The Academy Geniuses I Raised and Dressed

“Jumping out like that was dangerous. I nearly cut you down along with the monster.”

Nonsense.

When that bastard swung his greatsword from around the corner, both Lumina and the rabbit monster had already been in his line of sight.

The smirk on his lips made it clear—he had come here to pick a fight.

“Don’t spout crap! You’re the one in the wrong, so why are you shouting at us?” Meiling snapped furiously.

“Ha!”

The boy burst out laughing.

“You idiots let a weakling monster slip away, so I helped out by killing it for you. Instead of gratitude, all I get is whining.”

“You…!”

Meiling raised her wand, and his face lit up in delight, as though he’d been waiting for this moment.

“Stop.”

I grabbed Meiling’s arm.

The smirk vanished from the boy’s face as his hand froze on the hilt of his greatsword.

“You’re not even angry? Lumina almost died!”

“M-Meiling… I’m fine….” Lumina quickly stepped forward to reassure her.

“Do you know what creature gives more experience than monsters of the same level?” I asked.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Awakened ones.”

Both Meiling and Lumina stiffened.

“And in a dungeon, there’s an unspoken rule. If someone tries to attack another Hunter, killing them carries no punishment.”

I looked straight at the boy with the greatsword.

His expression tightened.

“So don’t bother giving him the satisfaction of a justification. Just ignore him.”

“Ha! Running away already?” he sneered, clearly reluctant to let us go.

I glanced back at him and gave a faint smile.

“I don’t want to dirty my companions’ hands with the blood of trash like you. The stench would never wash off.”

“W-What did you just say!?”

“If you’re so desperate for experience, stop wasting time mouthing off and go hunt more monsters, you pathetic garbage.”

The boy’s whole body trembled with rage. Gripping his greatsword with both hands, he growled, “You bastard. I’ll shut that arrogant mouth of yours forever—”

“Why so noisy over here?”

A calm voice cut through his threats. Footsteps echoed, accompanied by the faint clink of metal.

A woman appeared, clad in white plate armor stained with monster blood. She carried a sleek two-handed sword in hand, her silver-gray hair tied back, eyes the same cold steel shade.

The moment I saw her, déjà vu prickled in my mind.

“Ah—Senior Iris….”

The boy turned, looking shaken.

‘Iris…!’

The instant I heard her name, recognition struck.

Iris Ann.

A third-year at Crystal Hunter Academy—and the older sister of Eleanor Ann.

Unlike Eleanor’s fiery personality, Iris exuded a chilling calm. Still, their resemblance was undeniable.

“You said you just needed to step away for a moment, yet you’ve been gone for ages….” Iris’s gaze shifted to us.

“You seem to be here for independent practice as well. Tell me what happened.”

Her tone was businesslike, stripped of any emotion—so unlike Eleanor’s.

“That guy over there swung at our companion while pretending to kill a monster. Then instead of apologizing, he kept picking a fight. We were about to leave him behind.”

I laid out the facts plainly, just as she wanted.

“I see.”

“Wait, Senior! Hear me out too!”

“Hong Gihoon. You’re expelled from our squad.”

“W-What? Senior, are you just going to believe them without hearing my side?”

“I already warned you once, when you pulled a similar stunt before.”

“T-That was different, but this time I really—”

“I’ll repeat myself. You’re expelled. And once we’re back, I’ll report your behavior to the Academy.”

“Whoa…”

I couldn’t help but admire her.

Her voice was so cold and sharp it felt like frost might spread across the ground.

Even Meiling and Lumina had gone stiff, staring at her wide-eyed.

“Put your weapon away and return to the others,” she ordered.

Hong Gihoon’s body shook, but in the end he obeyed, stowing his greatsword before slinking off around the corner.

“My junior has caused trouble. I apologize in his place.”

Iris bowed slightly toward us.

“It’s fine. No one’s hurt, that’s what matters. We’ll be on our way now….”

I quickly turned to leave.

The best course of action with Iris was to avoid further contact.

“Why so hasty?” Meiling frowned.

“Because we wasted enough time thanks to that idiot. Let’s hurry and hunt.”

“…Fair point.”

She nodded, convinced.

Just as I thought we’d managed to slip away—

“Sis, what happened? I just saw Hong Gihoon storm past looking furious….”

‘Damn it.’

That familiar voice froze me mid-step.

“Huh?”

Lumina’s eyes widened, but I immediately grabbed her wrist.

“Ah, Y-Yein….”

“Lumina. Quiet. Don’t say a word. Just keep walking,” I whispered.

Startled, she nodded.

“What’s with you two, whispering all secret-like?” Meiling asked, suspicious.

“I’ll explain later. For now, just keep moving.” I leaned close and murmured to her as well.

“Huh…?”

And then the voice called out again from behind.

“What’s going on, Eleanor? Do you know them?”

“Uh, n-no, I…”

I clenched my jaw, keeping my head forward to avoid even a glance back.

“No. I don’t know them. Anyway, our team’s waiting—let’s go.”

“…Hmm.”

The back of my neck prickled with the sensation of being watched.

“…Eleanor. I’m hurt.”

“H-Huh??” Eleanor’s flustered voice rang out.

“Don’t lie to your sister.”

Unlike the icy, merciless tone she’d used on Hong Gihoon, Iris’s voice now overflowed with emotion, tender and affectionate.

This was Iris’s true self.

She adored her younger sister, two years her junior, to the point of obsession. For Eleanor’s sake, she was prepared to throw away her own life—truly a hardcore sister complex.

Which was exactly why I wanted to get out of Iris’s sight as quickly as possible.

If she ever found out I had stolen Eleanor’s workshop slot, I wouldn’t be surprised if her Ability cut my head off right here and now.

“L-Lie? No, I really don’t know them.”

“…Really?”

“Of course. I thought I recognized them, but I was mistaken.”

Thankfully, Eleanor covered for me.

She must have sensed that acknowledging me in front of Iris would only drag her into a mess. If Iris started asking where we met, what our relationship was, it would only be a matter of time before the truth came out—that I was the one supplying her with Rare Items.

After that narrow escape, I led the others deeper into the third floor, grinding for another hour before we finally returned.

Fortunately, we never ran into Iris or Eleanor again.

The next day.

It was Saturday, and as usual I left Gwangcheon and headed straight for the Hunter Market.

My destination, of course, was Eleanor’s workshop.

The moment I entered, Eleanor greeted me with a confident smile.

“Let me declare this first. The item I’ve completed this time is the best piece I’ve ever made. You’ll be shocked when you see it.”

Last week, Eleanor had asked me to invest in her.

She needed funds to open her own store, separate from Crystal Hunter Mall.

For both her and me, this independence was essential. She had told me the Mall had threatened to ban sales unless she revealed the source of the Rare Items she was selling.

If that happened, the money channel I had painstakingly set up would vanish.

So, I agreed to invest—on one condition.

That she prove herself capable. That she wasn’t just a smith, but a craftsman who could keep a store running, someone worthy to be my business partner.

“You’ll be satisfied with this one.”

“Being satisfied is the bare minimum.”

“Of course.”

“Good. Then show me what you’ve made.”

Nodding, Eleanor walked to the wall and retrieved a longsword from its sheath.

I drew it.

‘Oh.’

Her claim hadn’t been an exaggeration.

The blade gleamed with a crimson light—it was a Rare Item.

I immediately examined its status.

“Well? What do you think?”

Eleanor looked at me with eyes brimming with anticipation.

I stayed silent, pretending to study the blade intently, turning it this way and that.

Her nervousness grew until she swallowed hard, tension clear in her face.

“Who did you have in mind when you forged this?” I asked.

“…What?”

“This sword adds Holy Attack, which is especially effective against Undead or Dark monsters. On top of that, it has huge boosts to critical chance and critical damage. Simple, but powerful.”

As I listed off the stats, Eleanor’s eyes went wide.

“Y-You can just… tell all that at a glance?”

“I can.”

“….”

She was speechless.

“But tell me—does the wielder of this sword only hunt in graveyards?”

“N-No! That’s not what I was thinking at all…”

“I’m not saying Holy Attack is bad. In fact, someone farming in a Catacomb full of undead would love this weapon. But if it were me, I’d have picked materials that boosted area-of-effect damage instead of critical damage.”

“…!”

Eleanor clapped her hands.

“Of course! Undead monsters are slow, but they swarm in numbers. A weapon that excels at area attacks would make farming so much easier.”

She instantly grasped what I meant.

But soon her expression clouded.

“If I’d really wanted to make something versatile, I should’ve just pushed attack power even higher. Then the critical stats would’ve had better synergy. I see now… I overlooked that because I was too focused on pushing for quality.”

“Good. You understand. Next time, take usage scenarios into account.”

“So… y-you’re giving me another chance?”

“…Hm?”

Sliding the sword back into its sheath, I raised an eyebrow at her.

“I never said anything about chances.”

Eleanor’s face darkened even further.

“R-Right… I got my hopes up….”

“You pass.”

“…What?”

“I asked you to make a weapon that satisfied me. This one does.”

“But… but you just pointed out flaws—”

“I never said flaws. I said areas that could be improved.”

“….”

Eleanor stared at me, dumbfounded.

“Rare Items aren’t something just anyone can craft. You said that yourself. And yet, you did it.”

I smiled.

“That alone makes you worthy of being my business partner.”

“!!”

Eleanor’s face lit up like a sunrise breaking over a clear sky.

“…By the way, did you sell all the Rare Items I left with you last week?”

“Ah! Um, yes.” She hurriedly fetched her tablet.

“All thirty are gone. But the Mall sent a final warning. If I don’t reveal the crafter’s identity by Sunday, they’ll suspend sales starting Monday.”

I checked the sales record.

Over five hundred million won in revenue.

“Then put all of this toward opening the new store.”

“W-What!?” Eleanor nearly choked.

“C-Can I really—”

“Not enough?”

“N-No! It’s more than enough—overflowing!”

“Then maybe I’ll just take a hundred million for myself.”

“…Ah.”

Her face froze, then she turned away and started slapping her own mouth in regret.

(End of Chapter)