Right after Scarlet left, Leon Lionel was deep in thought.

He was pondering about how to make that girl named Scarlet stronger.

At first, he thought of meeting her for personal tutoring like today, but upon further reflection, he realized there were many obstacles.

First of all, being a member of Astrafe, he only had about one day a week of free time due to his busy schedule.

Moreover, the academy, which had been on a temporary break, was about to resume normal classes, making it difficult for Scarlet to find matching hours.

On top of that, he had boasted that he would help her become stronger, which also played a role.

As his desire to provide quality guidance to a finally visible potential talent after a long time clashed with his personal ambition, he found himself mulling over these thoughts for longer.

Suddenly, a recent event from his unit flashed through Leon’s mind.

Due to a recent incident that caused significant damage in the city, more and more of his subordinates, worried about their families’ safety, were wanting to change their posts from guarding the border to positions inside the city.

However, someone had to keep watch over the border areas, so he had to go through a lot of trouble to persuade his team members to stay.

There simply weren’t enough exceptional heroes among the current ranks in Astrafe.

He felt a twinge of jealousy when he saw Yoon Si-woo entering the fourth unit, thinking that the fourth group now had a potential squad leader.

That’s why the term “training future talents” crossed Leon’s mind.

When Scarlet had mentioned that she wouldn’t even rank in the top five among first-year students, it struck him that this year’s first years were filled with students more talented than those from his own golden generation.

With that thought in mind, Leon made up his mind.

Scarlet had limited time due to her commitments at the academy.

Thus, he reasoned, if he went to the academy to teach her during his free time, wouldn’t it be a more efficient use of time?

While he was at it, if he could also guide other talented students, it would be a two-for-one deal.

Of course, all this was a rather insufficient plan on its own, so Leon decided to expand the scope and picked up his phone.

His contacts included other squad leaders.

—

Martina Ivanova, the squad leader of Astrafe’s fourth unit, was currently unable to enjoy her coffee quietly in the break room after finishing her patrol duties in the border area.

“…Why are you here?”

“Oh, come on, Martina. Don’t be so worked up. It’s not like I’m in a place I shouldn’t be, right?”

The reason for her irritation was none other than Natalia Eloise, the squad leader of the third unit, who was smiling mischievously while staring directly at her.

For Martina, Natalia was the sworn enemy who had stolen her first love.

Just seeing her face made her blood boil, and with that smirk, how could she not be annoyed?

Martina held back a tirade of curses, shooting a glare at Natalia.

“You shouldn’t be here. This place is under the jurisdiction of the fourth unit. Don’t you know leaving your post during duty is a serious crime?”

“Sorry, but I’m on leave today, so I’m free to do whatever I want.”

“You crazy woman. Why would a mother take leave and come here instead of being at home?”

As Martina vented her frustration, Natalia continued to tease with her nonchalant smile, pretending to wipe away a tear with the back of her hand.

“Boo-hoo, how cruel you are. I just wanted to see my friend during my day off…”

“If you’re going to lie, at least keep that smile off your face! And I’ve never considered you as a friend!”

“Oh, you saw right through me. True, I actually came here for something else.”

Natalia’s cheeky grin just aggravated Martina’s frown even more.

She had no idea what business Natalia could have, but it likely wouldn’t bode well.

Just when Martina was thinking of stopping Natalia from doing anything stupid, someone opened the break room door.

It was Yoon Si-woo, a new member of the fourth unit, who seemed to have just finished his shift and was looking for a place to relax.

“…Were you in the middle of something important?”

“No, no. Not at all. Just come in. It seems you finished work, so grab a coffee. I’ll make you one.”

“Ah… Thank you, Captain Martina.”

Just seeing Yoon Si-woo’s face lightened Martina’s mood, which had been sour due to Natalia, and she quickly stood up to prepare him a coffee.

Lately, her only joy had been this new recruit, Yoon Si-woo.

In a short period, he had shown such talent that people were already mentioning him as a future squad leader of the fourth unit.

Initially, she had reluctantly taken him on due to losing a draw, but now it felt like winning a jackpot.

With Natalia also present, Martina thought to brag a little and, while bringing the coffee to Yoon Si-woo, she stole a glance at Natalia, only to suddenly feel a wave of anxiety wash over her.

Natalia was looking at Yoon Si-woo like a predator eyeing its prey, grinning with intrigue.

Could it be that…

In that instant, Martina saw Natalia start to speak to Yoon Si-woo.

“Hey…”

But before Natalia could continue, Martina interrupted with a telepathic warning.

[Hey, hold it right there. What are you planning to do with our rookie?]

Using magic for telepathy, her message was saturated with seriousness. Natalia glanced at Martina and replied mentally.

[I said I was here for a purpose. I have something to discuss with Yoon Si-woo.]

Martina glared at Natalia.

[You better not be thinking of poaching our rookie for your unit. If that’s your game, I won’t forgive you.]

[Don’t worry. I would never do something so dishonest.]

[Then spill what you need from him.]

[Uh, that’s a secret. It’s a bit personal.]

Personal?

That word had a rather ominous ring to Martina’s ears.

Just as she was about to pry more into what Natalia meant, their phones vibrated simultaneously.

Breaking off their telepathic exchange, Martina glanced at her phone and murmured softly, reading the message that just arrived.

“…What’s this? I’m being asked to give a special lecture at the academy?”

In summary, the message from Leon Lionel, the captain of the first unit, suggested that squad leaders take turns to allocate time to teach students as part of a program for developing future talents.

While the intention was good, there was one significant issue.

“No matter how good the intention, asking us to use our one day off to teach the kids is a bit…”

Judging by her expression, Natalia didn’t seem very receptive to the idea either.

Having to teach kids even during days off was practically equivalent to working all year round without a break.

Martina was also in a negative frame of mind over this.

Her job was already very mentally taxing, and she believed rest was crucial for recharging.

Of course, there was also a nagging feeling that going to the academy would likely revive memories of the frustration of losing her first love to Natalia.

In the meantime, Yoon Si-woo, who had been silently observing, hesitantly spoke up, seemingly curious about the topic.

“Um, if the captain is going to teach, would it be alright if I tag along?”

“You want to use your time off to come watch me teach? Well, it’s possible, but I don’t plan on going. It looks like Natalia isn’t keen on it either.”

“…I see.”

With both Martina and Natalia expressing their lack of interest, Yoon Si-woo responded with a hint of disappointment.

Martina, wondering if he was somehow missing school too much, checked the time and realized it was almost time for her to change shifts. She stood up and said.

“Anyway, I need to go take my post. Rookie, if that woman says something weird, make sure to tell me later.”

With that, Martina left the break room.

—

“Hey, Si-woo? You know who I am, right?”

After Martina’s departure, Yoon Si-woo felt a bit uncomfortable alone with Natalia, who smiled at him and started to strike up a conversation.

“Yes. You’re Captain Natalia Eloise from the third unit.”

“Exactly. I’ve heard you’ve been getting quite a bit of recognition lately. I regret not noticing you earlier. You’re capable and good-looking; if you had joined my unit, I would have really spoiled you.”

Even though her flirtatious tone and smile made him smile back, Yoon Si-woo couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. It felt like she was stalking him.

Suddenly, he felt a sensation on his hand, causing him to flinch. Natalia was gently caressing his palm with her slender fingers.

Not knowing how to react and feeling frozen, Natalia leaned in closer, whispering softly.

“Ah, what beautiful hands. I like capable people and good-looking ones, but I especially love those who work hard. So you check all three boxes, which makes me really fond of you. You remind me of my husband.”

Yoon Si-woo felt his body stiffen as confusion enveloped him. His brain couldn’t keep up with the situation. Could this really be harassment like they said?

He had been taught as a child to shout “no,” refuse, and seek help if someone acted this way. But what should he do if it was a superior?

As those thoughts surged, Natalia released his hand and continued.

“I really like you, Si-woo. I have a proposal. How would you feel about meeting my daughter?”

“…What?”

Taken aback by the sudden proposal, Yoon Si-woo stammered in confusion. Natalia smiled softly and added.

“You must have seen her at the academy. Her name is Marin.”

“…Yes, she’s the president of Class B.”

“What was your impression of her? Pretty, right?”

Yoon Si-woo nodded slightly, recalling the girl with blue hair. Undoubtedly, she was indeed quite beautiful.

As if to preach her point, Natalia beamed with pride and continued.

“I want my daughter to find a good man early, just like I did. And I think you’re a really great guy. So, I thought it would be wonderful for you two to connect.”

Yoon Si-woo felt his face harden at that question.

Honestly, he didn’t have any desire to date anyone at the moment—except for one person.

Just as he was about to refuse firmly, Natalia added.

“Well, I’m not forcing you to date her. Just meet for a bit. If something happens, that’s good, and if not, that’s fine too. Since it’s a bit one-sided to just ask you for something, I can grant you one favor in return.”

“…So it’s just a meeting without any obligations? Regardless of the outcome?”

“Of course. I’m not that rigid. Plus, if you have a request, feel free to ask.”

Recalling their earlier conversation, Yoon Si-woo hesitated before speaking.

“Then, could you convince Captain Martina to teach at the academy?”

“Is that all? That’s easy for me. I’ll contact you later to confirm the time and place.”

As Yoon Si-woo shook Natalia’s outstretched hand, he quietly contemplated.

…After all, it’s not cheating if I’m just meeting her, right? It’s just to create more opportunities to see Scarlet naturally…

—

Time passed, and after finishing her shift, Martina was sipping one of her few pleasures, a strong cup of coffee.

Coffee is best when it’s strong!

hum hum hum she hummed to herself, recalling the earlier events and decided to call Natalia.

“Hey, I’m really curious. What did you talk about with our rookie earlier? Can’t you tell me?”

From the other end of the line, she heard a laughter-filled voice.

“Curious? It’s nothing special. I just told him to meet my daughter, and he happily agreed. If things go well, you’ll officiate, right?”

…Wait? Isn’t he into older women?

In shock, Martina let the cup slip from her hand, spilling coffee all over the floor.

Just like her mood, the spilled coffee was dark, as bitter as it was.