Acquired the Scam Rune in the Academy

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An ordinary but refreshing Tuesday.

Kang Juyeon was not in such a bad mood today.

The academy lectures that used to be so boring have recently become quite interesting, and with the improved quality of lecturers and professors, there was a lot to learn compared to the first semester.

Most of the classes since the second semester started have been satisfactory, but today she felt an extra level of focus.

Especially after seeing Yoon Ji-ah interview for the new clan member in <Judgement of Fire>’.

After seeing her, Kang Juyeon has changed little by little.

Unlike before, she now has a desire to improve her skills, and this ambition has made her a little more passionate.

She absorbed the lecture contents faster and more accurately than anyone else, and showed the ability to schedule personal training sessions after class.

From a B-grade Holder to an A-grade Holder.

Laying the groundwork for growth as a Holder.

The process of slowly sowing this was not a bad feeling.

“Juyeon, Juyeon. I got promoted to B-grade!”

…Her only close friend.

As Moon Ga-eun shared this sudden news.

Juyeon quietly asked back.

“…B-grade?”

“Yeah. My strength was a bit lacking before, but after going hunting at Sobaeksan Mountain Field, I improved a bit. Thanks to that, they told me today I got promoted immediately! Now I’m the same grade as you, you know. Hahaha.”

Moon Ga-eun laughed and joked.

In fact, her promotion to B-grade was only a matter of time.

She was already at the top among C-grade Holders, and had long since met the benchmark performance.

As a daughter of the <Royal> clan, there was no way she wouldn’t get promoted to B-grade with their full support behind her.

It was just that Juyeon had shown such an overwhelmingly excellent side, but Moon Ga-eun was also a key prospect of the academy as the top archer when she entered.

Her close friend, and one of the few Holders she acknowledged herself.

That was Moon Ga-eun.

“Good for you. Congrats…”

As Juyeon was about to nod her head and give a congratulatory greeting.

One word caught her attention.

“…Sobaeksan Mountain?”

Sobaeksan Mountain Field.

One of the many fields outside barriers in Korea.

But it was a particularly familiar name to Juyeon.

Just a few days ago.

A man had… Proposed that they go hunting there together.

She had reluctantly declined due to a clan project at the time.

So Juyeon’s voice asking this was slightly subdued.

“Yeah. I went hunting during the weekend.”

At that reply, Juyeon quietly asked again.

“…Alone?”

“Huh? No, I went with Do Jae-hyun…”

Oh.

Moon Ga-eun immediately stopped talking, realizing her mistake.

But the spilled water could not be gathered back up.

Hunting at Sobaeksan Mountain Field.

On the weekend, Do Jae-hyun had also suggested they go together, but she couldn’t participate due to the new clan member recruitment project.

As expected, the hunting Moon Ga-eun went on was a party hunt with Do Jae-hyun.

Juyeon’s expression turned cold.

“Juyeon, listen to me. It wasn’t just the two of us, Holder Seong Na-yeon also went along…”

Moon Ga-eun hurriedly tried to explain, but Juyeon didn’t listen further.

Hunting solo with Do Jae-hyun.

Someone she didn’t expect lit the fire this time.

…In fact, it wasn’t really an issue.

It was an offer that had come to her as well, and she was the one who refused due to the project.

Do Jae-hyun had contacted all his close friends, and Moon Ga-eun just happened to be available.

Just an ordinary temporary party hunt.

That was all…

Yet for some reason, she felt unhappy.

It was a moment that quickly dampened a morning that had been quite refreshing so far.

“…….”

And so now.

The silence that followed as she faced Do Jae-hyun in the clubroom.

Do Jae-hyun, sitting across from her, asked in a slightly awkward tone.

“Um, are you mad?”

“..No.”

“You seem mad though.”

“I’m not.”

Childish responses kept coming out first.

In fact there was nothing to be mad or upset about…

Maybe because of vague emotions she couldn’t quite define.

Words that usually didn’t come out ticked away.

Anyone who knew Kang Juyeon would be shocked and doubt their eyes and ears if they saw this.

“Uh… originally I was going to go hunting with everyone, but everyone had plans. You also said you couldn’t come because of the clan project….”

“…….”

I should have just scrapped that project.

She suddenly had that thought without realizing.

It was an important project screening new clan members, and she had gained momentum for growth after being stimulated there by meeting Yoon Ji-ah, but…

If she had known it would be a solo hunt with Do Jae-hyun.

She wished she hadn’t just skipped it.

“So… let’s set a date and go hunting together next time. How about it? Matching our schedules, to a hunting ground we haven’t gone to yet. Come to think of it, it’s been a while since we synced up.”

But Do Jae-hyun smiled and made a new offer.

One that wouldn’t upset Kang Juyeon’s mood…

It was a carefully worded proposal.

At his bright face, Kang Juyeon lowered her head.

For some reason she felt embarrassed.

As if she had thrown a fit over nothing.

As if she had shown her feelings for no reason.

And on the one hand, her heart raced.

The situation of being alone with him in the clubroom.

Do Jae-hyun looking at her brightly with a smile.

She had felt a little envious of that situation before, but now she was the one put in it.

“…Okay.”

The disgruntled feeling from earlier was already long gone.

She didn’t even remember something like that existed.

Amidst the whirlpool of swirling emotions recently.

All Kang Juyeon could do… Was to quietly nod her head in response.

***

Ippotranslation

***

‘Phew.’

I let out a sigh of relief to myself.

Kang Juyeon’s voice returned to normal.

Seems I handled it well.

She must have been upset that I went hunting without her.

But it’s unfair.

I did ask her to come along, didn’t I?

I definitely remember inviting her…

“Oh, Do Jae-hyun. Good evening.”

Anyway, after resolving that minor issue and preparing for today’s meeting, the clubroom had started filling up with members before I knew it.

Park Jin-woo’s greeting that seemed very cheerful caught my attention.

Last Friday.

The first club meeting we had that day.

After the many things that happened then.

This was the first club meeting since the members gathered again.

Among the bustling members.

I went to the center of the meeting room and picked up the mic.

“Thank you all for attending. Because this week was an extended weekend due to Monday being a holiday, we inevitably had to have the meeting on Tuesday. But from now on, the meetings will be held every Monday evening as planned.”

Every Monday evening at 8 pm.

That would be the regular gathering time for our club.

Unlike other circle-type clubs that allow a lot of freedom, the <Anti-Villain> circle does not have much flexibility.

The club activities will also be quite busy, and there is a lot to do as a member.

From the beginning, when establishing it, that’s how it was planned.

Since there is the one overarching goal of ‘Opposing the <Villain> clan and finding clues about the insider spy’, we had to take a more serious approach and members also needed a sense of responsibility.

‘A lot of people came.’

Fortunately, it seemed most agreed with that kind of slogan.

Most of the members were in attendance, lighting up the meeting.

From Kang Juyeon, who I had been with earlier, to Kim Chae-eun smiling brightly, Moon Ga-eun looking anxious and stealing glances at Kang Juyeon….

Yoon Ji-ah, who was sitting quietly but focusing her gaze on me, Park Jin-woo eating some chocolate bar, the grave-looking Lee Hyun-ho, and the inscrutable, expressionless Ji Yoon-jae.

The club’s key figures caught my eye one by one.

But there was also someone missing.

“Senior Kim Myeong-hoo… isn’t here?”

The member who had objected when I took the club president position at the first meeting.

2nd year warrior-type Kim Myeong-hoo.

I didn’t see his annoying face.

After being ruthlessly handled by Park Jin-woo and fleeing the clubroom that day, unsurprisingly he was absent again today.

“I haven’t been able to get in touch. Looks like he’s busy.”

Among the 2nd year members in the meeting room.

At least one Holder who was relatively close to Kim Myeong-hoo spoke up.

Busy or hasn’t responded to contact…

In other words, he was clearly dodging this.

Whatever the reason, it was fortunate.

Having a member who would muddy the waters attend the meeting wasn’t ideal for the club either.

If the problematic member voluntarily stayed away, we were happy to say thank you.

“I see. Then let’s start the first meeting.”

Nodding, I immediately began the presentation.

On the large screen connected by the beam projector.

The contents I had prepared appeared in the center.

“First, the topic is about the overall goal of our circle.”

Flip-

As I advanced the slide, familiar faces appeared.

Ha Do-kwon, who was ranked 2nd in the 1st year warrior-type class.

Also 1st year warrior-type Kim Do-yoon.

They were the two insider spies from the <Villain> clan side who once caused turmoil at the academy.

“While the scope for our circle’s activities has widened considerably with the Judgement of Fire clan and Royal clan’s declarations of full support, in the end… we’re still a ‘circle’ operating within the academy. So thinking we’ll dive right into the heart of Villain from the start is a bit fanciful.”

I pointed at the two spies’ faces with the pointer.

“So what I proposed as our goal for this semester is, first, let’s find and reveal the spies who have infiltrated the academy. Two insider spies have already been exposed, and who knows how many more Villain clan members are hiding. Therefore, Anti-Villain’s first major goal is to find the spies who have infiltrated the academy and obtain evidence.”

Most of the members nodded and agreed.

These were contents they had thought of and agreed to when joining, after all.

Among those, finding and revealing spies was the most realistic goal.

The issue was how.

How would they find them?

That was the key.

“We’ll have to frequently discuss methods for this going forward, but just saying we’ll all put our heads together and find a way from now on… feels a bit abstract to me.”

I took a breath and continued speaking.

“So I wanted to introduce a method I had considered when planning this club, to you members.”

At those words, the expressions of all the members changed.

A groundbreaking method?

Most were curious about the idea..

“…..”

All except one.

Ji Yoon-jae.

Unlike the other members.

His eyes were shaking slightly with a hint of unease.

Since he usually hid it behind a poker face…

It wasn’t very noticeable.

‘Scaredy-cat.’

Seeing that, I smiled to myself and slowly continued speaking.

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