The Academy’s FFF-Class Summons are SSS-class Hunters - Chapter 14
Jonathan’s sword was honest.
It tries to put itself out there, and moves without a hint of deception.
Despite its obvious trajectory, it’s almost impossible to deflect.
Honest strength, that was Jonathan’s sword.
But not Leira’s.
She wanted to be the same. However, her honest sword broke at a swing on the King Goblin. The shock of that day and her traumatic childhood piled on her and created weakness.
What sword art could the weak use to be victorious?
As Leira battled the training dolls, she subconsciously searched for the answer to that question. It was when she knocked down the level 1 training doll that she concluded,
‘Engrave a blade like a ray of light within darkness.’
Yes, Leira was familiar with darkness.
Between the darkness walking alone on the streets as a child,
A ray of light called Raytely parted that darkness.
The darkness returned as she lost him.
To part away the darkness once more, the only way to do so was with her blade.
So Leira hid her sword in the darkness, and only shined when unsheathed from a swing.
It was the opposite of Jonathan’s sword art, which was always true and honest to its movements.
“Junior, the fact that you realize that means you have grown one step further.”
Jonathan laughed happily. Leira was learning to accept her swordsmanship at an age he spent denying his. He was sure she’ll grow quickly.
They continued on forward exchanging conversations. No major threats have appeared since the Mokidi Bandits. Occasionally a monster appeared and Jonathan slayed it. Jinhyuk cooked it to feed it to Lilil.
Time passed to the night before their arrival at the capital, where they talked in front of a bonfire.
Jonathan was amazed as he heard Jinhyuk’s story.
“Indeed, Mr. Jinhyuk was at the pinnacle of another world. I knew that the power you exerted was very different from that of this world.”
“Excalibur was also the holy sword of our world. Though there’s probably no human being who could wield it.”
Excalibur was a sword only known through rumors and it took Jinhyuk some effort to get it. It was told that no one could wield it, but he believed he could as an all-master.
However, it was after obtaining it he realized that Excalibur was a sword only those with a strong sense of responsibility could use – the King’s Responsibility.
Jinhyuk had no sense of responsibility.
“I have no right to criticize other humans.”
He was a hero that saved the world. But it was not out of a sense of responsibility for his strength, but out of the joy of being respected.
There were many insignificant people, but could he say that he was any more than them? No, not at all. He was, after all, a human being himself.
‘Even though I’m an All-Master, I only now learned the Strike of Responsibility.’
Could he pride himself on being an All-Master? There was much he lacked to have such a title.
Jinhyuk has merely learned the Strike of Responsibility as a skill. It didn’t mean he knew anything about having a proper sense of responsibility. He was completed as a hunter but not as a human being, which Jinhyuk thought was difficult for him to be.
Could he maintain kindness while thoroughly separating personal matters with others like Lilil? Act recklessly in anger over the death of a relative like Leira? Or, Could he show a sense of responsibility despite being insulted for the rest of his life like Jonathan?
None of them.
Jinhyuk knew he couldn’t be like any of them.
At the pinnacle? The best? None of that mattered. In the end, no one truly acknowledged him. What they liked was not Jinhyuk himself, but the title of the strongest hunter, the All-Master.
But Jinhyuk liked Lilil, Leira, and Jonathan. Not for their abilities, but their humanity.
This world was better than Earth.
Perhaps if he stayed in this world, maybe one day he’d be able to be complete as a person. He wasn’t sure if that was even possible, or what it means to be complete, but maybe it will happen someday.
He had hope.
But he couldn’t express such hope, and simply smiled carefully.
“I have no right to criticize others now, but I want to be qualified to do so one day.”
“That day will come.”, said Jonathan.
A quiet night with the crackling of the bonfire. Lilil and Leira were asleep next to Jinhyuk.
“These juniors carry a pain within themselves. I could tell through the conversations. And so do you, Mr. Jinhyuk, but a different kind of pain. You will support each other to relieve the pain. That’s how you grow.”
Jonathan seemed to call his past. Jinhyuk didn’t know what kind of past he was recalling, but Jonathan too had difficulties in life. And he grew within it.
He will try to grow further as time goes on.
Jinhyuk looked up at the night sky as he watched Jonathan step towards the endless sense of responsibility.
Bright, beautiful starlights were illuminating the night sky.
“Tomorrow would be a farewell.”
Abruptly, the coachman sat between Jinhyuk and Jonathan. They looked at the coachman at the same time as they took off the hood they were wearing.
Her long shiny silver hair drops. Her appearance was silver, with alluring red eyes that gleamed in the silver like a ruby.
“Um, I wasn’t aware you were a woman because of the hoodie. And the neutral voice.”
Jinhyuk left his honest impression.
“I hear that often. I interrupted to introduce myself formally, since we are to part ways soon. I hope I’m not being disrespectful.”
“You must be more exhausted than any of us, coachman. What could possibly be disrespectful?”
“Thank you.”
The coachman bowed her head slightly and spoke.
“My name is Fleur, the commander of the Fleur corps.”
“Ah, yes, flu… What?”
She spoke so casually that Jinhyuk almost dismissed it, but quickly noticed something strange. His eyes widened in surprise.
“ Y-you mean the Fleur mercenary corps? That 100 million derat Fleur?”
“That’s correct. We wander around the world disguised as various identities. All the Fleur mercenaries are like this.”
He knew the coachman was strong, but not that she was Fleur. Jinhyuk stared blankly like he’d been hit in the head, and bursted out laughing.
“Why did such a strong person stand still during the Mokidi Bandits?”
“I was thinking of stepping in if I felt it was getting dangerous. But the moment I was about to, Mr. Jinhyuk destroyed the bandits with a strange weapon. So I stayed put. They’ll be fine, I thought.”
Or so she said. Fleur couldn’t help but be astonished to see Jinhyuk’s special power and the weapon he handed over to Jonathan. To be on such a level without using any magic – what would it be like if he did? She couldn’t even begin to imagine.
“Mr. Jinhyuk grows stronger as Summoner Lady Lilil’s magical power grows… It is quite tempting. I’d have Ms. Lilil join the Fleur mercenary immediately if I could.”
“What’s the point of joining a mercenary corps that doesn’t do their job?”
“Fufu, mercenary status is merely a camoflague.”
“A camouflage? Then what are you really doing?”
“I cannot reveal my exact identity. If it leaks, it will be troublesome.”
However, I can tell you one thing is certain.
“The Fleur mercenary corps aims to eliminate the Cruel One.”
Eliminating the Cruel One.
That’s something Lilil would like to hear. The reason she’s working on her talents is to take revenge on the Cruel One.
“For you to tell us that… ”
“Miss Lilil and Leira are victims of the Cruel One as well. We mean to provide help.”
“How?”
“Any information we gather about the Cruel One, we will immediately share with you as well. In addition to that…”
Fleur looked at Jonathan.
“Jonathan, I want you to join the Fleur mercenary.”
“Oh my… Did Ms.Fleur fall for my looks as well?”
“Not sure if you were joking, but I don’t know how to respond to that. I’m not really good with that.”
Jonathan scratched his head in embarrassment.
“It is truly an honor to join the Fleur mercenary. I haven’t been directly harmed by the Cruel One, but seeing Miss Lilil, Miss Leira, and Mokidi, I have learned a lot.”
Jonathan thought to himself: If you become strong in this world, what do you need to achieve at the peak to unleash your sense of responsibility? Isn’t the point of becoming strong to defeat someone, and protect some another? At the very least, it isn’t to make anyone suffer.
Jonathan believed should he become strong enough to reach the pinnacle, he should kill the Cruel One. The peak responsibility would be to eliminate absolute evil – he had no reason to reject Fleur’s offer.
“The peak responsibility, I will join the Fleur Mercenary.”
“Thank you for graciously accepting the offer.”
The peak responsibility.
Jinhyuk pondered those words. Perhaps that’s what he lacked.
The reason he was bored even at the peak, and the reason he could not wield Excalibur, may have been due to lack of responsibility.
‘But now there is someone to take responsibility for.’
His summoner,
His master.
Jinhyuk glanced over at sleeping Lilil. When Lilil summoned him, was it merely the idea of getting stronger that made him excited?
Not really.
Perhaps it was because of a sense of responsibility. Going through sealing a summon contract, he may have found the emotions and responsibilities of the summon for their summoner enjoyable.
Though that’s not exactly the case.
For now, that’s why it was fun.
‘Yeah, for now… ’
Responsibility he felt towards his summoner Liril. That may be the only reason. When Lilil achieves her goal, he loses responsibility and may become bored again.
But that’s still a long way off.
If one day he becomes a complete person, perhaps he’d have a sense of responsibility for people other than Lilil.
People like Fleur and Jonathan will become precious bonds when he looks back to this time.
But now was time to part ways.
By the time Leira was happy to defeat the level-5 training doll,
And Lilil’s stomach filled with 10 more monsters that appeared during the journey,
They were able to arrive at the capital.
“Be careful.”
“Take care of yourselves.”
With the academy in front, Fleur and Jonathan spoke.
“There is no place as enjoyable as the Academy,”
“But no place more dangerous than the Academy.”
A place where sensitive teenage students gathered.
A place that plants such students with competition and the fear of failing.
A place that struck down on evil spirits and demons that arose in the process, calling them failed students.
A paradise to glorify their school days, coexisting with a place that certainly is hell for some.
They have arrived at the academy.
