Ch.37Episode 8. Parent Visitation (2)

“Nice to meet you.”

It was quite a strange sensation to see in person the gentleman I had only seen on television. It felt like meeting a celebrity.

Currently, I was in the office used by the highest-ranking person in the Academy.

Having been suddenly summoned by the Chancellor, I had no choice but to follow the secretary’s guidance to the Chancellor’s office.

After all, he’s the one who pays my salary.

For reference, my take-home pay last month was six million won. Six million won for someone like me with no experience or qualifications.

It was truly the best workplace.

“This is our first time speaking privately, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“As Instructor Yujin may have seen… I called you here to verify once more the information you provided during the investigation process and regarding the reward for capturing the villains.”

“…What kind of verification are you referring to?”

“Let’s sit down first. This might take a while.”

Yoon Kyungbin moved from his desk to the main sofa. He gestured for me to sit down.

I sat where he indicated. As soon as I sat down, the secretary placed a cup of coffee in front of me. It was an elegant cup.

“First, I’d like you to explain again about the source of your information.”

“There’s not much to explain about the source. It’s information I obtained while capturing members of the Akcheon organization.”

“From what I can see, your record is completely empty, and you only registered as a hero recently…”

So they’ve already started investigating my background.

Actually, it would have been strange if they hadn’t.

Even with the Association President’s recommendation, heroes prove themselves through their achievements.

It wasn’t unusual for them to be suspicious when they brought in someone with no record and made them the instructor for the Special Class full of problem students.

“Did you perhaps capture villains without even obtaining hero qualifications?”

“That’s right.”

Seeing no reason to lie, I answered confidently.

“I appreciate your honesty, but… even if the Association President is backing you, I cannot condone illegal activities.”

“So should I be punished?”

He sighed briefly and shook his head.

“…No. We won’t punish you. What you did was clearly ‘righteous work,’ and thanks to you, we were able to deal with this crisis. You also seem to be handling the Special Class well.”

In the end, what I did was violence, but can that really be called righteous work?

“Still, don’t go around talking about this. It won’t lead to anything good.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“So how did you know they were Jeokwol, the specialized hero assassination unit?”

“Jeokwol symbolically dye their hair red. Also, they gather ability users from the Akcheon organization who have weapon generation abilities. I identified them based on that.”

“And what made you suspect there was a disguise artist?”

“It was the sense of discomfort I felt from the students’ conversations and the atmosphere. The key was Class A’s pride.”

“Pride?”

This reason seemed so unexpected that Yoon Kyungbin’s eyebrows narrowed. He stared at me intently, demanding to know how I could tell from that.

“Class A typically looks down on the Special Class, yet even when facing defeat in the match, they refused to use their skills until the end. And it seemed strange that the Special Class was losing to Class A. Ultimately, their reaction to my threat confirmed my suspicions.”

“So… you were confident that the Special Class would definitely win against Class A, and you became suspicious when the match took an unusual turn?”

“The Special Class I’m in charge of is excellent.”

I answered promptly with a smile.

How heartbroken I was when those kids became villains.

If all the Special Class members had become Jeong Iyeon’s companions, they could have defeated even Yujin, who was the final boss.

I couldn’t forgive the author who abandoned that storyline.

“Are you saying the Special Class, where problem students go, is excellent?”

“They are excellent. Those children.”

He muttered something while covering his mouth.

“What an absurd reason…”

“It was just a lucky coincidence that what could have ended as an embarrassing delusion turned out to be correct.”

“I… I see…”

The Chancellor took off his glasses and pressed his brow. Deep wrinkles formed around it.

“Alright. The verification of information is done, and about the reward… Eight million won will be deposited as compensation for capturing the villains.”

He said this while putting his glasses back on.

“Thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking you. I hope you’ll continue to work hard like this.”

He took a sip of coffee and set the cup down.

“Yes. But… may I ask something?”

“What is it?”

Sensing that the conversation was about to end, I hastily raised my hand.

“Given that we don’t know how many villains are in the Academy, including the disguise artist, is it really the right choice to bring parents into the Academy?”

He waved his hand dismissively and shook his head.

“We’re not bringing in parents right away. We plan to do so only after we’ve definitely captured the disguise artist.”

“But if the disguise artist is disguised, it will be difficult to catch them. What’s your plan?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. We’ve compiled a list of people who were around the arena through CCTV, and we’ve tracked the escaped disguise artist’s movements. We’ve also closed the Academy entrances, so they’ll be caught soon.”

“Will that be enough?”

A disguise artist can transform into someone else at any time. They could kill someone from behind, disguise themselves, and then leisurely escape from the Academy.

“I wasn’t going to tell you this much, but since hearing about the assassination incident, my ‘eyes’ and ‘ears’ have been continuously active.”

Eyes and ears.

The real names he’s referring to must be the Eyes of All Directions and the Ears of Truth.

The Eyes of All Directions can see everything within a certain range, and the Ears of Truth can detect lies.

“I don’t use them often due to the fatigue they cause, but… as long as they’re inside the Academy, no matter how capable they are, it’s impossible to escape my sight. Moreover.”

He took a sheet of paper from his desk and slid it in front of me. The paper had an ID photo of the male student whose finger I had cut off previously.

“Since the incident where Instructor Yujin cut off that male student’s finger, I’ve been investigating whether there are more villains inside. And during the investigation, I’ve been separately identifying those who told lies.”

He then handed me a stack of papers. There were ten sheets.

“These are villains we’ve captured by investigating everyone from instructors to shop owners in the Academy. Some belonged to Akcheon, and some were planning terrorist attacks.”

I look through the profile pictures.

Even the owner of a restaurant operating within the Academy was on the list.

People who run shops in the Academy commute differently from kitchen staff.

That’s why they usually undergo much more thorough screening, but I didn’t expect a villain to slip through this screening until now.

Plus, this was information even I didn’t have.

“The investigation isn’t complete yet, but I think we’ll be able to purge all the villains in the school soon.”

“I see…”

He smiled leisurely.

“So, Instructor Yujin, please stop worrying about these matters and focus on preparing for parent visits and consultations.”

“P-parent consultations…?”

I stammered in surprise.

Parent consultations? Surely not…

“You know that some students in the Special Class you’re in charge of have capable parents, right?”

I nodded in response.

“Especially, please treat Mr. Yeon Hwaryong, Yeon Muhui’s father, well. He’s an ‘S-rank hero.'”

…I know that, damn it.

Can’t he just see his daughter’s face and leave?

In a situation that already seemed troublesome, there was nothing I could say. I could only silently swallow my sigh.

* @ *

“Chancellor, I’m coming in.”

Not long after Yujin had left, a black-haired woman in a suit entered the Chancellor’s office.

The click-clack of her heels echoed emptily.

Hearing the cheerful sound, he immediately realized that his secretary had brought good news.

“Have you caught all the suspects who might be the disguise artist?”

“Yes. They’re currently imprisoned in the basement.”

“Good. Let’s go right away. I think I’ll be able to demonstrate my ‘torture’ skills after a while.”

His eyes lit up with excitement. Rising from his seat with a smile, he openly displayed his killing intent.

“Let’s see who the real disguise artist is.”

“Yes. By the way… how was Instructor Yujin?”

“…Everything he said was true, for now.”

“For now?”

“It was also true that he thinks highly of the Special Class. But as expected, he seems to be hiding something.”

He hummed leisurely as he rolled up his sleeves. The forearm muscles hidden beneath his shirt split open.

“Whether that will benefit or harm the Academy remains to be seen. For now, it’s the Association President’s directive.”

“So should we continue to keep an eye on Instructor Yujin?”

“Yes. Ah, but don’t watch too closely. Even I can’t control Yujin. That person is too strong. Never try to antagonize him.”

“Understood.”

The secretary bowed her head slowly, indicating she would be cautious.

“And later, please bring me a thermal eye patch. I think I’ll need to use my eyes for a long time when the parents come in.”

“Understood.”

“Now, let’s go. To see the faces of those villain bastards.”

* * *

I was watching Yeon Muhui’s training after a while.

She seemed to be learning a new sword technique, as her form was different from what I usually saw.

Either she didn’t know I was here or she didn’t care, but she kept her eyes fixed on her sword.

Looking at this, I have to say her passion and determination are remarkable.

But right now, it would be better for her to learn skills rather than this.

“Yeon Muhui.”

“Hm?”

Only when I called her name did she turn to look at me. She walked quickly to the bench where I was sitting.

“What is it?”

“Well… I’m not sure if I should ask this.”

“Go ahead. What is it?”

“Your father… is he doing well usually?”

At my cautiously posed question, she tilted her head.

“…Is that a joke about my dad?”

“No!”

Don’t make me out to be some trash who insults parents!

I’m not asking because I know you dislike mentioning your father!

“Haa. What’s his personality like?”

“…I don’t know such a person.”

I didn’t expect to get a good answer, but it seems she can’t help but take it sensitively.

I handed her the towel that was on the bench. Yeon Muhui stared at it for a moment before taking it.

I quietly watched as she turned her head away and wiped her face and neck.

Still, her attitude has softened quite a bit since we first met.

“Yeon Muhui.”

“Yes?”

“Is defeating your father your goal?”

Her face turned back toward me.

It seemed difficult for her to maintain her expression when talking about her father. A wrinkle formed between her eyebrows. Very subtly.

“…Not particularly. I just think his educational methods are wrong.”

“So you came to the Academy and train alone to deny those educational methods?”

She didn’t answer, as if I had hit the mark.

Instead, the towel in her grip convulsed, silently screaming. She’s not being honest.

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t you defeat him even more? To deny your father’s educational methods, you need to be more skilled than him.”

“That’s…”

She bit her lower lip slightly, as if thinking my words had some merit.

“…Want me to help you win?”

Her eyes widened at my quietly offered proposal.

“How? Can I win right now?”

“There’s no way to win right now. With your current skills, you absolutely can’t win.”

I shook my hand firmly from side to side as I spoke.

Does she think just anyone can become S-rank?

There aren’t even ten S-rank heroes in all of South Korea.

“But it might be possible in two years.”

I held up my index and middle fingers in front of her.

“Two years…”

Two years seemed too long for her, as she mulled it over several times.

“What do you think? Want to try?”

If I don’t make this offer now, you’ll end up joining hands with Akcheon to defeat your father, won’t you?

And that’s not what I want.

“What’s the price…?”

When she says “price,” it sounds like making a deal with a devil who lends power.

“Hmm~ What would be good?”

After contemplating for a while, I snapped my fingers and pointed at her.

“After defeating your father, become a hero respected by many people.”

“Respected…”

She knows better than anyone that she’s not someone who can be respected by others.

But she needs to become a hero who is respected more than anyone else.

That respect from others will hold her back whenever she’s about to go astray.

“Alright. I’ll try.”

“Good. Starting tomorrow, I’ll train you separately, so follow along diligently.”

“Okay.”

“And.”

“Yes?”

“How long are you planning to speak informally to me?”

“…”

Yeon Muhui blinked a few times and then slightly turned her head away.

That meant she didn’t want to do it. This brat.

I really needed to give the entire Special Class a lesson in manners sometime.