[Information Agency – Truth]

Welcome. If you seek the truth, visit the following room.

¿Room of Inquiry?

[  ]

Please write your question in the space above. As long as it meets the following guidelines, it will be answered.

— Condition 1. Naturally, only answers known by the agency will be answered. If we do not know the answer, we will admit it so do not worry. 

— Condition 2. We cannot answer about a person with just their name. We require the person’s name, picture, physique, identity, and other personal information. 

— Condition 3. We do not answer trivial questions. For example, I lost my cat. Where is it? is not an acceptable question. However, the same question can be answered if the scope is narrowed with specific details.

Note 1. The minimum cost is 100,000 won but is subject to change drastically depending on the question. 

Note 2. Please keep in mind that replies will be faster if you are respectful. 

Note 3. The information we provide is all true. No refunds.

The above cost and conditions are subject to change at any time.

“This looks good enough.”

I proudly looked at my laptop with the form I submitted to Violet Banquet as an information seller. Now that I had a gift like the Book of Truth, it felt like a waste not to use it.

For now, I gave it the grandiose name, Truth Agency. I didn’t expect many customers yet since reputation played a big role in the Violet Banquet. That was perfect since my magic power wouldn’t last anyway. In 2-3 years, Truth Agency would surely spread because of small interests like, Why is this still here? or Should I give it a try since I’m bored? I would have 3-4 streaks of stigma by then, so I wouldn’t need to worry about running out of magic power. It was a risk-free, long-term investment. If it worked, great. If it didn’t, that was fine too.

“Okay.”

I pressed the [apply for seller] button after looking over the form again. Finally, I had taken care of everything now. The only thing left was my daily workout. I stretched and stood up.

***

Kim Suho worked out at the Novice Fitness Center late at night on Sunday. He was a regular, but today looked totally different from the beginning of the year. The fitness center was full of cadets because of the upcoming midterm exams.

“Kuu.”

After finishing a set, Kim Suho looked around while resting. Jin Hanjun, Kim Horak, Shin Jonghak, and even rare visitors like Yoo Yeonha and Rachel.

“Are you checking out girls?”

A sudden coldness touched his face. Kim Suho pulled back his head in surprise and glared at the one person who would prank him. Yi Yeonghan shrugged and handed him the drink.

“So, are you?”

“No, I just…”

“Yeah?”

“I just thought it was a rare sight.”

Kim Suho pointed at Rachel with his chin. Yi Yeonghan nodded in agreement.

“I guess you’re right. This is the first time I’ve seen a real princess working out at a fitness center.”

Blonde hair that shone brilliantly and eyes like sapphire. Her elegant figure flaunted no imperfections. Even while covered in sweat, she exuded charm and looked like a painting. Rachel was the descendant of a noble lineage from England’s royal family.

“Who do you think she’ll marry in the future? Not us, right?”

Kim Suho smiled at Yi Yeonghan’s wishful thinking.

“Is that a sneer? What, you think you can marry her?”

“No, it’s not that. I agree. I don’t think she’d marry someone like us.”

“Uuk!”

While they joked, a sudden loud grunt grabbed their attention.

“Huuuk!”

The strange breathing came from a guy having a life-and-death battle with the fitness equipment. However, there was only a pitiful amount of weight on the equipment.

“… Is he really struggling with that?”

Yi Yeonghan looked on with pity. It wasn’t just Yi Yeonghan. Almost every cadet snickered as they walked by. Kim Suho couldn’t tell whether Kim Hajin was oblivious or too focused to notice, but he continued struggling resolutely.

“At least he’s hanging in there,” Kim Suho briefly replied.

“Please, with that weight, I could do the same for half a day. I’m curious how he was even admitted. Even sharpshooters have a minimum physical requirement, and wasn’t he a swordsman before? Why don’t I remember him? … Oh, look, it’s Chae Nayun.”

Chae Nayun came out of the gravity room at just the right moment. Covered in sweat, she slightly staggered in exhaustion. It looked like she planned on heading straight back, but she stopped to glare at Kim Hajin. Jiing— Two laser beams shot out of her eyes.

“What’s she doing?”

“They’re not really on good terms.” Kim Suho smiled bitterly.

“Tsk.”

After glaring at Kim Hajin for a while, Chae Nayun clicked her tongue and turned back. At the same time, her eyes met Kim Suho. She let out a dry cough as though she was embarrassed and walked toward them.

“Hey, Kim Suho. Isn’t he a bit strange?”

What nonsense was she spouting?

“Strange?”

“That bastard. He’s acting.”

“What are you talking about?”

Both Yi Yeonghan and Kim Suho furrowed their brows. They didn’t understand what Chae Nayun meant, but she glared at Kim Suho as though he was dense.

“I can understand Yi Yeonghan, but Kim Suho, you’re being a bit too naive.”

“What? What are you saying out of the blue?”

“You saw him that day and you still don’t get it?”

Chae Nayun’s suspicion was well-justified. Magic power was one of the most important abilities of a hero. What Kim Hajin displayed during the Seoul incident was abnormal. An explosion of magic power strong enough to dye the world white… A guy with such magic power struggled to lift a tiny weight? It didn’t make sense. Kim Hajin had to be acting for whatever reason.

Although the logic wasn’t perfectly sound, it was a justifiable suspicion.

“Hmm…” 

Yi Yeonghan stared at Kim Hajin again. His face turned so red it was about to explode.

“If that’s acting, he should win an Oscar.”

“Sigh. Whatever. Stay dense, you two.”

Chae Nayun shook her head in disappointment as 3 male cadets approached Kim Hajin. Kim Suho frowned since they were well-known delinquents.

“Hey, what are you doing, loser?”

“Look, he’s struggling with this. I only need a finger to lift this.”

They nudged Kim Hajin, but he didn’t react. He focused on working out without giving them a single glance.

“Hey, are you mute? Say something.”

“Let’s take pictures of this son of a bitch and post it online. Look at him, working all hard when he’s a complete waste.”

Annoyed, the three delinquents began to openly curse: Why live, you’re a waste of money. I feel bad for your parents. You’re not going to graduate anyway, so just leave, etc…

“… Hey, I’m leaving.”

Chae Nayun left feeling slightly uncomfortable. Kim Suho got up, unable to hold himself back, but Yi Yeonghan stopped him.

“What?”

“Just leave him be. By the looks of it, they’re Shin Jonghak’s lackeys. Nothing good will come out of fighting them.”

“But still…”

“Plus…”

Yi Yeonghan smiled as though he found it funny.

“Who knows? Maybe he is acting.”

***

I woke up on Monday morning and thought back to what happened yesterday. Applying as an information seller on Violet Banquet, buying stocks, and working out…

Let’s shower first.

Chwaaa— The cold water washed away my drowsiness. I looked at my wet body in the mirror. It had definitely improved. My shoulders and biceps bulked up, my abs became well-defined, and my thighs felt rock-hard. I could’ve never achieved such fitness on Earth. I wondered how my stats looked?

After drying myself, I left the bathroom and turned on my laptop.

[Strength 1.835] [Stamina 1.945] [Speed 2.15] [Perception 3.055] [Vitality 1.765] [Magic power 1.315]

I had grown a lot. Of course, I was still at the level of someone who diligently worked out, but it wouldn’t be long until I could obtain aether from Gari Mountain. After all, the real reward of the Gari Mountain Dungeon wasn’t the completion reward, but the hidden stage.

Wiing— Wiing—

I turned on my smartwatch before heading out and was greeted with anonymous messages.

[Retard.] [Hey, coward, get ready to have your spine broken in the combat exam. I’ll disable you and…]

“These guys again.”

It seemed I was being bullied. I had an idea who the instigator was, but I couldn’t be sure. Of course, something of this level wasn’t enough to bother my 26 year old mind. After all, I had suffered through Korea’s military service. It was just kids being kids.

I walked outside after blocking the 2 fools who messaged me. They had written some stuff on the nameplate outside my door. Retard, loser, pushover… There was one more, but the handwriting was illegible. They seemed to have carved it with magic power to avoid being detected by CCTV. For now, I really couldn’t do anything. Classes would begin in 10 minutes, so I hurried before I was late.

***

They greeted me as I opened the classroom door.

“Oh, you’re here, loser?”

Some kid I didn’t even know struck my head. I started to get a bit annoyed. Sure, it was just kids being kids, but I made sure to remember their faces. Jokes on you, my SP increases the more you bully me!

“What? You mad?”

I didn’t respond. Kim Hyuksoo. I memorized his name and ignored him. I walked past a few more sneering cadets and sat at my usual seat. I made eye contact with Chae Nayun, but she didn’t act hostile like usual. Instead, she looked at me somewhat bitterly before turning away.

“Hey guys, the exam results are out for phenomenon realm analysis.”

Yi Yeonghan walked in with an armful of scrolls. Cube had a custom where the results of every written exam, big or small, were publicly posted on large posters. Yi Yeonghan put up the posters as the cadets groaned.

The results were as such:

Rank 1. Kim Hajin 

Rank 2. Rachel…

Snap. I heard a sound similar to chopsticks breaking and peeked behind me. Two halves of a pen rolled on the table. Next to it was Rachel. She stared at the results in shock.

“Oh, right.”

I remembered a setting I had forgotten.

For every written exam, big or small, Rachel had never lost first place.