Why Did I Have to Enroll
Chapter 210:

Why Did I Have to Enroll - Chapter 210

Lesson 41. Paper Please - 5

With about two weeks left of the vacation, Yumina reached out to me.

[Yumina ― Things aren’t going to be as easy as we thought.]

[Yumina ― Unlike Luciel Ortima, Ulrike Prominence wears a pretty convincing mask even at the academy. You might find it hard to believe after what happened, but… fortunately, the Constellation’s rampage has overshadowed the personal motives of the head of the family.]

[Me ― Why is the story turning out like this? The sequence seems completely reversed.]

[Yumina ― It’s natural for judgments about events one hasn’t experienced directly to be based on the most noticeable information. Especially when the core information of the event is hidden, it’s even easier to make a wrong judgment.]

The noticeable information, of course, was the meteor shower caused by the Constellation’s rampage. The hidden information was the very existence of Ban Yu-mi. Prominence, who outwardly claims the legitimacy of those currently ruling the family, could never let it be known that the rightful heir, Ban Yu-mi, had fled with her knight and lived on Earth until now.

The Constellation’s rampage was indeed because of Ban Yu-mi, but with the core information missing, how could anyone properly judge the situation?

[Yumina ― There’s another piece of revealed information, isn’t there? The fact that a barrier has been placed around Earth.]

Ban Yu-won slapped his forehead.

[Me ― I see. So, Earth is seen as a special star, and the Constellation targeted it and failed. Is that roughly how it’s being perceived?]

[Yumina ― Exactly. Because of that, Earth is getting attention… In that sense, your sister deciding to leave Earth was a good decision.]

[Me ― Considering that we don’t know when the barrier might disappear, well, that’s true.]

In reality, unless something significant happens, the barrier won’t disappear, and staying on Earth would be the safest choice for Ban Yu-mi. Prominence is probably feeling quite troubled by now. Initially, they wanted to handle things quietly, but the head of the family made a big deal out of it because of one man, and even the supporting Constellation went on a rampage.

[Yumina ― Still, it’s a good thing for us. If the conflict escalates, in the worst case, the followers of Ten Thousand Flames might split from Prominence. Then, no matter how powerful Ulrike Prominence is, they won’t be able to act as they please.]

[Me ― It’s fortunate they targeted our dimension first.]

[Yumina ― No, it’s not.]

No? What? Could it be that other dimensions where Rebellion members live have already faced the same invasion as Earth?

As Ban Yu-won was about to send a message after quickly assessing the situation, Yumina sent a message even faster.

[Yumina ― Everyone’s safe, so don’t worry.]

[Yumina ― Our members helped. No.2 and No.9 did.]

[Me ― I wondered why they left so quickly without even saying goodbye.]

If those two monsters were involved, protecting an entire dimension would be a piece of cake. I wanted to ask Yumina which dimension they were from, but she probably wouldn’t know either.

[Me ― As long as nothing happens during the rest of the vacation, that’s fine. As I mentioned… once school starts, I’ll confront that woman directly.]

[Yumina ― I told you it wouldn’t be that easy.]

[Me ― Do you have any plans in mind?]

[Yumina ― It’s about using the school festival.]

There it is! The school event that, despite its curriculum and founding purpose being unlike any existing educational institution, somehow pretends to be an ordinary school!

[Yumina ― At the Union Foundation Festival, various events are held, but the most famous is the masquerade ball.]

[Me ― Wait, my eyes aren’t deceiving me, right?]

[Yumina ― It’s called a masquerade ball, but it’s actually a competition where a pair of a man and a woman team up and compete against other teams.]

[Me ― There’s no mask or ball involved, then?]

[Yumina ― The mask is a metaphor. It means to judge based on pure skill, not one’s background.]

I see. While I still don’t understand the term “ball” attached to it, I get that it carries a meaningful intention.

[Yumina ― Oh, but according to the competition rules, you do have to wear a mask. It won’t hide your identity, though.]

[Me ― A perfect example of putting the cart before the horse… So, what’s the significance of this masquerade ball?]

[Yumina ― Actually, there’s a special match where you can challenge someone directly.]

[Me ― That’s taking the cart before the horse to a whole new level!]

After all those seemingly reasonable explanations, they end with a direct challenge? There’s no disguise at all!

[Yumina ― If you win against your opponent, you can make a ‘request’ that they absolutely cannot refuse. It’s probably a rule established to prevent unnecessary commotion from student fights within the academy.]

[Me ― So, you’re saying I can legally stop her movements… But? There’s no guarantee she’ll agree to participate, right?]

[Yumina ― Are you misunderstanding something? If I win, I can make a demand, but if I lose, I have to accept the opposite. From her perspective, it might look like you’re willingly walking into her trap.]

Of course, Ban Yu-won had already anticipated that much. However, what still puzzled him was…

[Me ― This isn’t boasting, but objectively speaking, based on the videos uploaded to the Rebellion channel, she should be able to see my skills improving in real-time. Won’t she be scared and back off?]

[Yumina ― She’s the one who threw the Orc Wave at Earth.]

[Me ― True.]

[Yumina ― And you have to pair up for the special match. Ulrike Prominence will likely have a very strong partner.]

[Me ― Wow…]

I could almost see who her partner would be, and depending on who he pairs with, it could become even more troublesome.

[Yumina ― So until then, even if you encounter her at school, try not to provoke her too much. As long as you win at the masquerade ball, you won’t have to worry about Prominence anymore.]

[Me ― I’m not sure it’ll go that smoothly…]

Even without seeing her face, it was clear that Yumina was wary of the power of the Ten Great Families. If even she, who possessed unimaginable strength, reacted this way, it was undoubtedly a dangerous move for him to directly provoke or trap Ulrike Prominence at school…

‘Still.’

I can’t just sit back and rely on some strange event like a masquerade ball. While I can’t do anything that would worry Yumina, I should still do everything I can at school.

After the conversation about Prominence ended, and after giving suitable answers to Yumina’s questions about whether he was living a healthy life during the vacation, Ban Yu-won put away the mirror and sighed as he headed to the training room inside the mansion.

―Whoosh

“Keep up, young lady!”

“Stop calling me young lady!”

Since a few days ago, when the executive-level training was completed, Ban Yu-mi had started her own special training. Specifically, it was training led by her mother, Kang Eun-young, who was once a knight of Prominence, and Keira, a member of the family’s special forces.

From her mother, she learned the Blade, and from Keira, she learned the family’s unique flame-handling techniques—truly the best-tailored education.

Perhaps because she was the official heir of the prestigious Ten Great Families, Ban Yu-mi’s growth since starting proper training was truly remarkable.

“Then what should I call you? Oh, maybe not young lady but――.”

“You’ll really die.”

However, even so, she still couldn’t match Keira, who hadn’t yet revealed her full strength. Keira was pushing her hard, almost as if she were avenging the fact that she had been ranked lower than Ban Yu-mi while hiding her skills on Earth.

Regardless of the reason, thanks to that, Ban Yu-mi’s growth accelerated, and no one else intervened.

Noticing Ban Yu-won’s arrival, Kang Eun-young, who had been watching the sparring between Keira and Ban Yu-mi, turned around with a bright smile.

“Yu-won, you’re here?”

“Yeah.”

Seeing his mother in comfortable training clothes with a wooden sword slung over her shoulder, Ban Yu-won felt a pang of nostalgia.

Though it was a distant memory, the reason Ban Yu-mi first picked up a sword was greatly influenced by their mother. At the time, he had simply accepted her words that she had practiced swordsmanship when she was young, but looking back, it was probably her own form of early education.

“Mom, your hair’s completely red now.”

“Once the Magic Power circulation starts, it’s hard to hide. Does it suit me?”

“It’s not just your hair that’s changed.”

Naturally, as someone from the Prominence family like Keira, Kang Eun-young had altered not only her hair but also her appearance to blend in as a Korean while living in Korea.

The mother, who once appeared entirely East Asian, now had a Caucasian look similar to Keira. Seeing that, Ban Yu-won thought that perhaps his mixed heritage’s distinct features were also greatly influenced by his mother.

“Why, does it look strange?”

“Huh? Oh, no. Actually, your son has a trauma with red hair, so I can’t make an objective judgment.”

“Oh, Yu-won!”

No sooner had he spoken than Keira, the very source of his trauma, spotted him and fluttered over like a butterfly.

However, her attempt to hug him from behind was thwarted by a red flame that whipped through the air like a lash.

Ban Yu-mi, whose hair and appearance had also begun to show the distinct features of the Prominence family, bared her teeth fiercely.

“Stop flirting with my brother.”

“You don’t even hide your brother complex anymore, do you?”

“I just don’t want to see disgusting things in front of my eyes.”

“Not because you’re jealous?”

“――Die!”

The two quickly resumed their sparring.

With Keira constantly motivating his sister, it’s no wonder her growth is so rapid…

But beside Ban Yu-won, who was making such a cold analysis, Kang Eun-young was smiling warmly.

“Keira is really kind.”

“I don’t understand your criteria for judging people, Mom.”

“Considering they were once adversaries, it’s nice of her to consistently try to get along with Yu-mi, isn’t it?”

If that was an effort to get along, Ban Yu-won thought he could become sworn brothers with Luciel Ortima but decided not to say it out loud.

“Anyway, we’re doing quite well, so you don’t have to worry too much, son.”

“Was it that obvious?”

“Of course, a mother knows her son’s heart.”

But it seems you don’t know much about your daughter.

If she knew her daughter as well, that would be frightening in its own way.

“Mom… are you really okay?”

“Of course, I’m fine.”

Ban Yu-won thought that his mother’s attempt to hide his sister’s identity was not only for his sister’s safety but also influenced by her own attachment to a peaceful life.

However, the eyes of the woman facing Ban Yu-won no longer held any weak emotions like regret or hesitation.

By discarding the false face she had crafted on Earth, she had also completely let go of any lingering attachments to Earth.

“If I could forget and live until I die, that would have been nice, but it’s too late now. So I must return as a knight of the Prominence family.”

“…If that’s what you think, then it’s fine.”

Suddenly, the door to the training room burst open.

His father appeared, wrapped head to toe in relics from the storage, and shouted with a brave face.

“Honey, let’s go together!”

“Please do something about that fool first.”

“Okay.”

Mother and son sighed in unison, resting their foreheads in their hands.

The long yet short vacation was coming to an end.