Chapter 304: Matters Only Adults Understand

In the director’s office, three soft knocks echoed at the door. Ryozo set her pen back into the inkwell.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and a tall, elegant woman entered with a model-like presence.

“Hot or iced coffee, Director?”

Choi Seol-Ah held an Americano in each hand.

Once a villain, she had been reborn through Kang Geom-Ma’s “rehabilitation classes” into a completely new person.

Time had flowed on, and eventually, Choi Seol-Ah became the director’s personal secretary.

“Iced today. It’s a bit warm.”

“That’s unusual. You always go for hot. And warm? In March? That’s prime weather for catching a cold.”

With that, Seol-Ah handed her the iced drink. The ice cubes clinked inside the cup.

“I have a bit of a fever.”

“A fever? Don’t tell me you’re getting sick?”

“No… it’s not that.”

Ryozo hesitated, then averted her gaze. A fierce wolf by night, but by day, she was a kitten.

“Maybe from overwork. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“You’re always consistent, Seol-Ah. Even when your boss doesn’t leave, you always go home on time.”

“That’s what the academy’s labor laws say, right?”

Choi Seol-Ah shrugged with a mischievous smile.

“A woman who loves money that much talking about labor laws…”

Ryozo glared at her and took a long sip of her coffee. Like a tonic for the stomach, it felt like it was purifying her body.

“Hmm.”

Choi Seol-Ah narrowed her eyes. Ryozo wiped her lips with the back of her hand and frowned slightly.

“What are you staring at?”

“Nothing, really.”

Choi Seol-Ah looked at her with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

“You look really good. How should I put it? Your face is glowing, like you took some kind of tonic last night. Did you have something?”

Ryozo’s hand trembled slightly as she held her cup.

“You did take something! Tell me what it was! As your secretary, I have to know everything about your diet!”

“……”

Ryozo said nothing. Ignoring Choi Seol-Ah’s persistence, she kept working while sipping her coffee.

But…

“Tonic…”

For some reason…

‘I want to have it again tomorrow.’

Her cheeks curved with tenderness. The pen glided smoothly, as if tickling the paper with its tip.

***

‘This is fine…’

I was sitting at a straight café table. Outside, contrails from airplanes floated across the sky. My arms were crossed and my chin rested on them as I stared out the window.

Joaquin Academy was located in Wonju, Gangwon-do—a place renowned for its pure air and crystal-clear waters. Just sitting on a bench and breathing was enough to feel cleansed.

Looking up at the sky had a similar effect.

Watching the clouds soaked in spring made it feel like my eyesight was improving. Even the fatigue in my eyes seemed to fade.

In contrast, my body felt as heavy as if it weighed a thousand tons. I buried my face deeper in my arms.

I was exhausted.

Every part of my body screamed in pain.

‘I feel like my life is shortening in real-time.’ At this rate, I’d die young.

“Haa.”

I’d spent the whole day with Director Ryozo doing all sorts of things.

And then again, when I opened my eyes. The accumulated damage to my stamina was beyond measure.

What’s the point of being the Heavenly Sword?

‘I’m a failure.’

The type who can only bottle everything up inside.

I can’t even handle my wife, who lives on coffee and sighs.

No one would understand. It’s such a personal issue, I couldn’t tell anyone.

And even if I did, they’d call me insane. “How can you complain when you’ve got the two most beautiful women in the world as your wives?”

Even my fans from the Celestial God Cult would turn against me if they knew. Men would definitely become my haters.

“President.”

Someone still calling me that spoke from the side.

It was Speedweapon.

I’d asked him many times why he kept calling me “President.” I thought maybe he hadn’t matured.

But he always just said it was a habit.

Anyway, Speedweapon was strangely consistent with things like that. That’s why he fit so well in the Hero Association.

He was highly valued in the organization. Always dependable—the ideal civil servant.

Plus, it seemed his distant relative, Changseong Richard of Mura, thought highly of him. He could only keep rising.

That guy, in the end, also used his lineage.

In “Miracle Blessing M,” the system revolved around bloodlines. It was hard to root it out.

‘That’s just how this world is.’

After ten years here, I had that seasoned veteran air about me.

“What is it, Speedweapon?”

I replied without lifting my head.

“Well… it’s just.”

He looked at me closely and frowned with sympathy.

“Jumping between the Human Realm and Gehenna is killing you. Your eye bags go down to your chin.”

I sipped my espresso in silence.

It tasted sweet.

Probably because my mouth was already full of bitterness.

‘You know, Speedweapon? It’s not the dimension travel that’s wearing me out.’

Joaquin Academy has a spatial jump system. You can get to Hawaii instantly.

And I wield lightning magic. I can move at the speed of light.

That was originally the power of the First Corps Commander, Lycan. He’s my alter ego.

— Use it however you want.

“You sure you’re giving me all your power?”

— If needed, I’ll enter your body and use it myself.

“What is my body, a restaurant? You come and go whenever you want?”

— Technically, that body is mine.

“Fine, thanks.”

He handed over all his powers. Now he’s living the high life.

A lunatic.

Anyway, what I mean is—

The reason I’m so tired isn’t the travel.

“If you’re not okay, tell me, President… I mean, Kang Geom-Ma. I’ll talk to the association president. People say they’re overworking you.”

“They say that in the association?”

“Where don’t they talk about you? You’re the hero who saved the world.”

“Speedweapon, you still say that cheesy stuff with a straight face, huh?”

“So what. No one else is listening.”

He glanced around the café. It was a VIP café created through renovations at the academy.

But we were the only customers. The employee kept glancing our way.

‘She’s going to crumple that autograph page with how much she’s staring.’

And it’s not that the place was unpopular—on the contrary, it was always packed despite the ridiculous prices.

Especially items with my brand—featuring my sashimi and Heavenly Sword drawings—sold like hotcakes.

‘That was Speedweapon’s idea too…’

Speedweapon is the president of the Celestial God Cult. Having your fan club president as your friend… he’s nuts too.

Anyway.

The café had been emptied because my wife Abel rented it out with her own money.

Just for me.

So I could rest peacefully before my afternoon special class.

“Speedweapon, don’t I seem like a kept man?”

“You’re not a kept man. You’re the pillar of an era.”

“Please…”

I messed up my hair in despair.

“I told you not to say things like that between friends.”

“I’m only saying it because your eye bags look like part of your outfit. Seriously, you’re a mess. You’re going to teach in that state?”

“I have to. If I don’t show up, Ryozo and Abel won’t be able to assert their authority. Word is the nobles want to revive the Senate.”

Speedweapon grew indignant.

“Those idiots never learn? After everything the Senate did to you? Again with that? They’re insane. That’s how people get when they’re comfortable—they start demanding rights and nonsense.”

“That’s why I have to teach.”

I said as I rested my head in my hands. Just then, a plane crossed the sky, leaving a white trail.

“I’d rather hear nonsense than see thousands die again.”

“……”

Speedweapon also looked up.

There was a time when a clear day like this wasn’t normal.

Just ten years ago.

We paused.

“I’ve decided.”

Suddenly, like it was a national policy, Speedweapon nodded by himself. Then, as always, he explained everything.

“The association president is at the academy. I’ll talk to him. They’re forming a team to explore Gehenna anyway. Better we take initiative and gain real experience.”

He stood up abruptly. Almost knocked the chair over, but I caught it.

“You don’t need to go that far.”

“Let me do this. If Saki and Abel are doing everything for you, how could I not do something too?”

“You’re not them.”

Speedweapon gave a thumbs-up.

“I’ll go sort it out now. I had a good quarter, you know? If I ask, the president will agree no problem.”

“No, wait…”

“President.”

Speedweapon rubbed between his brows with his index finger.

“That’s what friends are for. Take advantage of it—you got into Joaquin Academy using connections anyway.”

Is this idiot brainwashed?

He had the most bureaucratic mindset possible.

And me—if I weren’t bouncing between the Demon Realm and here—I’d probably be dead. My life force drained dry.

“Ha, just stop, leave it.”

“No, that’s not it.”

I tried to push him back into his seat, but…

“I’ll just take the sentiment.”

“You don’t listen even if someone shouts at you.”

Was he coated in oil or what? He slipped right past me.

This called for more drastic measures.

I quietly grabbed my Daiso sashimi blade.

[Activating Blessing of the Sword God—]

And then, in an instant—

“What’s all this noise?”

The rescuer appeared.

The two employees behind the counter instantly ducked like moles.

There she was. A woman whose golden irises, cold as if carved from eternal snow, gleamed sharply.

“Ah, Abel.”

Speedweapon, who had just been a wild colt, instantly calmed down.

He was scared of Abel.

He once told me that the deeper he went into bureaucracy, the more he felt Abel’s overwhelming noble presence.

Descendant of the Sword Master. The Nibelung bloodline had only grown more fearsome.

The Sword Master, the Sword Maiden, the Heavenly Sword.

Three people whose names all began with “Sword.”

“I told you to rest, and look—Speedweapon, why are you bothering someone who did nothing wrong?”

“N-no, I wasn’t bothering him!”

“I don’t want to hear excuses.”

With a cold look, she dismissed Speedweapon, then turned to me with a soft smile.

“It’s almost time, isn’t it?”

“Still about an hour left.”

“Hmm…”

Abel examined me closely, tilting her head slightly while resting her cheek in her palm.

“That Seven Stars coat looks great, but it might be a bit intimidating for the kids during class.”

“Yeah… maybe.”

It really did look like I was flaunting my Seven Stars title.

Abel stepped closer and straightened my tie.

Then suddenly, she sniffed.

“Now that I think about it, you’re wearing the same clothes as yesterday, aren’t you?”

“Well… I had a drink with Speedweapon.”

Before her stare completely locked onto me—

– Speedweapon.

I used lightning magic. I shot him a plea at the speed of light.

– My life is in your hands.

A silent signal between men.

– Please save me.

The transmission succeeded. Speedweapon seemed to pick up on it, and with a hesitant expression, he started speaking awkwardly.

“Y-yeah! We were drinking all night. That’s why we’re having coffee now, to cure the hangover.
Ha, ha, hahaha!”

Even the laughter was well-executed.

If only his eyebrows hadn’t trembled so much.

Still, thanks to Speedweapon’s quick thinking, I made it out unscathed. Abel turned her probing eyes away and smiled sweetly again.

“I left some clothes in the private dressing room. Go change. I’ll help you.”

“I can change by mysel—”

“I’ll help you.”

Dead silence.

Hic!

The hiccup of a staff member hiding behind the counter shattered the stillness of the world.

Grab!

Abel grabbed my wrist and dragged me off. Straight into a sealed, windowless room.

Whip.

I twisted my head in desperation. Speedweapon looked at me with sympathy.

He slid his hand into his inner pocket and pulled out a recorder.

And blew into it.

The gentle tune spread through the café.

Speedweapon was a rare type of healer hero. His melancholic melody gave me buffs and lifted my spirits.

‘Yes…’

Play on, Speedweapon.

Piri-ri-ri-ri—

The exhaustion that clung to my entire body faded away.

I felt my strength returning.

But I won’t say what kind of “strength” it was.

Because adults… have their own business.

***

The classroom for the special lecture was the Tiger Class.

Normally, events of national pride like this would be held in the Star Class, but they’d chosen the Tiger Class to encourage students who might feel inferior compared to those in the Dragon or Star Classes.

“Wow, what kind of person is he…”

A student murmured in awe, but her voice was lost in the commotion.

‘Noisy’ would be putting it politely. It was pure chaos.

A literal mob. In the narrow space between the crowded students, everyone was pushing and shoving, trying to get closer to the podium however they could.

Even just an inch closer!

Their struggle was desperate. Like a scene out of a zombie movie.

Faced with the chaos, the girl pursed her lips indifferently.

‘What’s so great about the Heavenly Sword?’

Stories always get exaggerated, don’t they? In the end, the Heavenly Sword was just another person like her. A Homo sapiens with two arms and two legs.

Ambition was a virtue for heroes. Blind worship of someone was just another way of devaluing yourself.

Slide.

The classroom door opened to the left.

As if nothing had happened, silence swallowed the room.

Everyone strained their eyes so hard, they looked like they might pop out like frogs’.

Step.

One step.

Step.

Two steps.

Step.

On the third step, he stepped onto the podium.

He—the Heavenly Sword—wore a black coat embroidered with intricate detail.

Through a small opening, a faint glimpse of his partially drawn sashimi could be seen.

“More of you showed up than I expected.”

Everyone watched him intently. Their concentration was so intense not a single detail escaped them.

Gulp.

The girl moistened her lips with her tongue.

‘Don’t be fooled, stay strong. Whether he’s one of the Seven Stars or the Heavenly Sword, he’s still a person like you.’

She forced herself not to fall under his spell.

“Nice to see you all.”

But just that greeting made the students’ souls bow in reverence.

“As you know, I’ll be taking charge of you for the next few days.”

Her pores opened.

“I’m Kang Geom-Ma.”

Her heart pounded like a war drum against her ribs.

“To start, I’ll take questions.”

Silence.

Stirring.

Action.

Clack!

Everyone raised their hand at the same time. As if rehearsed, the movement was perfectly synchronized.

“What is this…?”

The girl looked around, dumbfounded.

Like a bamboo forest, hundreds of arms were raised thickly around her.

It felt as though she alone had been left out.

She bit her lower lip. Finally, she looked down.

She felt humiliated.

Humiliated, but…

Rustle—

Even students who had tried to deny it wanted to stand out.

She, too, had grown up hearing the legends of Kang Geom-Ma.