A Veteran Teaches Very Well

part 24

“What a fuss over something trivial. What’s the big deal about beating that loser…?”

Song Seok-hwan was in a bad mood.

He had been upset since he couldn’t catch the golem in the practical class.

‘Damn useless idiots…’

The group members were all below standard.

Song Seok-hwan would later become the commander of Korea’s top guild, the Ascension party, so he just had to endure this pestilent class. He would never have to see these underachievers again.

But Seo Da-yoon, who was in the same department, was different.

As long as no one disappeared, he would have to keep seeing her until graduation.

Seeing that thorn in his side acting up only made him more irritated.

Not just Song Seok-hwan, but even the top students in combat magic kept a wary eye on Seo Da-yoon.

Grades were a pie to be shared.

Only 30% of the students could receive an A or higher. If someone rose up, someone else had to fall behind.

Naturally, they wouldn’t welcome the emergence of a new dark horse.

─I think I’m going to barely scrape by in elemental magic this time.

─Aren’t you going to get schooled by her?

There were a few students who welcomed the arrival of a new rival.

─Isn’t she a pretty well-known senior among the third years?

─This could be fun. I want to fight her too.

In many ways, Seo Da-yoon became the eye of the storm.

Around her, many things began to change.

Lowerclassmen no longer hesitated to step into the central magic tower, and the ripple effect spread to other departments, causing various bad habits that had lingered in Florian to start disappearing one by one.

It wasn’t just the public’s perception that had changed.

Seo Da-yoon herself had also achieved significant growth.

─The mentor effect is activated. You gain a small amount of experience. (Target: Seo Da-yoon)

“This experience has been really good for me.”

The corners of my mouth lifted involuntarily.

The experience I gained this time was substantial. Especially my magic-related abilities were in the mid-20s, perhaps even nearing 30?

My growth meant that Seo Da-yoon had undoubtedly grown even more than that.

The fruits of this victory were incredibly sweet.

Seo Da-yoon’s already rapid growth would only accelerate further. I was hopeful that her growth rate might even match that of a player’s manipulation.

Everything seemed to be going well, but there was one worry.

My smartphone had been ringing loudly since yesterday.

─Please answer the phone. / Ahn Se-ri

─What are you doing, professor? / Ahn Se-ri

─Let’s talk for a bit. / Ahn Se-ri

─Answer the phone. / Anseri

─Hey! / Anseri

“Haah…”

I pressed my forehead and sighed.

I knew Anseri would be angry, but it seemed like she was even more furious than I had expected.

Anseri had a tendency to be overprotective of Seo Dayun.

If she had known in advance that Seo Dayun was going to duel Han Daedong, it wouldn’t have been surprising if she had caused a scene. For instance, by ambushing Han Daedong before the duel.

So, I made sure the rumors didn’t reach Anseri’s ears.

At first, I answered the call without much thought, but the voice filled with malice came through, and I hung up immediately.

The result was 21 missed calls and 89 text messages.

I felt like the protagonist in a horror movie.

“How am I supposed to calm her down?”

After a moment of contemplation, I concluded that time would heal.

So, I hadn’t been going to the professor’s office lately.

There was nothing to do there anyway.

Today, I was holed up in the research lab instead of the office.

However, my only student who used this place, Lee Yeo-eun, wasn’t too pleased with me.

“Professor, you can’t just stand there; it’s distracting.”

“That’s quite a hurtful thing to say.”

“If you’re bored, you should start preparing your paper from now on.”

Lee Yeo-eun had become quite sensitive lately due to her sleepless nights.

She was ready to snap at the slightest provocation.

Not a metaphor; I mean physically.

Seeing my once-gentle student turned like this, it was clear that being a researcher wasn’t meant for humans. I needed to toughen up and shed the label of a theoretical professor, for sure.

I felt a bit sorry for Yeo-eun, but unfortunately, I had one more task for her.

“Oh, by the way, this assistant, check your email later.”

“Email?”

“Our class has to take the exam starting this week. You know that, right?”

“Ah… yes…”

“You need to have it all done by tomorrow. So, please take care of it.”

Lee Ye-eun nodded twice with a vacant expression.

If I stayed any longer, it felt like sparks would fly, so I decided to head back to the professor’s office.

“Let’s see, right now An Se-ri is…”

I checked the academy app on my smartphone.

There were only a few names on my friend list.

An Se-ri was one of them.

As I tapped on An Se-ri’s name, her schedule appeared. A total of 25 credits, exceeding the maximum allowed for course registration. It was a packed timetable.

Exceeding the maximum credits for course registration is a privilege for high-achieving students.

An Se-ri was planning to fill her credits in advance for early graduation.

“Okay.”

Just then, it was the time when An Se-ri would be attending a lecture.

I quickly made my way to the professor’s office.

With Lee Ye-eun and An Se-ri absent, the professor’s office should naturally be empty.

I thought I would enjoy some alone time, but there were guests.

“Ah, Professor!”

As soon as I opened the door, Seo Da-yoon, who had spotted me, rushed over.

I lightly turned my body to dodge her, causing Seo Da-yoon, who had lost her target, to stumble.

“Ugh…”

While our bond had strengthened during the private tutoring sessions, it didn’t seem like we were at a level where she would rush at me just because our eyes met.

With that question in mind, I asked Seo Da-yoon.

“What’s going on?”

Seo Da-yoon whispered in a small voice near my ear.

“Th-there’s a scary person over there…”

Seo Da-yoon hid behind me and pointed to the sofa in the corner of the professor’s office.

There sat another guest, Baek Seol-hwa, with her legs crossed.

“Hello.”

With fierce eyes and a stoic expression.

Baek Seol-hwa struggled to make friends due to her intimidating presence. Especially for someone as timid as Seo Da-yoon, she would definitely avoid Baek Seol-hwa.

The two of them meeting when I wasn’t around was, in many ways, the worst combination.

Still, even though Baeksulhwa looked like that, it was rare for her to actually be angry.

She seemed to be frowning even now, but in reality, it was just…

…not just that?

Baeksulhwa had a talent for “emotional eruption.”

Eruption was a trait that intensified as emotions heightened.

In many ways, it was a fitting characteristic for the protagonist of a shonen manga.

However, Baeksulhwa’s was a bit peculiar.

Typically, when someone enters an eruptive state, heat radiates from their body, warming the surroundings.

But Baeksulhwa’s eruption didn’t generate heat; instead, it produced a chilling cold that drastically lowered the temperature around her.

The coldness felt in the professor’s office.

For reasons unknown, Baeksulhwa was angry right now.

Upon closer inspection, her expression was quite crumpled.

Had she perhaps had a fight with Seodahyun?

“You two, what happened?”

“What do you mean, what happened?”

Hwaak─

With that icy voice, the chill that had been swirling around the room suddenly focused entirely on me.

What? She’s not angry at Seodahyun, but at me?

Facing Baeksulhwa’s expression made me a little scared.

Seodahyun was trembling behind me.

“Professor, don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“Anything to say?”

Cold air seemed to seep from her voice.

There were so many frightening things happening today. First, it was Anseryi, and now it was Baeksulhwa?

As I cautiously asked again, Baeksulhwa replied.

“Why is she Da-yun, but I’m just Seolhwa?”

…Hearing the reason, I felt deflated.

It was really a trivial reason.

Well, I had been on edge because of Anseryi. A professor with a normally good reputation like mine couldn’t possibly have caused any trouble.

From behind me, Seodahyun peeked her face out and said softly.

“It’s not just you. Everyone else feels the same way, and I’m not special… Eek!”

As Baeksulhwa narrowed her eyes, the whites of her eyes became visible all around her pupils. It was a terrifying gaze.

Right now, I was genuinely scared too.

Seodayun buried her face in my back, perhaps truly frightened. Fooling around had gotten us nowhere.

“What’s your answer?”

It wasn’t difficult to call out to her, and from the start, I had intended for everyone to call me normally from now on.

But as I urged her, the desire to joke around vanished the moment I met her gaze.

“Okay, okay. Seolhwa.”

Only then did the icy air begin to thaw.

Seodayun looked at me, seemingly dissatisfied, but she couldn’t bring herself to voice it. It was because of Baeksulhwa’s intimidating presence.

Since it was a break between classes, I decided to just feed them something decent and send them on their way.

“Have you not eaten? Should I buy you something?”

Usually, they would politely refuse once, but my students didn’t do that.

Seodayun jumped in first.

“I want to eat spicy rice cakes!”

“Denied.”

“No way.”

Baeksulhwa and I both made it clear we didn’t want that at the same time.

Seodayun pouted, but a refusal was a refusal. It simply didn’t suit my taste.

By the way, spicy rice cakes exist in the game world too.

Is it an Easter egg created by the developers? Or did such elements get added when I entered this world?

“I want to eat a set meal.”

In stark contrast to Seodayun’s insistence on instant food, Baeksulhwa requested a set meal.

This time, Seodayun opposed it.

“But since it’s the professor treating us, let’s go for something delicious…”

“It is delicious.”

“Ugh, fine…”

Seodayun immediately backed down.

Isn’t she being a bit too weak?

Still, if I just bought whatever Baeksulhwa wanted, I felt like Seodayun would grumble about it later, so I decided to find a compromise.

“I guess it’s better if I just order something.”

* * *

“Your order of three bowls of Jajangmyeon and one serving of Sweet and Sour Pork has arrived.”

Jajangmyeon is the epitome of mediocrity in food.

With this, anyone could eat without any preferences or aversions.

It was a menu choice that wouldn’t be strange for my disciples to praise my wisdom.

“I prefer Jjamppong…”

“Fried rice.”

These fools who don’t even know basic food etiquette.

It’s a universal rule to stick to one menu at a Chinese restaurant. If you keep whining about Jjamppong or fried rice, you can’t function in society.

Why can’t they understand the deep feelings of their master?

“Just eat what you’re given.”

I placed all the bowls on the table and peeled off the plastic wrap.

The noodles had slightly burst during delivery. But seeing the rich black bean sauce made my appetite surge.

As I lifted the noodles with my chopsticks to mix the Jajangmyeon, a clump of noodles came up smoothly. This place really can’t make Jajangmyeon well.

After mixing it just enough, I set the chopsticks down.

Still, the Sweet and Sour Pork looked delicious with its crispy exterior.

The golden sauce, perfectly mixed with vegetables.

Watching that lovely sight, Seo Da-yoon was licking her lips.

Let’s save the admiration for later and start eating.

Finally, I poured all the sauce over the Sweet and Sour Pork—

“Ahhh!”

What a shock.

The screams of the two girls felt like they were tearing through my eardrums.

Seo Da-yoon and Baek Seol-hwa’s faces turned pale as if they had seen a ghost.

“What’s going on?”

“What are you doing, Professor?”

“The sauce! The sauce!”

Why the sauce?

The golden waterfall beautifully cascaded over the fried pork, completing the appetizing Sweet and Sour Pork.

As I proudly presented the sweet and sour pork, the two of them looked at me with disdainful eyes.

“Professor, are you a ‘sauce on top’ person?”

“I don’t understand. Why ruin a dish we’re supposed to share with such unilateral decisions?”

“You’re selfish, Professor.”

“You have no consideration.”

The two of them teamed up as if they had never had a falling out, starting to slander me.

I couldn’t understand why they were making such a fuss.

Why was pouring the sauce a problem?

“What’s your complaint?”

“What do you think? The complaint is that you poured the sauce! It makes the meat soggy!”

“You clearly don’t know how to enjoy food. The essence of sweet and sour pork is that the sauce is mixed in with the meat. You’re the ones disrupting those who want to enjoy it properly because of your selfishness.”

At my logically sound statement, the two of them gaped in disbelief.

It was a completely valid argument, so it was only natural they couldn’t refute it.

This is what sweet and sour pork is; why defile it arbitrarily?

But the response I received far exceeded my expectations.

“What do you mean by that?”

“To say sweet and sour pork is meant to be eaten with sauce poured on it is absurd.”

“What are you talking about? That’s how it’s supposed to be.”

“So what are you saying? Sweet and sour pork is traditionally meant to be dipped.”

“Did you suddenly hit your head or something?”

“What kind of nonsense… huh?”

As I briefly pondered whether they were under some delusion, a worst-case scenario suddenly flashed through my mind.

Come to think of it, we’re in a game world.

I hurriedly searched for sweet and sour pork on my smartphone.

And then I discovered an unbelievable fact.

─Sweet and Sour Pork: A dish originating from China. Breaded meat is meant to be dipped in sauce. Some people claim it should be eaten with sauce poured on it, but this is entirely unfounded.

“What the hell….”

This is insane.

Did those ‘dippers’ really have the audacity to include such a blatant historical distortion as an Easter egg?

My head hung low in the face of this incomprehensible reality.

—

It’s unfair. So incredibly unfair.

But if I were to tell these kids that sweet and sour pork is meant to be dipped, but the game developers of the dipping faction manipulated reality, what would they say?

I think I’d probably be sent straight to a mental hospital.

I could hear such voices echoing in my head.

“Dipping faction! Sign immediately!”

“Sweet and sour pork is… meant to be… dipped…”

I had no choice but to bury this injustice deep in my heart, unable to confide in anyone.

Chapter 2. The Exam

North of Seoul, on a deep mountain path.

This place is strictly off-limits to the general public.

Only authorized Awakened ones are allowed to enter.

─Screech!

I heard the cry of a monkey from somewhere.

I quickly scanned my surroundings, but saw nothing. Which means…

“Is that you!”

Rustle—

As I drew my sword and swung it high, I felt the sensation of slicing through flesh.

The monkey split in two and fell to the ground with a thud. The stench of its insides and the bright red blood were just a bonus.

I had cut down more than ten, but I still hadn’t gotten used to it.

Even if the monsters were weak, my mental state was gradually wearing thin.

“Still, the fact that monkeys are appearing more frequently means… indeed.”

As I stepped up the hill, I finally found what I was looking for.

A gate emitting a blue light was in sight.

All the dungeons in this mountain are connected to one type of dungeon.

The very dungeon I would use for my practical exam, the Less Verdant Monkey Forest.

I took photos from multiple angles with my camera, then turned on the GPS to find the exact coordinates.

After that, I input the gate’s mana into my magical tool. Then, words appeared on the screen of the tool.

▼ Analysis Result

─Grade: F

—

─Title: The Less Green Monkey Forest

─Identification Number: 31220917

Would you like to save it? (Yes/No)

“Yes.”

Ding!

Done.

I then transmitted all the information I had acquired to the Hero Association.

It was a preparation to claim priority over this gate.