Chapter 197

The two boys had been sharing information with each other ever since the keyword "angel" was mentioned, as if they had suddenly become allies.

Of course, sharing information didn’t mean revealing that they were regressors or transmigrators.

Even if they had experienced similar events, their inherently cautious personalities made it difficult to trust each other outright.

“What was the angel you saw like?”

“Hmm, to be honest, I couldn’t see its face clearly. But the moment I saw it, I just knew—‘Ah, that’s an angel!’ It was instinctive.”

“Similar to my experience.”

“Oh, and one more thing: I thought, ‘It’s beautiful… but also sorrowful?’ That sort of impression crossed my mind.”

“That’s similar as well.”

“Hmm...”

“...”

Their conversation began to dwindle.

It wasn’t that the discussion had ended, but rather that they were both recalling the events surrounding their encounters with the angel.

However, both boys wore unpleasant expressions.

“The more I think about it, the more it feels like I’m trapped in a fog—like I can’t see ahead.”

“It’s as if ink has been splattered across a corner of my mind.”

“Ah! That’s exactly it!”

The more they tried to recall, the deeper they felt like they were sinking into a labyrinth, leaving them with no choice but to sigh.

Despite having encountered an angel, they couldn’t clearly remember it, nor could they recall any crucial memories tied to it.

Meanwhile, Ihan, observing his disciples from a third-party perspective, had a vague idea of what was troubling them.

‘It seems like these kids have hazy memories of the time they regressed or transmigrated.’

It was like waking from an intense dream, only for the details to slip away entirely upon opening your eyes.

‘That angel… Could it be on the same level as the Fairy of Spring? Or perhaps even greater?’

After all, it was an angel.

Known as the messenger of the divine, it was a sacred being comparable to dragons or the seasonal fairies.

If such an entity were to manifest its presence, having blurred memories was probably inevitable.

[Higher Being.]

It was said that those who encountered fairies or dragons often lost their sanity.

In that sense, having blurry memories was an unavoidable phenomenon.

‘Did the chick meet an angel too?’

The thought of his neighbor possibly having an encounter similar to the boys made Ihan chuckle.

Well, after all...

‘I regained my memories after getting knocked on the back of the head, and they get to meet an angel? Isn’t that a bit unfair for me?’

The fact that his situation felt so outdated made him laugh even harder.

Still...

‘Classic things are more my style anyway.’

Honestly, watching these grown boys fuss about angels was a bit cringeworthy. Ihan was relieved he wasn’t involved in their little clique.

*****

The two boys continued their discussion for quite some time afterward.

However, the topic of angels didn’t come up again.

“There’s nothing more we can figure out anyway.”

“They’re not entities we can understand just because we want to.”

It wasn’t as though they could continue fixating on an unsolvable problem forever.

So, their conversation shifted mainly to discussions about the “future.”

“In the future I ‘saw,’ the temple never went this crazy.”

“From the information I ‘know,’ it doesn’t show up either.”

Though they seemed to be openly sharing their opinions, they still held back certain things.

That was only natural.

Even if they had gone through similar experiences and events, could they really afford to lay everything bare?

In fact, just sharing the bare minimum of information like this was a significant decision for the two boys, considering their personalities.

One was overly suspicious, while the other was overly worried, so both were naturally cautious.

Because of this...

“If you tell me the information I want, I’ll compensate you for it.”

“Well, then, I’ll do the same. I’ll pay you back appropriately.”

They agreed to make mutual gains through fair transactions.

If they kept hiding their information and doubting each other, they would end up going nowhere.

For them, this was the most they could compromise.

But then...

“What about the instructor?”

“...Hmm?”

“Would you like to make a deal with us?”

“Me?”

Ihan blinked at the unexpected proposal.

He hadn’t thought he’d hear such a suggestion from these two.

“...You seem more surprised than I expected, and now I’m the one who feels awkward. Are you not interested? It’s information about the future. Knowing it could be a tremendous advantage for you.”

“...”

He had a point.

Information about the future didn’t just pertain to upcoming events.

It also meant gaining access to the boundless wealth these two possessed.

Living in a palace-like mansion, feasting on truffle and beef dishes for every meal—such things wouldn’t be out of reach.

The offer was endlessly tempting, and only a fool would refuse such a deal.

But...

“Uh... I don’t really need it?”

“...??”

“You don’t need to tell me. And I’m just a poor salaryman with no money to trade with you. What kind of deal are you expecting?”

“You could offer something other than money as compensation.”

“Nope. Honestly, you rich nobles... If you’re that desperate, go shake down some fleas instead, you shameless aristocrat.”

“I... I didn’t intend to exploit you! That’s a misunderstanding!”

The boy, now on the receiving end of Ihan’s verbal lashing, looked genuinely wronged.

He hadn’t meant to make an unreasonable demand, yet here he was being scolded for it.

Trying to clear up the misunderstanding, he opened his mouth to say more...

But Ihan cut him off with a firm wave of his hand.

“Enough. Really.”

The boy fell silent immediately.

“Hmm?”

Looking at Ihan’s hand, his eyes widened with sudden shock. Ihan noticed the odd reaction but simply shrugged it off, not giving it much thought.

“Ahem. You know, someone else made me a similar offer once. I refused them too. It’s not that I don’t think your information is valuable—it’s astronomically valuable. But that’s precisely why I don’t want to hear it. A simple guy like me would only end up with a headache if I tried to plan ahead based on such complex information.”

“...”

“So, you two do your best. Unlike me, you can accomplish anything. You’re smart and capable, so keep an eye on things, whether it’s the chick or the bear cub. If you need my help, just call me. That’s all I can offer.”

“...”

“Now, I need to get going. I have to prepare for class. Don’t be late yourselves. Especially you! Show up to class, you aristocratic slacker!”

Ihan finished with a scolding remark.

He had wanted to part ways quietly, but somehow he ended up nagging instead.

‘Is this what it feels like to be a teacher?’

...He wasn’t sure. Maybe it was just his personality.

‘Am I getting old?’

Ugh, he really didn’t want to turn into an old-fashioned nag.

Ihan found himself longing for his youth.

Not that there had been much of a “youth” to speak of in his life.

“...He even paid for our coffee before leaving. For someone who calls himself poor, he sure is generous...”

“...”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Derek stared at the silver coins left on the table.

Even though Young Lord Roen had already handed a fortune in gold coins to the restaurant owner, he had still gone ahead and paid for their meals as well, as if it was no big deal.

What a diligent man.

"Hmm."

Derek had to work hard to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching. He felt like he might burst out laughing at any moment.

‘So this is what it feels like to be acknowledged.’

Mulling over the instructor's words, he felt a strange mix of embarrassment and overwhelming joy.

“…He trusts us.”

Breaking down what Ihan had said, it was clear that he trusted them enough not to ask questions.

His words carried an implicit belief: ‘You’re smarter than I am, so you’ll act with better judgment than I could.’

Though curt, his tone was grounded in trust, which made it all the easier for him to say such things. For Derek, the realization made his face flush.

This was the first time he had ever felt so deeply acknowledged by someone—especially by a man he respected.

It was embarrassing, yes, but at the same time, he was proud.

He was proud to be recognized like this.

But then...

“His hands were a mess.”

“What?”

“I said, his hands were an absolute mess.”

“...?”

Roen's sudden and cryptic remark left Derek tilting his head, unable to grasp its meaning.

“Did you look at the instructor’s palms?”

“His palms? Oh, yes, I did… I guess?”

“What did you see?”

“Well, uh...”

Though caught off guard, Derek quickly recalled the details of Ihan’s palms thanks to his [Moment Memory] skill.

“They were covered in calluses, scars, and injuries. Not just his palms—his entire fists were marked with wounds. Thinking about it now, it’s really impressive. Just how harsh must his life have been for his hands to end up like that...”

The more he recollected, the more amazed he felt.

Not only his hands but seemingly his entire body bore countless scars.

They were the marks of a man who had lived a life of relentless effort, and anyone who saw them couldn’t help but feel respect.

However...

“But why bring up his scars? I mean, they’re impressive, but isn’t it kind of obvious?”

“...”

“Young Lord?”

“…You’re sharp, but you miss the point sometimes.”

“Pardon?”

Why was he suddenly being criticized...?

“Have you forgotten that the instructor received the blessing of a fairy?”

“…!”

Derek felt a figurative smack to the back of his head, as if he had been struck by a tray.

“Ah...”

The fairy’s blessing.

Or, as the instructor described it, a complete physical transformation.

When Ihan and Raq received the fairy’s blessing, their bodies had been entirely reconstructed, erasing all their previous scars.

Yet the instructor they saw today...

‘Why was his body covered in calluses and scars?’

No, more importantly...

‘How could that even be possible?’

It was a perplexing question, and Roen provided the answer.

“All of those scars and calluses appeared after he received the fairy’s blessing. That means they’ve accumulated within just a single month.”

It was incomprehensible.

Even Roen couldn’t fully fathom it.

The instructor had already reached a level of mastery unmatched in the kingdom.

And yet, for someone like him to be constantly injuring himself, Derek found it hard not to mistake those scars for the result of thirty years of hardship.

In other words...

‘Did he live one month as if it were thirty years?’

Ha!

Laughter escaped him involuntarily.

For those scars to exist, it meant the instructor had been undergoing life-and-death training nonstop.

And with his abnormal healing ability, he must have injured himself faster than he could recover, leaving behind permanent scars.

Relentless?

That word didn’t even come close to describing it.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he lived every second to its fullest.

‘No wonder he doesn’t need to know the future.’

He wasn’t someone who worried about tomorrow or even a year from now.

He was someone who poured everything into the present.

To a man who lived each day as if it were thirty years, the misfortunes or crises of the future likely held little significance.

He was already living each day without regret.

“…I nearly made a terrible mistake. I almost burdened the instructor with shackles.”

“The instructor performs best when he’s free.”

“I agree.”

Roen nodded in wholehearted agreement.

His earlier suggestion had been utterly useless.

Though he felt a twinge of guilt, the conversation quickly returned to its original topic.

“Young Lord, how do you think the temple will make its move?”

“There are too many possibilities to narrow it down. What do you think? Do you have any guesses?”

“...”

“You do, don’t you?”

“Well, uh... It’s a bit uncertain.”

“I’m listening.”

“…Haha.”

Roen was already in the posture of an attentive listener, and though Derek seemed a bit flustered, he eventually spoke.

“Well, it’s almost that time, isn’t it? I think they’ll aim for that.”

“That time?”

“Yes, one of the biggest events of the academy’s autumn season.”

“...You mean that?”

“Yes.”

The Entrance Exam.

One of Pendragon Academy’s most prestigious events, where new cadets were selected.

“If I were them, I’d definitely target the [Entrance Exam].”

It was also the only time the academy opened its doors to outsiders.

“As you said, it’s an opportune time. It would be easy for temple spies to blend in.”

“...”

“You seem worried. I suppose the involvement of spies could put other cadets at risk. But don’t worry. I’ll do everything I can to prevent that from happening.”

“…I trust you.”

Derek’s reply was filled with relief, though his true concerns lay elsewhere.

Specifically...

‘It’s finally happening.’

The arrival of a character who would mark the beginning of the main chapters, making everything up to now feel like a mere prologue.

The protagonist.

The main heroine.