik. Everything is classified, but from what little I was told, he was the only battalion member from a non-Awakened background and is very close with Brigadier General I Gangyeol. So please be careful.”
At the mention of Brigadier General I Gangyeol’s name, everyone tensed up.
“Th-that I Gangyeol? The Republic of Korea’s number one military Awakened?”
“Yes. The very same Brigadier General I Gangyeol. So everyone, please be especially careful around him, and prepare for tomorrow’s mock gate tactical training.”