The Heroine Stole My Regression

31 – Midterms (1)

Before me, the Elder sat, his hand resting on his chin, lost in deep contemplation.

“You absorbed a Fragment…”

His voice held a mixture of awe and doubt.

“There shouldn’t be any issues. Even that Guang-cheol’s examination came back clear.”

I explained to the Elder the process of absorbing the Fragment.

Except, I omitted the part about time traveling to the past and staying for seven days.

Just a convenient fabrication.

A moment of silence passed.

“Who else knows?”

An image bloomed in my mind.

Kang Ah-rin.

She knows that I absorbed the Fragment.

Though where she is now, I can’t say.

“Kang Ah-rin, Ah-rin knows.”

I spoke her name aloud.

“Kang Ah-rin? Of Yeonggwang?”

Park Guang-cheol, who had been quietly listening, reacted.

I nodded to him.

-Must be tired~

He muttered.

The Elder remained, eyes closed, seemingly sorting through his thoughts.

Silence stretched, and the room was steeped in stillness.

Then, slowly opening his eyes, the Old Man spoke, his voice accompanied by a deep sigh.

“…In any case, it was only a matter of time before you were revealed to the world.”

In his voice was a mixture of resignation and resolve.

“Little by little… I must accept it.”

With those words, the Old Man rose from his seat.

His footsteps heavy, he opened the door, glancing back at me as he offered a single word.

“Go carefully.”

I quietly watched his departing figure.

I could understand his feelings.

He had lost his daughter, Zion’s mother, to the Maim.

She was a hero with shining talent.

But the Maim feared her growth, and in the end, they killed her.

From that day forward, the Old Man changed.

While training and developing both Zion and me, he never exposed us to the outside world.

He had even vehemently opposed our entering Gaon at first.

But in the end, he had broken his own convictions and accepted it.

Even after the door closed, silence lingered in the room for some time.

It was Park Gwang-cheol who spoke first.

“You’re going back to Gaon, right?”

I replied shortly.

“Yeah, that’s the plan.”

He offered no reaction, even after hearing my answer.

Then, out of the blue, he threw out a question.

“Hmm…are the midterms coming up soon?”

Considering the timing, that was likely the case.

“Yeah, they are.”

At that, Park Gwang-cheol slightly raised the corner of his mouth and smiled.

“Okay, got it.”

There was an odd air lurking within that smile.

*

I returned to Gaon.

[Sion]: Haein, Ara told me. Something’s up?

Dormitory entrance.

My watch vibrated.

Checking Sion’s message, I sent a short reply.

And at that same moment, opened the door.

However, the instant I stepped into the room…

“Ah, goddamn it…”

The day I conquered Baekdu Mountain, I had received the Camellia Sword from the Association and placed it on my room floor.

And that Camellia Sword was now taking root in the middle of my living room.

Crimson vines extended from the sword’s blade.

Completely covering the interior, transforming the room into a perfect jungle.

The furniture was entangled in vines, their shapes unrecognizable,

and tangled branches intertwined on the ceiling, hanging like the canopy of an arboretum.

I sighed, drawing out the spear hung beside me.

“When am I ever going to clean all this up…”

Slicing through the vines blocking my path, I advanced towards the center of the living room.

There, the Camellia Sword, planted in the very heart of the room, seemed to be sparkling with what could only be described as glee.

And then,

-Shwick!

I pulled out the embedded sword, sheath and all.

As the roots connected to the sword snapped one by one, the vines that had been clinging to life withered, as if their lifespan had ended.

‘I need to return this quickly.’

This sort of thing wouldn’t happen if it found a suitable owner.

Looking down at the sword, I thought.

I had decided with Yu Hana to not only do morning runs, but also partner training together.

I checked the time. 11 PM.

It was too late to meet her right now, so I should make plans for tomorrow.

Opening my watch, I sent a short message.

[Jeong Haein]: Hana, you free for partner training tomorrow, maybe?

And then, just as I closed my watch, about to gather the withered stalks before a reply came –

– *Ding!*

A message arrived almost instantly, not even ten seconds had passed.

[Yu Hana]: Partner?? What partner?? Well, I like the sound of it.

Quick.

I sent a reply immediately.

[Jeong Haein]: The partner training I mentioned before, and I have something to hand over.

[Yu Hana]: Ah… I remember now. Then, how about tomorrow at 6 PM at Training Area B?

I replied with a curt, “Sounds good.” and closed my watch.

Training Area B was the closest training ground to the dorms.

But, how am I going to give it to her?

No matter how you look at it, the Camellia Sword is no ordinary object.

Knowing her personality, it’s not like she’d snatch it up the moment I offered….

‘Wait a minute.’

Wasn’t this an incredibly pointless worry?

Come to think of it, I could just force it into her hand, that’s all.

I hung the sword from the ceiling light, dangling precariously.

That way, at least, it wouldn’t root itself again.

It was already 11 PM.

‘Just go to sleep.’

There was no need to think about it any further. It had been too busy a day.

*

Today, too, I timed my arrival for precisely 9:00 AM.

I opened the back door as usual and headed for my designated seat.

And there, seated in it, was Cheon Yeoul.

Without a word, I sat down beside her.

“Hello.”

I offered a casual greeting.

But Cheon Yeoul, without any response, was just staring at me.

A gaze as if scrutinizing every inch of my being.

And soon after, a radiant joy began to bloom on her face.

“Yesterday’s class, nothing much happened, right?”

I brought up the topic casually.

But she still wore that entranced expression.

She gazed at me like that for a few seconds,

then, as if snapping out of a trance, she finally spoke.

“Y-yes…”

Cheon Yeo-ul, hands still neatly folded, lowered her head, seemingly embarrassed.

Normally, she’d greet me with a burst of energy, but now she sat close, almost demurely.

“What’s with you this morning?”

I tried to sound natural, but Cheon Yeo-ul still couldn’t meet my gaze.

Her fingertips twitched, as if she were wrestling with something.

Then, finally, she spoke hesitantly.

“It’s just… well…”

“Just?”

“Something about you… it seems different…”

Cheon Yeo-ul stole a quick glance at my face.

Then, blushing again, she turned away.

I tapped the desk.

As expected, even the saintess candidate seemed to have instinctively noticed my change.

After all, fragments of divine energy and pure divinity shared a common thread.

But before Cheon Yeo-ul could ask anything further, the front door of the lecture hall opened.

-Click.

It was Do Han-seong, our instructor.

With his usual calm expression, he walked in and stood at the podium.

Then, with an impassive face, he opened the attendance register.

“Kang Ah-rin.”

A brief silence.

She hadn’t come today.

Without another word, Do Han-seong finished taking attendance and immediately started the lesson. It was nothing of particular importance.

A deep dive, really, into the theory of various armaments.

The theory itself held its place, but considering the curriculum of weapon-based combat, where practical sense mattered most, it wasn’t exactly crucial.

I let it flow in one ear and out the other, killing time.

Just as the air in the lecture hall grew slack, and focus began to waver…

Dohanseong, his gaze sweeping the students, slowly opened his mouth.

“As I mentioned on Monday, midterms will begin next week.”

A stir rippled through the classroom.

Midterms.

Gaon’s first midterm was notoriously famous.

It wasn’t just a simple evaluation of grades.

Here, the exam was, in essence, a valuation battle.

An evaluation method also known amongst the students as the ‘Bidding War.’

As the name implied, midterm scores weren’t just points; guilds, organizations, or even individual teams would observe the exam, evaluate the students, and then ‘bid’ on them.

Each organization would place a sum to secure the student they desired.

Students who were successfully bid on would automatically form a connection with that organization, gaining opportunities for guild internships or direct practical experience through special programs.

And, naturally, the bid price was reflected in Gaon’s ranking.

A system rooted in the very bones of capitalism.

Students were driven to a fever pitch, desperate to seize this single opportunity.

An exam where one had to market themselves to the fullest, to receive a higher bid from the guilds.

Almost like a student auction.

“As you are all likely aware, this midterm will also proceed as a valuation battle.”

Dohanseong finished his statement and turned to the chalkboard, beginning to write.

“Therefore, I will present the list of major organizations participating in this valuation battle.”

Major organizations were the students’ goal. Many non-major organizations also participated, but the students’ sights were primarily set on the major ones.

All eyes in the classroom began to focus.

-Glory

An obvious choice.

The world’s number one guild, and the strongest collective, after all.

-Lotus

The same applied here.

Second only to Glory in the world rankings.

-Arcadia

‘Hmm…’

It wasn’t common for the Arcadia Order to participate.

Perhaps they were looking to recruit a healing specialist.

After that, the names of several major organizations were chalked onto the board.

And, just as the list seemed complete.

Instructor Do Hanseong added one last organization’s name.

-Vanquisher

In an instant, the classroom buzzed with murmurs.

-Vanquisher? Really?

-Wow, they’re actually joining.

Seong Siwoo, who had been sitting in the front row, even shot up and glared at the chalkboard.

A clamor erupted from every corner.

And rightly so.

Vanquisher was renowned for *not* selecting team members.

Naturally, they also tended to abstain from the value assessment.

But this time, they had listed their name as a major organization.

The implications for the students were significant.

Vanquisher’s participation in the assessment meant they were absolutely going to take someone with them.

However, I…

‘Why *here*…’

Could only be bewildered.

Vanquisher hadn’t participated in the assessment in the original story.

‘Ah.’

-Hmm… Was the midterm exam soon?

Only then did it dawn on me.

Park Gwangcheol’s significant remark and that smile he threw my way.

I pressed my fingers to my forehead.