Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 9

EP.9 The Most Unwanted Encounter

“So, when is this Bishop Lea supposed to arrive?”

“Tomorrow or the day after…?”

It was sooner than he had expected. Hearing this, Jeong-hyeon glanced at the mirror hanging nearby. His appearance was exactly the same as before he committed suicide. If Lucia and the First Princess could recognize him, then meeting Lea would be disastrous.

‘She’ll definitely recognize me.’

Even if he denied it, suspicion would grow, and without concrete proof, she would likely assume he was the Hero.

‘So, the options are…’

First, live his academy life without ever being caught by her. Second, find a way to get her dismissed from her teaching position, forcing her back to the Vatican. Third, kill her.

‘Or… make it so that even if she finds out I’m the Hero, she has no choice but to stay silent.’

The only option available immediately was the first one. However, he kept the other options in mind in case an opportunity arose in the future.

‘If possible, the third option would be best.’

There was nothing more satisfying than seeing someone he despised meet their end. With that in mind, he decided to focus on training to become stronger. He dragged Lucia, who was aimlessly exploring the area, to the backyard mountain.

***

“… I guess I’ll have to kill you myself.”

After Jeong-hyeon had broken his arm about three times, Lucia muttered something more fitting for a murderer than a priestess, looking at him with lifeless eyes. He looked at her and thought, ‘I’m fine though.’

Hearing this, Lucia seemed on the verge of fainting and grabbed his collar, shaking him.

“Just die! Just die already!”

Maybe it was because he had lost a lot of blood, but the dizziness made him feel nauseous, and he complained about it. Lucia, hearing this, immediately let him go with a worried expression.

“Are you okay?”

“No, I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“… Should I get you some water?”

To be honest, he felt fine now, but he kept quiet, fearing she might start shaking him again if he said so. So, he pretended to still be dizzy and subtly tried to get more information from her.

“So, have you found a place to hide from this Lea person?”

“Um… not yet. Bishop Lea is extremely sharp and has a keen sense, so she’d find me in no time if I hid in some half-assed place.”

He knew that all too well from his past life, where he had been dragged around with a leash around his neck. Recalling those hateful memories, he clenched his teeth.

‘No point in worrying about it now.’

For now, it was better to get stronger and increase his options.

‘Sorry, Lucia.’

He decided to continue this training for a while, and with that thought, he moved towards the tree and swung his fist again.

***

The next day, as Jeong-hyeon entered the classroom, all eyes turned to him. He noticed a mix of fear and curiosity in their gazes and couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘What am I, a beast? They’re reacting like this just because I set an example by hitting a few people.’

Thinking their reactions were even more blatant than those of animals, he ignored them and looked ahead. He didn’t have the luxury to worry about them right now.

‘So, what should I do now?’

He needed a more certain way to deal with Lea, but nothing came to mind. As he pondered, someone slipped a note into his hand.

‘Harassment?’

Expecting it to be filled with insults, he opened it, but to his surprise, it contained a warning.

[Be careful. Because of what happened yesterday, the second and third-year seniors are out to get you.]

The unexpected concern left him momentarily surprised, but he quickly brushed it off. He had no time to play along with the second and third-year students’ childish games.

‘Damn…’

He touched the spot on his neck where a collar had once been, closed his eyes, and tried to calm his racing heart. Breathing felt difficult, and pain kept flooding in. He bit his lip, attempting to steady himself.

***

In the afternoon, during sparring practice, there was a change on the ranking board made of magic stones. Seeing his name shoot up to 7th place, Jeong-hyeon was surprised at how quickly they had elevated his rank.

‘I thought they’d put me around the 50th rank even after beating the seventh rank.’

But jumping straight to 7th place was quite an advantage. Confirming this, he decided to challenge the 1st rank for a duel, but the instructor’s words stopped him.

“You can’t spar for a week after a duel.”

Reluctantly, he had to postpone his plans.

‘It’s disappointing, but there’s nothing I can do.’

Feeling a bit let down by the sudden restriction, he noticed the muscle-bound student, Jer, mingling with his friends. An idea struck him.

‘We can still train together even if it’s not an official sparring match, right?’

He thought about practicing hits or endurance training. Picking up a wooden sword nearby, he approached Jer, intending to finish what he had started yesterday. But as he got closer, Jer, despite his muscular build, panicked and ran off.

“……”

What did I even do?

Feeling unfairly treated, Jeong-hyeon became aware of the students watching him and decided to ignore the situation. At that moment, the swordsmanship instructor called out.

“Looking for someone to train with?”

Turning around, Jeong-hyeon saw the instructor approaching with a wooden sword.

“I could be your training partner. How about it? Want to give it a try?”

Thinking it wasn’t a bad idea, Jeong-hyeon nodded and asked for guidance.

“Please.”

“Good. And, ahem, stay a bit after training. I have something to ask you.”

“Uh, sure.”

Not knowing what the instructor wanted to ask, Jeong-hyeon agreed and focused on him. The instructor took a stance and spoke slowly.

“What do you think a sword is?”

“… Isn’t it a tool for killing?”

“Quite straightforward. Well, that’s a correct answer too.”

The instructor looked at Jeong-hyeon with interest and demonstrated a basic horizontal slash while speaking.

“But if you learn the sword solely for killing, you’ll eventually fall into a swamp. After all, killing is an irreversible sin.”

“……”

“That’s why I’ll teach you a few paths beyond the way of killing. I’ll also teach you the basics.”

With that statement, a message appeared before Jeong-hyeon’s eyes.

*-*

[Special Quest – Swordsmanship Instructor Mertan’s Proposal!]

– Accepting Mertan’s proposal will grant you the ‘Swordsmanship Skill.’

*-*

Frankly, the idea of learning the way of the sword didn’t interest him much. However, the prospect of acquiring skills while learning the basics piqued his interest. Even he knew his sword technique was clumsy and awkward, and he needed to improve it.

‘Of course, I might be able to improve up to a certain point on my own, but…’

Having a mentor would undoubtedly accelerate his progress, so he accepted and told the instructor he would do it.

“Then meet me two hours before class in my private office.”

Jeong-hyeon nodded in agreement, but then the instructor asked an unexpected question.

“How are your parents?”

The sudden personal question caught him off guard, but he quickly realized it was a genuine question and answered honestly.

“I don’t know. I can’t meet them anymore.”

Being transported to this world meant he had no idea about his parents’ well-being. The instructor, seemingly confirming his own suspicions, replied.

“I won’t ask about your past. It must have been a significant wound for you.”

“……”

“But know that your parents, especially your mother, must have found it very difficult to make that decision.”

What on earth was he talking about?

Jeong-hyeon was utterly confused, but the instructor seemed lost in his own thoughts, wearing a sorrowful expression.

“Come from tomorrow onwards. I’ll give you private lessons.”

Jeong-hyeon sighed, thinking he might have gotten involved with a wrong person.

***

As evening approached, Jeong-hyeon caught Lucia, who was wandering around like a dog marking its territory and headed towards the forest. In the distance, he noticed a procession of white carriages. As he watched, Lucia, who had been dragged along, muttered in horror.

“Bishop Lea has finally arrived…”

Her voice, filled with genuine dislike, resonated with Jeong-hyeon. He nodded silently in agreement and sighed.

‘I guess I’ll have to hide until I come up with a plan.’

Without a plan, the worst possible outcome he could imagine would likely become a reality. Furious at himself for being unable to do anything even with his enemy right before his eyes, Jeong-hyeon clenched his teeth. Lucia, with a complicated smile, looked at him without saying a word.

‘What’s with her?’

Wondering what she meant, Jeong-hyeon met her gaze, signaling her to speak, but Lucia just smiled silently.

“Alright, let’s get back to it.”

At least right after arriving, Lea would be busy meeting the academy principal or getting her accommodation, leaving them some time. To motivate himself, Jeong-hyeon swung his fist at a tree. Lucia, dropping her previous expression, looked horrified and yelled at him.

“Oh, come on!”

Her resentful voice made Jeong-hyeon chuckle briefly before his expression turned serious. He sensed that everything was about to spiral out of control.