A Veteran Teaches Very Well

part 31

Song Seok-hwan obediently followed my words, crossing his legs in the chair at the front.

“Are you unhappy with the group?”

Song Seok-hwan answered bluntly.

“Yes. To put it frankly, they’re all dropouts. They’re nothing but idiots who can’t even understand Korean, let alone be heroes.”

“So you think that way.”

“Don’t say stupid things like you can’t choose your comrades in real life. I’m meant to inherit the emergency guild.”

He wasn’t wrong.

One might think that leading a group was all the same, but there was a clear difference between guiding elites and a ragtag party.

It wasn’t a matter of what was harder or easier; they were simply different kinds.

For instance, when commanding elite soldiers, a brief signal is enough for the party to move in perfect unison, while an inexperienced party requires very detailed orders from their commander.

“You’re right.”

“Really?”

Song Seok-hwan asked back, perhaps not expecting my agreement.

The reasoning was good. But there was no method.

How can I recruit a new student who catches Song Seok-hwan’s fancy and form a group?

So I decided to play hardball.

“If the lecture doesn’t suit you, you can just quit.”

“That’s….”

“I informed you of the lecture content in advance, didn’t I? You applied voluntarily, didn’t you? I have no intention of changing the lecture material.”

Song Seok-hwan clenched his fists and trembled with rage.

“Understood.”

Surprisingly, he backed down without a fight.

It would be nice if he had changed his mind, but that was unlikely.

He had simply given up.

In the end, nothing was resolved.

“Don’t you want to try to align with your group members?”

“Don’t interfere with my methods.”

A cold response came back, one that could easily be interpreted as a rejection.

Just as I was about to try persuading him further, an intruder appeared in the classroom.

“Oh dear. Professor Cha, were you in a consultation with the emergency young master?”

“You are….”

It was a man in uniform with greenish-blue hair.

He looked to be in his forties, with a warm demeanor.

What was peculiar was that he was holding a thick folder in his left hand.

The man, who had called me so familiarly, was—

“Who?”

I didn’t know either.

“What, what? You’re pretending not to know me… It’s Professor Yoon Seong-yeop!”

So who is that?

I glanced at Song Seok-hwan, wondering if he recognized him, but he quickly turned his head away.

The professor, who introduced himself as Yoon Seong-yeop, began to bounce around, pleading for attention.

“We saw each other at the inauguration ceremony! Why are you pretending not to know me?”

Inauguration ceremony? Ah.

Now that I think about it, he does look a bit familiar.

The senior professor I had seen on the first day.

The one who suggested a welcome party and introduced me to Lee Ye-eun.

“Ah, it’s been a while.”

I had no good memories with this person.

I greeted him, making it clear that I was not pleased to see him.

Yoon Seong-yeop frowned for a moment but soon regained his composure and said,

“Heh. Hey, Professor Cha. That won’t last long. Soon, the whole world will know the truth!”

“Ah, yes.”

I had no interest in truth or anything else.

I tried to turn away from Yoon Seong-yeop.

But I couldn’t help but stop in my tracks at the next words I heard.

“Professor Cha, no. What kind of professor are you? I will let everyone know you’re a fraud! You fake professor!”

Fraud? Fake professor?

It was all nonsense to me.

Naturally, my expression turned cold.

“Are you talking to me?”

“Yeah! I’m going to let the whole world know you’re a fraud! You can look forward to it!”

Yoon Seong-yeop rambled on and then left just like that.

The next day, I could see what he was up to.

“Professor Cha Eun-woo, please cooperate with our investigation.”

Uninvited guests barged into my office.

On their chests were badges indicating they belonged to the Hero Association.

They were employees from the Hero Association.

Lee Ye-eun, who was in the office with me, stepped in front of them.

With her arms wide open, it seemed she was trying to protect me.

“Who are you to do this here? An investigation, you say?”

“We are from the Korean Hero Association. Please cooperate willingly.”

“Right now, Professor Cha is under suspicion of paper forgery.”

I didn’t know what was going on, but it was clear that opposing them would lead to no good.

I gestured for Lee Ye-eun to step back.

Lee Ye-eun resisted, but as my will remained steadfast, she ultimately raised the white flag.

The association staff handed me a piece of paper.

“This is the information we received from an anonymous tipster. Here, take a look.”

Lee Ye-eun and I examined the materials they provided.

There was a lot of content, but the gist was simple.

My thesis was entirely fabricated, and therefore, both my master’s and doctoral degrees were obtained unjustly.

The source of the materials was a grand library that collected all theses in South Korea. It was a place that could never be accessed through ordinary means.

Lee Ye-eun muttered in disbelief.

“No… Isn’t the grand library a place that thoroughly protects the identities of registered individuals? And it’s operated by the association.”

The association staff, perhaps feeling ashamed, offered a small excuse.

“Well… it was hacked…”

“Is that even an excuse? If that’s the case, then the materials were obtained illegally, so they should be invalid.”

As Lee Ye-eun seized on this point, she pressed on relentlessly.

Even as the association staff lost face, they stood firm in their response.

“A few years ago, the law was amended to make exceptions for crimes committed by those with abilities.”

“Crimes committed by those with abilities are difficult to investigate through normal means.”

“What kind of ridiculous law is that? What if an innocent person was accused?”

Lee Ye-eun exploded in frustration, but the association staff skillfully evaded her.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not within our jurisdiction.”

“The law was enacted by the National Assembly…”

“Professor, can’t you say something?”

My assistant protested earnestly, but sadly, I had nothing to say.

I didn’t know how I became a professor.

Both my doctoral and master’s degrees seemed to have come to me automatically once I became possessed by the game.

There was no answer to give, even if they pressed me.

Yet, there was one thing I felt I knew.

Who orchestrated this?

Yoon Seong-yeop.

And behind him, Jeon Tae-jin.

Was this what they meant by a fake professor?

“Let me ask one thing. You said an anonymous tipster reported this, right?”

“Excuse me? Ah, yes.”

“So, if I’m innocent, what happens to the informant?”

“They will be punished under the First-Class Information and Communication Security Act. The crime of tampering with the Great Library is very serious.”

It didn’t hit me hard, but at least I understood that it meant the end of a professor’s career.

So, Yoon Seong-yeop had put our professorships on the line and requested a battle for annihilation.

Trusting in the existence of Jeon Tae-jin behind it all.

“Do as you wish.”

I didn’t know what Jeon Tae-jin was plotting.

But I had my own reasons to believe.

A warning I had heard from Jo Seong-ung not long ago.

Jo Seong-ung had clearly said that Jeon Tae-jin would self-destruct.

There was no way Jeon Tae-jin had moved Jo Seong-ung to block my counterattack.

A prideful swordsman who despised treachery would never comply with such a request from Jeon Tae-jin.

“Then I will conduct an investigation for a moment.”

The association staff moved busily.

However, the investigation didn’t last long.

The president summoned us.

* * *

Florian Central Faculty Conference Room.

Murmurs—

An emergency meeting was called by President Ryu Jeong-ah.

The sudden summons caused a commotion within the conference room.

—What on earth is happening all of a sudden?

—She is a wise chairperson, so she must have a purpose.

Yet, no one voiced any complaints.

President Ryu Jeong-ah.

All the heroes who had passed through Florian respected the witch who had protected the Korean Peninsula for 150 years.

No one doubted her judgment.

If Ryu Jeong-ah had convened an emergency meeting, there had to be a compelling reason.

—What is the reason for calling this meeting?

─I heard there are some dishonest professors.

─Oh dear…

The emergency meeting could only be initiated by professors, but anyone affiliated with the academy could enter the conference room.

Of course, there were hardly any students eager to witness a tedious meeting that would yield them nothing.

The exceptions were only those directly involved with the meeting’s content.

─Professor… will you be okay?

─Isn’t this a big deal?

─…

A dozen or so students who attended Cha Eun-woo’s lecture, the central figure of this meeting, were gathered in a corner of the conference room.

Cha Eun-woo was quite popular among the students.

More than his lectures or personality, his good looks were the main reason.

Seo Da-yoon spoke with a worried expression.

“Seri… do you think he’ll be alright?”

“Of course. That person committing academic fraud? Don’t be ridiculous.”

While the other students gathered out of concern for Cha Eun-woo, Ahn Se-ri thought differently.

That person was incomparable to the countless mediocre professors out there.

A true genius, in every sense of the word.

What could he possibly gain from committing something as trivial as academic fraud?

Ahn Se-ri was here simply out of curiosity.

She wanted to understand why such a ridiculous show was unfolding and why their professor was being attacked.

A little further away, Baek Seol-hwa was seated.

Park Seo-hu was sitting next to her.

─Look, there’s Park Seo-hu and Baek Seol-hwa. Do they know each other?

─They’re both from the martial arts department. They probably hang out together.

─Wow, they really are a handsome couple.

─This is the first time I’ve seen Park Seo-hu.

The students looked at Park Seo-hu with the same gaze one would give a celebrity.

They had grown accustomed to Song Seok-hwan, Baek Seol-hwa, and Ahn Se-ri over the past month, but very few had the chance to meet Park Seo-hu.

Even the professors were paying attention to Park Seo-hu.

─That kid is…

─Indeed, there’s an extraordinary aura emanating.

─I hear that Professor Jo Sung-woong has come out of seclusion because of Park Seo-hu?

─The future of Korea is bright.

Dum- dum- dum-

The sound of drums echoed in the bustling conference hall.

Everyone present knew what it signified.

─They have arrived.

─Finally…

The inner door of the conference hall swung open.

Three men and women dressed in hanbok appeared, and the man at the front spoke.

“Everyone, rise and greet the Chancellor!”

At that, everyone bowed deeply, their waists at a right angle.

The girl who stepped out waved her hands dismissively.

“Don’t do that. It’s fine, everyone, lift your heads.”

The Chancellor of Florian Academy, Ryu Jeong-ah, had made her entrance.

“A guest has arrived.”

Ryu Jeong-ah said.

Though her appearance was unmistakably that of a child, she exuded a more seasoned aura than anyone else in the room.

As her gaze fell upon the association’s staff, their bodies froze.

That was the witch who had lived for 150 years.

They swallowed hard, their nerves getting the better of them.

“What brings such humble beings to this esteemed place?”

Laughter erupted around them.

It was clearly a mocking remark directed at the association’s staff.

One staff member, incensed, shouted back.

“That’s rude!”

But he immediately regretted raising his voice.

─Who does that brat think he is to raise his voice?

─What an insolent little brat…

The professors’ fierce demeanor was no less formidable than that of active heroes.

—

Rather, the momentum was beyond that of an active duty officer.

The staff felt their knees tremble, as if they could hardly stand.

“Enough. Why are you trying to intimidate us?”

At Ryu Jeong-ah’s command, the grim aura akin to that of a grim reaper finally eased.

“But still.”

For a moment, they felt relief. The staff realized.

They had evaded the wolf only to confront the tiger.

“You fools, your Hero Association, having snatched the management rights of the Great Library from the academy, got hacked? And what face do you have to come here?”

Is this what it feels like when your heart is about to stop?

The overwhelming presence exuded by Ryu Jeong-ah matched that of all the other professors combined.

No, it was even greater.

The staff knelt and apologized.

“We’re sorry, we’re so sorry…”

“We have no excuse…”

Ryu Jeong-ah regained her composure.

Only then did the staff of the association catch their breath.

“It’s not like the kids did anything wrong, and here I am, venting my anger in the wrong place. Forgive me.”

“Yes, yes…”

“So, our new professor has gotten involved in an unfortunate incident?”

As Ryu Jeong-ah revealed her displeasure, the association staff spoke in the most submissive manner possible.

“Um… Professor Cha, who joined this year, is under suspicion of having forged a paper.”

“As you know, President, in South Korea, for degree theses, if the author wishes, personal information can be kept confidential. The identity remains solely with the Great Library.”

“However, upon searching the Great Library, we found that there isn’t a single paper authored by Professor Cha.”

As they spoke, the conference room buzzed.

─That makes sense.

─Right. No matter how much of a National Intelligence Service agent you are, there should be information in the Great Library.

─But this damn association got robbed by a hacker in such an important place? What a joke.

At the last harsh remark, the association staff flinched.

Yet, it was a blunder they could not make excuses for.

Ryu Jeong-ah thought to herself.

‘No matter how rotten the association is, it couldn’t possibly be defeated by a mere hacker… It’s you, Tae-jin.’

Jeon Tae-jin. Once, he was the brightest child of all.

So, the greedy monster he had become now felt strangely out of place.

Ryu Jeong-ah’s expression turned briefly bitter.

The staff continued to speak, oblivious to such feelings.

“In fact, our Grand Library and the association aren’t exactly on friendly terms, even if it’s just for show. So, there have been instances where individuals have impersonated unpublished papers as their own to obtain degrees, haven’t there?”

“While such incidents have never occurred in Florian, it’s an annual occurrence to catch one.”

For Seo Da-yoon, listening from the audience, this conversation was incomprehensible.

She quietly asked An Se-ri, “Isn’t it strange that an association granting degrees can’t even properly verify the papers?”

“That’s just how politics works. It’s an irrational and foolish fight over resources.”

“Hmm?”

“Originally, the Grand Library was managed by the association, but there were many concerns about security. Especially after the criteria for National Intelligence Service agents changed to heroes with doctoral degrees, the government stepped in and transferred control to the association.”

“And then, when the association’s security became an issue, the president got angry?”

“Yeah. Good for you. You figured out one thing after I told you one.”

“Hehe.”

The association staff had regained some composure compared to the beginning.

The atmosphere in the conference room gradually shifted.

Everyone began to show subtle suspicions toward Cha Eun-woo.

The whistleblower who had created this situation, Yoon Seong-yeop, was secretly overjoyed.

‘Professor Jeon, I did it!’

This arrogant brat. Your time is up.

This is the consequence of touching someone you can’t handle.

If you hadn’t acted up in the tower, you wouldn’t have been pushed this far.

No.

He was someone who obtained his position through dishonest means from the start.

Even without this incident, he would have lost everything someday. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck for him that it was revealed early.