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The Sound of a Dragon Calling (3)

It was 10 PM now. The incident during the day’s practice wasn’t widely known, but the school stopped students from leaving the campus for three days. That meant people were crowded inside the dormitory. No, rather, at 10 PM, most students would be in the dormitory, anyways. Kang Shin-hyuk was heading toward the girl’s dormitory with no small amount of embarrassment. It would usually be impossible for a male student to enter such a place, especially when no permission was granted.

“Welcome to the Royal Class.” It was Karen who greeted him. She stood in front of the elevator at the entrance of a place completely different from the general dormitory. She motioned for him to enter the elevator and flashed a key card. The elevator started moving them up to the top floor.

“Royal class?”

“What, you haven’t heard? It’s a special space for only the top 1% of Shinyoung’s top talent. It even has a restaurant.”

“1%? You?”

“I’ll chide you later…I was originally listed to enter the Royal Class on the condition of attending to the vice-captain.” Serving Eleanor R. Algiers, decided before she enrolled? Kang Shin-hyuk’s eyes narrowed.

“What sort of aristocrat is she?”

“She’s not a noble, but a noble among nobles. They wanted to send her to the Royal Academy of British Superhumans, but she was hoping to go to Shinyoung. Should I tell you I’m a noble too?” He was surprised to find out about that. The nobles of England had been grooming superhumans for several generations, so having a title was enough to assure people you were an extraordinary superhuman.

‘I thought her ability was incredible, but to think it was because of that…however, she seems a little too friendly for a noble.’ Karen, who had no idea what he was thinking, continued to explain.

“Originally, the Royal Class was one of the three organizations representing Shinyoung…it was allowed only for the executive level students belonging to the student council, the Wyvern Knights, and the Magic Society. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the vice-captain.”

“Wow. It’s the first time I’m learning about this.” He was stunned. However, Karen continued to look at him with a strange expression.

“For reference, those at the top of each field in the solo exhibitions will also join the Royal Class.”

“What?”

“Anyway, usually the title of King is occupied by someone from the Wyvern Knights or the Magic Society. But that wasn’t the case with the Rookie King.” she added.

“Is that so?”

“Some people will look badly at those who don’t belong to any organization. Still, I would like to guide you this week.” At that moment, their sticks began to ring. The teachers would be mobilized for external assignments, so there would be no classes Friday. Kang Shin-hyuk received one more message; the decision made to move him into the Royal Class.

“Isn’t this timing too good?”

“Not really. Wasn’t it pushed forward because of what happened at the gate?”

“Ah, right.” Kang Shin-hyuk nodded, convinced. There was no reason to refuse an offer of a good room.

“What happens if there is a new Rookie King next year?”

“The same that happened before. Would you be kicked out if you took a different seat? For reference, the last Rookie King was the vice-captain.”

“I see.” The elevator arrived at the top floor. The interior of the top floor was much different than the rest of the building.

“The vice-captain’s room is this way. Come quickly.”

“But…”

“Come on!”

“That should be my line…” Kang Shin-hyuk followed after Karen and soon arrived in front of an ornate door. He admired it as Karen gracefully used the door knocker. It was engraved with a lion and dragon entangled together.

“Enter.”

“Can she not talk?”

“She has trouble pronouncing Korean sometimes. It’s usually fine, but it pops up when she’s nervous.” The door opened to reveal a spacious and luxurious room. Kang Shin-hyuk was focused on Eleanor R. Algiers; she was drinking tea alone at a table in the center of the room. She was wearing a Wyvern Knight outfit, appearing the very image of a noble as she elegantly held her teacup.

-Cheh.

‘Administrator?’ Strange, he felt he had just seen the administrator’s message. However, no message answered his call, so he assumed it was his understanding.

“Hello. Eleanor R. Algiers. Knight Department, sophomore B class.” She lifted her head and nodded at Kang Shin-hyuk, offering a brief greeting. Acknowledging she was his senior, he bowed his head back.

“Hi. Kang Shin-hyuk, first-year C class in the Knight Department.”

“Come, sit down.”

“She says she’s sorry for suddenly calling. Please make yourself comfortable.”

“I don’t think I just said that…” Kang Shin-hyuk sat across from Algiers. He wanted to know why she called him in the middle of the night right away. If she wanted to recruit him, he was ready to bail.

“I roughly told you what happened before.”

“Ah, right.” Karen poured him a drink and began to talk to Algiers instead. Kang Shin-hyuk felt like he was in some medieval English noble’s reception room, but the atmosphere evaporated as Karen winked at him.

“So…you were attacked?”

“Yes, but I told you about his fighting skills and specialties. He also made his own weapons.”

“A craftsman in this school…that’s rare.” It was certainly true; no one entered Shinyoung to increase their production capacity. If Kang Shin-hyuk had that ability from the start, he would’ve gone to a specialized school.

“I have something to ask.”

“Yeah?”

“Artifacts…can you make them?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.” There was no need to hide that fact as it could be easily found out, but Karen and Algiers opened their eyes wide in surprise at his quick response.

“Then, repairs?”

“Well…” He hadn’t learned professional repair skills, but he had his experience from earlier.

-Your metallurgy has a wide range of coverage. In the past, repairing the armaments of other Hero Universe members was easy to do.

‘But now I don’t have that ability…’ Algiers seemed to understand the subtle expression he was making and nodded.

“I understand.”

“Wow, honestly it was just an excuse, but Shin-hyuk can do it.”

“Can I leave?”

“I have something to ask for…oh.” Algiers covered her mouth with a resentful expression, taking a deep breath before speaking again.

“The artifact passed down from generation to generation within the Wyvern Knights is currently broken.”

“Hey, the inside story finally came out.”

“If you fix it, I can take the title of captain. I will owe you.” Algiers’s purple eyes glowed mystically. He wondered if that was the artifact he had heard of before.

“Is that the one that tames the wyverns raised by the knights?”

“Huh.”

“You’re leaving it to an outsider?”

“I’m holding onto the artifact right now.” Kang Shin-hyuk looked at Karen instead of Algiers. She let out a sigh and began to explain more concisely.

“The captain broke the artifact in the first place. Then, he left the job of fixing it to the vice-captain, saying it was the role of a woman to support a man.” Kang Shin-hyuk briefly doubted whether or not he was listening to people of the modern era.

“What an anachronistic idea…”

“I know, right? He really thinks and talks like that. In the first place, except for the vice-captain, he won’t allow female members to take an executive position.” Kang Shin-hyuk turned to Algiers.

“What do you think?”

“I don’t put my status first.” Kang Shin-hyuk wondered if that was the pride of a noble. It seemed like she was stronger, so why didn’t she just beat the captain and take his position? There seemed to be something they weren’t telling him yet. Of course, he didn’t want to know.

“I didn’t intend to follow his command right away…so I left it unattended. But, if by any chance it goes well, I can get rid of this debt. That will make things easier.”

“I said from the beginning this was just an excuse. The vice-captain also likes you, so-“Algiers blocked Karen’s mouth. Kang Shin-hyuk let out a sigh and drank his tea. It was delicious.

“If you’re not trying to make me join the knights, I’ll see to it at least once. There’s no guarantee I can fix it.” A taming artifact. He was interested in it. Whether he succeeded or not, it would make for a great experience. At his agreement, Algiers and Karen looked surprised. They weren’t ready for their request, a mere excuse, to be accepted so simply.

“Good. Besides that, I think you have something else to tell me.” The excuse was over. Algiers nodded firmly with a twinkle in her eyes.

“…I want to ask you about something.”

Only

“Well?”

“It’s the first time since I’ve come to this school that I’ve seen someone with an ability stronger than me.” He wondered if she was referring to the Dragon’s Fan Dance movements he demonstrated. Her eyes were sparkling intensely, an immense passion hidden away in her small form.

“Please. Fight me.” Algiers asked sincerely, not even recognizing she had the pronunciation wrong. Only then did he realize why she was interested in him—his ability based on martial arts, built up from the bottom, not his characteristics or skills.

‘Well, it’s thanks to my traits that my understanding of martial arts improved so much.’ Just as he had struggled over the years due to his lack of magical power, there must have been those who couldn’t practice the skills they set their minds too, no matter how much they trained.

“Okay. Take good care of me.” Kang Shin-hyuk was more than happy to test his skills against her.

“Great…!”

“Our vice-captain is so…” Karen let out a sigh from the sidelines as Algiers nodded satisfied.

So tomorrow, on Thursday, Kang Shin-hyuk would visit Hall 2 of the Wyvern Knights to examine the broken artifact and fight Eleanor R. Algiers.