Aftermath Of The Swamp (2)

Oh…
Oh, man…
Oh, fucking shit?!

I was so shocked that I couldn’t even think of taking my hand off my chest and just stared down at Ju Na-young.

The unique, firm texture inside the patient’s gown felt too explicit for me.

Yes, too explicit, indeed.

I’m sure of it.

‘Wh-what the hell…?’

Sh-shit!
Where did you put your bra?!
Why are you naked inside?!

And then.

Ju Na-young, making a cute sound like ‘Yong-eung…’ was breathing softly.

Sensing something, she slowly opened her eyes, and I withdrew my hand like lightning.

Oh shit…

‘I almost got seriously screwed…’

I almost got dragged to jail for sexual harassment before even officially enrolling…

Ah, maybe not?

Knowing Ju Na-young’s personality, I might not go to jail, but…

‘Could I be blackmailed for life?’

Hmm, that doesn’t seem likely either.

If I bow down 100 times and give you about 10 bags of perilla mint choco… will you, will you forgive me?

While I was lost in all sorts of random thoughts.
Ju Na-young, who had come to her senses, blinked her cute eyes.
She opened her eyes wide in surprise at the sight of me standing.

“Y-Yu Seha! Are you okay?”

Then she grabbed my shoulder and examined me here and there.

“Sniff, sniff…!”

Wait, why are you sniffing me?

Anyway, judging by her reaction, it seemed she didn’t notice that I touched her by mistake.

“Uh, yeah… I’m fine.”
“Really? You’re not pretending to be okay when you’re actually hurt, right?”
“I said I’m fine.”

I don’t know what kind of method she used, but since she treated me so well, it seemed there wouldn’t be any problems as long as I rested properly.

“…That’s really a relief.”

Ju Na-young, who seemed very worried, let out a deep sigh.

Although it was just a little, I felt a bit sorry seeing the tears welling up in her eyes.

Then, she followed up with an explanation.

As expected, Professor Peng Jin-ah, who rushed in like lightning, finished off the ‘Twin-Head Troll.’

I felt a sense of dread naturally.

Even though it was immature, it didn’t die after taking a direct hit from my [Peng Furious Wolf].

Once again, I felt that without the [Dagger of the Pilgrim], I would have really died.

‘…It’s intense.’

The wall of Grade A felt incredibly high.

While I was thinking, the explanation continued.
In the middle, I raised my hand to ask a question.

“[Sisterhood]?”
“Yes… Actually, when you were first transferred to the hospital, your condition was very serious.”

I guess so.
I displayed power that far exceeded my limits.
Hoping for safety would be a thief’s mindset.

“So we went to them. When it comes to healing arts, they’re better than most large clan hospitals.”

“Ah, I see…”

“But it wasn’t easy either. Even though Professor Peng Jin-ah directly mentioned it, everyone seemed reluctant to provide treatment. It seems like the reason is that you don’t possess [Divinity].”

I was dumbfounded by those words.
No, what the…
A professor directly mentioned it, but the physicians were reluctant?
Noticing my expression, Ju Na-young added further explanation.

“ may have the status of academy students, but they are also official priestesses of the . Since childhood, when their values were not yet established, they received professional education from the Order and… that… the idea that those without divinity are inferior was instilled in them… Anyway, their mental structure is different from those like you who acquired [Divinity] later in life.”

From the start, they entered the with the promise that they had the right to refuse anything ‘contrary to divinity’.“

Using ‘divine law’ without proper cause was forbidden, regardless of one’s attitude in class or any crimes committed.

“Sigh…”

The more I listened, the more I understood why the ‘GAL’ storyline didn’t delve deeply into the .

‘…At least it’s a relief they’re on our side.’

Anyway, the was often mentioned in the story as not being the type to backstab with dirty tricks.

In short, for now, they were allies…
It seemed easier to understand it in that sense.

“Luckily, a nun took the lead and helped out.”
“Who?”
“Well… it was the head nun… or something. Her name… was a bit unusual–”
“Could it be Senior Divine Light Garam?”
“Yes! That’s the name.”

As expected…
I slowly nodded.

The more I heard about the situation, the more I realized how much of an outlier Divine Light Garam was within the Order.

Why did I have to come out as the ‘GAL’ character?

“…Speaking of which… you, um, do you know that pretty senior well? She saw you and said, ‘This too must be the will of the Lord,’ and actively helped with the treatment.”

“Yeah, I visited the church once. We had a conversation then.”

“Oh, I see… Anyway, under her direction, about twenty nuns stuck to you and treated you.”

This was quite surprising.
Twenty of them?

“Except for the senior, everyone else was reluctant… but as soon as they found out you had divine power, they rushed at you.”

Ju Na-young, who had her arms crossed, muttered, “…It’s annoying.”

“That’s how it happened. By the way, Ma Hana also got treated… she cried so much that it was a hassle to comfort her.”
“Sorry about that…”

I made a resolution to go to Divine Light Garam later and thank her.

Okay, then.
Okay!
I understand the whole situation.

That aside…

“Hey, Ju Na-young.”
“…Hmm?”
“Why were you in my bed?”
“……”

Ju Na-young broke out in a cold sweat at the question.
She fidgeted with her fingers and subtly averted her gaze.

“Well, just… I-I like this place–”
“Stop talking nonsense and tell me the truth.”

Pressed for an answer, Ju Na-young eventually confessed.

But her response was outrageous.

What…?
She said she was trying to warm me up by sticking close…?

“Ha, that’s the only thing I could do…”
“Hey, aren’t you afraid of being alone with a grown man?”

Regardless of the talk about men lacking talent, the fundamental concept of gender hadn’t been reversed.
This was like the crime rates you see on the news.
From the trends circulating on the internet, I could quickly figure it out.

Oh, then what about the women throwing flirtatious glances at me?

How would I know that?

“…Alright. Just come down.”
“…No.”
“What?”
“N-no! I want to stay next to you!”

Ju Na-young, acting spoiled, suddenly hugged me tightly.

Damn it, why is she acting like this all of a sudden?

“Hey, no matter how close we are, it’s only been a few weeks–”
“You don’t seem to know, but you’re as cold as ice right now!”

Pause.

At those words, I touched various parts of my body.
Ah, indeed…
My temperature is cold.

Only then did I realize that I had forcibly recovered through the miraculous power of divine law.

I became aware that my body was completely drained of energy.

In fact, if I hadn’t recovered, it would have been a fatal injury.

“…I know, it’s embarrassing for me too.”

Ju Na-young, who had been pouting, lowered her head and clutched her clothes.

In her eyes, the feeling of guilt shimmered as teary drops.

“…Still… I have no healing skills, no recovery abilities… This is all I can do.”
“…Hey, but still–”
“I want to do at least this. And my body temperature is high! Because I’m a dragon!”

It was absurd.
But since she said it like this, it was hard to say anything.
In the end, I waved my hand in half-surrender.

“Do as you wish.”
“…!”

Then she hugged me tightly, as if she were about to break me.
I couldn’t breathe, but I gave a small laugh at her slightly trembling shoulders.

As if she wasn’t a GAL character.

‘She’s really kind.’

I slowly stroked Ju Na-young’s head.
She flinched slightly but remained still without much resistance.

This is… something…
She was a fierce descendant, but…

‘…like a puppy?’

“Thank you. For worrying about me.”
“…Young-ah… it’s nothing. Rather…”

Thank you for saving me.

Two days later.

“Patient Yu Seha?”
“Yes.”
“It looks like there should be no problem for you to be discharged.”
“Thank you.”

Finally, the long-awaited permission was granted.

Nodding at the words of the academy nurse, I quickly packed my things and went straight outside.

There was no special reason for my haste.

Meow!

“Seha~~!”

With flushed cheeks, she must have been waiting outside for a long time, as Ma Hana ran toward me as soon as she saw me.

I gently embraced her as she approached with open arms.

“Meow, meow~”

Ma Hana, seemingly happy, rubbed her face against my chest.

Since that day she took care of me, we hadn’t been able to meet often due to the ‘patient protection period.’

“…Anyone would think you haven’t seen each other in years.”

While I was engaging in a rare display of affection with my Meowi.

A familiar voice came from right next to me.

A beauty with long, deep purple hair, wearing a sophisticated coat and scarf.
It was Moon Bora, one of the universally acknowledged best trio.

“Wh-who’s a trio?!”
“Eh, isn’t it?”
“Meow… isn’t it?”
“…Ah, no, it’s not!”

Moon Bora crossed her arms with a ‘hmph~’.
But she didn’t seem to be in a bad mood, as her lips twitched.
Really, she’s not very honest.

As the three of us were bickering after a long time.
I turned my head at the sound of distinct footsteps.

“You’ve been discharged. Cadet Yu Seha.”

Another familiar face approached following Moon Bora.
A beautiful appearance with distinct features, her hair tied in a ponytail.
It was Professor Peng Jin-ah, who had tested me during the entrance exam and had taken care of me until now.

“Ah, Professor.”
“…Are you feeling better?”

Peng Jin-ah showed a worried expression.
The feeling hovering around her eyes was similar to Ju Na-young’s. It seemed she was feeling guilty.

‘…Why is everyone around me always feeling sorry?’

Anyone would think I’d committed a crime.

“Yes, more importantly, I heard you requested help from the . Thanks to that, I recovered safely.”
“…It was my duty as the supervising professor.”

Peng Jin-ah answered shortly and cleared her throat with a cough.

Could she be turning her head out of embarrassment?

Anyway, Peng Jin-ah soon mentioned another matter.

“I’m sorry, but could you follow me for a moment?”
“Yes? Where to…?”
“I want to give you your victory reward.”
“…Ah!”

I had completely forgotten.
Right, the winning team was said to be granted access to the .

“Hey, these two here…”
“…have already chosen.”

Already?

“Yeah, Seha. Bora and I went together and picked.”
“…We didn’t hold hands though, Hana.”

I heard that Moon Bora had chosen a new staff because her old one was broken.

Ma Hana selected an elixir that boosts stats except for divinity.

‘Well done.’

It was an excellent choice.
Even if I had been there, I would have advised them to choose the same way.

“…Next time, I will definitely protect you.”

Ma Hana clenched her fists with a resentful look in her eyes.

It seemed she was very upset about being hit by the ‘Twin Head’ due to her lacking stats.

That was probably why she chose the elixir.

Nodding toward the two, I then looked at Peng Jin-ah.

“I will go and choose it right away.”
“Understood. Follow me.”

Following Peng Jin-ah, night fell and late evening approached.
It seemed farther than I thought, but considering the many important items, it was understandable.

We arrived at a hall with various barriers and magical treatments.
As the door creaked open, I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow…”

‘There’s nothing missing here.’

Weapons, armor, elixirs, and even rare items like [Runes] were lined up everywhere.

Peng Jin-ah cleared her throat.

“I believe you understand, Cadet Yu Seha. You can only choose one item. I’d like to give you more, but… most of the items here were given by retired seniors, so please show respect.”

“Yes!”

I meticulously looked around again, taking Peng Jin-ah’s words to heart.

Ah, and I know it won’t work, but just in case.

I tried using that ability.

‘Ah, damn… [Mesto’s Magnifying Glass] is really useless.’

Because of its limited emotional capabilities, it didn’t even activate in such places.

With no other choice, I relied on my memory from ‘GAL’ and started examining things one by one.

‘There are many good items.’

As expected from the academy’s main storage.
Rare items were a given, and occasionally, there were even Hero grade items.

Yes, for example, this armor in my hand right now.

“…Ahem, Cadet Yu Seha. I understand you have an eye for things, but it seems a bit much for you to wear that.”
“…I think so too.”

I put down the ‘Bikini Armor’ I was holding.

What a pity.
The performance was really good.

Anyway, it was utterly useless to me.
Good or usable items were either ‘female-only’ or not suited for me.

‘…I want to choose a sword if possible…’

After the fierce battle with the , the [Turtle’s Longsword] had done its job and died a glorious death.

Even thinking about it now, I was really grateful, but thanks to that, I was in a difficult situation without a main weapon.

I’d be happy with any rare sword.

“…Huh?”

While looking around at various things.
In the corner of the closet.
A sword caught my eye.
It was exuding a subtle holy power, clearly a weapon that required [Divinity].

Is this… could it be…?
Is it what I think it is?

I examined it thoroughly, just in case.

Then, just like the [Dagger of the Pilgrim], I was certain from the unique initials engraved on the hilt.

Yes.

There was no doubt.

‘Wow, so it was here all along.’

I held the sword close and stood in front of Peng Jin-ah.

“I will take this one.”
“…Cadet Yu Seha. Are you really okay with that? To me, it looks like such a poor weapon that it’s doubtful it’s even a rare…”

Indeed, that’s true.

Even [Turtle’s Long Sword] was barely rated as a rare weapon, and this was worse than that.

But that’s only when you don’t know its true value.

“It’s fine!”

Peng Jin-ah eventually agreed with me, looking sympathetic.

As I was leaving the Treasure Vault, I glanced at the sky.

The night sky signaled that it was already late.

Luckily, a full moon was rising just in time.

‘Good.’

I clenched my fist tightly.

The timing was just right.

‘When I get back to the dormitory…’

I’ll be able to combine it immediately.