Chapter 19: Is Our Haru an S-Rank?

 

I worked out until I had no strength left in my body, truly showing what a serious workout looked like.

 

Moved by my dedication, Shia carried me back to the dorm, not caring that her clothes were getting dirty with sweat.

 

Finally…

 

Haru greeted us, half-naked.

 

“Dad~?”

 

“———Yu-jin?”

 

At the sound of Shia’s cold voice, my vision went black for a moment.

 

…No, never mind why she was here.

 

How did this look from Shia’s perspective?

 

I went to my male friend’s place, and why did a woman appear dressed like that? She called the man ‘daddy’?

 

If you look at it nicely, it’s just an original relationship. But if you look at it badly, it’s like deceiving a mentally immature person and committing a heinous crime.

 

Just thinking about how Sia would see me made my heart stop.

 

However.

 

‘How can I explain this so she’ll believe me…?’

 

“…Sigh. Obviously, she just came here on her own, right?”

 

“Uh, yeah?”

 

“If I had known she was here like this, I wouldn’t have brought you here.”

 

Shia logically argued for my innocence instead.

 

Moreover,

 

“You wouldn’t make a girl dress like this in the first place.”

 

“……!!!”

 

She showed unwavering trust in me.

 

Unlike her reaction during the Alice incident, I was overwhelmed with a wave of emotion.

 

“Uh, yeah!!”

 

‘My wife is the best! She’s so smart! I love her!!’

 

“So, you came to have lunch with Yu-jin?”

 

While I was on the verge of tears from being touched, Shia started assessing the situation.

 

“Yeah. It’s tasty when I eat with Dad.”

 

“What if he wasn’t here… wait, why are you dressed like that?”

 

“I changed to show Dad. Cute, right?”

 

– Flap, flap.

 

Haru innocently flapped her clothes.

 

As her underwear was about to show, I quickly closed my eyes.

 

“…!!!? Yu-jin, if you see—oh, you already closed your eyes.”

 

“Dad, isn’t Haru cute…?”

 

“You’re cute, but your chest and underwear are showing. A girl shouldn’t be showing those things~.”

 

“But it’s okay because you’re my dad, right?”

 

“That’s precisely why it’s not okay~.”

 

That old Chairman, she said she’d take care of her education.

 

Already feeling exhausted, my body felt even heavier.

 

“Sigh. Yu-jin, go wash up first. I’ll take you to the bathroom.”

 

“Oh, okay. Thanks.”

 

I needed to wash up and then give a firm lecture.

 

* * *

 

After tossing Yu-jin into the bathroom,

 

Shia quickly took action.

 

‘Since Yu-jin is tired, I have to take care of things for him.’

 

“Okay, okay. Let’s get you dressed, Haru.”

 

First, I had to seal the living weapon in front of me.

 

While Haru hesitated, Shia quickly dressed her in the clothes she had discarded in the corner.

 

She coaxed and cajoled her just like she would with a baby.

 

“But my pajamas are comfortable and cute….”

 

“Yu-jin likes girls who dress well. Like me.”

 

“Then I’ll wear them.”

 

‘She’s really just a kid, a baby.’

 

Unlike yesterday, Shia’s attitude towards Haru was extremely gentle.

 

She clearly understood that Haru’s mental age was at a kindergarten level…

 

‘I can’t stand the sight of her calling that vixen Alice “Mom.” No way.’

 

Shia was determined to find a mother figure for Yu-jin.

 

Yesterday, Haru had made the outrageous claim that Alice was her mom.

 

Regardless of how close their relationship was, Shia couldn’t stand Alice calling herself Yu-jin’s wife.

 

In that case, it was better for Shia to be the wife herself.

 

‘Not that I seriously want to be Yu-jin’s wife or anything? I’m just playing along with her childish game?’

 

“What do you want to eat for lunch? Our Yu-jin is going to have chicken.”

 

“Whatever Dad is having.”

 

“Okay. Okay. Then I’ll buy some for Haru too.”

 

“Wow~ You’re just like a mom. Except your chest is small.”

 

“They’re not small.”

 

…She briefly snapped at the recurring slander, but anyway.

 

After bribing Haru with food, everything went smoothly.

 

“Hey, Sis. Sorry to call you during lunch, but can you bring some elixirs and tonics to the academy right now? Also, get four of the most expensive chickens.”

 

“Soda? No, bring the Pine Needle Eyes. And some clothes for me to change into.”

 

Like the daughter of a chaebol, she ordered her personal secretary to run errands.

 

“Now, let’s see… Yu-jin’s change of clothes….”

 

‘Oh. Come to think of it, underwear… Well, there’s no choice. I despise men’s underwear, but? I’ll have to find and bring them myself?’

 

-Rummage, rummage.

 

‘Huh, huh. So this is what boys’ underwear looks like… Yu-jin wears these….’

 

She rummaged through the wardrobe with an unsettling glee.

 

“Alright then, Miss Shia. I’ll be off. I’ll make sure these clothes are cleaned and….”

 

“…Ahem. No, just bring them to my dorm as they are. They’re expensive artifacts, so I’ll wash them myself.”

 

“Excuse me? Since when did you care about such things?”

 

“Just bring them as they are. If you wash them without permission, you’ll regret it.”

 

She even kept Yu-jin’s sweat-soaked clothes for later.

 

Thinking about it, it would be a crime if the genders were reversed, and even without changing genders, it was still creepy. But Shia acted nonchalantly.

 

She felt no guilt because she justified everything as being for Yu-jin and the clan.

 

‘Since he’s going to be the one to lead our clan in the future, this much is fine. Yeah.’

 

She was getting ahead of herself, already drinking her own kimchi soup.

 

* * *

 

With trembling arms, I managed to wash up and came out to find the table set.

 

It was Shia’s doing.

 

“Dad smells nice now~.”

 

“All cleaned up? Sit down. Let’s eat.”

 

“…Yeah!”

 

‘She really feels like a wife. It was just like this before the regression.’

 

Shia was probably just treating me well because she wanted to recruit me, but…

 

To me, it was a sight that made me want to cry.

 

I couldn’t help but smile like a proud dad.

 

-Hehehe.

 

“Pffft. Do you like chicken that much? Even after eating so much for breakfast?”

 

“It’s my favorite in the world.”

 

‘You are.’

 

“Alright. Then… here, have a leg. Haru, you too. I only eat the breast.”

 

“Heh, breast.”

 

“…Hey, look away before I take your chicken.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Thanks to Haru, the emotional atmosphere didn’t last long, but still.

 

After that, we enjoyed our lunch together, chatting pleasantly.

 

-Munch, munch.

 

“But Dad, you got a bit stronger.”

 

Then Haru suddenly spoke.

 

My shoulders raised a bit.

 

“Oh, you noticed? Well, I did increase my strength and agility by almost 1. It’s only natural that you’d….”

 

“Is increasing by one a big deal?”

 

“Of course, it’s a big deal! A difference of one stat point is huge among awakened ones!”

 

“———Haru can increase by two if she wants.”

 

“……!!!?”

 

My shoulders slumped back to their original position.

 

Haru, what are you saying?

 

Dad is so shocked, he might choke.

 

No, he did choke.

 

“*Cough, cough!! Wh-what do you mean…?!*”

 

“Yu-jin!? H-here’s a drink!!”

 

– Gulp. Gulp.

 

‘…Wow, Pine Needle Eyes.’

 

The drink Shia hurriedly handed me was Pine Needle Eyes.

 

For a moment, I resented my wife’s thoughtfulness.

 

However, even the pine needle combination soon became nothing.

 

“A boost of about 1… like this.”

 

– Flash!!

 

“…!!?”

 

Haru’s aura flared up dramatically with a red glow.

 

To an ordinary person, it might seem strange, but…

 

Shia, who had seen countless similar things, and I, with my experience, knew at once.

 

Haru’s power had exploded suddenly.

 

A top-tier A-rank strength surged within her.

 

– Sss…

 

“…Phew. It hurts if I use it for too long, so that’s enough.”

 

“Wh-what do you mean… Ah, could it be your ability?”

 

“Yeah. It’s… A-rank? That’s what Sis said.”

 

But Haru remained unfazed.

 

Unlike me, still quite undertrained as an awakened one, she was almost fully developed and didn’t understand the significance of her increased stats.

 

‘An ability to amplify stats…? And she can momentarily reach top-tier A-rank?’

 

“…Haru. I know I shouldn’t ask, but can you tell Dad about your ability?”

 

“Uh-huh. I can’t read it well because there are too many difficult words.”

 

“Yu-jin, I’ll get some paper!!”

 

It was an ability I had never seen, even in the game or the first timeline.

 

Under Shia’s and my intense gaze, Haru began to write something slowly.

 

Although the letters were wobbly, they were readable.

 

=====

 

**Name**: Seo Haru (28 years old, Female)

 

**Title**: None

 

**Stats**: Strength [8.19] Agility [8.85] Intelligence [0.83] Luck [0.61] Magic [7.28]

 

**Skills**: Awakening (Lv. 8/10),

 

**Current Status**: Hypnosis, Regression to Childhood, Brainwashing (Currently inactive)

 

**『Awakening (A Rank) – Temporarily increases physical abilities, granting an additional 0.1~2.0 to stats. After deactivation, acquires the status abnormality ‘Exhaustion’ proportional to activation time and additional stats.』**

 

=====

 

‘…Insane. She can increase by 2 more from here?’

 

We both gasped in surprise.

 

Her main stats, crucial for close combat, were already averaging 8 points, and they could increase further.

 

Just by looking at the numbers, she was on par with pre-regression me, my master, and top-tier S-ranks.

 

There were penalties, of course.

 

Considering the rank, she would probably need to rest for days if she maxed out.

 

But…

 

“Her stats alone put her on par with Aika.”

 

“Yeah. She could carry an S-rank gate. Even better than the Chairman.”

 

Where was the main stage for the awakened?

 

It was the gates that appeared unpredictably, teeming with all sorts of monsters. Gates.

 

Haru’s ability was suitable for S-rank gate hunts.

 

The most dangerous part of a gate was the battle with the ‘Boss Monster,’ the gate’s master.

 

Haru could carry that fight with her human-limit stats.

 

If she had to rest for a few days afterward? That wasn’t even a significant penalty.

 

S-rank gates were rare anyway.

 

She could carry us and then take a break.

 

‘I thought the Chairman’s obsession with Haru was odd….’

 

“Amazing. Truly.”

 

Recognizing her value, we couldn’t help but be in awe.

 

Haru, innocently munching on chicken in front of us.

 

She was practically an S-rank awakened one.

 

And…

 

‘Wait a minute. If she was around… why did Winterer fail to raid the academy?’

 

———Suddenly, a question struck my mind.

 

Even in the game and the first timeline, Winterer was just a villain who appeared briefly in the beginning and failed.

 

Why did she fail to raid the academy, and why did the academy end up taking Haru from her?

 

If she had used Haru’s ability and attacked cooperatively, even the Chairman couldn’t have guaranteed his life.

 

‘Haru resisted? No, with the brainwashing, she would have followed orders without question…?’

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, somewhere in Seoul. In a back alley where even light couldn’t penetrate.

 

A blue-haired girl placed her hand on the wall.

 

Then,

 

-Flash!!

 

“Prh, prhuhuh.”

 

Magic power, also known as mana, flowed through the wall.

 

It drew beautiful blue patterns.

 

Like a parasite burrowing into its host.

 

“Winterer~ How many more places are left~?”

 

“Apart from this, we can set up about four more. It’ll take about two weeks?”

 

The women behind her addressed her as ‘Winterer.’

 

…It would shock others to know.

 

The leader of the group that attacked Pentagon Academy. A first-class villain. Winterer.

 

That she was such a frail-looking girl- they would be surprised.

 

But, those who saw her eyes would understand.

 

The madness gleaming in her pupils was undoubtedly that of a lunatic.

 

She was a textbook villain, as if drawn in a picture.

 

“So… in two weeks, we’re going in again, right? This time, we kill that arrogant Chairman or whatever and create a land where we can kill as we please, right!?”

 

Her followers’ conversation was equally villainous.

 

Seol Ha-yeon, the fourth-ranked S-rank awakener and the one who single-handedly made Korea the strongest country for awakeners.

 

They were boldly declaring that they would kill her.

 

A smile spread across Winterer’s lips as well.

 

“Prh, yes. Capture her if there’s no trouble. Absolutely.”

 

“Ooo…!!!”

 

“As expected of Lady Winterer!! You’re on a whole different level compared to that doll who got caught by those bastards!!”

 

-Pause.

 

At the word ‘doll,’ her lips twitched ever so slightly.

 

But since neither she nor anyone else noticed, it didn’t matter.

 

Thus, she made a bold statement.

 

In front of the villains who shared the dream of overthrowing the country. With confidence.

 

“As long as no other S-ranks come, I can handle it alone.”

 

‘If an S-rank shows up, that’s a different story, but they won’t come. Yeah.’