LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 77
Eun-byeol, who was studying alone in her room, suddenly received a phone call.
It was the staff member who had suggested a tour of the Dawn Guild.
“Yeah, yeah.”
…After the call ended.
Eun-byeol, tilting her head, diligently typed with her fingers.
– Ah-reum, can you do me a favor?
A reply came back quickly.
– Favor? What is it?
– It’s about the tour of the new recruits at the Dawn Guild we talked about before. Could you check if Professor Jeong Si-hyun is interested?
– Huh? Got it.
…A little while later, Eun-byeol checked the message from Ah-reum.
– There’s no scheduling conflict, so she’s fine with it!
– Really? Thanks for asking!
– Good luck with your exam studying!
– Yup, you too!
After exchanging simple messages, Eun-byeol focused back on her studies.
The most important thing now was to wrap up her exams neatly.
* * *
A week later, on Tuesday, at a slightly early lunchtime.
I sat across the living room table from Si-yoon, having lunch together.
“…You’re going to attend a special lecture?”
Si-yoon asked, her mouth full of side dishes.
“Yeah, that’s the only thing I have to do, so I’ll be back before dinner.”
“Oh, I see. What’s the lecture about?”
“I think it was something about the virtues of a tank or something like that.”
“Virtues? Like, you need to be tough or something?”
“…Um, probably? Honestly, I’m not that interested in the topic.”
At my reply, Si-yoon blinked a few times and asked again.
“Why go if you’re not interested?”
“Hmm… I just want to see how someone else delivers a lecture.”
“Ah, right. There’s definitely a vibe that only comes from actual experience.”
“Exactly! I want to feel that atmosphere of someone captivating the students.”
The lecturer was an S-rank Hunter from a major guild.
They should show off some leadership and more.
Thinking about the dungeon incident, their personality was a bit arrogant, though.
I wondered what the lecture would actually be like.
“Oh? Did you get that again, sis?”
“Huh? What?”
Si-yoon pointed to my smartphone with her finger.
“Those stickers, you know? You still have the ones for storage, right?”
I turned my head to check beneath the TV and then back at her.
I nodded.
“The staff from the Hunter Management Agency got some extras for me! It’s essential to have three of every merchandise: one for actual use, one for display, and one for storage. Hehe…”
“Right…….”
Si-yoon scratched her cheek, looking a bit awkward.
Hmm, did I sound too much like an otaku? Well, whatever. As long as I’m having fun, it’s all good.
In that spirit, should I ask Si-yoon about watching Momobin together?
“I was thinking about Momobin. What if I custom ordered some personal merchandise? What do you think?”
“…C-Custom order?”
“Yup! If you’re interested, I’ll make some for you too!”
“Uh, uh, um, well…”
Suddenly, Si-yoon’s eyes started darting around in confusion.
Is she thinking about what she wants?
After a moment of waiting, Si-yoon gathered her thoughts and spoke.
“I-I don’t think that sounds bad! Ahahaha…”
“Let me know if you think of anything, okay? It’s not like we’re doing it right away anyway.”
“Uh-huh…”
Muttering her reply, Si-yoon furrowed one eyebrow in thought.
She looked so serious, like she was solving a tough math problem, which was oddly amusing and cute.
Finishing my meal first, I relaxed and got ready to go out.
* * *
In the Academy auditorium.
Cars began to trickle into the parking lot.
Students, who had been scattered across different lectures, began to gather little by little.
An employee at the auditorium entrance was guiding participants one by one to maintain order.
As the start time of the special lecture approached, the auditorium filled with students and staff, creating quite a scene.
In the front row of the auditorium, the academy’s professors and key personnel, including the President, took their seats.
“It’s quite unusual for S-rank Hunter Kang Cheol-min to give a special lecture.”
“Doesn’t that show how desperate the Cheongrim Guild is?”
“It shouldn’t be bad for the academy either.”
People were whispering their thoughts here and there.
Students also chatted with their acquaintances.
“Hey, that white-haired person up front. That must be Professor Jeong Si-hyun, right?”
“Oh, yeah. Professor Jeong is also here.”
Most students had black hair, with only a few sporting brown or blonde hair.
So, the white hair was definitely eye-catching to the students sitting behind.
“Definitely, the S-ranks really live up to their name. The auditorium is packed.”
“True, it seems like most of the professors showed up too.”
“They can’t afford to miss out on such an opportunity.”
– Please be quiet. We will now begin the special lecture.
With the words of the Cheongrim Guild staff acting as the host, Kang Cheol-min appeared on the stage.
With his large build and broad shoulders, he immediately filled the auditorium with his presence.
He stepped forward confidently and received the microphone.
“Ah, ah. Nice to meet you all. I’m Kang Cheol-min, an S-rank hunter representing the Cheongrim Guild.”
*Clap, clap, clap, clap—*
With his greeting, a thunderous applause erupted in response.
He nodded with satisfaction and continued his self-introduction.
“Well, you’d all know who I am without me saying it! I’m an S-rank Hunter, and my specialty is blunt weapons. In dungeons, I play the role of a tank.”
He chuckled softly and added.
“Due to my undeniable charisma, I often take charge of the party. Hahaha!”
His booming laughter filled the auditorium through the microphone.
As he stopped laughing, the hall fell silent once more.
No one responded particularly.
Kang Cheol-min tried to lift the mood with humor, but he frowned as he glared at the host.
The host, who had been holding the script, trembled when he saw Kang Cheol-min’s wrath directed at him.
After briefly venting his anger on the host, Kang Cheol-min resumed the lecture.
“Today’s special lecture topic is the virtues of a tank! The warrior who stands strong at the front! The most important thing, above all else, is discretion. Staying calm and focusing on protecting the party by analyzing the situation is the main role.”
He began explaining, sticking to the prepared script.
“Hmm…”
Si-hyun, sitting in the front row, watched the flow of the lecture with a blank expression.
…The lecture was turning out to be far more boring than she expected.
‘Did I have my expectations set too high?’
The content relied not on his expertise but on the script.
In fact, much of it was boasting about Kang Cheol-min’s own achievements.
She had taken the time to come see a great speaker and was disappointed.
It wasn’t even about skills, the content was terrible.
I started to feel like it was a waste of time.
“Yawn…”
Si-hyun quietly covered her mouth with her palm and yawned.
She tried her best to hide it, but that was in vain.
Kang Cheol-min’s piercing gaze turned towards Si-hyun.
‘How dare she yawn during my special lecture?’
The beautiful lady sitting in the front row had been in his line of sight from the start.
He had been consciously delivering the lecture with her in mind.
But now, a yawn? How dare she!
Kang Cheol-min’s facial muscles twitched.
“Hahaha! Let me share an interesting story for you all.”
Si-hyun, who had been checking the time on her smartphone, turned her attention back to Kang Cheol-min.
“The biggest advantage of the Cheongrim Guild! It’s the support we provide to top-tier hunters. It means that anyone with ability can become the protagonist.”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“There were people who opposed this in the past. They argued about stopping the exploitation of new recruits. What do you think happened to them afterward?”
Kang Cheol-min slowly scanned the audience.
“We were polite about it in the guild, but they simply left. After that, they tried to establish a small guild but ended up completely failing. That proves that Cheongrim’s policy was correct!”
Kang Cheol-min’s gaze returned to Si-hyun.
Si-hyun listened, with a hardened expression.
His intention to provoke her succeeded in some way.
He wanted this beauty to focus on his lecture, and indeed, she was now focused.
It was strangely familiar to her.
‘…Could it be?’
Si-hyun frowned as she pulled out her phone to search for information about the Cheongrim Guild on the internet.
She quickly skimmed through a list outlining various incidents.
And she found it.
‘…The Wings Guild founding incident.’
A guild established by some hunters who left the Cheongrim Guild.
Founded in opposition to the monopolistic operating methods of the existing guilds.
The master of Wings, Moon Da-young, criticized the excessive exploitation of new recruits by the Cheongrim Guild, while the Cheongrim side claimed it was a ‘voluntary participation and choice of the hunters.’
‘…So it was Cheongrim?’
The paragraph wasn’t long, so it took just a moment to read.
After finishing, Si-hyun lifted her head again.
One of the enemies of the Wings Guild was right in front of her.
‘Huff…’
Si-hyun swallowed her rage.
It was true that she had decided to live her own way, but distinguishing between public and private matters was still vital.
As much as she wanted to charge at him shouting “This is vengeance for Wings!” she couldn’t do that to a guest speaker invited to give a lecture at the academy.
However, she no longer had the desire to sit through the lecture.
‘…I’ll let it go this time.’
The next time he shows up, I’ll make sure to give him the “pain of a burning tongue” first thing.
Si-hyun greeted Professor Park, who was sitting next to her, and quietly stood up from her seat.
She made her way up the stairs without making a sound.
Just then.
“Hey there! Miss! The special lecture is still ongoing, where do you think you’re going?”
Kang Cheol-min grabbed Si-hyun’s ankle as she started to leave.
Slowly turning around, Si-hyun silently glared at him.