NoveLight ™
It was utterly bewildering.
Hong Yeonhwa's action had come so suddenly.
During the ongoing banquet, she approached me with subtlety. I didn't think much of it, having become accustomed to her suddenly appearing by my side.
And then, Hong Yeonhwa stretched out her arm, draped it over my shoulder, and pulled me into her embrace.
In that brief moment, I struggled to grasp what had just happened.
[Warmth] [Softness] [Gentle Pressure]
Yet, the soft, snug sensation supporting my body and the gradually rising warmth made the reality of the situation sink in.
To be frank, the act itself wasn’t all that surprising.
Odd as it sounds, I’d found myself in Hong Yeonhwa’s embrace quite often before.
Usually, I’d collapse somewhere, lying there groaning, only to be found by her and gathered up into her arms.
In such instances, she would cradle me, petting and comforting me—it happened more often than one might think.
[Lady Hong Yeonhwa?]
“Yes. Why?”
[There are many eyes on us…]
But those instances had always taken place when it was just the two of us.
In private spaces, where there were no witnesses and no potential for rumors.
This was different.
Conscious of my flushed face, I scanned the surroundings using Observation Power.
No less than hundreds of gazes were directed at us. It had been that way ever since I entered the hall.
These were branch members and affiliates of the Guhwa family… people of influence, invited to this regular banquet.
In other words, they were capable of spreading entertaining gossip with incredible speed.
I quietly called out to Hong Yeonhwa, and she responded as if nothing were amiss, as if there was no reason to be uncomfortable.
Her reaction, as if she were oblivious to the stares around us, left me momentarily bewildered.
I shifted my shoulder slightly, the one she was holding onto, to get my message across more pointedly.
After a moment’s thought, she subtly adjusted her hand.
“Eek.”
[Tickle]
Her hand began stroking my shoulder, sending a shiver through my body.
The touch was both soft and tickling.
When I tensed at her touch, she pulled me even closer, as if seizing the opportunity.
The gazes around us turned all the more peculiar.
Perhaps Hong Yeonhwa sensed it too. Though her face was flushed, she didn’t withdraw her arm.
Only then did I realize that she was fully aware of the stares around us and still chose to act this way.
It was baffling.
Until now, Hong Yeonhwa had always been conscious of others’ gazes when interacting with me.
At the academy, for instance, her gestures were limited to brushing my hair or gently patting my cheek whenever others were present.
She’d never acted this overtly before.
The rush of heat in my head left me feeling lightheaded.
And that wasn’t the only thing. This was a banquet, after all, with food and drinks aplenty… including alcohol.
It was the Guhwa family’s main banquet. Nothing had been skimped on, and the drinks seemed to be high-quality.
Surrounded by these potent drinks, I didn’t feel my best.
It was like the after-party at the Tower of Growth—I felt foggy, like my head was wrapped in mist.
With my face already warm, the fog only grew denser.
“You’ll be fine.”
Hong Yeonhwa patted my shoulder as she spoke.
I blinked at her words.
"You’ll be fine."
She offered no explanation for why everything would be fine.
In the midst of all those stares.
Even while holding me close and knowing people would talk, she assured me without a second thought.
‘You’ll be fine…’
Yet hearing it from her made my racing heart settle somewhat.
There was trust, faith.
Hong Yeonhwa would never deliberately do anything to harm me.
If she was acting this way, aware of the attention, she must have her reasons.
I stopped shifting my shoulder.
Instead, I let myself relax into her touch, leaning into her embrace.
Hong Yeonhwa continued to greet the visitors in this position.
It was the same as before.
Choi Jiyeon led the conversation, the guests responded, and Hong Yeonhwa only occasionally spoke when a question was directed at her.
If the person in front of us glanced my way, she would simply stroke or pat my shoulder as if to reassure me.
.
.
.
After some time had passed, the banquet finally approached its end.
Both Choi Jiyeon and Hong Yeonhwa had greeted all the guests who attended.
The participants had had more than enough time for their own discussions.
“It must be a tiresome time for all. Conversing for hours on end is no easy task.”
Choi Jiyeon spoke, drawing everyone’s attention. All eyes focused on her as she introduced the close of the banquet.
What followed was the customary expression of gratitude.
Thank you for gracing us with your presence. Let’s continue these gatherings in the future. I hope you’ll be present again next time. Let’s maintain our good relations, and so on…
As a family that doesn’t favor formalities, the Guhwa family kept such remarks brief.
“Since the head of the family is absent, Hong Yeonhwa, the heir, will handle the closing.”
“Please wait here.”
With that, Hong Yeonhwa gently released her hand from my shoulder and stepped away.
She climbed the platform with unhesitating, confident steps.
The closing ceremony of the regular banquet was conducted by the head pouring the Guhwa Fire into the Bonghwa Sword.
Since the head was absent, the heir, Hong Yeonhwa, took on that responsibility.
A single sword was embedded into the platform, its blade appearing as if made from transparent glass.
It looked like it would shatter with a mere kick.
But I knew from both original lore and the real-time information I observed that it was far more durable than it appeared.
The Bonghwa Sword.
The signature weapon of the Guhwa family head, created to contain and amplify the wild, fierce Guhwa Fire.
I remembered Hong Yeonhwa wielding the Bonghwa Sword in the original story.
It wasn’t just the power boost she gained from the sword—there was another reason it stuck in my mind.
The main material for the blade was a mana crystal of a level-3 or higher monster with a fire attribute.
The supplementary materials included various high-purity gemstones, all brimming with powerful mana…
Such high-purity gemstones were impossible to buy, even with money.
The mana crystals of level-3 or higher monsters couldn’t be bought at all, classified as strategic assets.
One of those could power several mana plants by itself.
In essence, the Bonghwa Sword was crafted with materials worth more than a fortress.
Hong Yeonhwa unsheathed the Bonghwa Sword without delay.
The sword, embedded in the platform, came out smoothly, without resistance.
The Bonghwa Sword wasn’t selective about its wielder. It wasn’t impossibly heavy, so even an ordinary person could hold it.
With both hands on the hilt, Hong Yeonhwa raised the sword, pointing it skyward.
The transparent blade briefly reflected an orange glow, catching the light of the lanterns.
Flames enveloped the blade.
The Guhwa Fire surged from Hong Yeonhwa’s grip, swirling violently, then pouring into the transparent blade in a roaring vortex.
As she poured more power into it, the Guhwa Fire’s intensity increased.
The surrounding area heated up.
The spectators murmured in awe as they felt the power of the Guhwa Fire radiate through the hall.
‘Oh…’
I, too, marveled inwardly.
It was entirely different from the Guhwa Fire I’d sensed at the beginning of the semester. The intensity was on a new level.
No doubt, overcoming the Tower of Growth and its trial of fire had had a significant effect.
A sudden breeze arose. Sparks followed the wind’s path, swirling around Hong Yeonhwa.
Her outer garment, draped over her shoulders, flared with the wind, and the sparks danced, drawn toward the blade.
The Bonghwa Sword devoured the endless flow of Guhwa Fire.
The once-transparent blade gradually turned a deep red, engorged with flames.
But.
The flames didn’t continue endlessly.
At a certain point, Hong Yeonhwa exhaled deeply, reigning in the fire.
The towering pillar of Guhwa Fire wavered, then vanished in an instant.
The Bonghwa Sword drank up the final tendrils of flame.
The blade, glowing red-hot, trembled with a faint resonance, before slowly returning to its original, glass-like transparency.
The Bonghwa Sword, once wielded by the ancestor Hong Yeon, had yet to choose a new master.
Though I didn’t know the exact mechanics, it was likely because it had been tainted by Hong Yeon’s Guhwa Fire.
For this reason, the sword was used as a ceremonial weapon during family events.
“Whew…”
Hong Yeonhwa, having stopped the Guhwa Fire’s release, let out an excited breath. She was likely working to calm the heightened emotions from unleashing such potent Guhwa Fire.
This wasn’t a battle, but a ceremony to imbue the Bonghwa Sword with Guhwa Fire.
So, she’d poured her power into it without restraint, unlike in combat.
As she worked to control her emotions, Hong Yeonhwa glanced my way. The complicated, intense gaze in her eyes made me tilt my head.
Her gaze grew even more intense. She closed her eyes tightly, then spun the sword.
With a practiced movement, she drove the sword back into its original position on the platform.
Like gears locking into place, the Bonghwa Sword slid back smoothly.
Under ordinary circumstances, this would mark the end of the closing ceremony.
Choi Jiyeon spoke.
“With that, we officially close this regular—”
The guests, expecting this, were prepared to applaud.
“—Before that, there is news to share with the bloodline of the Guhwa.”
The applause didn’t come. Those who had been ready to clap paused, blinking and exchanging glances.
“What have you heard?” was the unspoken question, yet no one could answer.
I followed the cue, stepping forward as directed.
In the silence, my footsteps drew all eyes.
Every gaze bore down on me as I climbed the platform.
Seeing me suddenly stepping up, the guests’ expressions were… expected?
“?”
Rather than puzzled, they nodded knowingly.
Momentarily thrown by their reactions, I stopped in my tracks.
In my haze, I couldn’t quite grasp why they seemed to be anticipating this.
I looked to Choi Jiyeon, who nodded at me.
The Guhwa family had always been more inclined to prove things through actions rather than words.
For this confirmation, they’d chosen to do just that.
“......”
Hong Yeonhwa took a few steps back from the Bonghwa Sword.
The Guhwa Fire within her still seemed unsettled.
Perhaps she was struggling to control her emotions.
Considering how her Guhwa Fire had been flickering throughout the banquet, maybe her condition wasn’t optimal.
Or she simply hadn’t fully adapted to the surge in both power and emotional intensity.
I stepped up to the Bonghwa Sword in her place and grasped its hilt.
The sword came free smoothly, just as before.
The once red-hot blade had cooled, returning to its transparent appearance.
I discreetly cast Observation around me.
The eyes watching me showed an expectation, without any real surprise.
“......”
Feeling somewhat disappointed, I began to draw out my mana.
Mana Affinity Expansion Homogenization...
‘Guhwa Fire.’
Whoosh! Flames clung to the blade.
The Guhwa Fire burst forth from my right arm, wrapping around the Bonghwa Sword.
The transparent blade and the orange-tinted hall were painted in deep crimson.
“......”
A reaction of calm expectancy.
“......?”
Then, a faint flicker of surprise.
“......!”
And finally, wide eyes brimming with astonishment.
Now this was a normal reaction.
In my lingering daze, the satisfaction felt almost childish.
* * *
[Player Correction System: Emotional State Measurement]
▶Current State ...
「Guilt」: Feeling responsible for a wrong committed
「Fulfillment」: Full to the brim with purpose
「Warmth」: A sense of affection, gentleness, or comfort
「Intoxication」: Light-headedness, likely from alcohol
「Heightened Emotions」: Emotions are at their peak
Tq