The Heroine Stole My Regression

33 – Midterm Exam (3)

Madness.

Yuhana was, without a doubt, a genius.

Already the hour was eleven in the evening.

“Like this?”

– *Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*

The arc of her sword strike cut sharply through the air, impacting the training hall wall.

Power, speed, flow – everything was perfect.

In mere hours, Yuhana had completely mastered the basics of the Butterfly Sword, techniques I’d only just shown her.

When she’d first received the blade, she had shed a few tears, which briefly startled me, but after a bit of goading with the blade, she had, thankfully, perked right up.

“Haa…”

Yuhana sheathed her sword, catching her breath.

The melody of mana, once swirling like dancing flowers and butterflies, settled gently back within the scabbard.

But then.

Suddenly, she approached and bowed before me.

– *Thud.*

It wasn’t just a simple greeting.

She knelt, hands folded neatly in her lap, forehead pressed to the floor.

A perfect dogeza.

I was taken aback for a moment.

“Hey, hey, what’s gotten into you?”

She still didn’t raise her head, continuing in a low voice.

“I am deeply moved by your gracious bestowal of learning. Master, I look forward to your continued guidance.”

The deference and gravity in her voice felt strangely unfamiliar.

Formal speech aside, her tone and posture were excessively submissive.

Yoo Hana was of a martial arts lineage.

So, showing respect to someone who taught her swordsmanship was only natural.

But even in the original story, she only used formal language briefly at first, then quickly abandoned it altogether.

‘This is a bit much.’

Lucky it’s a solitary cell.

If someone were to witness this scene, strange rumors would surely spread.

“Get up, will you…”

Come to think of it, even if I told her to get up, she wouldn’t, her stubbornness was formidable.

Therefore, the way to make her rise instantly was simple.

“As your master commands, rise.”

-A flinch.

And I added,

“And just treat me the way you always have.”

Her shoulders trembled slightly, still with her head pressed to the ground.

Finally, Yoo Hana slowly raised herself.

Forced to rise, she wore a look as if swallowing down some regret.

‘Why is she being like this?’

It wasn’t my concern.

It was almost time to finish training anyway.

“Here.”

She offered me the Camellia Sword.

A gesture as if returning it.

I hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

“Keep it with you for now.”

Truth be told, even if I wanted to carry it, I couldn’t.

As if to show off, I gave the camellia sword she offered a little squeeze.

– *Wooong!*

The moment my hand closed around it, it vibrated like mad, a fierce rejection as if to say it hated me.

Bad mutt.

“See?”

I shrugged.

“It gets tiresome if I take it.”

She chuckled at the sight.

Then, she resheathed the sword at her waist.

“Understood, thank you. I will be sure to repay the favor.”

“If you must.”

I replied nonchalantly, and a small smile touched her lips as she fell into step behind me.

We tidied the room and stepped out into the internal training hall.

It was late in the evening, but still, the place teemed with people. Probably because exams were breathing down our necks.

The students were absorbed in their training.

I stretched lightly, glancing around.

Midterms were right around the corner.

If possible, I figured training every day would be best, but directly saying that felt a little… awkward.

So, I asked with caution.

“Could you let me know when you’re free this week? I thought it’d be good to go through it once or twice more.”

“….”

Yuhana didn’t respond.

I turned to look at her.

But she was looking back at me, her expression blank.

A look that seemed to say I’d asked a question too obvious.

“Every day.”

And then, taking another step closer, she carefully added,

“…Weren’t we doing it every day?”

Nice.

A silent cheer bloomed within me.

Her ambition, it seemed, burned far brighter than I anticipated.

I merely nodded, saying nothing.

And so, we parted ways, gravitating naturally towards our respective quarters.

Already, stars were prickling into existence across the night’s canvas.

*

– *Ding*

A message.

[Luke]: Jung Hae-in-ssi, the Iano Cross payment proposal is prepared. We would be grateful if you could visit the Order at your convenience.

Good news.

The pricing for the cross I’d commissioned seemed to be finalized.

This… I could manage a visit tomorrow, since I only have morning classes.

But that wasn’t what occupied my mind at present.

– *Scrll, scrll*

“Ah, bloody hell.”

Late in the evening, within my dormitory room.

Sleep eluded me, as I scrolled endlessly through the Hero Auction site.

– *Scrll, scrll*

“Where in the world is it?”

I needed to prepare for the upcoming mid-term exams, and the accompanying Mine’s raid.

To do so, I required certain supplies, but the objects I sought remained stubbornly out of sight.

After nearly two hours of relentless searching, I finally found it.

It was buried deep, as if the listing hadn’t been refreshed in ages.

[Stone Sickle]

“Heh heh.”

The very name brought a chuckle to my lips.

The photograph accompanying the page was out of focus, the lighting atrocious.

It was a post so haphazard, one might question whether the seller genuinely intended to part with the item.

I perused the description.

[Origin: Central Africa]

[Seller’s Note: Stone sickle. Acquired from a dungeon during my deployment to Africa. I have no idea what it’s used for. No refunds.]

[Price: 1,000,000 KRW]

Crude and ancient in appearance, at a single glance.

The blade was chipped here and there, like the teeth of a wolf gone old, and it looked to possess a significant weight.

His scant desire to sell was evident in both the price and the item description.

For the record, a million won was the lowest price on the auction site.

But I had to buy this sickle, no matter what.

This was no mere chunk of stone.

It was, in fact, a Harpe.

The very one Perseus wielded in the myths, yes.

However, it wasn’t an artifact of outstanding martial prowess; it had a specific, predetermined use.

Essentially, it was single-use.

But that single use was enormous.

-Click

Without another look, I pressed the purchase button.

[‘Stone Sickle’ will be shipped.]

The seller likely woke up in a startle, overjoyed.

Wondering what sucker would actually buy such a thing.

However, that was probably wrong.

*

A massive, medieval-style building rose prominently in the heart of the city.

This was my second visit.

I’d rushed here the moment class ended. I just happened to need some cash.

Silently, I opened the door and stepped into the Arcadia Order.

In that instant, my eyes met those of the priestess seated at the counter.

And she leapt to her feet, approaching me with haste.

“This way, please!”

It seemed the news had preceded me. She guided me with a lively step. It was the same reception room as before.

And there, the middle-aged priest from the previous time, Luke, awaited me.

“Brother Hae-in!”

A middle-aged man rose from his seat, extending a hand in warm greeting.

I shook it lightly.

“Haha, a bit late, yes? There were some… frictions in the process of settling on an amount.”

“It’s… fine.”

He seemed in remarkably high spirits.

Between the cross business and other things, it seemed Cheon Yeoul’s influence was expanding rapidly within the church.

Luke pulled out documents embossed in gold from his leather briefcase, offering them to me.

“I sincerely hope you find this satisfactory. If there are any issues with the amount, please don’t hesitate to speak freely.”

I met his gaze once, then lowered my eyes to the contract.

And the moment I saw the amount written there…

‘Oh, for crying out loud.’

How many zeroes is that?

I wasn’t planning on taking a huge sum, but I wasn’t about to just let it go either, so I was prepared to haggle if it felt like he was lowballing me too much.

But this… it was far more than I’d expected.

I blinked for a moment, scanning the contract again.

Luke watched my expression, a subtle smile playing on his lips.

“…You must have put a lot of thought into this.”

His smile deepened at my words.

It seemed he was pleased that I’d noticed.

“Thanks to you, Brother, things have improved in many ways.”

Before I knew it, the way he addressed me had changed to “Brother.”

I closed my eyes, tapping the table lightly with my fingers, and pondered for a moment.

I could take all of this, that’s true.

However…

I slowly folded the contract and said, “This… I can donate this to the Arcadia Foundation, right?”

Luke’s eyes widened, and he leaned forward slightly.

“Ah, yes… of course it’s possible, but…”

“Then, I’ll take only this much.”

I wrote down an amount in the blank space on the back of the folded contract and showed it to him.

Ten *eok*. (One billion)

A portion of the payment, yet by no means a small sum for a donation.

As he accepted the paper, I saw the subtle tremor in his fingertips.

“… Are you certain you wish to donate? And perhaps, do you have a designated recipient…?”

His voice wavered, ever so slightly.

“Let it be for Cheon Yeoul.”

With that one sentence, Luke’s expression shifted in an instant.

His gaze, a blend of surprise and what seemed like deep emotion.

He rose from his seat and bowed, back perfectly straight.

“I am truly grateful.”

Sincerity resonated in his voice.

A donation of this magnitude would undoubtedly bolster Cheon Yeoul’s standing, a value Luke clearly understood.

Moreover, donations to the Order came with numerous benefits.

It was something I had considered since long ago.

I watched him quietly, before slowly rising from my seat.

He had shown respect, so I felt it proper to reciprocate in kind.

I extended my hand lightly.

Luke then clasped my hand firmly within both of his.

“May the Goddess’s blessing be upon you, brother.”

He offered a heartfelt blessing.

I chuckled softly.

“If you’ve confirmed everything, I’ll be on my way.”

With a slight nod, I exited the audience chamber.