episode_0113

“Yes, they found me. What’s going on?”

I looked at the girl in front of me and spoke softly.

A girl with a body that is neither too big nor too small, with shiny brown short hair.

She has a very neat and clean appearance that fits the traditional beauty standard, but her eyes are somewhat sharp and seem to see through everything.

The girl, who seemed somewhat intimidating, had taken off her grayish coat and was wearing a beige pleated skirt and white knit.

“Do you start with business as soon as you arrive? Please sit down first, Professor. ”

When she stood up and politely pulled the chair towards me, I, who found it awkward to even stand still, nodded and followed her instructions.

“You have returned to human form again, Professor. If you think about it, the dragon’s appearance now feels rather awkward, doesn’t it?”

“I see. After entering human society, I also felt comfortable being human. At first, it was uncomfortable, as if I was wearing clothes that didn’t fit, but I guess this is also an adaptation.”

“Hehe, is that so.”

Only then did I begin to notice this space.

Taeseong Mansion looked like a large blue-tiled house from the outside.

It feels like a famous nobleman from the Joseon Dynasty lived there. When you knock on the door, a strutting man with a goatee wearing a modified hanbok and a fan will ask, “Who are you?” It was an image that made you want to ask yourself,

But when I actually got inside, that thought was immediately shattered.

Incongruent with its exterior, the interior was somewhat closer to a style rather than an Oriental style. Isn’t the table we’re sitting at right now an expensive-looking table with lots of antique decorations?

The butlers inside and the maids who did chores were also wearing suits for some reason.

Now that I think about it, I didn’t realize it because I was so distracted by other thoughts, but it seemed like this was an annex to the mansion.

Is this the place she and I saw in passing a few hours ago while taking a walk in the garden?

“What I wanted to meet you with was just to ask you about your future plans, Professor.”

“It’s a plan for the future.”

For a moment, I got a little nervous.

My future plans are something only I know for now. Apparently, we are now in a situation where the final battle is left.

And when she asked about it, I felt a little bitter.

Of course, those feelings were not directed at her. The feelings I felt toward the girl with brown short hair in front of me were closer to liking.

There has never been anyone who cared about my future and wanted to share those plans with me.

“It won’t be long. We will deal with the person who created the plan to invade the world and is at the root of it.”

“And is he in Africa?”

“Huh.”

At the unexpected remark, I narrowed my eyes and looked at the girl in front of me.

As if she already knew everything from my attitude, she took my gaze without saying anything, smiled, and sipped the drink in her cup.

“I guess I got it right.”

“… Right. Now that I think about it, you were also one of the victims of the devil’s plan.”

“Um… well? This wasn’t what the devil’s squires said, it was just my speculation.”

Looking at me with an expression on my face that did not know how to react because I had been stabbed in the crosshairs, she, with her shiny brown hair flowing, giggled and laughed in the sunset sunlight.

Of course, it was an area where some degree of inference was possible.

Although there is no way to do anything about the gates that suddenly open, the biggest threat that exists is Africa, which is called the dark continent, the black blade hanging below the neck of humanity.

“Of course, I don’t plan on competing right away. It will require quite a bit of preparation work.”

“That’s right. Because we are attacking the base of the monsters currently remaining on Earth.”

“Yes. It will take at least a year of preparatory work.”

It is an impossible battle with the current number of people with special abilities.

This is because it was the final battle that could only begin when you raised as many disciples as possible and made them become Ikkitousen with monsters in their state.

Of course, not only they but all of humanity will need help. All troops gathered from around the world will also have to advance together.

Because we cannot fill that vast continent with only a small number of people with special abilities.

‘I feel it again, but Alexstras is also such a ridiculous guy.’

Are you planning on playing the devil from a fantasy game?

I declared that I would wait for you there during the final battle.

If you just listen to me, I’ll just have a one-on-one conversation, and then he says something like this and then hides away in his fortress. This is ridiculous.

“But what do you plan to do? Of course, the professor is a world hero, but the current governments of each country have become quite cynical thanks to the Corruptor, so it will not be easy to gather troops.”

“That’s right too. As various things are happening, the organization has become quite insignificant.”

After hearing her words, I nodded slowly.

There was a lot to think about. No, regardless of what I thought about it, in fact, most of what Jang A-hyun said to me was something I had already thought about at least once.

Not long ago, I was hinting at the final plan to Helen, and she shook her head and said, “Wouldn’t that be a bit difficult, Dean?” Because I heard it mentioned.

Most of the world was destroyed, and through such a catastrophe, governments around the world actually prioritized focusing on internal matters rather than external events.

I don’t want to recall the details, but I do know one thing.

Although it was not expressed, countless innocent people died. Most of them died of thirst or starvation.

It took about a week and a half from the outbreak of the interrupter to it being dealt with.

Until now, the infected people had not been able to eat or drink any water and were just walking around screaming in a daze under the scorching sun.

I couldn’t even offer a helping hand. Even just recognizing its presence, let alone getting close to it, will cause you to become infected, so what’s the use?

Just thinking about that made me feel very confused.

So, after processing it and coming back, I remember being in great agony after seeing the disaster.

But he acted calmly. To put it simply, I was pretending not to know.

He was trying his best to ignore the topic that was residing in his head, the thoughts that were lingering in his head and making him anxious.

In some ways, my mental state at the time probably had a big impact on the fact that I was unable to push away the object of Yoon Sia, who was yearning for me.

If I had been in my early days, no matter how pitifully she cried, I would have felt sorry for her and strongly rejected her.

“… No matter how difficult the current situation is, we cannot afford to give up. I have to do the best I can.”

I shook my head horizontally to organize my thoughts.

At least giving the academy a long vacation wasn’t just to comfort the students.

I also needed time to calm my tired mind and body.

When I slowly shook my head and emptied some of the auspicious thoughts in it. I noticed that the woman in front of me was calling me.

“Don’t worry, Professor. I will do whatever it takes to help the professor.”

“Okay, thank you. Of course, not only you but everyone at the academy will have to work together.”

“Hehe, can I be of greater help to the professor?”

“What do you mean?”

I asked that question while looking at the face that had a soft smile on it.

Of course, it is true that she is strong. Therefore, I have accepted her as a special disciple and am training her by passing on my techniques.

But still, that alone won’t be enough. What kind of story is it?

“I will do everything I can to help you, professor.”

“… Everything?”

“Yes. I will mobilize all the resources I have and all the strength of my group to participate in your cause. It’s okay for you to use everything I have. Because that is the duty of a disciple.”

I looked at her with wide eyes.

The dark brown eyes looking at me were also clear.

This clearly indicated that what she had just said was not a simple lie or a joke.

‘Huh. ‘I never thought she would speak first.’

Actually, it’s not that I haven’t thought about it. After the situation became very difficult, it wasn’t that I didn’t think about taking advantage of her, my student.

Her family, Taesung, is a huge group that dominates the world.

There was a time when I thought that if I borrowed her power, I could turn this situation around.

But I feel uncomfortable saying it out loud, and I’m afraid she’ll be disappointed in me for simply trying to take advantage of her. I couldn’t speak up first.

In that situation, she brought up the story first. Of course it was such a joy.

“Thank you. It would really help me a lot if you help me. Thank you so much. No matter how much I thank you, it is never enough.”

“Instead.”

A sharp sound is heard somewhere. She placed the tea cup in her right hand on the tea stand on the table.

He then extended his left hand with one index finger out and was slowly waving it at me, and for a moment my attention was taken away by it.

Are you trying to impose some condition? No, that would be natural.

No matter how much the relationship between teacher and student is, they cannot simply give things away without any reason.

What conditions will you impose?

I swallowed, thinking of the terms she would say in my head.

“Just. Please allow me to stand next to you forever.”

“What?”

“Yes. It’s been like that from the beginning. I want to stand next to the professor. I always want to have a strong relationship where we have each other’s backs and overcome difficult times together, and lend each other’s shoulders when someone falls.”

“… That kind of relationship.”

“We are currently in a relationship of teacher and student, but I don’t think such things are an obstacle to becoming a sincere relationship. So, when the professor is having a hard time, it is natural for me to support him.”

“And when you’re having a hard time, I’m there to help you?”

“Of course.”

I looked at the girl in front of me, who was smiling somewhat awkwardly and blushing a little.

I don’t know why he was blushing, but it wasn’t a bad situation.

How can it be a bad thing to have a sincere relationship where both people trust each other?

For me, who had always pretended to be noble and hid my tender heart and acted alone, these words warmed my heart.

‘Thank goodness. I was wondering what if she put some strange conditions on me.’

It is true that before coming here, I was a little concerned about what Sia said to me, so I was a little nervous when Jang A-hyeon took on a serious mood.

Please accept yourself. If you had asked me to go out with you, I would have definitely refused.

But if it’s just a relationship like this, there really isn’t a problem.

“And that for life?”

“Yes. I want to be by the professor’s side forever and become partners who trust each other. It’s good to have a partner you can rely on when times are tough, right?”

“That is correct. Thank you for making that suggestion. I also felt at ease.”

“Ah, ah. yes. Well, did you do that? I’m sorry. I guess I’ve been thinking too hard about it on my own. Without even knowing the professor’s feelings.”

“?”

At my relieved answer, she cried out with her face turning bright red.

Looking at her face like that, I stared blankly as if I didn’t know why, and then slowly placed my hand on the teacup in front of me.

I was looking at the nameless grasses floating on the tea water.

It seemed like she had a slightly pouty face at first, but now she was smiling brightly.

“Oh, that’s right. It was a vacation, so I went around a few places before coming back to my parents’ house. Have you been to the Han River?”

“No, I haven’t been there. Come to think of it, I heard they are having an ice festival right now.”

“Yes. The organizers carved the professor’s body out of giant ice. Compared to the stone statues in the Academy’s main hall, the quality is not much lower… ”

She blushed and suddenly slapped her cheek and suddenly started to change the topic.

There wasn’t a very weighty conversation going on.

Roughly everyday stories.

She and I were soon bursting into laughter as we exchanged obvious, everyday stories that had probably come up hundreds of times as we lived each day.

*

“… It’s already so late. Let’s go.”

“Oh, now that I think about it, time. I held on to it for too long. Sorry.”

“I’m sorry. No way. On the contrary, I was happy too.”

“Hehe, I see. Because we’re not that ordinary anymore. Yes it is. Then go back and rest. I will organize it.”

“Okay, please.”

Looking at Northmund and smiling, Jang Ah-hyun began to clean up the snacks and other miscellaneous items lying on the table.

It started with just a cup of tea, but as we talked for a long time, there were almost as many sweets on the table as it was a dessert dinner.

A man watching this nods at her and slowly gets up and leaves a room in the annex under the guidance of a butler who has been waiting for some time.

Tap, tap, tap.

As the sound of shoes hitting the floor becomes distant, the girl slowly stops organizing the refreshments.

Then the owner of the restaurant behind him spoke to her.

“Hehehe, you look like you’re in a good mood.”

“Did you all see it? This is very rude, Grandpa. You are violating not only my privacy but also the professor’s privacy.”

“No, whatever. To be honest, I had no intention of seeing it either. Why did I end up here after trying to stop a tomboy girl?”

“… Did that wild cat come here?”

Jang A-hyeon, a girl with short brown hair, frowned at her grandfather and opened her mouth at Jang Tae-san’s taunting words.

As soon as Yoon Si-ah’s story came out, her frowning face immediately showed a clear sense of displeasure.

Of course, Jang Tae-san, who is greeting that face, is also not particularly involved in it.

“After finding out that Northmund had disappeared from the room, I went looking for him here and there. He goes around here and there, grabbing servants, asking them where they are going, and making threats. Hey, honestly, it hurts my pride, but I was a little scared too. Does it remind you of the image of urinating on the blanket and being whipped with a cane when you were young?”

“I’m not interested in things like my grandfather’s childhood. Please tell me why she came here. Did you see the whole scene just now?”

“I had to see it. He looked at me and scolded me as if he were going to grab me by the collar, but I couldn’t refuse him. So I had no choice but to bring him to the next room. Otherwise, this mansion itself would have been destroyed, but there was nothing we could do.”

“… .”

If they were in the next room, they wouldn’t have been visible, but they would have been able to hear each other’s voices to some extent.

If so, did you hear everything that you and the professor said?

“You must have heard it. My ears have been dim these days, so I couldn’t hear what was being said. Well, the little boy’s face turned red and he eventually ran away. What did you talk about? Have you done anything?”

“Is that so? Okay.”

She was not the type to trust Jang Taesan’s words.

I’ve never heard of an old monster who has grown old as fast as he could and whose ears are already getting tired. Surely this old man heard his whole story.

But the thing about that stray cat must be true.

‘I gave that unpleasant woman a punch.’

The professor accepted his confession. That must have been a really unpleasant feeling for that woman.

Even though she wasn’t here right now, it was as if I could convey her feelings, and for some reason, I felt so good that I smiled.

“If I had known it would be this easy, I would have done it a long time ago. I was so worried for no reason alone.”

“Huh… But that’s it. Honestly, when I listen to it, it’s… her. What should I say.”

“… I heard you couldn’t hear because your ears were dark. Grandfather.”

“You bastard. When the elder is speaking, don’t interrupt him.”

Unlike Jang A-hyeon, who had a carefree expression while exchanging stories that were close to comic talk, Jang Tae-san seemed to have a slightly puzzled expression on his face.

Taesan Jang spoke to her, clicking his tongue.

“No, that’s what Northmund said. Huh, that might be a little different from what you think it means. I thought it was pretty stupid, but I never thought it would be like this.”

“Yes? The professor gave you a definite answer, right? I gave you good conditions that I couldn’t refuse.”

“No, I’m hoping it’s just my imagination, but it feels like the conversation between the two of them continues to be off-kilter. Ah, no, that’s okay. Even if he doesn’t know about dragons, he seems to at least understand dragon women. That’s enough for now.”

“… .”

Because it felt like a strange conversation was going on, Jang Ah-hyun looked at the table with a slight frown.

Is it really true? From what I said, I think the professor understood it correctly.

Well, it’s still irrelevant.

That dirty wild cat can no longer be rude to the professor. And all you have to do is slowly target the object of her admiration.

She smiled as she thought so.