Even after the match between Go Hyeon-woo and Jo Byeok had ended and the next names appeared on the scoreboard, Seo Ye-in was still sitting on my lap.
I asked her casually,
“Isn’t this uncomfortable?”
“Your lap is comfy.”
“Are you a sloth or a lap cat?”
“A lap sloth.”
“That actually makes sense.”
Accepting that without question, I continued,
“Then, lap sloth, who do you think will win this time?”
“……”[Lee Seong-hyeon vs Hong Yeon-hwa]
The lap sloth stared blankly at the scoreboard.
Then, tilting her head slightly, she answered.
“……Hong?”
“And what’s your reasoning?”
“Just.”
“Just a feeling?”
– Nod
At that, Shin Byeong-cheol and Go Hyeon-woo each chimed in from either side.
“I think Lee Seong-hyeon’s going to win. I’ll put five thousand on him.”
“I myself feel inclined to bet on the young man.”
Normally, they might support Hong Yeon-hwa, whom they knew personally, but sometimes the heart leans toward a fellow melee class.
Go Hyeon-woo asked,
“What about you, Kim-hyung?”
“If I had to choose, I’d say Hong Yeon-hwa.”
But I wasn’t confident enough to say she had a high chance of winning.
After all, in close combat, a battery-type mage is at a disadvantage. One wrong move and a greatsword could turn the tide in an instant.
If I had to put it in numbers, it’d be Hong Yeon-hwa 55, Lee Seong-hyeon 45.
However, the moment Lee Seong-hyeon stepped into the arena and declared his intent, Hong Yeon-hwa’s chances instantly jumped to nearly 90%.
– I will not use Healing Orbs!
Shin Byeong-cheol looked as if he were about to faint.
“This is insane. Why? Why does he have to do that?”
“A true man indeed. He may well become a fine friend.”
Go Hyeon-woo nodded with great satisfaction.
Shin Byeong-cheol, on the other hand, still looked like he couldn’t understand.
“I mean, come on, there’s no need to be a ‘real man’ even in the main tournament, right?”
“Haha, don’t be too harsh. You never know. He might show us a real manly performance after all.”
“Y-Yeah, that’s true. I’ll give him a shot.”
Only then did Shin Byeong-cheol calm down and fix his gaze on the stage.
But reality was far too cruel to overcome with faith alone.
The handicap is just way too big.
Letting only one side have access to healing in a fight between near-equals?
It was basically a foregone conclusion before the match even began.
Fwoooosh—!
As expected, before long, the entire stage was engulfed in flames.
“Great job. You’re the only one who made it to the round of 16.”
“Ah, no, not at all. Honestly, I just got lucky… You guys could’ve done it too…you just didn’t.”
Hong Yeon-hwa waved her hands in denial, but the way her lips refused to drop showed she wasn’t exactly unhappy with the praise.
Just then, a booming voice interrupted our conversation.
“Daughter—!!”
“Ah!! Dad! Can you not shout like that?!”
It was none other than Hong Yeon-hwa’s father, Hong Yeom-baek.
Since the matches were over, he must’ve come to find us on his way out.
But despite her protests, he didn’t lower his voice in the slightest.
“I came to congratulate you, and I don’t even get a hello? You ran straight to some guy instead! I’m hurt—!”
“Wh-What?! I-I didn’t, I mean, h-he’s not—!”
Hong Yeon-hwa instantly turned bright red and began stammering uncontrollably.
It seemed like a mix of embarrassment and fluster.
Well, her dad had just shouted, at full volume, that she’d ditched him for a guy.
Still fumbling for words, Hong Yeon-hwa eventually gave up and resorted to using her fists.
She started lightly thumping his arm, and Hong Yeom-baek took it like a shoulder massage.
Then he looked around at the rest of us.
“So this is where all the stars of today’s matches have gathered! Fantastic matches, really. A feast for the eyes!”
“You flatter us.”
Go Hyeon-woo replied with a gentle smile, while Seo Ye-in gave a polite bow.
Then Hong Yeom-baek made a suggestion.
“It’s a good day. How about I treat you all to a meal, if you don’t mind?”
“Dad! When you say it like that, no one can say no! You’re making it a hundred times more awkward!”
“Nonsense! It was fine last time too! And this guy looks like the type to speak his mind if he doesn’t want something!”
As Hong Yeom-baek said, I’m the kind of person who says what I need to, no matter who I’m talking to.
Even if the Ruby Tower Master, the principal, or the Sword Queen herself asked me, I’d have declined if I didn’t feel like it.
But knowing Hong Yeom-baek’s personality, it didn’t seem like it’d be an uncomfortable gathering.
And with an adult around, we’d also be safer from any potential threats. Whether it was the Blood Cult or a witch.
Having thought it through, I nodded.
“Sounds good to me.”
Hong Yeom-baek grinned and took the lead.
“Excellent! Daughter, let’s go! Or we’re going without you!”
“I-I’m coming! Who said I wasn’t?!”
Muttering that, Hong Yeon-hwa hurried along after him.
And so, the group of us made our way to a restaurant in the downtown area.
Hong Yeom-baek ordered so much food that the table was practically bending under the weight, then laughed heartily.
“Eat up, everyone! But don’t push yourselves. No need to get a stomachache! If there are leftovers, so be it! Hahaha!”
“Thank you.”
As we ate, the atmosphere grew even warmer, and conversations naturally started to flow.
Shin Byeong-cheol who was wearing an unusually serious expression was explaining his business plan, while Go Hyeon-woo listened, nodding attentively.
“—That’s why I’m short on capital right now. I’ve been getting investments from various places.”
“Hmm, you’re really drawing up a grand vision, Shin-hyung.”
Hong Yeon-hwa asked questions about Cha Hyeon-joo, and Seo Ye-in answered briefly.
“She’s an archer too, so I’m at a disadvantage against her.”
“She said something mean.”
“She does have a foul mouth.”
“She badmouthed Kim Ho.”
“What? What did she say?!”
The two of them suddenly lit up with competitive fire.
It seemed like they’d found a common enemy.
Meanwhile, Hong Yeom-baek turned to me and struck up a conversation.
“I saw you in the preliminaries. You fought well!”
“It wasn’t much, really. Just a bunch of tricks.”
“Tricks are still a form of skill. And I saw more than just tricks, too.”
His eyes flashed sharply for a moment.
Someone at the level of the Ruby Tower Master would probably notice all sorts of things.
Still, there was no reason to show it, so I just played dumb, and he went on.
“With your ability, I figured you’d at least make the semifinals. That’s why it felt like such a shame when you dropped out early. Even Song didn’t seem too happy about it.”
By “Song” he was probably referring to the father from the Song family.
Since Song Cheon-hye had also been raised under the Thunder Lord’s doctrine, she likely wouldn’t have appreciated someone forfeiting during the main tournament.
I gave a wry smile and replied.
“As I mentioned before, my goal this year was just to make it to the main tournament. I decided not to get greedy beyond that.”
“Would it be alright if I asked why? People your age usually have a strong desire for powerful items or recognition at school, but I didn’t sense any of that from you.”
“There’s no complicated reason. I just lacked motivation, that’s all.”
Hong Yeom-baek’s eyebrows lifted slightly, as if puzzled.
“Lacked motivation?”
“Yes. I can acquire items through other means. And there’s no real need to be recognized by everyone, is there?”
I slowly looked around at the people seated at the table.
Noticing my gaze, they paused their conversation and turned to look at me.
“This much recognition is more than enough for me.”
“…Seems I had you figured right.”
A satisfied smile appeared on Hong Yeom-baek’s lips.
It looked like I’d passed the personality test.
Just as I had done, he took a moment to look around at the group before speaking.
“Indeed, even from an outsider’s point of view, the bond between you all is something special. It’s the first time I’ve seen Yeon-hwa follow someone this closely.”
“Dad, stop it.”
Hong Yeon-hwa gave his arm a light smack, as if telling him to quit talking about her.
Of course, that had no effect whatsoever on Hong Yeom-baek.
“I heard you’ve helped her a great deal, both physically and emotionally. Even Ye-hwa mentioned it. Said you accompanied her into dungeons for Aqua Flame training and had a big influence on developing her own magic.”
In truth, most of the credit for completing Hydra belonged to the Hardship quest, but that wasn’t something I could bring up.
So I decided to stay humble.
“I didn’t do much. The results came from her own efforts and dedication.”
“In any case, you’re the one who helped guide her. I heard Ye-hwa offered some form of compensation like rubies and such. But… it doesn’t seem enough to me. I’ll make sure to repay you in my own way later.”
“If you’re offering, I’ll gladly accept.”
Staying humble was fine, but refusing a gift? That went against my philosophy.
All for world peace, right?
Hong Yeom-baek let out a hearty laugh.
“I like that honesty! If there’s something you want, just say the word. I’ll do what I can within my means.”
“It won’t be too difficult.”
“All right, all right. What is it?”
As he pressed me for an answer, I smiled and replied.
“I’d like to take a look at a Trait.”