In a spacious room.
An aroma akin to a bouquet of Sansuyu flowers in early spring filled the air.
-Rustle, rustle.
The pleasant sound of a pen nib scratching paper. The blanket wrapped around my knees was imbued with the scent of Sansuyu.
There was a saying that pheromones attracted the opposite sex.
Throughout our study session, her scent kept catching my attention.
A soft, enveloping fragrance that filled my nostrils.
I lifted my gaze to Sansuyu, who was focused on her studies.
"…Hmm."
Sansuyu seemed to struggle with a problem, bringing the back of her mechanical pencil to her lips and squinting her eyes.
Her cheeks looked like they would stretch if pulled.
"Keke."
"…?"
Hearing my laughter, Sansuyu looked up with a pout.
"Why?"
"Just funny."
"What's funny?"
"Everything from one to ten."
"Sion, you're weird today."
The strange one here was her, but she seemed unaware.
I propped my chin on my hand, smirking.
But…
'I should get her some friends.'
Being such a highly esteemed princess, people didn't approach her easily.
No… more accurately, it just turned out that way.
She was actually quite adorable up close.
Others didn't realize that. If someone discovered it, she'd quickly become popular. Both boys and girls would flock to her, finding her cute.
Unable to resist, I reached out and pulled her cheek, feeling its softness.
-Stretch
"Sion-ah? What are you doing?"
"I wanted to touch it."
-Slap!
She smacked my hand.
"It feels weird."
Sansuyu narrowed her eyes into half-moons, questioning me.
Her large golden eyes seemed particularly beautiful today, shining in the light.
'Maybe I should tease her a bit more.'
"It's a common joke among friends."
"…Do friends often do that?"
She seemed to believe me.
Sansuyu hesitated for a moment before slowly offering her cheek.
"Then do it."
"I won't do it now."
She blinked in surprise, not expecting that response.
Unable to hold back, I burst into laughter, and she glared at me with a grim expression.
"…Always teasing me."
"You know, don't you? Sorry. Should I stop?"
"..."
No response came.
I wanted to say a few more things but feared getting hit again, so I changed the subject.
"Are you doing well with your exam studies?"
"Somewhat. Academy questions are easy."
"Right… So, do you think you can top the class this time?"
"I'm not sure…"
Sansuyu, drawing out her words, rested her chin on her hand and stared at me almost accusingly.
Of course, all I thought about was wanting to pull her squishy cheek, pressed by her hand.
"It's all because of Siwon."
"Siwon? You mean Shiheon. When will you say my name correctly?"
"…Shiheon."
Sansuyu sighed.
Maybe it was because of her status.
She seemed to have a lot of concerns about her grades and such.
It wasn't long before Sansuyu asked…
"Are you aiming for the top rank, Sion?"
"For now? But you're aiming for it, too, right?"
"Yeah. I won't lose. Not in this."
Sansuyu spoke with conviction, her voice strengthening with resolve. She then shifted her gaze upwards to the bed.
I also looked up to see what caught her attention - the Corneus family's crest, a brown pattern with bright yellow flowers shining brilliantly beside the bed.
Having shifted her gaze from the crest, Sansuyu muttered as if making a declaration.
"I won't lose. We're not friends in exams."
Then, she crossed her arms, clearly ready for a challenge. I watched her with amusement and chuckled.
"Jung Siwoo is practicing like crazy. You have to beat him first to become the top."
At the mention of Jung Siwoo, Sansuyu's face hardened.
Just as I said, and as she knew, our true challenge wasn't each other.
That guy, always displaying incredible combat skills.
Although he held the dazzling title of top student, I hadn't yet seen Jung Siwoo's full potential.
No matter how exceptional my skills were, the story would be different if what Jung Siwoo had shown so far wasn't his all.
Who knows? He might have a way to perfectly conceal his abilities, like me.
As long as I hide my skills behind the façade of my status window, no opponent can gauge my true power.
Jung Siwoo might also have this possibility. After all, he's a candidate for the husband of the World Tree.
'Friends are friends.'
Rivals when it's time to be rivals.
For some reason, this thought filled me with excitement.
It was like the old days, competing with friends over minor grades.
"We both won't lose."
Watching Sansuyu burning with a competitive spirit, I agreed wholeheartedly.
I, too, had never lost in a serious academic contest.
"What will you do if you lose?"
But it would be more interesting to add a little wager to the mix.
Hearing my question, Sansuyu widened her eyes in confusion.
"Why?"
"Just making a bet. If you beat me… um, I'll introduce you to three friends."
"…Three!?"
The perfect gift for Sansuyu, who was thirsty for friends.
She lit up, not quite understanding why we were making this bet.
"I'll do it."
"But you have to wager something of equal value."
Sansuyu pondered for a while, propping her chin with her hand.
What could match the value of three friends for Sansuyu, who was so desperate for just one?
I was genuinely curious.
"Something of equal value?"
"Yes, that."
Sansuyu, with her eyes tightly shut, tapped her temple and then suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!"
What could possibly match the value of friends?
Eagerly anticipating her answer, I listened intently.
"Yass!"
...
"Huh? What, what?"
"Yass."
"Are you serious? You're a noble. Think about it. I don't want to die at the hands of your secretary."
"We'll do it secretly."
I was speechless, unable to say a word.
"With… me?"
Sansuyu nodded nonchalantly at my flustered question.
A very refreshing nod.
"Who else but Sion?"
Three friends… were they worth that much?
Overwhelmed by Sansuyu's sincerity, I was left in shock.
"What's going on here?"
One bet with Baekdo and another with Sansuyu.
I had found myself in a situation where winning was a problem, and so was losing.
While stretching my sore shoulders and back in the training room, Cheondo, who noticed me, casually inquired.
"Is something bothering you?"
"I'm in a situation that's a bit critical for a man."
"Judging by your words, it seems like a trivial worry. Just go for it."
Her advice felt oddly fitting, yet a bit off.
"Master."
"What is it?"
"A girl I know said she'd have sex with me if she lost a bet. Does this mean she likes me?"
"…Have you lost your mind?"
Maybe I shouldn't have asked that.
"No, but who would even say such a thing?"
"Exactly."
"Enough of this nonsense. Focus on your posture."
I clammed up, feeling a bitter taste in my mouth.
I found myself missing Seyeong, although it hadn't been long since we last spoke. Maybe I should call her.
Of course, this didn't distract me from my training.
"It's increasing steadily."
"Well, yeah."
Muscle was replacing the lost fat, and the more defined lines of my body made it evident that my skeleton had developed considerably.
Cheondo, when asked, said it was as if I was born with the physique of a warrior. More precisely, it was something I had acquired postnatally.
Indeed, my growth now was overwhelming compared to when I first enrolled, relying solely on talent.
I loosened my shoulders and punched the air with force imbued with magic.
-Whoosh!
The punch cutting through the air created a faint noise.
"Is it possible to become number one like this?"
I felt a surge of confidence, yet worries lingered.
It would have been easy if it were me just before I broke through purgatory.
Even now, I could easily overpower other formidable students.
But the fact remained that I was significantly weaker compared to that time.
'Where else can you find a shot like Baekdo's… well, there's that.'
I had progressed enough to use one of the secret techniques.
Should I be satisfied with just that?
"Are you talking about Jung Siwoo?"
"Yes. That guy's the problem."
"I observed him once after you mentioned him last time. Indeed, he's an enigma."
An ideal hero was formed from layers of effort and talent.
When I, who knew nothing about swords in this new world, crossed swords with him, I instinctively realized:
This guy would make it anywhere.
I might not know much, but my judgment wasn't that poor.
"But Lee Shiheon, you're the same."
"Yeah, I guess I am strong."
"..."
Cheondo pulled something out of his pocket and swung it.
-Clink! It hit the crown of my head.
"Ouch!"
"Arrogance is a disease. Always remember that you can lose at any time."
-Roll, roll.
The object that hit my head rolled down my hair.
Holding it in my hand, I saw a bright red bead.
"What's this?"
"It's the unfinished version of the weapon I mentioned before. It changes shape when infused with magic. If you're desperate, feel free to use it."
A weapon made from mistletoe with the power of the Demon King, likely the only highest-ranked weapon of its kind in this world.
'Even if it's unfinished…'
Using it would surely guarantee victory.
I held it, contemplating it for a long time.
"It should be fine to use it. No one will probably notice. This weapon isn't simple enough for others to recognize anyway."
For some reason, her words sounded like, 'Do you really need to use this weapon?'
It felt like Cheondo's subtle provocation, laced with a hint of mockery. He wouldn't stop me from using it, but would I be satisfied winning that way?
"Master, do you know?"
"What?"
"I really enjoy using cheat codes when playing games. I don't mind using any means or methods to win."
An undiscovered top-tier weapon. Just thinking about it made me salivate.
Playing games as a munchkin was really fun. Like setting all stats to 100 in a Three Kingdoms game. Or playing tycoon games with infinite money. There was a unique pleasure in that.
"So, you're saying you'll use it?"
"You should listen to people until the end. If this were a game, then yes."
That was always my excuse. I was not opposed to cheating if it was a matter of life and death.
But that was a story for when there was really no other way…
"Take it."
I tossed the bead I had been holding to Cheondo. She caught it effortlessly with just her arm.
"Heukdo."
The black peach tree.
The window in the corner of my vision shattered like broken glass.
Kwajijiji- A surge of black magic erupted.
With the training bracelet on my wrist and ready in my hand, I let out a light breath and looked at Cheondo.
Cheondo was looking at me with an 'Oh, look at this' expression.
Her gaze was filled with a bit of joy and affection.
"The exam is coming up, Master. Didn't you say you'd be too busy to watch my training after the exam?"
"Oh?"
Sansuyu, Jung Siwoo, Lim Jonghyun.
Each one of them, a formidable rival, daunting to face individually.
Now that I think about it, I honestly wasn't confident.
"Why aren't you challenging them? Your student is ready to go."
I was sure of losing.