NOVEL NEXT Chapter 29.1
The first session of ‘killing practice’ was finally over.
Today was the second time I watched a person die.
During my first experience on Earth, my thoughts were very complicated because there were so many factors to pay attention to, such as the mental state of Jihye and the existence of nearby CCTVs or witnesses.
Today, however, I was able to calmly contemplate the death of the man myself, leaning back on my chair with its soft cushioning and watching his life slowly fading away.
It was quite a satisfying moment.
‘·······.’
There were no feelings of agitation within me.
Nor did I feel nauseous either.
The thick smell of blood made my head a little dizzy, but I would get used to it sooner or later.
There was no severe rejection reaction from my visual, auditory, and olfactory organs.
I also felt no sympathy, of course.
The lecture was exactly what I expected it to be.
To become accustomed to killing through a total of 4 executions carried out with one’s own hands.
Through this, I would be able to remove the remnants of my earthly values plaguing me.
The execution targets would all be heinous criminals, and a counsellor would always be on standby in case anyone went through shock or awakened to a mental illness.
Various measures for the stability of the students were put in place.
The professor’s demonstration was called the first stage.
It was the execution of criminals who were in a state where their whole body- eyes and mouth- were tied.
I still didn’t know what the next steps were, but maybe they would loosen the cloth over the eyes or mouth I guess?
“Today’s class is over! What are you guys going to do now?”
Park Min-ho stretched and asked us in a raised tone on purpose.
Ji-Hye and I had set our schedule for the day in advance.
“We’re going to go and check out the clubs. The club fair starts today.”
“It’s another world’s club fair! There’s magic here, so wouldn’t it be much more fun than high school clubs?!”
Jihye’s voice was full of anticipation.
As high school students, we were active in the life sciences club to help us get to medical school at Korea University.
It was an activity only done for the entrance exam, so there was no relaxation or fun in it.
That was why I was curious about this other world’s clubs.
Whatever they were, the world had magic, so I thought it would be interesting to check them out.
However, I did not intend to join a club to just have fun.
While I needed to check them out first, if possible, I wished to participate in two clubs- one for self-development and one for relaxation.
“Minho, what are you doing?”
“...I might pass. I’m thinking of checking out clubs too, but I’m a bit tired today...”
“Ah······.”
As Minho brought his stretched arms back to his side, I heard the soft grating of metal against the floor.
We arrived at the carriage platform.
The ‘murder practice’ classroom was located in a corner of the academy, so we would have to take a carriage to get to either the dormitory or the student centre.
It was pretty much the same concept as a taxi.
However, since the children of high-ranking aristocrats brought their own wagons and coaches from their family homes, most of the carriage's passengers were commoner students and lower nobles.
Suddenly, a smile bloomed on Park Min-ho’s face.
“Today, I plan to spend time with Ayoung after a long time.”
“Yes, man. The club fair can be visited even on weekends, so take care of your girlfriend.”
“Ayeong is in the room beside mine, but she seems to be very lonely as of late…”
Jihye had on a worried expression.
Even though Ah-young became awkward around her due to the side effects of her attributes, it appeared that the two interacted with each other in their own way.
From afar, a carriage approached the platform.
Finally, it was my turn to board it with Jihye.
“Aren’t you working yourself too hard? What if another man might just steal your girl?”
I looked at him as though making a joke.
I wasn’t using a serious tone, but... It was a half-sincere concern I brought up.
“...But I may just be being too far-fetched here.”
“Not at all. If it’s Jihoo’s advice, I have to take heed of it.”
His eyelids were slightly closed, as if tired, but the pupils that met mine displayed a deep trust.
“Bye!”
“Bye~”
“Get some rest.”
The horse huffed at the coachman’s magic and whip and took a powerful step forward.
From the view outside the window, the appearance of the platform and Park Min-ho became smaller and smaller.
The inside of the wagon was wide enough for me to stretch both of my legs.
The roads inside the academy were paved, so the ride wasn’t too bumpy.
This world was both superior and inferior to Earth.
Buildings and vehicles were great examples of this.
Perhaps because the means of construction here was by magical means, the speed at which buildings were raised was 10 times faster than on Earth.
The cost was reduced, so the house prices were also relatively cheap.
On the other hand, carriages and sailboats were the latest means of transportation.
The horses were buffed with magic and ran on land, while [Water] And [Wind] Attribute magic moved the boats.
The skies in this other world had not yet been conquered.
There was magic that allowed one to float in the air for a while, but it was said that it was almost impossible to fly for a long time like one would be able to via hot air balloon or an aeroplane.
This was because the higher the altitude, the greater the rate of mana concentration decreasing.
I wanted to recreate the earth’s cars and aeroplanes here, but I didn’t have time, and it was basically impossible with only a high school student’s level of scientific knowledge.
However, I wondered if I could make bicycles...
I’ll have to think about inventing at least something here.
***
We eventually arrived at the student hall.
This building housed an auditorium, various shops, a lounge and restaurant, and most of the club rooms.
It was the size of about 5 commercial buildings combined.
It was said that most of the clubs that did not require expensive equipment or special environments were located here.
[Club fair period (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)]
A huge banner with the above written on it fluttered on the second-floor window of the student union building.
Beneath it, people who appeared to be seniors were handing out flyers.
There was a small fountain and square in front of the main gate.
Leaning against one of the pillars stood a young woman.
Her long black hair cascaded down to her waist.
Her neatly tied ponytail gave off a cool charm about her.
She had a prominent chest and hips, and a narrow waist.
Even if one put aside what could be regarded as an S-shaped form, her appearance as that of an unparalleled beauty would attract the attention of all the people around.
Perhaps because she was in a bad mood, her cold eyes and her straight red lips made her look proud.
“Jihoo······.”
Her sighs contained a demonic edge that made the hearts of many men tremble, but we spoke to her regardless of her sighs.
“Sorry, Hyerin. Did you wait a long time?”
“Sorry! The road was way too jam-packed...”
“No no! I just arrived now too.”
Seeing Ji-hye and me, her smile bloomed, and the men around her couldn’t hide their excited expressions once more.
We walked slowly toward the student hall.
“How was your class? It was the liberal arts lecture called ‘Chivalry’, right?”
Unwavering in her determination to pursue a career as a knight, she chose chivalry as her class on Friday afternoons.
“Phew······.”
Hyerin sighed once again at my question.
Maybe she didn’t like the class?
Even her slight frown though was pretty.
“It’s the first day... but there is already an assignment...”
“Wow. That’s crazy.”
“You haven’t even learned anything yet! What’s the assignment?”
“A report describing your thoughts on the spirit of chivalry... due next week. Did I apply for this second-year lecture for no reason...”
The sophomores had their curriculum divided into the path of the ‘knight’ and ‘wizard’ with courses tailored for each.
Hyerin was so motivated that she applied in advance for a course that she could have learned next year.
“That’s why you looked to be in a bad mood...”
“Ummm... Yeah. But I’ll try my best.”
I can’t believe she had already started taking second-grade courses.
Hyerin is quite the enthusiastic one, isn’t she?
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