Instructor Han Doyun 3

He presented an incredibly striking appearance.

A nearly 4-meter tall giant. Clothes that appeared to tear from his frame, his bare torso exposed.

Bulging, nearly bursting muscles. A rock-hard, glossy tan muscular sheen reminiscent of a boar. And…

‘…A horse?’

A horse’s head.

Below the collarbone was an ordinary… no, not quite ordinary, but a human-like body nonetheless.

However, above that was a horse’s head covered in lustrous fur.

An elongated muzzle and gleaming white teeth. Pronounced gums visible.

And slightly unfocused eyes that seemed to hint at dimwittedness and mania.

“Frrrruuurr… Instructor…”

However, contrary to his menacing, monstrous appearance, he addressed the Combat Instructor with a rather pitiful whinnying tone.

“I, I want to transfer to the combat class…”

“Ah…”

Aware of the circumstances, the instructor sighed in understanding.

This was Rosinante, the current Cradle’s second-ranked student in the tank class.

He had been intensely targeted and isolated by Toshiko, the top student and Curse Mage.

As with Doyun’s time, academic ranks equated to power in the Cradle.

With her serpentine nature adept at politicking, Toshiko had utilized her faction to ostracize and bully Rosinante.

Despite his outwardly macho appearance, Rosinante was incredibly timid. Thus, despite his high grades, he lacked a formidable faction and could not defy Toshiko.

“…Have you been struggling a lot? Your condition still isn’t good?”

“Yes…”

Rosinante clutched his gurgling abdomen.

Adding insult to injury, his condition had remained poor since entering the Cradle and rapidly deteriorated after the tournament evaluation.

Indigestion, dry eye, diarrhea, hypersensitivity, and other frequent minor ailments that should be non-existent for a tank plagued him incessantly.

‘This reeks of a curse, no matter how you look at it…’

The Combat Instructor furrowed his brow.

Similarly, many suspected this to be Toshiko’s doing as well.

The fact that a tank student suffered such afflictions. That Toshiko was a Curse Mage.

And conveniently, his condition had worsened drastically after the tournament evaluation where Rosinante had thoroughly trounced Toshiko.

However, despite numerous examinations, no traces of Toshiko using curses or Rosinante being cursed could be found. It was perplexing.

In any case, this was the reason Rosinante had come to request a class transfer to avoid Toshiko.

As a tank, joint classes with the mage class were extremely frequent due to needing offensive support during training.

The Combat Instructor understood these circumstances well. Thus, he wanted to assist Rosinante, but…

‘This is troublesome…’

He feared potential conflicts with the Mage Instructor, who openly favored Toshiko.

The Mage Instructor received World Tree’s sponsorship like him, but with significantly higher seniority.

Moreover, as an instructor, he too had to consider recruitment performance. The top student was an untouchable position.

As he grappled with this dilemma, Doyun, who had approached unnoticed, spoke while looking up at Rosinante.

“You there.”

“…Pardon? Ah, Rosinante.”

Momentarily flustered, he soon politely bowed his massive, muscular frame and responded.

Rosinante surveyed the man’s attire.

‘An assistant instructor?’

Yet as the second-ranked student, he had never encountered an instructor unfamiliar with his name. Moreover, this was a face he had not seen over several weeks.

However, Rosinante could sense an unusual aura emanating from Doyun.

The Combat Instructor turned to regard the intruding Doyun.

“Doyun?”

“Yes. There’s no need to look further.”

His eyes, quite unusually, betrayed an overt eagerness.

“This one here.”

Doyun smirked.

+++

Two days after the class transfer, Rosinante had managed to avoid Toshiko.

He received one-on-one lessons from Doyun, constantly recalling the Combat Instructor’s words.

‘You’ve truly struck a jackpot.’

Initially puzzled, he soon understood the implication.

‘This assistant instructor… is no ordinary instructor…!’

Under the pretext of being a latecomer, Rosinante could keenly sense this assistant instructor’s extraordinary caliber through his dedicated lessons. The quality was simply on another level.

“Ah… I wish…”

“Sigh…”

Thanks to this, the combat students deeply lamented their missed opportunity, as everyone wished to receive Doyun’s tutelage.

Amid this atmosphere, Rosinante could appreciate how fortunate he was.

And Doyun felt the same way.

Watching Rosinante diligently practice the martial arts under his guidance, observing his muscles ripple vividly with each movement, Doyun smiled contentedly.

‘Quite the specimen.’

He accessed Rosinante’s status window via [The First Guildmaster].

[Status Window]

Name: Rosinante

Race: Half-Centaur (Horse Tribe・Human)

Affiliation: –

Talent: Genius

Stats:

Strength – Level 3

Agility – Level 2

Vitality – Level 3

Endurance – Level 5

Mana – Level 3

Innate Traits:

[Tempered]

[Timid]

Acquired Traits:

Skills:

[The Never-Ending Lv.- Rate.A]

A status window that made him instinctively smile every time.

To begin with, the stats alone were jaw-dropping.

Typically, students with a maximum stat of Level 3 were considered top-tier, while Level 4 confirmed them as the undisputed first rank. In the previous term, Sophie had been the ill-fated second-ranked student with Agility Level 4, edged out by Doyun.

Moreover, initial stats generally reflected one’s potential.

Yet Rosinante possessed Endurance Level 5 from the start – monstrous stats.

‘And above all, the [Tempered] trait. That’s the real jackpot.’

[Tempered]

Your body is akin to steel. Your physique grows harder the more it is struck.

A simple description. Rosinante had likely not considered it particularly special.

Becoming harder when struck – for his excessively timid nature, it was an undesirable trait.

However, Doyun could immediately grasp its potential.

‘While I haven’t confirmed its efficiency yet, if that were a skill, it would be at least A-rate. Perhaps even on par with S-rate – an outrageous trait.’

A truly precious gem he had never expected to find.

Like Sophie in the previous term, Rosinante was a priceless treasure surpassing a mere student.

Sophie had already exceeded the first rank’s caliber with just her stats and talent alone. But her true value lay in the unique powers of her Unicorn race – unparalleled utility.

Doyun concluded that Rosinante was a treasure on par with Sophie.

For such astonishing gems to appear in consecutive Cradle terms, and for Doyun to monopolize them both – it was an immense stroke of fortune.

Pondering Rosinante’s future, Doyun’s anticipation swelled.

‘Look forward to it. I’ll take you under my wing and hammer you into the strongest steel on the continent.’

With his guidance, Rosinante would undoubtedly become the most indomitable existence.

Unaware of Doyun’s sentiments, Rosinante simply reveled in his perfect condition after so long, training wholeheartedly.

Remarkably, his condition peaked whenever he was with this instructor.

“How about today?”

“Today is good too. No indigestion, no hypersensitivity, all clear…!”

Rosinante whinnied excitedly.

“Is that so?”

Those words gave Doyun pause for thought.

He recalled the Combat Instructor’s words when he had agreed to take on Rosinante.

‘…Doyun. This is just my hunch, but…’

‘Yes.’

‘Be wary of Toshiko. There’s something off about that one. No traces of curses were found… but many mystical forces transfer over from other dimensions. Something about it just rubs me the wrong way.’

Doyun had nodded, as his instincts too suggested something amiss with Toshiko.

‘Taking on Rosinante might invite some trouble…’

But it didn’t matter.

Doyun had already resolved to take Rosinante under his wing, and as always, he would protect his own.

Unbeknownst to Rosinante, he had already entered the most secure refuge on the continent under the wing of its most formidable man.

Shortly after,

“Ah…!”

“Here you are.”

The two spotted an unwelcome guest.

Toshiko was loitering at the training ground’s entrance.

“Frrrruuurr…”

Rosinante whinnied anxiously, grinding his teeth and fully baring his gums. His unfocused, large eyeballs rolled wildly.

“Continue your training.”

“Pardon?”

Doyun nonchalantly instructed the uneasy Rosinante before walking towards the entrance.

Dealing with her now fell under his role of protecting Rosinante.

As Toshiko entered the training grounds through the entrance, Doyun blocked her path.

“…?”

Toshiko momentarily tilted her head in puzzlement but soon brushed him aside, attempting to bypass Doyun – hardly an attitude befitting an instructor.

“Hm?”

Yet strangely, no matter which direction Toshiko turned, the ghostly Doyun stood before her.

As a mage-type, she failed to discern Doyun’s advanced footwork and scoffed derisively.

“Hah.”

What is this fool doing? Some footwork specialist instructor?

‘How dare they?’

Do they not know who I am? No instructor would behave this way.

Donning an artificial smile, she looked up at the instructor before her.

“I just came to see a friend.”

Doyun checked the time.

Classes would end in about 10 minutes. If not outright slacking, the Mage Instructor had likely granted her an early departure as a favor.

“Return to class.”

“…”

Toshiko’s expression soured visibly.

Her uppity posture betrayed her defiance.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Leave.”

“Hah.”

So this was the reason she had ventured into the combat class so brazenly?

After briefly sizing up Doyun, she regarded him with disdain.

‘An assistant instructor?’

How preposterous.

So this was some clueless newcomer unfamiliar with the dynamics here.

Toshiko held no fear for a mere assistant instructor.

After all, a highly senior instructor openly favoring her and receiving World Tree’s sponsorship – what was there to fear? As the top student, instructors were already wary of offending her.

To think she had lowered herself to this degree for such an ignorant blockhead. This treatment befitted his level.

“Ah yes, yes. I’ll go.”

Surprisingly, Toshiko obediently turned and exited the training grounds.

Observing from his hiding spot, Rosinante could finally exhale in relief, clutching his chest.

After watching Toshiko’s retreating figure, Doyun too turned to leave.

However, his steps soon halted abruptly.

“…”

He glanced back. Toshiko had already departed and was out of sight.

Doyun looked down at his back.

The treasured dark gray cloak he had long-term leased from the Alliance before the war.

Its hem was stained a stark white.

+++

“Some deranged assistant instructor was acting up.”

“Hm? The combat class’s assistant instructor?”

Upon hearing this, the Mage Instructor tilted his head quizzically.

Stroking his now graying beard, he pondered.

Of course, he was familiar with the assistant instructors under the Combat Instructor’s supervision. However, none of them were in a position to provoke Toshiko.

Or perhaps…

‘A newly arrived assistant instructor?’

Heh, indeed.

Like Toshiko, the instructor too scoffed derisively.

As a newcomer, the assistant instructor must be unfamiliar with the dynamics here, acting self-righteously.

‘They must receive World Tree’s sponsorship, just like me and the Combat Instructor.’

If an instructor’s mistake offended precious talents like the top student, leading to terminated guild contracts, the losses would be severe.

‘Tsk tsk…’

To World Tree, that assistant instructor was undoubtedly an insignificant gnat. At least, that was the Mage Instructor’s view.

Of course, such favoritism and nepotism were inherently wrong. He too was aware of his own illegal conduct.

But what could he do? He had his own motives.

He was nearing retirement. Having completed his term as an instructor, all that remained was enjoying World Tree’s pension in peaceful retirement.

With Toshiko as this term’s top Curse Mage student, she represented a final opportunity to boost his retirement benefits through a major recruitment.

‘Kehkeh… With such a rare position and rank, that one big score would be more than sufficient.’

That was why he went to lengths to favor Toshiko.

‘But… for some green newcomer to interfere?’

Instructors held considerable status within guilds. Talents determined a guild’s future, and instructors played a crucial role in talent recruitment.

World Tree-sponsored instructors were quite numerous at the Skeletonia Cradle. The Mage Instructor was among the most senior.

‘If that one belongs to World Tree… I’ll have to show them the reality of the situation.’

By flexing his influence, he could even have them stripped of their sponsorship.

Of course, it wouldn’t come to that. He would simply instill some fear, relishing their cowering obedience.

“Ignorant fool, acting up like that.”

“May I entrust this to you?”

“Yes, yes. Leave it to me.”

The instructor indulgently placated Toshiko like a doting father.

While this brash youngster’s impudence was unsightly, she remained a precious asset to him nonetheless.

However, he could not completely unleash her either.

“But listen. Your retaliation has been too overt since the tournament. Show some restraint.”

“…”

Toshiko nearly scowled at the condescending remark but suppressed her expression.

This geezer was still on her side. No need to pick a fight.

“Yes. I understand.”

“Heheh. Good thinking. Nothing good comes from causing unnecessary trouble.”

Tuning out the patronizing lecture, Toshiko finalized her plan.

‘Bullshit. I need to get rid of him completely.’

She had not forgotten the humiliation of losing to Rosinante before everyone during the tournament evaluation.

Toshiko ground her teeth, smiling ominously.