Chapter 6

“So, what do you think?”

“It seems correct to assume he has no immediate plans to do anything. If he did, he would have shown a more hostile reaction the moment he realized I was hiding.”

If someone were hiding and watching you from enemy territory, you’d normally feel at least some sense of danger. But Han Kangyoon pointed it out without any hostility, just calmly. It’s highly likely he has no intention of causing trouble, at least for the time being.

“I think the same. There were no issues on my end either. Well, at first I thought he’d brought some shoddy Art Formula…”

If anything, the results were so good it was almost bewildering.

Seo Jian suppressed an awkward feeling as she recalled the incident in the bathhouse.

‘I tried to gauge his reaction a bit, but is it normal to have so little sense of danger?’

Even if the Art Formula itself was fine, if she, using it for the first time, had made a mistake, it could have easily created a dangerous situation.

But Han Kangyoon simply watched Seo Jian without showing any sign of concern, even from a close distance where safety wasn’t guaranteed.

“Sigh, the more I look, the less I understand.”

“Perhaps he’s so skilled that whatever we do doesn’t matter? He saw through my Concealment Art in an instant. Honestly, it hurt my pride a bit.”

It’s hard to believe, but it’s possible.

And thinking that way causes less worry.

If that’s the case, then there’s no point in assuming hypothetical situations anyway.

“No matter how I look at it, it’s just a moderate cooperative relationship, isn’t it?”

“Isn’t that better for you, miss?”

“But it’s strange. No matter how much I think about it, there’s no reason for him to choose me.”

Financial resources could be borrowed from anyone, not necessarily Seo Jian.

But the knowledge Han Kangyoon possessed was different.

Among the many people Seo Jian had inquired about and met, none possessed knowledge comparable to Han Kangyoon’s.

Han Kangyoon didn’t necessarily need Seo Jian, whereas Seo Jian absolutely needed Han Kangyoon.

“So I thought the exchange would happen in a slightly more forced dynamic…”

Seo Jian had even been prepared, in the worst case, to hand over something of value beyond mere goods.

But Han Kangyoon had given her a fragment of knowledge, something she couldn’t trade for anything else, in exchange for items she could easily provide.

‘The balance doesn’t add up.’

Of course, for Kangyoon, knowledge about Natural-Type Sorcery wasn’t that valuable. Rather, gaining a patron and nurturing Seo Jian itself held meaning.

For Seo Jian, who had no way of knowing this, it was just frustrating.

As the silence continued, Yoo Ain, remembering something, spoke up.

“Perhaps maybe…”

“Do you have a hunch?”

“Could it be that he likes you?”

“…Huh?”

At Yoo Ain’s sudden outburst, Seo Jian frowned as if to say, “What are you talking about?”

“No, but think about it. If he were really only considering profit, it would be better to attach himself to real big shots. Natural-Type Sorcery isn’t something only you need, right?”

“That’s exactly the part I’m pondering.”

“If we assume he has feelings for you, wouldn’t most of the circumstances fit?”

She reflexively wanted to deny it, but Seo Jian, her professional habits kicking in, had already begun seriously considering the possibility.

He doesn’t necessarily have to choose Seo Jian. But what if Seo Jian herself was one of his objectives from the start?

‘Then, him not being wary of my touch in the bathhouse…’

That wasn’t the only questionable point.

‘Indeed, putting aside him unraveling the Concealment Art, he even knew I train on the back mountain every night.’

Unless he was someone from the school, it’s not something one could know without considerable interest in her.

‘We were together in Class B for only a short time, but what if he was already interested from then?’

What if he had been observing her movements since then?

It was an absurd inference, but with so few leads, it oddly seemed plausible.

But.

“Even if that were the case, he probably just likes women in general, not specifically me.”

“Aish…”

Love is the most chaotic emotion. It’s that unreliable.

Looking at Seo Jian trying to brush it off, Yoo Ain spoke as if it was no fun.

“You’re too cynical, miss.”

“Anyone would become like that living as I have.”

For Seo Jian, who had been embroiled in succession fights and political strife since childhood, it was a very unfamiliar assumption.

“But doesn’t it seem possible? That’s usually how it starts. Maybe, later on, it really could…”

“Yoo Ain.”

In an instant, the atmosphere shifted as Seo Jian coldly intoned.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“You know. That won’t happen.”

The future ahead, the path laid out before Seo Jian, was a thorny one. That’s why Seo Jian would use others, but never make anyone her true ally.

Dragging someone into such a tragedy on a whim was something she could not permit.

“Even if Han Kangyoon truly has feelings for me, in the end, it would be meaningless.”

Seo Jian forcibly ignored the familiar, bitter feeling that welled up.

Time passed quickly.

During that period, I went back and forth between the dormitory and Seo Jian’s residence several times.

“That’s not how you do it.”

“…It’s hard to explain.”

When materials ran out, I requested supplies from Seo Jian, and in return, days of continuously helping with her training repeated.

“That’s not how you do it?”

“…I appreciate the enthusiasm, but don’t you think the pace is too fast?”

And so, about 50 days passed.

What I had created during that time were the Shikigami now lined up before me.

Crrk.

Creak. Creak.

Click. Squeak.*

Wolves and bears made of bone.

Rats and moles covered in shimmering characters.

Even a pitch-black eagle that seemed formed from shadow.

‘And I could also create a few to use as trump cards.’

Originally, creating Shikigami at such a rapid pace would be impossible. At least, not unless you were a top-tier Shikigami Sorcerer.

‘But, my Art Formulas are far more advanced compared to this era.’

In fact, at this point, there were many things I couldn’t execute even with the knowledge, which was regrettable.

“By the way, quite some time has passed.”

Since I used shadows as a medium, my Spiritual Power consumption was definitely lower compared to others. Thanks to the Phantom Body Trait.

But that didn’t mean I could sustain the Shikigami forever.

Thus, I was now conducting a final test before the school opening.

It was about how long I could last with all my current Shikigami summoned.

‘I didn’t summon the ones meant as trump cards, but they aren’t the type to be used ordinarily anyway.’

Frankly, just summoning the bone series alone was excessive for my current level. Being able to summon this many Shikigami was entirely thanks to the Phantom Body Trait.

“Even so, I’m hardly getting tired.”

This was completely unexpected for me, who had originally set a maximum of two hours as the limit.

In fact, for an ordinary Shikigami Sorcerer with my specs, it was obvious this level of consumption wouldn’t last even five minutes.

‘Two hours or so seems to be no problem.’

But three hours passed, then four, and still no limit was reached.

When eight hours had passed, the Shikigami finally began to show signs of instability for the first time.

‘…This endurance is ridiculous.’

Only then could I realize. That there was something I had overlooked.

‘Honestly, I thought my specs were pathetic compared to Severed Shadow.’

But even I had an aspect that surpassed Severed Shadow.

‘The reason my stats are this low is because the Phantom Body Trait manifested so early.’

Conversely, it meant my shadow had been accumulating power and nourishment for that much longer.

“So, the quality of my shadow is superior.”

Moreover, even my Trait wasn’t fully developed yet.

What if I fully developed the Phantom Body Trait?

And what if I acquired Shikigami Sorcerer-related Traits to support it?

‘This… might enable something outrageous.’

It might lead to the creation of a literal one-man army, something an ordinarily grown Shikigami Sorcerer couldn’t even dream of.

I tried to hide my rising excitement and shifted my gaze.

The calendar, which had shown January when I first fell here, now pointed to March.

Today’s date was March 3rd. And on the next day, March 4th, a red circle was drawn.

‘The outline is set. And the preparations are complete.’

The day signaling the true start of the story.

The school opening was finally approaching.