Issue 228 (1)
The axis of the earth twisted for a moment. The sound of a flock of birds preparing for hibernation soaring. Confused wild animals were driven from their habitats with eyes gleaming with fear. The full moon hanging over the mountain peak was trembling slightly.
Against the backdrop of a turbulent world, Meaine was walking down the stairs step by step. The earth, sky, and heaven and earth shook to the beat of her elegant shoes hitting the ground.
Kwung- Kwung- Krung-
He looked at his master, Man-ryuk, pretending to be weak. The only thing he showed in surprise was a brief flinch. That was all. He had seen this power several times in the past. However, back then, he had only seen it from a distance… … .
‘Your body must have been weak from wandering around the demon realm, but you still have the same spirit.’
It was thrilling. Is this scene truly the realm of awakening?
Thanks to that, he became convinced. Decades ago, when he had seen it in passing, he had been dubious. But now, he was seeing it clearly with his own two eyes.
The corners of Jeolgung’s mouth twitched. Man-lik spat out in a cold voice.
“I’m telling you this so you don’t misunderstand, but this isn’t the awakening of the power of awakening.”
“I know. But I also know that the depth of that power has deepened thanks to the awakening. And… … .”
Without saying a word, Jeolgung looked around. A purple veil was surrounding the area in a hemispherical shape. A subspace curtain was unfolding.
“Despite your threats to kill me, you are still kind. You even gave me the entire subspace curtain for my disciple.”
Wan-lik snorted. Her footsteps were slow and leisurely, but she walked towards her disciple, Jeol-gung, with certainty.
“Unfortunately, murder is not allowed within the Academy. And it would be a shame to wake the kids up by making a fuss when they’re all asleep, right?”
“I’m sorry… Ira… … .”
The corners of his lips that had been twitching suddenly drooped. Jeolgung, whose face had suddenly become sad, stretched out his hand to the side.
“Don’t you feel sorry for my wife who lost her life 40 years ago because you didn’t go to war?”
A long shape suddenly emerged from the ring on his ring finger. A bow with only the texture of cedar, without any decoration. S+ rank weapon, Ameno Habaya.
“If only you had this power, my wife would not have died, and even if she had died, she would have awakened to the power of protection and would not have been forgotten.”
The archer fired an arrow at the protest.
“… Kojima, you’re really crazy. Now you’re demanding the reason for Cheolsim’s death from me.”
“You can criticize me however you want, Master. But no matter what happens here, I must learn the secret of awakening.”
A close distance of about twenty steps. The sharp arrowhead is aimed at Wanli.
“Because I absolutely cannot allow my daughter to be forgotten by people.”
Wan-lik furrowed his brows.
“Are you saying this because of your selfishness, without any consideration for your daughter’s health or life expectancy?”
“My daughter will understand someday. Of course, she is Saki Kojima’s daughter.”
Man-lik finally couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.
“Phew! I don’t think that’s likely at all.”
“I am very offended by your statement. What is the basis for it?”
Man-Lik returned with cold eyes and said.
“Because we’re members of the same club.”
Kwaaaaang!
The explosive leap was followed by a series of loud crashes.
The commotion only lingered within the subspace curtain that covered the area.
* * *
One day, two days, three days passed.
I leaned back in my chair. The backrest was thrown back. I was completely exhausted, my neck shaking from side to side.
“Oh my, if I keep doing this I’m going to herniate a disk in my back.”
To exaggerate a bit, I think I only slept for three hours, one hour a day for three days.
Even that wasn’t the comfortable sleep I got in bed. It was a kind of housework sleep where I briefly lay down on a chair like I do now.
I was really struggling with work until I was on the verge of collapse. But what’s really fortunate is that starting today, I’m a little bit free from work.
I muttered, looking up at the ceiling of the library.
“Tomorrow is finally the opening day of the first class.”
Speed was of the essence as this was a task that had to be carried out in secret, and we achieved our goal within a week of the decision being made.
My team and I were able to make it within the time frame by sleeping soundly. Some of the association staff who were based at the academy also helped, but most of the practical work was done by the team members.
Looking back, I couldn’t help but laugh.
The fact that the cadets themselves were creating the classes that they were supposed to attend seemed a bit ridiculous. These were usually things for adults, not for teenagers. And the club members had no obligations whatsoever to do.
However, the members cooperated voluntarily with a sense of calling.
Their enthusiasm began the night their senior visited.
I explained the reason for creating the class, which I had been vague about. I am usually one to muddle through, but I took this opportunity to unpack the bundle of words that had been building up.
Of course, I couldn’t explain everything in detail. There were some parts that I couldn’t explain unless I was a psychic.
So, I summarized it somewhat and told it briefly to fit the context.
Here’s the gist of it. I formed a thousand classes, led by Leon. And all of the class members were carefully selected by me after much deliberation. All of this was done with the purpose of helping Leon awaken as a warrior.
I gave a passionate lecture with my lack of speaking skills.
The members asked if it was really necessary to create a new class. I answered that the movements of the Demon Tribe were suspicious to that extent.
Also, since they are people around me, there is a high probability that they will become targets of the Demons. So, they must have clearly known that the situation was unstable.
Immediately after hearing my words, the members’ expressions became serious. They had also noticed it at first glance, so it must not have been a completely new announcement.
In just one year, two legion commanders have appeared. It was a clear signal that the demons were up to something. And on top of that, I, a Seven-Star hero, spoke with a firm hand.
It was a natural reaction for the members to have shadows around their eyes. And they were exposed to danger. It was even stranger to just listen indifferently.
But the anxiety was short-lived. The members recognized the seriousness of the situation and immediately took the initiative to help me. They spent the night together without hesitation, saying, “Can we just suck our thumbs and lose our minds?” At that time, I felt my heart pounding.
I am an orphan in this life. I had parents, but they disappeared. I would have lived in extreme loneliness, but my club members fill that void. If it weren’t for them, I would have been no different from a gangster holding a sashimi.
“I feel embarrassed for no reason.”
I laughed once without thinking and slowly straightened my back. Then I read the daily newspaper on my smartphone. It was a habit I developed after receiving the Chilseong position.
‘You should get to know the faces of people in the political and business world even if it’s beyond the screen, so that you don’t feel embarrassed when you see them later.’
If I leave without knowing anything as soon as I see it, my reputation will hit rock bottom. I don’t care, but I have to think about the reputation of the inspector who recommended me.
“From the morning… really… … .”
In my previous life, I used to follow the boss around the fish market at dawn. Now, instead of the fishy smell of the wind blowing through the street, I smell the smell of ink.
『The previous representative of the Lancelot Agency resigned due to corruption and bribery. Therefore, “All Mute, Khan Elizabeth” was appointed as the new representative.』
『Mao Twins of the Iron King Family “I deeply regret the evil deeds I have committed in the past. I have decided to take refuge in Shaolin Temple as a sign of reflection.”』
One-sided names that decorate the written word.
“Even if Olmute became the representative of the Lancelot Agency, those evil twins are going to the Shaolin Temple?”
I can’t imagine it. I thought they were fakes, so I looked at their pictures carefully. They had shaved heads and were holding lottery tickets. Their eyes were serious and solemn. The eight moles on their foreheads were also impressive.
“Are these scumbags really reborn?”
Well, that doesn’t mean the things they did didn’t happen. It’s better for them to be isolated from society like this.
I scrolled down. I skimmed through the headlines and it was time for the smaller articles to appear.
At that time, the words were written on my retina. They were written so small in the corner that I almost missed them.
『During his visit to Korea, Saki Kojima was transferred to the ‘Joaquin Academy Hospital’ due to his deteriorating health. The spokesperson stated that it was just a simple flu. (…)』
I tilted my head.
“Why is this written so succinctly?”
Even if it’s just the flu, Chilseong’s health issue is clearly an international issue. Age is no match for anything. The average age of Chilseong is close to seventy. There is a risk that minor injuries or minor illnesses could turn into serious illnesses.
Therefore, the health of Chilseong was the safety of mankind. If Chilseong Hero was sick, the whole world would be turned upside down. It was common for the media and the people to go crazy.
But this article was barely visible when I squinted my eyes. This is only one case.
The palace is intentionally trying to hide the truth.
“This article is just a piece of debris that was spilled and not picked up.”
And, logically, does it make sense to send a child to the hospital with the flu? This is not a newborn, but a man in his 60s.
As if to prove my hypothesis, the article was published in the blink of an eye.
“Then it’s not just the flu.”
I stared at the screen for a long time, then quickly closed the phone. Then I gently massaged my eyelids.
“I’m going to be hospitalized, so don’t worry about others.”
Moreover, Jeolgung is a man of many words. He is so angry that he can make Geomje and Changseong, who are busy growling at each other, join forces for a moment. He is even more hateful to the point of swearing at his own daughter.
My impressions were not much different. Although he seemed friendly on the outside, his twisted nature was revealed here and there. From the way he spoke, I got the feeling that he treated people like objects.
‘If he was really critical, he would have returned to his home country instead of the Joaquin Academy Hospital.’
The moment I finished my thoughts and slowly got up to wash up, the smartphone I had been covering vibrated. I stared at the back of it and put the screen to my ear.
“Yes, principal.”
[Oh, Geommaya. I got it right away.]
A slightly rambling voice. The emotions the principal felt were completely conveyed. An awkward situation.
“What’s wrong?”
[That… that… … .]
Media then continued, smoothing out her tone.
[Did our older sister, Mayne Poison, tell you?]
“You came to me three days ago and told me that you would be the professor in charge of the thousand class. That’s why I put your name on the list yesterday. As everyone knows, the official announcement will be made this afternoon. It will also include news of Man-Rik’s appearance.”
[Oh, that was something too… … . But that’s not what I was talking about… … .]
Media, who had been silent for a while, let out an even deeper sigh.
[That’s… I think a wanted notice will be issued for Sister… Mayne Poison… … .]
“yes?”
What is this? A wanted notice? A bounty? Why?
[Don’t be surprised and listen carefully… ]
The media laughed bitterly as if they were in pain.
[… Your professor… made the Japanese Prime Minister half-crippled.]
The phone fell out of my hand. The LCD screen, which had been touching the floor, crumbled like a cookie.
