SRS 92

“By oath, prove your identity.”

As the upperclassmen, carrying Yohan’s group, arrived at the West Tower and recited a spell in front of the barrier, the transparent barrier briefly glowed, allowing the upperclassmen to enter.

“You said Room 304?”

Once inside the barrier, they weren’t heading toward the entrance but weaving through the air. The griffin reached the floor of the dormitory where Yohan was staying, and tapped on the window with its beak.

“Please decrypt the password. We’re outsiders, so we can’t open the window.”

“Ah.”

At the seniors’ request, Yohan reached out to the Room 304 dorm window.

“There is no soul.”

Yohan murmured, as if the password for the door to room 304 also applied to the window, and the latch immediately turned and the closed window opened wide.

“Up we go.”

The griffin landed on the windowsill, and the seniors lowered Yohan and his friends one by one into the dorm.

“Thank you.”

They had been at a loss for how to get back, but thanks to them, the trip had been comfortable. Yohan bowed his head and politely expressed his gratitude. The seniors scratched their heads and glanced at each other.

“Ahem. Ahem… No, we’re the ones who received quite a bit of help from you.”

“Thanks for the help, first-years. I gave you the token, so don’t forget to use it.”

“Yes. If we need help, we’ll come find you.”

Yohan fiddled with the gem in his hand as he saw the seniors off.

The ones who had safely delivered the juniors soared into the sky once more on their griffins.

“See you then!”

“If we can meet again, let’s do that!”

“Don’t go into places like the closed chamber next time!”

“Beware of Professor Phantom Sword Master!”

The seniors gave valuable advice as they departed. Yohan, who had meticulously absorbed all of it, only sighed and closed the window after his seniors had completely disappeared from his sight.

Judging by the dawn hour, it meant less than a full day had passed since entering the closed chamber, yet he couldn’t understand why he felt so exhausted. The day had felt like a whole week.

“…Did we pass roll call?”

“I’m sure the professor took care of it.”

“…I doubt he would have left it there irresponsibly.”

As Suhyeok muttered with a sense of foreboding, Mikael and Kylus denied the student’s anxiety. Meanwhile, Yohan’s mind was blank, unable to think of anything beyond his immediate impulse.

“I want to wash up.”

As he murmured with unfocused eyes, the other friends agreed. Everyone was in a state of disarray after facing the Phantom Sword Master.

Mikael’s uniform hem was stained with dirt, while Kylus and Suhyeok had torn sleeves. Yohan’s shirt was soaked with coughed-up blood, and he was in terrible condition.

“Yes, let’s wash up first.”

Those who noticed each other’s serious expressions reached out and started playing rock-paper-scissors. Yohan, who came in last, stood by until they had washed up, and only when it was his turn did he enter the bathroom and shower.

“Ugh…!”

As he lay his cleansed body on the bed, he found himself groaning. His whole body was already aching, and he felt like he’d wake up with some serious muscle pain.

-Porong, porong.

Yohan’s spirit drained the water from his wet head.

“…Thank you.”

I didn’t know it could do this too.

Yohan glanced sideways at the spirit, who had removed the moisture from his hair and turned it into a giant water droplet with a curious look.

It was a tough day, but seeing the spirit made the corners of his mouth relax.

Yes, it wasn’t a day without any gains.

He had even contracted with an mid-level spirit.

“Since I made an early contract with the spirit, I guess I’ll get a good score in Spirit Studies?”

“…….”

The other students looked tired at the muttered words filled with pride.

“Even after hearing that from the seniors, you still want to get high grades?”

“That story?”

“The successor story.”

“Ah.”

Yohan sighed, then quickly caressed the spirit who was clinging to his cheek and acting cute.

“…I think it will be fine with Professor Shinbi. They say good-aligned spirits only follow benevolent beings. Since there are many good-aligned spirits around the professor… I don’t think she’ll do anything bad.”

Professor Shinbi seemed to have a somewhat blunt way of thinking, but she seemed to be a gentle person by nature. When he voiced his opinion, believing it to be a valid point, both Kylus and Mikael shook their heads. Yohan felt a little aggrieved by their “You’re hopeless” attitude, but he didn’t say anything.

It was because his eyes kept closing.

As the tension subsided, he was overcome by the day’s fatigue, making his eyelids heavy. Unable to resist, Yohan closed his eyes and succumbed to the waves of sleep crashing over him.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

“Yohan! I heard the news! Your room joined the guard squad?”

“You went into the closed chamber! How was it? Really dark?”

“Oh… You all look tired after just one day. The test must have been really hard.”

“Seniors! You met seniors, right? How were they? Reliable? More dependable than the seniors who got caught during Herbology class?”

The next day, he headed to the Sky Garden for his gymnastics lesson with his griffin, and in an instant, a sea of first-year students surrounded the members of Room 304, peppering them with questions. Yohan’s pupils shook as questions poured in from all directions, each voice asking a different question. He groaned and put his hand on his forehead.

“…My head is pounding, so can’t you speak one by one?”

He pleaded in a small voice, but perhaps because it was too quiet, the students wouldn’t calm down. As if his voice had been drowned out, his friends acted without a care, prompting Yohan to close his eyes.

Splash!

“Ahh!”

“What is this?”

“Damn it! Another professor attack!”

“Or a monster?”

Suddenly, a torrent of water poured down from the air. The first-year students, who had been turned into drowning rats in an instant, scrambled to find the culprit.

“…….”

On the other hand, Yohan and his friends in room 304, were soft and fluffy without a single drop of water on them, they quietly moved away from the excited students and exchanged glances with each other.

Thanks to this largely intentional exclusion, it was immediately clear whose doing this was.

‘It’s the spirit.’

‘It’s the spirit.’

‘Yohan, is this your spirit’s doing?’

‘… Maybe.’

Yohan silently agreed with the gaze of his friends. Judging by the sensation of a wave passing through his body, the spirit must have drawn upon its power.

Fortunately, its form is hidden.

All they did was enter the closed chamber, take the Phantom Sword Master’s test, and meet seniors….

Hmm, it’s not that simple after all.

Anyway, the students were already noisy enough just because of that, so if news of the contract with the spirit got out, the repercussions would definitely be huge.

Thump, thump, thump.

As if they had agreed on it, Suhyeok, Kylus, and Mikael simultaneously grabbed Yohan’s shoulders and arms.

“I think it’ll be twice as noisy here once it becomes known that you made a contract with a spirit, right?”

“It’s not even just a spirit. If it’s known that it’s a mid-level water spirit, there’ll be quite a stir.”

“…Hmm.”

He couldn’t deny their words. As Yohan frowned and pondered, Mikael offered gentle advice.

“Let’s hide it for now.”

“…Hmm.”

It was an offer that could not be refused.

But unfortunately, contrary to the wishes of the members of Room 304, including Yohan, the plan to hide the spirit did not last long.

“Oh my, Student Yohan. Did you make a contract with a spirit? I can feel the spirit’s power from you!”

As soon as the second period class began, Professor Shinbi came into the classroom and was so shocked when she saw Yohan that she revealed the truth.

“What? A contract?”

“Already?”

“Huh? How can you do that without even going to the Spirit Realm?”

At the professor’s shout, all the students taking the Spirit Studies class turned their attention to Yohan’s seat.

“…….”

Yohan, who was sweating profusely, forced himself to avoid their gaze and stared at the desk. Mikael sighed, as if things had become troublesome.

Unaware or perhaps aware of their troubled hearts, Professor Shinbi smiled brightly and approached Yohan’s seat.

“Can you show me which spirit you contracted with? I have a rough idea, but… I thought your friends might be curious.”

“…….”

It was a lively and gentle voice. Yet, it felt so bizarrely malevolent. How could such a gentle voice, without being possessed by a demon, come across so maliciously?

Yohan unconsciously looked at Professor Shinbi with resentment, then realized his own attitude a beat later and was startled.

…Let’s clear your mind. If I keep going like this, it wouldn’t be strange if I were to get possessed by a demon.

Feeling alarmed, Yohan muttered to himself, took a deep breath, and raised his head. He felt a burden as he faced the countless eyes fixed on him. He then turned to Professor Shinbi. She nodded with a bright expression, as if to say, “It is fine.”

Yohan had no choice but to spread his palms.

“Undine.”

At the whisper, a spray of water rose above Yohan’s palm, revealing a mid-level water spirit.

Professor Shinbi cupped both of her cheeks at the sight of the spirit peeking out from above the small waves.

“Oh my… I didn’t expect it, but it really is a mid-level spirit?”

“Huh?”

Professor Shinbi’s words of admiration sent a ripple through the Spirit Studies classroom.

It was the outcome that Yohan least wanted.

But there was one incident that he really did not want to happen… .

“Hmm….”

The harbinger was the suspicious look in Professor Shinbi’s eyes as she looked at Yohan.