The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 69

“Ha-baek, just take it easy and warm up while you watch and get a feel for things.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Seo-ha, come with Mom.”

“Ugh.”

Shin Seo-ha grimaced as if she were a lamb being led to the slaughterhouse.

“If you watch, I’ll kill you.”

“Oh my, Seo-ha. Is that any way to speak to a friend?”

“…Sorry.”

Shin Seo-ha couldn’t even retort, which was a rare sight. As she was being dragged away, I smiled slyly while watching her. She turned her head slightly and muttered something in a low voice.

“Thanks for yesterday.”

It seemed she appreciated the fact that I had covered for her the previous day.

“You’re not very honest, are you?”

I waved slightly at her retreating figure.

“Thanks to you too. Hang in there.”

Her ears seemed to turn a bit red.

* * *

I had no information about Han Ga-young’s training methods. At this moment, I was as clueless as a newbie. Therefore, observing their sparring would be my only cheat sheet for the future.

‘It’s hard to keep up with my eyes.’

In the rectangular training ground covered with sand, it was as if bombshells were exploding, making the sand fly high.

Thud! Wham! Crack!

The sound of physical combat echoed as heavy blows were exchanged. Shin Seo-ha, with flames encasing her arms and legs, moved faster than ever.

On the other hand, Han Ga-young repelled Seo-ha’s attacks using only her pure physical strength without employing any abilities.

[This is quite a sight to behold.]

The tension was palpable.

Even a bead of sweat formed on my forehead just from watching. Although I had been steadily building my stamina, high-intensity hand-to-hand combat was still beyond me.

Even though I maximized my dynamic vision using spiritual energy, I could only catch faint afterimages.

‘No, the Moon Rabbit was even faster.’

Watching this sparring brought back memories of that day. The Rabbit closed the distance between us in less than a breath.

If I can’t catch up with this level, it’s unlikely I’ll ever catch the Rabbit.

“Your breathing is faltering!”

With Han Ga-young’s shout, the dynamics of the training ground began to shift. Seo-ha seemed to be getting overwhelmed, her speed diminishing as the fight went on. Conversely, Han Ga-young’s movements grew increasingly rapid.

“Ugh!”

In the end, Seo-ha took a hit.

Han Ga-young grabbed Seo-ha by the head as she tried to escape and drove a knee into her abdomen. It would have been better if it ended there, but Han Ga-young seemed to have no intention of stopping.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

She pummeled Seo-ha’s solar plexus with a flurry of punches. With each blow, Seo-ha gagged. If she had eaten breakfast, she would have vomited it all right there.

‘Terrifying. She really is a tiger.’

My body trembled. She showed no mercy, even to her own daughter. No wonder Seo-ha was already terrified before the match.

If it had been Shin Woo-taek instead, he might have deliberately lost to avoid hurting Seo-ha.

[Ha-baek.]

While watching Seo-ha getting beaten, I sensed a spiritual presence behind me.

“Seo-jun.”

No wonder he wasn’t near Seo-ha; he was wandering alone.

“What’s up?”

[I’ve been thinking about what Lord Yomi said yesterday.]

Seo-jun smiled brightly.

[I’m giving up on manifesting. I think I need to stay by my sister’s side.]

“…You made a good decision.”

I had been worried that Seo-jun might disappear if he couldn’t manifest. Even though I had a say in the matter, I wouldn’t have felt good about dashing his hopes again.

[No, I’m sorry for making you worry.]

[It’s okay. Don’t worry too mu—]

“It all happened because of you, you fluffball idiot.”

[Ugh…]

I smacked Yomi, and she went limp on my shoulder.

“There’s nothing to apologize for. If you have nothing else, just sit and stay for a while.”

[No, I think it’s best if I don’t interrupt.]

Seo-jun glanced to the side, then bowed his head and disappeared. Almost simultaneously, I sensed a presence approaching from the direction of the villa.

“Hey.”

A rough voice, deep enough to make my knees tremble just by hearing it.

“Hello.”

I lowered my head towards Shin Woo-taek, who was wearing an apron. Judging by the faint smell of oil and butter, he must have been preparing breakfast.

“I’m going to speak casually. Is that alright?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

Shin Woo-taek pulled out a cigarette from his inner pocket and lit it.

“Mind if I smoke?”

“Go ahead.”

“Good. Seo-ha doesn’t like it, so I can’t smoke when she’s around.”

Click.

He brought his finger to the cigarette, and smoke rose from the tip. He took a drag and exhaled a puff of smoke.

‘No wonder Seo-ha detested the smell of cigarettes.’

Though he turned his head, possibly out of consideration for me, the smell was still quite strong. Shin Woo-taek took another drag while looking towards the training ground.

“My wife wasn’t always like this. She’s still kind, but back then, even in training, she couldn’t bring herself to lay a hand on the kids. So, I used to handle their training.”

“…”

I turned my head in the direction Shin Woo-taek was looking. Seo-ha was still caught in a cycle of fleeing and getting pummeled.

If what Shin Woo-taek said was true, it meant Han Ga-young’s personality and approach had changed. It wasn’t hard to guess what triggered it.

“After Seo-jun died, we both changed our minds. We were both terrified of losing our only remaining child, Seo-ha, but our actions were completely opposite.”

Shin Woo-taek’s gaze was fixed on Han Ga-young. While I couldn’t follow every move, Shin Woo-taek tracked them all with his eyes.

“…In the end, because I didn’t teach her properly, my wife ended up shouldering that burden.”

I had no words in response, just like yesterday. Trying to understand the emotions of parents who lost a child felt like sheer arrogance.

“Whew, the morning breeze makes one too sentimental.”

Having finished his cigarette, Shin Woo-taek rummaged through his apron pocket.

“Here, take this towel and mineral water. Give them to Seo-ha when the training is over.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if you gave them to her yourself?”

“I’d like to, but I’ve got the smell of cigarettes all over me, and it seems she’s still upset from yesterday. So, I’m leaving it to you.”

With that, Shin Woo-taek headed back to the villa without hesitation. I stood there for a while, watching his retreating figure.

[I want to say goodbye to Mom and Dad!]

Why did Shin Seo-jun’s words suddenly come to mind?

‘Goodbyes are hard for everyone.’

What had become of the real me by now? Did I die? Or was I in a coma? Would there be anyone mourning my death?

‘No, let’s not think about that.’

I shook my head vigorously to clear away the distracting thoughts. The sounds of hits from the training ground were gradually dying down.

“Ugh, blegh!”

“You’ve definitely improved since last time. But you’re still far from there.”

Han Ga-young, hands on her hips, looked down at Seo-ha. Unlike the composed Han Ga-young, Seo-ha was on the ground, vomiting stomach acid.

“Stop whining and get up. I’ve told you repeatedly that you need to keep your muscles tense even when you’re done.”

“Just 10 seconds. Give me just 10 seconds…”

Seo-ha was completely spent. I brought the cold mineral water bottle to her cheek.

“What the…”

Normally, she would have snapped at the coldness, but she was too exhausted to react. Seo-ha took the towel and water bottle and closed her eyes.

“Oh dear… Your stamina has really declined since I last saw you.”

Han Ga-young looked with pity at the exhausted Seo-ha. Unlike Seo-ha, who was drenched in sweat, Han Ga-young barely broke a sweat, which was chilling to witness.

‘Did I make a mistake by asking?’

Seeing Seo-ha in such a state, I couldn’t help but regret my past decision to request training.

“Shall we begin then?”

While I was contemplating my past choices, Han Ga-young placed a hand on my shoulder. Cold sweat trickled down my spine and forehead.

“You’re not tired?”

“I’m not that old yet.”

Han Ga-young chuckled lightly. Judging by the situation, it seemed too late to back out.

“Before we start, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Oh? What could that be?”

I lifted the Sain-gum strapped to my waist towards her.

“If it’s not too much trouble, could I request a different type of training? I’m not a martial arts specialist, and close-quarters brawling might not be the best fit for me.”

“Oh, I see.”

Han Ga-young covered her mouth and laughed.

Her sweat-soaked hair shimmered slightly in the morning sunlight each time she laughed.

“I never intended to make you do the same thing from the start. Tailored training is necessary depending on the person.”

“Hearing that puts me at ease.”

“Oh my, no need to be at ease.”

Han Ga-young waved her hand as if joking. It was a relief, though. I wouldn’t end up in that state.

Unlike the martial arts-oriented Seo-ha, I relied on the Sain-gum to exert my strength, so pure hand-to-hand combat wasn’t suitable for me.

“Let’s see.”

Han Ga-young removed her earrings and tossed them carelessly onto the ground. Then, with a bright smile, she addressed me just as she had done with Seo-ha before starting her training.

“Ha-baek, all I want you to do is touch me, even just once.”

“Huh? That’s all?”

“Yes, that’s all. You can use that sword too.”

Han Ga-young pointed at the Sain-gum on my waist.

“Shall we get started after laying Seo-ha down over there?”

“Understood.”

I lifted Seo-ha’s arm and draped it over my shoulder. A wave of heat immediately radiated from her head.

“Seol Ha-baek…”

“What?”

As I attempted to drag the unconscious Seo-ha to where I had been standing, she whispered in my ear.

“Run… away.”

Like a valiant warrior taking her last breath, Seo-ha went completely limp.

‘So dramatic.’

I brushed it off lightly, though perhaps I should have heeded her advice at that moment.

* * *

The inside of the training ground, wrecked from Seo-ha and Han Ga-young’s sparring, now became our battlefield. Standing at opposite ends as if by mutual agreement, we eyed each other.

“The time limit is until Seo-ha’s dad calls us for breakfast. If you manage to touch me even once before that, it’s over. It’s also over if either of us steps outside the training ground’s perimeter. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

I assumed a stance and lifted the Sain-gum. As the blade obscured my mouth, I whispered to it.

“We can’t drag this out.”

If this turns into a prolonged battle, I’ll inevitably be overwhelmed by Han Ga-young’s monstrous stamina.

‘Finish it quickly.’

We’re both unaware of each other’s abilities. Given the wide spectrum of my abilities, I have the upper hand. Thus, leveraging my strengths to finish this swiftly is advantageous.

[Be careful. That woman seems anything but ordinary.]

“No kidding.”

The opponent is a nationally certified top-tier hunter. To begin with, there’s a significant difference between an ordinary student and a professional.

‘I’ve closed the gap somewhat, or so I thought.’

In the game, both Shin Seo-ha and Han Yu-seong are portrayed as powerful enough to become official hunters right away.

Even though I’ve cultivated considerable strength, enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with those two, Han Ga-young is a different level altogether.

‘Opportunities like this are rare.’

It’s not often you get the chance to face one of the strongest figures in the world.

“Phew.”

Deep breaths. Repeated inhalations and exhalations.

My focus was entirely on Han Ga-young’s raised hand,

“Let’s begin~.”

At that instant, the sparring started.

“Yomi, manifest— Huh?”

The Sain-gum in my hand started shaking violently.

“What are you doing, Baek Ah?”

[I’m not doing it!]

At first, I thought Baek Ah was causing trouble, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Rattle, rattle.

The Sain-gum slipped out of my hand as if it had a will of its own.

‘Could it be…’

Only then did I grasp Han Ga-young’s ability.

“Thanks, I’ll make good use of it.”

The Sain-gum floated in the air, pointing its tip at me. Then,

Boom!

The Sain-gum plunged into the ground, creating a huge sand crater. I barely dodged it, but the sand sprayed everywhere, stinging my face.

‘Is she trying to kill me?’

Seeing the depth of the crater made a cold wave of fear wash over me. Unlike during mock battles, I wasn’t wearing any protective gear. Without any protection, getting hit by that would result in severe injury.

“You dodged well. From the way you spoke, I thought you were really slow, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

The Sain-gum floated back up.

Han Ga-young stood in the same spot she started, just twirling her finger.

‘Metal manipulation.’