Chapter 92: The Information Guild Expert |
The Information Guild Expert
“Congratulations. Lee Hoyeon, 10th level in 9 seconds, this is a new record. The winner of this practical monster training is none other than Lee Hoyeon.”
“Thanks…”
Honestly, he seems even happier than I am. What a nice professor.
“Indeed, you are a promising student of the academy. Keep it up!”
“Sure thing…” With the professor’s encouragement in mind, I headed down from the training grounds.
Could that scarecrow be the Hamel Dungeon Nightmare? It sure looked creepy.
“Hoyeon! What’s up with that?!”
“H-Hoyeon, you’re incredible!”
“I got lucky. It turned out to be a good match for me.”
Of course, even if something else had come up, I would have won, but I wouldn’t have set a record of 9 seconds. I got a randomly specialized monster for mental attacks, and it turned out that my special perk was immunity to mental attacks.
“Still, what you did was impressive!”
“You bet… I was already content with level 8.”
“You’ll reach it soon too. After the three of us finish, should we just leave?”
Since all three of us have completed the test, there’s really no need to stay in the exam room.
“Eh, you’re not going to watch others fight?”
“Huh… Watch?”
“Of course! Watching other people’s battles is so much fun.”
To be honest, I’m not particularly interested in that. But I don’t have much else to do if I leave early, so I might as well join them.
As I was about to agree, I spotted Nam Daeun out of the corner of my eye. She met my gaze, her pupils shaking, and then quickly turned around and left the exam room.
Should I follow Nam Daeun? Her face had turned pale, and she didn’t seem to be in a good condition…
“Shall we go watch?”
“Y-Yes, let’s stick together…”
“Uh…”
Lucy held onto my arm, and Lumi timidly grasped the hem of my clothes. Since both of them were asking, there was no point in refusing. Nam Daeun had already left a while ago, so I was a bit late in following her.
“Okay, let’s watch together.”
“Awesome!”
She was probably just going to have a chat and catch up with her sister. Nam Daeun shouldn’t be so weak that she’d lose her mental stability. She held her ground in the original work too.
***
Nam Daeun, having arrived at Lee Hoyeon’s training area, confronted the reality before her.
[9 sec]
The gleaming stopwatch on the training grounds displayed 9 seconds, and the students cheered for the new record.
“You know, this practical test could actually change the top spot, couldn’t it?”
“That’s true. Lee Hoyeon is in great form.”
“Nam Daeun is undeniably strong, but… it seems like she’s not making much progress.”
She paid no attention to the students gossiping around her. To her, the time for caring about such things had long passed. The real issue was the professors’ praises of Lee Hoyeon.
“His measurement is at level 8, and yet he’s this strong… It implies he possesses exceptional mana manipulation skills for the amount of mana he has, indicating significant growth potential.”
“I bet the internet is going to blow up again.”
“I’m more concerned about the guild scouts coming to watch the 1v1 duel tomorrow. Ugh…”
“Well, that’s something Professor Kim Jinhyuk should handle.”
Nam Daeun’s extraordinary intuition allowed her to overhear what the professors were saying from a distance. Amid the complex emotions she was experiencing for the first time, she locked eyes with Lee Hoyeon. He had set a record and was laughing and joking with his friends.
“I’m staking my life on this test…” Nam Daeun dashed out of the exam room, her mind consumed by jealousy toward Lee Hoyeon.
“Why is he so happy, even though he’s just as talented as me?”
I’m living this kind of life because of my talent, but why is he wearing such a joyful expression?
“I wish everyone could be as unhappy as me…”
Negative thoughts continued to swirl. Snap! Nam Daeun slapped her own cheek to dispel these negative thoughts.
“Ah, let’s not indulge in ugly jealousy.”
Lately, I’ve been plagued by these pessimistic thoughts. In times like this, I need to gather more strength.
She powered on her smartwatch and sent a message to her hospitalized younger sister. Her sister was her sole source of healing and a sanctuary for Nam Daeun’s heart. Her younger sister, Nam Dahee.
Ever since she got scolded for an immediate video call the last time, thinking she was in the bathroom or something, she had made it a habit to send a message first.
[Daeun: Dahee, is it okay to video call?]
[Dahee: Yeah, it’s fine!]
Receiving a positive response, Nam Daeun immediately initiated a video call with her sister.
[Big Sis! I missed you!]
“Yeah, me too. What did you do today?”
[I drew a picture! Wanna see?]
Nam Dahee proudly displayed a drawing of two slightly crooked stick figures holding hands and smiling.
“It’s me and you, Sis! It’s pretty, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s beautiful. You’re really talented at drawing.”
As she gazed at her younger sister, who was holding a sketchbook and grinning, Nam Daeun couldn’t shake off her tension. A moment of relaxation, and tears threatened to well up. Each conversation with her little sister tugged at her heart.
It was excruciating to witness her younger sister, who should have been playing with elementary school kids, confined to her bed all day. She resented herself for being unable to change the situation and held a deep disdain for the world. Yet, she persevered day by day because of her sister. She couldn’t abandon her.
If her sister wished for it, Nam Daeun was ready to kill all the Buyers Guild members and die together with her at any time. Such thoughts naturally crossed her mind; that’s how dire the situation was.
[Big Sis! You’re going to get first place this time too, right? I’ll draw you a picture in advance!]
“Of course. I must be the best.”
[Okay, okay! Oh, my nurse is here. I’ll call you back in a bit, is that okay?]
“Sure, send me a message.”
[I love you, Sis! *kisses*]
“Yeah, I love you too, Dahee…”
Ding
The video screen soon went black, and Nam Daeun lowered her head deeply. “I have to come out on top, no matter what… I must.”
She found herself tearing at her hair once more.
***
Alice was in a foul mood. Today, she once again fell short of breaking through level 10.
“If I had drawn the magic circle a bit faster at the end, I could have won…!”
Level 9 always goes smoothly, but the difficulty spikes at level 10, blocking my way every time.
Nam Daeun had swiftly conquered level 10 in just 30 seconds again, and when Alice checked EveryDay on her way home, she learned that Lee Hoyeon had done it in a mere 9 seconds, piling on more stress. However, if she looked at it optimistically, her loss was narrower than before, increasing her chances of winning next time.
Alice attempted to alleviate her stress and savor the scent of wine, but Sebastian, seated in the driver’s spot, broke the silence. “Miss, I’ll provide a progress report on Lee Hoyeon.”
“A progress report…? Is there that much to investigate?”
I had explicitly advised him to take it easy, but it seemed he was taking this too seriously.
“Well, I got carried away. It turns out this man is more than meets the eye.” Sebastian kept his focus on the road as he continued the report. “It’s a bit embarrassing to say this before the report, but… I was caught off guard during the investigation. I’m sorry. A bodyguard was assigned afterward.”
“Are you saying that Lee Hoyeon found out about it…?”
Is that even plausible? A mere student uncovering a high-ranking member of the Iris Guild…?
“It’s not certain if it’s Lee Hoyeon’s ability. Perhaps there was another collaborator from the beginning. But one thing is certain; he has a backer.”
“Hmm… So what?”
Having a backer isn’t unusual. With his level of ability, it’s inevitable that someone would take notice and keep an eye on him. Considering his close relationship with Moon Soorin, it’s likely related to the academy. However, individuals like Baek Ahyeong or Professor Im Sol might be discreetly supporting him. It could even be an entirely different guild.
“I’ve received information that he needs to periodically meet the Saint for treatment.”
“…Is it some kind of congenital illness?”
If he needs to meet the Saint for treatment periodically, how severe could his condition be?
“He maintained a fairly strong connection with the Saint even before she assumed the position of academy nurse. About a month ago, they started maintaining a steady relationship. And it’s around the time his relationship with the Saint began that Lee Hoyeon switched from being a swordman to becoming a mage.”
“The career change… Wasn’t it just a way to grab some attention?”
Alice recollected Lee Hoyeon’s sudden shift in career. At the time, she was unaware of his exceptional talent, so she dismissed it, a sentiment that probably resonated with most other students.
“I agree with you. It’s hard to believe that someone who only learned magic for a month could display such extraordinary abilities. But considering the quantity of mana, it seemed to be extremely lacking compared to someone who’s been doing magic for a while.”
“True, most people are speculating that he’s only recently started magic.”
“Yes. But that’s an initially implausible assumption. Additionally, I found out he’s buying premium manastones with untraceable funds.”
“You mean top-grade manastones…? Why would a student buy them? They’re less efficient and more expensive than lower-grade ones.”
In contrast to the everyday use of lower-grade manastones, top-grade manastones were mainly reserved for research and crafting artifacts. Even seasoned hunters rarely encountered them. Despite their limited availability, there was a constant demand, leading to a continuous increase in their prices.
“If he’s buying them for arbitrage, the quantity is too small, and it’s too much for personal research. Also, he’s been making regular purchases about once a week.”
“I can’t make sense of this.” Alice regretted that what began as a simple investigation had become so complicated. She tasted the wine in her hand and waited for Sebastian’s next words.
“This is just my speculation… As you know, manastones are used not only for artifact production and research but also for treating magical disorders.”
“Just a moment, you mean…?” Upon hearing Sebastian’s words, one specific condition crossed Alice’s mind.
“Steadily buying manastones, severely lacking in mana quantity compared to his magical ability, and periodically meeting the Saint for treatment…”
“Congenital magical disorder…”
It was the condition Alice was experiencing. Due to congenitally low mana reserves, she had to compensate with manastones to use magic.
“Yes. Lee Hoyeon is believed to have a rare condition similar to you, Miss Alice.”
“Unbelievable, I never even imagined. Impressive, Sebastian.”
Combining seemingly trivial clues to draw such a conclusion is truly extraordinary. Sebastian’s abilities are fitting for a high-ranking member of the renowned information guild. His sharpness hasn’t waned with time!
“Thank you. And, um…” Sebastian debated whether to bring up Lee Hoyeon’s relationships with women. But it was unsatisfactory to leave it at that. His intuition, honed over several decades, was telling him something. There seemed to be something more. Lee Hoyeon appeared to have a significant secret, he thought.
“Is there something else?” Alice eagerly awaited Sebastian’s next words.
Discovering even a single weakness of a rival was significant, but having more information was even better.
“No, there’s nothing certain yet. I’ll conduct a thorough investigation until this weekend and report back.”
“Alright, good luck.”
“Yes. I’ll ensure he won’t detect me this time, so please don’t worry.”
“Alright, alright.”
Alice couldn’t help but feel an inexplicable sense of camaraderie with Lee Hoyeon.
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