That early dawn, everyone had collapsed into sleep.
Even Alice and Aika, who had been obliviously bickering,
and the self-proclaid Hypno-Breeding Guy, who finally lived up to his na after 17 weeks.
Everyone, knowingly or unknowingly, closed their eyes in exhaustion.
It wasn’t surprising, considering how busy their day had been with sparring and other activities.
However, one person couldn’t sleep.
Her whole body felt heavy, her hips ached from all the effort,
and her muscles scread in protest at the slightest movent…
-Sleek.
‘Honestly, I just want to rest… but sigh, I have to do what needs to be done.’
Shia ignored everything and rose to her feet.
Then she walked sowhere, her movents shrouded in shadows to avoid waking anyone.
The way she carried herself, wrapped in an air of confidence that didn’t suit a student, hinted at sothing more.
No, it couldn’t have suited a student.
During her night with Yujin,
she had finally recovered all the mories of her first tiline.
The person standing there wasn’t just a first-year student.
It was Yusia, the veteran awakened who once succeeded Yoo Jungchul as the leader of Clan Cheonhwa.
-Creak.
[‘???’ welcos you!]
[Playfully asking if you enjoyed yourself….]
She entered Yujin’s room, where the Saintess was waiting.
Shia’s eyes glimred faintly with a golden light.
“Hmm. I guess being stubborn paid off in the end.”
She smirked.
“———Star of the Throne.”
Shia addressed the Saintess as Star of the Throne.
It was a scene that would have left Paimon and Seol Hayeon wide-eyed in shock.
And for good reason. The term Star of the Throne.
Even Paimon would cough up blood from uttering those two words, and Seol Hayeon would feel the shadow of death looming.
But Shia?
Far from coughing up blood, she didn’t even blink.
The logic Paimon had explained—the binding rules—seed to have no effect on her.
More importantly, how did she even know about the concept of Star of the Throne?
And why was she addressing such an unassuming Saintess as one?
There was much to be astonished by.
[‘???’ smiles graciously.]
[“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”]
[“How’s your mory? Still feeling disoriented?”]
“I’m still a bit woozy, but since I eased into it through the kiss, it’s manageable. If everything had co rushing back all at once, I might’ve fainted.”
[“I told you, didn’t I? Unlike Yujin, you wouldn’t be able to handle it. I only gave you just enough of my ‘???’ for the mories to avoid vanishing.”]
“Yeah, yeah. Truly impressive, oh great Star of the Throne.”
Despite everything, Shia and the Saintess chatted casually.
The golden glow flickering in Shia’s brown eyes only grew brighter with each exchange.
“Star of the Throne. So, when is it? When are those bastards coming down?”
[“Tonight, when the fireworks begin.”]
“Perfect timing, huh? So I just need to be ready by then?”
[“I’m counting on you.”]
“Of course. After all, I received his ‘first’.”
-Hiss.
“Ugh, already?”
But the glow began to fade,
like a flashlight running out of battery.
They both knew exactly what that ant.
“Sigh. I wanted to go on a date with that fool. Maybe sneak in a few more rounds without the others finding out.”
[“You’ve really gotten hooked, haven’t you?”]
“It’s different with a 30-year-old. Do you know how adorable it is when he doesn’t know what to do?”
[“…Ahem. Anyway, I’ll leave it to you.”]
“Oh, don’t be shy. Just trust , Star of the Throne.”
Shia slowly rose to her feet, patting her still-aching hips as she went.
Before long, her figure lted into the darkness.
‘First, I need to issue the summons… but oh right, Dad’s still the Clan Leader, isn’t he? Ugh, how am I supposed to convince him?’
-Swoosh.
‘In the end, my role is to do that. To call him without tripping over the ‘logic.’ Can I ti it right…?’
On the second day of the Academy program,
Yusia vanished from the Academy without a trace.
***
After a tumultuous night, Sunday morning arrived.
I woke up to one of the most refreshing mornings of my life.
It wasn’t surprising, considering I had resolved 17 weeks of pent-up frustration.
And on this historic morning, I…
-Thud.
‘Shia? Where did you go?! Why aren’t you answering your phone?!’
I was in despair.
…And for good reason. When I woke up, Shia was gone.
At first, I thought she’d just stepped out to the bathroom.
But no matter how hard I looked, she was nowhere to be found. Her clothes and shoes were gone too.
To top it off, she wasn’t answering her phone or responding to any ssages.
‘What did I do wrong?!’
The morning after an unforgettable first night,
and she disappears without a word, ignoring all attempts to contact her?
Unless she was really angry, there was no reason for her to act like this…
‘I can’t think of anything.’
Was she mad because I forced her?
No, that’s impossible. Last night, I was the one being forced.
Was I terrible in bed?
Absolutely not. None of my wives had ever been dissatisfied with , not even once.
Even Shia seed incredibly satisfied last night.
Was my aftercare lacking?
Nope.
I had washed her gently in the shower, kept the blood-stained sheet as a keepsake,
offered a massage to check for any pain, and whispered sweet nothings until she fell asleep.
-Tilt.
‘No matter how I think about it, I was perfect last night!’
And yet, Shia wasn’t answering.
It felt like my ntal state was about to crumble.
Honestly, I wanted to rush out and find her imdiately.
But I couldn’t.
Even though the director had returned, I was still responsible for managing the Academy Festival.
I couldn’t leave my position recklessly.
“Yujin? What’s wrong?”
“Shia’s not answering her phone. I’m worried. Alice, could you try calling her?”
“Oh? So Shia’s more important, huh? Important enough for you to be glued to your phone, pacing around all morning?”
“Heh. My student gets so flustered about a friend leaving early but barely checks in on his teacher.”
“…I call you every day, Master.”
“Was that backtalk?”
“…….”
Not to ntion, my two wives were glaring at with eyes wide open.
If I said I was going to look for Shia right now?
They’d kill for sure.
As a married man, I couldn’t afford to be so oblivious to their feelings.
“Of course not. Haha….”
‘Shia, please, if you see this, just call . Whatever I did wrong, I’ll fix it.’
In the end, I compromised by sending another text.
I’d already sent hundreds of ssages, but what difference would one more make?
I finally set my phone down and tried to focus on reality—
-Buzz.
“……!!!?”
Just as I was about to focus, a call ca in.
I snatched my phone up with a reaction speed of 0 milliseconds,
thinking it might be Shia.
[“Mr. Seo Yujin. It must be morning where you are.”]
“...President Morrison.”
It wasn’t Shia.
My shoulders slumped in disappointnt.
“Yes, sir. Thank you for congratulating on the match. I sohow managed to win.”
“The Paimon investigation? So it’s tied to this too? I’ll compile so questions for further interrogation later.”
“Sybilla? Oh, I relied on her help yesterday. She assisted in tracking down Paimon.”
The call wasn’t even about anything significant.
Just follow-ups on yesterday’s duel with my master,
our local punching bag, and…
“Is there anything else?”
[“Yes. I’ve received intelligence suggesting unusual activity in Korea.”]
It was about Korea.
And that’s why my expression grew weary.
Of course, summoning awakened individuals to lure Paimon had been suspicious.
But that was yesterday.
It was already Sunday, and the situation had been resolved.
Yet here was the President of the United States bringing it up late.
How could I not feel exasperated?
But it’s not like I could speak to him the way I did to the Academy director.
Ti to activate polite and respectful mode.
“It was just a bit of commotion because of Paimon. There’s nothing to worry about.”
[“Really? Because the recent movents of the Korean Awakener Association seem unusual.”]
“That’s because Director Seol Hayeon, who was presud dead, is alive.”
[“And the Cheonhwa Clan?”]
“Their awakened mber defeated Ninomiya.”
[“Mr. Seo, are you being honest? Is it that you don’t trust the U.S.—or ?”]
“…….”
The old man wasn’t buying it.
I barely stopped myself from sighing.
“I’m being completely honest with you.”
[“If you say so, I’ll leave it at that.”]
After reiterating my position, the President finally eased up.
He sounded reassured and…
[“But, Mr. Seo, let say one thing.”]
“Yes?”
[“Korea and the United States are allies. Especially in the face of gates, a shared threat to humanity.”]
“……?”
[“If there’s anything you need, let Sybilla know. If necessary, we’ll even consider deploying nuclear weapons.”]
“Excuse ?”
Did he just say he’d launch nukes if I asked?
What the hell, old man?
‘Why is the President acting like this…?’
But then my expression turned serious.
If the President of the United States, of all people, was issuing a veiled warning,
this wasn’t sothing to take lightly.
“Understood. If anything happens, I’ll contact you through Sybilla.”
I decided to accept his offer.
Even though we’d dealt with Paimon, there’s no harm in staying cautious.
[“…Haha. Thank you for trusting us.”]
“No, thank you. I didn’t expect such close cooperation.”
[“It’s simply my duty as President.”]
His tone grew lighter, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
“Alright then, have a good day.”
[“It’s evening here in Washington. Haha.”]
“Then have a good night.”
-Beep.
When the call ended, I felt significantly lighter.
In contrast to my earlier stress over Shia’s disappearance.
“Yujin, was that… President Kendrick Morrison? The U.S. President!?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.”
“Wow. You’re on a first-na basis with the President? That’s amazing!”
“Of course! My student’s incredible!”
“Why are you bragging, Ninomiya?!”
***
While Yujin was spending a lively morning with his two wives, across the ocean:
The 45th President of the United States, Kendrick Morrison,
having just finished his call with Yujin, turned forward with a solemn expression.
Ahead of him stood a multitude of military personnel,
their uniforms adorned with stars denoting the highest-ranking generals.
‘I told Yujin otherwise, but… this is not like Vietnam. If the worst cos to pass….’
-Tap.
“Ladies and gentlen, our actions now will determine the future. Prepare yourselves.”
“Understood, Mr. President!”
“If Korea shows even the slightest sign of faltering… we will launch imdiately!”
At his command,
a strategic nuclear weapon was locked onto Seoul.
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