Academy's Silver Gatekeeper-Chapter 60

"I heard the news. Two group projects, and you're the leader for both?"

"Huh? How did you know that, Examiner?"

"Student Kang Hana told me."

"What? Have you been meeting with her all this time?"

The way she phrases it makes it sound like, "Are you two dating?"

Kang Hana seems to catch the same impression as she interjects, "What are you saying?"

"You were just so busy. That's why I went to see the Examiner to chat a bit."

"Hee."

But that response seemed to give Yoo Dasom a different impression entirely.

"Maybe... Sister? Ah. I get it. I'll support you!"

"...Hey, not again."

It seems this isn't the first time Yoo Dasom has jumped to such conclusions. Kang Hana crosses her arms and approaches Dasom.

"It's not what you're thinking."

"They say strong denial is strong confirmation!"

"Strong denial is just strong denial, you fool!"

Kang Hana's voice was a bit too loud. The students gathered in small groups turn to look at us curiously.

The Student Council is considered the "top" among high-performing students. Of course, there were people with character flaws like Jung Yuhyeon, but the rest seem decent.

It's natural for people to be curious when the Student Council President and Treasurer are bickering.

"It's strange, Sister. Being this serious about it makes it even more suspicious."

"That's because you keep saying strange things!"

"Do you dislike the Examiner?"

"That's not it!"

"Then you like him."

"Hey!"

Watching these two, I can pretty much guess what kind of relationship they have. Yoo Dasom who always plays pranks, and Kang Hana who always takes them seriously. Although they use "sister" and "younger sister" terms, their dynamic feels reversed.

"Ahem! Examiner. Keh! Anyway! Group projects are truly hell. Why is it that students who are perfectly normal individually suddenly... Ack! Become so strange when assigned to groups?"

She's speaking so casually while Kang Hana has her by the collar. As expected of a support type who must stand on the front lines.

She has the class to fulfill her duties no matter the circumstances.

"There's a saying, you know. When five people gather, one of them is definitely trash."

"Wow. There's a saying like that? Our ancestors' wisdom is never wrong!"

It's not actually from our ancestors... No, never mind. It's better to let her believe that.

"Team 5 for external support."

After waiting a bit longer, a security officer approached us. It seems it's finally Team 5's turn to use the portal, after Teams 1 through 4.

"The portal preparations have just been completed. I heard there was a delay with the connection to the Chungcheong area. We apologize for the wait. You can proceed right away."

"Not at all. The portal delay wasn't your fault. Alright, students. Let's move out!"

This scene reminds me of something I've seen a lot in kindergartens. It would be perfect if I had a whistle and a flag, wouldn't it?

You might wonder why I suddenly mentioned kindergartens. When I first joined the Ability Measurement Department, I was sometimes dispatched to kindergartens.

Truly exceptional talents can show signs of abilities from childhood. They don't fully awaken and scatter their powers, just show slight indications.

Of course, the probability of finding such a child is extremely low. Even most S-rank ability users awakened in their late teens. Even Irina was just an ordinary blonde, blue-eyed girl in her childhood.

But overzealous parents make impossible demands everywhere. They'd claim their child had already awakened abilities and make a fuss.

Since the government has to manage ability users, they had no choice but to verify these claims. As a result, I would often be sent to kindergartens when things were quiet. Sometimes I couldn't tell if I was a civil servant or a kindergarten assistant teacher.

"This is my first time using a portal."

"Really? I used one when I went to England before."

"How is it? Much better than an airplane? Do you get motion sickness?"

"I didn't get motion sick. It's convenient, but it lacks a certain... romance."

"I've heard that too. Whether to take a plane or portal when traveling."

"I vote for planes. They take longer, but it feels like you're losing the romance of travel."

Are they talking about the feeling of taking off and being in the sky? There is certainly a romance to it. Plus, it's much cheaper than portals.

I listen to the students' conversation as we arrive at the portal zone.

"Students, please take out your student IDs and have them ready."

Security officers waiting at the front request student IDs.

The Academy's student ID is equivalent to an ability user registration card in the outside world. In portal usage situations like this, it's essentially a passport.

You might wonder why a passport is needed for domestic portal use, not just international. The reason is that cases of illegal portal usage have increased recently. And predictably, all those illegal uses were for criminal purposes.

'Villains especially make good use of them.'

From illegal immigration and emigration to smuggling of various illegal items. It seems people always find ways to misuse new technologies.

"Professor, could I see the personnel list, please?"

The security officer still hasn't heard the news and used the professor title. I don't bother correcting him. He'll figure it out once he sees my ability user registration card.

"Here it is."

"...Ah. You're the Examiner."

"I've been assigned as the substitute professor for Team 5 by the Headmaster's request."

"I see. Well, the personnel list has been confirmed. Student Kang Hana, you may use the portal first!"

Following the order on the list, students disappear through the portal one by one. After all the students have gone through, I crossed the portal last.

*

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Shaaaaah—

Baek Seojin, who had been standing at the very end of the line of students, disappears through the portal. Ma Hakjun, who had been silently watching the scene, slowly turns around.

"Hakjun. Do you remember that man?"

"Sujin. Hyeon Sujin, her fiancé."

Once again, Kang Minseong's words echo in his mind. Why did that man have to mention that incident, stirring up such unease?

"I'm not talking about his appearance or anything like that. What I mean is... he is similar to that man. The way their skills not only blossom but fully bloom all at once. And also how they instantly read the subtle technique shown just before and try to incorporate it into their own body."

Indeed, that was true. Yes. That man was like that too. Someone who seemed completely ordinary, but suddenly blossomed brilliantly.

But that brilliance didn't last long. A tragic end. A heartbreaking conclusion befell him.

The scene almost looked as if someone had envied his abilities. Or perhaps such an end had been predetermined from the beginning.

'He kept pushing himself. As if he was being chased by something.'

Ma Hakjun doesn't know the exact details. He had only thought of him as a reliable young man. The one who would know the most about him would be his fiancée, Hyeon Sujin.

But she was no longer a proud junior. Now she's an Elder. An S-rank ability user who betrayed everything and turned against them. A monster who cast all her goodness into the shadows and now only wreaks destruction.

'What could have happened to change her so much?'

When he first heard of Hyeon Sujin's betrayal. His comrade, Han Jiyoon, couldn't believe it. Others felt the same way. They denied it could be possible.

That's how promising an ability user Hyeon Sujin had been. What could have made her so angry?

"Sigh."

Ma Hakjun exhaled deeply and sat on a bench, staring blankly at the sky.

'Unlike that man, Examiner Baek Seojin clearly remembers his past.'

Though there are similarities, there are just as many differences. Recalling those differences, Ma Hakjun tried to erase his uneasy feelings.

"Headmaster!"

From a distance, a staff member urgently called for Ma Hakjun. After someone told him where Ma Hakjun was, he rushed over.

"Here you are, Headmaster. We've received contact from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ability Association."

Ma Hakjun was about to ask why they would contact him, but he closed his mouth. With his experience as an active ability user, he caught on immediately.

When both the Ability Association and the Ministry contact him simultaneously, it can only mean one thing: something serious has happened.

"Do you know what the matter is?"

"I don't know the details, but it seems there's been some accident in the dungeon."

Whether it's Gates appearing or dungeon raids, casualties don't discriminate by time or place. At first, everyone was shocked and tense about such incidents, but now they've grown accustomed to them.

'But if both the Ministry and the Ability Association have contacted us...'

It meant this "accident" was different from previous ones.

"Let's go."

Ma Hakjun rose quickly and stepped forward. Sadly, the unease he'd been feeling lately wasn't unfounded after all.