Revenge with the Power of the Final Boss-Chapter 71: Stage Set

"Hello, Mr. Kim Ho-jun and Ms. Seomun Ye-jin. It’s truly an honor to meet two people I respect so much! My name is Moriya Yuka. I’ve been selected as a candidate for admission to the Kangin Academy and will be taking the test today!"

"I... I’m Kang Yu-ra. I’ve also been selected as an admission candidate."

Following Moriya Yuka’s introduction, Kang Yu-ra introduced herself.

Standing before me now were two heroines from the original novel: Moriya Yuka and Kang Yu-ra.

Although they hailed from different countries, Yuka and Yu-ra, with their similar names, shared a certain resemblance in appearance while maintaining distinct differences.

Moriya Yuka had white hair and golden eyes.

Kang Yu-ra had silver hair and red eyes.

Their similarities extended beyond just their appearances or names.

Both had ice as their primary elemental attribute. However, while Moriya Yuka also wielded wind as a secondary attribute and skillfully utilized the darkness attribute as a support, Kang Yu-ra focused exclusively on ice and lightning.

Despite their similar strengths, their personalities were both similar and contrasting.

Moriya Yuka was outwardly lively and proactive, but she carried a vulnerable heart, harboring deep pain for her older brother, Moriya Yuji, who had been marginalized by their family due to his lack of talent.

In contrast, Kang Yu-ra, while appearing introverted and fragile, possessed unyielding inner strength. She was driven by a singular determination: to avenge her parents and reclaim her mother, Yoon Ji-hye’s, remains.

In the original work, the contrast between these two characters had always been an intriguing dynamic.

And now, the reason these two stood before me was entirely due to Moriya Yuka’s goodwill toward Kang Yu-ra.

Having noticed that Yu-ra sought something from me, Yuka had brought her over to establish a connection between us. Under the pretext of introducing herself as a member of the Moriya family, Yuka ensured there was no downside to creating a rapport with me.

However, her primary motive wasn’t personal gain—it was her consideration for Kang Yu-ra.

Given that this was their first meeting, her actions could be seen as an extraordinary gesture of goodwill.

‘She’s unexpectedly a heroine with clear preferences.’

While Yuka’s kindness might have surprised Kang Yu-ra, her judgment of people was discerning.

She instinctively categorized people into those she liked and those she didn’t. From the outset, Kang Yu-ra had passed Yuka’s criteria.

"You both seem exceptionally talented. I look forward to seeing great achievements from you," I said.

As the headmaster of the Kangin Academy, I offered them a light, encouraging remark in response to their greetings.

If you have something to request of me, send me a message later.I conveyed this directly into Kang Yu-ra’s mind. She looked at me in surprise, seemingly shocked that I already understood her intentions.

"Moriya Yuka, Kang Yu-ra. I look forward to seeing you both at the academy," I continued.

"Yes! Leave it to us," Yuka replied enthusiastically.

"Yes!" Yu-ra echoed.

Moriya Yuka appeared satisfied, seeing that Kang Yu-ra seemed content. Meanwhile, Kang Yu-ra was visibly delighted at the prospect of meeting with me privately.

***

On the second day of the Kangin Academy entrance exams, Baek Seo-jin had been active since early morning.

‘I need to relay this to Se-hee and Ha-yeon.’

Since he assumed both were currently in Gaeseong, Seo-jin had sent them a message early in the morning. Soon after, he received replies from both Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon.

We’re at XX Café right now.It’s across from the Kangin Department Store’s Branch No. 2 in Gaeseong. You know the spot, right? That’s where we are.Upon receiving the location, Baek Seo-jin promptly headed toward his destination.

Arriving at the café to have an important discussion with Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon, he spotted the two sitting inside, sipping coffee and having breakfast.

‘Really? You’re eating already?’

He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment. It would’ve been nice if they had waited for him to eat together.

However, knowing that both were Hunters with higher-than-average appetites, he rationalized that they must have been too hungry to wait. Seo-jin walked over and took a seat across from them.

"Good morning, Se-hee. Ha-yeon," he greeted.

"Morning," Se-hee replied curtly.

"Good morning," Ha-yeon added in a similar tone.

Their greetings lacked enthusiasm, but Seo-jin wasn’t bothered. He was used to their typical behavior.

Lee Ha-yeon, ever conscious of scandals, kept her distance, while Han Se-hee only acted prickly toward him—a hallmark of their usual dynamic.

"Is this about something important? Early morning meetings are a bit much," Ha-yeon remarked.

Despite having received his message the previous day, they still questioned if the matter was urgent. Seo-jin sighed, wondering at their obliviousness.

‘Their lack of caution is as bad as ever. Both of them were kidnapped at 15, yet they’ve learned nothing.’

Worried about their recklessness, Seo-jin nodded. "I’ll set up a mana barrier for privacy."

"Sure, go ahead," Se-hee replied nonchalantly.

Activating a soundproof mana barrier to prevent their conversation from being overheard, Seo-jin turned his attention to the two.

Even this early in the morning, their radiant beauty was enough to leave an impression. It was no surprise that the attention of the café’s patrons was drawn to them.

Dressed in simple dresses rather than combat gear or everyday attire, their fresh and innocent charm seemed even more pronounced.

Han Se-hee’s kind and warm demeanor, paired with Lee Ha-yeon’s elegant and poised presence, created a synergy that amplified their appeal.

Yet, despite their charms, Baek Seo-jin kept his feelings firmly in check.

‘I have to save Ye-jin noona first.’

Until the day he could save Seomun Ye-jin, his first love, and make her his wife, he didn’t consider himself worthy of liking anyone else.

No matter how attractive the women he encountered were, Seo-jin was confident he could restrain himself.

"Let’s see," he said, picking up the menu to order breakfast.

"This looks good. An omelet with sausage, bacon, mushrooms, and thinly sliced tomatoes. And I’ll have a black coffee—no sugar or cream," he decided.

As Seo-jin made his choice, both Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon, who had been drinking their coffee, suddenly paused mid-sip.

Noticing their strange reaction, Seo-jin gave them a puzzled look.

"What’s wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," Se-hee replied, brushing it off.

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"It’s nothing important. Don’t mind us," Ha-yeon added.

"...Alright," Seo-jin responded, though still curious.

***

"That startled me."

"Seriously, I was caught off guard."

Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon had instinctively reacted to Baek Seo-jin’s menu choice with surprise.

And it was no wonder—the breakfast he ordered was identical to the one his older brother, Baek Seo-jun, used to order whenever he came to this café.

Despite their vastly different upbringings, and even though they were estranged enemies, it seemed brothers shared similar tastes in food.

After selecting his meal, Baek Seo-jin stood up, placed the order himself, and returned to the table. The soundproof mana barrier he had set up ensured that even if he spoke during the order, no sound would escape.

"Since I’ve already blocked the sound with mana, let’s get straight to the point," he said as he sat down.

"Alright," Han Se-hee replied without enthusiasm.

Both Se-hee and Ha-yeon had anticipated what Seo-jin was going to say, and they had already resolved to respond as planned.

"Don’t trust Kim Ho-jun," Seo-jin stated flatly.

As expected, his words did not deviate from their predictions.

"And why not?" Se-hee asked, suppressing the rising wave of irritation in her voice.

‘Who are you to talk about Seo-jun oppa like that...?’

Knowing all too well what Baek Hyung-won and Kim Yoo-jung had done to Baek Seo-jun, Han Se-hee had to work hard to keep her anger in check yet again.

***

March 4th

The day before the Kangin Academy’s entrance ceremony.

"Headmaster, we’re counting on you."

"Headmaster, we’ll do our best under your leadership."

Both the Academy’s instructors and the professors teaching theoretical subjects showed their respect with formal greetings.

The reason for this was simple.

‘I raised their salaries by 20% to lighten the mood.’

Since I had accumulated a fair amount of personal wealth, I framed the salary increase as a celebration of my appointment as headmaster. Kangin Academy’s instructors and professors alike received a generous 20% raise.

While instructors could earn additional income by clearing dungeons, many theory-focused professors were non-combatants. They greatly appreciated the pay bump and had no complaints.

‘This ensures no unnecessary gossip will spread.’

Among the newly established programs, I had introduced a set of classes for first-year students taught directly by the headmaster.

These classes were a stage—a meticulously crafted one—to elevate Baek Seo-jin before ultimately orchestrating his fall.

‘I still feel guilty toward Ha-yeon, though.’

In the process of setting up my revenge, sacrifices had been inevitable.

Baek Seo-jin was declared the top scorer in the entrance exams. To maintain the storyline from the original novel, I had asked Lee Ha-yeon to deliberately adjust her strength to fall just short of Seo-jin’s.

Had she not done so, Seo-jin would have ranked second in the entrance results, which could have disrupted my plans for revenge.

As compensation for her cooperation, I had made sure Ha-yeon was well satisfied over the past few days—with various methods that left her in an exceedingly content mood.