Chapter 232 – Teaming (3)

“What?”

The forest, dense with undergrowth, was eerily desolate. The first trial of the Forest Keeper Selection was underway, with battles ongoing elsewhere.

– Excuse me for our first encounter… Uh, um, would you like to do it with me?

Has he gone mad?

That was the thought shared by the three people there at that moment.

‘What is he saying?’

Lee Si-heon was at a loss for words.

‘Did this crazy girl just say what I think she said?’

Tae-yang doubted his ears.

“Uh…”

Aori also wore a bewildered expression, unable to understand why she had uttered such words. Lee Hyang held her breath, not grasping the meaning behind the statement, and the tense atmosphere persisted for several seconds.

– Tsk, tsk.

Only the sound of sparks from the bonfire melded into the surroundings. The awkward atmosphere showed no sign of dissipating. At the very least, they needed to communicate that they had no intention of fighting.

“What did you just say?”

Unable to hold back any longer, Tae-yang spoke up, and Aori immediately countered.

“I’ve been wronged.”
“Screw your sense of injustice.”

He hadn’t meant to say it. Upon seeing Lee Si-heon’s expression, he suddenly felt compelled to speak those words. It wasn’t a thought that sprang from his mind, but a boiling desire from within that surged forth and escaped his mouth.

“I’m serious, really. I’ve been wronged.”
“Pay no mind to what she says. She’s always been a bit strange.”

As Tae-yang pressed down on Aori’s head, he spoke. Si-heon’s face remained stern, and he tilted his head slightly.

His gaze shifted toward Aori. Her eyes seemed unusually flushed, and even as she complained to Tae-yang about the injustice she felt, her focus remained on herself.

“Uh… well.”

She seemed like a strange one indeed. Si-heon chewed on that thought and swallowed it down.

Tae-yang pondered Si-heon’s awkward response.

‘If this continues, I’ll have to leave.’

The situation was as absurd for Tae-yang as it was for anyone else.

The moment he saw Lee Si-heon, he felt as if his mind had gone blank, his thoughts freezing in their tracks. Desperate to make sense of what was happening, Tae-yang searched for the right words.

‘How am I supposed to explain this? That Aori, who wanted to have sex with you, suddenly went berserk and ran off?’

Saying such a thing was impossible, of course. The real issue was Aori’s unexpected outburst, so why did he have to bear the burden of this mess?

As Tae-yang scanned the area, his gaze fell upon a woman who had just opened her innocent-looking eyes. She was someone both Tae-yang and Aori knew.

Lee Hyang was touching herself behind Si-heon’s back.

“…Huh? Tae-yang, is that you?”

Damn right, it is!

“Hyang, it’s you, right? I was looking around, and I thought I heard a familiar voice.”

Tae-yang spoke rapidly, like a machine gun.

“Oh, so that’s why? You startled me.”
“Hey, Hyang… I didn’t expect to see you here, did I?”

“Huh? Hehe, hello Aori.”

Lee Hyang was caught off guard. Aori, who had sensed Tae-yang’s intentions, waved her hand in a friendly manner, and Lee Hyang reciprocated with a smile and a greeting.

“Do you know them?”

“Yes, they’re my friends from Seoul Academy.”

Friends.

How could Lee Hyang, who was naive, kind, and willing to help with any request, be friends with that peculiar duo? Lee Hyang was known for being friends with everyone, so it wasn’t unusual for her to call anyone a friend.

A moment of silence, followed by an exchange of glances.

-Growl.

“I’m hungry…”

Aori suddenly clutched her stomach. The sound of her growling stomach slightly eased the atmosphere.

* * * * * * * *

Korean internet community site.

This year’s Forest Keeper Selection event was enough to cause a significant stir in the country of Korea.

Due to Jung Si-woo’s absence, it was expected that there would be few active participants in this first trial.

─It seems we only need to watch Kim Soo-yeon for this year’s selection?
There don’t appear to be many noteworthy academy cadets. Perhaps Cornus? However, the Cornus family has been generating quite a bit of noise lately.

[Comments]
-ㅇㅇ: Just focus on Kim Soo-yeon
-I’m a fan of Jung Si-woo: Si-woo oppa ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└ㅇㅇ: Is this person in every post? ㅅㅂ That Si-woo
└I’m a fan of Jung Si-woo: What are you saying? ㅡㅡ
└ㅇㅇ: Go to Si-woo’s gallery
-ㅇㅇ: Hey, don’t insult Cornus!
└ㅇㅇ: Why do these damn sword enthusiasts keep showing up?

Even on the community site used by quite a few people, no particular expectations arose.
But when the trial began, the Korean academy cadets, who were expected to underperform, started to cause unexpected surprises one by one.

-[Exclusive] Korean Academy Cadet: Showdown with France’s National Tree!

– Lee Siheon. Day 1 of Forest Keeper Selection. A surprising achievement that even hunter experts didn’t expect…

“Lee Si-heon, it’s not that I didn’t investigate the cadet… but he’s such an elusive one.”
“What makes you think that?”
“At first, he used a sword, and in the tournament against Jung Si-woo, he used his fists. And this time… it seems he’s competing as a wizard. I don’t know why, haha. What’s important is that he produced results.”

TV or the internet, Moktube, and other various media outlets circulated stories about Lee Si-heon delivering special news.
Instructors who knew Lee Si-heon were interviewed. These interviews spread to communities and other places, prompting various reactions.

– I’m watching TV. Who is this person?
(A duel between Marronnier and Lee Si-heon.gif)
Isn’t he from the other country? How did he do it?

– ㅇㅇ: If I knew that, I’d be an expert, you jerk.
└ Author: ㅅ;; Nim, why are you so angry?

– Passing Hunter: Survival is a trial for a week, and it appears the national champion was defeated while attempting to conserve magic. It’s significant, of course, but it seems plausible enough.
└Author: Oh, is that the case? I thought it was due to superior skills.
└ㅇㅇ: Indeed, if you look closely, you can see them talking and negotiating with each other.

– How to devour French cuisine as easily as a cake.
(Finally, a conversation between Lee Si-heon and Marronnier about something.)
Slice the baguette!

-ㅇㅇ: Hahaha, this is the one they chose.
-ㅇㅇ(13.424): But it’s genuinely beautiful. The physique is slightly disappointing, but it’s incredibly cute.
└Minirae: Are you unaware that this person has tens of millions of fans? I don’t know who Lee Si-heon is, but there’s an immediate death threat, haha.
└ㅇㅇ(52.13): Still, if you look closely, the physique isn’t bad. It’s just that the other national champions are on another level; take a look at those flawless thighs.
└ㅇㅇ: Wow; they won by pushing hard, but all they get in return is a death threat?

─It’s not my concern who Lee Si-heon is.

(A disheveled image of Marronnier’s clothes)
Did you touch this person?
You bastard.

A single cadet defeating a national champion. It defies common sense.
Yet, that nonsensical event happened once more in another region.
A one-on-one duel between Gu-seul and Baobab.

In contrast to Lee Si-heon and Marronnier, who merely competed for a short time, the battle between Gu-seul and Baobab was nothing short of a bloody clash.

It was also a fight against the national champion of Africa, considered the best in combat.
Under normal circumstances, competing would be impossible.

*Bang! Bang!*

Gu-seul’s nimble movements appeared on the TV screen.
Despite the slow-motion, the scene of Gu-seul climbing between trees and shooting arrows left a deep impression on many people.

A close-combat-focused fighter facing an archer relatively weak in close-quarters combat.
Nevertheless, Gu-seul put up an impressive fight.

─Pearl – Luck

(The image of the Taegeukgi fluttering in the wind)

-ㅇㅇ : From the French national tree to Africa, just the day before?
-ㅇㅇ : All the commentators were silenced.
-ㅇㅇ : Lee Si-heon is now conquering the Marronnier Dungeon in real time. He’s going around with the national anthem.

The propaganda didn’t stop there.
Im Jong-hyun, who had been considered Jung Si-woo’s rival for years, successively defeated the cadets he encountered, achieving remarkable results.

Upon reaching Sansuyu, he even displayed his prowess by running through the forest and vanquishing nearly fifty cadets.

─(Gyeong) The Swordsmanship Gallery and Swordsmanship Chan wholeheartedly support the Goddess of Pattak, Sansuyu (Congratulations)

No objections allowed.
If you argue, you’re right.

-ㅇㅇ : I acknowledge it.
-ㅇㅇ : But is this really okay?
└ㅁ: If their reputation plummets, it’ll be deleted automatically. That’s just how the Swordsmanship Gallery is.
└ㅇㅇ : Ah, I see…
-ㅇㅇ : The pride of the Swordsmanship Gallery! Incredible, Sansuyu!

└ Bloodsucker Tree: This bastard seems to be the one who insulted Cornus so harshly last time.
└ Bloodsucker Tree: Sigh… I’ll give them a break this time.

In high spirits.

Is that the right expression?
Everyone is giving their best performance, without exception.
This unbelievable news spread like wildfire, and many who came across it later couldn’t help but doubt their own eyes and ears.

Hey, a Korean has claimed the national title!
They say he sliced through dozens of trainees!

As the rumors grew, some people began to entertain different ideas.

Some hypothesized that Cornus’s experiment was successful.
Others considered the possibility of uncovering potential in Lee Si-heon and Gu-seul.

“Indeed, something is very different.”

Watching this unfold, Heaven thought that while observing Lee Si-heon, who had become much more agile and relied solely on magic without using the Heavenly Demon’s power. White Peach felt frustrated seeing Lee Si-heon not using his fists, while Zodiac excitedly waved her cheer stick and let out shrieks of delight.

Meanwhile, in his bedroom.

“Dad! It’s Dad!”
“Hehe… Do you like Shiba?”
“Dad’s healed!”

There was Shiba, sitting on Azalea’s lap, pointing her finger at the TV and marveling at it. Hye-young and Dalrae proudly watched Shiba and smiled at Lee Si-heon, who was demonstrating quite an impressive performance.

Lee Se-young and Byul were also watching TV throughout the night.

“…What is this?”

With a puzzled expression, they watched the recorded TV program.

“Was Si-heon really that strong?”

At Byul’s question, Se-young shook her head.

“How would I know if you don’t, Se-young! He’s your boyfriend! And mine too, anyway!”

Until the national tree appeared, they thought it would be a tough struggle. Marronnier, the national tree, needed to conserve its magic as well. They thought they could escape if they played their cards right. But instead, they managed to defeat it and even negotiate.

As the two entered the dungeon, Byul and Lee Se-Young blinked simultaneously, as though they had made a pact.

“That one… is definitely not weak.”

Byul scratched the back of her neck as she spoke.

“Marronnier?”

When Se-Young asked, Byul nodded in affirmation.

“I don’t quite understand how she was just defeated like that… She’s a genius, a prodigy who grew up with the nation’s support.”

“Ah… the one who was supposed to become a National Mage, but went missing?”

“Exactly.”

The tale of Marronnier’s past was practically impossible to avoid for anyone involved in this world. After all, news about a National Mage candidate usually spread far and wide.

However, Marronnier was anything but ordinary – a highly acclaimed genius sorceress. A monster who had mastered the highest level of magic since childhood. And yet, during the battle between the two, there wasn’t a single moment where Marronnier’s strengths could be showcased.

Did Marronnier hold back?

That wasn’t the case at all.

Rather, Lee Si-heon’s actions that ended the fight so swiftly were excessively flawless.

If only Lee Si-heon’s movements had been delayed, even for a brief moment.
If his motions had been slightly larger when dodging the magic.
Marronnier might have instantly devised a counterattack strategy against him.

Perhaps negotiations would have been pushed aside in favor of pressing Lee Si-heon.
To prevent such an event from happening beforehand, the decisive action that subdued Marronnier demonstrated his considerable skill.
Initially, Lee Si-heon did not even exert his full power.

A talent surpassing national titles.
Everyone denies it now, but as time goes on, more and more people will come to recognize it.

“…Huh. What’s going on?”

At the sight of Byul’s melancholy, Se-Young chuckled.

She was also surprised, but it wasn’t just today that Lee Si-heon had transformed overnight.
When she first saw Lee Si-heon, he was someone who didn’t even know how to fight.

“Still, it’s fortunate.”

I would have been quite concerned if my abilities had suddenly diminished.
Truly, I had grown stronger without even realizing it.
Feeling her heart pounding, Se-Young tenderly stroked the crown of the star she held in her arms.

“Hey, why do I feel like I’m being treated like a cat?”
“Seeing that child makes me want to raise a cat for some reason.”
“I concur with Cogan.”

More so, that cat… no, Marronnier.
Is it just my imagination, or does the atmosphere become tense when I see Lee Si-heon and Marronnier together?

– Stroking.

“Meow.”
“What are you doing?”
“Well, I just wanted to try. If I imitate a cat, would Si-heon like it?”

He probably would. After all, he’s the type…
The type to like any girl.

Se-Young gazed at Lee Si-heon’s mask on the TV screen.
Just looking at him, a soft smile automatically bloomed on her lips.

I feel more motivated to work harder today.