Chapter 97 – Masked Man (8)

Inside a spacious room.

The fragrant scent of Cornelian cherry blossoms in early spring fills the air.

– Scratch, scratch.

The pleasing sound of the pen’s tip stimulates the ears. The blanket wrapped around her knees carries the strong scent of Cornus.

It is said that pheromones attract the opposite sex.

Indeed, the scent kept bothering me as I studied. The soft, velvety fragrance envelops the nasal passages. I lifted my gaze to look at Cornus, who was concentrating on her studies.

“…Hmm.”

Seemingly struggling with a problem, Cornus brought the back end of her pencil to her lips and squinted her eyes. It looked like her cheeks could stretch if pulled.

“Chuckle.”

“…?”

Hearing my laughter, Cornus looked up with a pout.

“Why?”
“Because it’s funny.”
“What’s funny?”
“Everything from one to ten.”

“Si Eon seems odd today.”

The one who’s truly odd is him, but he seems unaware of it. Resting my chin on my hand, I sighed.

Speaking of which…

‘He should make some friends too.’

Perhaps it’s because she’s a highly esteemed princess, but others don’t seem to approach her easily. No… more accurately, the atmosphere around her has somehow become that way.

Even though, when observed closely, she’s such a cute friend. Others just don’t realize it. If someone were to discover this, they’d quickly become popular. Regardless of gender, they would be drawn to her cuteness.

Unable to resist, I reached out, tugged at her cheek, and felt a soft sensation in my hand.

*Squeeze*

“Si Eon? What are you doing?”
“I just wanted to touch it.”

*Slap!*

I was smacked on the back of my hand.

“It feels strange.”

Sansuyu questioned me with her eyes narrowed like crescent moons. Her large golden irises gleamed beautifully today.

‘Should I tease her a bit more?’

“It’s a jest often shared among friends.”
“…Friends do this often?”

She seemed to believe my words.

Sansuyu appeared to ponder for a moment before hesitantly offering her cheek.

“Then go ahead.”
“Aren’t you going to do it now?”

Sansuyu blinked her wide-open eyes, as if she had never imagined hearing such words. Unable to hold back, I burst into laughter, and this time she glared at me with dagger-like eyes.

“…You’re always teasing me.”
“You do realize that, huh? I’m sorry. Shall we stop then?”
“……”

No response came.

I wanted to say a few more words, but I decided to let it go, fearing an unnecessary slap. I quickly changed the subject.

“How’s your exam preparation coming along?”
“Somewhat. The academy’s questions are easy.”
“True… So, do you think you can reach the top this time?”
“I don’t… know.”

Sansuyu, who drew out her words, propped her chin with one hand and glanced at me as if blaming me.

Of course, regardless of that, all I wanted was to tug on the cheek that protruded from being pressed by my hand.

“It’s all because of Siwon.”
“Not Siwon, Si-heon. When will you call me by my name properly?”
“…Si-heon.”

Sansuyu sighed.
Perhaps it’s because there’s a position at stake.
She seemed to have a lot of concerns about her grades and such.

It wasn’t long before Sansuyu asked.

“Is Si-heon aiming for the top spot?”
“For now? But you’re aiming for it too.”
“Yeah. I’ll never lose. Not in this.”

As if making a vow, she put strength into her words and subtly raised her gaze to the area above the bed. I also lifted my head and looked there. A Cornus family crest with bright yellow flowers set against a brown pattern. It hung beside the bed, shining brilliantly.

Sansuyu, having removed her eyes from the crest, muttered as if declaring war.

“I won’t lose. There are no friends during exams.”

Before long, she crossed her arms, signaling she was ready to engage in battle. I gazed at her with delight and continued speaking with a grin.

“Jeong Si-woo has been training relentlessly too. You need to defeat him first to become the top contender.”

At the mention of Jeong Si-woo’s name, Sansuyu’s face turned icy and rigid. Just as I had said, and as she was well aware, the obstacle that both Sansuyu and I needed to overcome was not each other.

That guy, who never hesitated to demonstrate his astonishing combat prowess. Although he held the prestigious title of the top contender, I had not yet seen the full extent of Jeong Si-woo’s abilities. Regardless of how exceptional my skills were, if we have yet to witness the totality of Jeong Si-woo’s capabilities, the situation would be different.

Who knows? Perhaps he, like me, possesses a way to perfectly conceal his true power. As long as I mask my abilities with the facade of a status window, no opponent can discern my true strength. It wasn’t implausible that Jeong Si-woo could do the same. After all, wasn’t he also a candidate to be the World Tree’s chosen partner?

‘Friends remain friends.’

A rival when you’re a rival.

For some reason, I felt elated. It was reminiscent of the times during childhood when I would quarrel with friends over trivial academic accomplishments.

“Neither of us will lose.”

Observing Sansuyu, her competitive spirit ablaze, I concurred.

I, too, had never once lost in a head-to-head battle of grades that I had determinedly engaged in.

“And what if you lose?”

But wouldn’t it be more interesting to place a simple wager on this? Hearing my query, Sansuyu’s eyes widened, and she cocked her head.

“Why?”

“It’s just a bet. If you defeat me… well, I’ll introduce you to three friends.”

“…Three?!”

The perfect gift for Sansuyu, who was starved for companionship. Not even understanding why we were placing the bet, her eyes sparkled in an instant.

“I’ll do it.”

“In that case, you have to make an equivalent bet.”

Sansuyu rested her hand on her chin and contemplated for a considerable duration.

Sansuyu was so fixated on just one friend. What could be worth the value of three friends?
I couldn’t help but be curious.

“Is it that significant?”
“Yes, it is.”

With her eyes tightly shut, Sansuyu let out an ‘Ah!’ as she tapped her temples.

What could possibly equate to the value of a friend?
I listened intently, filled with anticipation.

“Yes!”

…

“Huh? Really?”
“Yes.”
“Are you serious? You’re a noble, think carefully. I don’t want to be killed by my secretary.”
“We can do it secretly.”

I was left speechless and dumbfounded.

“With me?”

At my flustered words, Sansuyu nodded nonchalantly.
It was a rather refreshing nod.

“Who else is there besides Shi Eon?”

Three friends… Was it truly worth that much?

Sansuyu’s sincerity left me startled.

* * * * * *

“What’s going on here?”

A bet with White Peach.
And a bet with Cornus.
Both winning and losing had become problematic.

While stretching my sore shoulders and waist in the training room, adjusting my posture, Heaven saw me and quietly inquired.

“Are you troubled by something?”
“I’m currently in a situation where I’m on the verge of being screwed as a man.”
“Given that you’re saying such a thing, it must be a trivial concern. Just go for it.”

Somehow, the words make sense when put that way, but it’s still odd.

“Master.”
“What is it?”
“A girl I know suddenly said that she’d have sex if she lost a bet. Does this mean she likes me?”
“…Are you out of your mind?”

Perhaps asking such a question was pushing it.

“No, in the first place, what kind of woman would say something like that?”
“Exactly.”
“Stop making noise like you’re munching on trees and grass, and focus on your posture.”

I closed my mouth. It left a bitter taste for no apparent reason.

I found myself missing Se-Young more than usual today… It hasn’t even been a few days, but the urge to call her was strong.

Of course, that didn’t stop me from sincerely dedicating myself to training.

“It keeps increasing, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, well…”

As my muscles filled in the gaps left by lost weight and my body’s lines became more prominent, I could feel that my skeleton had developed considerably.

When I asked just in case, Heaven replied as if it were only natural.

“You were born with a boneless temperament. It would be more accurate to say you’ve acquired it later.”

Indeed, my current growth was overwhelming compared to my past. To the point where I felt that my growth now was greater than at the time of my enrollment, which was driven by my innate talent. I relaxed my shoulders and infused my magic into my fist, hurling it into the air.

– Whoo!

My fist, slicing through the air, made a faint sound.

“Is it possible for me to rank first at this level?”

My confidence had risen slightly, but I still couldn’t shake my worries.

If it had been me on the verge of breaking free from purgatory, it would have been as easy as eating cold porridge.
Of course, even now, I was capable of effortlessly overpowering the so-called prodigious cadets.
However, it was also true that I paled in comparison to myself during that time.

‘How could I possibly defeat White Peach in one move… Well, that’s a given.’

I had advanced to the point of being able to utilize one of the Five Arts.
Should I be content with that?

“Are you talking about Jung Si-woo?”
“Yes, that guy is the problem.”
“I reevaluated him once after you mentioned it last time. He’s certainly an enigmatic individual.”

An ideal hero, crafted through layers of relentless effort and innate talent.
When I, who had yet to fall into this world and knew nothing of the Sword Master, crossed blades with him, I instinctively realized:
This guy would excel no matter where he went.
You might wonder what a clueless person like me would know, but I wasn’t that lacking in discernment.

“By the way, Lee Si-heon, the same can be said about you.”
“Well, yeah. I am quite strong.”
“…….”

Cheondo pulled something from her pocket and swung it.
*Thwack!* With that sound, it struck the top of my head.

“Ouch!”
“Pride is a disease. Remember, you can lose at any moment.”

*Rumble.*

The object that hit my head rolled down my hair. As if entranced, I grabbed it and held it before my eyes, revealing a bright red bead.

“What is this?”
“This is the unfinished version of the weapon I mentioned earlier. When you infuse it with magic, it transforms into an appropriate form. Use it temporarily if you’re desperate.”

A weapon made of mistletoe, imbued with the power of the Heavenly Demon. Perhaps the only one of its kind in the world, a top-ranked weapon lay before me.

‘Incomplete as it may be…’

If I use this, I will surely win. I gazed intently at it and caressed it for a while.

“There shouldn’t be any issues using it. Most likely, no one will know. To begin with, this weapon isn’t so plain that others would recognize it just by looking.”

For some reason, that remark sounded like, “Do I really have to use this weapon?” It was a sardonic provocation from Heaven, laced with implicit sarcasm, as if to say, “I won’t stop you if you use it, but will you be satisfied if you win by using it?”

“Master, do you know what?”
“What?”
“When I play games, I really like winning using cheat codes. If I have to be specific, I’m not one to pick and choose my methods.”

A top-tier weapon no one will notice. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Playing games as a munchkin is so much fun – like setting all the stats in Romance of the Three Kingdoms to 100. Tycoon games also have their own unique pleasure when played with infinite money.

“So, are you going to use it?”
“You should listen to people until the end. If it were a game, then yes, that’s what I’m saying.”

The same old excuses. The thought that it might be acceptable to cheat when facing imminent death wasn’t entirely absent. But then again, that’s a conversation for when there truly are no other options…

“Take it.”

I tossed the marble I was holding to Cheondo. With a nimble movement of her arms, she caught it effortlessly.

“Black Sword.”

Black Peach Tree.

The window that occupied the corner of my vision shattered like breaking glass.
Kwajijiji – a surge of dark magical power.
I slid the training orb into my hand and fastened the wrist strap. I let out a light breath and turned my gaze towards Cheondo.

She looked back at me with an expression that seemed to say, “How about this?” It was a gaze filled with both amusement and a hint of affection.

“The exam is coming up soon, Master. You said you’d be too busy to supervise training after the exam, didn’t you?”
“Oh?”

Sansuyu, Jung Si-woo, Lim Jong-hyun.
Formidable rivals, each one challenging enough to face individually.
Reflecting on it now, I had to admit I lacked confidence.

“What are you waiting for? My disciple’s hands are itching for action.”

I steeled myself.