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 [Chapter 128]

[The Heart That Knows the Answer]

News that Korean players subjugated Japan's 3rd rank monster spread through Yokohama city in an instant.

People in the city witnessed Shin Seo-young, treated as the <Empress > in Korea, create a huge storm and seal Gyuki.

No way. Is that possible?

No, then what were our country's players doing?

If they could capture it so easily, were they saying it was difficult to capture all this time?

Voices expressing doubt arose among people.

The credibility of Japanese players' statements that they had difficulty subjugating Gyuki, which appeared and disappeared mysteriously, suddenly dropped.

It couldn't be helped since a single person dealt with Gyuki that several top players in Yokohama couldn't handle even joining forces.

Moreover, Shin Seo-young's divine technique freely handling nature inspired awe in Japanese people.

─Platina Cross

In that situation.

The platinum flash that swallowed Gyuki captured in the storm in one breath was indescribable.

The light just flashed.

And when that light disappeared, Gyuki that turned the city into ruins had lost its existence and was fading away.

People who saw that were shocked.

Those who don't know magic in detail could only judge the situation based on visible phenomena.

Pl-platinum magic! Just who is it! Who used such magic!?

Could a Twelve Heavenly General have come?

Was there a player among the Twelve Heavenly Generals who used such magic?

...What? A student?

Huge storm and platinum flash.

People with those images clearly imprinted in their minds were desperate to find out the identity of players who participated in subjugating Gyuki.

In the end, they found out the identity of the player who fired the platinum flash.

They say it's a Korean academy student.

D-don't lie!

This is fabrication! It can't be!

A Korean... and a student child at that took down Gyuki? Who would believe that? Was Korea's level that high?

No way... They sent away what even our Yamato race couldn't properly deal with with just one magic attack?

I-it's because Yokohama's level is low! If the Twelve Heavenly Generals came, surely Gyuki would have been no match! That's right! And it was when the elite players left Yokohama to protect Kaguya-sama!

After the <End of Century Destruction>.

As exchanges between countries drastically decreased, people inevitably had strong pride in their own country.

Moreover, Japan is an island country.

They who were surrounded by sea on all sides and had to live with the threat of monsters had pride in their country's players.

Japanese players are strong.

People with such consciousness in the background couldn't help but be flustered by Korean players' performance.

But that doesn't mean they didn't know gratitude.

What does it matter who subjugated it? Didn't they end up saving us?

Thank you. Thank you for saving us.

Wow, Korean players are amazing. To work so hard to save us even though we're not their country's citizens...

I heard the Korean kids who came to Japan this time volunteered to participate in rescue operations? We help each other live, that's all. Still, we shouldn't forget our gratitude!

I love Korean people so much.

That's right. Shouldn't we naturally be grateful for what we should be grateful for? Why can't they understand this?

Though many people were shocked, there were more people grateful for Korean players' performance.

They just hadn't been expressing it until now.

Those people gathered their voices.

People who usually didn't speak their opinions one by one gathered courage and refuted those expressing extreme emotions to society.

Moreover, Japanese players soon sent messages of thanks to Korean players.

It was an unprecedented event.

Public opinion quickly became very favorable towards Korean players.

"Sigh... People who try to muddy the waters at every opportunity are the problem. Please just acknowledge what should be acknowledged now, stop clinging to past glory, and come out of your room to do something helpful for the country..."

Kaguya Tsukiko.

She was the one who changed the flow. She who happened to be in Yokohama gladly accepted the proposal of Korean players who said they would help with rescue operations.

People's lives were at stake. To the point of wanting to borrow even a cat's paw.

But a problem occurred.

"Korean players were more outstanding than I thought..."

Korean players' skills were so excellent.

Especially to the point of overshadowing Japanese players' performance.

So people who were disappointed in their country's players or jealous of Korean players also appeared.

Either way, it was a matter of national pride falling.

Thus Kaguya turned the flow of public opinion in a positive direction.

"Anyway, we received a lot of help from Korea this time. Though I don't like that Im Ga-eul will brag... Still, we should repay them."

Near Yokohama Station.

Top floor of Takashimaya Department Store.

Kaguya who temporarily made the innermost office her office soon looked down at the desk.

A large mana stone and skill stone.

They came from Gyuki.

"Hmm..."

According to International Mana Management Agency regulations, in principle, ownership of mana stones and skill stones belongs to players who participated in subjugating the monster.

The Japan Mana Management Agency following the International Mana Management Agency's will naturally had to follow that too.

But sometimes the ideals of regulations and reality don't match.

If ownership of the mana stone and skill stone is transferred to Korean players, it will lower the country's status.

Not to mention lowering Japanese people's morale.

In a way, it's an outflow of capital.

"In that sense, Shin Seo-young player handled it really well..."

She recalled what happened earlier while rolling the mana stone with her finger.

<Empress > Shin Seo-young handed over ownership of the mana stone and skill stone to her.

It could be seen as a wise response to avoid creating international conflict.

Therefore, all that remained for her now was to give appropriate compensation to people who participated in rescue operations.

"Then what should I give... First I need to give fitting compensation to Shin Seo-young player and No Eun-ha student who subjugated Gyuki..."

Compensation must be done wisely too.

Kaguya fell into thought.

While doing so, she muttered the name of No Eun-ha who took down Gyuki.

"Is this child the one Seo-hyun talked about? Hmm... I was taking him lightly, but it seems he's not an ordinary child."

No Eun-ha, Korean academy student.

The one who subjugated Gyuki, 3rd rank but practically estimated as 4th rank.

Kaguya fell into deep contemplation while rolling the skill stone.

☆

The comprehensive evaluation is almost over now.

Students who solved the final mission on Mara Island now only had to take the ship coming five days after arrival to return.

Since food and lodging were provided at the place where they completed the first mission, the five days spent on Mara Island could be considered essentially free time.

But there was no way they could properly spend free time in a place where even radio waves don't reach.

"Swinging with the heart..."

In a situation where there was nothing to do.

Academy students had no choice but to choose the path of training themselves.

Mara Island was also a land that could play a role in promoting their growth.

Because they could face monsters without holding back their strength since there was only grass and fields around.

Moreover, since instructors and players also had nothing special to do while trapped on the island, they even helped with students' training.

"Ah, so instead of thinking about such things, move your body! Why do you keep trying to use your head!?"

"Instead of using your mouth, why don't you try using your head?"

Mok Min-ho also joined training.

He who was used to a diligent lifestyle from usual woke up early in the morning and came out to the backyard holding his sword.

Then as he was swinging his sword, Bae Su-bin and Jin Pa-rang also sensed his presence and joined training.

Currently, Bae Su-bin was practicing magic that could attack a wide area from a distance.

"Keep swinging your sword for a hundred days! Do you think that will work?"

"If you don't want to help, just get lost. Jin Pa-rang, don't just try to argue."

"Sigh... I'm saying this for your sake but you're so rude..."

Mok Min-ho is a dealer, and Jin Pa-rang is a hunter.

Though they support different areas, the two had in common that they use swords.

So the two tried to meddle with each other.

'Sometimes you should know how to swing the sword with your heart, not your head. Hoho.'

In the end, Mok Min-ho decided to ignore Jin Pa-rang as he always did.

He turned his eyes to the sword in his hand and recalled the words the woman in white robes gave yesterday.

The woman was a swordsman.

Though he couldn't know her identity, her skill of cutting monsters at invisible speed proved she was no ordinary person.

So her words casually dropped naturally bothered him.

'What I can teach you is improvisation. Teaching you swordsmanship would have more disadvantages than advantages. You might end up with half-baked results if you try to learn new swordsmanship unnecessarily. Because you're already complete in the basics.'

'Hmm...'

'Of course, I think you rely too much on the sword... It's not wrong, but if you have余裕, think about swinging with your heart too.'

'Heart? Swing with my heart?'

'Originally, a master craftsman doesn't discriminate tools.'

Above all, the woman's advice was something Mok Min-ho inwardly felt too.

Eun-ha who often taught him swordsmanship said such things sometimes too.

The sword is already complete.

There's no need to give up the sword learned from childhood and learn a new sword.

Just strive on your own as you have until now.

"A master craftsman doesn't discriminate tools... That No Eun-ha bastard only says things he knows and doesn't try to teach, geez..."

Min-ho cursed No Eun-ha who would be in Japan at this time.

He still remembered.

When he was going to Mara Island, No Eun-ha openly laughed.

When he heard from an instructor that No Eun-ha was going to Japan while riding the train to Busan Port, he was so pleased.

Soon he was about to continue practicing swinging his sword creating an imaginary enemy.

Just then─.

"─A master craftsman doesn't discriminate tools. Yes, a master calligrapher doesn't discriminate brushes."

The woman who didn't show herself when he woke up early in the morning suddenly appeared.

Min-ho was surprised and stared at the woman who blocked his sword with her sword not fully drawn from its scabbard.

He stepped back flustered.

The woman who put her sword back in its scabbard stared at him intently.

"I felt this when I first saw you yesterday too, but you don't seem to know how great a power you have yet."

The woman opened her mouth.

Mok Min-ho's expression changes.

Nevertheless, she held out her hand to him without caring.

It means give her the sword.

Mok Min-ho who hesitated for a moment handed his sword to her.

The woman draws the sword from its scabbard.

Then she admires it.

"See. Not a single blade is missing. No matter how much you maintain it, it's inevitable for it to reach the end of its lifespan... That means the mana overlaid on the blade is special."

"What do you mean by that..."

"You have the gift sword users dream of. Hoho."

The woman who looked to be in her 30s laughed heartily like an old person.

She continues speaking.

"If my guess is correct, your gift probably raises cutting power. Theoretically... there's nothing you can't cut if you put your mind to it. This is why natural talents are..."

A gift that raises cutting power.

Min-ho quietly chewed on those words.

While listening to the woman's explanation.

"Everyone has a sword in their heart. The stronger and more unbreakable that sword in the heart, the more firm conviction one has... So swinging the sword with your heart means swing the sword with firm conviction."

"Why is this..."

The woman threw the empty scabbard to Min-ho.

Min-ho who received the scabbard in a daze made a bewildered expression.

Regardless, the woman just kept laughing hoho.

"Go down. Go down there and fight."

Where the woman pointed, monsters were wandering around.

Mok Min-ho frowned hard.

Is it even possible to subjugate monsters with just a scabbard?

Then the woman sighed.

"Externally your sword can be considered complete, so now train your sword internally."

"So you're telling me to fight monsters with a scabbard?"

"Yes. If you believe you can cut, you can cut with anything in your hand whether it's a scabbard or straw... You have a talent worthy of receiving blessings, but it's just sad you're not properly utilizing that talent."

"..."

"With your gift, you'll probably be able to easily kill monsters just by overlaying mana soon. Then from that point, try cutting without using mana too."

"Don't use mana?"

"The power originating from your gift is originally a power that can only be obtained after great effort. If you use it without effort, you may see effects immediately, but you won't gain the realizations obtained through great effort. Then do you think the sword in your heart will stand straight? Hoho."

The woman clicked her tongue.

Mok Min-ho was about to say something but soon shook his head.

Now he advanced in the direction she pointed earlier without saying much.

The woman silently watched his back.

"Huh... That guy is more and more regrettable the more I look. If his form wasn't already fixed, I could have put my hand in..."

The woman lamented.

One at the unkind world where he can reach a realm with just his gift even without gaining realizations.

The other at the regret that if it was even a little earlier, she could have met a disciple worth teaching.

But the lamentation was only for a moment.

"S-Seo-na... Just how far are you planning to go...?"

"Min-ho and Su-bin and Pa-rang oppa are around here. Where they went! This must be the best place so just trust me, okay? Don't you trust me?"

"...No... If I don't trust you, who would I trust..."

"Then stop talking and follow me."

A new ship came to Mara Island.

The woman, <Sword Empress> Hwang Jin-hee, looked down at students coming up from below.

"I wonder if there are any good children..."

Hwang Jin-hee returned to the store to prepare jajangmyeon again.