"How dare you say that after doing such things because of your family… Do you even have the right to say that?!"
The atmosphere suddenly turned hostile.
What's going on? Weren't we just having a normal conversation?
'No, actually, it wasn't exactly a normal conversation.'
One side was sharp and on edge throughout the conversation, while the other was solely focused on extracting information.
And that's not all.
Isabelle might know a lot about Baek Seung-woo's past, but I don't.
I have no idea what kind of story Baek Seung-woo has, or what hidden secrets lie between him and Isabelle.
The subtle distance was created by the difference in the information we possess.
That distance fueled the current hostile and icy atmosphere. But there's a more fundamental issue at play.
'I have no idea what happened between Isabelle and Baek Seung-woo.'
I don't know how to gauge the distance between us.
No matter what, one thing is clear right now.
My actions have provoked Isabelle.
'Because of the family…'
Did something happen between the Cheonho Baek family and Sirius family?
Or did Baek Seung-woo experience something within the Cheonho Baek family?
Speculations and questions abound, but nothing concrete comes to mind.
It's only natural since I don't have enough information to confirm anything beyond mere suspicion.
'I'll look into this part later. For now, I need to reconcile with Isabelle.'
Reconciliation might not be the right word.
We didn't exactly fight.
If anything, I was the one who got hit unilaterally.
And she's the one who's unilaterally angry.
Thinking about it, that's how it is.
How do I even reconcile in this situation?
Without knowing why Isabelle is angry, trying to reconcile might just make her angrier.
But I can't just leave this awkward and heavy atmosphere hanging either.
Since we're in the same team, building a rapport is crucial.
"Courage training, huh?"
Not a bad idea.
There's no better way to bond and test courage and guts.
Nodding at the unexpected suggestion, I said.
"That sounds good. So, where is this place?"
"Near the cliffs and waterfall between the canyons!"
"...Canyons and waterfalls?"
It's surprising enough that such a place exists within the academy grounds.
But if it's the place I'm thinking of, we can't just go there freely.
That area is the private property of Professor Tiger, who specializes in 'Hunting Studies,' a major focused on hunting magical creatures.
"That might be difficult…"
"Why?"
"I don't have any connection with Professor Tiger."
Tiger Grills.
A professor who was once a legendary hunter in her youth.
Though not exactly old now, she's long since left behind the fiery passion of her younger days and has been working in the education field.
She lives in a cabin built above the canyon.
In fact, all her lectures take place in natural environments like canyons or fields, so there's no overlap with me, who's always holed up in the lab.
I can't just enter the private property of someone I have no connection with.
"Ah, don't worry about that. You don't need Professor Tiger's permission for that."
"As far as I know, your ID card is enough to gain access. Even if it's private property, it's still part of the academy grounds. Teaching assistants should be able to come and go freely."
My teaching assistant ID.
The one I showed to Lee Ji-han before.
[T/N: I am changing the name 'Lee Ji' to 'Lee Ji-han.']
I've only used it to borrow books from the library until now, but it seems it has other uses too.
I didn't know that.
Once we confirmed that access was possible, we set a date.
Two days later, we decided to meet in front of the training room at dawn.
From there, we'll all gather and head out to explore the ghost stories.
Regardless of the ghost stories, it's a good opportunity to build camaraderie and test our courage.
"By the way, ghosts…"
It's been a while.
I used to get excited about such rumors too.
Back then, I was probably with Eve.
Come to think of it, why are most of my memories tied to Eve?
Is it because she's my oldest living friend?
"This feels unpleasant."
Why is it that so many of my memories are tied to that girl?
I felt both awkward and uncomfortable.
***
Back when I hadn't yet taken on a key position in the military.
In other words, when I was still attending school-like educational institutions as a child.
I heard an absurd story from my friend Eve.
"So, you got a tip that there's a ghost living at the foot of Mount Geumgang?"
"Yeah! They say the sound of eerie crying echoes through the mountain at night."
"Couldn't it be the work of a magical creature? Maybe a dungeon has eroded into reality, and a few 'Changgu' have escaped from the Changgu Cave."
Changgu are ghosts of those who were eaten by tigers.
They are malicious ghosts who, driven by their resentment, lead innocent people to the tiger's jaws. But like most ghosts, they are merely creatures of folklore.
However, in a world where magic and magical creatures exist, they could very well appear.
Magical creatures primarily reproduce through asexual means.
But some also originate from myths and legends passed down by people.
That's why in Mount Geumgang, where tales of tigers are endlessly told, there exists a massive dungeon called [Changgu Cave] and a monster known as the Mountain Lord.
"But that doesn't prove it's not the work of a ghost."
"Isn't that just a spectral-type magical creature like a Wraith or Specter? Ghosts don't exist in this world."
"Were magical creatures always part of this world?"
"Sigh, I can't argue with that."
As Eve said, this is a world where magical creatures exist.
There's no reason ghosts couldn't exist too.
Still, personally, I'd prefer if they didn't.
This world is already chaotic enough. I don't want to fight beings other than magical creatures.
It's absolutely not because I'm scared of ghosts.
Absolutely not.
"By the way, why did you bring that up? Are you suggesting we go to Mount Geumgang this weekend to look for ghosts?"
"We need to close the [Changgu Cave] anyway. Let's go together this time!"
"That's bothersome… Ah, why don't we take Wei? He's on leave this time."
Wei is my friend's name.
He's someone I befriended after the world fell into ruin and the concept of nations became blurred.
He's two years older than me, but since he's weaker, I just treat him as a friend.
Originally, he himself dislikes being treated as an older brother.
...Or maybe it's because I've 'educated' him multiple times?
"Let's leave him out. Wei isn't in this country right now."
"Where is he?"
"Beijing."
"...Beijing?"
The guy who was in Gyeonggi Province just a few days ago went to Beijing without a word?
Wei's nationality is Chinese.
But he hasn't lived in China for long.
To me, he feels like a local friend who happens to be good at Chinese.
How did he end up there?
"This time, he's obsessed with Tai Chi or something, and he's looking for hermits everywhere. I don't know why he's trying to find hermits in the city."
"Hahaha, that's so like Wei."
I'm not laughing because it's funny.
Wei, that troublemaker, always acts on his curiosity.
And it's always my job to clean up after him.
Actually, cleaning up after Wei isn't that hard.
The problem is that I also have to clean up after Eve's messes.
Holding my throbbing head, I said anxiously,
"If it's the Mountain Lord of Mount Geumgang, it's at least a 4th-rank creature."
"So, can't you handle it? If you're scared, just say so."
"Hey, who said I'm scared? I'm just saying we should be careful."
"That's proof you're scared. Pfft, coward."
"You're talking nonsense. You're the one with no sense of danger."
I tried to scare her by mentioning the rank of the magical creature ruling Mount Geumgang, but Eve took control of the conversation.
Well, she's a monster who casually handles high-rank creatures.
A 4th-rank creature wouldn't be a big deal for her.
Eve started teasing me, asking if I was scared.
Her bright smile was irritating.
Ugh, this is so frustrating.
"Stop laughing. Even a three-foot-tall child wouldn't laugh so carelessly."
"Sometimes I think your way of speaking is really like an old man."
"An, an old man?"
"Yeah, who uses phrases like 'three-foot-tall child' these days? You've been hanging around adults too much, haven't you?"
It's true that my vocabulary and way of speaking resemble those of adults.
I enlisted as a child soldier at the age of five, but at that time, it was impossible to employ a child as a soldier.
So, officers took turns teaching me.
Of course, that's not the only reason.
I was exceptionally talented, absorbing everything I was taught like a sponge, which earned me the attention and favor of the military.
Thanks to that, I learned various skills and survival techniques from retired soldiers and veteran active-duty personnel.
During this process, I also met the master who taught me swordsmanship and the teacher who taught me about life.
So, I took pride in the way of speaking I learned from adults.
But to call it an old man's way of speaking…
"Don't say that. I'll let it slide as a joke, but if those gentlemen heard it, they might grab their swords and go berserk."
"Well, it could get troublesome if it's taken the wrong way. But it's not exactly wrong, is it?"
"You've got some nerve. No wonder you're suggesting we go look for ghosts in Mount Geumgang."
Eve and I chatted about this and that as we walked.
We had trivial conversations about what we'd do if a ghost really appeared and what equipment we'd bring to the [Changgu Cave].
"If a ghost appears, you can take it down with your sword. Even a coward can do that much, right?"
"Coward? It'd be better if you just wiped them out with your magic. Wait, no, you might end up destroying the entire mountain."
"What kind of monster do you think I am? You're the one who blew up a few hills in the last operation."
Laughing and chatting without a care in the world, Eve and I looked no different from any other teenagers.
***
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