Chapter 39 …
EX-Grade Past Life Gacha
At Oh Jimin’s remark, everyone’s attention turned toward him.
Oh Jimin, who had raised his hand to speak, gave an awkward smile under the focused gazes.
“Ah… well. Is this not really the kind of atmosphere where I should be saying this?”
He was just about to lower his hand again when—
“Go ahead.”
Irene asked with an interested look. At that, Oh Jimin cleared his throat and continued.
“Even so, if we’re talking about the position of deputy commander, wouldn’t it be better to choose someone through a slightly more democratic method, rather than something like a class president election?”
“Democratic?” Irene tilted her head. “For example?”
“Well… holding a vote, for instance. Or determining whether someone actually has the qualifications for the position.”
“Qualifications?”
“Yes. After all, the deputy commander will be playing a key role in a newly established knight order. If the commander is the one and only Hail Irene, shouldn’t the person at her side possess qualifications worthy of that? For example—”
Oh Jimin’s gaze shifted somewhere.
Toward Jin Yeonhee, who was leaning against the wall.
“Rather than simply being A-rank, shouldn’t the deputy commander be the second-strongest person here?”
“…….”
At those words, Jin Yeonhee also looked at Oh Jimin. Her expression conveyed nothing—just calm, indifferent eyes. That was all.
“Hm.”
Seeing that reaction, Irene cocked her head slightly. At the same time, she lowered her sunglasses and let out a small chuckle.
“…So the strongest human should be the deputy commander?”
“If that’s what’s most reasonable, then yes.”
“And what do the others think…?”
Irene asked the room. There was no strong response.
Then—
“An A-rank could do it too. Why are you talking like that?”
A flat voice laced with coldness cut in. Everyone turned toward its owner.
It was the Black Night Witch, Ye Jiram.
She spoke with a displeased expression as she looked at Oh Jimin.
“Pardon?”
Oh Jimin asked in confusion, and Ye Jiram continued.
“An A-rank can be deputy commander. Why are you putting them down like that?”
“…No, I’m not putting anyone down. I’m just saying that having the second-strongest person as deputy commander would look more—”
“That’s exactly my point.”
Click. The sound of heels echoed as Ye Jiram approached Oh Jimin.
“An A-rank could easily be the second strongest. Why are you setting the standard like that? And you’re A-rank too, aren’t you?”
“…What are you—”
“You haven’t even tried it. Why are you acting like it’s impossible when you haven’t?”
“Ha…?”
At Ye Jiram’s sharp words, a frown finally formed on Oh Jimin’s face.
“I’m just being realistic. An A-rank beating an S-rank and becoming the second strongest isn’t realistic.”
“There you go again, trying to crush A-ranks’ spirits. Anyone listening would think you’re S-rank yourself.”
She wasn’t wrong. Oh Jimin was, in truth, an S-rank superhuman—just wearing the mask of an A-rank for now.
“…That’s—”
Oh Jimin faltered for a moment, but Ye Jiram didn’t let up.
“Talking big without even trying is the kind of behavior I hate the most. Fine, maybe someone who lives in a different world can say that—but what about you? Why are you already thinking you’ll lose?”
“Someone who lives in a different world” clearly referred to Irene. Yes—being on a different plane was simply being on a different plane.
“…Then are you saying you have no particular objection to Lee Jinwoo becoming deputy commander?”
“Of course I have objections.”
“What?”
“I want the position too. But if it gets decided like this out of nowhere, I don’t even get a chance—it’s just taken from me.”
Ye Jiram said this with a smile.
“Democracy is great and all, but doesn’t it feel a bit mismatched when it comes to superhumans?”
The first to react to that was Irene.
“Then what would you suggest we do?”
“Isn’t it simple? I actually like the idea of the second-strongest superhuman becoming deputy commander. So shouldn’t we find out who that is?”
“Find out?”
“The second-strongest person.”
Ye Jiram smiled brightly. Somehow, that smile sent a chill down the spine.
“Why don’t we just fight it out? Nice and clean?”
The problem was—
“Oh…”
Much like the notoriously eccentric Black Night Witch,
“…I like that…”
—Irene, in my opinion, was just as strange a breed.
* * *
“…What is all this?”
Not long after the commotion erupted, I found myself forcing my brain to work as I took in the scene before me. We were in the space where the knight order gathered—specifically, the largest training ground.
Most of the knight order’s members were there.
“…What on earth is going on all of a sudden?”
Jeon Yuseon approached me with a troubled expression. She must have rushed over after receiving an urgent call.
“…I don’t know either.”
As if I would know. I hadn’t said a single word—I was just standing there quietly. And yet things had suddenly escalated like this.
After Ye Jiram’s suggestion, Irene had apparently found it agreeable and immediately reserved this place.
To select a deputy commander.
“…I never even wanted the position.”
It was unfair. Irene was forcing this on me—I’d never had any interest in the position of deputy commander in the first place.
Why do I even have to do this?
“Being a knight is already more than enough for me.”
That was enough. I didn’t need anything beyond that. I’d never cared for armbands or titles.
Just becoming a “knight” was already sufficient—so why—
“…me too?”
Why did I have to get dragged into something this annoying?
I felt a sigh coming on.
“Irene.”
Jeon Yuseon called out to her, clearly seeking an explanation. Irene looked… oddly excited.
“…Is she excited?”
She didn’t look that different from usual, but somehow she really did seem excited. Why?
[Hero’s Ultra-Senses.]
“Oh. That.”
My extremely sharpened senses were apparently picking up emotions even from Irene’s expression. This skill was kind of impressive.
“But why is she excited?”
That part, I still didn’t understand.
“We’re going to choose a deputy commander.”
“…A deputy commander? All of a sudden?”
“Yes.”
“And that’s why things are like this right now?”
“Yes.”
Irene replied confidently.
“Isn’t it convenient?”
“….”
Jeon Yuseon was left speechless. She probably had a lot she wanted to say, but since it was Irene, she couldn’t bring herself to say any of it.
Honestly, if Irene simply appointed someone as deputy commander, no one would be able to object. Setting aside the knight order itself, the current atmosphere was—
“Less a knight order, and more like Irene and her kids.”
Or maybe “Irene and her leftovers”—no, that didn’t sound right.
The knight order’s overall specs weren’t low. If anything, they were high.
“There are several A-ranks, and even S-ranks.”
S-rank superhumans barely numbered more than ten in the entire country. They could be considered national assets. Someone like that—
“Wouldn’t find it strange at all to be a knight commander.”
The same went for A-ranks. There were already places where A-ranks served as knight commanders.
From that perspective, this knight order was—
“A ridiculously cost-inefficient monster group.”
They existed solely because of Irene. In a place like that, the position of deputy commander—
“Yeah, I can see why someone would want it.”
That was understandable. But still—
“…Why me?”
Why was I even included in this? And Irene was happily renting out an entire training ground for it.
“…Then what—are you planning to hold matches?”
“Yes.”
“At this level, combat between superhumans can’t be taken lightly.”
High-ranking superhuman battles had massive aftereffects. An A-rank was already treated as a living weapon—someone who could wipe out a small village if they felt like it.
If S-ranks were natural disasters, then A-ranks were basically walking superweapons.
If people like that started fighting, there was no way there wouldn’t be collateral damage.
That’s why—
Adjusting her glasses, Jeon Yuseon added,
“Irene… this is—”
“It’s fine.”
Irene cut her off with a small tilt of her chin.
“I’m here.”
She trampled over Jeon Yuseon’s concerns with absolute confidence. As the strongest superhuman on Earth, she was saying that nothing could possibly go wrong as long as she was present.
“I’ve prepared countermeasures.”
Countermeasures? At that, both Jeon Yuseon and I looked around. At each corner of the space, crystalline orbs had been set up.
Those were—
“Are you planning to deploy a barrier?”
“Just a simple one.”
From her perspective, “simple” meant—
“One that can’t be broken unless you’re really something special.”
“Unless you’re really…?”
“Yes.”
Wooooong—!!!
Golden energy spread in all directions. The thin membrane that formed brushed lightly against the bodies of those present.
“Roughly speaking…”
Irene glanced at the barrier and said,
“…Unless you’re SS-rank like me, you won’t be able to break it.”
“….”
That meant no one here could break through it. In all of Korea, only one person could.
“Well then, shall we begin?”
Thud. Irene pulled out a chair from somewhere and sat down. Putting her sunglasses back on, she said,
“First, anyone who wants to be deputy commander—raise your hand.”
At her blunt words, hands began to rise. Ye Jiram, of course, and Oh Jimin as well.
And then—
Swoosh—!
“Ah, not this again…”
My hand rose on its own. Irene’s doing.
I shot her a resentful look, and at that moment—
– Do it.
Not a sound, but a message imprinted directly into my mind. A rippling sensation froze my body.
Telepathy?
– If you lose, I won’t make you do it—but you still have to participate.
“What kind of tyranny is this?”
It seemed she wouldn’t let it slide if I didn’t step in.
Gulp. As I swallowed dryly—
Swoosh.
One last hand went up.
It was Jin Yeonhee.
At the appearance of the Brain Spirit, the room fell briefly silent. At the same time, Irene smiled faintly.
Snap. Her finger moved.
“You and you. Come up.”
She pointed at Jin Yeonhee and me.
“Me…?”
“Yes. You.”
I asked again, unable to believe it, but Irene was firm.
“Me and Jin Yeonhee?”
We’re supposed to fight?
Is that really okay?
Just as I was thinking that, Jin Yeonhee calmly stepped forward. She looked fully prepared to fight.
Seriously? Fight?
“With Jin Yeonhee?”
That was… extremely uncomfortable.
I forced an awkward expression and started to follow her forward when—
Ding!
A sudden notification sound rang out.
[■ Quest Generated.]
[■ Win the sparring match against the Brain Spirit.]
[■ Upon success, a tremendous reward will be granted.]
[■ Upon failure, a curse will be inflicted due to the War God’s disappointment.]
“…What?”
Something absolutely screwed up had just happened.
