You'll give me this, won't you? If first place is impossible, please at least let me place third……
"…..."
But an enormous light tormented Rachel's eyes. The radiance was bright enough to be felt even through closed eyelids. She opened her eyes blearily.
A golden light floated above her stomach. The light flickered brilliantly, gradually forming the shape of a person.
Rachel looked down blankly at it, nestled as if in her embrace.
No, it wasn't an 'it.'
It was a child.
Perhaps about three years old.
Rachel felt the face was somehow familiar.
Before long, she vaguely realized why. This child resembled her when she was young.
The child nestled against her conveyed warmth. It was warm, as if healing the wound in her abdomen. Rachel unconsciously stroked the child's head. The child grinned brightly. A pure, innocent smile with the corners of its mouth lifted radiantly.
Rachel smiled along.
But the very next moment, when the child's lips moved, Rachel's face stiffened completely.
She tried to ask the child what it had just said. However, before that, golden powder poured down over her head.
Her lips no longer moved. Fatigue and drowsiness grew thicker.
She slowly closed her eyes.
The child had said 'Mommy' to her.
End
I panicked for a moment at the sudden hatching, but quickly came to my senses.
Now, all vision was obscured by the thickly spreading golden powder. The supervisors and drones couldn't watch this side, and Rachel had fallen into a deep sleep. As long as I stayed calm, everything could be solved.
I first separated Evangel from Rachel.
"Come here."
"Ang, aang."
Evangel struggled not to be separated from Rachel, but upon seeing my face, opened her eyes wide.
"That's right, that's right. I'm the one who raised you."
I soothed her like that and picked Evangel up. She was similar in build to at least a three-year-old baby, but as light as a feather. Evangel, nestled in my embrace, said something brightly with a smile.
"Daddy."
"Huh? No, that's not it. For now, Evangel. Can you turn back into a seed?"
"Seed?"
"Yeah. Small and round. It's time to hide right now."
"What about Mommy?"
Evangel said while glancing at Rachel. Being called Daddy just now and then hearing Mommy was slightly awkward.
"Rachel—no, Mommy is very busy right now. So……"
"Yawn. Sleepy."
Evangel's eyes narrowed after a big yawn. It seemed the damned golden powder was affecting Evangel too. For a moment, the initial panic returned. If Evangel fell asleep like this, I couldn't hide this child……
But thank goodness, Evangel listened to my words.
Evangel's entire body transformed into a golden fluid. The flow of light condensed into the shape of a very large seed and settled onto my palm.
"Phew."
I let out a sigh of relief and looked around.
The field was full of golden powder. Even Kim Sooho, who had been enduring the baptism of sleep rather well, had collapsed. Several supervisors watching us from nearby trees also couldn't endure it and dropped down with thuds.
But I was fine. Thanks to the ether's 'master defense function.' I could feel ether filters blocking my nostrils and throat.
Breathing was uncomfortable, but thanks to that, the sleep powder couldn't get through. Maintaining my clear mind, I approached Seo Yijin.
* * *
The butterfly sapling's powder.
Byproducts of spirits usually sold for a high price. The leader didn't know the exact properties of this sapling's powder. It was also her first time seeing such a spirit.
But she was a rather greedy woman.
She knelt before the corpse of the butterfly sapling. Inside its body, split straight down the middle, clumped a brilliant blue powder. She reached for it.
"Put it down."
At that moment, someone's low voice stopped her. She slowly looked up. There stood Kim Hajin.
"…...Hello."
"Forget the hellos. That's not something you can take."
Kim Hajin made a frightening expression.
She looked at him, then shifted her gaze to the surroundings.
Sleep powder was definitely scattered all around. Yet for some reason, he was unharmed. Even though this powder was at a concentration no cadet could endure, he was taking it with his bare body.
…...As expected, strange. This man standing before her had too many incomprehensible aspects. She strongly felt the need to observe him more closely.
Black mana was violently released from beneath her feet. The mana formed a sphere that swallowed both her and Kim Hajin at once. It was a kind of Dumun barrier.
Even trapped inside the barrier, Kim Hajin showed…… not no signs of agitation. His hands were shaking.
She revealed her true face to Kim Hajin. Kim Hajin's body shook greatly.
"You know me."
Kim Hajin answered concisely.
"Miss Li Xiaofeng."
"…..."
Who is Li Xiaofeng?
She pondered for a moment. But soon, confirming it was one of her disguised identities, she nodded abruptly.
"Right. Then why do you think I came here?"
"You must have come as a supervisor."
"Hmm."
Kim Hajin was under a strange misconception. The leader didn't bother correcting that misconception and continued.
"…...How long have you known I was Li Xiaofeng?"
"Just now—"
"If you lie, I'll kill…... no, hit you."
Kim Hajin cleared his throat.
"…...When I snatched the watch back then, I saw you up close and could tell something was slightly different."
"How?"
Jane's talent isn't easily detected. It's almost impossible to see through with just 'looking.'
"My eyes are just a little too good."
Therefore Kim Hajin's words made no sense. Even so, she thought seriously.
Kim Hajin had seen through Jane's talent, and of course, her necklace as well. That couldn't be explained by just having good eyes……
Her brain spun like a top. Thinking through all possible theories and refuting them on her own, she established one hypothesis.
'Is his mana attribute itself anti-magic?'
In other words, if the attribute of mana itself is anti-magic…... that is, if it's a unique constitution where all mana absorbed into the body possesses the property of anti-magic, then it's possible to nullify Jane's talent with just looking. Because one would simply need to concentrate mana on the optic nerves.
In other words, this could be said to be a matter of 'constitution' rather than talent.
Of course, it was such a ridiculous story that the possibility was low. Precise examination and measurement would be needed.
But if he truly had such a constitution, Kim Hajin was a resource that must not be let go.
"…..."
Without a word, she knelt down and grabbed the powder inside the split body of the butterfly sapling. Kim Hajin gulped. Instead of fighting him, she held out the sapling's powder.
"I'll give this to you."
Her tone had returned to that of the leader before she knew it.
"In exchange…..."
She stopped speaking.
The silence lasted long. Because she couldn't think of what to say next.
—Don't say anything weird, Leader.
Jane's voice rang in her ear. This time, she seemed to be watching the situation properly.
—If you roughly have nothing to say, just ask for his contact info. Not urgently, slowly.
Jane, speaking like that, was unusually serious.
She already knew all his contact information, but the leader recited the line Jane recommended exactly as given.
"…...Give me your contact info."
* * *
The fourth day, which was chaos itself, passed, and the next day at 9 AM.
The dreaded final exam finally came to a close.
Yesterday's butterfly sapling was a monster the supervisors hadn't expected, so there was a small commotion, but it was agreed to divide 20 points each among the four cadets who contributed to its subjugation.
Afterward, the cadets submitted their exam watches to the supervisors and boarded the ship. The eliminated ones had already returned by ship yesterday, so there were only about 700 people.
The boat cut through the blue sea. I leaned against the railing at the bow, enjoying the waves, and took out my smartwatch.
No word yet from the masked group—now Li Xiaofeng.
But why on earth did the leader become interested in me?
"Hey."
Chae Nayun approached my side while I was pondering.
"What."
"…...How did that end?"
"What."
"No. I don't remember anything from the middle."
Chae Nayun scratched her cheek while keeping her eyes on the sea.
"Kim Sooho said you smashed the wing…… You lying?"
"Of course. How do you smash a wing with a handgun."
Since it wasn't me, I answered honestly.
"…...Right? I mean, I thought it didn't make sense."
To Chae Nayun, who seemed slightly relieved for some reason, I asked.
"But why did you use a sword instead of a bow then?"
"What? You were the one who told me not to use a bow. Why are you flip-flopping? Are you sick?"
"No, people need to be flexible. It's dangerous to use a weapon you haven't practiced enough with in actual combat."
If Chae Nayun had been humiliated today, half the responsibility would have been mine—Kim Hajin's. Because I was the one who forced the sword on her.
"I'm not weak enough for someone like you to worry about?"
Chae Nayun glared and snapped. I nodded without saying much.
"Is that so? Ah, how did it feel using a sword in real combat today?"
"Nothing special……"
"You're still scared, right?"
"What? Wh-what are you saying. Scared, my ass."
She's pretending otherwise. I looked into her eyes and smirked. When Chae Nayun lies, her pupils shake as if there's an earthquake. It was one of the many contrived settings I had created, and it had carried over unchanged.
"You'll get better with practice. You're a born swordsman.
* * *
The exam was completely finished.
While the other cadets spent that weekend eating, chatting, and enjoying themselves, Rachel had time solely for contemplation. The mysterious experience on the island gave her that much to worry about.
But it seemed like a problem she could never solve alone, so she even made a video call to an analyst of the British Royal Family.
—A tree spirit?
"Yes. I saw something in the pollen. No, I actually felt it. I wonder if it was a spirit's power. What do you think, Mr. Raymond?"
Of course, one might think it was an illusion. But to Rachel, that day's memory was too vivid and clear. She could still remember the child's voice and face, and the warmth she felt when it nestled in her embrace remained in a corner of her heart.
—Hmm…… That possibility exists, but I can't say for certain. The power of spirits hasn't been properly understood yet. In the first place, whether it's a spirit or a fairy, the distinction is ambiguous now.
Rachel nodded and asked the analyst with a hint of tension.
"Then, by any chance, could that spirit show the future? Even if not the future itself, perhaps some part of the future I will come to have someday……"
—Ah. There is one somewhat similar case reported in academic circles. It was a topic of discussion in the past.
In that instant, Rachel's heart dropped with a thud.
"…...Really? What was it about?"
—Yes. This was also a plant spirit. There was a case where someone covered in mushroom spores saw a part of their future.
"Gasp."
Rachel let out a short scream. The analyst smiled briefly.
—Judging by that reaction, it seems you saw something too, Princess?
"Yes. I saw a baby."
—......
A brief silence fell. The analyst in the hologram remained silent for three minutes.
—......A baby?
The analyst barely managed to continue.
"Yes."
—Hmm~ Well, just any baby……
"It called me Mommy."
—Huh?
This time, the analyst let out a short scream.
As if embarrassed, a flush spread across Rachel's cheeks.
"And…… it looked very much like me. It was the spitting image of me when I was young."
—Uh…...
“Analyst-nim. Don’t you think I may have seen the future?”
Having finished speaking, Rachel smiled shyly.
It had been a precious experience. Rachel had cherished the child’s warmth, laughter, small frame, and face as if engraving them into her memory. She felt as though she would be able to put on a small smile every time she recalled that child.
Furthermore, if that future was truly her future, if it was her fate to have that child someday… she felt as though she would no longer be able to deny her own life.
But the Analyst himself remained silent.
“Excuse me, Analyst-nim?”
“Ah. I apologize. The possibility that it is truly the future is, ah, very low, but even so, my imagination just— I can’t seem to shake it off… Did you happen to see who becomes the father as well?”
The Analyst’s fists were trembling as he asked. A child for a seventeen-year-old princess. As a loyal subject of the British Royal Family, this was absolutely unacceptable….
“No. There was no such person.”
Rachel smiled bashfully and avoided his gaze.
“But if I truly did see the future, he must be somewhere out there.”
* * *
“Dad!”
“…….”
A young child, a full hundred centimeters shorter than me, shouted with her arms spread toward me.
I picked her up for now. Honestly, she was too cute, but I couldn’t spoil her if we were going to live together going forward. Education was necessary.
“……Evangel. You can’t call me Dad from now on.”
“Why?”
Evangel tilted her head and asked back.
“Well… people will misunderstand. For now, you have to call me Uncle first.”
“Ehh? Why?”
“Uh….”
But that education was difficult. It was only natural, since I’d never raised a baby before. It was a relief that vacation started next week.
“Well… do you want to watch TV for now? You know what TV is, right? You watched it before. When you were little.”
“Little” referred to when she had been a seed. Back in the day, when I went out leaving the seed alone, I used to turn on the TV so it wouldn’t get bored.
“Yeah! I wike it!”
“Alright.”
I turned to the animation channel on the TV. A plump penguin and a dinosaur came on.
“Ooh….”
Evangel soon focused on it with sparkling eyes, while I sat alone at the kitchen table.
“……What should I do with this.”
I looked down at the Butterfly Sapling Powder shining brilliantly atop the table. I had managed to obtain it somehow, but I had no idea how to use it.
[Butterfly Sapling Powder]
—Clings to a target imbued with mana, helping to awaken a portion of its hidden potential.
The description was simple. However, if you parsed each word, you could tell that the subject of the potential was vaguely lumped under ‘target.’ It meant it applied to both the potential of people and objects.
“……Should I give this to Kim Suho?”
Because of this, Rachel was supposed to obtain a hint for Eye Opening, and Kim Suho was also supposed to become able to achieve a second Eye Opening later on. However, the Captain had intervened, and both of those fell through.
“Hmm.”
It seemed I still needed to think deeply about what to do with this powder.
I wrapped the powder in a cloth and put it inside a drawer.
End.
Having finished evening training, Kim Suho headed toward the Cube cafeteria. While there were various restaurants on Cube’s grounds, this was the only cafeteria where cadets could eat for free—the so-called ‘hakshik.’ Thus, ordinary cadets from commoner families, including Kim Suho, frequented this place, but perhaps because vacation started today, there weren’t many people.
Kim Suho received the dinner set he ordered and tried to sit just anywhere.
“Huh? What brings you two here?”
However, he discovered two unexpected figures at one table. It was Yu Yeonha and Chae Nayun. The two girls, who had been whispering to each other, flinched the moment Kim Suho addressed them, then avoided each other’s gazes with rather awkward gestures.
“O-oh. You’re here.”
Chae Nayun stepped forward to speak to him.
“What were you talking about?”
“Nothing.”
Kim Suho sat in the seat next to Chae Nayun. Chae Na…