Instructor Han Doyun

+++

After a heated night with Sophie, Doyun rose from the bed where they had slept together and gazed down at the soundly sleeping girl for a moment.

“…”

Accepting these women’s hearts did not guarantee making them happy.

Doyun simply did what he could in the present to bring them happiness.

After briefly caressing Sophie’s forehead, he covered her with the blanket, tidied himself up, and headed for the guild house’s main entrance as scheduled.

“You’ve arrived!”

The armed guild members and coachman assigned to escort him saluted.

Doyun still held B-rank guild member status. However, no one treated him as a mere guild member.

He was an Apostle of heroic caliber who had slain a Legion Commander – a Boss Monster Killer and the Alliance’s most crucial figure.

Nodding to acknowledge their salutes, Doyun boarded the carriage, soon arriving at the Cradle.

“Open the gaaates!!”

The glittering World Tree emblem adorned the Guild Master’s exclusive carriage as it entered the Cradle’s main gate.

Today marked the start of the Cradle’s third week of classes.

And the day Apostle Han Doyun would join the Cradle as an assistant instructor.

+++

“I can scarcely believe we’d reunite in such a manner.”

“It has been a while, Headmaster, Instructor.”

Doyun politely bowed first in greeting.

Although his status had completely changed after six months, these were still the ones who had previously served as his mentors.

Considering this, Doyun’s courteous gesture first impressed the Headmaster and Instructor inwardly, leaving them deeply gratified and moved.

“Doyun remains unchanged, it seems.”

“Please, have a seat, Apostle Doyun.”

“Yes. Ah, feel free to address me casually, Instructor.”

“Haha, shall I now?”

The Combat Instructor offered him a seat, and the three took their places, conversing in a cordial atmosphere.

“It would have been wonderful if you could have attended the entrance ceremony and observed tests like the mana assessments.”

“That would be too greedy. Merely securing an assistant instructor position on such short notice is gratitude enough.”

As Doyun said, the Cradle was not a place one could simply enter temporarily for such overt purposes.

However, the Headmaster harbored a profound sense of debt towards Doyun. As a student, he had failed to protect Doyun, exposing him to outside forces and assassins.

Moreover, considering World Tree’s standing and Apostle Han Doyun’s identity, their elevated social status and the Headmaster’s cooperation had been sufficient to enable the impossible.

“I hear you’ve come to directly recruit a tank for your team.”

“Yes. Are there any notable talents?”

“There are some promising ones. Luckily, this term’s tank talents are quite exceptional.”

“Then…”

For the busy Doyun’s sake, the two broached the main topic, and the conversation ensued.

After a while, the Combat Instructor’s direct junior assistant instructor entered and placed coffee before the three of them.

“Thank you.”

“N, Not at all…”

The assistant instructor flinched and stuttered upon receiving gratitude from Doyun, the Alliance’s paramount figure who had now become his junior.

‘Escaping the junior…’

Indeed, who in the Alliance could possibly treat Apostle Han Doyun as a mere junior, let alone an assistant instructor?

Despite a new junior’s arrival, he could not shed his ‘coffee vending machine’ moniker.

The Combat Instructor, fully aware of his junior’s plight, struggled to suppress his laughter.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Biting his lip and swallowing his chuckles with a cough to clear his throat, he addressed his junior.

“You’ll have to take over Doyun’s assigned tasks. It would be unreasonable for such a busy man to handle miscellaneous chores.”

“Haha… Of, Of course…”

The assistant instructor forced a laugh in response.

The senior, the junior himself, and even Doyun – they all belonged to World Tree. In fact, Doyun was technically his junior and had even received his tutelage as a student.

However, Doyun was an indispensable figure not just for World Tree, but the entire Alliance. The junior could not talk back or even harbor complaints.

He could only force a smile, suppressing his resentment as much as possible.

“My apologies.”

However, even that resentment soon dissipated when Doyun retrieved a small pouch from his bosom and placed it on the table.

Jjalang.

“…!”

The crisp sound of coins.

The assistant instructor’s pupils dilated ever so slightly upon catching it.

“A small token of gratitude. My apologies, but I’m counting on you.”

“Ha, Hahah! Not at all! Leave it to me!”

He exclaimed heartily and graciously accepted the pouch.

Its weight was considerably hefty for its size.

‘Gold coins…!’

And judging by the bulk, no less than 20 pieces. An amount equivalent to his annual salary.

“Hahahahah! I’m the one counting on you! Hahahahahah!!”

Barely restraining his widening grin and bulging cheeks, the assistant instructor roared with laughter.

Although he could not delegate menial tasks or coffee runs,

this new junior was truly a good person.

+++

Doyun followed the Combat Instructor to his assigned quarters.

Along the corridor, he peeked into a few classrooms.

“…So, are the Heroes the Alliance’s strongest Apostles?”

Coincidentally, a class seemed to be in session, and a student’s lively question could be heard.

“Not quite. The Heroes are recognized as the strongest and most righteous individuals ‘from their respective nations’.”

Reminiscing for a moment as he observed the familiar scene,

“A prime example would be… Apostle Han Doyun.”

Upon hearing that familiar name, Doyun and the Combat Instructor halted their steps abruptly.

“I mentioned it in the previous class, didn’t I? The Apostle who recently defeated a Legion Commander in that war.”

“Yes. What about him?”

“He’s not a Hero.”

“Pardon?”

Tales of martial prowess piqued interest across all ages and genders.

Presented with this major revelation regarding the recently intriguing ‘Apostle Han Doyun’, even the drowsy students raised their sleepy heads to face the lecturer’s podium.

“But… wasn’t a Legion Commander an incredibly formidable existence? No one had managed to slay one since the paramount Heroes, right?”

“Correct. Which is why it’s such an astonishing feat.”

“But you’re saying that Apostle isn’t a Hero?”

The students stirred with curiosity, and the classroom grew slightly raucous.

“Aren’t Heroes supposed to be the strongest?”

“If he killed a Legion Commander, he must be stronger than the Lion King. But why…”

“At this point, doesn’t it imply a flaw in the Hero system?”

Overhearing the commotion, Doyun asked the Combat Instructor with a dejected expression.

“…Are my exploits discussed in class too?”

“We don’t strictly follow the manual. If there’s some spare time, I share interesting stories. And there’s no more intriguing story than yours right now.”

“Didn’t the instructor know I was coming?”

“The roster was shared, but of course I assumed it was a case of the same name. Why would the Legion Commander Killer become an assistant instructor when he could refuse even the Headmaster’s position?”

“…”

As they conversed, the instructor rapped on the lectern to quiet the class.

“Settle down, settle down!”

Anticipating the students’ shock, he spoke with a sly grin.

“Apostle Han Doyun may well be of heroic caliber, perhaps even surpassing some Heroes. However, there is a reason he has yet to be officially recognized as a Hero.”

“What is it?”

“He simply hasn’t had the time.”

“Pardon?”

“Ahem, ahem!”

After a brief pause, the instructor spoke with a hint of pride.

“Apostle Han Doyun is a graduate of Cradle Term 411.”

“Term 411?”

“Weren’t we 412?”

“I thought we were 412, but I guess not.”

Unable to contain himself any longer, the instructor grinned and remarked.

“You’re correct, you’re Term 412. That man graduated from the Cradle just five months ago. He’s your senior by one term.”

“Ehh!?”

“…Tch, going too far there.”

“You’re serious? Why, just six months ago, I was teaching that very man history lessons.”

“Instructor, enough with the tall tales…”

“These brats…”

Faced with the impending squabble, Doyun felt he could no longer bear listening and hastened his pace.

Observing this, the Combat Instructor chuckled and followed Doyun.

“See? With that kind of reaction, how could we not discuss you?”

“…Noisy.”

“Kekek.”

Striding briskly, Doyun soon arrived at his assigned quarters.

+++

After unpacking his belongings, Doyun promptly headed to the tank position classes with the Combat Instructor.

“I gave the Tank Instructor a heads-up. Though he seemed quite flustered, worried you might look down on him. Rest assured.”

“I won’t bite.”

“Kekek.”

They exchanged silly banter as they walked down the corridor.

“You know? The instructors here have been rather accommodating towards me lately.”

“Why is that?”

“Why else? I was still a position instructor myself, so I have some decent connections.”

“If it’s thanks to me that you’re having an easier time, why didn’t you send me a thank-you gift?”

“A flea bargaining for a liver – a man of 20,000 gold pieces, you are.”

Eventually, Doyun voiced a question that had been on his mind.

“By the way, what is this term’s top student like?”

“A Curse Mage. Quite an unique curse system from their dimension.”

“A Curse Mage?”

Doyun’s interest was piqued by the rare position.

“Yeah. But… the kid has some attitude issues. Acts like they own the place… You know how the instructors here tend to coddle the top students.”

Doyun could understand the implication.

The Cradle’s elite students were precious talents. Thus, the instructors – essentially scouts – tended to avoid overly offending them, lest the students joined other guilds instead.

Doyun himself was an extreme example, having essentially auctioned himself off to the highest-bidding Guild Masters for recruitment.

“Is the student that ill-mannered?”

“Not ill-mannered per se, just… a sneaky one, I’d say. Tch. You’ll see when you meet them.”

Outwardly polite but sneaky – an impression was forming.

“Instructors who somehow offend that kid have reported feeling unwell, strangely enough. In any case, a student best avoided.”

“Surely not…”

“Ah, you don’t think they actually cursed an instructor, do you? It’s just an observation period after transferring from another dimension. Doing such a thing would be an instant death sentence for a student.”

The Combat Instructor clicked his tongue.

“Of course, we did check if it was an actual curse, just in case. Thankfully, the kid isn’t that unhinged – no curses were detected.”

“Are you certain?”

“Well… those claiming illness were probably just imagining things.”

“Hmm…”

“Ah, we’re here.”

With a lingering unease, their conversation ended as they reached their destination.

Doyun had arrived at the tank position class.