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“Unmeasurable, you say?”

Korean Hero Association Headquarters.

Team Leader Oh Tae-sik of the Measurement Management Team just arrived at the office, panting as he asked.

“Yes, we’ve escorted them to the waiting room for now.”

“Who is it? Who could possibly be unmeasurable in magic power measurement?”

It had been seven years since Jeong Gyeoul, and there hadn’t been a single case of unmeasurable magic power since then.

Thanks to that, Team Leader Oh Tae-sik had been enjoying a comfortable work life.

But today, it seemed he was going to have to write another incident report.

“Well… it’s the younger sibling of the Taebaek Guild Leader.”

“The Taebaek Guild Leader’s sibling? Is it Lee Hayan? Isn’t she only 14 now?”

“That’s correct.”

“Crazy! She awakened faster than the Demon King!”

“But she’s not the youngest, since there’s Jeong Gyeoul…”

“Are you trying to comfort me with that? Just bring out the ultra-precision measuring device!”

“But there’s also the possibility of a machine error…”

“Shut up and bring it out!”

“…Yes!”

At Oh Tae-sik’s stern command, the employees scrambled out.

The situation was unfolding very similarly to seven years ago.

After shooing the employees away, Oh Tae-sik composed himself and headed to the waiting room.

“Ms. Lee Hayan, are you here?”

“Huh? I’m Lee Hayan…”

“Ah, there you are.”

14 years old, a prodigy who awakened a year earlier than the Demon King, Lee Hayan.

As he was about to explain the re-measurement to her…

The friend sitting next to Hayan kept catching his attention.

‘Who is that? I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere…’

He almost remembered but ultimately couldn’t place who it was.

‘Oh, that’s not important right now.’

Team Leader Oh Tae-sik knelt down to meet Hayan at eye level and asked in a gentle voice.

“Did your guardian not come with you?”

“They went to the Association Head’s Office.”

He was about to continue naturally, but the woman next to Hayan smiled brightly and asked Oh Tae-sik.

“Did you come to kidnap Hayan?”

“Huh? No, it’s not like that…”

This situation felt familiar, like he had experienced it before.

Just as he was about to get lost in thought…

His duty as a team leader pulled him back to reality.

“I forgot to introduce myself. I’m sorry… I’m Oh Tae-sik, the Team Leader of the Measurement Management Team.”

“Team Leader, why are you still just a Team Leader? Do you keep getting passed over for promotions?”

“…?”

Oh Tae-sik couldn’t possibly have any acquaintance with a middle schooler.

Who on earth was she to say such a thing?

‘What a rude kid…’

His face naturally scrunched up as he was about to ask who she was.

Suddenly, a memory from seven years ago came to mind.

-“Did you come to kidnap me?”

At that moment, the middle schooler sitting there overlapped with the 7-year-old Jeong Gyeoul.

Even though their faces merged, there was no sense of incongruity.

Which meant…

“N-no way…”

“That’s right! It’s me, Gyeoul! Long time no see, Team Leader.”

The protagonist of the incident report from seven years ago.

The unmeasurable one, the youngest awakened, the Demon King’s sibling, the Little Demon King, the Witch, the Alchemist’s Beloved Doll, the Clock Tower’s Mascot.

Jeong Gyeoul, who at 14 years old held numerous titles.

14-year-old Jeong Gyeoul,

and 14-year-old Lee Hayan.

“…Are you two friends by any chance?”

“Yes! Best friends!”

Team Leader Oh Tae-sik felt his mind going blank.

Of all people, to get tangled up with the Demon King again.

It was a moment that made him consider quitting.

***

[Subject: Lee Hayan.]

[Magic Power Level: S-Class.]

[Awakening Category: Magic.]

Fortunately, Hayan received a grade in the re-measurement.

Neither physical nor psychic, but magic category.

Among the magic categories, what kind of ability she had would be revealed as she trained.

Anyway, it’s a relief she’s not a messed-up case like me, with sealed magic power.

“S, S-Class! Gyeoul!”

“Yeah, that ring confirmed S-Class, right?”

“…I can’t believe it, I’m S-Class.”

“I told you S-Class was confirmed, didn’t I?”

“I… I’m stronger than Gyeoul!”

“…?”

Why is the conversation going that way?

Is she planning to bully me or something?

Why are you opening your eyes like that?

“Gyeoul, cry for me, it’s okay to beg.”

“…Stop reading those romance novels. And even if we fought right now, I’d win. Where does an untrained S-Class get off being cocky?”

“What, you can’t win? What kind of S-Class is this…”

Even if she trained for just a week, she could probably steamroll me.

But right now, she can’t even draw out her magic power.

Even if 300 circuits are open, you still need to know how to use them.

Giving a sports car to someone who can’t even start it won’t get them anywhere.

It’s the same with awakened ones.

I was a special case, able to tinker with it from the start.

Normally, it’s said to be impossible to use magic power right after awakening.

I can only overpower Hayan for the next few days.

“…But if I train, I’ll get stronger, right?”

Hayan’s eyes narrowed as the corners of her mouth lifted.

Why do you keep opening your eyes like that…

Is my world ending?

The Association Head and Ha-yun noona rushed to the measurement room.

Simultaneously, the security inside and outside the Association was strengthened.

An S-Class hero is most vulnerable right after awakening.

It’s the moment when they need to be most careful.

Guild power struggles, villains, spies from other countries, and so on.

There are plenty of places that would view the birth of an S-Class with displeasure.

“The sixth S-Class in the country is from the Taebaek Guild. Now they can truly be called the strongest guild. Congratulations, Guild Leader Lee Ha-yoon. Congratulations, Ms. Lee Hayan.”

“Thank you, Association Head.”

“Thank you!”

The Association Head, with plenty to do thanks to the newly emerged S-Class, went back up to the Association Head’s Office.

Maybe because I teased him about being bald earlier, he didn’t even greet me.

What a petty guy. That’s why he’s bald.

“Hayan, congratulations on S-Class. And Gyeoul, thank you for always being with Hayan.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Lee Ha-yoon looked at us with teary eyes.

Right now, she wasn’t a member of the Taebaek Group or the leader of the Taebaek Guild.

She was just Lee Hayan’s older sister, Lee Ha-yoon.

“What will you do about the press? It’s not like only one or two people saw it, so even if you try to suppress it, it’ll come out soon.”

“I have no intention of hiding Hayan’s S-Class awakening. I’ve already discussed it with Hayan. I’m thinking of holding a press conference as early as tomorrow.”

Hayan is the youngest daughter of the Taebaek Group.

The younger sibling of the Taebaek Guild Leader.

She’s been inseparable from the media since she was young.

That’s why her reaction was cooler than expected.

I ran away to England…

It’s truly a shameful situation.

“So, Gyeoul.”

“Yes?”

“I want to entrust a request to the Demon King. Until Hayan can handle her magic power, I want you to guard her…”

Lee Ha-yoon is one of the few people who knows that I’m the only one who can control Jeong Ha-yul.

As expected. She came to request Hayan’s protection.

Having another S-Class in our country means our national power itself is boosted.

Who knows what kind of nonsense some country, group, or organization might try?

There are places like the CIA, famous for their stupid antics.

It’s only natural for Lee Ha-yoon to be worried.

“Then how about having Hayan stay at our house?”

If it’s just a protection request, Jeong Ha-yul has no reason to refuse.

Especially since it’s about my friend.

But if Lee Ha-yoon is asking me directly…

It seems she wants us to teach Hayan how to handle her magic power.

The Demon King is a hero who graduated from the Clock Tower.

And I’m an elite who’s been taking classes at the Clock Tower since B-Class.

I haven’t just been playing around all this time.

I’ve been diligently attending classes and training.

In the meantime, three layers of seals have naturally broken.

I haven’t had my magic power measured, but I’m confident I’m at least C-Class.

“I won’t forget this favor. Thank you so much.”

It couldn’t have been easy to make such a request to her sibling’s friend.

Lee Ha-yoon was a cool older sister.

“So, I’m living at Gyeoul’s place now?”

“Yeah, for about two weeks? Is that okay?”

“I’m fine with it!”

Under the protection of the Taebaek Guild members summoned by Lee Ha-yoon, we returned to Infinite Cheongdam.

“…So Hayan became S-Class, is staying at our house, I have to guard her, and teach her how to use her magic power? And you decided all that on your own without consulting anyone and brought her here?”

“…Yeah, that’s about it.”

What.

Is this not okay?

Jeong Gyeoul, second in command at the Demon King’s house.

Am I being pushed aside like this!

“It’s fine since it’s Hayan, but next time, make sure to discuss it with me first. Got it?”

“Yes! Noona!”

Fortunately, Hayan, who trusted me enough to follow me here, wasn’t kicked out.

“I’ll be in your care, Hero Jeong Ha-yul.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it.”

While Hayan is staying at our house,

the Taebaek Guild will cover all the expenses at our house.

…This is a jackpot.

I could almost picture Lee Ha-yoon fainting again when she sees the bill.

Did she know how much our monthly expenses are before making that promise?

Just food and snacks alone cost over ten million won…

Well, that’s not my problem.

***

“Ugh!”

“Gyeoul! Hang in there!”

“…”

No matter how many magic circuits opened upon awakening, is this really fair?!

This is like…

Well, magic arm wrestling, I guess.

We’re materializing each other’s magic power and trying to overpower the other.

They said it’s not just about the amount of magic power.

If it were, I wouldn’t have even tried.

It’s about the speed of using magic power, control, and so on.

It’s a game that tests everything overall.

So why am I losing?!

Bang—

After holding out for about five minutes, my magic power finally collapsed.

“Now I have to protect Gyeoul. Gyeoul is a weak kid.”

“…”

Bang—

Hayan forcibly grabbed my collapsed magic power, pulled it up, and slammed it back down.

Bang—

Once more.

Bang—

And again.

Bang bang bang bang—

Crash crash crash bang—

After grabbing my dying magic power and slamming it down dozens of times, she smiled contentedly.

“…Hayan, do you have a grudge against me?”

“Huh? No! Nothing like that! It’s just fun!”

Her eyes are slightly crazy.

Fuck.

Someone get me out of here…

 

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