Chapter 223 – Conception (2)
ktbVzAs soon as dawn broke, I mounted Horn’s back.5Vy4Da
JAXXl“Please don’t forget what we discussed yesterday.”HFJC
zl8KwI made one last request to both the Sword Master and Director Sung.LM4U1
BWPAU6W“Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll take care of it.”SMs
ttnJ“I’ll also produce results that satisfy Heavenly Sword as soon as possible! Travel safe—no, fly safe, please!”qD3KY
XBF1fRaAnd so, with their goodbyes, Horn flapped her wings and took off.xV1fnP
fG0RFlap.0nwqJG
jq077eWAs we flew, Horn suddenly opened her mouth and asked.ILk
qEa“Mr. Kang Geom-Ma, you haven’t forgotten the promise you made, right?”VKnmg2v
K7DMhJNPromise? What promise?Bx4
UHQchFHad I made some other promise with Horn?l60
Qo8GiSince I didn’t answer, Horn slightly turned her head and muttered with narrowed eyes.s5EhM
qca“Tripple Hanwoo…”L7IBYA
pFytPAh, that. That blatant lie I made up to convince her. I had completely forgotten.w5SlQ
DjnThe problem was, “Trippul Hanwoo” didn’t even exist.MtV
TvF7OIn reality, the highest quality grade for Hanwoo was “2++.”CEeWnb
EH8But it would’ve been too shameless to just stay silent. Horn had sincerely helped me in many ways.oXQG6I
hLlWhile I was still thinking about what to do, I ended up opening my mouth.s3Dkw9k
wRFth“Horn, have you ever heard of Wagyu?”EerKwK
tYRMTPN“Wagyu…? What’s that?”50TM2
EQWpWNWhen she’s in dragon form, she always ends her sentences with “yong yong.” Is that part of her character? It cuts her intimidating presence in half.9a2li
GuO“It’s a type of beef very similar to Tripple Hanwoo… but super expensive. One dish costs around 300,000 won.”JRFm
gyijCe“Th-three hundred thousand won!?”LfSQ
pOZQAywHorn’s back twitched.m2zMo
Rys‘She was just recently treating money like a tissue to blow her nose…’enb
PQQdBut now she seemed to understand the value of money. She had learned economics through beef.sAbpV1
WapNF‘Better to look at it positively.’YhA
syogTcIt was better for Horn to adapt quickly to human values. It would make it easier for her to live at the academy if she at least picked up some basic common sense, even superficially.FxSlq
yPN…Though I couldn’t help feeling a little sad. Was this what it felt like to watch a baby grow up? It gave me a strange feeling, like one day she’d ask for a smartphone.4KyXh
Ok7uDnI smiled bitterly and continued.Unp
B1KHc“Anyway, you worked hard, so I’ll buy you all the meat you want.”DhPSlB
kJ35BxOf course, with Choi Seol-Ah’s money.RpraaX
UizDhFZEven though I received sponsorship funds and had income as a member of the Seven Stars, I couldn’t afford to feed Horn’s monstrous appetite.rNUT
nexHRFSShe’d probably devour at least twenty servings of Wagyu.QlpKGfD
mIA‘And once I buy her Wagyu, I’ll have to keep buying it for her…’2xbDkL
oaJcIqThe zeros in my bank account would evaporate in seconds.VBd1ZYX
AHoJust thinking about it made me dizzy.Geq4GcP
w0nvXXFlap!4clWW
jo7NhGHorn beat her wings even harder, breaking through the clouds.MfK
HOHThrough the gaps, the land was already coming into view.H21SQ6V
UbySi4The return home was near.x9u
uCDvlin***eXmK
3WtX2At that moment, Speedweapon let out a long sigh.2hRYuif
6yK7kL“Huff… I expected it, but preparing to create a new class is way more complicated than I thought.”ilLJ7p
Q72lO9After Kang Geom-Ma had left, Speedweapon had been faithfully fulfilling his task.JkuTOR
GQJGekJHe was even using short breaks between classes and cutting down on sleep.Vf3
FeaiDrThese days, Speedweapon was living through the most intense period of his life. His passion was such that even Saki couldn’t help but gape.Zz5b
4ppSjRG“Speedweapon, don’t you think you’re overdoing it a little?”sYNUCc
4SIxoIThe reason for this effort? It was a mission Kang Geom-Ma had personally entrusted to him.t6ML6qD
iAJNkYKang Geom-Ma was a Seven Stars hero. A heavyweight with the authority to give orders to anyone.DBi7I
wi7aA1vAnd yet, Kang Geom-Ma had asked him. A sign of absolute trust.B9GfmV
XYA4‘The great Speedweapon has been chosen by Heavenly Sword!’ur6B
IwfHe couldn’t let him down. He was a man destined to meet expectations.uoZOjWt
I9fnbBesides, the “Create a Special Class!” project had its own strange charm. It was something as unprecedented as Kang Geom-Ma becoming a member of the Seven Stars.vWpQG69
hUrho7Joaquin Academy was famous for its conservatism. In other words, its foundation was solid, but its attitude toward change was lukewarm.R61
ICeJJAnd that wasn’t unique to Joaquin Academy.J9eh
B2CH73EOld institutions often shared that tendency to reject change.fn0
pkdj‘That’s why they end up rotting.’Pl9Q3E
trpoIt was said that lately, there had been a rise in nobles trying to buy their way in with bribes.P7U0P
UnCuSpeedweapon shook his head.o3zY
UAxID‘We can’t go on like this.’mmh
qvbUThis academy, which had become stagnant, urgently needed a breath of fresh air.CBaZcY1
dMjs‘This special class will be the first step.’Esr3
MNLwZHAnd he himself was leaving his mark on the history of reform.zyzns
FHDVFJSpeedweapon clenched his fists with determination.0XlOal1
csm6“I can do this.”COMOzaL
XfwHe had recently discovered something about himself—he had a natural talent for this kind of administrative work. Way more than Saki.TCgs8
4mqA meaningful smile spread across his face.jmtAooW
h7UIVMG‘After all, being smart doesn’t mean being good at fieldwork.’O8Ne
DwuxSpeedweapon carefully flipped through the documents in his hands.HyG5W
rM9O6k“It’s almost all ready.”CqnH
DeVXimkThere were three major tasks for creating the special class.ZW6F
HtrNMDFirst, recruiting and organizing members, just as Kang Geom-Ma had instructed. It was the first button that needed to be fastened correctly. If that failed, everything would collapse.NSn
19ZvdUSpeedweapon had poured all his effort into analyzing the three students from the Star Class.XgvY
17mbLMHe created detailed profiles of each, simulated interviews, and even speculated on their MBTI types.1ImEWA
i2604dAnd so, fully prepared, he headed for the Star Class.BKVx6
tqi5fWith a friendly smile, he approached each of them and asked cautiously. The response was…aGH
PLkhT“Yeah, sure. I’ll join. Thanks for inviting me.”hYX
vBcDThe next hero, Leon van Reinhardt ☑CXtx
u0Qy“What? A class created by Kang Geom-Ma? And you want me to join!? Of course I will! If you don’t let me in, I’ll break down the door to sneak in!”dqTitG
1tdMCwThe niece of the Saint of the Spear, Rachel of Mura ☑Z6vp
Z7xld“He asked for me directly? It’s not that I don’t want to—it just caught me off guard. I don’t need time to think. I’ll join. B-but… can I ask you a favor?”gcNCi
2RhV“A favor?”TZ8WB
0nNf4z“It’s nothing big, just… could you not tell Heavenly Sword that I accepted right away?”bCD
Q7Mu2Z“Ah, well… sure. But why?”rRrrlcU
mHEfuHer golden eyes reflected a certain sadness.UW4r
iKH“Speedweapon, you must’ve noticed too… no, forget I said anything.”AwNs
A2y“……?”s94
jEzSVAThe granddaughter of the Sword Master, Abel von Nibelung ☑DZ2vti4
tDHAll three from the Star Class accepted without hesitation. No questions, no doubts.n2Bqna
e6Kv5Just mentioning the name “Kang Geom-Ma” made them nod immediately, like magic.g1U
eSVDAll of Speedweapon’s prior effort was completely overshadowed.lRAq4EW
YJX4“Wow.”jF9w6mi
sCWeXasSpeedweapon felt a deep sense of emptiness. Why had he spent sleepless nights?arB3
E6dix0He knew Kang Geom-Ma had a great reputation, but this had been way too easy. This wasn’t a fast pass — it was a super pass.6fED
3p3J2F‘So much suffering for nothing!’xoVp7v
W03He clicked his tongue in resignation. In any case, the first step had been successfully completed. It was time to move on to the second.n9Hc
pWWGKang Geom-Ma had given him one more task — to name the new class.7Utl
NKbgGOriginally, that should have been Kang Geom-Ma’s job,Yh6Rb
shdeFKSbut since he left in a hurry, he handed the responsibility over to Speedweapon.yPhj
wnjThe pressure was immense. He spent nights tearing his hair out.1H9
DojWr“No, this one’s no good either.”9G1JtbB
mhDThe trash bin filled with crumpled papers. And after long hours of reflection accompanied by the dawn…Z8aWOLc
YdBe“T-this is… this is it!”HHPHUG
7UatnYNSpeedweapon finally wrote it down.RMkUdns
K9i8w5Z『Heavenly Class.』YPY
v9CVe6pA name that evoked Heavenly Sword. It might’ve sounded arrogant, but that made him like it even more.LYmbSm
tdPEJzBHigher than “Star,” like the sun or the moon. No, beyond even that!KLLsu
AuOThe sky that encompasses everything.XlnBza
gAvg2CQ‘Of course. The class that will house the Seven Stars hero, the Heavenly Sword, must be on this level.’dBZRKBZ
XftPFProud of himself, Speedweapon danced joyfully at dawn. It was a strange habit that surfaced when he couldn’t contain his happiness.YUx33
WBSEHis cousin Rachel used to call it “Monkey Magic” whenever she saw it.n8Ms
IlnIEverything had gone smoothly so far. Only one last step remained — getting approval from the academy director.U3xwhW
cefIn fact, the idea to create the new class had come directly from the director’s own mouth. So the approval request was, in theory, just a formality.MVFZB
YYkHowever—6tAty
jvl4cjIn front of the director’s office door, Speedweapon was sweating cold.Kpx18Y
u3DHe stared blankly at the shiny nameplate, unsure what to do.7iA
ZDSHe’d raise his hand to knock… and then lower it again.lqqbLHH
248FYSpeedweapon was nervous.0T8Gt
hwW46P‘A private audience with the academy director…’sAs
ocD4Even among graduates, very few had ever had a direct conversation with her.zx3PSXU
2DmY6KGThe director was always so overwhelmed with work that getting time with her was nearly impossible.DDkbm
KjM9NcGEven teachers had to book appointments six months in advance.1KF
d4rLp‘Of course, the President goes into the director’s office like it’s a playroom…’osgBs18
ombFBut that was a quirk of Kang Geom-Ma. Speedweapon’s reaction was the normal one.JS8FB
Q8a3wtC“Don’t be nervous, Speedweapon. This is the last step and then you’re done. You’ll have lived up to the Director’s expectations.”lnBJMt
cFIHe muttered to himself in a resigned tone.Qrj
rEdThat’s when, suddenly, he heard an agitated voice on the other side of the door.ZXhb
v3sh“What the hell!? Now you suddenly call me!? Where the hell have you been hiding for ten years!?”Dvp4NAD
1aOg6Alongside the director’s voice, another voice could be heard.18DRaFv
1IPrc— How have you been, Duri?2zh
gAlgwA voice with a faint background noise. It sounded like a speakerphone call.wkV06
GjFDQ“I told you not to call me that! What kind of ridiculous nickname is Duri!”syLo
WwcwMb— But you’re the second daughter, so of course you’re Duri.VVDafu
snmISpeedweapon pressed his ear to the door.WCLRgS
Msw0mThe tone and voice of the caller didn’t seem unfamiliar.hbVFV
4fZWho could it be?p2x
MEOC2***4Hv
X2iAs soon as I arrived in my dorm room, I collapsed onto the bed.ZYo3MyJ
61FI lay there like a corpse for several minutes. With my face buried in the sheets, I slowly sat up.fOZ
GJS“I’ll sleep, but I should at least shower first.”y0TAy
2FWctMI hadn’t properly bathed in three days, and I felt disgusting.5i6H5
wzPBOLNI’d seen too much blood in Hawaii. I’d been drenched in the blood of dozens of dark elves. And all I’d done was wipe myself with a wet towel.yanTDs
dnzz6oaThere were showers available at the military base, but since I was sharing a tent with Horn, I couldn’t use them.1Vluw
HJ04UuQIt might sound like an exaggeration, but sharing a shower with a girl? From the perspective of someone who’d been single their whole life, that was simply unthinkable.Rtc
dE6s15I got off the bed and walked toward the bathroom, taking my smartphone with me to listen to music while I showered.gfa9r
luHQLThat’s when—lVMs
VAcDBzzzz.Atn
zSkNR1The phone vibrated several times. Missed calls, messages, various notifications began flooding in all at once. In Hawaii, I hadn’t had any signal, so all the messages had piled up.4N4Iw
eLSXWhile undressing, I checked the notifications.4mU0wK
6uAiCDA progress report from Speedweapon.Nvdc
kWTzCnqHe had organized everything neatly and sent it to me in a file.gBi
pzFe1I let out a small laugh.8pSrX
YX5Dc‘He managed just fine while I was gone.’GETo
yOHFfBut—SboTTiF
VgW1y6‘I don’t have time to go through all of this one by one.’SkrG1
opoXTrPersonal and work messages were all mixed together.xudhk1H
OCQ6oEAt this rate, I wouldn’t be able to shower or sleep.lJHOUG
Ll1I quickly found a solution.YXWQNb
mr1ZbI spoke to the phone.oyD
HPCT“Vixbig, filter only the personal messages and read them out loud while I shower.”R672r
N9wpmWS[Just when it seems like you’re about to relax a little…]VyS1q
elHA faint sigh bounced off the bathroom tiles. Though grumbling, Vixbig began sorting the messages.nCT9k
4wJsw[Huh?]E0E1Mc
AwFVixbig let out an unusual exclamation.mhiRsH5
PEWmnmY[Mr. Kang Geom-Ma, this sender is a bit strange.]Eet2j
OuQWhile adjusting the water temperature, I replied indifferently.FOTG
fPN“If it’s spam, block it.”EU0eA
u0paQW[It doesn’t seem like spam. But how should I put it? The number starts with 019. It’s a very old phone number format. So I did a reverse lookup and…]pYjc
0GgcIeIThere was a brief silence.kfMYg
bG0HAfThen, Vixbig spoke again.yX7
guS[It’s a message from the former academy director.]dsujs
rSwqFAFwoooosh.sqwu
KwjkThe shower blasted out freezing water.6hrqE
rXKMINqAh, damn it. I messed up the temperature setting.hv53
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BlackLotus
Qi RefinementI feel like, leon doesn’t get much attention for being the MC. It makes me remember abt Kevin, maybe we will get the lore later.
Sergey Kononov
MortalWho TF is Kevin..
BlackLotus
Qi RefinementCharacter from Author’s POV
Haimiya_cutie.
Mahayanaformer academy director isn’t that same person who was sister of media the Strongest hero its my guess.