Chapter 5: Drawing the Hidden Piece (1)

Chapter 5: Drawing the Hidden Piece (1)

Since the chase was over, the disciplinary committee members patrolled the train as usual.

Was there a need to let him off?

Song Cheon-hye glanced over her shoulder with a fleeting look.

The one who broke the silence was Geum Jo-han, a fellow member of the disciplinary committee just like her.

Ever since their first meeting, he had constantly engaged her in conversation, even over trivial matters.

She was aware that his actions stemmed from kindness but she had no intention of returning the favor.

However, to maintain harmony in group settings she couldnt completely ignore him either.

In the end, Song Cheon-hye sighed inwardly and responded.

What are you talking about?

That guy who butted in talking about cookies or something. If it were me, I wouldve shown him whats what just out of annoyance, but he seemed fine even after taking your Hummingbird.

Han So-mi also nodded in agreement and added her two cents.

Right, you went easy on him at the end, didnt you? Your control over your spells has improved~

.

Jo Byeok was silent by his nature so he didnt say anything, but his demeanor equally suggested agreement with the other twos words.

Song Cheon-hye suddenly remembered something and stopped for a moment.

Geum Jo-han asked her.

Whats wrong?

Its nothing.

She pretended like nothing was wrong and resumed walking but her mind was now twice as cluttered.

Honestly, the mans interference had been completely unexpected.

Because it was so sudden, it had momentarily disrupted her focus, and embarrassingly, her control over the Hummingbird was a beat too slow.

When she saw the lightning explode against the mans hand, her heart sank.

Did I accidentally harm an innocent person?

But somehow, that man had taken the full brunt of her Hummingbird and remained unscathed.

Not just unscathed, but he looked to be unaffected altogether.

Even the expert in the Magic Tower would have shown a brief disruption in their movements if they were hit, but that guy just brushed it off.

How is this possible?

A vague sense of unease took on a more concrete shape in her mind.

Song Cheon-hye mulled over the recent events.

She found the situation increasingly bizarre the more she thought about it.

Did I make some rookie mistake?

Perhaps she hadnt channeled enough magical power, or her spell was sloppy.

But her train of thought was abruptly cut short.

A voice came through the small communicator in her ear.

[There is a student conflict in cabin 4-C. Assistance is requested.]

Ill be right there.

Song Cheon-hye shifted her gaze to the other members of the disciplinary committee.

It seemed they had also received the same message as they nodded in agreement.

Lets go.

Thats right.

Then she handed the zipper bag which contained the wig to the smiling Han So-mi.

So-mi, please take this to the station attendant. He should be around carriage 13. Also, check if there are any issues with the slot machines on your way back.

Okay! Ill be back soon!

Han So-mi waved cheerily as she departed.

Song Cheon-hye walked along the train corridor and let out a small sigh.

Lets just forget about it for now.

When I pulled the lever, the three screens started spinning chaotically.

Whirring Whirring

Various symbols flashed by.

Ice, spider, apple, diamond, flame, elephant, mana

And then,

[Ice] [Mana] [Water]

There was a clattering sound and an item emerged from the slot machines prize outlet.

It was a 500mL bottle of water. Obviously, this one was a dud.

I didnt expect much anyway.

I inserted another coin nonchalantly and pulled the lever again.

The three screens whirled once more.

Go Hyeon-woo, who had been watching with interest, asked,

So, Kim hyung, why did you bring me here?

Technically, what were doing is against school rules.

I dont understand. Its just an old gambling machine. How does that breach the rules?

Its not the use of the machine thats the issue. Its the items it gives out that are problematic.

The slot machines top rewards were [Dark Ice Crystal], [Cute Deadly Poison], and [Purgatory Lava].

These were all prohibited items that students were not allowed to possess.

This means that from the moment you get one of those items you have to avoid the attention of the disciplinary committee.

I see, then youll just have to look out for any trouble, wont you?

Yeah. And if by chance we get caught, delaying them would be even better.

Hmm We might end up dealing with those guys we saw earlier.

Theres a high chance of that. Does it seem difficult to you?

I asked this as if it were a passing remark, but inwardly, I was keenly observing Go Hyeon-woos reaction.

In truth, it was a one-sidedly risky situation for him.

There was no real benefit for him in this, while the risks included violating school rules and potentially clashing with the disciplinary committee members.

However, Go Hyeon-woo readily nodded his head.

Ill give it a try. It may be hard to guarantee victory, but I can certainly buy us some time.

Thats unexpected. I thought you would at least ponder over it a bit.

Haha Once you step into something, its the warriors way to see it through to the end. Just like when I got involved in the dispute between Miss Song and Shin-hyung, there must be something more to this. Youll explain everything later, right?

Yes, thank you.

Though he spoke boldly, Go Hyeon-woo seemed slightly tense as he subtly caressed his iron sword.

I reassured him as I inserted the next coin.

But its unlikely anything will happen. The disciplinary committee doesnt come here that often. Considering the timing, they should be heading towards carriage 1 right now, so no need to worry.

Hello, hello! What are you doing over there?

?!

?!

We both whipped our heads around simultaneously.

From the direction of the number 11 carriage that was located in the second-year students area, a female student approached us.

She wasnt a second-year student but she was a face I had seen before.

She had a cute smiling face and a disciplinary committee armband on her arm.

It was Han Somi.

I guess we do need to worry after all.

. Shes a disciple of the Sword Marquis, right?

So weve heard.

Its said that if you speak of the tiger, it appears. And there she was.