I Killed the Player of the Academy [Side Story] - Chapter 265

SuulTLN: Probably going to be releasing at least one chapter per week from here on out, I had to take care of my family as well as studying for my masters, so that's what I've been busy on. 

I will do a mass drop in 2 weeks to make up for the lost time, sorry for the trouble.

More notes down below.

༺ Side Story – 'Fathers-in-Law'  Please Give Me Your Daughters! (1) ༻

,

[Bonus Quest: Marie Dunareff]

[Difficulty: S]

[Follow your precepts]

The war had ended, but the academy still had a chaotic atmosphere.

It had been less than two months since the end of the all-out war in which the top students of the Royal Army, the Holy Expeditionary Force, the Guardian Association, and the Academy were mobilized.

And as many students were exempted from the semester due to the war, it was quite rare to see students who had been appointed as high-ranking guardians within the Academy.

Among them, there were a group of high-ranking guardians that could not go unnoticed.

Korin Locke.

Marie Dunareff.

Alicia Aden.

Hwaran.

Estelle Hadassah El Las.

Miriam Elizabeth El Ras.

Erin Danua.

They were each heroes of the Solar War with each one being considered a legend as everyone had seen what happened that day.

The day where the world flipped upside down as light vanished and the sun descended.

So it just didn't feel real that they were just people one could exchange small talk with on campus.

But what was certain is that the center of the group was Korin Locke, and all the women in the group were focused on him.

"....Hmm."

Isabelle stroked her chin as she watched Korin wander around alone.

The atmosphere surrounding him had been unusual lately.

One day Korin started walking around alone, with even his female party members, including Marie, starting to avoid him.

No, to be precise, they were awkwardly dodging each other.

- Why are they acting like that?

- I don't know, did they fight?

- Weren’t they head over heels before?

The change in atmosphere was so obvious, everyone started gossiping.

-This is definitely a love triangle mess

-They probably had a fight over romance.

-Honestly, it was about time someone made a move.

Those who are quick to notice realize that the female-dominated group centered around Korin had fell into a bit of romantic turbulence.

And in such a cold atmosphere, the male students thought now was the time to strike.

-Wait... do I have a chance?

-If I make a move now, maybe I’ve got a shot?

-If Korin picked someone, the rest are fair game right?

-They were in a ambiguous relationship before, but now....

Weren't they all beauties that no one could deny? 

So no wonder the male students were licking their lips now that Korin was seemingly of out the picture.

"M-Marie! Want to grab dinner sometime?"

"Alicia, do you want to train together at the gym?"

"Hwaran you like fish right? I know a good spot..."

Marie, who was friendly with everyone and passed out potatoes like candy.

Alicia, who looked adorably ditzy and seemed easy to approach.

And Hwaran, who had no sense of personal space with anyone, let alone gender.

Like hyenas circling a pride with no lion, the beta males made their move, however...

"Sorry! I never thought of you in that way, lets just be friends!"

"Uhh... no thank you?"

".. Why should I?"

Yeah.

Just because the alpha was seemingly gone didn't mean that every beta could become one.

“Well, duh. That’s how it was always gonna go.”

Isabelle snickered as she listened to the stories of brokenhearted students failing miserably.

"I heard twenty guys confessed to you today. How’s it feel being Miss Popular~?"

"Ugh... don't tease me! It's exhausting!"

Isabelle poked fun at Marie, who kept breaking popularity records by the day.

"So~ how's it going on with Korin?"

"...."

Seeing Marie's reaction, Isabelle was sure of it.

Yeah, seeing the guy who usually strutted around with a gang of girls suddenly being alone?

Definitely the result of a love drama.

What was even more suspicious was that he wasn't just avoiding the girls closest to him, he was dodging every girl.

And Isabelle, who knew damn well that most of these girls had feelings for Korin while he remained blissfully clueless, saw the signs clearly.

'It's the time to make a decision!'

To his credit, Korin hadn't been entirely oblivious.

He seemed to be aware that Marie and the rest loved him very much.

'The war's over, he's a hero, maybe now is the time he starts thinking about marriage and whatnot.'

It wasn't even that early to consider marriage.

There were plenty of nobles within the Academy, so arranged marriages were common even from childhood.

Even for commoners, most of them were knights or mages with promising futures with noble families, without one in their lineage throwing their children at them like confetti.

And within Guardian activities, a lot of the participants interacted with each other regularly, which led to a lot of Guardian-on-Guardian relationships. 

But even out of all of these exceptional Guardians, Korin Locke wasn't just a "solid pick," he was like the legendary blue-chip stock.

Becoming a 1st-class knight from a 5th-class overnight, then becoming a special-class knight, the Guardian Association Chairman, and the "Sun" of the unified Holy Church's prophecy, and a well-decorated war hero.

A super-high-quality stock that kept breaking records day by day.

With the backing of the Dunareff duchy, the house of the Arden swordmasters, and the royal family of El Ras, he was the ultimate marriage prize.

'It's not like Marie's lacking anything, but her competition is absolutely brutal.'

Isabelle clicked her tongue, thinking about all the absurdly powerful and well-connected girls in Marie’s orbit.

"So... who does Korin actually have feelings for? Surely it's you right?"

"...."

Oh.

Isabell quickly felt something was off with Marie's lack of reaction.

Honestly, Isabelle thought Marie was way ahead in the love race.

"Seriously, how much have you done for that guy!"

Korin had literally risked his life to save her, and so Marie had poured endless support into him ever since.

From the ridiculously lavish office he had, to a dozen wyverns, to even Hresvelgr, a creature that would bankrupt most people...

"I told you from the start to not give him too much; guys like him will take everything you offer, and toss you aside later!"

"Th-that's not true! Korin's not like that!

“Oh god... you’re so frustratingly pure sometimes.”

Isabelle felt sorry for her best friend, who was such a pushover when it came to love.

'Marie’s gorgeous, sweet, loaded, powerful, like, Korin should be throwing himself at you!'

But now things had changed.

He was a world hero, the strongest man of his time, and had countless women around him.

He could literally pick whoever he wanted.

Which made Isabelle even more pissed.

"So who is it? Who the hell snagged him first and threw Marie under the bus?"

"I... we decided to get married."

"HUUUUUHHHHHH??!!!"

Isabelle doubted what she heard.

Married?? They weren't even dating!

Wait.

Was there really a need to date?

They never officially said they were dating, but they've done everything else.

Dates? Yep.

Snuggles? Plenty.

Had a kid? Yeah, it was technically biologically his.

Their "not-a-relationship" had lasted three years.

"So... why were you avoiding him lately then?"

"Well actually... I have a problem!"

"A problem?"

If this was the Marie she knew, she'd be planning an extravagant wedding with national funding by now. 

"Go ahead, say it."

"Hm...."

Unlike Isabelle, who responded to her concerns quickly, Marie was hesitant to respond even after being asked.

She opened her mouth with difficulty.

"What should I do to become the official wife?"

"??????????"

It took a solid minute for Isabelle to even process those words.

After hearing the whole plan, and about the other six girls...

"I...."

"I?"

For the first time in their four years of friendship, Isabelle raised her hand....

"Wake up, you punk!!"

"Huh!?"

And slapped Marie.

* * * *

Marriage is not something you do alone.

It's a union between two families, which makes it everyone's issue.

As a member of the vibrant MZ generation in Korea, it's not exactly something I easily agree with, but I'm old enough to admit this is reality.

"Ma! Rie! Ma! Rie!"

"Korin...! Korin...! Korin...!"

"Everyone! Let's give a warm welcome to the heroes of the war!"

"Woahhhhhhh!!!!"

… Okay, this welcome is way over the top.

I was exempted from the first semester of my third year due to 'personal reasons'.

It’s a small perk given to students who served in the war, but since I wanted to enjoy my school life, I never used it until now when I came down south.

The goal: get permission to marry. And, well… also come clean about the whole harem thing.

“S-so many people…”

“They say they started turning folks away once it went over a hundred thousand…”

I knew that Marie Dunareff, the daughter of the Duke of Dunareff wasn't going to have a small audience but...

"Miss Marie! Over here! Look here!"

“Our lady’s so beautiful!”

“Gorgeous! So cooool!”

Uh… am I gonna get beaten up if I mess this up?

In the south, Dunareff’s status is absolute. And Marie? She’s pretty, she’s strong, she’s got a great personality, and she’s the next Duchess… so her popularity’s basically top-tier celebrity level.

“Kyaaaa! Deokgu oppa! Over here!”

“How does it feel to be this month’s fashion magazine model?!”

“Woof woof!”

Oh, for crying out loud.

"...."

Wait. Why the hell is Deokgu so popular?

“How do these people even know Deokgu?"

“You didn’t know, Korin? After the war, Deokgu started doing fashion modeling.”

"…What?”

“They say he donated all his modeling fees to postwar relief! Gave to the National Dog Association and to shelters for homeless pups! Deokgu's just like you Korin! He has such a kind heart~"

“….”

They say kids grow up fast, but damn.

Our Deokgu, who was born from the heart, is now better at socializing than his father....

“Korin, look. Dad and Mom are here!”

Finally.

I swallowed hard, watching the Duke and Duchess of Dunareff walk toward us from afar.

"Korin Locke."

"Duke Mard..."

In the war, there were countless heroes like Marie and me on the front lines, but the man who supported all of us was none other than the Duke of Dunareff.

If it weren’t for his decision to dump all of the South’s annual food production and stockpiled supplies into the effort, we wouldn’t have been able to persuade the Northerners at the gate, and we sure wouldn’t have been able to feed an army in the hundreds of thousands.

Still, that doesn’t change the fact that this guy hates my guts and I needed to win him over.

“Let’s do introductions later.”

The Duke smoothed out his frown, clapped a hand on my shoulder, then turned to the crowd, raising his other arm high.

-Wooooaaaahhh!

The people went wild. As expected of the Dukem, this level of showmanship was second nature to him. 

He cast an amplification spell and began speaking in a deep, resonant voice.

“The scars of the great war have yet to fade. Our victory in the Sun War was won through the blood and sweat of our fallen heroes and the people of the south—”

He honored the soldiers, reminded everyone how decisive the south’s support was, and got the mood just right.

The crowd swelled with pride at their role in the war, showering Marie and me with goodwill.

“Today, I would like to take this opportunity to honor these war heroes in the name of the South.”

“My proud daughter, Marie Dunareff—”

First, he called Marie, then the other veterans in attendance.

He presented each with medals and plaques, promising generous lifelong pensions in the name of the Ducal House.

Finally, it was my turn.

"Head of the Baron Locke family, vassal to the Ducal House of Dunareff. Chairman of the Guardian Association. Special-class knight of the country."

He started by name-dropping the vassal tie, subtly flaunting our connection. I didn’t mind as my barony was thanks to Marie, after all.

The King himself had been ready to grant me a title, but Marie’s gift was special.

“For his heroic deeds in the war, slaying the enemy commander and bringing light back to the world, I present the Sun Knight, Korin Locke, with the Golden Potato Flower Medal of Honor.”

Despite its name, the Golden Potato Flower medal was truly a beautiful emblem.

Potatoes have long been the food that kept the people from starving, the crop that built the foundation of the South.

That is why here in the South, the potato flower is considered the most beautiful of all flowers.

“In addition, I grant to Baron Korin Locke the lands of the Cardriol region under Dunareff and the rank of Earl.”

"...!"

I was floored.

The County of Cadriol was one of the most valuable lands among the 25 territories held by the Duke of Mard.

There are three mines, including a diamond mine, a magic stone mine, a gold mine, and even an industrial city that specializes in gem processing······.

In other words, Duke Mard granted me three mines and an entire city.

“T-that’s… too much.”

“My arm’s getting tired. Take it already.”

Hands shaking, I accepted the medal and plaque.

I, I'm rich...!

-Wooooooaaaah!

-Congratulations!

-Long live Korin Locke!

-Long live the Knight of the Sun!

The award ceremony ended with everyone's welcome and applause.

············

·········

······

“Phew~ Korin, try this. It’s a boiled potato made from the biggest one this year!”

“What the hell did you put in the soil to grow it this big?”

Stuffing my face with a potato the size of a human torso, I barely had time to enjoy the feast before Marie nudged me and pointed.

"Korin, it's my dad."

“…Gulp.”

Here it comes. I looked at her for backup, but Marie just pouted.

“Good luck.”

“H-Help me…?”

Marie turned her head away with a huff. It seems she still doesn't like the harem plan.

Sorry, Marie. You deserve a better boyfriend than this…

“…Haa.”

Pushing aside the guilt, I turned toward Duke Mard, who was standing with a grave expression.

“Your Grace—”

“No.”

“I haven’t even—”

“My daughter’s off-limits.”

His blunt refusal left me speechless.

“Your Grace, I saved the world.”

“So what?”

So what?! I’m a hero who saved the damn world, so giving the princess to the hero is supposed to be a standard move!

I bit my tongue, swallowing my words in my throat.

“Still, I—”

“No. I gave you a medal.”

“But—”

“I gave you land.”

“Your Grace—”

“I even gave you three mines.”

"Your Grace?"

"And you're not satisfied with that? You want to take my daughter too?"

"..."

This guy... is being unreasonable!

“Your Grace, I’ve already promised to marry Marie!”

“You little, what did you just say?!”

I couldn’t stop here. The duke was the biggest obstacle and I had to break through him head-on.

“Father-in-law! Please give me your daughter’s hand!”

“Who’s your father-in-law?!”

"Father!"

"I told you not to call me that!"

I clung to him like my life depended on it.

"Let go! Let go, you little brat?! Huh?"

"Hey, Duke! Are you talking badly to a war hero right now? You were just friendly with me just earlier!"

"I just took a picture for the press, you idiot! I can't give you my daughter!"

"Please!"

“No!”

I don’t know how long I begged, but eventually I ended up at their home, sitting face-to-face with the Duke and Duchess.

“…Fine. Let’s hear it.”

“Thank you, Father-in-law!”

“Stop calling me that!”

“Mother-in-law!”

"Oh my~"

So I told them the whole story as the purpose of the meeting with them was not only to marry Marie but also to tell them about the harem plan.

"..."

"..."

A long silence hung between me and the duke. He trembled, looking back and forth between me and Marie with an expression of utter disbelief.

“You… you…!”

His pupils quaked, his knees shook the desk, and pure, unhidden rage radiated from him..

“A maggot not even worth a potato sprout… you worthless piece of trash…!”

I couldn't bring myself to refute it. 

TL Notes (Cont.): 

Someone told me to make a social media post for more readers + update schedules, but I don't know where to post such stuff, hopefully more people see this from NovelUpdates.

Blogger (the site host) is being a bitch about these headings + posting stuff, and I'm starting to get pissed off. Syntax errors are something I am working on and are taking most of my time.

Finally procured all of the raws for the webtoon extra stories and am starting to get the same done for the Novel's Extra.

Also, I need some opinion on direct translation (faithful to the author) vs assumption translation (faithful to the intent), I did assumption translation on this one, but if people don't like it I'll change it back to direct.

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