Chapter 226 – Professor (2)
LXfEWith a hardened face, Saki walked down the hallway wrapped in the darkness of evening. The November air was cold. Even though they were indoors, her breath came out in a visible white mist.dV9jT
x0aVVThud. Thud. Thud.t7qvDsf
WnbWyHer footsteps struck the tiles heavily. Speedweapon reached out a hand.zIs
egj6L“Wait, Saki…! Where are you going in such a rush?”BCY2
wGuSy2h“Don’t you think we should tell Geom-Ma?”NFDD2ay
4VxfCSW“B-but we’re not even sure yet…”OXtx
BNE3LN“If you really care about Geom-Ma, you should tell him even if it’s not certain.”LEL70
3GKowB0“And if what you’re saying is true… do you think senior Ha-na is just some ordinary person? You know too, don’t you? Meain Poison, the one they called ‘Power of Ten Thousand’.”jViT6Wy
UI1Mv7Saki frowned.mOI
o5f‘Now everything makes sense.’FLi47sU
cKBFbThat time she interrogated San Ha-na using the list of faculty members, Saki had ended up completely humiliated.RKu1DRK
wqYGFEven she had to admit that, at the time, she acted recklessly.BMLGMo
cbMXShe had been too worked up, and her words were impulsive.YMlZ
E1A8CFThankfully, there were no witnesses—otherwise, it would’ve been a disaster. Ever since, she had tried to avoid making hasty judgments.SKI
FrybsShe kept her suspicions toward others to herself. Even so, the doubt never disappeared.AjKZ9
ijR‘San Ha-na.’XqQQBab
Rh0lOHer first impression was someone tasteless and odorless.rHI
iA2Her speech, her grades, her behavior—nothing stood out, for better or worse. Everything was in perfect balance. And that made Saki uncomfortable.k67umd
VG1KeSSHow could anyone, let alone a teenager, maintain such a consistent demeanor without a single crack?qdfdOG
N50f‘It just doesn’t make sense.’nawO
6HX2dDkSaki changed her thinking. Maybe it wasn’t an act.2mW
OUsMaybe senior Ha-na’s mind was already like a plant’s.ERVjbEz
YsjaRXGAmong people with deeply twisted psyches, there were those who discarded their emotions like trash.ATWTvZL
NAo‘I’ve seen someone like that up close…’hMJL
EA1XSaki Kojima, the Absolute Archer.10p
t5J7VHe too had a heart as dry as cracked earth.hZoSO
9aZYThe bad feeling she had about San Ha-na stemmed from that experience.hgFw7
SOo0WU9Not just anyone could reach that level. Being able to sever all emotion required an almost divine state—something reserved only for high-ranking heroes.ewkbV
ZC7The so-called awakened heroes.HPNA
VncBEThe closer one got to the Awakening of a Gift, the more godlike they became.cHorRo
g0uWTAnd gods demanded emotion in exchange for power.hZRq
Mjdtys‘Doesn’t matter if senior Ha-na used to be the ex-director or not.’MhGr
6xMkrPWhat mattered was that Saki saw in her the reflection of someone with an inhuman mind.TmTo4uK
aJHThat alone made her a high-level threat. She had to be kept away from Kang Geom-Ma. No contact, period.NqgWhI
PUrg2‘And it’s not just her.’RBm
dOKThe Heavenly Class, opening in three days under Geom-Ma’s initiative. Saki still wasn’t on board with the whole idea.sPK
acQStill, she didn’t want to stir things up, so she kept her objections quiet.sPCoUnn
momBut now there was partial proof that senior Ha-na wasn’t what she appeared to be.6zVh
Qi3kD5‘Even if the only testimony is from Speedweapon.’8WjhmiC
BLvqXxKAfter reviewing each event, Saki’s eyes gleamed with conviction.EEy7
dX0‘She approached Geom-Ma while hiding her true identity.’Mai1Xq
i6fCHer old paranoia started to resurface.Deh382F
xkfWShe’d kept it under control for a while, but now it was reignited.Gaq2
Agu‘At this point, I can’t even trust Abel or Rachel.’fS8C
oYVtA0That’s why she had to be right next to Kang Geom-Ma.Yf9AT5L
AYCThe dark red spark of her obsession flickered again, born from her childish sense of lack.o1bVq
6MYiQl‘I’m not going to let those worthless women get near him like it’s nothing.’d1N1Dam
fsulHer sky-blue pupils spun like turbulent spirals.VE2YN5x
6Y5ISpeedweapon, following behind, felt a chill run down his back.PNBR
J6hOYSEven someone as oblivious as him could tell that Saki’s steps weren’t normal.icSE
q1stx“W-Wait, wait!”jft
AJtPanting, Speedweapon managed to get ahead and block her path. His gasping breath broke up his sentences.rMOs
cqD4a“Haa… haa… let’s be rational, okay? It’s crazy to say that senior Ha-na is Meain Poison. They don’t even look alike, and she’s shorter than the director.”4tvB
bVbnQ8rHe paused. Sweat dripped as his eyes darted around. Saki looked sideways at him and sighed.Dzr
iqwskzh“What, are you going to say her body’s not the same as the director’s either?”ktr73S
oKK“…Ugh.”zjJ
pfXTK8YLike he’d been stabbed, Speedweapon clutched his chest.Y6C
fJiuThe guilt burned inside.
Despite his sleazy appearance, he actually hated judging people by looks.bxp8
FLu8Saki took a deep breath. The cold early-winter air cleared her mind. Once calm, she answered.13F5
AROat“Do you even know what kind of family the Poisons are?”a8f
lXtq2Speedweapon shook his head. Saki gave a brief explanation.VSFQ7e
zFLWnX“The Poison family is the only direct bloodline of the Ancients.”HRqk
VkUE“Ancients? Wait… you mean…”Bk3ws
s1r“Yeah. Humans whose lifespan is many times longer than ours. If senior Ha-na really is the ex-director, then she’s the same age as Media—her twin sister. Technically, she’d be about seventy, but she’d look eighteen.”WwA
Ig2hSpeedweapon’s jaw dropped.476w3
f9nThe director was one of those ancient humans mentioned in textbooks? Saki continued.xP2a
QPS“And by the way, I also found out during an investigation—Media doesn’t show her real appearance either. What you see is thanks to a Gift that makes her look older.”va9W
aUlF2“Why would she even do that…?”w6XaSQZ
ghdd4a“When you first saw senior Ha-na’s appearance, what was the first thought that crossed your mind?”UWNNs
QyxXCpdAt Saki’s question, Speedweapon hesitated before answering.Nwq
IQafXah“I thought… she looked really fragile…”yVvOxB
5bcO7“What a nice way to put it. Inside, I’m sure you thought, ‘Why does that kid have a body like that?’”hJkW
ZYy7Q“Ugh…”GWMb
Kircq“Anyway, that’s why. Imagine the director of Joaquin Academy and one of the Seven Stars looking like a little girl. What kind of authority would she have?”ZyZ
oVG“…Yeah, I see your point.”RSi
j90aWc0“So it’s not strange for senior Ha-na to look childish. And those glasses? I’m pretty sure they’re not normal. Probably some special tech to hide her identity. Speedweapon, do you clearly remember what Ha-na senior’s face looks like?”Go8
8foD“Huh? Of course I… huh? What? Why… can’t I remember…?”3iI
zZp“You know I have perfect memory, right? Even so, I can’t recall her face either. When she’s in front of me, I think ‘Oh, that’s what she looks like,’ but the moment I turn away, it’s gone.”T9Rtwe
ESjmdHSpeedweapon nodded as he listened. The more he heard, the more confused he became. Ryozo continued.zg4x
bq9Ok“If we go through everything step by step, all signs point to the same place. At the very least, it’s clear senior Ha-na isn’t just a normal student. Whether or not she’s the ex-director still needs to be confirmed…”uZRl
ajgJh3Just then, her ears twitched slightly between her light-blue locks. A voice slipped into her ears through the silence of the building.AJMma
ihBpRY“…So, what do you think of me, Geom-Ma?”iz5q3ca
INNgOnqIt was San Ha-na’s voice.HDUJ
43Ox4Jk“I think I’m doing pretty well… for someone like me, don’t you?”e0qV2
gr6Ryozo stomped hard on the floor.5M9q0
Yvg3X***RlaCTS
4OczR7Senior was sitting on the desk with her legs crossed, elbows resting on her knees, and chin on one hand. From that position, she looked me straight in the eyes.3FZ
1NwHer eyes, large like a deer’s, were lethal to any man. I had to muster all my mental discipline to resist, thanks to my “Mental Spirit Level”.DILBq
JFjNIms“What do you think of my proposal?”AJ9T2S
c02PShe whispered with a smile.sGpLuE
qbDWvf“You still haven’t assigned a professor for the Heavenly Class, right? And you’ve been observing me for a year. What do you think of me as a teacher, Geom-Ma?”R0bL
tTPomldThis woman was asking something she already knew the answer to.Qhk5
UGse90g“And even if the main goal of the Heavenly Class isn’t academics, the students still have to meet educational requirements. I could handle that. I’m pretty good at teaching. Don’t you think I’d make a decent educator?”qZG
w6nhSnIf she really had been the director, then “pretty good” was a massive understatement—her ability would far surpass that of any current professor.0kPHsWv
59c64WlI closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. Her dazzling gaze made it hard to speak. For now, I decided to ask a question.UhSAC
EQyTcg“You’re not going to tell me your true reason for wanting this role, are you?”mEt
ljD3YvO“Nope!”4MWAkg
tfGlB2…Yeah, I didn’t expect her to.p0x
97Q“Let’s say I agree to let you take the position. Then what about the director…”Y88
A39“Oh, I forgot to mention—Duri already knows. She knows I used the fake name San Ha-na to enter the academy through, well, unconventional means.”EM45vw
QnXz“…What?”WlA10
uybsk“And that I’d apply to be the teacher in charge of the Heavenly Class too! I told her over the phone a week ago. Her shocked voice was so cute I recorded it. Want to hear it?”FWrIT
BUKyI passed. More importantly, who records family calls? How broken was their relationship?ow93
l3bePBmI opened my eyes again and sat up straight, looking at Senior. She smiled gently, like something amused her.cT53WYi
lSbVmHs‘This woman is Meain Poison, the one called Power of Ten Thousand.’Jcd
g2DtVAfter discarding all irrelevant details, I focused on who Meain really was.0HXAi
CWBmAqA heroine with power equal to or greater than the Swordmaster, the strongest human alive. A former director of the academy. Her titles alone were overwhelming.Bgsp1X8
lS2X7qMeain Poison as the head professor of the Heavenly Class? As long as you ignored the side details, no one would oppose it.6BMk8x6
pavAnd even if someone objected, no one would dare say it aloud. No one wanted to get torn apart.lFiv
Zo1Oj‘They say more than a few heroes have gotten beaten up by her.’9fJ
0N4Y2XpIn terms of ability, there was nothing to criticize. As for her personality, they said she used to be a bit temperamental, but after living alongside her for a year, she didn’t seem dangerous. At least not on the surface.aG16HF
7cJThe more I thought about it, the more I leaned toward accepting her. And it wasn’t personal affection, to be clear.3paALo
sPrI’m not so generous as to forgive someone who hid their identity to get close to me. Honestly, Meain still made me uncomfortable. But…WA0N
LeXBYHkThe Heavenly Class was created to prepare for the Second War between Humans and Demons. And the demons would soon realize that purpose. They’d try to invade over and over again, aiming to kill the hero and everyone around him.FiJ
KWzyj‘And when that happens, they’ll be dragged into constant danger.’Grp
B7nxVIYEven if the class was completely sealed off, the demons would look for the slightest crack.J2b
Gsve“……”iHJDs
eT4yIf there were a barrier strong enough to protect the Heavenly Class students from all that—D9Kjtc
6UnutQbI’d even accept help from a little girl. It would be a huge relief. No—an ideal outcome.DUWH3jA
NjYlmThat’s why Senior’s proposal was tempting. I wanted to accept without hesitation.dtA
AvlnyIp‘But I can’t do that without knowing who she really is.’NtWwg
pDtI paused to think. I had a feeling she wouldn’t give me an answer even if I poked around. My brain was racing. I finally lowered my voice.SFETpF
oaSI1EP“Before I appoint you, I want to ask you something.”TMcq0Kq
RSeFF“Oh, is this a real interview? It reminds me of 50 years ago… how exciting~”NhV53w
JRkBolFifty years ago, she says… those are some distant memories.RvPV
0t9pavF“Alright. Since I dodged a lot of questions already, I’ll answer this one honestly. Ask away!”FkeDe
A7a4mZ“Forty years ago.”NQbMWEn
B00SGRcSenior’s expression stiffened slightly.rHZ
uuaOOdB“When the Sixth Corps Commander, Basmon, invaded—why did you do nothing? Three of the Seven Stars died in that disaster. Avoiding something that serious without a valid reason isn’t something to overlook.”Kvp
neQ“…….”RGd
9bJtL“I’m not trying to blame you for the past. I just want to understand your actions. I want the professor in charge of the Heavenly Class to have a strong sense of responsibility.”0RuuNtL
MXESenior didn’t answer right away. She stepped down from the desk.APUF4
Zxlpf“It was Duri who stopped me.”i7QLP9
Z5pvYvShe regained a faint smile.8UkN
ViuX“Forty years ago, I was on the verge of Awakening the Blessing. If I kept going, I might’ve stopped being human.”hjZ
orJOwCFHer voice was tight.fmsFuFT
eX1L“As you may have heard, Duri and I had a falling out decades ago. She was the one who stopped me when I lost control.”ahtVGe
4krbakJHer mint-colored eyes trembled.GLtau
953B“That’s why… I… ended up hurting Duri. So… even if it’s late, I want to make up for it. Somehow.”Whrgoi
BORfSHer eyes shimmered faintly. I stared at her, half-dazed, but eventually made a decision.53D
M8Z0ep9“I understand.”hssd20
NsLCI still didn’t completely trust her. Maybe it made no sense to say this now, but at the very least, one thing was clear—her words, clumsy as they were, were sincere.WsFk2
UK7n“I’ll appoint you as the professor in charge of the Heavenly Class…”M1Zq
a9ulfAt that moment—8DAb
6tBHBANG!lrUT0
1oaA loud crash rang out. The library door swung open violently, as if it had been torn off.Gur7pJ6
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaWhat happened now?
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaGood question I was also thinking the same.