NOVEL NEXT Chapter 44
44 – New Traits.
Nam Gung-se’s stronghold was destroyed.
It had a much bigger impact than I had anticipated.
“Have you heard that Nam Gung-se’s stronghold has fallen?”
“Not only that, but it’s said to be in ruins, to the point of being disgraceful for the Nam Gung family, isn’t it?”
“I heard a rumor that Han Seo-jin was the one who waged the invasion a while ago.”
“It’s not just a rumor. It’s true.”
There were more than a few eyewitnesses.
Most of them were from Han Seo-jin’s camp, but there were also civilians who had been conscripted.
To make the incident more significant, they even opened the gates.
Was it because of that?
The truth of the matter was spreading rapidly.
“Hello, gentlemen!! I stopped by Incheon Station and…”
“They say they broke into Nam Gung-se’s stronghold and attacked right away? This is just to intimidate. Although Jin-ki’s tactics are surprisingly delicate, aren’t they?”
“Did he say Han Seojin? Find out everything related to him right now!!”
The vagabond of the Cheolhyeol Sword Clan.
A man who is the eldest son, yet received neither the system’s selection nor the mana’s selection.
His evaluation was gradually changing.
And that Han Seojin.
He was tormenting the students.
*
“Eunchae, my first disciple, ended up last.”
“No, how could this be! I have the most potential, but it’s not right for someone as delicate as me to climb a cliff so ignorantly!”
“Yeah, Eunchae ended up last.”
“…Hey, could you not be so harsh? You usually complain like that, but if you do this, I get really scared.”
“You know?”
“Hey, you devil!!”
He laughed as he pushed Yoo Eunchae, who had climbed to the edge of the cliff, with his foot.
“Wow, you really pushed me.”
“I thought that was a lie, but after climbing the cliff three times, I decided to always come first.”
“…Phew.”
It was Jo Gaeun and Wi Gunak.
And Shin Yura’s reaction.
If Yoo Eunchae had been 10 seconds faster, Shin Yura would have been in that position.
And so, Ando let out a sigh of relief.
“Those who have completed the basic physical training and the advanced stage can take a good rest. We will begin the theoretical course tomorrow, so be prepared.”
“Why do we need to be prepared for a theory class?”
“If you want our bandmaster to know in advance, then you should be ready.”
“…I really don’t want to. But I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“What a shame.”
Tsk.
It’s a legitimate opportunity to… no, to train.
“Why are you suddenly losing your appetite?!”
“It’s the heart of a teacher who wanted to train out of love for his students.”
“…You’re really a bad person.”
“Yeah, yeah, you got it.”
Receiving the bandmaster’s sulkiness appropriately, he walked leisurely.
There was a lot to do today.
He had to prepare for a long time to break Nam Gung-se and manipulate the students, and now he had to extract compensation from the principal.
And there was someone he had to meet.
“Oh, and when you come back up from the cliff, tell Yoo Eun-chae to come straight to the office.”
“What kind of trouble are you planning to cause again…”
“Come holding hands with Sun Woo-hyun.”
“…Is it related to the previous incident?”
“Ugh.”
Having given instructions, I headed to the faculty office.
“Wow, what’s with the professor’s glowing face?”
“I don’t think it was this intense last time. What kind of power has he awakened again?”
“Ah, I want to take his class. They say Professor Han Seojin’s students have become really strong.”
“Most of the students who take his class end up completely exhausted.”
“Ah, they must be exaggerating.”
“…You think so?”
Trudge, trudge.
As I walked, someone blocked my path.
It was a face I was seeing for the first time here, but I knew this person.
The one who looked at me with concern when Nangong Gaju tried to kill me.
“Long time no see.”
“I passed out back then and couldn’t properly greet you. I’m Professor Han Seojin, the top professor at the academy.”
“I’m Seo Piljoo, holding the position of elder in the Georyeoksa. I apologize for back then.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. Consider this my thanks.”
I made two circles with my hands.
In other words, give me money.
The man looked flustered and bowed his head.
“As a token of gratitude from Georyeoksa, we will make a donation in a sponsorship format. Our Borami has become remarkably stronger than expected.”
“Seo Boram is a student who also pays attention. If I show this much sincerity… should I intensify the training?”
“…No, if that happens, Boram might even try to kill me.”
Is that so?
Too bad.
“Anyway, thank you. If it weren’t for Professor Han Seojin, I would have been in trouble, and those guys would have sought the devil’s power at the devil’s ruins. Thanks to that, we were able to thwart Nam Gung-se’s ambition.”
The devil’s ruins?
It’s a strange term I’ve never heard before, but I didn’t show any reaction and just smiled.
“But what about school?”
“Oh, I have something to do today. I have something to report.”
“Report?”
“The principal asked me for a special favor.”
At the same time, a voice crept into my ear.
[There are many eyes here so I can’t tell you, but it’s about the dispute over the Odaese’s hidden power and the devil’s ruins.]
The devil’s ruins.
My intuition spoke.
It told me that some event related to it would soon come my way.
*
“…We brought her.”
“We brought her here.”
The half-dead Yoo Eunchae and the fairly tidy Seon Woo-hyun came into the faculty room.
I stopped typing the theoretical part and looked at Yoo Eun-chae.
“It seems like I can start teaching soon.”
The Art of the Moon and the Sky.
It’s permissible to introduce that.
And Sunwoo Hyun…
“Why does he know this martial art?”
It must be difficult to master that martial art.
“Everyone’s here. Shall we get ready to go?”
“Yeah, I feel like I’m going to die right now.”
Swoosh.
So, I levitated with the Yeomdong magic.
“Oh, wait! You can see inside my skirt.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve put the skirt down.”
“I’ll just walk! Ahh!”
When I released the Yeomdong magic, she hesitated and sat down. She really has no sense of balance.
“Well, like someone who’s been holding a computer and studying all day.”
Oh, was she originally like that?
“Hurry up and get ready. The person you saw last time is here.”
“The person I saw last time?”
Yoo Eun-chae thought for a moment and said, “Ah-ha.”
“Lightning, Miss Heo Yoonji?!”
“Yes.”
“Wow, really?! Well, if it’s an incident like this, it makes sense for them to personally intervene. But can the timing be this perfect?!”
“Have you met them often?”
Sunwoo Hyun was taken aback by that question.
“Well, just that? They even remembered my name.”
“…What did you say?!”
Sunwoo Hyun was genuinely horrified.
What did it matter if they remembered the name?
“But it seems they couldn’t recall Yoo Eunchae’s name.”
Could it be that they remembered me and said it like that?
Well, that could happen.
I looked at Sunwoo Hyun and Yoo Eunchae in a peculiar way.
“It’s a good time.”
It’s the age for such things.
I led the kids and went to the guest reception room.
There, Heo Yoonji and Kwangroe were sitting with crossed legs.
“Pleasure to meet you. You’re Han Seojin, right?”
I nodded.
“Sun Yuhee, and Kim Eunchae. I’ve heard about your performances too.”
“Phew.”
“Why is it that you can’t seem to remember our names properly? You only remember the teacher.”
“Sorry. It’s strange to blame it on my mania.”
He Yoon-ji laughed bitterly.
Truly sorry, he apologized to Yoo Eun-chae and Sun Woo-hyun.
“I don’t know if it’s his unique ability or something. It seems exceptionally clear and memorable.”
“Exceptionally clear and memorable?”
Yoo Eun-chae asked.
But I think I know.
The second ability of Yeongeok came to mind.
[eternity永劫]
: Eternal attribute imbued with magic.
: The user becomes eternal.
: Special skill, the use of Yeongeok becomes possible.
The user becomes eternal.
From Noble mtl dot com
It means they are not forgotten in memory.
That’s the most visible effect.
‘Is it a very scary ability?’
It stays in people’s memories.
And that too, eternally.
It’s a story from a distant future, but perhaps it will continue.
‘Maybe I’ll face an era of glory that I can’t catch up with even in the next life?’
But that’s a story for another day.
I focused on Heo Yoonji.
“When it comes to this case… it was quite bold and cunning.”
“…That was just reckless.”
“That’s what makes it bold, my disciple.”
“No…”
Yoo Eunchae seemed very unjust.
It was as if he thought he was the only modern person in the medieval era.
‘But seriously, he thought and planned it out meticulously.’
Nam Gung Gaju mastered the art of war and made a pact with the devil.
While Sunwoo Hyun and Yoo Eunchae’s plan is to find the sacrificed woman.
‘Well, can we kill Nam Gung Gaju with that?’
I’m a bit skeptical.
Because in essence, the world treats those with power well.
When it comes to dignity, they gain a power similar to a member of parliament.
Although Nam Gung Sae went too far by forcibly conscripting civilians in Incheon for forced labor.
‘In other words, he just crossed a line.’
Isn’t it truly absurd?
Having done such a thing, did I just cross the line?
“Well done, anyway. Korea tends to treat supernaturals well, but when it comes to dealings with demons, they become quite ruthless.”
Heo Yoonji, with a cigarette in her mouth, paused before lighting it.
“It’s okay. Fisher as well.”
When Yu Eunchae laughed and spoke, I nodded as well.
“Thanks.”
Phew.
Heo Yoonji exhaled as she lit her cigarette.
“Anyway, they decided to acknowledge your contribution this time. The eldest son of the Cheolhyeol Sword Clan tried to pick a fight here and there, but everyone withdrew their objections when they heard that a demon was involved.”
What kind of incident did the demon cause to come out with such an authoritative stance?
“The prize money won’t be that much for now. Five billion is the maximum.”
“Well, it’s what the country offers.”
Governments are originally stingy.
Not much to expect even if they give something.
Instead, it’s not bad to think of it as getting various conveniences.
“And, a certain portion of the taxes will be exempt. Plus, if you want, the government can lend you an A-grade artifact.”
“What the heck!?”
Yu Eunchae was shocked at Heo Yoonji’s words, her jaw dropping.
Sunwoo Hyun was also standing there with his mouth agape.
“They’ve been closely watching this incident. In fact, Namgung established a foothold in our country, but he also wanted to return to China someday.”
“…So, you think you’ve taken down a devil contractor.”
“And there’s also the fact that the eldest son of the Cheolhyeol Sword Clan wants to get close to us.”
Heo Yoonji said with a laugh.
Yoo Eunchae and Sunwoo Hyun looked surprised and nodded.
“Anyway… at least to this extent.”
I was about to say that, but Heo Yoonji looked at me.
“…Sorry. I missed one thing. Han Seojin, if you want, I can give you a potion too.”
“A potion, too?”
“…Fair enough. Is this not about the eldest son of the Cheolhyeol Sword Clan, Han Seojin, but rather a ploy to draw in the person named Han Seojin?”
“Yes. Since the government sees the Cheolhyeol Sword Clan and Han Seojin separately.”
“Then when are we going to get that?”
“It should be this Saturday.”
“Ah… I mean, well, we’ll have to skip training this Saturday, I guess.”
Yoo Eunchae breathed a sigh of relief, glancing at me.
“But.”
Yoo Eunchae looked at her and soon spoke up.
“Lately, it seems to be getting worse, doesn’t it?”
“…Yes.”
At Yoo Eunchae’s words, Heo Yoonji let out a bitter laugh.
“Absent-mindedness… they call it, but it’s getting close to dementia.”
“Isn’t it getting a bit dangerous?”
“What can I do? There are so many criminals around.”
“If there’s a way to solve that forgetfulness, would you believe it?”
“What?!”
Ah-ha. So, that was his purpose.
No wonder his eyes were shining brightly earlier.
“I can solve that for you!”
He began to cling to Heo Yoonji.