No Dark Secrets In This Book

Episode 73

I thought there was only one emotion that could be contained in a smile. But that wasn’t the case.

You were screaming with just a smile.

***

‘Okay! Now that I’ve driven away the old fart, shall we go on our way!’

I thought I’d let out my personality refreshingly and decided to depart. The theory professors who quietly appeared behind the shocked and dumbfounded principal said they had prepared something like a parade, but…

I didn’t want to make a crazy ruckus by mobilizing the entire school just for going on field experience learning, so I pulled Ryuseong and ran away.

‘Haha. This somehow reminds me of the day we spent our first night together, so I’m in a pretty good mood…’

The strong Ryuseong followed my lead, even running ahead or behind me. We ended up running competitively, so crossing the campus was quick.

Well, in the middle, Logan, whom we encountered, did block my way with a face that looked like he was going to faint and said something like if it was real, but when I smiled and passed by,

“Bra, branch head…!”

He fell on his butt due to the wind pressure.

Oh my, I’m sorry. Then why are you blocking my way? Who are you? Diedrich was smart enough to back away, so he wasn’t caught up, but I clearly saw his dumbfounded expression.

Behind that, when Lee Hyang shouted, “Hey! Kim Ryuseong! What about us if you go…!”, Ryuseong left with just one line.

“I am not from the Kim family.”

This guy is also a lunatic, isn’t he? A sane person with common sense wouldn’t be able to spout such nonsense so confidently. But Ryuseong does spout nonsense. So this guy can only be a lunatic or a crazy bastard.

‘If I had to choose, I’m probably both…’

Let’s stop the nonsense.

Yeah, to be honest, I expect our escape to have a significant impact on the power structure within the school.

Even though it’s just a school, how much power could there be, but Areah Academy is renowned as the best among all the educational institutions in the world that nurture hunters, and being a hunter is a high-risk, high-return occupation where if you survive, you can grasp wealth, fame, and power in one hand. In short, Areah Academy is a breeding ground for future power players who will move the future. Moreover, the position of a hunter is usually inherited in the name of a family or clan, and these days, even Taoist clans allow marriage. Therefore, blood ties were a channel that produced the inheritance of wealth and force, and as such, those gathered at Areah Academy were quite aware of each other’s existence.

This is perhaps a natural context. Isn’t there a lesson that the idiomatic phrase “mom’s friend’s son” teaches us?

Hey, so-and-so from so-and-so’s family is my kid’s peer, but he has already reached the respectable level of five stars in the Seven Plum Blossom Swordsmanship. Our kid has only achieved four stars. Sigh. What will that kid become when he grows up…?

They have always been compared to each other just by hearing their names. They gathered such a peer group in one place.

How can the desire to win not arise?

‘The desire to win is a nice way to put it… In fact, it’s inferiority complex and hostility.’

If we were to list those who held the highest power among them and were the most fiercely opposed, we would have no choice but to pick these people.

Leading with Cassice Demillang, there are Logan Esteban, Capone Jones, and Diedrich Vinckel.

And leading with Ryuseong, there are Lee Hyang and Hae Yuna.

‘There is a reason why Hae Yuna is shouting where we are going without her.’

Because these are the young ones who have been compared the most harshly in this world.

Well, let’s say that’s the case for Hanra. In the original work, it was described as a clan that doesn’t mentally grind kids—in Cassice’s words, “loose”—so they probably didn’t compare their friend’s son with their own kid.

However, Hae Yuna, who is connected to the Haenam Clan, is being treated strictly by her grandmother. Being compared to others? She must be going through that. Then what about Lee Hyang?

Actually, I can’t even imagine how much his clan elders have grinded him, but I dare to predict that the clan must have given endless nagging talks with the desire for the only grandson in three generations to be superior to the children of neighboring countries.

Still, the balance has been roughly maintained until now. When Ryuseong and I weren’t by their side, all sorts of crazy things happened because of the villains, but Lee Hyang, Hae Yuna, and even Sinmyohan joined forces to stop that level of things. They righteously stopped the delinquent acts of trying to discipline the kids from other factions with violence.

But now, if Ryuseong and I disappear together, it will be difficult for Lee Hyang and Hae Yuna.

‘The reins are gone.’

The absence of Cassice Demillang itself will be a burden to them. Because there is no way anyone other than me can put a leash on Logan, Capone, and Diedrich and control them. The beasts that have sharpened their claws and fangs have regained their freedom. What will they do? And what will they become?

‘They will probably try to do trashy things like in the original work. No, maybe even worse.’

It’s not that I’m not embarrassed by their delinquent acts, so I did prepare some simple defenses.

Still, I should at least give them a call later. Because I feel sorry for the righteous gangsters who have to deal with the temperament of the villains, hmm…

It was then. As we slowly approached the area accessible to outsiders, a crowd of people began to appear.

“It’s Cassice!”

“Oh my, it’s Demillang!”

I don’t know where the information leaked from, but the people densely gathered in the area accessible to outsiders were all reporters. Flashes burst like an active volcano, and too many shouts combined together, stimulating my eardrums uncomfortably. I reflexively put my hand near my eyes and turned off Cheon Seogong. Now that my senses have become more acute due to Cheon Seogong, it was momentarily confusing to handle all the light and noise attacks.

‘Does it mean that as much as Cheon Seogong enhances the senses, there is also a possibility of abnormal reactions?’

If I show an opening during battle, it could be a big deal, so this seems like a problem that I need to keep and solve later.

Anyway,

“I would like to ask about the reversal of the dropout decision!”

“What is the purpose of this field experience learning!”

To sort out this mess, as expected,

This would be good, right?

“We’re going on a honeymoon.”

I know I have to manage my expression. Since Cassice Demillang is a strange guy, I should be smiling alluringly and mysteriously even at times like this.

But strangely, I couldn’t help but smile with a frown on my face. That’s because the sight of everyone opening their mouths blankly with their souls out was a rare spectacle.

In that gap, I turned Cheon Seogong back on. I was going to quickly escape while everyone was dazed.

If there was a problem, it would be that Ryuseong, who had to escape with me, also lost his soul?

“Honey, honeymoon…?”

Beep. This is what the person going on the honeymoon said. We’re so out of sync, I’ll have to teach Ryuseong how to respond in situations like this while training his personality.

The reporters also started shouting along as the person involved in the big event was dumbfounded.

“…Honeymoon, then… marriage?!”

“Did you two really… get married…?!”

But I wasn’t shaken at all. That’s because there’s no need to tell the truth at times like this, right?

“Hm? Does it work like that? I’m not sure.”

“…What are you saying? Are you crazy? Are you joking? If you’re in your right mind, you can’t do this crazy thing…”

“Haha, then we’ll be on our way.”

He has no sense. I dragged the frenzied Ryuseong and ran away leisurely. By the way, the Light Body Technique is truly a useful martial art. Because we will be a faint back view on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper. Like an illustration in a fairy tale…

***

“The young master has disappeared.”

Unlike Cassice Demillang, who shamelessly spoke of fairy tales, there is a space as dark, desolate, and gloomy as a noir film. In that place, which is hard to believe shares the same academy, there is a person who just fell on his butt, reducing the weight of the atmosphere.

The person chewing on a cigar with the tip of his lips is Logan Esteban. He didn’t light it. He gave the reason that he didn’t want to get caught by the smoke, but in fact, he can’t smoke cigars properly. If he actually smokes, he coughs and makes a fuss because the smell is too bitter. But he can’t lose his pride, so he keeps it in his mouth.

But then, cigar smoke suddenly hit him from beside.

“Cough! Cough!”

“So young. Can’t even smoke this.”

Logan’s eyes reddened and he let out a hacking sound.

“I, I’m not unable to smoke, it’s because you suddenly puffed out smoke…!”

Whether Logan raised his voice in anger after failing to act cool, Diedrich laughed and crunched on the candy he was rolling in his mouth.

“Eh, that’s not what’s important right now. I don’t care if you smoke or not, Logan, so let’s get to the point.”

At those words, Capone, who was raising his eyebrows mockingly, turned his head, and Logan waved his hand to disperse the cigar smoke and straightened his posture. When the gazes of the two focused, Diedrich Vinckel snapped his fingers.

“The absence of the young master. How should we deal with this?”

“…”

“Should we leave it alone? Or should we tear it apart?”