I got into school for nothing - Chapter 208
I got into school for nothing (208)
Lesson 41. Paper Please - 3
Even though a meteor shower on a scale that could have annihilated Earth was resolved by his son's hands, his wife had reverted to her twenties, and two beautiful women he'd never met before had come to visit their home, Ban Yuwon's father, Ban Juseok, still wore a grave expression.
It was likely due to the single sheet of paper laid before him.
“Thank you for everything, dear. Let's be free of each other now.”
It was a divorce application.
“Hold on! Time out! This doesn’t seem right, Eunyoung!”
His father, so flustered by his mother’s words that he called her by a name he rarely used, tried to stop her, but his mother’s resolve was unyielding.
“We agreed on this since we got married, didn’t we? If we stay on Earth like this, even you’ll be in danger. I have to leave. That’s why I came back.”
“Hmph.”
His mother let out a deep sigh.
“It’ll be hard for us to meet again in the future. If we keep clinging to each other, we’ll both just end up exhausted, won’t we?”
“What if we’re a little tired? Darling, you’re the only one for me.”
“Stop spouting nonsense and let’s talk seriously, I said. Do you think I have another man? Everything I’m saying is for your own good.”
“If it’s for my happiness, then all the more reason not to...!”
Ban Yuwon, having reached the limit of his patience, stormed out of the room.
He dragged Ban Yumi along with him, who had been gaping at their parents' serious conversation, something she'd never witnessed before in her life.
“Hey, wait. It was just about to get interesting.”
“It’s not like we’re watching some morning drama.”
The ending was obvious anyway.
Their feelings were clearly legible, so rather than waiting for them to create a potentially awkward scene, it was better to give them some space.
But once he had actually pulled her outside, Ban Yumi’s expression had grown dim.
It was always amusing how she’d try to hide her true feelings, only to be found out every time.
“If Mom and Dad divorce, it’ll be my fault, won’t it? What should I do...?”
“Divorce, my ass. It’d be a miracle if they didn’t end up making a third child today.”
As Ban Yuwon scoffed in reply, Ban Yumi spoke with a look of utter disbelief.
“They’re talking about getting a divorce right now, and you’re saying... what?”
“Mom didn’t pull out that divorce application because she genuinely wants a divorce.”
“?”
At Ban Yuwon’s confident assertion, Ban Yumi tilted her head, confused.
Momentarily cursing himself for thinking his sister was cute, Ban Yuwon continued.
“I’ve made this level of resolve, so if you don’t want to lose me, hold on tight right now. That’s essentially what it means.”
His father would, naturally, cling to her desperately, and his mother, having thus secured an implicit promise that his father wouldn’t stray, would at least be able to leave Earth with a modicum of peace of mind.
In essence, it was a warning letter disguised as a divorce application.
It was both a measure to prevent his father from straying while she was away, and a document to reconfirm that their affection for each other remained steadfast.
“Even so, did she have to go that far? I don’t like things like that. It would be better to just say it directly.”
After hearing his explanation, Ban Yumi looked disgusted, but Ban Yuwon merely offered a bitter smile and shrugged.
“Mom isn’t usually like that, but the current situation is what it is. As Mom said, they might not be able to meet for several years, so I can understand why she’d want to secure some kind of pledge.”
“......Several years.”
At Ban Yuwon’s words, Ban Yumi’s expression abruptly darkened as she was reminded of the path that lay ahead of her.
Though she might have believed she had prepared herself, this entire situation had ultimately swept her up in circumstances that half-forced her hand.
It was no wonder that his sister, who was always so self-assured and loved leading others, was now losing her confidence.
How on earth had he become a therapist? Ban Yuwon sighed deeply, yet decided to console his sister.
“You won’t see much of Dad, but you’ll be seeing so much of me, you’ll get sick of it.”
“Really?! ...Why?”
Ban Yumi’s face brightened for a moment at his words, but then she quickly composed herself and pressed him.
“Because we’re on the same path. You’re going to reclaim the Prominence family, and I’m being locked on by the current Prominence family... or, more precisely, by that heir. To resolve that, there’s no choice but to deal with Prominence one way or another, and the best way is to cooperate with you. Do you understand now?”
“I get that you’re treating me like an idiot, but—!”
“There go your hands again, so quickly. And what’s wrong with treating an idiot like an idiot...!”
“Aargh...!”
Ban Yuwon grabbed his sister’s hand, which was reaching for him, wrestled with her for a moment to barely calm her down, and then continued.
“You said you’d be working as a dimension mercenary with Anneri Dedota and building up your skills, right? You’re going to be busy from now on. Prepare properly before you leave.”
“I know that much without you telling me!”
“And make sure you say proper goodbyes to your acquaintances.”
Her hand, which had been clutching Ban Yuwon’s, tightened fiercely.
Immediately after, she bowed her head deeply and spoke in a faint voice he’d never heard from her before.
“......I know that, too.”
Always showing such a pitiful side to make him feel weak.
Ban Yuwon sighed inwardly, then gently took his sister’s hand, which was much smaller than his own, and patted it reassuringly.
“Ah...”
His sister’s eyes widened, but soon she docilely nestled into his embrace and began to sniffle.
Siblings weren’t supposed to hold hands and hug each other like this.
Oh well, forget it.
This much should be fine.
* * *
The next day, Ban Yumi officially handed over the position of Oculus Ruber’s Guild Master to Kang Miyeon.
Everyone who wasn’t yet aware of the full circumstances was astonished, but only the executive staff received the detailed explanation.
“That’s impossible! If Unnie Yumi isn’t here, it’s not Oculus Ruber!”
Yu Jina, a junior who had always fiercely admired Ban Yumi, reacted the most vehemently.
Lee Hyunji tilted her head and asked.
“What does Oculus Ruber even mean? Wasn’t it just a name you threw together?”
“You didn’t even know that...? It means ‘Red Eye’, ‘Red Eye’.”
As Kang Miyeon, whose status had been elevated from Sub-Master to Guild Master, replied while pressing her throbbing forehead, Lee Hyunji looked even more perplexed.
“What is that, horror? If it were ‘Red Rain,’ it’d at least sound like blood, so I’d understand that.”
“Excuse me, Hyunji Unnie, but we’re having a serious conversation, so could you please step out?”
“Wow, did you just hear this girl talk? No matter what, I’m your senior!”
“Hyunji, I’m sorry, but could you please step out?”
“Kang Miyeon, even you!!!”
“Haa...”
Ban Yumi, seeing things rapidly devolve into chaos the moment the Guild Master changed, felt a twinge of anxiety and sighed.
However, Ban Yuwon, who had already considered it a mess even before the change, calmly tapped the table to draw everyone’s attention.
“I believe you all know the situation Earth is in. We don’t know how long Earth’s barrier will last, but...”
As Ban Yuwon spoke, he secretly harbored the somewhat arrogant thought that Earth’s barrier might well remain as it was indefinitely, until he himself did something about it.
“As long as this is maintained, outsiders cannot enter Earth, and the Constellations’ interference is difficult. In a way, you could say that disasters like this one won’t happen, but...”
“Earth alone is tough enough as it is.”
“That’s right, exactly. As you may realize, Earth is a special dimension. The mana density has been high since immediately after its dimensional evolution, and it’s even steadily increasing. This means it wouldn’t be strange for H and I-rank dungeons to appear on Earth soon, based on Earth’s standards.”
Lee Hyunji and her group, who wouldn’t even have dared to attempt a G-rank dungeon without Ban Yuwon, couldn’t help but sigh.
“I wish my chest size would grow that much...”
“Hyunji, seriously, get out.”
“Don’t get mad that you’re falling behind on Earth, G-rank! Someone here is a full B-cup!”
“You...!”
“So ‘full’ is an expression people actually use...”
“No, Yuwon. Don’t worry, people don’t usually use that. That Unnie is just strange.”
Ban Yuwon struggled immensely to regain his faltering composure.
Was this the hardship a man faced working in a female-dominated company, as he'd only heard stories about?
“Hey, seriously, enough with the jokes now. We don’t have time.”
Ban Yumi said with a serious expression.
“I’ve been given about a month until I leave Earth. Our goal is to conquer as many dungeons as possible and raise your levels before then. If you lose the number one guild spot while I’m gone, I swear I’ll kill you.”
“Ehh?! How can we be number one without you?!”
“Silence.”
What silenced the whining Lee Hyunji was, surprisingly, Kang Miyeon.
Perhaps she had made up her mind in the meantime, for she struck the table with a thoroughly serious expression and spoke.
“Yuwon has already made us good weapons. If we just tirelessly grind dungeons with Yuwon and Yumi for a month, we can easily raise Earth’s ranking to the top. Hyunji, Jina, let’s work our butts off for one month, thinking of it as a final gift to our Yumi.”
“Miyeon...”
As Ban Yumi teared up, touched by Kang Miyeon’s words, Kang Miyeon cleared her throat with an “Ahem,” and cautiously continued.
“Still, I suppose we need a motive for our efforts, wouldn’t you say? I can’t help but think that a suitable reward would lead to even better results.”
“...?”
Kang Miyeon was not particularly materialistic; she had become the guild’s Sub-Master not out of a desire for power or wealth, but to care for others.
For her to mention “reward,” Ban Yumi, feeling inexplicably uneasy, met her gaze with wavering eyes.
“Um... Unnie.”
“Unnie?!”
Ban Yumi was astonished by the unfamiliar word that tumbled from her junior’s lips.
Kang Miyeon, with an uncharacteristically cautious demeanor, continued.
“Unnie, please, just let me go on one date with Yuwon....”
That day, a rain of blood fell upon the Oculus Ruber guild.
Later, Ban Yuwon heard from Lee Hyunji that his actions—preparing a good weapon for Kang Miyeon and training with her exclusively before the G-rank dungeon conquest—had apparently not been well-received.
From Ban Yuwon's perspective, he had simply thought of Kang Miyeon as the most skilled person after his sister and a possessor of a unique Authority, and had diligently helped her with the desire for her to become stronger. But for a woman who had spent her entire life focused solely on sports, such kindness and attention had apparently been fatal.
Indeed, it was a valuable lesson.
Even if the guild atmosphere had gone to hell.
* * *
[Babooting — That crazy bitch might even try to interfere with your dimension.]
[Babooting — I’ll try to resolve it as quickly as possible, but I might end up causing trouble.]
[Babooting — So... if you want, it’s okay to disband the team. With your current abilities, you could easily obtain the solo exploration privilege you wanted before.]
[Babooting — I’m sorry to contact you about something like this.]
[Babooting — Still, you should be fine during the break. There’s probably been talk within her family, and for now, things must have soured with her patron Constellation.]
[Babooting — Think it over carefully during the break, and let me know when the new semester starts. I’ll deal with that bitch directly then.]
[Babooting — I’m really sorry, Light. Stay well, and I’ll see you when school starts again.]
With an expressionless face, he checked the messages from a schoolmate that had arrived on his mirror.
Was a reply necessary? No, there was no need to care about someone from an outer dimension.
Now, and forever, the only thing he needed to care about was this beautiful star.
Somewhere in his mind, a part of him was undoubtedly leaping with joy at the long-awaited contact from Ban Yuwon, regardless of the content, but...
He lightly crushed and suppressed that weak part of himself, just as he always had, and rose from his seat.
“Prince, you must depart for battle.”
“Yes.”
The brave and beautiful prince of the star.
Having forgotten his original name and erased many unnecessary emotions from his mind, only the yearning for battle remained.
As Light donned his helmet, becoming the perfect prince, and once again advanced to the battlefield.
One month remained until the new semester began.
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