-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Thorn Meadow (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The next day.
As we exited the academy's warp gate, ready to conquer the B-rank dungeon, "Thorn Meadow,"
a relentless barrage of flashes suddenly erupted.
Flash! Flash! Flash!
Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!
Dozens of reporters, armed with cameras and microphones, were arrayed in front of the warp gate we had just emerged from.
Im Gaeul's eyes widened in surprise, and Kang Dohee clicked her tongue.
Hiccup—!?
Lee Yuri's hiccups, which had been dormant for a while, resurfaced.
Shin Sehee surveyed them all, then pressed her fingers to her forehead and let out a deep sigh, as if mortified.
"Haa— I thought we had shaken off most of them... It seems some reporters sniffed us out..."
Shin Sehee turned to me and mumbled, "I'm sorry."
"Nothing we can do about it, I guess."
I said to her, clicking my tongue.
Even though we had received permission to register our party at Velvet Academy,
to officially engage in external activities, we ultimately had to register our names with the Hunter Management Bureau.
I had entrusted that part to Shin Sehee. She seemed to have envisioned a scenario where we'd quietly complete the raid and return, but...
Were Kang Dohee and Shin Sehee just any ordinary students?
Their beautiful 'looks,'
overwhelming 'strength,'
and immense 'growth potential' still ahead of them—
they possessed not just one, but all three of these qualities, so it was no wonder the public was enthusiastic.
Even before entering Velvet Academy, Shin Sehee and Kang Dohee's names were already comparable to top-tier celebrities among the public.
No matter how skilled Shin Sehee was, she couldn't have falsified names for the party registration and dungeon reservations overseen by the Hunter Management Bureau.
It seemed our raid schedule had leaked through a few individuals during that process.
'Even in the game, flashes would go off whenever the kids went into dungeons or were deployed to war. Now that the game is reality, this is how it plays out?'
I simply looked at the reporters with curious eyes.
"Tsk, still fewer than usual."
"Th-this is fewer than usual...!?"
When Kang Dohee spoke with a cynical tone, Im Gaeul couldn't hide her flustered expression as she retorted.
"Heavenly Flower! Over here! Please look this way!"
"We understand that Heavenly Flower is currently a freshman at Velvet Academy, so wasn't party formation impossible for you yet!?"
"Fighting Dog! Give us a wave!!"
"Kang Dohee! We heard you've been tackling dungeons solo until now, what's the sudden reason for forming a party!? Did something change in your resolve at the academy!?"
"Which of you two is the party leader!?"
"Everyone! Calm down! Calm down!"
The reporters swarmed us with the ferocity of monsters.
Secretary Kim, who had been waiting on site, tried to control them, but it was futile.
Flash! Flash! Flash!
Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!
The incessant flashes continued to sting our eyes.
At this rate, we'd be late even for our generously allotted gate reservation time.
Shin Sehee's expression hardened beside me.
"Jin Yuha, please go ahead. I'll handle things here."
"...Are you sure?"
"Yes, after all, this is my fault. I should clean it up."
Even though it wasn't really a mistake and was unavoidable, she spoke as if feeling responsible.
"However, there's something I need your permission for... How much of Jin Yuha's information can I disclose?"
"Shin Sehee."
"Yes?"
"I've entrusted the party's management to you. You can make decisions on such matters entirely on your own, without asking for my separate permission."
"...Ah."
"What, not confident?"
When I asked playfully, Shin Sehee, who had looked momentarily caught off guard, quirked the corner of her lips upward.
"Hah, just leave it to me. When you return, I'll have something surprising prepared for you."
It was a confident and magnificent smile.
* * *
Hoo—
Shin Sehee took a deep breath as she watched Jin Yuha's receding back.
She turned her head and saw the blank expressions on the reporters' faces.
They looked puzzled as to why she alone remained while the other party members headed for the gate.
'Fortunately, it seems no reporters followed the party, probably because I was drawing the most attention.'
Even though these cameras were so familiar, always following her, she felt an involuntary tension.
Unlike before, when she only had to worry about her own image, now every word she spoke could sway the entire party's reputation.
'This is Jin Yuha's first step.'
As a non-combatant, she couldn't join the fight inside the gate.
But even so, Shin Sehee no longer felt any inferiority or anxiety.
Because Jin Yuha had unequivocally told her, in a resolute voice, that she too was a member of the party.
A faint smile touched Shin Sehee's lips as she recalled that moment.
'Heh, it feels as though the traditional roles were somewhat inverted, but...'
She steeled her resolve.
Regardless, her battlefield was right here.
Shin Sehee opened her mouth and spoke in a clear voice towards the cameras.
"Alright, reporters. You're all curious, aren't you? Why I'm the only one left here, despite being in the same party."
Like an actress, a warm and gentle expression settled upon her face.
"From now on, I will answer your questions about our party, 'Utopia,' with utmost sincerity. Please ask your questions in order."
*
Heavenly Flower's interview continued, resembling a public hearing.
At first, the reporters had rushed forward with excited expressions, but they gradually found themselves wearing bewildered expressions.
They muttered amongst themselves, sharing similar sentiments.
"No, what is this about?"
"We understood that they won the group sparring match and received party formation rights in advance... Since the winning team usually gets various rewards, it seems fitting for Fighting Dog and Heavenly Flower to receive party formation rights."
"...But Heavenly Flower isn't participating in the dungeon raid? Only managing them from behind?"
"And Kang Dohee isn't even the party leader..."
"A male student we've never heard of. And even a male quota...?"
"Hey. Ah, earlier! The photos! Did you get the photos!?"
Suddenly, one reporter shouted, and the others, one after another, began checking the photos on their cameras.
"Damn it, I was so focused on Heavenly Flower and Fighting Dog earlier that all my shots were out of focus!"
"Me too! I thought the mask looked good, but my eyes were spinning, I couldn't see anything else."
"Oh, oh! Here, a photo where his face is somewhat visible! But what is this...?"
In that instant.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The reporters who had seen Jin Yuha's face fell silent for a moment.
"Crazy, did they pick the party leader based on looks?"
* * *
One hour later.
Another party visited this place to conquer the dungeon, "Thorn Meadow."
They were dispatched from the guild, [Darkness].
They had reserved a different route than the one Jin Yuha had taken, so it didn't matter if their raid times overlapped slightly.
Among them, the party leader, Joo Taerin, with her short ponytail, frowned as she looked around.
"...What are all these people doing?"
Clack, clack—
"Oh, it's me! Check your email and send it right away. Just proofread for typos! Speed is key!"
"It's a real scoop! Hurry, send the article! Just publish it without cross-checking! Heavenly Flower said it herself! If we're even a little late, we won't get any attention!!!"
"Upscale that guy's blurry photo and enhance it as much as possible. His name is Jin Yuha, male quota, but his skill is no less than Fighting Dog's or Heavenly Flower's! Use that as the article title!"
Dozens of people who looked like reporters were sitting, typing on laptops, or shouting into phones.
It was a scene like a bustling flea market at dawn.
"Thorn Meadow" was merely a B-rank dungeon, nothing particularly special.
It was uncommon for so many people to be gathered here, so Joo Taerin wore a bewildered expression.
"Did some celebrity visit or something?"
Among them, one particularly radiant woman caught her eye.
The woman sat elegantly in a chair, being interviewed by a reporter.
Joo Taerin's face hardened as she recognized her.
'Heavenly Flower? Isn't it too early for *that woman* to be out of the academy?'
The second daughter of the prestigious hunter family, the Shin clan.
Heavenly Flower, Shin Sehee.
As a person of interest, the Darkness Guild had been keeping an eye on her movements.
Of course, they had temporarily shifted their attention, knowing she had entered the academy and wouldn't be able to leave for a while.
In fact, Joo Taerin's mood immediately soured due to their past bad blood.
"...How is that woman here?"
The answer came from the party's dealer, who was standing nearby.
"...Huh?! Wh-what is this?! Heavenly Flower and Fighting Dog formed a party!? And they received party formation rights as a sparring reward? Utopia Party...?"
The dealer exclaimed, staring at her phone.
"Give it here."
Snatch.
Joo Taerin snatched the phone from her hand.
As she scrolled through the article with her finger, her face gradually filled with bewilderment.
"What kind of bullsh*t is this? A male leading Fighting Dog and Heavenly Flower as the party leader?"
"But it seems real, though? Look, Heavenly Flower hasn't even entered the dungeon yet."
"...No, I'll just ask her directly."
Step. Step.
With a hardened expression, Joo Taerin approached Shin Sehee, who was in the middle of an interview.
*
"Is that, th-that truly true? That male quota... no, that Jin Yuha student really defeated Fighting Dog in a sparring match...!?"
"Yes, it's a fact you'd discover with just a little investigation, so why would I lie? It's already a widespread rumor within the academy."
"...But, is it okay to write th-this as is—."
"If you're worried about Kang Dohee's image, there's no need. In fact, Kang Dohee has always maintained the stance that she wouldn't join a party unless the leader was stronger than her, hasn't she?"
"Ohh... So that's why Kang Dohee has been tackling dungeons solo all this time..."
"Yes, that was precisely the reason."
Shin Sehee had chosen a highly credible and favorable reporter for a one-on-one interview.
She wove together truth and fabrication to craft Jin Yuha's image.
In reality, the party formation rights were a reward Jin Yuha received for the Mind incident.
And Kang Dohee had been working solo because she couldn't open her heart to others after the Palandis Guild Master incident.
However, the reporter, who couldn't have known this, busily transcribed her words verbatim.
'If I can't hide it entirely from the start, this is the right way.'
Jin Yuha was revealed a little earlier than expected, but
Shin Sehee had considered this approach from the beginning.
Once a party including her and Kang Dohee became known to the world,
they would poke around everywhere and quickly figure out that Jin Yuha was the party leader.
And it was only a matter of time before it was revealed that Jin Yuha was the party's main damage dealer, part of a male quota, and possessed an extraordinarily unique appearance.
What kind of evaluation would the Utopia party receive if people focused on those things?
It was clear that all sorts of provocative remarks would circulate, devaluing Jin Yuha.
Of course, time was short, and as he continued his activities, the evaluation of him would slowly change.
However, Shin Sehee wanted to lessen the burden even for that brief period.
She knew best how deeply the criticisms of the faceless public could pierce a person's heart.
So, she preemptively revealed Jin Yuha,
and chose an aggressive approach, leveraging her and Kang Dohee's fame to place him on the same level.
'Of course, even with this, we won't be able to completely avoid criticism.'
It was then.
"Heavenly Flower."
Joo Taerin, who had approached by her side, called her name.
Shin Sehee's head slowly turned sideways.
"Oh my, look who it is!"
"..."
"Oh dear, who was it again, really?"
Shin Sehee tilted her head with a perfectly innocent expression.
A thick vein throbbed on Joo Taerin's forehead.
"You... haven't changed."
Then Heavenly Flower changed her expression back to a bright, innocent one.
"Oh, just kidding, Joo Taerin. Long time no see. Did you come here to conquer this place today?"
"...What kind of trickery are you playing?"
"Trickery, you say? My trickery feels offended to hear that."
Shin Sehee stared intently at her, then suddenly lowered her voice.
"By the way, you're speaking to me so boldly... The world has really changed for the better, hasn't it? Are you truly alright with this?"
She subtly glanced at the reporter.
Joo Taerin's expression twisted into a harsh grimace.
"Just quietly complete your raid and leave. Then I'll turn a blind eye, just like now."
Shin Sehee warned her, her voice frigid.