Chapter 76 : Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Yuria (3)

Yuria’s pupils were trembling wildly as she looked at me.

Oh no. Could it be?

For real—

“No?”

Of course not.

Ugh, damn Baron for this.

“Why would you think that?”

Cursing Baron inwardly, I quickly answered.

“Just… I was wondering.”

“I do like you.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yes. But it’s not that kind of rational affection. It’s just as a senior. I’ve received a lot from you, so isn’t it normal to feel that way?”

“Y-yeah, right?”

“Yes.”

I scratched my head awkwardly as Yuria nodded.

Her response was so firm it felt like she was a robot.

“Did I misunderstand? When you said ‘like,’ you meant as person-to-person, right? If I took it as something romantic…”

I waved my hands.

“No, no.”

“What about you, senior?”

“Me? Of course I like you.”

“……”

No response.

Is she mad? She’s already struggling, and I asked her something pointless.

I stole a glance at her.

Yuria was still staring at me.

No, wait—something felt off.

When I looked again, she wasn’t looking at me but staring intently behind me.

What’s back there? There’s nothing.

Her gaze was nailed to the spot, refusing to budge.

Her lips were tightly pressed, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.

She stood there, frozen like a broken doll.

“Yuria! Yuria?”

“Ah! Yes?”

When I waved my hand, her eyes finally met mine.

“What’s wrong? Are you mad?”

“No! Not at all!”

“?”

What? Is she mad or not?

“No, it’s nothing!”

Yuria brushed off her pants and stood up.

She definitely looked like something was off.

Yet, in that state, she stood in front of the punch machine again.

“Anyway! I can’t deny that I’m holding you back right now.”

“You’re not going to keep at that, are you?”

“Yes. You go back first, seniori.”

I shut my mouth.

I wanted to say something encouraging to boost her confidence, but I knew it would be pointless.

The root of Yuria’s slump was her rock-bottom self-esteem.

And that wasn’t something a few words could fix.

She has to realize it herself.

If she couldn’t overcome this, Yuria wouldn’t move forward for a long time.

Worst case, maybe never.

Why did they have to say that kind of stuff?

I wanted to track down those faceless peers Yuria overheard and give them a piece of my mind.

But I knew.

Even without them, Yuria’s slump would’ve come eventually.

I was going to keep climbing higher.

As a thief or a cadet.

To survive here, I had no choice but to keep ascending.

And the same applied to those who would become my comrades.

They had to climb with me.

Bang! Bang!

Yuria was already facing the punch machine again.

She looked strong, but inside, she was fragile beyond measure.

Right now, she was like a glass cup that would shatter with a single tap.

Yet, Yuria wasn’t giving up.

She wasn’t stagnating, constantly striving and struggling to keep up with me.

Then I need to pull her up.

How?

Not the punch machine.

She needed a more direct, dramatic trigger.

Something that involved a bit of risk.

I can’t pit her against Karina. Ugh.

“Ugh.”

At that moment, Yuria couldn’t dodge in time and took a hit to her shoulder, falling.

But she got up again, striking a pose.

Watching her, a memory suddenly flashed through my mind.

That’s it!

I stood up and grabbed Yuria’s wrist.

“Come with me for a sec.”

“Huh? Senior!?”

I led her to the training ground, not far from the training hall.

“This is… the training ground?”

Yuria muttered, looking at the wall and the “No Entry” sign.

The training ground was exactly that—a place solely for cadets’ combat practice.

It was filled with hazardous materials, so entry was forbidden outside of class hours or without a professor’s supervision.

“From what I see, you’ve already mastered the punch machine training. I’ll teach you the next lesson. In there.”

“But I couldn’t even clear Stage 4 just now.”

“That’s temporary and to overcome a slump, you can’t keep doing what you’ve already done.”

“Then what?”

I pointed beyond the training ground.

“Challenge a higher limit.”

“Wait, senior. If we get caught going in there, we’ll get disciplined!”

It’s fine.

Just don’t get caught.

“I told you clearly. To overcome your limits, you have to challenge them. If you don’t want to, go back and keep playing with the punch machine.”

“Challenge…?”

“Yeah.”

Hmm. Yuria chewed her lip, lost in thought.

But it didn’t last long.

Clenching both fists, she shouted,

“I’ll do it! Challenge!”

Suppressing a laugh, I leaped onto the wall in one bound.

I reached down.

“Jump. I’ll catch you.”

Yuria nodded.

Running toward me, she looked up and jumped with all her might.

“Hup!”

I grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled her up.

For a moment, our faces were so close our breaths almost mingled.

I turned my head aside.

To make space for Yuria to climb up comfortably.

That’s when I heard it.

A small whisper brushing past my ear.

“This really makes us feel like thieves.”

Glancing over at her playful tone, I saw Yuria standing beside me, grinning.

“So it’s kind of thrilling.”

It was then that I felt the warmth of her hand in mine.

Oh. I’m still holding her hand…

But.

Her hand twitched but didn’t pull away.

In fact, it felt like she was gripping tighter than before. Was that my imagination?

“…Let’s go down.”

“Okay.”

It was strange.

I’d done countless operations, and compared to those, this was nothing.

Why am I so nervous?

Truly, it was baffling.

* * *

We entered the training ground.

Yuria probably hadn’t been here except during late-night mock battles.

She must’ve been curious about everything, but she silently followed behind me.

She didn’t even ask where we were going or what the new training was.

We walked like that.

No words, no conversation.

Until we reached our destination.

A gaping hole, like a sinkhole, was in the middle of the ground.

It was wide enough for one person to enter.

Yuria probably couldn’t see clearly in the dark, but with [Night Vision], I could see the staircase leading underground.

“Is this an underground dungeon?”

“Yep. Down there is the perfect training for you right now. Or rather, a trial.”

“Trial? Is it dangerous?”

“Dangerous, yeah. The training ground is for honing cadets’ combat and survival skills. You could get seriously hurt, or if you’re unlucky, die.”

Accidents resulting in death weren’t uncommon at the Academy.

The most dangerous times were off-campus activities, followed by training ground exercises.

“What? Scared all of a sudden?”

“Not at all.”

Yuria answered louder than before, shaking her head vigorously.

It looked like she was hypnotizing herself into believing she could do it.

Smiling at her resolve, I took the lead.

Step, step.

The underground dungeon was designed for overcoming obstacles.

The obstacles varied.

Traps, mechanisms, engineering puppets.

Sometimes, they even put real magical beasts in to simulate crises.

As we descended the stairs, a long stone bridge stretched out before us.

It looked suspicious at a glance, but I turned and walked in the opposite direction.

“We’re not crossing the bridge?”

“Nope. We’re taking a shortcut.”

At the back was a tunnel that looked like the maw of a demon.

At the end of it was a massive boulder.

If we’d tried crossing the bridge, that boulder would’ve come rolling toward us with a deafening roar.

I reached the middle of the tunnel and felt along the wall.

Finding a recessed groove, I pulled, revealing a hidden passage.

It was a path used by faculty or staff.

“Come in.”

Yuria asked with a dumbfounded expression.

“How do you know about this shortcut?”

“Spend three years here, and you’ll figure it out too.”

Of course, I knew because I was a veteran, but it wasn’t a complete lie.

You’d learn about it later in dungeon studies.

We arrived at the Room of Cooperation.

Standing before the door, I gave Yuria a brief explanation.

“There’s a golem in there.”

Yuria’s eyes widened.

Golem.

An ancient war machine far beyond any magitech puppet, not a magical beast but a soulless monster capable of greater destruction than one, depending on its master’s intent.

“Of course, it’s not the real deal from legends or history. It’s a stone golem modified by the research institute for cadets. You know there are different types of golems, right? This is the weakest one.”

“You scared me. I thought it was real.”

“Come on, they wouldn’t turn all the cadets into mincemeat. But don’t underestimate it. It’s big, as fast as a top-tier swordsman, and tough.”

It had a physical resistance array engraved on it.

Normal sword strikes couldn’t even scratch it.

“To take it down, you need an aura sword.”

An aura sword, what we commonly call sword energy.

A technique unique to aura experts who’ve trained their will and skill to manifest aura in the physical world.

It’s also a knight’s identity.

Naturally, it was a realm far beyond Yuria’s current capabilities.

“What if you can’t use an aura sword?”

“There’s only one option, right?”

“Oh.”

“Exactly, magic. That’s why this is called the Room of Cooperation.”

This trial could only be overcome by martial arts cadets and psychology department cadets working together.

Both were essential.

Without a martial arts cadet, a psychology cadet would be exposed to the golem’s attacks.

Without a psychology cadet, no damage could be dealt.

Of course, the physical resistance array wasn’t invincible, so repeatedly striking the same spot could eventually work.

But that’s only if the golem stands still and takes it.

This room was designed with teamwork between a swordsman and a mage in mind.

I stepped back from the door and said,“Go in.”

“What? Alone? What about you, senpai?”

“I’m not going in.”

“You’re not?”

“Nope. If I did, this training would be pointless.”

At that moment, Yuria’s eyes shook like an earthquake had hit.

She finally understood the implication of my words and what I wanted.

“Cooperation. Nice word, right? But battles don’t always go our way. In extreme cases, a swordsman or mage might die or get injured, leaving you to fight alone. That’s what this is.”

“……”

“I’m injured right now, Yuria. I can’t fight, and I’m in critical condition, needing urgent treatment. But a golem is blocking our way. What will you do?”

I looked at her and asked,“Will you break through the golem to save me? Or wait for another comrade?”

“To… save senior…”

At that moment, Yuria’s eyes glinted with determination.

Shing—

She drew her sword from her waist and walked toward the door.

Just before pushing it open, she looked up at me with concern.

“Are you in a lot of pain?”

“…Huh?”

That’s when I realized something was off.

What was it?

The way Yuria looked at me felt strange.

“You’re badly hurt, right? You said your life’s on the line…!”

Uh. I was just giving an example to help her understand the situation…

But the way Yuria was looking at me now, it was like she was possessed.

She was really immersed in this scenario.

Should I play along?

I guess I have to, right?

Right.

Training should feel real.

Reluctantly, I clutched my stomach and furrowed my brow.

“Ugh.”

“Gerard-senior!?”

“Yuria. Save me.”

“I will! I’ll save you!”

“I’m… counting on you.”

At that moment, a fierce glint flashed in Yuria’s eyes.

“You said you’re counting on me?”

“Huh? Yeah, I did…”

Yuria cut me off.

“Then wait here.”

She pushed the door open without hesitation.

“I’ll be right back.”

With those words, she slammed the door shut with a thud and disappeared into the room.

“……”

I stood there for a moment, frozen.

A wave of reality hit me hard.

Was it really okay to go this far?

“…Right. If I can’t do this much for nurturing talent, what can I do? It’s an investment.”

What mattered now was the result.

If the result was good, everything would be fine.

At least it’s off to a good start.

Yuria was fully immersed in the scenario.

If she could defeat the golem, she might not only overcome her slump but grow further.

If it gets dangerous, I’ll step in.

Prepared for any crisis, I quietly opened the door with anticipation.

There was the golem.

No—the Yuria fighting the wall she’d built herself.

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