The Conjurer of the Academy

Chapter 71

‘Why is Shin Seo-ha in my room?’

I hurriedly sat up.

Yomi woke up as well, rubbing her eyes with her front paws.

“Did a monster invade or something?”

Shin Seo-ha’s previously blurry image gradually became clearer.

“This is a more serious problem than a monster.”

I intended to say something as soon as I got up, but my body temporarily got frozen.

Her hair, still damp, and her pink pajamas. The wet strands of hair dripping over her pajamas glistened under the light.

“My hairdryer is broken. Mind if I use yours?”

“What on earth are you talking abou—”

Buzz—!

Shin Seo-ha took the hairdryer out of the drawer and began drying her hair.

“Feels so cool and refreshing.”

“Can you please go back to your room once you’re done with the hairdryer?”

Even after drying her hair, she showed no intention of leaving. The noise from the hairdryer had also completely woken me up.

“Why do you care? I might leave in a bit.”

“No, if your dad finds out you came into my room, he’ll kill me.”

Unbothered, Shin Seo-ha sat on the edge of the bed. There was a decent distance between us, but close enough for me to pick up the strong scent of her shampoo.

“So, what’s this all about?”

In response to my question, Shin Seo-ha ran her fingers through her hair. Sitting with her back to me, I caught a glimpse of her fair neck.

“About what you said to Han Yu-seong and me previously. I realized I never properly answered you.”

That’s right.

After the mock subjugation, I mentioned the Moon Rabbit to both Han Yu-seong and Shin Seo-ha.

‘Back then, Shin Seo-ha…’

She had said that if it were true, she would be the one to hunt down and kill the Moon Rabbit.

“So, what’s your answer?”

“I’ll cooperate.”

Her answer was simple and clear. Very much like Shin Seo-ha.

‘Then why aren’t you leaving?’

Now that her business was done, I wished she would leave my room.

Contrary to my expectations, Shin Seo-ha lowered her head and remained silent. Given the angle, I couldn’t see her expression.

“And…”

“And what?”

Shin Seo-ha spoke hesitantly.

“On reflection, it feels like I’ve only ever received help from you.”

“…Have you been drinking?”

“Do you want to die?”

“Sorry.”

To think I’d hear such words from Shin Seo-ha. I wondered if she was playing a joke, but the sincerity on her face suggested otherwise.

“Why do you feel that way? You don’t particularly need to thank me.”

Everything was calculated. If anything, from a different perspective, I’m the one who should be grateful.

“If you hadn’t taken down Han Sang-don during the mock subjugation, our party would’ve been dragged around by him.”

There were many other things, but before I could list them, Shin Seo-ha spoke up first.

“That was only because of the points.”

“Then it’s the same for me. Why are you grateful to me?”

“Well…”

Shin Seo-ha turned her head slightly away from me. As a result, her expression became obscured again.

“You always came to help during fights. You made sure I didn’t have nightmares anymore. And you spoke kindly to me during meals before…”

“What was that? I can’t hear you.”

After saying “always came to help during fights,” her voice trailed off until it became inaudible.

Gritting.

For some reason, Shin Seo-ha gritted her teeth.

Thinking I was teasing her, she clenched her fists and stood up angrily.

“Ugh, you’re so annoying.”

“No, really. I wasn’t joking; I genuinely couldn’t hear you. Sorry, but could you say it again?”

“Forget it, you idiot!”

Shin Seo-ha stormed towards the door angrily.

“Wait, hold on. Right now, outside the door—”

I tried to stop her, but it was already too late.

Thud!

When Shin Seo-ha yanked the door open, there was a commotion outside as people who had been leaning against the door fell over.

“Ouch…”

“Mom, Dad, what are you doing here!”

Seeing Han Ga-young and Shin Woo-taek on the floor, Shin Seo-ha burst out.

“Have you been eavesdropping this whole time?”

“Well, we called, but you didn’t answer… Anyway, it’s really lucky we didn’t have to use this.”

“Dad!”

Shin Woo-taek sheepishly put the gun he was holding back into his back pocket.

When I jokingly said that I might be killed if I did anything to Shin Seo-ha, I wasn’t entirely kidding.

“Dad aside, Mom!”

Shin Seo-ha turned her head sharply. Judging by her tone, it seemed like she had already given up on her dad.

“When did you come back?”

“Just a little while ago. When I didn’t see our daughter in her room, I came to check on you.”

“Check on me for what?”

“You know what I mean.”

Han Ga-young put her hand to her cheek.

“Things a boy and a girl would do alone in a room.”

“Eek.”

Shin Seo-ha’s face turned beet red like a kettle.

‘Could she have been unaware?’

Judging by her reaction, it seemed she had barged into my room without any awareness. Either that, or she was so focused on saying what she needed to that she didn’t think about it.

“Enough, I hate you, Mom, Dad!”

“Seo-ha, Dad is sorry! Please don’t hate me!”

Shin Seo-ha left those words like a young girl and dashed into her room. While Shin Woo-taek followed her, Han Ga-young stood still and sighed.

“She… looks all grown up on the outside but is still just a child on the inside.”

“She seems really angry.”

I stepped out of the room and stood next to Han Ga-young. When Shin Seo-ha used words other than swearing to express her anger, it meant she was genuinely upset.

“It’s okay. No matter how much she sulks, she’ll be back to her usual self by the next day.”

Han Ga-young chuckled softly.

“By the way, how did you know we were there? We did our best to hide our presence.”

At this question, I averted my gaze.

I couldn’t exactly say I sensed their spiritual energy through the door, so I decided to give a vague response.

“Just had a feeling.”

“Is that so?”

Fortunately, Han Ga-young seemed willing to let it slide. Instead, she poked me in the side with her elbow.

“By the way, Ha Baek, you’re just as clueless as our Seo-ha, huh?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You know, in that way.”

Han Ga-young chuckled quietly.

‘She thinks I’m clueless? What is she even talking about?’

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t fathom what Han Ga-young meant by her words at the time.

* * *

The next day’s training began at the usual early morning hour.

“Have you calmed down a bit?”

“I wasn’t even mad.”

Before Han Ga-young arrived, Shin Seo-ha and I stood side by side, warming up. Since we didn’t have designated time for warming up, we had to come out a few minutes early to stretch and get ready.

“It was just more shocking than anything.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“Shut up.”

Remembering last night’s events, Shin Seo-ha pouted her lips.

“Don’t worry too much. They’re probably just concerned about you.”

“That’s exactly what I mean. They still think I’m just a kid!”

Shin Seo-ha stomped her feet.

From my perspective, she still looked like a child, though.

“When will Mom and Dad realize that I’ve grown up—”

Drip.

Suddenly, a raindrop fell on Shin Seo-ha’s cheek. Looking up, I saw the sky filled with dark clouds.

“That’s strange. The weather forecast said it would be clear today. Maybe because we’re near the coast, it’s getting foggy too.”

Shin Seo-ha grumbled as she wiped away the water. The raindrops gradually intensified. Unlike real-world forecasts, the weather predictions in the RollHun, made with magic tools, were over 80% accurate.

“Yomi.”

[Got it.]

Yomi and I both raised our heads. Our gazes fixed on the horizon beyond the sea, up into the sky.

“Kids!”

At that moment, Han Ga-young’s voice rang out from the direction of the villa. It was the first time I heard her voice in such a high tone.

“Hurry inside.”

“Why, Mom?”

In response to Shin Seo-ha’s question, Han Ga-young pointed in a direction. It was the same direction Yomi and I had been looking at just a moment ago.

“A monster is coming.”

A thick fog on the horizon was rushing in, threatening to engulf everything.

* * *

“Listen carefully, you two must not leave here no matter what happens. Do you understand?”

Han Ga-young sat Shin Seo-ha and me on the sofa and calmly explained the situation. Meanwhile, Shin Woo-taek was getting his necessary equipment ready.

“Yes, Mom.”

Shin Seo-ha nodded obediently. If this were a shounen manga, she might have protested, insisting she couldn’t be left behind.

“Our Seo-ha has really grown up.”

But Shin Seo-ha wasn’t a child.

Moreover, knowing Han Ga-young’s combat prowess, she understood that going along would only be a hindrance.

She had confidence that these two would carry out their mission without any issues.

“Auntie will be back soon. Call if anything happens.”

Hunters usually move in teams. Only a very few operate solo and the fact that the two of them moved as a pair was a testament to their strength.

“Be careful out there.”

So maybe, without much worry, I saw them off.

“Yay, no training today.”

As soon as they left, Shin Seo-ha buried herself on the sofa. She seemed quite pleased, showing the same enthusiasm she had when she skipped duties at the start of the semester.

‘Yomi, I have a feeling…’

[This fog is incredibly ominous.]

On the contrary, I moved toward the window where Yomi was.

It was already long past sunrise, but it was still dark outside.

“The fog…”

The dense fog spread along the sea level, completely shrouding the coastline. This included the villa situated by the coast.

‘If it’s a monster that controls fog…’

Monsters that can alter the weather just by their presence and generate massive amounts of fog are usually of A-rank or higher. Narrowing it down, there aren’t many such monsters.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Shin Seo-ha, leaning on the sofa, stretched her hand toward the ceiling.

“Did we leave the door open?”

A thin fog was seeping in from the floor.

“Come to think of it, the window on the second floor…”

“Stay away from the fog!”

The moment Shin Seo-ha’s hand touched the fog.

“Gasp… Gasp…!”

Her pupils dilated as if she were intoxicated, and she began gasping for breath.

[Is it poison?]

“Something similar, but it’s not poison.”

Anyone seeing the symptoms for the first time might think it’s a neurotoxin or paralysis. But if my guess is right…

“Yomi, if I lose consciousness, wake me up somehow.”

I took a step toward the thickening fog.

[What are you planning to do?]

“I need to confront it.”

Whoosh-!

The moment my face touched the fog, I felt my whole body stiffen. At the same time, my vision began to darken. This fog was indeed poisonous, but not just any poison.

‘The toxin of fear.’

The most indelible and incurable emotion for humans. This fog reveals the target’s worst fears and drains their vitality.

The fog, which spreads extensively, is capable of engulfing an entire village, and according to the setting, only about 1 in 10 people can overcome their fear.

“’But what should I do now?”

I already dealt with this back in the cave.

[You have overcome all your fears!]