NOVEL NEXT Chapter 79
Chapter 79. Hero Academy (4)
The hero of Red Hole spoke with a look of disbelief.
“The Guild Master himself?”
“Yeah.”
Red Hole oversees the Hero Academy.
And the highest authority within the academy, sitting in the principal’s seat, is Baek Kang-cheon, the leader of Red Hole.
That he would personally interview a mere party.
‘Why would he want to conduct an interview all of a sudden?’
None of the interviewers knew why he had entered the interview.
In the three years since the academy’s establishment, Baek Kang-cheon had never participated directly as an interviewer.
It was truly an extraordinary occurrence.
“Is there a problem?”
“Of course not!”
It was none other than Baek Kang-cheon.
I didn’t know why, but if he wanted to, I had no choice but to follow.
‘I didn’t expect this at all…’
Yoo Ji-han felt quite flustered as he looked at Baek Kang-cheon.
The sudden intrusion of a Rank 1 Hero.
And the fact that he was conducting the interview himself.
‘Stay calm.’
Even though it was an unexpected situation, not much would change from the interviewee’s perspective.
What Yoo Ji-han’s party wanted was simply to enter the academy.
“Then, let’s continue.”
After the hero of Red Hole brought another chair and sat down, Yoo Ji-han’s party interview resumed.
“So, you’re Yoo Ji-han?”
“Yes.”
Baek Kang-cheon looked at Yoo Ji-han and smiled.
For some reason, his face appeared oddly cheerful.
“You spent seven years in Keroes and then joined Sweet Fun. After that, you quickly ranked up from Rank 5 Party to a Rank 4 Party. You have quite a unique history.”
“…….”
A very unique history, huh.
Was that a compliment or a jab?
Or perhaps just a passing remark.
Not knowing his intention, Yoo Ji-han simply nodded once.
“I once had a chance to greet Guild Master Park Joong-seob of Keroes…”
“Is that so?”
“Your friend Kim Hyun-tae is very famous, right? I’ve heard a lot about him too.”
“…….”
“But I haven’t heard of a hero like Ji-han.”
“I guess I wasn’t a hero worth mentioning.”
“For someone not known, your recent displays are quite remarkable.”
Even belonging to a large guild…
It was no easy feat for a Rank 4 Party with a short history to face Rank 3 Monsters in a critical Monster Area.
Yet, Yoo Ji-han’s party had managed just that.
Baek Kang-cheon, staring at Yoo Ji-han, suddenly asked him.
“Do you happen to like spirits?”
“……!”
Out of the blue, he brought up spirits.
In an instant, Yoo Ji-han’s eyes flickered slightly.
“Why are you suddenly asking about spirits…?”
“I see here that you participated in the MA that occurred at the golf course, and according to the Hero Department, a new Spirit Master appeared there.”
“Is that so?”
Baek Kang-cheon was staring intently at Yoo Ji-han.
It seemed he knew something.
‘Have I been discovered already?’
Surely, with the abilities of a Rank 1 Hero, he could recognize spirits like Yoon Do-ha.
But Yoo Ji-han acted as if the mentioned Spirit Master was not him.
At the moment, he didn’t want to reveal the existence of Sylph.
Perhaps sensing his reluctance, Baek Kang-cheon averted his gaze.
“This is Kim Si-hu.”
“Yes!”
The opponent was the most famous Mage and Hero in Korea, Baek Kang-cheon.
A role model for many mages not just in Korea, but across the world!
Kim Si-hu, having a conversation with such a figure, was filled with determination.
“You graduated at the top of the Mage Department, right?”
“Yes.”
“Me too. I was also the top of the Hero Academy.”
“An honor.”
“Since you’re a Mage, may I ask you questions related to magic?”
“Of course.”
Baek Kang-cheon smiled meaningfully as he looked at Kim Si-hu.
Discussing magic with a Rank 1 Mage who excelled in the art.
Did that Rank 4 Hero truly understand the implications?
“What’s your primary magic?”
“Attribute magic. Specifically, arrow-type magic.”
“Arrow-type projectile magic. A very basic type of magic, isn’t it?”
Arrow magic with specific attributes is basic magic that even non-heroes learn.
The question was whether it was sufficient for a Mage who was the focal point of firepower in a Rank 4 Party.
But Kim Si-hu replied without changing his expression.
“A tree grows well when its roots are strong.”
“I agree with that. However, it is somewhat insufficient for a Mage’s main magic in a Rank 4 Party.”
“Regardless of the same skill, the way it’s used varies greatly depending on the user.”
“Does that imply… you’re one of those cases?”
“Yes.”
“Hehe, I like your confidence.”
Believing that his magic was a bit different from others, Kim Si-hu had that confidence.
While it could easily come across as arrogance, Baek Kang-cheon didn’t dislike that attitude.
“Why don’t you show us?”
“Sure.”
[Wind Arrow]
Kim Si-hu summoned a Wind Arrow in the air.
The interviewers observed it carefully, positioned vertically for visibility.
‘Oooh…’
From the thin fletching attached for stability in flight…
To the arrow shaft that grew straight without even the slightest twist…
And a finely sharpened arrowhead.
“Wonderful.”
“Very impressive.”
The interviewers murmured in admiration.
Even Baek Kang-cheon, well-versed in magic, found no faults in the Wind Arrow.
Moreover, it remained perfectly still in midair, as Kim Si-hu maintained the spell while keeping his gaze fixed on Baek Kang-cheon.
He could probably achieve similar results even with his eyes closed.
‘This isn’t just unwarranted confidence.’
Reflecting on his past, Baek Kang-cheon smiled contentedly.
“I’ve seen your magic. …But still.”
As the magical form of the arrow dissipated into the air,
Lee Dong-ho, who had been quietly sitting, glanced at Min Yu-ri before speaking.
“Isn’t Min Yu-ri, sitting right next to you, an archer who fires Magic Arrows? Is it really necessary for Si-hu to use arrow magic?”
“…….”
Lee Dong-ho’s question hit the nail on the head.
Kim Si-hu’s primary use of arrow magic overlapped with the newly joined Min Yu-ri’s position.
Yoo Ji-han, who knew Kim Si-hu’s skills well, didn’t think it would be a huge issue immediately.
But he did think that a shift was necessary for the party.
After a moment to gather his thoughts, Kim Si-hu spoke up.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect Min Yu-ri to join the party. Naturally, since a skilled archer has joined, I’ll focus on using more powerful magic moving forward. I’m still pondering which magic I’ll mainly use.”
“Hmm. That’s an honestly disappointing answer.”
With Lee Dong-ho’s slightly underwhelming response, Yoo Ji-han added.
“As a party member, I believe Si-hu’s skills can handle any magic he uses.”
“He can handle any magic?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
Baek Kang-cheon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Kim Si-hu.
“Si-hu, have you ever heard of my unique magic?”
“I’ve heard of it, and I’ve actually understood a few of them perfectly.”
“You understood? My unique magic?”
“What?!”
The atmosphere in the interview room shifted slightly at Kim Si-hu’s statement.
A Rank 4 Mage claiming that he had ‘understood’ Baek Kang-cheon’s unique magic, which even Rank 2 Mages struggled with!
The recently displayed Wind Arrow was undoubtedly impressive, but the premise of Baek Kang-cheon’s unique magic was on another level.
“I’ve understood, but utilizing it is difficult. I believe everyone here knows what that means.”
“We know.”
Theory and reality are different.
This applies to magic as well.
There are undoubtedly some magics that you can know in theory, but cannot demonstrate physically.
“But some of what I’ve understood, I should be able to show, right?”
“A very small part, at least…”
“Please show us.”
Nodding, Kim Si-hu took hold of his staff.
Then, he drew a small circle in the air with it.
Following that, he repeated drawing a tiny star shape while subtly opening and closing his mouth.
And shortly after.
[Moonlight]
Whoosh—
A small sphere floated high in the center of the interview room.
Resembling a full moon.
In the situation where LED lights were streaming from the ceiling, it emitted a soft glow that was a bit different from the lights.
Around it, fine particles shimmered like stars around the moon.
Thud!
Someone hurriedly turned off the lights in the interview room.
Then, it showcased its presence even more in the darkness.
“Whoa!”
“Wow….”
It looked as if a part of the night sky had been brought into the interview room.
Everyone present admired Kim Si-hu’s magic.
Recognizing from where this magic was derived, Baek Kang-cheon spoke.
“This is a part of my unique magic, Moonlight Explosion.”
“That’s correct. It seems it’s still difficult for me to transfer this to explosion magic.”
“…….”
“I hear you put in considerable effort to give it the color of moonlight. As a junior mage, I feel a bit embarrassed showing such inadequacies before the creator of the magic.”
Despite Kim Si-hu’s humble words…
Baek Kang-cheon’s gaze directed at him had completely changed from the beginning.
‘This is truly something valuable.’
Besides the spirit, there was unexpected talent in Yoo Ji-han’s party.
If he hadn’t attended this interview directly, he would never have known such a mage existed.
“Aside from the interview, I’d like to have a further chat with you later.”
“I’m available any time you call.”
“I’ll be sure to contact you later.”
The lights in the interview room were turned on again.
Under the bright lights, Baek Kang-cheon looked greatly satisfied and turned to Chilla at the end of the table.
“A Chinchilla, right?”
“Ah, that’s right.”
“How cute! What’s its name?”
“Chilla.”
“How old is it?”
“Six years old.”
“I hear Chinchillas can live up to 20 years if well-cared for… Since it has transformed into a monster, it could probably live comfortably for 100 years.”
Transformed entities resist illness and have a significantly increased lifespan.
Thus, Chilla had very few reasons to die except during battles.
And this could be seen as a great advantage for Yoo Ji-han’s party in terms of stability.
As long as the party continued its activities, Chilla would remain with them.
“Is Chilla female?”
“Yes.”
“Have you thought about breeding? I’m quite interested in tamed monsters.”
“Well, that’s a bit difficult since there’s no suitable partner…”
Unless another Chinchilla turns into a monster.
Finding a mate suitable for Chilla would be very challenging.
“I understand. And Yu-ri.”
“Yes?”
“Have you considered giving up the bow and becoming a mage?”
“I haven’t really thought about it…”
“I see.”
Baek Kang-cheon moved on without any further questions about Min Yu-ri.
Having once listed her as a potential recruit for Red Hole, he already understood her background.
*
After Yoo Ji-han’s party finished their interview.
Having concluded his interview, Baek Kang-cheon left without a word, smiling to himself.
The remaining interviewers gathered to discuss.
“To think Baek Kang-cheon came here personally… How on earth did this happen?”
“I have no idea.”
The incident of Baek Kang-cheon’s unexpected entrance.
Regardless of being a member of Red Hole, nobody could discern his intentions.
“Still, judging by the atmosphere, it seems he liked the party a lot.”
“So, is there more to see?”
Someone commented while looking at the spot where Yoo Ji-han had sat during the interview.
“They passed.”
“Still, since it’s relative evaluation, we have to do the scoring.”
“What difference does that make?”
Is Baek Kang-cheon going to eliminate talents he liked?
Unless he was completely insane, that would be unlikely.
And at that same moment.
After briefly asking the other interviewers for understanding, Lee Dong-ho stepped out of the interview room and approached Yoo Ji-han’s party.
“Sweet Fun.”
“……!”
As Yoo Ji-han walked down the hallway, he was startled to see Lee Dong-ho.
Kim Si-hu had a similar reaction.
“I’m sorry about what happened last time.”
Lee Dong-ho slightly bowed his head to Yoo Ji-han.
He was apologizing for that time when he had participated in a promotion interview while stressed due to a busy schedule.
As Min Yu-ri and Chilla waited quietly.
Yoo Ji-han, who had been silent, addressed him.
“The one you should be apologizing to isn’t me.”
“……Right. It should be this side. I apologize.”
Lee Dong-ho bowed his head again towards Kim Si-hu.
For someone so proud, stepping up to apologize of his own accord was unexpected.
Kim Si-hu nodded in response to the somewhat genuine apology.
“Hey, can I ask one thing?”
“Sure.”
“Were there any bad incidents with other races in the past?”
Hearing Kim Si-hu’s question, Lee Dong-ho turned his gaze to the wall.
He let out a short sigh and spoke.
“There have been many incidents, but just a few months ago, a hero I had known for a long time was attacked by elves.”
“…….”
“While conscious, his limbs were forcibly removed, and he underwent brutal torture. He suffered such significant brain trauma that he now doesn’t even recognize his family… One day before that incident, I had shared a meal with him, only to find him dying after losing all his limbs.”
The memory of discovering a hero who was lost the day before after sharing a meal still impacted Lee Dong-ho psychologically.
And on that stressful day, he had coincidentally recalled the intruder upon seeing the sharp ears of half-elven Kim Si-hu.
“……Thank you for being honest about it.”
After hearing Lee Dong-ho’s detailed account, Kim Si-hu.
While it would be difficult for him to completely forgive him right away,
Kim Si-hu slightly lightened his hostile feelings toward someone with such trauma.
“Anyway, you can expect good results from today’s interview.”
“Really?”
“Just know that.”
Having said all he needed to, Lee Dong-ho turned and left.