Chapter 79
The next morning.
After receiving the message confirming his acceptance, Suhyeok came to the academy.
Perhaps because it was Saturday, there were no students around and the entire building was quiet.
[ Dad, I got accepted too! What do you think? Now we can go to school together! ]
Seong-a was practically bouncing with excitement.
The sheath at Suhyeok's waist jostled along with her.
Leon, on the other hand, seemed more worried than happy and let out a long sigh.
[ Haa... I'm worried she's going to cause another accident, nya. What if some bad guys try to mess with her, nya? ]
[ Then Kitty can protect me! ]
The nickname had somehow become permanent.
Leon always told her not to call him that, but judging by how proudly he puffed air through his nose, he secretly seemed pleased.
[ Ahem! Well, if you insist, then this great Leon will beat them all up for you, nya. If I really put my mind to it, most enemies go down in one hit, nya! ]
Apparently copying something he'd seen somewhere, Leon floated in the air and took up a boxing stance.
Then he started throwing punches.
[ Whoosh, whoosh! Hear that, nya? That's not a sound I'm making with my mouth, nya! Whoosh, whoosh! ]
Their pointless conversation continued until Suhyeok eventually stopped in front of a door.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
He opened the door.
A middle-aged woman sat inside, leisurely drinking tea as she waited for him.
She smiled gently.
"I'd only seen you in photographs, but you're even more handsome in person."
She blinked.
"Oh my. Look at me making you stand there."
"Please, have a seat."
The woman before him was none other than the president of the academy.
"Would you like some tea?"
"I'm fine."
"That's unfortunate. It has a wonderful fragrance."
She set the cup down.
"Then let's get straight to the point."
"I heard about your interview."
"You defeated the chief instructor, didn't you?"
"I didn't defeat him."
Suhyeok answered flatly.
"He wasn't using his full strength, and I was only fighting a hologram."
His usual expressionless tone and formal answer made the president laugh softly.
"Pfft."
"Is that so?"
"Instructor Lee Janghyeok, you're quite modest."
"But you weren't using your full strength either, were you?"
Suhyeok knew the truth hidden beneath that gentle expression.
Lee Seonghwa.
Her real identity was one of the surviving executives of the Villain Association.
There was only one reason she'd infiltrated the academy as its president.
To revive the Villain Association.
And beyond that...
To plunge the world into chaos once again.
...That disgusting smile hasn't changed at all.
She would spend more than twenty years putting down roots deep within the academy.
Eventually, she succeeded in reviving the Villain Association.
Because of her, a considerable number of Players had died.
[ Ugh, that's such a creepy smile, nya. Can you see my fur standing up, nya? I'm getting chills, nya. ]
Leon clearly sensed something instinctively.
Several Constellations seemed to as well.
Seong-a also showed obvious displeasure.
"By the way, where did you learn that swordsmanship?"
Lee Seonghwa asked.
"I heard you spent your career at B-Rank."
"If you're skilled enough to defeat the chief instructor, were you hiding your true ability all this time?"
"No."
"I simply trained for a long time."
"Oh?"
She smiled.
"Trained for a long time..."
"You're quite an interesting man, Instructor Lee Janghyeok."
"I'm becoming curious about you."
"I think I'll have to watch you closely."
Her organization probably wasn't fully established inside the academy yet.
But there were certainly people here who followed her.
Students.
Instructors.
Possibly both.
That was exactly why Suhyeok had deliberately attracted attention during the interview.
There might already be one of her people among the interviewers.
Of course, what they were planning didn't matter much to Suhyeok right now.
Their real actions would take place far in the future.
The problem is the location of the fragment.
On his way here, he'd already examined the academy.
He had spread his energy throughout the entire campus.
Yet he couldn't sense the fragment at all.
That meant it was hidden somewhere secret enough to evade even his detection.
[A target eligible for Trait Plunder has been detected.]
[Trait - Lee Seonghwa]
Brand of Domination (S)
Smooth Talker (B)
Tempting Whisper (B)
[Condition: Be recognized as one of her subordinates, then earn the recognition of every member of her organization.]
I considered simply overpowering her and taking what I need...
But someone this careful would've prepared for that.
She had climbed from deep within the Association over many years.
She wasn't careless.
For now, gaining her trust slowly was the better option.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Lee Seonghwa asked.
"Do you have a question?"
"...No."
The more influence he gained inside the academy, the easier it would be to draw the president's attention.
Eventually, she would reach out to him herself.
"That's all for today's greeting."
"You can begin work starting Monday."
Suhyeok rose from his seat.
Then she added,
"Ah."
"You may design your class curriculum however you like."
"Just submit a report afterward."
"I'll also assign someone to ‘assist’ you."
So she intended to attach someone to monitor him.
That was fine.
It was exactly what Suhyeok wanted.
"...Understood."
"Then I'll take my leave."
After finishing his conversation with the president, Suhyeok left the academy and began walking somewhere.
Leon, sitting on his shoulder, immediately started complaining.
[ She's seriously the worst kind of person, nya. She practically said straight to your face that she's going to monitor you, nya. You shouldn't get involved with people like that, nya. ]
After walking for some time, Suhyeok arrived at a quiet road.
Several stores were clustered together across the street.
Leon looked around.
[ Why'd we come here, nya? Don't you need to prepare for class? ]
Suhyeok said nothing.
He simply looked at a Korean restaurant.
At that moment, a middle-aged woman came outside and began cleaning.
"Someone left trash here again."
She pressed a hand to her lower back.
"Oof, my back."
"Maybe I really should go to the hospital."
Riiing!
Her phone rang.
The moment she checked the caller ID, she seemed to forget all about her aching back.
Her expression brightened as she answered.
"Oh, son!"
"What brings you to call your mom?"
"Huh? You're coming today?"
"Oh, of course that's fine!"
"I'll make your favorite doenjang stew."
"Mm-hm, mm-hm."
She was so happy that she even dropped the cleaning tools she'd been holding.
[ Who is that person, nya? Do you know her? ]
The 40th floor was a parallel world of Earth.
Another version of everyone existed here.
Suhyeok included.
He crossed the street, opened the restaurant door, and went inside.
The moment he sat down, the woman came over to take his order.
"What would you like?"
"Our stews are good."
"Especially the doenjang stew."
"My son absolutely loves it."
"He usually barely eats, but whenever he comes here, he finishes a whole bowl of rice."
"..."
"Oh my, look at me."
She laughed awkwardly.
