The expressions on their faces when they saw the earrings were quite a sight to behold.
Han Soo-Young looked at me with a surprised expression, and the senior male student, whose name I didn't know yet, opened his eyes wide as he looked at the earrings I was holding.
Because even at first glance, he could tell that it was a high-end item.
Come to think of it, in the early stages of the game, rare level items were also extremely rare.
As I recalled the hazy memories, he tried to smile.
“Oh, yes. By the way…… Um, what's your name?"
“I'm Yoo Ji-Hyuk.”
"Oh, yeah. Since I'm older, I'll speak casually. Is that okay?"
The guy who spoke informally from the beginning is now what?
As I looked at him as if to say do whatever you want, he began to explain to me in a tone as if he were teaching me.
“The artifact is, you know? It's very delicate and minute...… Yes, it can be said to be a crystal of magic engineering. It takes three days and three nights to engrave a magic circle on a single crude stone. I understand the feeling, but isn't it too exaggerated to say that such an earring that looks plausible on the outside is an artifact?"
I nodded at his words and handed it to Han Soo-Young.
I glanced once at Han Soo-Young, who accepted it without a second thought, and then I looked straight at him.
"Thank you for worrying about me, but honestly, it's none of Senior's business, right?"
"What?"
“I bought this earring with money from her.”
I calmly lied and looked at him with a stern look.
“If something goes wrong, it’s my responsibility, and I don’t think it’s your business.”
"What? No, what did this bastard say in such a way...… .”
“If you don’t have anything else to say, is it okay if we leave?”
Saying that, I deliberately placed my hand on Han Soo-Young's shoulder.
Han Soo-Young flinched, but she didn't hit my hand or avoid it.
“I and Soo-Young decided to go to the reading club together. We're a little busy."
At my words, his expression gradually twisted into anger.
I glanced at him with a smile.
“So, Senior. Please keep your eye out a little.”
At those words, he reflexively looked at Han Soo-Young.
I couldn't see Han Soo-Young's expression, but somehow I felt like I knew what kind of expression she was making.
“Soo-Young, this bastard now…… .”
“Sorry, Senior, but my thoughts aren’t that different from Ji-Hyuk’s.”
"What?"
Han Soo-young spoke to him clearly, with a voice that seemed to hold it in.
“It is uncomfortable that you keep texting and calling me, it is uncomfortable that you keep talking to me in the club, and it is very burdensome and uncomfortable that you keep approaching me like this. I've told you so many times. You really don't know why I don't come to the club these days?”
Han Soo-Young took a small breath and began to shoot back.
“You seem to be spreading some weird rumors, which really pisses me off and makes me feel like I'm about to say something bad, so please stop. And just to make sure, someone like the Senior is never my type and I have no intention of dating you, Senior. So, please don't talk to me again."
Han Soo-Young added a little.
“Before I really kill you.”
Then she suddenly began to walk along, pulling me.
I turned around and saw him looking at me with an indescribable look on his face.
I can't remember his face, so I guess he is just an extra I don't need to worry about.
Just as I was thinking it was no big deal, Han Soo-Young, who was walking while holding my hand, let out a big breath as if she was relieved.
“Oh, I'm relieved. I should've done this earlier.”
And she held out the earring I had given her earlier.
"Here. And thank you for sticking with me earlier.”
"No, you can keep those."
"What?"
I quickly added an explanation before Han Soo-Young misunderstood.
"I went that far earlier, but now, if you don't wear it, it'll become even more annoying. It's really an artifact, so you can wear it."
“No, how could I do this…… .”
Han Soo-Young hesitated and muttered while holding the earrings, but to be honest, from my point of view, it was far more beneficial for her to have it.
I wouldn't be able to use it anyway, and considering the incident that would occur at the Guild Invitation Ceremony in a few days, Han Soo-Young's strength had to be raised as much as possible.
In the guild invitation, the events unfold differently depending on who the main character is.
Among the two, Choi Hyun-Woo and Han Soo-Young, it is already known a long time ago that Han Soo-Young is closer to the main character, so the main event will probably revolve around her.
If there's one problem...… .
“…… .”
I just hoped that Han Soo-Young wouldn't take it in a different way.
Earlier, I was a bit pissed off and angry, so I didn't feel like I had done anything wrong, but when I thought about it in a slightly calmer state, it was like I had dug my own grave.
Because giving earrings as a gift wasn't a common thing.
“I can't even use them anyway. Let's just say you're borrowing it and return it later."
At my words, Han Soo-Young pondered for a moment, and then carefully put them in her pocket.
"…Thank you. I'll be careful and return it to you.”
“I'm really just lending it to you. It doesn't mean anything."
"I know."
While we were talking like that, we arrived at the library.
As I was surprised at the scale, Han Soo-Young added that the whole building was a library.
We went inside.
The interior was much more splendid, but when I stopped for a moment, overwhelmed by the scale, Han Soo-Young skillfully pulled me as if guiding me.
It was like a front desk, where some students and librarians gathered.
And a female student, who noticed me and Han Soo-Young, got up from her seat and looked at us.
"Hi."
“Hello, Senior.”
Han Soo-Young greeted her with a friendly manner that was clearly different from the guy before.
As I bowed my head, the girl looked at me, fixing her glasses.
“Are you him?”
“Yes, I'm sorry to come now.”
“You don't have to feel sorry. To be honest, more than half of the students just put their names on the list and don't come.”
With those words, she handed me a piece of paper.
When I received it, with simple rules and precautions written on it, she explained to me in a quiet voice.
“If you read it, you will know pretty much everything. Unlike other clubs, we don't have many external activities. There are only occasional book reports or thesis presentation competitions. There are prizes and extra points at stake, so if you're interested, try participating.”
"Yes."
“And if there is one thing I can tell you, you have to take turns doing volunteer work with five people every week. It's not a lot, about ten hours a week altogether, and you'll be helping the librarians with some simple tasks. And since there are so many people, you can think of it as one or two turns per semester.”
"Yes, I understand."
Hearing her explanation, I vaguely remember.
Obviously, something small happened during the volunteer work, but I can't remember the details except for one thing.
Even so, I figured it was probably not important, given that I didn't remember much about it.
It must have been a event.
"Then there's nothing more I can tell you. Bye."
After greeting us in a light manner, she sat back down and continued her work.
I shrugged my shoulders and looked at Han Soo-Young as if I had nothing more to say.
"Since we're here, why don't you borrow some books?"
Han Soo-Young nodded as if she had been waiting for my words.
“Shall I? Then see you here in an hour."
Watching Han Soo-Young disappearing at a fast pace somewhere, as if she had been waiting, I also turned around.
I was thinking that since I was here, I might as well look for some hidden skills or items.
It was definitely in the philosophy part.
That was the only information I remembered.
And when I saw the bookshelf spreading out like the sea, I immediately put my mind to rest.
Not joking, I thought I would have to stay up all night at least a week to find each one here.
Yeah, it can't go that easily.
It was when I gave up thinking so and took out anything I could get my hands on.
“It’s surprising. I thought you weren't interested at all."
I let out my breath involuntarily at the sound of a voice right next to me.
And I frowned at it and spat at that side.
“Please, why don't you go around giving off signs of human presence?”
"If you want, I'll do that from now on."
"Hush."
"Oh."
The owner of the voice was Jin Ye-Seul.
She licked her lips at my point and smiled as she looked at the title of the book I had pulled out.
“The boundary between humans and monsters. It's a very difficult and arcane book."
“That's none of your business, have you been following me until now?”
Even though I asked like that, I got chills in my spine.
I didn't notice at all.
I got goosebumps thinking that Jin Ye-Seul had been following me up until now.
If so, what was she thinking and following me?
But at my question, she waved her hand slightly.
"No way. I just saw young mas...… I mean, Ji-Hyuk, I saw you entering the library and followed you.”
As I was putting the books back in, Jin Ye-Seul was looking at me with the same smile on her face.
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. So I came along."
"What?"
“Well, so in short, it's this.”
Jin Ye-Seul stared at me.
"Of course, I said I would give you loyalty, but I didn't mean that I would give you free loyalty, did I? So, I wanted you to slowly give me an opportunity to trust."
She twisted it around, but in short, it was like this.
Please tell me the whereabouts of the remaining legacy.
At the same time, I pretended not to hear her secretly threatening me.
Jin Ye-Seul was still looking at me with a smile on her face, even though I was intentionally ignoring her as I took out another book to read.
I thought she'd stay like that until I showed some kind of reaction.
I fixed my eyes on the book and opened my mouth.
“Anyway, there's something you can do for me at the guild's invitation."
“What do you want me to do?"
As if she had been waiting for it, Jin Ye-Seul's eyes lit up and she approached me.
She then stuck out her tongue and licked her lips, like a snake aiming for its prey.
"I'll let you know when the time comes, so for now, just stay still."
At those words, Jin Ye-Seul twisted her lips as if she was slightly dissatisfied.
But I couldn't help it.
The Guild Invitation was one of the Academy's most influential episodes.
With so many guilds, government officials, heroes, hunter associations, and even broadcasters and civilians, it could be seen as nothing short of one giant event.
And, as always in this kind of event, Orhe Academy is attacked from the outside.
In the aftermath of the attack, they fight off the main perpetrators of the crime and grow up to become famous in their own way.......This was the main story.
And as it may be natural in a way, all conditions, including stories, roles, and main antagonists, were different for each playable character.
The problem was that I couldn't remember them properly.
‘It’s not even in the setting book…… .'
The only thing I remember is that Choi Hyun-Woo and Ahn Do-Hoon will have a duel.
Alice Blessbuck moves with Cass Lyle.
And Jin Ye-Seul's psycho temperament will appear here for the first time.
In addition, I had no way of knowing how the main antagonists would play out, since they appeared in different ways depending on who was playing the character.
If Han Soo-Young was the main character, there would be a Red Case, but considering that the Thorns Cross Society recently appeared at a different time than the original story, I couldn't even be sure of that.
In the end, it was something that had to be adjusted according to the situation.
And in such a situation, it was clear that the existence of Jin Ye-Seul, who had a certain amount of force and fast mobility, would be a great help.
"And please don't come this way until I call you."
"Well…… Can I ask you one more thing? It's just personal curiosity."
Jin Ye-Seul pretended not to hear my request.
She then looked at me and asked, with her mouth smiling, but her eyes not smiling at all.
“I've been thinking about it, but why aren't you learning his legacy? I've thought about it a lot and it's a little...… Strange.”
"I wonder what you mean."
I snorted at her as if I had heard a nonsensical question.
“He was a man who had made a great thief of himself and wandered his whole life without a single decent place to settle. Do you think he's the kind of great man who would give it all away just because it's his blood? It's even more strange that you left me a trace in the first place and died.”
And I added as if I didn't want to talk anymore.
"Why, do you want me to tell you all the reasons why I didn't collect all of that human legacy?"
Then she shook her head and looked at me.
She looked at me with eyes full of incomprehensible emotions, and then looked away.
"But…… .”
Jin Ye-Seul nodded as if she had accepted.
Fortunately, I was able to get away with it because it was a question I had expected in advance.
In other words, it meant that Jin Ye-Seul was still suspicious of me.
I took a small breath and waved my hand as if asking her to go away.
“Anyway, just wait until that day. If you do it right then, I'll hand over one trace. Find it out or not, it's up to you."
Shadow Walker's legacy was the only way to control Jin Ye-Seul.
So I would never give it away easily, but I had to give it a little bit at the right time so that she could be patient and follow me.
“I’ve been waiting for years, so it wouldn’t be a problem to wait a few more days.”
“…… .”
At my order, Jin Ye-Seul bowed her head as if she understood.
As I was breathing a sigh of relief that I had somehow managed to make it work, Jin Ye-Seul muttered a small 'Oops,' as if she had remembered something she had forgotten.
“I almost forgot about it. I was originally looking for you to give you this."
With those words, Jin Ye-Seul took something out of her pocket and held it out to me.
I received it reflexively.
“What is this?”
When I opened the envelope, there was money inside.
When I looked at her as if asking for an explanation, Jin Ye-Seul had an expression on her face as if she had given me what she should have given.
“My part-time job.”
“…?”
You told me to get a part-time job then.
Seeing Jin Ye-Seul adding like that, I was at a loss for words.
