"Hey, isn't that Ivan?"
"Oh?"
Ivan Hunt, dressed casually as he waited for someone, looked up at the sound of the voice.
He saw Choi Hyun-woo waving at him in greeting, and smiled back in recognition.
"Hyun-woo — oh, Su-yeong's with you too?"
Like Ivan, Choi Hyun-woo was dressed simply in track pants and a short-sleeved shirt.
Beside him stood Han Su-yeong, wearing the same brand of athletic wear in a different color.
The only difference was that she had her zip-up on over hers.
"Oho, what's this? You two doing the matching couple look?"
Han Su-yeong shrugged at that, and Choi Hyun-woo grinned and struck a casual pose.
"Suits me, right?"
"Yeah, it really does. Wow, if it can make even someone like you look halfway human, that's clothes working overtime."
"You want to die or something?"
The two of them stared each other down for a second and then burst out laughing.
Han Su-yeong shook her head a little.
"I really haven't seen those clothes before, though. Where'd you buy them?"
"I don't actually know. They were a gift."
"A gift?"
"Yeah, from Master."
For some reason, Choi Hyun-woo answered with a slightly bitter smile.
The breeze must have been chilly, because Han Su-yeong zipped her jacket up as she spoke.
"They arrived in the mail today. The letter said she'd thought of us when she saw them, so she'd picked them up. So I just threw mine on… and somehow, just like you said, Ivan, I ended up in a couple's outfit with this idiot."
"Hey, Su-yeong. Calling someone an idiot is a little harsh. I'm your big brother, you know."
"Oh, please. Want me to upgrade you to moron? And who's your little sister, exactly? You really don't know when to quit, do you?"
Watching them bicker, Ivan let out an amused giggle.
Then, hearing the rustle of footsteps, he glanced over.
Lee Yu-na was standing there.
"Yu-na?"
"Huh? Ivan? Hyun-woo and Su-yeong too?"
Lee Yu-na blinked at them and came closer.
"What are you all doing gathered here?"
"Uh, Ji-hyeok asked me to meet him, so I was waiting."
"Huh?"
Lee Yu-na tilted her head at Ivan's answer.
"I came because Ji-hyeok said he wanted to talk too."
At their replies, Choi Hyun-woo and Han Su-yeong glanced at each other.
Then they both nodded.
"Same here."
"…I thought you and I were just going for a walk together."
At Han Su-yeong's disappointed mutter, Choi Hyun-woo thought, Ah, so that's why she smelled like perfume.
Watching her tug her too-long sleeves — the ones she'd half-pulled over her hands — back into place, he gave a small, despairing shake of his head, like he'd seen something he wasn't meant to see.
He'd known for a long time that she loved shoujo manga and romance novels — really, really loved them.
"Let me see, then…."
Ivan put a hand to his chin like a detective and made a thoughtful face, then suddenly snapped his fingers.
When Jin Ye-seul appeared right after that, Choi Hyun-woo gave a quiet, impressed clap.
"…What are those two doing?"
"No idea. Like those two acting like idiots is anything new."
"Fair point."
Jin Ye-seul nodded along to Han Su-yeong's reply with a bored look.
She gave Lee Yu-na a small wave, then turned to Han Su-yeong as if to confirm her suspicion.
"So I'm guessing everyone got called here by Ji-hyeok?"
"Looks like it. What is it this time, I wonder?"
"……."
Jin Ye-seul fell quiet.
For a second she wondered if he'd called everyone together because of meeting Yoon Seul-hye earlier today — then gave a small shake of her head.
She remembered him saying clearly that he needed more time before he had a proper plan in place, and that it'd be better to hold off on telling the others until things were certain.
So what was it, then?
She was still thinking when —
"Ah, sorry. Everyone got here before me."
It was Yu Ji-hyeok's voice.
At the sound of it, every head turned to him almost at once, and they saw the bulging backpack slung over his shoulder.
More than that — he wasn't alone.
"Mother?"
"Oh? Ivan? My son's here too?"
Belluna Hunt was right beside him.
Han Su-yeong and Jin Ye-seul didn't show it, but they had to work to hide the discomfort they felt at the sight of her.
Lee Yu-na felt the same to a milder degree, but as it was her friend's mother, she quickly bowed her head in greeting.
"Hello, ma'am."
"Hm? I'm not your mother, though… anyway, hello to you too. Good morning… no, not morning, not good afternoon either, good evening…? No, I guess good night is the right one. Good night, Angela."
"Yes, that's right, Belluna. And my name isn't Angela — it's Lee Yu-na. Lee. Yu. Na."
"Oh, dear! Sorry. I'll be more careful from now on, William."
"Sheesh, now you've got the gender wrong too."
Lee Yu-na gave a troubled smile and shrugged.
Ivan dipped his head apologetically in her direction, then turned to Belluna.
"Mother, why did you come to the Academy without saying anything to me? And you walked all the way here with Ji-hyeok, no less."
"Mm, well, you see, son."
Belluna thought for a moment, then put on a forlorn expression and answered:
"My son, your sorry excuse for a mother… got herself stuck with a massive debt to a vicious loan shark named Yu Ji-hyeok. So I've been swallowing my tears and playing his servant to work it off."
She made small boo-hoo sounds with her mouth and covered her eyes with her hand.
Ivan, clearly used to this by now, just nodded without much of a reaction.
"So you came here to work off the debt you owe Ji-hyeok."
He turned and looked straight at Yu Ji-hyeok.
"Has this got something to do with the bag on your back?"
"Yeah."
Yu Ji-hyeok nodded and gestured toward the building where they'd agreed to meet.
The combat training hall.
It was open around the clock and anyone could come and go.
"Let's head inside and talk. The night air's colder than I expected."
The interior of the building was surprisingly quiet.
It was late, sure, but Yu Ji-hyeok had also deliberately picked an older building that didn't see much traffic.
The others actually looked relieved not to feel strangers' eyes on them — only Ivan couldn't hide his discomfort.
He'd glued himself to his mother Belluna's side, fretting over the chance she might do something outlandish.
"Don't worry, son."
Belluna gave him a benevolent smile as she said it.
"You don't need to fret like that. Your mother won't just up and disappear without a word. I'll make sure to say goodbye to my son before I go."
Ivan let out a silent sigh at her answer.
Choi Hyun-woo watched him with a quietly pitying look.
"Ji-hyeok, want me to carry that for you?"
Yu Ji-hyeok smiled and shook his head at Han Su-yeong's offer.
"Nah, it's not heavy. And I want to be the one carrying it until I show you all what's inside."
As he spoke, Yu Ji-hyeok caught a sweet, delicate scent drifting from Han Su-yeong.
She'd known for a long time that he liked subtle floral scents.
The perfume she'd picked out with great care for a day like today brushed against Yu Ji-hyeok's senses in exactly the way she'd hoped — pleasantly, like the lightest tease.
"What's up?"
Han Su-yeong looked at him and smiled brightly.
In the same motion, she swept her hair back with very deliberate intent.
Her red hair rippled beautifully, and the earrings he'd given her — the ones she hadn't taken off for even a moment since — caught the light and sparkled.
The wave of perfume hit him, and Yu Ji-hyeok quietly drifted a step to the side.
If he stayed any closer, he'd end up making an embarrassment of himself.
"Oh, this is from Master too. She sent Hyun-woo's set with mine this morning."
Han Su-yeong tugged lightly at the sleeve of her track jacket and waved her arm in front of her face like she was modeling it.
Yu Ji-hyeok nodded.
"It's nice. Looks great on you, Su-yeong. Master really does have an eye for these things."
"Right? Even you think I look kinda pretty, Ji-hyeok?"
At Han Su-yeong's giggling, Yu Ji-hyeok let out a quiet laugh, like she had him beat.
"Hey, but Ji-hyeok."
Then Jin Ye-seul casually slid in between the two of them.
She fixed him with the look and manner she'd been practicing for ages now — one designed not to put Yu Ji-hyeok on guard — and asked:
"Can't you tell us what this is actually about? Is it what I think it is, by any chance?"
"No, that's not it… this is something else."
"Oh, gotcha. I thought maybe you'd already wrapped that up. Guess I jumped the gun."
Jin Ye-seul gave him a smiling-eyed look, threw a small smile in Han Su-yeong's direction too, then stepped back.
Han Su-yeong picked up immediately on why Jin Ye-seul had just made a point of referencing "something only she and Ji-hyeok knew about," and only smiled politely in return.
Jin Ye-seul was still smiling too.
"……."
Behind them, Lee Yu-na watched them in silence.
She stared at Jin Ye-seul, at Han Su-yeong, and finally at Yu Ji-hyeok's back.
"Hah…."
A vague, stifling feeling pushed a small sigh out of her.
She herself didn't know why, or what was wrong with her.
"Mm, this place should do. Open, quiet, even has a table."
By then, Yu Ji-hyeok had stepped into one of the training rooms and was looking around with a satisfied nod.
He walked over to a table in the corner — set out as a rest area — and lowered the bag from his shoulder.
"So what is it, already? Curiosity's about to kill me."
Yu Ji-hyeok smiled at Choi Hyun-woo's question.
"You're going to love it, Hyun-woo."
"Huh?"
"Just hold on. If you're that desperate, I'll pull yours out first."
"Pull out what — ?"
Choi Hyun-woo trailed off mid-sentence, his expression going blank.
The backpack must have been enchanted, because what Yu Ji-hyeok pulled out of it had no business fitting inside something that size.
The moment Choi Hyun-woo saw it, he knew exactly what it was.
It was a sword.
The thing held every eye in the room captive in an instant — it was, in every sense, a bewitching blade.
Yu Ji-hyeok shifted his grip with practiced ease and held it out to Choi Hyun-woo in both hands.
"Take it."
"This is…."
"You all remember when I turned into a dragon and shed, right? Those leftover scales? It's forged from those."
Yu Ji-hyeok gave a small smile and added,
"Basically, it's made from a dragon's body."
Choi Hyun-woo took the sword from him with trembling hands.
He gripped the hilt, then started in surprise and murmured,
"What — it fits my hand perfectly…?"
It felt almost as if he'd been wielding it for years.
He carefully drew the blade, and the dark sword slid free without a sound, catching the light and shimmering like a gemstone.
"It's gorgeous…."
Even Han Su-yeong, who had not a single grain of interest in swords, found herself murmuring that.
Choi Hyun-woo stared at it with hazy eyes, as if spellbound.
There's a saying that a famed sword recognizes its true owner — and in the same way, a great swordsman recognizes a famed sword.
Choi Hyun-woo knew instinctively that the blade in his hands was the finest masterpiece he had ever laid eyes on — a famed sword the likes of which he would never see again in his life.
He could state with full confidence that probably not even Osei Evans, said to be the greatest swordsman among the Ten Powerhouses, owned a blade to match this one.
"You like it?"
As Yu Ji-hyeok asked, the status window in his eyes was displaying the sword's information.
Dragon Scale Sword (Unique / Quasi-Legendary)
A sword forged at the full strength of the legendary Smith of Yado, from the very first scales shed by the black dragon who inherited the heart and blood of the Seven Calamity Minerva.
The power of countless beings — Seven Calamities, dragons, the World Tree, and spirits — has brushed through this blade.
The dragon's breath, infused as a token of gratitude to its friend, lies within the blade, and only its true owner will be able to draw out its full power.
Because it was a Unique weapon that only one person could ever use, only a brief description was visible — its detailed abilities weren't open for inspection.
Beyond that, Yu Ji-hyeok could only vaguely guess, from the description, that the mingled power of the Seven Calamity and various other beings was probably what had pushed the blade up to the Quasi-Legendary tier.
"Can I… really accept something like this?"
Yu Ji-hyeok nodded at the tremor in Choi Hyun-woo's voice.
Even looking at a Quasi-Legendary weapon right in front of him, the only thought in his head was relief that he could finally repay Choi Hyun-woo like this.
"You think I'd forget how many times you lost a sword because of me? You have no idea how guilty I felt. And… the other guys too, but you all have always thrown yourselves in for me without a moment's hesitation, even risking your lives. I always knew I had to find a way to pay you back."
Yu Ji-hyeok glanced around at all of them and gave a slightly embarrassed smile.
"So just take them, okay? If it really bothers you… consider it a favor to me, so I don't lose face. After I've gone this far, if you guys back out because you feel awkward, I'm honestly gonna die of shame."
With that, Yu Ji-hyeok began drawing the rest of the items out one by one.
A small round shield that looked like a blooming flower.
A thin, obsidian-bright shard that seemed to be part of a suit of armor.
A handle that could almost have passed for a toy.
A vambrace as smooth and thin as silk.
They were, in order, for Han Su-yeong, Jin Ye-seul, Lee Yu-na, and Ivan.
Belluna Hunt looked mildly startled mid-watch, as if she hadn't realized one of the items was for Ivan.
Black Dragon Lotus (Unique / Autonomous / Quasi-Legendary)
A shield forged at the full strength of the legendary Smith of Yado, from the very first scales shed by the black dragon who inherited the heart and blood of the Seven Calamity Minerva.
Set on a black field with a red gem embedded at its center, it takes the shape of a lotus opening into bloom.
This shield will move of its own will to save its owner from danger, and will shield both its owner and their companions from every kind of harm and threat.
Black Dragon Scale Mail (Unique / Parasitic / Quasi-Legendary)
An armor forged at the full strength of the legendary Smith of Yado, from the very first scales shed by the black dragon who inherited the heart and blood of the Seven Calamity Minerva.
It manifests in accordance with the owner's will, and can also reveal itself only in part, surfacing on the skin like dragon scales.
Even should a dragon sink its fangs into the wearer, not a single scratch will reach the armor's owner.
Origin Hilt (Unique / Quasi-Legendary)
A magic tool forged at the full strength of the legendary Smith of Yado, from the very first scales shed by the black dragon who inherited the heart and blood of the Seven Calamity Minerva.
This hilt holds within it the potential to become anything, and according to its owner's will, it will reveal the optimal path, contributing immeasurably to commanding mana and projecting its influence.
In addition, the owner of the Origin Hilt will find their senses sharpened, and will become able to hear the voices of all things.
Dragon Fang Vambrace (Unique / Quasi-Legendary)
A piece of protective gear forged at the full strength of the legendary Smith of Yado, from the very first scales shed by the black dragon who inherited the heart and blood of the Seven Calamity Minerva.
The owner of the Dragon Fang Vambrace will come to hear the voices of nature, and with their aid, will be able to translate their will into action.
It will also draw upon nature's power of its own accord to protect its owner's safety.
"……."
"This is…."
Even with Yu Ji-hyeok's encouragement, no one stepped forward immediately — they'd all clearly sensed these were no ordinary items.
It was then that Belluna clapped her hands together in surprise.
"Oh, so that's why he was being such a greedy little so-and-so — these were for his friends? My, my, how sweet… and there's one for my son too."
Belluna muttered it the way she always did, without much thought behind it.
"That guy's full of surprises, though."
He'd never once taken on a job for anyone else like this.
"Maybe he's gone soft in his old age? Unless he asked for something like your eyeballs or your lifespan as payment, of course."
She let out a delighted laugh, like she'd just made a brilliant joke — but no one else was laughing.
They simply stared at Yu Ji-hyeok in silence, and even Choi Hyun-woo, who'd been entranced by the sword, turned his head to look at him.
'…Huh?'
And Yu Ji-hyeok, who had never been asked to pay anything of the sort, felt something was off, and before he knew it, he'd taken an awkward step back.
How the others interpreted that little movement didn't really need explaining.