ushernet Chapter 163
Chapter 163
After Yu-jin, Shia, and Alice left, Yu Jung-cheol slumped heavily into the sofa, feeling exhausted. His head throbbed.
‘To defeat Ninomiya and become the top S-rank...’
What would happen if Yu-jin reclaimed the title of the world’s strongest from Ninomiya? Even he couldn’t fully anticipate the repercussions, but one thing was clear: Yu-jin would once again shake the entire world, achieving something far more monumental than his previous accomplishments.
Naturally, the prestige of Clan Cheonhwa would skyrocket as well. From a group unable to surpass Ninomiya to a clan known worldwide for housing the strongest Awakener.
For Yu Jung-cheol, it was an irresistible vision, one he would gladly support Yu-jin to achieve.
‘The solo gate challenge isn’t a big issue, but...’
Yu-jin had made two requests:
First was the solo gate challenge. He wanted to tackle any gates that appeared on his own to quickly increase his stats.
This wasn’t a problem. Yu-jin was already ranked 7th among S-ranks and had experience leading an S-rank gate raid in the U.S. Any gate that appeared could be entrusted to him without worry.
‘But creating a katana for him... that’s another matter.’
The second request involved a weapon.
Until now, Yu-jin hadn’t been too particular about weapons. He was accustomed to using the standard-issue katana provided by the academy, finding comfort in its simplicity over weapons of uncertain quality.
But his opponent this time? Ninomiya Aika, the undisputed strongest of the Awakeners.
Facing his mentor with a basic katana was reckless. Beyond its impact on the odds, it was simply improper as a challenger.
So, for the first time, Yu-jin requested a high-quality weapon — a “premium edge.” This showed how serious he was about his match with Aika.
‘As clan leader, of course, I should fulfill this request...’
It wasn’t an unreasonable request. After all, Clan Cheonhwa also developed weapons for Awakeners. It was well within their responsibility to support their members. Yu-jin was comfortable enough with the clan’s resources to make this request.
**[“It doesn’t need to be the best, just something that looks cool enough.”]**
**[“A katana, you say?”]**
**[“Yes, something... reasonable.”]**
‘As if I could make anything half-heartedly. Not to mention, I’ve never crafted a katana before.’
But Yu Jung-cheol wasn’t entirely at ease with this request.
If the katana broke during his match with Aika, Cheonhwa’s stocks would likely plummet alongside it.
He couldn’t half-heartedly create a weapon for one of his own. Cheonhwa would have to do its utmost.
However, putting forth maximum effort didn’t guarantee the best result. Cheonhwa’s efforts would likely result in a mediocre katana at best.
A katana — notoriously fragile and with the highest death rate among rookie Awakeners — wasn’t something Cheonhwa had much experience in crafting.
The lack of expertise would undoubtedly affect the quality.
‘If we could thoroughly research it and bring in a specialist from abroad, it wouldn’t be an issue...’
- Sigh.
‘But Cheonhwa’s researchers are currently focused on the Saintess Project.’
One more issue arose: Clan Cheonhwa was currently focusing its resources on researching the Saintess, in partnership with the U.S. They hadn’t made any breakthroughs yet, but still.
Yu Jung-cheol found himself torn between two priorities: preparing for an uncertain cataclysmic event in the future or assisting Yu-jin with the immediate request for a katana. Choosing between the future and the present wasn’t an easy task, even for him...
- Ding.
"Hm? A message from Yu-jin... Hah."
But his worries were soon dismissed. He let out a dry laugh as he read the message, realizing his concerns were unnecessary.
**[Father-in-law, I thought it over and realized it’s probably best to ask Suguru about the katana. I’ll reach out to him directly, so please disregard the katana request...]**
‘Only you would call the Japanese Prime Minister “brother.” Yu-jin.’
Yu Jung-cheol was once again reminded of Yu-jin’s impressive network.
---
Having concluded his requests with his father-in-law, I returned to the academy right away.
"Yu-jin, what did you mean earlier? You’re really going to challenge Ninomiya?"
"Are you aiming for the top S-rank position?!"
"Well, um, it’s a long story, but there’s someone named Paimon..."
Actually, “right away” wasn’t entirely accurate. I was bombarded with questions from my wives on the way back.
They grilled me about the festival, about why I was challenging my mentor to a match. By the time I finished explaining, I was drained, unaware that I had missed something important.
I only realized it after I returned to my room.
"Disciple, you did well today... Disciple?"
**[Thank you! So please find me a katana, something of decent quality, but mostly stylish. I want something that will make her fall for it!]**
**[Suguru: Leave it to me. I’ll arrange a sword as a secret gift for you.]**
Suguru agreed without hesitation. His generosity reminded me of how he had supported my marriage to my mentor in my past life.
With my mind eased, I sent my thanks.
**[If it works out with my mentor, Suguru, I’ll never forget your help.]**
**[Suguru: No need to worry about me. Just look after Ninomiya. There’s no patriot quite like her.]**
**[Yes!]**
After finishing my messages, I picked up a piece of paper to begin drafting the festival proposal for the final exams, as requested by the chairman.
‘Alright, let’s start with an outline...’
- Rumble rumble. Peek.
"...?"
Someone approached me. Turning to look, I saw it was the Saintess, now with Hypno-chan perched on her head.
"What? You want to see this too?"
- Nod nod.
**["??? smiles gently, saying that she can no longer clearly see the future involving you."]**
**["Hypno-chan bounces along, chirping, ‘Owner’s fully ripened!’"]**
"...Alright, take a look."
Feeling a bit whimsical, I showed her the paper, squatting down and explaining it in detail.
"There’s a troublesome creature named Paimon..."
**["??? expresses sympathy, calling Paimon a poor soul entangled in our battles."]**
"And so, we’re going to hold a festival. After I defeat my mentor, I plan to confess to her."
**["??? chuckles, saying that you’ve always enjoyed unnecessary endeavors."]**
"The festival... will be on the 15th week of the academy term, about five weeks from now."
- Freeze.
Suddenly, the Saintess’s cheerful expression froze upon hearing my last words, as if something important would happen on that day.
"Huh? What’s wrong?"
**[“???” shakes her head, smiling gently as if it’s nothing.]**
But only for a moment. The Saintess smiled again, this time more like a proud parent admiring a child.
She grabbed my wrist firmly and...
- Squeeze, squish.
**["???" sends a heartfelt cheer your way.]**
**["Even if you can’t let go in the end, I won’t hate you. I just hope that, in the end, you and your loved ones find happiness. Think carefully."]**
"...?"
She suddenly guided my hand to squish her cheek.
The soft, warm feel of her skin made my mouth drop open. It was as delicate and plush as mochi.
- Bloop bloop.
**["Hypno-chan bounces around, saying it’s unfair that only Mom is getting attention! Hypno-chan demands cheek squishes too!"]**
‘What’s gotten into her?’
Though Hypno-chan was being a bit annoying, I...
- Squeeeeeze.
‘For some reason, this is really satisfying.’
For reasons unknown, I found myself a bit annoyed, and so I pulled on the Saintess’s cheek.
I didn’t know what to say, but somehow, her treating me like a precious child had irked me. What did a dumpling-like creature think it was doing, treating me like a precious one?
- Wiggle wiggle.
**["???" wriggles, protesting that it hurts.]**
**["Hypno-chan stomps her feet, pouting that it’s unfair she’s not getting cheek squishes too.]**
‘Ah, that feels refreshing.’
Seeing the Saintess flustered for once was a pleasant sight.
I continued my “revenge” by rubbing her cheek for a while.
- Pause.
‘—Wait a second. Why can I touch her?’