“Bratislava Fetch.”
Ahn Sungho gave a pitiful smile and approached Fetch.
“Ahn Sungho? Do you have something to say to the loser?”
“Are you doing any special training?”
“No. I hold the sword every day, but I haven’t felt the need for any other exercise.”
“…Impressive. You could join HT right away.”
“Ha ha. Is that so….”
Fetch said, smiling broadly at Kim Seyun, who seemed in stark contrast to his lonesome demeanor.
Ahn Sungho briefly observed Fetch, then turned towards Park Jinsung and said.
“If you have your reasons, you don’t necessarily have to come to HT. Just come as a private individual and train alone.”
“Ha ha ha. It’s my first time seeing you, but why do you care this much?”
“I don’t dislike people who make an effort.”
“I am a person brimming with talent. Do you really see any effort in me?”
“Being an elite doesn’t mean you don’t make an effort.”
Ahn Sungho disappeared beyond the gym, his commanding presence unwavering. Fetch smirked bitterly at his back.
“Haeun High… I really made the right decision coming to Korea.”
* * *
“Miss Seyun, I am curious about this issue. The increase in crime rates following the Edeya Awakening and the moral limits it imposes….”
“Oh my. Sergeant Fe, Fetch?”
“Yes. Go ahead, Jinsung.”
“If you keep sitting in my spot every break… where, where am I supposed to rest?”
Park Jinsung pointed to the chair occupied by Fetch, who was leaning towards Kim Seyun’s desk, constantly pushing the problem sheets forward.
“I’ve heard that Jinsung usually sits on an invisible chair.”
“Hey… show-off… uh, please take this sergeant to his…”
“Isn’t it okay to come and ask about things I don’t know? They say Miss Seyun is the paragon of both the literary and military arts in the 10th platoon.”
“Sergeant Fetch is also pr, praised for being incredibly smart….”
Fetch shook Kim Seyun’s shoulder as she trembled.
“Let’s not use honorifics between us. I hate feeling distant from Miss Seyun.”
“Eek! Then stop talking so sweetly and just go, please! Before I just hit you!!”
“Ha ha ha. I prefer people with a tough charm over those who are demure.”
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
Kim Seyun’s scream, far from demure, resonated throughout the 10th platoon classroom.
In fact, Fetch was the type of likable human everyone would favor.
It was remarkable that a foreigner spoke Korean so fluently, and his studies in Korean were top class. Even during physical education, his distinct athletic skills earned the admiration of many men.
He was simultaneously the teacher’s favorite student and a soldier dearly loved by his platoon leader.
Despite his own superiority, he never demeaned other platoon members.
Jealousy or envy seemed impossible at his level. He was so perfect as a person that it almost felt unreal.
“Miss Seyun, please teach me.”
Fetch, filled with affection, sought out Kim Seyun every break.
“Tsk.”
Even Byun Kiyoung, who was prone to swearing, had no choice but to remain silent upon seeing Fetch’s likable back.
“Oh dear.”
It was unbearably awkward for Park Jinsung alone.
Kim Seyun kept glaring at Park Jinsung, making it utterly painful as he had to be mindful of both Fetch and Kim Seyun.
“This is driving me crazy.”
Was it possible to avoid Fetch just by stepping out of the 10th platoon’s room?
After school, Fetch always made sure to stop by the gym to swing a wooden sword, regardless of whether Kim Seyun was there, always spending at least an hour.
As soon as the news that Fetch was visiting the gym spread, HT’s stock soared once again. The corners of Ahn Sungho’s mouth lifted, heralding a game set.
“Sob, what should I do?”
Based on the time spent together, Park Jinsung and Fetch were nearly best friends.
“Jinsung, haven’t you seen Miss Seyun? I came to have lunch with her.”
And then, as time slowly passed, it was just another usual lunchtime.
Fetch entered the 10th platoon classroom very naturally, looking for Kim Seyun.
“Sigh. This time she left without telling me.”
“Hehe. I’m a bit troubled by the phrase ‘also to me.’”
“Ah, no particular meaning. Don’t mind it.”
“Jinsung, would you mind having a chat with me?”
While Fetch was having a silent standoff with Park Jinsung, Kim Seyun was visiting the battalion medical officer in the medical office.
The medical office, equipped with a white ceiling, white curtains, white bed, and even a white medicine cabinet, was a place well-suited for someone in a white coat.
The medical officer, who had once stirred the hearts of many male soldiers, was as remarkably skilled as she was beautiful.
“Medical officer, why did you call me?”
“Oh. Sorry for calling you during lunch. I was too hasty, wasn’t I? Shall we talk while we eat?”
The medical officer pulled out a lunchbox she had prepared in advance.
Inside the lunchbox was a giant omelet rice decorated in a heart shape.
“……”
“Cute, right? Eat a lot.”
The amount of omelet rice was not only heart-shaped but also incredibly generous.
The omelet rice was piled so high that it was pressed down by the lid.
Seeing the medical officer pulling out another lunchbox from the corner, it seemed that this massive portion was meant for one.
“Ahaha, then! I’ll enjoy the meal!”
“Oh! If it’s not enough, don’t hesitate to ask. I have another one here.”
The medical officer said as she pulled out a fourth lunchbox.
“Do you usually eat this generously?”
“Oh? Ah, no. I don’t always eat this much. Usually, these two lunchboxes?”
“……”
Kim Seyun praised herself for not asking if the medical officer was a competitive eater.
The medical officer looked on with satisfaction as Kim Seyun diligently used her spoon.
“It’s not bad, is it?”
“Uh?! Ye, yes, it’s delicious! Medical officer! How can this omelet rice taste so good?!”
“Hehe. I’m exceptionally good at making omelet rice. Eat slowly.”
The medical officer casually spoke as she noticed half of the omelet rice was already gone.
“Seyun… have you thought about it?”
“Cough, cough!”
“Oh! Sorry, sorry! Did I throw too direct a pitch? Here, drink some water first!”
“Cough! Whew. Thank you, medical officer.”
Kim Seyun pounded on her chest as she gulped down the water.
“Oh… sorry. It’s my first time scouting, so I might have put too much pressure on you.”
“No, it’s me who should be lying down and bowing to you. How dare someone like me claim the title of Maestri.”
Commonly known as Maestri.
It’s a group of master craftsmen in South Korea that only the best in each field can enter.
It’s said that the secretive Maestri, with a different focus, does not include the goblins associated with their family.
While the White Jade Goblin Kim family creates masters within their family, Maestri recruits already established masters from across the nation.
It’s jokingly said that if you shake the White Jade Goblin Kim family and Maestri, all the masters in South Korea would fall out. Both groups are secretive, so it’s difficult to understand the exact manpower situation.
Unlike the more familiar White Jade Goblin Kim family, very little is officially known about Maestri.
Some say it’s a private corporation, others say it’s a public corporation or a civic group, opinions vary widely.
Only the existence of the group called Maestri is known, even people in high positions know little of the intricate details.
“Join Maestri, Seyun.”
Contrary to many people’s expectations, Maestri was akin to a national office.
“I, I am.”
A special forces group directly organized by Lee Shin, South Korea’s top power.
Always dressed in sleek suits, each member wears a unique mask to hide their identity, a mysterious group.
It was a national special force created by Lee Shin and a few other awakened power holders to handle national emergencies.
Due to the nature of Edeya, which easily reveals identities, only a few are active during peacetime. However, recruitment was not neglected because of this.
In a national emergency, the collaborative attacks by the craftsmen would prove to be a great asset.
Lee Shin had arranged this place for practice and exchange among craftsmen.
Top secret agents.
This was the true identity of the craftsmen group, Maestri.
“Oh. I guarantee it. Seyun, you can become a great master.”
“I am quite inadequate as a swordsman…”
“As I said before, I recommended you because you are a master of protection and defense, not swordsmanship. I highly value your defensive skills.”
The medical officer was a Maestri member, a master of healing and regeneration, secretly carrying out the role of medical officer at Haeun Special Education Battalion as ordered by Lee Shin.
“I, I must succeed as a swordsman.”
“Oh. I was sure when you requested a consultation using the Aura Plate. We can definitely nurture you. If you want, that is.”
In times like these, when there is a talent shortage, someone with the potential to become a master like Kim Seyun was a top recruitment priority. Furthermore, being a White Jade Goblin, her talent was undeniable.
If properly nurtured, there was a 100 percent chance she would become a master.
The medical officer decided to make a recruitment request first, regardless of whether it was to the White Jade Goblin Kim family or to herself.
“I am a goblin related to swords. I must become an excellent swordsman.”
“What do you think? I’m not saying you should give up being a swordsman.”
As a child, Kim Seyun, despite harboring a legendary goblin, had only D-grade combat abilities.
She was a child who disliked harming others more than anyone else.
A soul concentrated on harming others and her own rejection of it.
And a family that forced her to become the best in harming others.
Even if the young Kim Seyun bit her lip and resisted, her talent manifested steadfastly.
Swinging the sword carelessly still resulted in her growing faster than others, and now, without much focus, just mechanically swinging it, she had reached the level known as Aura Expert.
This doesn’t mean she hadn’t put in effort.
“……”
Kim Seyun had secretly hoped that all her efforts thus far would be dimmed.
That she would repeatedly prove to lack talent.
That she would fall short of becoming a master swordsman.
Being thrust into being a swordsman from birth. She would have preferred being an armor or support type like Ju Ye or others.
“Medical officer, I, I am…!”
“Oh, I understand, I understand. It must be worrying about the family. The elders of the White Jade Goblin Kim family are certainly not ordinary people. But isn’t it thrilling and good to do things secretly? Or perhaps, you could join Maestri, suck the marrow out of it, and then return to your family. That’s not a bad idea either.”
The medical officer was a very kind person, but she did not fully understand Kim Seyun’s essence.
She herself was a master who had reached a supreme level. Typically, those who become masters have distinct self-esteem and a drive for improvement.
It’s because they have a drive for improvement that they become masters.
She couldn’t understand a Kim Seyun without that drive.
Elites cannot understand the common, and neither can a common who wishes to be an elite.
“…Medical officer, didn’t you consider recruiting Sergeant Ahn Sungho and Private Park Jinsung?”
“Oh. I too am quite amazed by their growth. I always have high expectations. But neither I nor Maestri really have anything specific to offer them. We just have to wait until they reach the level of Maestri themselves.”
Talent is absolute. Even the kind and gentle medical officer was acknowledging the existence of talent.
Being a master herself at a relatively young age, the medical officer knew no way to teach those without talent.
‘Can Edeya really never change? I wonder how Jinsung would answer.’
The reason Kim Seyun liked Park Jinsung.
Because he always struggled to prove himself with an Edeya that others deemed worthless and to manage the Edeya that consumed him.
‘Jinsung…’
He had resoundingly declared that the owner of a soul is greater than the soul itself.
When the Aura Plate first manifested, Kim Seyun was truly elated. She felt overwhelmed with joy, thinking she had become similar to Park Jinsung.
‘But I realized something when I saw Kang Jinno escaping beneath the cliff.’
The Aura Plate was only slightly special in itself; as a swordsman, her skills showed greater growth potential.
Kim Seyun’s strike, which included all her might, dealt a severe blow to the central pathway’s guard, number 998. It wiped out more forces in one blow than the Aura Plate could have protected against.
“Medical officer… I’m sorry…. I need more time to think.”
“Oh! That’s okay, that’s okay. I can wait as long as you need.”
Kim Seyun feared that even after joining Maestri, her talent as a swordsman would stand out.
The medical officer had invited her to Maestri as a master of protection and defense.
It would be fortunate if she could grow quietly in this direction, but,
‘I, I am…’
What if even South Korea’s greatest craftsmen couldn’t train her in a different direction?
What if even the training in defense became a stepping stone for techniques that harm others?
‘I don’t know…’
Kim Seyun’s face was swallowed in deep shadows as she left the medical office.
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