CHAPTER 129

The appointed time had passed, but there was no communication from Mudal. That could mean only one thing.

“He failed.”

The white tiger beastman set down his wine glass and watched the moonlit sky. “It really isn’t easy to target people in the White Night’s territory with her around.

In the past, she’d been just a brat. Now, she was already a National Treasure; it wouldn’t be easy even if he went there personally. The beastman’s tongue flickered across his lips. But I won’t give up.

He had crossed into this strange world for the sole purpose of obtaining the dragon harpoon, long prepared to fight anyone in his way to get it.

I will have it. The Yaksha is all but dead; no one can stop me.

Hope swelled in the beastman’s furry chest, and his blue eyes gleamed coldly.

***

Inside Professor Wu Gyo-Hwan’s office.

“What? He’s on a business trip? All of a sudden?”

“It isn’t sudden. This was scheduled two months in advance.”

Professor Lee So-Yeong’s unexpected visit baffled Wu Gyo-Hwan’s teaching assistants. After all, one was the professor of Mana Studies, while the other was the professor of Tactical Studies—their areas of study were unrelated, and they had never shown a close relationship. At most, the two professors exchanged polite nods in the hallway.

Yet now, Professor Lee came all the way to Professor Wu’s office to ask about his whereabouts?

One of the assistants thought, Maybe she has no way to contact him since they aren’t close, so she had to come in person. Yeah, that must be it.

Just as the teaching assistants were feeling awkward, Lee So-Yeong noticed a pamphlet on the desk. The words ‘Fortress Theory Conference’ were written in bold letters.

“He went to Japan?”

Fortress Theory was a field of study headed by a group of Japanese scholars serious about siege warfare.

They advocated building fortresses inside gates and using them as a base to lure over and defeat monsters, promoting a no-casualty strategy for clearing monsters.

As the Professor of Tactical Studies, if Wu Gyo-Hwan had left to attend such a conference, then she really had nothing to say. It seemed natural.

“Yes, he said he had to seize the opportunity to learn from advanced cultures and departed the country with great enthusiasm.”

Lee So-Yeong’s brows twitched at the term ‘Advanced cultures.’ But he couldn’t refute it.

Japan and China had indeed been the leading powers in Asia for a long time. It was only during the Yaksha’s prime that South Korea had taken the lead.

But it had already been eight years since the Yaksha fell. Now, even the older generation doubted and denied his achievements, let alone the younger generations, who’d never witnessed the Yaksha firsthand. This was thanks to the government and the Association’s information campaigns. However, erasing the Yaksha’s past glory also meant erasing the past glory of South Korea.

As a result, the new generations knew nothing of South Korea’s golden age. To them, Japan and China were countries that South Korea had never caught up with. It was natural for them to look up to those countries—hence, the term ‘Advanced cultures’ came about.

But Wu Gyo-Hwan was different.

He was over fifty years old and a scholar, so he had to know South Korea’s true history. Yet, it seemed he didn’t discourage talk about ‘advanced cultures’ among his teaching assistants.

It’s true that Japan is great, but why take the lead in deifying the place?

Of course, it was natural to admire countries better than their own. However, Lee So-Yeong was suspicious of Wu Gyo-Hwan.

How could she not be?

He’d known the Student Council had been searching for beastmen and conveniently lured the president from her building at a critical time, endangering students.

Wu Gyo-Hwan was clearly suspicious.

With the student president’s testimony of events, Lee So-Yeong could’ve arrested and questioned him. Yet he left the country before I could... Huh?

Lee So-Yeong was looking around the professor’s office with a frown when she sensed something. The teaching assistants watched, confused, as she made her way to Wu Gyo-Hwan’s desk.

“Professor?”

Before they could stop her, Lee So-Yeong forcefully opened the locked desk drawer and found a gem.

“The evil eye’s contract stone... ”

A contract stone was a magic stone used to bind a demon and a human through a contract. Finding one here, in Wu Gyo-Hwan’s desk, wasn’t necessarily a problem—although rare, some players gained power through demon contracts and used it to defeat monsters and clear gates.

However, an evil eye was a demon of the lowest tier. The only abilities it possessed were Stealth and Enhanced Vision. And the only ability it provided to its contractor was Shared Vision.[1] In other words, its best and only uses were for espionage and reconnaissance.

“How insidious. I’ll be taking this with me. If Professor Wu Gyo-Hwan wants it back, tell him to come see me in person. But I doubt he will ever return to the school.”

***

Saturday.

The moment morning classes were over, Hae-Rin came to the teachers’ lounge.

“Please issue an outing pass.”

Kim Jin-Myeong looked at her. “And what’s the reason? You know final exams start next week, right?”

The students of Lion’s Castle were free to go out on weekends. However, it was currently exam season. Even the second-year students refrained from going out during this time, despite normally being away from the school due to club activities.

If he easily handed over an outing pass to a first-year student, the other teachers wouldn’t let it go. He didn’t belong to a faction, so they could criticize him freely for it.

“It’s my father’s birthday,” Park Hae-Rin said.

Kim Jin-Myeong’s expression softened. “Birthday shopping, is it? You are a filial daughter.”

He also had a wife and children. Seeing Park Hae-Rin’s intentions warmed his heart. However, personal and professional matters had to remain separate.

He said, “If that is your reason, then you shouldn’t need to go out. Isn’t it better to order gifts online or through the Community?”

“My friend agreed to come and help me pick.”

“You can look on the Internet and ask your friend to choose. Besides, did you intend to leave with your friend? I can’t give two people a pass.”

Kim Jin-Myeong’s voice was firm. Yes, this is for the best... She can still shop online, and her studies won’t suffer.

“......”

“I... ” Hae-Rin’s big eyes darted around as she thought about what to say.

At that moment, Jae-Hyeok stuck his head into the teachers’ lounge. “Hey, what’s taking so long?” When the other teachers in the lounge saw Jae-Hyeok, the noise in the room dropped.

“Hey, that’s Kang Jae-Hyeok.”

“This kid... He’s the one who is close with Professor Lee, right?”

Some of the teachers watched and whispered. But many more looked away from Jae-Hyeok, as if guilty of some type of crime.

While no one was looking, Kim Jin-Myeong took the opportunity to fill out a pass and press it into Hae-Rin’s hand. “Now that I think about it, it’s better to look for a gift in person. Yes, yes, absolutely—I hope my daughter grows up to be a child who cherishes her father like you. Now go. And come back safely.”

Hae-Rin blinked.

A few moments later, she found herself next to Jae-Hyeok in the hallway, still blinking. What just happened...

Jae-Hyeok said, “Alright, let’s go.”

“Wait. Jae-Hyeok, you... you also got a pass?”

“I originally had one.”

“Um... when?”

Hae-Rin checked the details of her outing pass uncertainly.

[First Year, Class B, Park Hae-Rin.

Permission granted. The student has important family business.

○ Day ○○ Month, Saturday.

Supervising teacher, Kim Jin-Myeong.]

The date of issuance was written on the outing pass, and the pass would only work for that date, which meant Jae-Hyeok’s words about originally having an outing pass were somewhat inappropriate.

Jae-Hyeok seemed unaware of this fact as he replied. “I got it a while ago.” His tone made it clear he found her questions strange. Then, he strode forward, and Hae-Rin scrambled behind.

“W-wait!” Hae-Rin was forced to half-run, half-walk to keep up. By the time they exited the school gate, Hae-Rin looked resigned, trailing behind like a lonely duck.

......

“You again.”

When they arrived, one of the guards stationed at the gate acknowledged Jae-Hyeok. He didn’t bother asking for Jae-Hyeok’s pass and only checked Hae-Rin’s.

“An important family matter? It’s a pity for someone so young to face such hardships.” The guard shook his head sympathetically before waving to his comrades. “Let them through.”

From there, everything went smoothly: Hae-Rin managed to skip all the unnecessary procedures, and they crossed the gate.

When they emerged on the other side, they were met with dozens more guards, much more than were stationed inside the gate. These guards stood as the first line of defense for Lion’s Castle, so naturally, security was tight.

The guards greeted Jae-Hyeok.

“Ah, Jae-Hyeok?”

“How have you been? Any news on Seong-Hyeo? Has he recovered yet?”

“Send my regards to Seong-Hyeon. And have a good outing.”

The guards were all close with Cho Seong-Hyeon of Jaegyeong Pharmaceuticals, and Cho Seong-Hyeon shared a special relationship with Jae-Hyeok—seeing him not only as a benefactor but as a teacher. Naturally, whenever Cho Seong-Hyeon mentioned Jae-Hyeok, he mentioned strengths that even Jae-Hyeok wasn’t aware of, so the guards’ opinions of Jae-Hyeok were very high.

“......”

Hae-Rin quietly watched as Jae-Hyeok was seen off by the guards until they were quite some distance away. Her eyes shone as if she were looking at a great person.

Jae-Hyeok felt a little burdened under her big eyes. He explained, “They treat me kindly because of our homeroom teacher and other connections; you know Jaegyeong Pharmaceuticals, right? He buys coffee and snacks for the guards every time he comes, and he happens to be friends with me... ” Jae-Hyeok then explained how he met the employees of Jaegyeong Pharmaceuticals. He shortened the story quite a bit, but it still took him a while to finish.

Afterward, Hae-Rin nodded seriously, “Yes, so it's all thanks to you.”

“Didn’t you listen? They don’t treat me well because of me. It’s other people. Other.”

“But the fact that they’re kind to you and help you is the result of your choices and actions.”

“......”

Hae-Rin’s eyes shone as she thought about her next sword dance.

Growing up, she had only been taught how to obey, so Jae-Hyeok was a great source of inspiration in many ways. Through him, she learned how to stand up, decide, and act on her own.

Through him, she learned how to be a person.

“I will be there for you, too,” Hae-Rin declared.

“... Um, thanks.”

Jae-Hyeok felt a little embarrassed and quickened his pace. He wasn’t used to hearing such heartfelt words.

Soon, they entered the downtown of a bustling city. “Wow... ” Jae-Hyeok was impressed. He had never seen so many people gathered in one area.

Seeing Jae-Hyeok glancing around in wonder, Hae-Rin gained some energy. For once, it seemed she found a chance to be the one helping him. “Where should we start? If you’re not sure, I can—”

“The health store,” Jae-Hyeok declared.

—Guide you...

1. Editor’s note: It is unclear whether “stealth,” “enhanced vision, and “shared vision” are the proper names of the Skills. I assume they are, which is why I capitalized them. ☜