I got into school for nothing - 188
I got into school for nothing (188)
Lesson 37. It's vacation, let me rest - 3
"Hello, I'm Lee Hyunji, Yumi's friend!"
"I'm Yu Jina, Yumi unnie's junior! I've heard a lot about you since high school!"
"I told *you* to come alone, Kang Miyeon!"
"I came alone, Yumi. These kids just followed me. Nice to meet you, Yuwon. Do you want to call me Noona Miyeon?"
The four, who introduced themselves as executives of Oculus Ruber, seemed to already know Ban Yuwon's family, so they only introduced themselves to him.
Ban Yuwon recognized their names, realizing they were all fencers on the national team.
Among them, Kang Miyeon was the only one who, while still a high school student, competed in the Olympics with Ban Yumi, winning a bronze medal in individual sabre and a gold in the team event. The other two had participated in the Asian Games last year, also securing a gold in team sabre alongside Ban Yumi.
"Now, we don't even know if the Olympics will be held."
"It's impossible. They're not going to individually test every athlete's Level and Authority."
"Couldn't they hold something like a super-ability Olympics? Like, divided by Level tiers."
They chatted over tea in the living room with the guild members who had arrived excessively early.
Even while conversing, Ban Yuwon occasionally sensed gazes locking onto him, darting his way...
Especially blatant was Lee Hyunji, who was also Ban Yumi's college classmate, while the least obvious was Kang Miyeon, who gave the most mature impression among those present.
'Since my eyes can read even the concepts of their movements, everything is exposed, you see...'
To deceive his perception, one would need to be at least as skilled as Dokgo Yeon.
What on earth had his sister been saying about him for these people to show such intense interest? Ban Yuwon sighed deeply, lost in thought.
No, of course, it wasn't just because of that.
By now, everyone on Earth likely held similar, if not greater, interest in Ban Yuwon than them.
"I have a question."
Lee Hyunji immediately went on the offensive.
"Was that video a concept, or was it real?"
There was no need to ask what "that video" referred to.
Thinking, 'What kind of torture is this?', Ban Yuwon first checked if any family members were nearby.
Thankfully, his father and grandfather were at work, and his mother seemed to be in the kitchen.
—Whack—
In that moment, Ban Yumi delivered judgment upon her friend.
"Lee Hyunji, seriously, stop spouting nonsense."
"Oh, come on, everyone was curious! It was hotter than most adult videos!"
"Hyunji unnie, why are you *so* Hyunji unnie?"
"Plus, the lingering regrets you can't hide just make it look even uglier."
"You're all so mean...!"
Indeed, it seemed Lee Hyunji was the designated "Light" (the one who gets hit) in this group.
Ban Yuwon, quickly grasping the situation, shook his head, while Rucell, smiling brightly beside him, suddenly spoke.
"Perhaps you all want to become Yuwon's women?"
"Pfft—"
Kang Miyeon, who had been teasing Lee Hyunji while leisurely sipping her tea, couldn't hold it in and spewed it out.
Ban Yuwon, capturing all the scattered liquid's concepts in the air, retrieved and dispelled them before flicking Rucell's forehead.
"Temper your words."
"Huh? But I *did* temper them."
It was terrifying to imagine what words might have burst forth if she hadn't tempered them.
Kang Miyeon, astonished by Ban Yuwon's casual display of power, shivered as she looked at Rucell, who wore a perfectly innocent smile.
"Well... I understand it's not a concept, at least..."
"Excuse me! Rucell, are you okay with Yuwon dating other women?"
Lee Hyunji charged forward bravely once more.
Yu Jina watched Lee Hyunji with the eyes of a villager A observing a hero.
"Of course, it's not 'okay'. But it's perfectly natural for females to flock to a strong male. If you can't accept reality and just stamp your feet in place, you'll only be weeded out."
"No, her way of thinking is different from humanity's...! Gangmyeon, switch!"
Kang Miyeon brushed aside the shattered and scattering Lee Hyunji and opened her mouth again.
"Women want a man who loves only them, don't they? That's what's important to us. If that doesn't happen, we just find another man."
"? But there's only one Yuwon?"
"I see."
Kang Miyeon perfectly understood Rucell's logic.
"If there's an absolute priority, then everything else naturally becomes secondary, so it can't be helped."
"This society will also change like that soon."
Listening to Kang Miyeon's analysis, which still felt like she was studying the ecology of aliens from another planet, Rucell smiled sweetly and asserted.
"External threats are powerful, and the more we unite, the stronger we become. We will naturally reach a stage where we expand the smallest unit we can trust, the family. Centered around one strong, trustworthy head of household. That could be a male like Yuwon, or a female like you, unnie."
"Uh, what?"
"There are many dimensions, and many species among them form families centered around females. This is usually the case when females are superior to males. Isn't that right, Yuwon?"
"Ah—that's right. We learned that in class. You remember well, Rucell."
"Because Yuwon helped me! Ehehe."
Pleased by Ban Yuwon's praise, Rucell lay on his lap, purring and acting cute.
The four Earthlings could no longer say a word as they watched.
Only Kang Miyeon was left, replaying Rucell's words in her mind, lost in thought.
"Indeed, I've seen statistics showing humanity's population rapidly declining, even with dedicated organizations set up everywhere and active monster countermeasures. At this rate, we might have no choice but to change our fundamental way of thinking, even if just for population preservation..."
"Gangmyeon, why are you taking this so seriously?"
"It *is* a serious topic. Rucell comes from a world where mana civilization is more advanced than ours. I think there's a considerably high chance that things will turn out as she says."
"...Is that so?"
Lee Hyunji was extremely easily swayed.
"Moreover, Rucell's main point is that the strong will eventually lead many partners. It means if I become strong myself, I can drag around a bunch of handsome men."
"Oh...!"
Lee Hyunji was completely won over by Kang Miyeon's words.
"Now that I hear it, it's true! A woman who changes men every day is trash, but a woman who brings along many men from the start is a successful one! Yes, I can legally achieve my reverse harem dream!"
"Well, I'd rather aim for a strong, cool man who can protect me, rather than a troublesome one I have to protect..."
As Lee Hyunji, completely fallen into the trap, spouted nonsense, Kang Miyeon quietly voiced her own secret desire.
Ban Yumi reacted to her words, her eyes flashing sharply, but Rucell, who was enjoying Ban Yuwon's lap, nodded as if in agreement.
"That's right. Women naturally desire a man who can protect them. Even if there are other women by his side, if there's a man you can't give up, it's reasonable to try to earn his favor by staying closest to him. And if possible, it would be even better if you were in a position to manage the other women yourself."
Indeed, so that was why Rucell had initially thrown out those probing words to the Oculus Ruber executives, the group finally understood.
"Still, those are hard words to accept. Emotionally, it's impossible."
"Of course! Allowing my boyfriend to two-time me is out of the question!"
"Huh? ...Th-that's right. Then, yes!"
Kang Miyeon cut in decisively, while Yu Jina nodded emphatically, as if she had been waiting for those very words.
...And Lee Hyunji, who had been dreaming of a reverse harem, suddenly flinched at her friends' cold words and agreed with them.
They truly were interesting people.
"Yes, I understand. Then, it won't be you all."
Rucell replied with a sweet smile.
"Should any of you approach Yuwon in the future, I will consider it an attempt to take him away from me."
And she added those words lightly, smiling.
The others, who could guess what lay hidden behind her words, couldn't bring themselves to laugh.
"Isn't it about time?"
"Th-that's right! The reporters will be here. Don't just space out, everyone, get ready."
At Ban Yuwon's wry remark, Ban Yumi sprang to her feet and exclaimed.
Anyone could see she was the most agitated by Rucell's words, but her kind friends didn't point it out.
* * *
"Question. Mr. Ban Yuwon, does that mean you haven't fully returned to Earth?"
"As mentioned in the video, Union Academy's vacations are not short. They become even longer if you finish the special activities before the break quickly. Since I finished a two-week special activity in less than a week, my vacation has effectively been extended. I plan to stay on Earth for a little less than two months."
Because Ban Yumi had carefully selected and invited only reporters who were friendly and wouldn't make sudden aggressive statements, the press conference proceeded in a very smooth atmosphere.
However, that didn't mean they could exchange only obviously safe questions and answers.
This was especially true considering the press conference was being broadcast live worldwide.
"Ms. Rucell is the first guest from an external dimension to visit Earth. Are you aware of the claims being made in some corners...?"
All sorts of absurd theories were surfacing online: that Rucell might carry some bacteria harmful to Earthlings, like something out of an SF novel; that she was the vanguard of an alien invasion force; that she was a monster; and, in extreme cases, that she should be not only killed but thoroughly dissected for investigation.
The problem was that there were clearly people who were seriously advocating these claims.
The further they spread beyond Korea to other countries, the more such individuals there were.
"If Rucell were dangerous for any reason, then I, who have been with Rucell all along, would be equally so. Of course, I have no intention of handing over myself or Rucell's custody to anyone else."
"Oculus Ruber officially protects both of them. All investigations regarding them have already been completed, and we are considering legal action against anyone who makes further absurd claims."
At Ban Yuwon's words, Ban Yumi, seated to his left, nodded, adding a supplement.
'All investigations completed,' she says, telling such a blatant lie without even wetting her lips.
Despite thinking that, Ban Yuwon nonchalantly played along.
"I've simply returned home for the vacation with my girlfriend. I'm honestly surprised by Earth's dimensional evolution, and I plan to fully cooperate with my sister's guild during the break for a better future."
"So you're saying you'll join Oculus Ruber. But I understand that Oculus Ruber only permits female members..."
"Yuwon will be made an exception. Originally, male membership wasn't allowed to prevent internal guild conflicts, but Yuwon is my family, the Guild Master, so there's no need to worry. More importantly, he's strong."
"So the guild's external policy remains unchanged, then."
"Yuwon will be the sole exception."
Ban Yumi said that, then paused for a moment before adding with an intentionally crafted smile,
"Furthermore, we will now accept requests for assistance with G-rank or higher dungeons. This means Oculus Ruber will handle the 'bombs' that various nations haven't been able to deal with and are currently holding onto."
"Th-that's really possible?!"
At today's biggest bombshell announcement, the reporters became agitated.
Ban Yuwon was agitated too.
'What's a G-rank dungeon?'
'If we were going to talk about this, shouldn't we have coordinated our statements before the press conference?!'
'Ah, that's right, I was listening to Rucell's alien dating theories then!'
[It seems they classify dungeon danger levels by alphabet here, Master.]
At that moment, Lilyth sent him a message, audible only to him, using resonance.
[Starting from A, the lowest unit, it seems to increase proportionally to the dungeon's mana capacity and monster Level. F is the highest rank of dungeon that current human forces have dealt with. It seems the Oculus Ruber guild, currently before Master's eyes, handled them.]
'Indeed, if dungeons are left alone, they rage out of control or overflow, so it's better to categorize and deal with them quickly. There's also the issue of infection waves.'
Ban Yuwon, nodding inwardly as he understood Lilyth's explanation, suddenly grew curious and asked,
'But how do you know all this, Lilyth?'
[From the moment we arrived on Earth yesterday, I've taken control of all communication networks on the planet to gather information about this world. I'm also connected to all of Earth's satellites, so I can instantly retrieve information about any area Master desires.]
'Perfect, Lilyth!'
Recalling that Lilyth had devoured a massive amount of electrical energy and cores in the 94th room of the Tower of Babel, gaining the ability to control electricity itself, Ban Yuwon instinctively understood and nodded.
He wasn't entirely sure how that connected to seizing control of communication networks, but if Lilyth said it was possible, then it must be.
'Anyway, up until now, handling F-rank dungeons was the maximum, and even that was only possible for a guild like Oculus Ruber. But now that I'm part of their fighting force, it means they can deal with G-rank dungeons that might rage out of control at any moment?'
[Precisely, Master. It will be excellent for gaining public support.]
Though it likely wasn't solely Ban Yumi's idea... Ban Yuwon agreed that it was quite clever.
Even if there were those who harbored ill will upon hearing that two asymmetric powerhouses like Ban Yuwon and Rucell had suddenly joined Korea, if they declared their intention to personally clear other nations' dungeons, wouldn't it become impossible to be hostile towards them?
"Of course, merely saying we'll solve G-rank dungeons won't make people believe us. So, tomorrow, we plan to clear a G-rank dungeon located in our country."
"That's incredible news!"
Judging by the reporters' inability to hide their excitement, G-rank dungeons must have been a serious threat.
Ban Yuwon speculated that perhaps someone, upon hearing that the Oculus Ruber guild had cleared an F-rank dungeon, recklessly challenged a G-rank dungeon out of competitiveness and got crushed... or perhaps a wave had occurred.
Or perhaps both.
[How did you know?!]
'How much experience do I have?'
As Ban Yuwon wore a smug smile, the reporters, interpreting it as confidence in tackling G-rank dungeons, gasped in admiration.
To that, Ban Yumi hammered in the final nail.
"Once Oculus Ruber's elite party clears the G-rank dungeon, we will then begin accepting requests for assistance. Of course, the selection process must be fair."
The selection process must be fair.
Among those watching this press conference, there would be none who didn't understand Ban Yumi's true meaning.
It was an implicit command: if you want protection, know your place and crawl.
Ban Yuwon smirked, listening to his sister's closing remarks, then suddenly grew curious and asked Lilyth,
'What's so special about G-rank dungeons that everyone's reacting like this?'
[They say a dungeon is G-rank if monsters up to Level 70 appear. Sometimes it's higher depending on the boss's strength.]
'Piece of cake.'
It probably started with A-rank at a maximum of Level 10, increasing incrementally from there.
'Wait, hold on.'
'So an F-rank dungeon means monsters up to Level 60.'
He checked Ban Yumi's Level once more.
50.
Kang Miyeon, the highest Level among the other members, was 43.
'...How on earth did they clear it?'
Ban Yuwon, despite having indiscriminately hunted foes far above his own rank, was newly astonished upon hearing his sister's track record.
While he was marveling, the press conference successfully concluded—and after all the reporters had disappeared, Ban Yumi, uncharacteristically, bowed her head to him.
"I'm sorry, I should have explained beforehand...! Those blasted women just burst in and started spouting nonsense."
To think his sister would actually bow her head.
Her mature demeanor throughout the press conference, and the way she treated Rucell—Ban Yuwon was a little flustered, thinking just how much his sister had truly changed.
"It's only around Level 70 anyway, right? Don't worry about it."
"'Only around', he says."
Yu Jina (Level 36), who had been silently guarding Ban Yumi's back throughout the press conference, said with a wry smile,
"Yuwon, what Level are *you* to talk like that?"
"My Level, well, you see."
Checking his Life, he found it had increased by 2, now at 897.
He could have rounded up, but he boldly discarded the latter part and explained,
"It's 89."
"Lie?!"
"Rucell, what's *your* Level?"
"Let's see, it's increased a lot thanks to Yuwon this time... it's become 120. Of course, if I really fought Yuwon, he would overwhelmingly win."
"'Overwhelmingly' would be difficult now. You have the Wildness Furnace, after all."
Ban Yuwon chuckled, responding to Rucell's overly modest statement about herself.
Rucell's Life originally hadn't even reached 1,000, but by burning her Wildness Furnace and permanently converting a vast amount of Wildness into her core concept, she had reached this monstrous level.
Of course, even at this level, she couldn't match Dokgo Yeon, but once she activated her Wildness Furnace and began fighting, even Dokgo Yeon wouldn't be able to underestimate her.
"89 was surprising enough, but 120..."
"It's a good thing we didn't mention this at the press conference."
"They would have just cursed us as frauds."
"89..."
The sight of the astonished guild members, as well as his sister Ban Yumi's dumbfounded expression, was particularly striking.
She wasn't delighted, nor was she merely surprised.
If anything, his sister was currently...
"Yuwon."
His mother, who had prepared drinks for everyone in the kitchen, placed the tray on the table and called Ban Yuwon's name.
"Let's talk for a moment, you and I."
"At this moment?"
"Yes, at this very moment."
"Alright."
He had a rough idea of what she wanted to talk about.
Ban Yuwon steeled himself, then gently detached Rucell's hand, which had inadvertently gripped his sleeve, and followed his mother into the inner room.
He had braced himself for a rather long discussion, but her words were simple.
"Yuwon, remember this. Yumi's face must not be exposed on the Rebellion channel."
It was truly simple, but.
Simple, yet...!
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