Episode 103

By the time I finished my meal, I could tell exactly what time it was. It was Friday lunch—the end of the first week of training camp, a point when the hero disciples were finally settling into its rhythm.

I ran through the timeline of upcoming events in my head. The real chaos wouldn't begin until tomorrow.

First, the hero disciples' rankings would be announced on Saturday morning. In the afternoon, we'd select our individual subjects and be assigned to groups. Then, in the evening, each group would spend points in preparation for the upcoming trial.

And finally, Sunday—the long-awaited second special trial would begin. That was when the disaster would strike. In other words, the regression point was Friday. There was still some time before the incident. But that didn't mean I could waste it.

"Luan, where are you going?" Charis asked.

"I'm going to get some air. Go on ahead," I replied.

Evan nodded. "Ah, alright."

After sending Evan and Charis ahead, I headed alone to the backyard of the hero disciples' residence. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts.

I sat in a corner and stared blankly at the sky. I still hadn't gotten used to this unfamiliar, almost unreal feeling.

Tonight is the Hunting Master's sparring session, and the afternoon class... What was it again?

It had been 100 days, so the details were hazy. If it had been important, I would've remembered. I decided it wasn't worth dwelling on.

At that moment, two hero disciples with suspicious behavior appeared in the backyard where I sat alone.

"Hey."

"L-Luan?" one of them said.

Coincidentally, I recognized both of them. One was Skull, still as pale as ever. The other was Charon's companion? Friend? Either way, it was Zeros, heir to a wealthy merchant family.

I waved casually. "Hello."

"Ah, hello," Skull replied awkwardly.

Zeros didn't respond. He simply turned away without changing his expression and told Skull, "Let's go somewhere else."

I watched them from behind as they prepared to leave and called out with a friendly tone, "You can just do it here."

Zeros raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Trading points. Isn't that why you're here?" I asked.

A ripple of surprise crossed Zeros' face, but he quickly masked it. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"How did you know?!" Skull exclaimed.

Zeros shot him a glare.

Skull quickly covered his mouth. "S-sorry..."

Zeros snorted, then turned his gaze on me. "When did you find out?"

"From the beginning. One hundred days ago," I replied casually.

Zeros snorted again.

Charon and Zeros seem to get along well. This bastard's way of speaking is just like Charon's. The two are alike.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. But it's already too late." Zeros' lips curled into a smirk. "You don't know this, but we've already accumulated more points than you can imagine. No matter how hard you try, you won't catch up—"

"Thirty-one points. Is that really such a big deal?" I asked, laughing. "It's still doable."

Zeros' expression flickered with surprise.

I smiled mischievously. "Charon has forty-three points. Shinba, did he have twenty-eight or twenty-nine?"

"Y-you... How do you know?"

Of course, this was the score that would be announced tomorrow. There was still one class left, so the difference could be just a point or two.

I wiped the grin off my face and got down to business. "The reason you're trading in the backyard is to avoid the instructors' eyes, right? In other words, you've figured out where some of the communication crystals are located, haven't you? Care to share?"

"Why should I?" Zeros replied dismissively.

"If you don't want to, we could trade points," I suggested.

Zeros reacted slightly to these words. "Trade?"

"Yes," I confirmed. "I'll buy the information with points."

The two of them looked at me, startled.

"You'd actually buy?" Zeros asked, his eyes wide.

"Why? Did Charon tell you not to trade with me?" I asked.

"That's not what he said," Zeros replied quickly. "Even if he did, I have no reason to comply. I'm better than him when it comes to trading."

Interesting...

I mused, realizing Zeros wasn't just following Charon's orders blindly.

"I was just asking because I don't understand. Aren't you aiming for the top ranks, Luan Badniker?"

"That's true, but you're not going to ask for ten or twenty points for this," I replied.

"Still, if you waste too many points now, you might miss your shot at the rankings," Zeros countered.

"Are you worried about me?" I asked.

Zeros looked at me, dumbfounded. "A merchant who chases only immediate gains will never rise above mediocrity. The key is understanding the essence of a deal."

Zeros' words were impressive, but I wasn't convinced. "It's not about essence. I'm just not worried about wasting a few points here. It won't make a difference."

"You are awfully confident," he remarked. "Is it because you are a Badniker?"

I caught the disdain in his tone. "You dislike the Badnikers?"

"Are you seriously asking? I think there are only a few among the Great Families who like you."

"I see," I murmured, considering his words. "So you're refusing?"

Unexpectedly, he shook his head. "No. I can't let personal feelings interfere with business."

This was a business transaction.

"It's three points," Zeros said. "Then I'll tell you the location of the communication crystals I've found."

"Okay. It is a deal." I extended my hand, half-expecting him to refuse.

To my surprise, he took it firmly. His grip was strong. I realized then that when it came to trading, Zeros wasn't here to play games.

***

The afternoon class that had slipped my mind turned out to be one of Inquisitor Junian's theory lectures.

The woman who had once collapsed in a pool of blood was now standing on stage, delivering her lesson in a dry, measured tone.

"So, as an offshoot of the seventy-two churches, the Sun Church is treated as a state religion within the empire. In fact, the current emperor, His Majesty, was personally baptized by the Bishop of the Sun Church..."

For some reason, I felt like I was dreaming.

Could it be that the 100 days spent on Spirit Mountain had, in fact, been a dream?

I touched the coin in my pocket and dismissed the useless thought.

A church inquisitor,

I recalled my conversation with Junian.

Setting aside the trivial details, she was an exceptionally sharp woman. She may have ended up dancing in the palm of Juan's hand, but that didn't mean she lacked intelligence. On the contrary, she was the kind of person worth recruiting. Talent like that was never wasted.

I half-heartedly pretended to focus on the lecture while formulating a plan. This was practically the last bit of time I had left to think.

First, there was the priest who had caused all the chaos. I assumed I would face him one-on-one.

No.

Even after a hundred days of training, I wasn't confident enough to guarantee victory.

Junian and Luke weren't the only ones who had died in vain. The demon king had also killed Juan before ever revealing half of his power. Trying to fight him alone, without knowing the full extent of his abilities? That wouldn't be bravery—it would be stupidity.

Should I tell Assad that Juan is the priest?

An Archmage would be able to sort this out in no time, but it was too risky. I doubted this tricky man would believe me. I'd have no good answer if he asked how I knew the priest's true identity.

I grunted, jotting down various tactics in my notes before erasing them repeatedly.

"Luan Badniker, one extra point."

"What?" I looked up, startled.

I met Junian's eyes, and she said, "It is nice to see your enthusiasm."

It was an unexpected windfall.

From then on, I had to focus more on the class. After all, I had drawn attention to myself.

...

Finally, after the afternoon class ended, evening settled in.

I scooped food onto my plate and found a seat.

Across the room, I spotted a familiar orange-haired head. It was Pam. I walked over and sat down in front of her. "Hello."

Pam blinked, her eyes wide. "Eh? It's you, Luan?"

I studied her face for a moment. A flicker of that frightened, hollow expression I'd once seen crossed her features—then vanished.

"Do you have anything to do with me?" Pam asked.

"Not really," I replied.

"I see."

"By the way, do you like vegetables?" I asked, glancing at her plate, which was piled high with them. I wondered if the Eastern Grasslands, a place I'd never visited, looked like this.

Pam smiled. "Yes. Actually, I can't eat meat. I've never been able to get used to it."

She was a vegetarian. I hadn't known. Or, more accurately, I hadn't bothered to find out.

I'd shared meals with the hero disciples at least a dozen times in the past week. It wasn't hard to pick up on details like this with just a little observation.

"I love meat," I said.

"Even without saying it, you look like you do."

"Really?"

We exchanged a few more words, though I couldn't say why. Looking back, I regretted not learning more about Pam before finding her body in the cabin. But regret often came too late. I was fortunate to have escaped that situation.

"Dad understands me, but Mom is too stubborn. It's honestly sad to see her still clinging to the old aristocratic ways," Pam whined.

In that short conversation, I learned a lot about Pam. She had an older sister and came from a family in decline, much like Evan's. She dreamed of starting a publishing company one day and had joined the training camp to build connections for that future.

"So, I need to connect with Hector later. And Seren!" she said.

"You're after those two?"

"They're the last two on my networking list! Something tells me they'll be important later," Pam replied.

Pam's eyes sparkled as she looked at me.

"Also, Charon, Zeros, Charles, Evan..." Pam continued, counting on her fingers. Suddenly, she pointed at me. "And you!"

"Me?"

She bragged, "Yes. My instincts are rarely wrong.

Ahaha.

"

Was she being polite? I didn't think so, and I found myself laughing, too.

Pam suddenly shrugged, then quickly adjusted her expression and gasped. "It's your fiancée."

Seren?

"She won't misunderstand us, will she?" Pam asked.

"I said it's ex-fiancée," I corrected her.

To begin with, I wasn't the type to care about that.

Seren returned her plate and left the dining hall, barely sparing a glance at anyone around her. If this had been before, I'd have chalked it up to her usual aloof attitude. But now, if Seren had known about the impending disaster, her mind would have been consumed with thoughts of how to prevent it. She didn't have the attention to focus on anything else.

Seren isn't her real name.

Her final words resurfaced in my mind, but thinking about them felt pointless. It wasn't as if I could just ask her outright.

I shoveled the rest of the food into my mouth and stood up.

***

After dinner, it was time to spar.

The plan I had crafted, revised, and ultimately chosen over the course of the day would begin to unfold now.

As usual, I remained still while the other hero disciples searched for opponents.

Then, a man with a stern demeanor approached. Tanko looked at me and asked, "Are you going to fight me today?"

It was phrased as a question, but his expression and presence left no room for refusal.

"Of course," I replied.

"

Hmm.

Okay." Tanko grinned, clearly satisfied, and immediately started to prepare for the spar.

We stood about ten steps apart, each sizing up the other.

Tanko's well-trained physique was unmistakable. He had met an untimely death in the past, but there was no denying his skill—he was a Great Master, a true expert.

Honestly, I had been looking forward to this match. For my return bout after 100 days, Tanko was more than a worthy opponent.

What should I do?

A conflict stirred within me. If everything went according to plan, I was supposed to suffer a crushing defeat today.

The martial artist Luan Badniker, however, held a different view. For once, I wanted to give my all in a fight against this fellow.