There Is No World For ■■

* * *“I do not mean to reproach you, but true love must be mindful of the time and place.”That was the first thing Corvus said after she called Yeomyeong outside the dormitory.“It is improper for a young man, let alone share a bed, to be in the same room with a woman past marriageable age. Do you understand?”Her tone was like that of an adult admonishing a teen.Although every word she uttered was based on a misunderstanding, Yeomyeong listened quietly without refuting her.Anyone would have easily misunderstood the situation from a moment ago: alone with a snot-covered saintess, on the same bed, no less.At least it was a relief that he hadn’t been caught spanking the Saintess’ buttocks. If Corvus had seen that, it wouldn’t have ended with just a scolding; he would’ve probably been pecked on the head.Anyway, Yeomyeong waited in silence for Corvus’ admonishment to come to an end.He intended to clear up the misunderstanding after she had calmed down… but contrary to his expectations, Corvus showed no sign of stopping.“The Saintess is a great person. To be acknowledged as worthy of her love, you must become a person so great that all her devotees nod in approval…”“They often say that love is about overcoming challenges together. Considering the hardships and trials the two of you will face in the future, you cannot let yourselves be overwhelmed by mere physical desires.”“Dry firewood lasts longer than raw wood, and charcoal lasts longer than dry firewood. True relationships are like this; one must endure the fleeting pleasures…”“…Corvus, hold on, just a moment.”Unable to bear it any longer, Yeomyeong interrupted Corvus’ speech and continued before Corvus could say anything.“There seems to be a misunderstanding. The Saintess and I are not in that sort of a relationship.”“…What?”The crow’s eyes widened in surprise, asking him what on earth he was talking about.“I think you may have misunderstood because of the feather Moryne, or rather, the Blue Rat, gave me. The Saintess and I are just… um, ordinary friends.”“…”“I should have probably informed you last night, but I was in no condition to do so. I apologize.”Was Yeomyeong’s explanation that shocking?Corvus remained speechless for a while, her beak opening and closing.It wasn’t until the students who had finished their meals began returning to the dormitory did she finally speak again.“…Then, are you telling me that the Saintess came to see you in the boys’ dormitory of her own accord?”“I’m not crazy enough to invite the Saintess to the boys’ dormitory.”His answer was straightforward. Corvus then seemed to realize something and snapped her beak shut.“…So, the Saintess came to meet you in the boys’ dormitory of her own will. Is that what you’re saying?”“…”That was another way to interpret it. Yeomyeong brushed his face with his hand and answered.“There were circumstances….”“And those circumstances are most likely related to you, aren’t they?”“Well…”Seeing Yeomyeong frown a little, Corvus pressed on.“Moryne said that she would give the feathers to the one whom the Saintess loves, not to the one who loves the Saintess.”“…”“And from my perspective… this seems to be the exact reason she gave it to you. Though I never expected it to be unrequited love from the Saintess’ end.”Was this how this conversation was going to advance? Yeomyeong shook his head.The Saintess’ love, my foot.Minor misunderstandings kept piling up into a big one.If he were to explain everything about Seti, the Saintess, and himself, he could clear up Corvus’ misunderstanding……But then, Corvus would go after Seti, not me.He alone was enough to handle Moryne’s prank.Yeomyeong sighed and changed the topic.“Um, I think we should stop talking about the Saintess…”“Tsk, it’s never unwelcomed to talk about the teachings of love…”Just as Corvus was about to reply, Yeomyeong raised his hand to interrupt her.“…Please check our surroundings. Do you really need to talk about the Saintess here?”The surroundings? Corvus tilted her head and glanced around, realizing that the area was now filled with first-year students.Some were sneaking glances, others were peering from the dormitory windows, and some were openly staring with curious eyes.And the answer to the question of why was easy to come by.A well-known student from the academy and a giant crow were sitting and chatting in front of the dormitory—could there be a more captivating spectacle after a meal?“I see. I must have gotten too absorbed in the topic of love.”“…I’m glad you realized that now.”Yeomyeong responded with a sullen look. It was a face he made because he couldn’t bring himself to provoke her.Corvus cleared her throat and took off.“For now, follow me.”Corvus said while flapping her wings. Yeomyeong followed her out of the dormitory in silence.Although the students had their eyes fixed on them, none of them were bold enough to shadow them.In any case, Corvus and Yeomyeong quickly headed to the southernmost tip of the island.“…Where are we headed?”“There’s someone who wants to see you regarding the issues about the ones we dealt with last time. So, we’re heading to the meeting place first.”“…So you wasted time talking about the Saintess while someone was waiting for us?”“Ahem. Once the topic of love advice comes up, it needs to be finished properly…”“…Let’s leave it at that. If you start again, I’ll just return to my dorm.”After a short exchange of banter, they arrived at a small rest area on the edge of the outskirts.It was a place for the night patrol guards and landscapers who managed the forest to take a short break.Yeomyeong brushed off the leaves and grass that stuck to him while running and grabbed the doorknob of the rest area.However, just as he was about to open the door, familiar voices could be heard from inside the rest area.- What’s taking them so long? I hope nothing serious happened.A somewhat cold, feminine voice. It was the voice of the silver-haired elf he had met in Incheon.- Well, who on earth is supposed to arrive seeing that they’re so late? I’ve never seen a master like this before.The voice of the rat bastard who had attacked Mr. Jang Man, a voice he had heard in Incheon and Manchuria.And as soon as Yeomyeong recognized it, blood rushed to the back of his head.While he took deep breaths to suppress his Killing Aura, the last voice he heard was…- Ah, you’ve finally arrived.It was the very same voice he heard every day over the school’s broadcast.

* * *Creak.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

As he opened the door and stepped inside, all four pairs of eyes in the rest area turned towards Yeomyeong simultaneously.However, Yeomyeong’s golden eyes only fell upon one person.A man with an M-shaped receding hairline and a sharply defined nose, a distinctive figure.The member of Blue Rat who had attacked Mr. Jang Man, Wollard.As soon as Wollard saw Yeomyeong enter, his jaw dropped in shock.“C-Cheon Yeomyeong? W-What are you doing here…?”“Wollard. So you remember me. Then you must probably remember the warning I gave you as well.”“W-Wait a minute! T-There’s a reason for this! Damn it, I didn’t even come to the academy on purpose either!”Seeing Wollard desperately come up with excuses, Yeomyeong was about to channel his mana but clenched his fists instead.…Let’s stay calm, stay calm.He took a deep breath. Wollard was indeed someone who deserved to die, but he wasn’t significant enough to be killed here and now.The truly important issue at hand was…“Nice to meet you, Student Cheon Yeomyeong.”The voice of a middle-aged woman, sweet and a little bitter like coffee with a generous amount of sugar.Yeomyeong slowly turned his head towards the owner of the voice seated at the head of the table in the rest area.She was a beautiful middle-aged woman with long brown wavy hair and subtle wrinkles that accentuated her graceful smile.Although she held various titles and positions, she preferred to be addressed as principal……Principal Himena.Why was the woman who was supposed to be in the principal’s office here? As Yeomyeong pondered over this question, she propped her chin on the table and spoke.“This is the first time we’ve met in person.”“….”“The first and last transfer student. The hero of the first years. How would you like to be addressed?”“…Just ‘Cheon Yeomyeong’ is fine.”Yeomyeong subtly snuck a glance at the male and female escorts standing beside the principal.The silver-haired woman on the left was a familiar face. She was the escort of the elf princess Miridith, whom he had met in Incheon.She was called Rime, if he remembered correctly. With her elven ears hidden, she looked more like a mystical beauty than an elf.And on the right stood… someone he was completely unfamiliar with.A handsome man with short blonde hair, his eyes shut tight as if he were blind.It wasn’t clear if he was a staff member or an academy senior, but the air he carried was not to be taken lightly. He reminded Yeomyeong of the Superhuman mercenaries he had come across in Manchuria.As Yeomyeong finished assessing the people in the rest area, the principal smiled and spoke.“Alright. Student Cheon Yeomyeong, do you have any idea as to why I summoned you through Corvus?”“No, I don’t.”“Then do you know about Ms. Rime here?”At that moment, the silver-haired elf subtly raised her head and shook it while staring at Yeomyeong. The gesture clearly conveyed her implication.Pretend that you don’t know me.Yeomyeong complied.“…I do not.”“What about this side, Student Ado?”The handsome man with his eyes shut said nothing. He merely glanced at Yeomyeong briefly with his eyes still closed.“Likewise, I don’t know him.”“This person is the representative of last year’s freshmen. He is now in his second year, so he is your senior, Cheon Yeomyeong.”A freshman representative?? If someone had the capability to become a representative in a particular department, then they must be quite skilled.But whether he was suited to be an escort for the academy’s principal… was uncertain.“Do you know what these two have in common?”Another question followed. Yeomyeong tilted his head and responded.“Are you playing 20 Questions with me?”Was that bold question unexpected? The principal let out a small chuckle.“Ah, I apologize. I didn’t realize I sounded like I was back in class with the students.”“…”“To get straight to the point, these two are… people who came to the academy to escort a specific individual.”Escorting a specific individual. Just as Rime was Miridith’s escort, was Ado also escorting someone?After quickly processing the information, Yeomyeong asked.“I still don’t understand. What does this have to do with me?”“Thanks to Student Cheon Yeomyeong, their charges were able to escape this terror incident unharmed.”“…”“From the perspective of the academy, we can’t thank you enough… and these two are also grateful.”The principal’s words were laden with political rhetoric, avoiding the core of the matter. Yeomyeong tried his best to hide his annoyance as he replied.“I didn’t do what I did to receive your gratitude. So, there’s no need to worry about that.”“…You’re also modest on top of that. You’re a far better student than I expected.”Saying this, the principal paused for a moment, tapping her fingers against the table.She then slowly opened her mouth.“Student Cheon Yeomyeong, our academy has many such important individuals. The Saintess, Promising Talents from various countries, offspring of famous political figures…”“…”“Even with strict security measures, special teachers, and secret escorts, it’s not enough to protect everyone. The recent terror incident is a prime example.”Yeomyeong recalled the ‘Author’s notes’ Baonic had used. Had there been a similar incident?…There hadn’t been.“While quantity is important when it comes to escorts, quality is crucial as well. And it’s all the better if they are skilled, belong in the same year, and are specially invited teachers. There’s no better escort arrangement than this.”What kind of nonsense was this? Yeomyeong could no longer hide his grimace.“What do you say? Cheon Yeomyeong, a secret escort for an important figure. Are you willing to take it on?”“…”“Of course, you will be compensated. Money, elixirs… and everything the academy can offer.”Only then was Yeomyeong finally able to look the principal in the eye.Though she was trying to appear confident on the outside, her shoulders were slumped, and her tired eyes, visible despite her makeup, spoke of exhaustion.It was as if her appearance mirrored the academy’s current situation, desperate enough to ask a first-year student to be a secret escort.Despite feeling sympathy, Yeomyeong had no choice but to answer her honestly.“I’m sorry.”“…”Perhaps not expecting such a direct refusal, the principal’s expression showed signs of cracking. She brushed her hair behind her ear and responded.“Student Cheon Yeomyeong, may I ask you the reason for your refusal?”With barely enough time for revenge, how would he make the time to protect someone?Unable to state this fact outright, Yeomyeong gave a plausible excuse.“I don’t believe that I have the skill or the capacity to escort anyone at this point in time.”“…Hmm.”Though the principal’s face wasn’t one of understanding, she nodded slightly. Yeomyeong took a step back and asked.“If that’s all for now, may I take my leave?”“…Yes. Please do. If you change your mind, let me know through Corvus. You’re always welcome.”Yeomyeong didn’t respond. He simply nodded and left the rest area.Seeing Wollard in front of him made him long for Mr. Jang Man in Incheon.Although he couldn’t go to Incheon directly due to his new identity, at least he could contact him…As he exited the rest area with such thoughts, someone followed him out of the rest area and grabbed his shoulder.“Cheon Yeomyeong, wait a moment.”It was Ado, his senior and the representative of the second-year students.“I’ve come across rumors stating that you are a Holy Knight. Is it true?”The seriousness in Ado’s expression as he questioned him if he was a Holy Knight made Yeomyeong sigh involuntarily.It seemed to be about the rumors that had been spreading due to his frequent association with the Saintess, about him being a secret weapon of the Holy Knight Order.“No, it’s not true. I… lack the faith required to become a Holy Knight.”While it was meant to be a humble response, Ado’s eyebrows furrowed deeply upon hearing it.And the next moment, Ado’s voice turned unusually aggressive.“Then why do you keep hovering around the Saintess if you have so little faith?”“…”“You have the guts to refuse to become an escort, but you lack the intelligence to know your place?”Moryne, Corvus, and now a strange senior?Saintess, you really…At that moment, just as Yeomyeong was shaking his head internally, Ado crossed the line.“And if you’re thinking of leeching off the Saintess like that Seti woman, let me give you a piece of advice. The pine caterpillar lives by eating pine needles.¹ Got it?”This bastard…? Yeomyeong forced himself to swallow the anger rising up his throat and turned his back on him.…Let’s stay calm for now.He could deal with this matter later. For now, it was best to endure and make preparations for the future.However, that resolve didn’t last long. It was because Ado said one more thing after he had taken just a few steps.“Tsk, if it weren’t for the escorting job, I would have personally dealt with the parasite—”Yeomyeong immediately raised his hand to cut off Ado’s words and alternated his gaze between the still-open rest area door and Ado.“Senior.”“What?”“The Saintess can heal if an arm is cut off, can you do the same?”“…What?”“I pray you are able to.”The moment he finished the words, Yeomyeong closed the distance instantly and drew the sword strapped to Ado’s waist.

1. An old Korean saying. This roughly means, "Don't bite off more than you can chew."