The Heroine Stole My Regression

46 – The Place of Exchange (4)

The students who had crossed over from Kalos to Gaon were touring the library, guided by a teaching assistant.

Grasping the basic structure of Gaon and the location of its key facilities was essential for the Kalos students who had just arrived at the Place of Exchange.

Therefore, the teaching assistant was kept busy explaining Gaon’s infrastructure.

“This is Gaon’s central library. Nearly every resource in existence is archived here… Some forbidden texts are also present, but students are not permitted access…”

The teaching assistant continued to explain, but the students’ attention had already wandered elsewhere.

Eventually, he gave a wry smile and granted them personal time. As expected of those from a magic-specialized academy, they went wild trying to read anything with pages.

“I’ll see you all back here in an hour~”

And so, individual time was allotted.

Yun Chae-ha, leaving Ju Seo-jun behind, quietly wandered through the library.

-Brush.

She skimmed a bookshelf and pulled out a volume.

*Flipp—* She lightly thumbed through it.

“Nothing special.”

Tilting her head slightly, she muttered.

Neither the content of the book nor the quality of the resources.

Compared to Kalos, nothing particularly outstanding was apparent.

She was moving on indifferently when her gaze halted on a certain spot.

In the library’s deepest recesses, bookshelves held volumes bound by thick chains and firm seals.

Forbidden texts.

Even in Callos, there were those—books handled with utmost care.

The reasons varied. Perhaps they contained knowledge too perilous, or held such research value that access was restricted.

Usually sealed with a professor’s unique magical formula, rendering them impossible to open carelessly.

But she…she was different.

A subtle luminescence flickered in her crimson eyes.

–

[Authority: A priori]

① Piercing Gaze

ㅡ Nothing can be hidden, nowhere to hide.

② A Priori Knowledge

ㅡ The essence is already determined.

③ ??? (Unreleased)

–

She analyzed the barrier.

Extending a fingertip lightly.

Ordinarily, it should have been repelled the instant it made contact.

But,

-Shhhk.

Without any resistance, her hand passed through the barrier.

Yoon Chaeha glanced around once, then effortlessly pulled out a book.

Her pupils darted with swiftness.

Each page turn imprinted sentences directly into her mind.

The content…

“…Similar.”

Even as a forbidden text, it was no different than those in Callos.

Though Gaon was supposedly special, different.

The depth of knowledge, the density of information… again, it wasn’t what she had hoped for.

It was always this way.

Things someone would champion as “the greatest.” Things someone would exalt as “extraordinary.”

The moment you see them yourself, when you scrutinize them with your own eyes—

Always, they fell short of expectations.

Her gaze pierced to the very essence.

And that essence, had never, not once, truly shone.

Yoon Chae-ha returned the book to its original place.

She stared for a long time at the spine of the book as it was swallowed by the bookshelf, then slowly, drew her gaze away.

And so, she didn’t believe anything she hadn’t witnessed with her own two eyes.

That was, the way she had lived.

Therefore, Jung Hae-in, as personally observed and judged by Yoon Chae-ha, naturally piqued her interest.

She awaited the moment of direct observation, their meeting.

‘….’

She dredged up the memory of the morning.

What had transpired this morning, at the exchange event.

The scene emerged clearly in her mind.

Before the exchange event concluded, she had encountered him.

And naturally, she opened her eyes.

Crimson pupils, catching the light.

‘…!’

–

[Authority: Shard (片鱗) of Harmony]

① Destroy the Wrong, Reveal the Right (破邪顯正)

ㅡ Shatter that which is wicked.

② ??? (Unreleased)

③ ??? (Unreleased)

–

His Authority was revealed.

‘A shard…?’

A *pyeollin* (片鱗), a shard… even academia was divided on the subject.

An unknown existence whose very method of application remained unclear, perplexing countless researchers.

He carried such fragmented pieces within him.

In that instant, her chest fluttered.

It was a sensation akin to awe and excitement.

‘Just as I thought…!’

She inwardly cheered. Just as she thought, he was different from how he’d been until now.

Unable to quite believe it, she grew even more elated, wielding her Authority with greater strength.

A Priori’s second Authority, Transcendental Knowledge.

That Authority would surely reveal the ‘essence of Jung Hae-in.’ At that moment, he too turned his head, his gaze meeting Yoon Chae-ha’s.

However,

In that instant—

-Clang!

The Authority was deflected.

“…!”

Yoon Chae-ha’s heart pounded fiercely, momentarily ceasing to beat .

There was only one reason an Authority could be blocked.

When an Authority of equal, or higher, rank intervened.

Her gaze flew to the short-haired woman standing beside Jung Hae-in.

She wore a pristine ceremonial robe.

A faint smile graced her lips as she quietly shadowed Jung Hae-in.

But Yoon Chae-ha knew.

It was she who had just deflected her ‘eye’.

As though a mother shielding her child,

She had erected an invisible barrier before Yoon Chae-ha’s gaze.

The mana emanating from her was powerful, but precisely targeted at Yoon Chae-ha herself, so that no one else noticed.

Mana strongly embodies the wielder’s intent.

It was said that those of high cultivation could glean the meaning held within mana with a single exchange.

And now,

Her mana spoke plainly.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’

An invisible boundary had been drawn.

“…”

Yoon Chae-ha turned her head slowly.

And offered a smile, unseen.

Different, truly different.

It was her first defeat.

Never before had anything obstructed her gaze.

Not once, since she was born.

But now, for the first time—it was blocked.

She analyzed her own feelings.

Dismay?

Present.

A sense of defeat?

Undeniably, that too.

However,

A feeling washed over her, greater than all of those.

Interest.

Who was this woman who had rebuffed her ‘eye’?

And what was Jung Hae-in’s true nature, that she guarded so carefully?

And so,

It was all the more intriguing.

*

‘She must be curious.’

Right now, she was likely racking her brain, pondering to the point of bursting.

This morning, Yoon Chae-ha’s orange eyes had sparkled as soon as she met my gaze.

Most likely, she had attempted to unleash her power, to grasp my essence.

Though she showed no outward sign, she had certainly read my power.

And what she had seen was…

‘A fragment.’

Something that no one in this world could possess, in this present age.

Anyone who sought knowledge as she did could not help but be consumed by curiosity.

And I…my aim was to exploit that inquisitive nature, her curiosity.

The Exchange.

In one month.

Students crossing over from Kalos to Gaon, and from Gaon to Kalos, would engage in sparring matches.

Direct combat, as well as speed runs through dungeons.

In other words, it wasn’t just a simple competition, but a practical, combat-esque rivalry.

A student participating in the exchange would be paired with a student originally from that academy.

Essentially, assigning a mentor from the host academy to the exchange student.

In short—

‘Let’s see who teaches better.’

The pride of each academy was at stake, so the attitude toward the exchange was bound to be serious.

The level of each academy was revealed by how much the student had grown.

Therefore, the arrival of Joo Seo-jun and Yoon Chae-ha, practically complete products, was nothing short of a boon for Gaon.

The students themselves chose their mentors.

The students arriving from Kalos could select anyone from Gaon they desired, with no right to refuse.

That was the official rule.

Which meant—

I waited.

For her to select me as her mentor.

*

-Clang!

-Clang!

“Huff…”

Before my eyes, Yoo Hana slumped down.

We were conducting partner training.

“Well?”

I asked her for her thoughts. About the new weapon.

What it was like to face it with a sword.

She put the back of her hand to her mouth, deliberating for a moment before finally answering.

“Certainly, it felt like there was one more avenue of attack, so there was more to pay attention to. It suits you well in many ways.”

I nodded.

“…What is it?”

But today, her skin held a strange luminescence. A smooth, almost glowing sheen. The dazzling, porcelain texture stood out with particular sharpness.

Could it be the elixir she took this morning?

I shook my head, dismissing the fleeting thought.

The sparring was over.

I raised my wrist to check the time on my watch.

Eleven o’clock.

Time to start wrapping things up.

“Alright, I guess I’ll be…”

“Where are you going?”

She picked up the camellia blossom blade from the floor.

And then channeled mana into it.

-Hummmm

The camellia blossom blade vibrated subtly, beginning to glow with a faint, crimson light.

“You have to watch me.”

Yuhana always asked me to critique her Hua Die Jian form after sparring, requesting I look at her sword dance.

In the beginning, there was much to comment on regarding her posture.

But now…

Frankly, there were no extraneous movements.

Truth be told, the reason I started training with Yuhana was to give her the strength to survive against Moras alone.

Yet she hadn’t just reached self-sufficiency, she had cleaved Moras in two.

Therefore, there was no further reason to continue the partner training.

Now, it would be better for her to ponder and struggle on her own than for me to keep instructing her.

In the future, Yuhana held the potential to forge her own, unique domain.

Now she needed to realize that herself.

-Swoosh!

I slumped down in the training grounds, staring blankly at her swordsmanship.

‘She’s good.’

That was the only impression.

It was then.

-Beep!

My smartwatch chirped.

I raised it to check the notification.

And, in that instant, a sharp, almost birdlike sound escaped my lips.

“Huh?”

✉ [Gaon]

✔ Exchange Program: You have been selected as a mentor for student Yoon Chae-ha.

✔ Please attend the orientation by 10:00 AM tomorrow.

It had arrived.

She chose me, as her mentor.

The corners of my mouth tilted upward.

Just then, Yu Hana seemed to have finished her practice sword dance.

She lightly lifted the hem of her t-shirt to wipe the sweat from her face.

For a fleeting second, a distinct set of abs caught my eye.

“How was it? Good…?”

“Well done.”

-Clap, clap, clap.

I applauded, approached her, and patted her on the shoulder.

-Tap, tap.

Then I spoke.

“Let’s stop here.”

This partner training.

I said it curtly.

“I don’t think we need it for a while, now. It would be better for you to contemplate things alone.”

If I’m mentoring, there’s a good chance I’ll have to spend the afternoons with Yoon Chae-ha, anyway.

Besides, I’ve already delivered the Camellia Blade, imparted the Butterfly Dance Blade, and achieved my goal of giving her the strength to endure Moras.

It’s right to end the partner training here. We’ll still continue with morning exercises, though.

From the beginning, the initially planned period was about two weeks. And now, it’s well past three weeks.

There was no need to drag it on any longer.

“What did you say…?”

The moment my words finished, her eyes widened.

—Clang!—

Yuhana dropped the camellia sword she was holding.

The blade struck the floor, a heavy clang of metal echoing.

Yuhana, frozen, stared at me. Her expression shifted drastically.

As if tears were about to well up in her eyes at any moment.

“Just now… what did you say?”

The tips of her fingers trembled, almost imperceptibly.