I Gave Up Being Stronger - Chapter 302

The members of the Alchemist Association were deep in thought.

“Now, with the backlash against Lady Harkoen spreading across Arvis, this is our opportunity. Let’s start by apologizing to Chul-Soo.”

“We can just say we didn’t know.”

“He must be concerned about us as well.”

It was a rare occasion for the Alchemist Association of Arvis to issue a formal apology. Given how unusual this was, Chul-Soo could not ignore it.

They officially apologized.

[We, fully trusting Lady Harkoen, the Mother of Alchemy and our colleague, committed an act of unforgivable rudeness toward Kim Chul-Soo, and therefore…]

Jin-Hyeok also reviewed the content. Dismissing the lengthy and unnecessary preface, he skimmed through it.

“So, they’re basically saying they’re sorry, right?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“Is it okay to just skim through it like that?” Lessefim said.

“Why, is that not okay?”

“Well, I guess it is fine. I will read it in detail and summarize it for you.”

The Alchemist Association had misunderstood the situation. To Jin-Hyeok, the presence of the Alchemist Association was negligible. With already a mountain of tasks to handle, he could hardly afford to concern himself with such trivial matters. Fortunately, Lessefim had some interest in the Alchemist Association and deciphered the Alchemists’ intentions for him.

“They are apologizing just for show, but actually, they are saying we should contribute to the advancement of alchemy.” She quickly grasped the essence of the message. “They are trying to appeal to your fondness for honor.”

Lessefim clicked her tongue in disapproval. ‘They’ve got the wrong idea about Chul-Soo.’

If they wanted to appeal to Chul-Soo, they should have targeted his desire for livestreaming, not his fondness of honor. Lessefim continued, “It seems like they’re asking you to share Harkoen’s inheritance. They must covet Harkoen’s inheritance for themselves.”

“Share and research together?”

“Yeah, crazy, right?”

“Would that make for good content?”

Lessefim shook her head. The Alchemists had wrongly targeted Jin-Hyeok’s vanity, but somehow it triggered Jin-Hyeok’s desire for good content.

‘He is too obsessed with livestreaming. But, that’s what makes him even more attractive.’

Lessefim resolved in her heart to support Chul-Soo in living such a captivating life. To ensure he could focus solely on livestreaming and remain sincere about it, she decided to support him.

“I can conduct the research on my own. My mentor is still alive, and if necessary, I can use my mother’s name to contract services from them,” she said.

Lessefim made a silent vow. ‘I must protect Chul-Soo’s interests at all costs!’

Having entrusted most matters related to alchemy and Harkoen’s legacy to Lessefim, Jin-Hyeok donned a black suit for the first time in a while. Lessefim could not take her eyes off him for a long time.

“What’s wrong?” Jin-Hyeok asked.

“Is today our wedding by any chance?”

Jin-Hyeok shook his head and tapped Lessefim’s forehead. “Get a grip. Didn’t you hear that Wang Yu-Mi strictly forbids any dating or virtual marriage content?”

“…”

“Though, I appreciate your eagerness to support my livestream.”

Jin-Hyeok walked away, heading out for a date(?) with Fyurel.

***

Fyurel had reserved an entire restaurant, renowned even in the metropolis of Muren, for herself.

“How dare he make me wait!” Fyurel tapped the table with her slender fingers. The reservation was set for 7 PM. It was currently 6:57 PM. Jin-Hyeok was not technically late yet, but for Fyurel, this was a refreshing new experience. For a member of the Seven Great Families, the Mad Sorceress herself, waiting for someone was uncommon. “He is so arrogant.”

Fyurel thought, ‘Was I out of my mind back then?’

She had felt a strong attraction to Chul-Soo, who had ignored her and just walked past her when they were in Harkoen’s mansion. Perhaps that was a side effect of expending too much mana in the destruction of the mansion.

‘I will know once we meet again.’

She felt irked while waiting, not used to waiting for anyone. ‘Seven o’clock…’

She could not believe that someone could be late for an appointment with her, which made her incredibly displeased. She had never waited for someone for more than a second.

‘How dare he be late to an appointment with me?’ Highly displeased, she slowly stood up, a smirk spreading across her face. ‘He is going to find it difficult to Play in Arvis from now on.’

At 7:01 PM, Jin-Hyeok, dressed in a suit, appeared inside the restaurant.

“Oh hey, Fyurel. You’re already here. Did you just arrive?”

Fyurel sat back down again. “Yeah, I just got here too.”

Although she had certainly been furious just moments ago, she no longer felt that way.

***

After taking his seat, Jin-Hyeok first sought forgiveness. “The cameras are not rolling right now. So, there is no need to be mindful of my livestream.”

“…”

‘I’ve never cared about such things anyway.’ Fyurel normally would have retorted instantly, but strangely, the words got stuck in her throat.

“I want to check something before recording,” Jin-Hyeok said.

“What’s that?”

“How did my seduction technique fare?”

After reflecting on what had happened, Fyurel responded, “Your technique was terrible.”

“Really?”

“Even when you tried to seduce that bitch Harkoen, you were incredibly clumsy. You called that bitch’s name with an awkward voice, and your movements when you stroked her back were stiff as a board.”

“Was it that bad?”

“And when you tried it on me, you bluntly stated your intention to seduce first. Technically speaking, it was the worst.”

Jin-Hyeok nodded. Fyurel’s observations seemed entirely accurate.

“But someone I know once said that sometimes, sheer talent can overpower technique.” Truthfully, Fyurel did not agree with that statement. She had always believed that skills honed over time shone brighter than innate talent. She thought about her experience.

“I lost.”

This was right after an informal duel. Tasting bitter defeat, Fyurel had asked, “Your technique was far from sophisticated. All your attacks were within my predictive range. My mana usage was flawless. I cannot understand why I lost.”

“Sometimes, talent can overpower technique, Fyurel. Hahaha! Anyway, I won, so write your name with your butt!”

Recalling that memory, Fyurel quickly shook her head. ‘To think there would come a day when I would quote that bastard.’

Even right after her defeat, she had found it hard to accept those words. However, meeting Chul-Soo today forced her to acknowledge it. Sometimes, certain talents could indeed overpower technique.

Fyurel kept stealing glances at Jin-Hyeok. “And I think your talent seems to be of that kind.”

“Hm…”

“I will ask you directly. Are you seeing anyone right now?”

“No.”

“Good, Chul-Soo, do you want to go out wit—”

Suddenly, Fyurel extended her right hand, displaying a green magic circle. It was a shield-shaped magic circle. A dazzling light collided with the shield, creating a loud bang and scattering light fragments everywhere.

‘Wow, that was impressive,’ Jin-Hyeok thought.

Even though she had merely deflected the fragments, the force of mana felt profoundly heavy. The one who had launched this attack and Fyurel, who had blocked it without any preparatory spellcasting, were both remarkable.

“Fyurel, stop messing around.”

“Muenne? Crazy bitch… How dare you launch an attack out of nowhere?”

Amidst their tense standoff, Jin-Hyeok spoke with a voice tinged with excitement. “That’s Muenne, fully armored in silver. Meanwhile, Fyurel has summoned flames, ready for battle!”

Despite the grave atmosphere, Jin-Hyeok’s eyes sparkled more than ever. Muenne, one of the Helen Empire’s Seven Paladins and hailed as the Shining Lance, and Fyurel, a head of one of Arvis’s Seven Great Families and known as the Mad Sorceress, were about to fight.

A duel between two such titans was not something easily witnessed. However, instead of continuing their showdown, both settled down beside Jin-Hyeok.

Disappointed, Jin-Hyeok asked, “Why aren’t you guys fighting?”

***

Muenne was aware that if she were to fight Fyurel with all her might here, Chul-Soo would not be safe. Fyurel felt the same and had no intention of clashing with Muenne at full strength. Yet, their murderous gaze toward each other did not wane.

“Fyurel, there are great laws among Chul-Soo Landers,” Muenne said.

“I didn’t ask, and I don’t care.”

“First, one must never attempt to monopolize Chul-Soo. You must realize you are committing a grave act of treason by trying to monopolize him.”

Fyurel looked at Muenne with a dumbfounded expression. From her perspective, Muenne was the one using excessively dramatic terms for a simple dinner date, even mentioning treason. Fyurel could not believe that one of the Seven Paladins was acting like this. If the Emperor of the Helen Empire heard this, he would likely faint from shock.

“Look here, I am not a Chul-Soo Lander,” Fyurel said.

However, Muenne, with her clear eyes, seemed not to listen to Fyurel’s words at all. “I cannot stand idly by. As the person in charge of Muren’s security, I hereby declare I will join this table effective immediately.”

“What does being in charge of security have to do with joining us?”

“I am joining nonetheless.”

“You don’t have a valid reason, do you?”

“I am the head of the security of Muren.”

‘If it were the old me, I would have fought her right here on the spot…’ Fyurel contemplated her next actions. However, for some reason, she did not feel like going for it today. She did not want to create a scene in front of Chul-Soo. ‘I will let it slide for today.’

During the meal, Muenne said, “Mr. Chul-Soo, I heard you have been polishing your seduction techniques.”

“Right. I was hoping to practice on Fyurel and get some advice.”

Muenne quietly put down her fork. “I think that’s a pointless endeavor.”

“Why?”

“Because Fyurel is already completely seduced. Practicing on her would not be effective at all.”

“Is that so?”

When he thought about it, it seemed to make sense. He had also been told that sometimes sheer talents could surpass techniques.

“There is a much more effective way to practice seduction techniques,” Muenne said.

Jin-Hyeok was intrigued. He had indeed been thinking about various aspects of seduction. ‘Her being one of the empire’s Seven Paladins might mean she knows a thing or two.’

Jin-Hyeok was excited that he could have the chance to receive high-quality teachings. Even Fyurel listened intently to Muenne’s words.

‘I don’t know what would happen if the current Chul-Soo also learns a proper seduction technique,’ Fyurel thought. ‘If he can properly seduce someone with that face… If he combines his talents with techniques… Holy shit, that would be irresistibly sexy!’

Fyurel unwittingly licked her lips. The mere thought of it made her heart race and her face flush. At least for this moment, Fyurel supported Muenne’s proposal.

“Oh, what is it?” Fyurel asked Muenne.

“I will be the one you can practice on.”

“You crazy bitch!” Fyurel slammed her fist on the table. She was embarrassed to have even momentarily agreed with Muenne. “That would just be to your benefit.”

“I have trained for a long time since I was young to become a Paladin. I possess the mental fortitude not to fall for Mr. Chul-Soo’s seduction. Therefore, I am the perfect candidate for him to practice his seduction skills on, Fyurel.”

Fyurel decided she could no longer hold back. The interruption of her date was annoying enough without having to endure such nonsense. Just as she was about to unleash her magic,

“I refuse,” Jin-Hyeok said.

Muenne’s face turned pale at Jin-Hyeok’s firm refusal. On the other hand, Fyurel retracted her anger and smirked. She took a bite of her steak and mused.

“Oh dear! It seems like you are not Chul-Soo’s type, Muenne!”

Muenne asked with a very serious expression, “Can you… tell me why?”