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 [Chapter 160]

[The Last Cultural Festival (3)]

The Korean Mana Management Organization located facing Deoksugung Palace.

Twelve Zodiac <Flame Demon> Kang Hyeon-cheol visited the Mana Management Organization after a long time.

"Ah, Hyeon-cheol oppa."

"Oh, what brings you here?"

"I stopped by for a work report. What about you?"

"I stopped by for a work report too. I also have something to say to the Minister."

"Something to say?"

As he got off the elevator, he happened to run into Twelve Zodiac <Holy Mother> Park Hye-rim who was waiting for the elevator.

Park Hye-rim greeted him first.

Kang Hyeon-cheol responded.

"What do you have to say?"

"Weren't you leaving now? Why are you following me?"

"I'm following because it seems like you're about to cause trouble."

"Am I that untrustworthy?"

"Put your hand on your heart and think about it. So what do you have to say?"

Park Hye-rim walking alongside Kang Hyeon-cheol.

Kang Hyeon-cheol frowned at her words chiding him from the side.

"Well... it's nothing much."

"If it's nothing much, you wouldn't have come all the way here. Tell me."

"Ugh.... Every year the Twelve Zodiac take turns giving lectures at the academy, right?"

"Ah, come to think of it, it's that time now. Wait a minute...."

When Kang Hyeon-cheol reluctantly confessed.

Park Hye-rim's eyes widened.

As Kang Hyeon-cheol said, every year around this time the Twelve Zodiac would personally give lectures to academy students.

So it wasn't surprising that it was Kang Hyeon-cheol's turn to give a lecture this year.

She could understand that far.

The problem was─.

"─Are you really going to fight Eun-ha?"

"Isn't it obvious? I even made a direct promise with that guy.... Do you know how long I've been waiting for this day?"

About 1 year ago.

She remembered that Kang Hyeon-cheol had promised to spar with Noh Eun-ha whom he met at the Player Market.

Park Hye-rim was dumbfounded seeing Kang Hyeon-cheol smiling as if already excited upon hearing Eun-ha's name.

"Are you really going to fight?"

"Why are you asking twice? Of course I'll really fight, would I fake fight?"

"He's still a student."

"He'll graduate and become a player in a few months, so what."

"You battle maniac."

"Hye-rim."

"What?"

"Battle maniac? I'm just trying to keep a promise as a man. Don't misunderstand people."

You don't keep any promises you made with the Fairy Lady?

Park Hye-rim barely held back the words that came up to her throat.

It was Kang Hyeon-cheol.

A person who doesn't work with common sense.

She knew that even if she tried to stop him now, he wouldn't listen at all.

"Sigh.... So you're going to say you'll have a match with student Noh Eun-ha while giving the lecture?"

"That's right! That Noh Eun-ha guy won't back out since he said it with his own mouth. Now I just need to get permission from the Minister and the Fairy Lady, and notify the academy."

"How does your brain only work at times like this...."

Kang Hyeon-cheol grinned.

Park Hye-rim sighed.

Realizing she couldn't stop him, she decided to at least monitor him so he wouldn't cause trouble for Twelve Zodiac <Iron Fortress> Moon Jun.

The two kept walking.

"Okay, I'll let the match slide. But you're not going to neglect the lecture, right? Have you thought about what to say to the students?"

"All I know how to do is fight well anyway. So I'll just teach them how to fight well."

"Not bad. For example?"

On the other hand, Park Hye-rim was worried.

Students would make time to attend the lecture, drawn by the name Twelve Zodiac.

As one of the Twelve Zodiac, she didn't want to betray them with a low quality lecture.

So when she asked to check─.

"─Actually, there's not much to fighting monsters well. No matter what happens, you just need to keep your eyes wide open without closing them. You need to be able to look straight at attacks coming right in front of you."

"...And then? Are you going to teach some magic for not closing your eyes?"

"Why would I make such magic?"

"Then?"

"It's willpower. It's mental. You have to face it with the determination to die! It's nothing special. Humans are animals that become strong with guts, and weak without."

"Is that all?"

"That's all."

"This guy really...."

I was wrong to trust him.

Park Hye-rim couldn't hold back her sigh.

In the end that day, Park Hye-rim decided to make time to help Kang Hyeon-cheol prepare for his lecture.

☆

Recently, 3rd year high school academy students were busy taking classes from guest instructors dispatched by clans.

To be precise, it could be said that business disguised as classes was in full swing.

Students focused on listening to classes to catch clans' eyes, and guest instructors were paying attention to discover talented students.

It's good that classes are practical, but why are there so many watching eyes....

Eun-ha, whose name was already widely known in the industry, didn't mind.

That's why he participated passively in classes so other students could receive attention from guest instructors.

Nevertheless, the gazes of guest instructors and other students were directed at Eun-ha, but─.

─What did I really do.... I was just staying still....

Something like that happened recently.

When Eun-ha halfheartedly listened to class, a guest instructor from an A-rank clan based in Dobong-gu forcibly made Eun-ha demonstrate as a representative.

He had no choice but to nicely perform what the instructor taught.

'─As expected of student Noh Eun-ha. Of course you need to be this good at that age to receive an alias. How about it, are you interested in Nowon?'

'I'll think about it.'

'There are many monsters in Nowon. Uijeongbu is in that direction. So for you who dreams of becoming one of the Twelve Zodiac....'

'I've never particularly thought about wanting to become one of the Twelve Zodiac though?'

It was just an ordinary demonstration.

At the time, the guest instructor praised him endlessly.

It was similar in other classes.

So Eun-ha couldn't help but receive glares from students trying to catch guest instructors' eyes.

Eun-ha felt wronged.

At least the students knew Eun-ha well, so they didn't try to pick fights.

They didn't, but─.

'─Could you stop acting like you're not interested to catch instructors' attention? If you have no intention of joining any clan, just don't stand out.'

''''..."''''

The transfer students were different.

Those who had submitted to Noh Eun-ha at the beginning of the semester picked a fight with him.

They even picked unnecessary fights with Eun-ha's friends.

As a result─.

─They got beaten up by the kids. Thanks to that, guest instructors could observe the kids' skills, and those guys could appeal themselves by self-destructing.

That's why you should have just stayed still....

The transfer students who picked fights ended up getting crushed by Eun-ha's friends without even getting to spar with Noh Eun-ha.

Thanks to that, his friends were able to receive good evaluations from guest instructors.

On the other hand, separately from that, their beating down of the Noh Eun-ha squad was continuing secretly.

Didn't they say A-rank clans' goal was my friends, not me?

Saying they'd recruit the kids I inevitably can't take....

A-rank clans' beating down.

Eun-ha, who heard the situation from Kim Min-ji, snorted.

His friends knew their own skills very well.

There was no way his friends would be intimidated by them beating them down.

Above all─.

─Who thinks I won't be able to take everyone? I'm planning to take everyone....

Unlike A-rank clans' expectations.

Eun-ha had no intention of leaving anyone out of the party he would create.

That's why he made time to visit Shin Seo-young's lab.

"─These are letters sent by S-rank clans. Take a careful look."

"Thanks, noona."

"Hah, what is this because of you. Preparing for the cultural festival, managing guest instructors, exchanging letters with S-rank clans because of you..."

"I'll repay you later."

"I've heard you say you'll repay me countless times. You don't need to repay me, so please stop bringing me work. I want to rest too."

Formally, clans' recruitment solicitations were supposed to be after the cultural festival ended.

But guest instructors were in the middle of persuading students while teaching classes.

In fact, clans' recruitment solicitations were happening in the academy right now.

Actually, Eun-ha's friends say they've already received subtle solicitations from several A-rank clans.

It was the same for Eun-ha.

"Looking at this, it seems S-rank clans coordinated with each other. So clan balance wouldn't be broken by you and your friends leaning towards one clan."

"How petty..."

"Clans are all like that. But what grudge do you have against KK Clan for them to insist on 8:2?"

"I don't know. I'm not planning to even look at KK Clan's proposal."

"Good thinking. KK Clan would have stayed A-rank if Hwang San-gun hadn't become one of the Twelve Zodiac anyway. A clan whose rank can clearly change because of just one player can't be considered a solid clan, so you don't need to be interested."

The letters Shin Seo-young showed were no different from clans' official recruitment proposals.

The letters stated under what conditions S-rank clans would recruit Eun-ha.

Yet their proposals had somewhat different contents from what they had proposed to Eun-ha before.

It was inevitable.

S-rank clans were in a position to compete to recruit Eun-ha and his friends.

And they created rules of the game among themselves to avoid excessive competition.

"Excluding KK Clan, it says I can recruit up to 5 friends I'm thinking of."

"They probably did that because it doesn't look good for one clan to take all the promising talents. In my opinion, even 5 is a lot. But they must have attached that condition to cater to your taste."

"Still, 5 is few..."

"Isn't it a bit much to say it's few when it's like creating your own faction within the clan as soon as you join?"

"The settlement ratio is the same at 9:1. At this time, they say they'll guarantee 8:2 at most and 7:3 minimum for the kids depending on their skills."

"Look at the clause saying the clan will take full responsibility for costs incurred while active as a player for up to 3 years after joining. It's not a bad proposal. It says your friends are included in the clause too."

"They're generous."

"It's evidence that the groups sponsoring them are desperate to draw you in too."

S-rank clans' conditions were roughly the same.

The difference was what activities and welfare each clan would provide if you joined.

"Myeongwang Clan says they'll do large-scale marketing for me and my friends. There's even TV appearances..."

"Zenith Clan says they'll do image marketing for you guys in collaboration with newspaper companies connected to Galaxy Group. They say to tell them if you have an alias you want. They'll subtly leak it to the press or something..."

"Silla Clan says they'll let us use all Luminous Group brands for free."

"Isn't that clause already unnecessary for you? Isn't the one below it offering customized devices once a year more appealing?"

"It's not bad since Silla Clan has many capable Maestros."

Contents that must not be disclosed externally.

Eun-ha examined the letters and conversed with Shin Seo-young.

It was truly a groundbreaking proposal.

Even so─.

─Even if they guarantee freedom, there's no complete freedom. And I can't take all the kids either.

The disadvantages were clear.

Each clan attached secret clauses saying they would grant personnel rights later depending on his and his friends' performance.

In short, since they couldn't recruit all of Eun-ha's friends at once, they would allow recruiting over time.

Even so, the fact that he couldn't form a party with his friends immediately upon graduation didn't change.

I guess making it myself is the answer after all.

So Eun-ha had been thinking like that recently.

With the people he wanted.

Without receiving interference from anyone.

The only way he could form a party as he wished was to create a clan himself.

I should put this on hold until the cultural festival ends for now.

There was a mountain of things to do.

And there was still time left.

Eun-ha decided to think about it carefully.

"Anyway, thanks noona. I'll go back and think about it."

"Okay, don't decide rashly. You know not to rush in just because the recruitment conditions are good, right? What's important is what kind of people are in the clan you're choosing."

"Yes, thank you."

What kind of people are there.

It was important advice.

Eun-ha expressed his gratitude to her.

Then Eun-ha organized the letters and was about to return to the dormitory.

Just then─.

"─And today the Mana Management Organization sent a letter officially permitting your match with Hyeon-cheol."

"...Damn it."

"You know you can't avoid it now, right?"

"I wasn't planning to avoid it."

"Your face doesn't look like that though..."

"I didn't think that person would forget the promise. That person's brain works strangely well when it comes to fighting..."

"You speak like you know him very well."

"He's just like a dummy hyung."

"Hmm..., I can't deny that."

The match between <Flame Demon> Kang Hyeon-cheol and Noh Eun-ha.

Eun-ha sighed with a face saying what was bound to come finally came when he heard the news from Shin Seo-young.

What can I do.

If I can't avoid it, I have to fight.

Shin Seo-young handed over a new letter.

Eun-ha skimmed over the match format approved by the Mana Management Organization.

"The match format is strange?"

"They probably made it assuming Hyeon-cheol would go wild, and considering the skill difference. In my opinion, I wonder if they really need to consider the skill difference... But what can you do. Do you think the Mana Management Organization people know what kind of kid you are, Eun-ha?"

"Even so, it's unfavorable to <Flame Demon> that his range of movement increases every time a certain amount of time passes after starting..."

"It's a kind of time attack. But that doesn't mean it's unfavorable for Hyeon-cheol. When he can move around the entire arena, his reins will be off then?"

"I guess..."

It was a battle against time.

Eun-ha resolved to end the match before Kang Hyeon-cheol could move completely freely.